Dunkin’ Donuts keeps expanding its relationship with sports.

The company is capitalizing on baseball’s popularity this summer with its Bases Loaded promotion that combines free food and other prizes with a video game component that allows fans to face one of two pitchers online to try to get a hit. Dunkin’ is partnering with MLB, the MLB Players Association and 2K Sports.

Through Sept. 30, all cups of cold Dunkin' beverages – iced tea and coffee and smoothies – come with a peel-away sticker that carries a login code for fans to win prizes and coupons for flatbread sandwiches and pizzas. At dunkindonuts.com/basesloaded, baseball fans can choose to face either New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain or Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to try to get a hit. Prizes include 2K Sports games, high definition TVs, and Xbox video game systems.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir are also helping advertise the promotion in their markets – meaning the Rays' success on the field is getting them notice off the field, too. Fans in most Florida counties -- excluding South Florida and the Treasure Coast -- will also be eligible to win Rays tickets and a trip to Boston to see a Rays-Red Sox game.

Meanwhile, the Massaschusetts company also got involved with NASCAR this past weekend, stopping at Daytona International Speedway for the Nationwide Series Daytona 250 on July 4. A Dunkin' logo and hot coffee cup appeared on driver Eric McClure’s No. 24 car and his crew got Dunkin’ items for meals last Thursday and Friday.

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With the trial in luxury auto dealer Norman Braman's lawsuit against Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and the Marlins set to begin Tuesday, the timetable is in flux again.

At the request of Braman's attorney, Bob Martinez, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Pedro Echarte Jr. recused himself Thursday from the case he has overseen for months, because Martinez said in court papers that he discovered Tuesday he had a distant familial relationship with Echarte. Echarte's mother is related to Martinez's sister-in-law.

Already hampered by the case, which targets the $3 billion downtown redevelopment megaplan that includes a Marlins ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl, Marlins representatives were none too pleased with the timing of Thursday's decision. Braman has lost on a couple of points in the case in the past week, and Marlins President David Samson accused Braman of trying to deflect attention from a case he can't win.

Samson said he was “flabbergasted” at the timing of the request for the recusal.

“I just think it’s sad. It’s a waste of taxpayers money," Samson said. "It’s the desperate musings of a man who knew he couldn’t prevail."

The timing may seem unusual, but I'm told there's no way Braman's legal team would move forward if there were even an inkling there could be a conflict.

The case has been reassigned to Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen, who is holding a status hearing in the case on Friday afternoon. Perhaps then we'll learn a new date for the trial.

“Miami-Dade County continues to be confident with its case and hopes the trial can continue moving forward in a timely fashion,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said in a statement. “Important timelines and funding streams are attached to this package of critical public works projects which are designed to improve the quality of life of County residents. In the short-term, these projects can provide an important economic boost in an uncertain economy, and get jobs on the street when they are needed most.”

Samson says plans for the ballpark are proceeding on schedule. The Baseball Stadium Agreement approved in February specified that definitive agreements on specifics such as construction management and financing, must be in place by July 1. But the county, city and Marlins have agreed to wait until after the trial in the Braman case.

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Oh the irony.

The Washington Nationals are hosting a “Conversion Day” promotion at their new ballpark on Sunday. The concept is not unusual: bring in a piece of gear from any other Major League Baseball team and trade it in for a National hat featuring the curly W logo.

But for this promotion the hat you get in return is made from organically-grown cotton. The sponsor of this "green" giveaway?

ExxonMobil.

In addition, the promotion says there are hats available for the first 10,000 fans, but it also says one hat per fan, “while supplies last.” Hmmm.

The promotion also seems aimed squarely at fans of the Baltimore Orioles, who are the Nats’ opponent that day. After all, the former Montreal Expos are looking to build their fan base in the Baltimore-Washington Metro area. Conversion Day prompted chatter on an Orioles message board.

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Joe Torre. Albert Pujols. Mariano Rivera. Manny Ramirez. Dan Uggla.

Dan Uggla?

The hot-hitting Marlins second baseman is in the center (green shirt) of a group of Major League Baseball players and coaches in Macy’s Father’s Day catalog sent out across the country recently. Titled "The Boys of Summer," the campaign includes 15 baseball stars from around the country.

Uggla was chosen to represent our “hometown.”

“Dan Uggla is one of the most popular ‘hometown’ baseball players who has really become a shining star in South Florida,” Macy’s Central spokeswoman Ellen Fruchtman said via email. “Dan was selected to be part of this campaign as a result of being an All-Star second baseman, a terrific father AND a positive role model.”

Uggla is not a Macy's endorser, but did make an appearance at the department store at the Pembroke Lakes Mall earlier this month.

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My colleague, Ethan J. Skolnick, and I came up with this idea for the paper’s Two-Minute Drill when the Marlins were still in first place:

It may be a tad early, but with both of Florida’s baseball teams in first place or flirting with it, dare we speculate on what to call an all-Florida World Series? New York has its Subway Series, Los Angeles its Freeway Series. Here are some possibilities if the Marlins were to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Fall Classic:

The Sunblock Series
The Early Bird Special Series
The Minimum Payroll Series
The No Name Series
The This Time It Recounts Series
The Subpar Stadiums Series
The SunPass Series
The Ratings Disaster Series
The Good Sections Still Available Series

What would you call an All-Florida World Series?

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So some politicians and tourism officials aren’t ready to give up on keeping the nearly 50-year-old tradition of spring training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. But are you?

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, Broward County Mayor Lois Wexler, and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman are all waxing about the lovely afternoons at the intimate 8,340-seat stadium, the tourists who visit every year and pump more than $25 million into the local economy.

It’s been home to the Baltimore Orioles for the past 13 springs and will be again in 2009. Before that, the New York Yankees spent 34 years spring training there.

But that is likely to change now that the Federal Aviation Administration has decided that in order for the team to stay, the annual payment to the airport fund must be $1.3 million. That’s up from the $70,000 to $120,000 the Orioles typically pay. That figure has been based on 5 percent of the gross revenues generated at the stadium.

Now that the Orioles are seeking a long-term lease to go with a $40 million overhaul of the venue (being financed with the help of tourist taxes from Broward county and a state sales tax rebate), the FAA says it must receive fair market value for the property, a figure it places at $1.3 million. If the Orioles were still on a year-to-year lease, this issue would never have surfaced. The stadium sits on airport land that was deeded to the city of Fort Lauderdale in the 1940s.

The Orioles, who are said to have an option agreement to move to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, which is being vacated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, aren’t saying anything publicly other than they are disappointed with the FAA’s decision.

U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, who had helped broker meetings among the FAA, Fort Lauderdale and Orioles officials, wants to make sure the FAA is reading the law governing the lease of airport property accurately and if it’s not, whether the payment can be reduced.

There was a time when spring training was rampant in these parts: the Yankees in Fort Lauderdale, the Orioles in Miami, the Texas Rangers in Pompano Beach, the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves in West Palm Beach. Those teams have moved on. The bus rides get longer for the Orioles, whose closest spring rivals are now in Jupiter or Fort Myers.

Would you miss it if it were to leave? Do you want to see Fort Lauderdale Stadium preserved? Take our poll here.

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Want to show pride for your favorite baseball team around the office? Major League Baseball has formed a partnership with vineyard vines for a line of men’s and women’s accessories, including ties, belts and sashes; swimwear; and sleepwear.

The partnership is the first with a pro sports league for vineyard vines, the preppy accessories and apparel company founded on Martha’s Vineyard a decade ago. The items, which will be produced with the logos of all 30 teams, are available at MLB Clubhouse shops, and MLB.com and will be sold at other shops in the coming weeks. Vineyard vines also sells items online at vineyardvines.com and at eight free standing shops, including one at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.

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Promotion for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is everywhere – even Major League Baseball team schedules and at NBA.com.

Indiana Jones is sponsoring the "Dunk of the Night" on NBA.com and the first Indiana Jones movie in 19 years is helping advertise the NBA’s Conference Finals.

Check out your favorite Major League Baseball team’s schedule online and you’ll find Harrison Ford’s photo in the box for May 22 – opening day for the movie. There’s even an online MLB sweepstakes tied to the movie that includes tickets to see your favorite MLB “living legend” and tickets to the film.

MLB stirred up controversy in 2004 when it teamed with Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios to promote Spider-Man 2 at ballparks across the country, including putting spider webs on the bases. The web-covered bases were scrapped after the outcry.

So are you offended by Indiana Jones teaming with your sports and appearing in the MLB schedule?

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To celebrate the first decade of the NBA Store, the NBA has released a list of the store’s Top 10 most popular jerseys. Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey ranks seventh – not bad for a guy who’s only in his fifth year in the league. Michael Jordan ranks No. 1, natch. See the full list below.

And speaking of jerseys, NBA Commissioner David Stern didn’t rule out the possibility of NBA players wearing sponsor logos on their uniforms during exhibition games in Europe this fall that will feature the Heat, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards. The Heat will play the Nets in Paris and London.

“We're mindful of the fact that baseball just did it,” Stern said in a media conference call last week. “Our history has been we've tended to do things that have honored the local venue where we're playing with sort of modifications in uniforms, but we're mindful that in Europe sponsorship on uniforms is more common than it is here, and it's something we would consider but we're not planning.”

The Boston Red Sox and Oakland A’s, who opened the 2008 MLB season with two games in Japan last week, wore sponsor logos on their jerseys and helmets. According to Joyce Julius & Associates, a Michigan firm that measures the impact of corporate sponsorship, the jersey logos – EMC on Red Sox sleeves; Pepsi on the A’s -- generated $851,000 in media exposure during the two game and two replay broadcasts.

The company figured the logos got more than 28 minutes of broadcast time and multiplied that against the estimated cost of commercial time during the broadcasts. Ricoh, the sponsor of the games, got exposure on both teams' batting helmets, worth a total of $498,000 from more than 16 minutes of screen time during the four broadcasts, the company said.

Here’s the NBA’s list of most popular jerseys sold at the NBA store, 1998-2008:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. LeBron James
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Jason Kidd
9. Vince Carter
10. Tim Duncan

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Just in time for Opening Day – OK, Opening Day, in the U.S. – comes word of a Web site just for women who love the Red Sox: girlsoxnation.com.

The Boston Herald reported the story of the two female Sox fans who started the site to recognize that not only do women love baseball, too, but they appreciate more than just the play on the field.

Here’s what the site says in the About Us section:

Our company, while founded by two women fans in particular, is really an entire community of women and girls who love baseball. The framework was built in a website form, but girlsox nation is YOU. It’s for every woman who enthusiastically shared an insight about a player and received only a blank stare and this comment, “Wow, you know a lot about baseball for a chick”.

There’s plenty of gossip and photos, and poll questions such as “Would you or have you ever dated a Yankee fan?” but the women also answer baseball questions.

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I have been asked repeatedly if the new agreement forged by the Marlins, Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami, and Major League Baseball for a ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl spells the end of the team’s years-long quest for a home of its own.

The simple answer is: I don’t know. As many of you know, I have followed this saga for eight and a half years. I have read numerous Memorandums of Understanding, been at press conferences with smiling officials who proclaimed the day had finally come to build a stadium. I've followed the goings-on in Tallahassee six times in eight years.

So for me to believe that the $515 million, 37,000-seat retractable roof ballpark will finally be built, I will need to see the shovel put in the ground -- something team officials hope will happen by year’s end.

That said, here’s why this agreement is different from all previous proposals: On paper the ballpark is fully funded without a gap.

It is a binding 35-year agreement that includes penalties should any side breach its responsibility or terminate the deal. (It’s a complex formula, but it ensures that all sides will essentially be out the same amount of money if the deal fails). It lays out specific time frames for every element of the deal -- from environmental reviews of the Orange Bowl site to definitive financing documents.

City and county commissioners are now being briefed on the deal. Historically, the commissions have supported the ballpark project – although rarely unanimously – and there should be interesting debate at Thursday’s 9 a.m. city meeting and 1 p.m. county meeting.

This is a significant amount of public money, but officials will take pains to stress that the $297 million of county dollars and $13 million of city dollars are derived from tourist taxes that can only be used for convention centers, sports venues and related projects and to attract conventions and tourists -- not schools, roads or social services.

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Another week, another delay. Representatives of the Marlins, Major League Baseball, Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami are still negotiating a $525 million deal for a ballpark for the Marlins, but it won’t be ready – again – in time for Tuesday’s scheduled vote of the county commission.

Those involved still believe the outstanding issues can be resolved and the framework of the financing plan is in place. Among the biggest unresolved issues is who will pay for a 6,000-space parking garage.

In an earlier draft of the deal, the city was to be responsible for the parking garage. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, however, has said in order for the garage to pay for itself, there need to be an additional 15 to 20 event dates at the location.

“You need a certain number of events to generate the amount of income you need so it at least breaks even,” Diaz said last month.

That’s one of the reasons Diaz has been pushing for the building of a 25,000-seat soccer stadium for a future Major League Soccer team, next to the Marlins ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl. He’s been in talks with MLS, but there are no guarantees the city will be granted a team.

County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro said if a Baseball Stadium Agreement is completed soon, the commission could consider it at its Feb. 5 meeting or at a special meeting, if commissioners agree to hold one.

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As alluded to in yesterday's blog item, the Baseball Stadium Agreement isn't ready for a vote of the Miami-Dade County Commission on Thursday. Representatives of the Marlins, Major League Baseball, the county and city of Miami have been negotiating the agreement for days, but there are still issues to be worked out.

County Manager George Burgess is scheduled to give the commission an update on negotiations at Thursday's commission meeting. Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro says he will ask for the item to be deferred until the commission's next meeting on Jan. 22 "so everyone can have enough time to review and analyze the whole package," Barreiro said.

"Even if it gets ready by Thursday, there definitely won't be enough time to review it," he said. "I don't want to take a blind vote."

After all, the city commission was criticized for voting on the "interlocal agreement" -- that paves the way for the ballpark funding -- only hours after having first been presented with it, the evening before their commission meeting. That agreement expands the boundaries and extends the life of Miami's Community Redevelopment Agencies to raise millions of dollars for projects in the city.

The commission delayed a vote on the $525 million ballpark agreement last month to give the sides time to reach an agreement. An earlier draft of the agreement called on the city and county to contribute $370 million in hotel bed and sports facilities taxes and a general obligation bond and for the Marlins to chip in $155 million. Barreiro said he doesn't think the hold up in finishing a Baseball Stadium Agreement is substantive.

"I think they’re very close," Barreiro said. "It’s minor details from what I understand, legalities, stuff like that. The stadium itself, I don’t think there’s a lot of big issues."

If an agreement is ready in time for the Jan. 22 meeting, the county could vote then followed by the city at its meeting on Jan. 24.

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Norman Braman’s ad campaign hit the radio airwaves Monday.

The auto dealer and former Philadelphia Eagles owner has formed People Who Demand Honest Government. He's paying for a series of ads over the next three days aimed at building pressure on Miami-Dade County commissioners to vote No on a proposed Marlins stadium financing plan and other projects.

Braman says there are 174 spots running on a variety of radio stations. One focuses solely on the proposed $525 million ballpark project, saying the Marlins should pay for the stadium at the Orange Bowl site themselves, rather than relying on public money. The other mentions the ballpark, the proposed tunnel to the Port of Miami and streetcar project.

What’s raised the ire of Braman is the wide-ranging city and county plan to expand the boundaries and extend the life of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies to fund millions of dollars in projects, including paying off the debt on the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts. That would free up hotel taxes to pay for the ballpark. CRAs are designed to collect property taxes in blighted areas to revitalize needy neighborhoods.

“I’m opposed to this whole plan, which is basically a ripoff of the Community Redevelopment Authority, which was established for a different purpose, to utilize it to build a sports stadium, to build a tunnel, a $200 million streetcar, to put $68 million into Bicentennial Park, to stretch the redevelopment area," Braman said. "It’s wrong. It’s wrong morally, it’s wrong legally and sometimes a citizen has to stand up and say it’s enough.”

Braman wouldn't say how much is being spent on the ads. "Whatever is required," he said.

The ads urge residents to call county commissioners before Thursday’s scheduled vote on the ballpark financing plan.

But don’t be surprised if a vote on the plan is delayed – not because of Braman’s ads, but because terms of the deal are still being negotiated. As always, stay tuned…

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Although Marlins President David Samson and others had hoped for a vote today by the Miami-Dade County Commission on a “Baseball Stadium Agreement,” County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro has decided to delay the item until the commission’s Jan. 10 meeting.

Don’t read anything into the delay: it just means county, city of Miami and Marlins officials are continuing to negotiate the finer points of the agreement commonly referred to as a “BSA.” Those involved are more optimistic than ever that this will finally be the deal that makes a stadium happen. It’s hard for me to believe I just wrote that – after all, I’ve been covering this issue – and countless versions of ballpark plans – for more than eight years.

The basic framework on which the sides are negotiating is a $525 million, 37,000-seat retractable-roof ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl stadium. The city and county would contribute $370 million from tourist and sports facilities taxes and a general obligation bond county voters approved in 2004 to renovate the Orange Bowl but which commissioners agreed Tuesday to put toward the ballpark project. The Marlins say they will contribute $155 million, which they will privately finance.

The deal will be for 30 years and will require the Marlins to cover cost overruns, except in the event that the city or county are responsible for delays. The team will not be able to move until the end of the agreement or whenever the bonds are paid off, whichever is later. If the team is sold during the life of the agreement, the city and county would receive a percentage of the increase in value of the team since the date of the agreement.

Yes, the plan is to build at the Orange Bowl because that's the only option available to the team right now. As for whether the team has the money to contribute to the plan, Samson says: “When we negotiate something we have to be able to stand by what we will negotiate. Obviously you can’t offer something that you don’t think you can do.”

If the BSA is approved by both the county and city commissions, then the next few months will be spent creating the final documents that spell out the financing, construction and other elements of the deal. That’s what Samson calls “turning a 50-page document into a 400-page document.”

The plan calls for construction to begin by November 2008 and the ballpark to open by April 2011. The team would be renamed the Miami Marlins by the 2011 season.

I know lots of people are upset by a possible name change. Why are you so concerned about it?

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While still far from a done deal, a ballpark for the Marlins could be a lot closer now that the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County have come up with a way to pay for it that doesn’t involve state funding.

It’s a complex plan that involves expanding the boundaries and extending the life of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies to generate millions of dollars for city projects including paying down debt on the performing arts center and developing the museum park and a traffic tunnel to the Port of Miami. Using those dollars for the performing arts center frees up millions in hotel bed taxes that can be used to help pay for a ballpark at the Orange Bowl and, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz hopes, a soccer stadium, too.

Miami City Commissioners signed off on the CRA deal Thursday. There’s still a lot more work to be done to make a ballpark deal a reality – and the next test comes Tuesday when Miami-Dade County Commissioners get a crack at the CRA deal and a county proposal to finance a $525 million stadium that has yet to receive the blessing of the city or the team.

But more about soccer: Diaz envisions a sports complex at the site of the Orange Bowl stadium that includes not just a 37,000-seat retractable roof Marlins ballpark, but also a 25,000-seat soccer stadium.

Diaz has wanted to bring a Major League Soccer franchise back to South Florida almost since the league folded the Fusion in January 2002 and has been in contact with the league for years.

“I believe Miami should have a soccer franchise. I think soccer is obviously the world’s most popular sport. It’s a growing sport,” Diaz said. “I think it’s a natural for us to be able to do something. I’m excited at prospects of having a franchise here.”

Diaz says the CRA deal can generate $50 million for a soccer stadium. A soccer stadium would likely cost $100 million and it's unclear where the rest would come from, but according to an MLS spokesman it's not unusual for a team owner to contribute the rest.

There’s no guarantee the city will be able to secure an MLS team, but MLS spokesman Daniel Courtemanche said talks with the city are ongoing.

“Those discussions are still very preliminary, but we are closely monitoring the Miami market,” Courtemanche said.

The league has set its roster of teams through 2009 and Philadelphia and St. Louis have been identified as frontrunner cities for expansion beyond that, although situations could change.

Nevertheless, Diaz said the soccer stadium, which he would want to be called the Orange Bowl, helps the baseball stadium deal. A ballpark proposal requires the city to fund a 6,000-space parking garage, which Diaz estimates at $85 million to $95 million. He said with both teams enough revenue should be generated to service the debt on the garage.

“You need a certain number of events to generate the amount of income you need so it at least breaks even,” Diaz said.

Diaz hopes one day the neighborhood around the Orange Bowl will become a vital area with baseball and soccer games, bars, and restaurants.

“When you see a building that sits idle 359 days of the year, what does that do for the neighborhood? Absolutely nothing,” Diaz said referring to the Orange Bowl hosting six University of Miami football games annually.

“I saw the possibility of creating something that could now be a destination, beyond just an 81 game event days, to hopefully add soccer and then hopefully bring with it retail and mixed use components,” Diaz said. “So it’s not place you just go to watch a sporting event. It’s a place you can go to year round, 365 days a year, not just see a baseball game. Maybe you’ll go to a restaurant or have a beer with friends or shop. It’s got that potential. I think from a neighborhood revitalization perspective, it’s pretty exciting.”

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Miami-Dade County unveiled a new proposal late Tuesday for a $525 million ballpark for the Marlins at the Orange Bowl.

Still in draft form – and I’m told still in need of significant work – the proposal relies on more money from the public sector than previous proposals and, in turn, less from the Marlins, although the team would put its money up front, rather than in the form of rent payments.

According to a county memo, the plan calls for Miami-Dade County to contribute a total $249 million to the project: $199 million in hotel bed and sports facilities taxes and $50 million from the general obligation bond county voters approved in 2004 for renovation of the Orange Bowl stadium.

The last plan made public called for the county to contribute $145 million in tourist taxes and issue the bonds for the stadium the team would repay in rent.

The plan anticipates that the city of Miami would put up $121 million in tourist taxes. That’s up from $108 million in earlier versions of the deal. The city would also need to build a 6,000-space parking garage.

The team’s contribution would be $155 million up front, rather than $207 million, which would have come as $45 million up front and $162 million in future rent payments.

Miami-Dade County Commissioners are scheduled to consider the plan at their meeting next Tuesday and if they are in agreement, they would direct county staff to work out the full details of the plan. The Miami City Commission, meanwhile meets this Thursday, and is expected at least to discuss the Marlins stadium issue.

The county’s plan envisions a 37,000-seat retractable roof stadium at the site of the Orange Bowl to open by April 1, 2011.

The $525 million projected cost – up from $490 million earlier this year – has increased because it includes $10 million in Orange Bowl demolition and other infrastructure costs and requires a speedy 29-month schedule for construction, which would begin in November.

The plan requires the team to sign a non-relocation agreement prohibiting a move until the expiration of the management agreement or the bonds are retired, whichever is later. It also requires the team to change its name to Miami Marlins by the 2011 season.

The Marlins have been seeking a new home for years, since they pay rent at Dolphin Stadium and only receive percentages of parking, concessions and advertising signage. The team has lease options at the stadium through the 2010 season. The team and Major League Baseball have said the Marlins cannot survive in South Florida without a new ballpark where they could control their own revenue.

The team traded third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis, the last two remaining players from the 2003 World Series championship team, last week to the Detroit Tigers for six players in a move that shaved some $20 million from the payroll.

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File under ewwww: according to the Boston Herald, a company called SportsWorld is auctioning on eBay game-used underpants worn by members of the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

And for some reason, former Marlins pitcher Matt Clement’s game-worn spandex shorts sold for a whopping $430. Huh?

The bidding for Manny Ramirez’ shorts is only up to $42 as for this writing with two days left on the auction. Even a game-used Manny do rag is up to $76.

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Following a trend in the sports industry, the Heat will test a limited number of “all-you-can-eat” seats at three games this month.

The seats, which cost $45 piece, are on the 400 level at AmericanAirlines Arena and come with a chance to pick up four items from a very narrow list of options – regular hot dog, regular nachos and cheese, small popcorn, peanuts, small soft drink and bottled water - on an unlimited number of trips to the concession stand. Fans are required to buy at least two tickets to qualify for the promotion.

Fans with season tickets in the designated area can get the food for an extra $10 per seat per game. The games are Dec. 13 versus the Washington Wizards, Dec. 17 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dec. 20 against the New Jersey Nets.

The Heat is trying out the promotion earlier than anticipated. Team officials told me earlier this fall they were developing a food included ticket option for the 2008-09 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers helped spawn the growth of tickets with food when they designated 3,000 bleacher seats as the All-You-Can-Eat Right Field Pavilion last season. The food included Dodger dogs, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks and ran $20 for group tickets to $40. They sold 70 percent of capacity for the season and a half dozen other MLB teams have since added all-you-can-eat sections.

Meanwhile, the Panthers and Dolphins have created higher-end seating options that come with upscale food. The ADT Club at BankAtlantic Center offers fans who spend $7,500 to $9,000 a year, depending on the length of the contract, to get a seat and fancy food for every hockey game and every concert in the building for a minimum of 75 events. The idea is to create the exclusiviity of a suite, but at a more affordable price. A hockey-only option on the 400 level with sports bar style food averages $2,000 a season.

The Dolphins offer a couple of higher-end options with food, including 10-person suites in the east endzone of Dolphin Stadium that include food in a common area shared by three others suites, and run $80,000 a season.

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Next spring will mark the Baltimore Orioles’ 13th year consecutive year holding spring training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. The Fort Lauderdale City Commission on Tuesday agreed to grant the team another year at the aging stadium, and a second year option for 2009 that’s up to the team.

But even with state dollars and an agreement forged earlier this year among the team, city and Broward County to finance a $40 million overhaul of the stadium and addition of soccer and baseball fields for public use, it’s still not clear the Orioles plan to continue making Fort Lauderdale their spring home.

Publicly, the team has repeatedly said it wants to remain in Fort Lauderdale, but the stadium upgrade is not underway because the city has yet to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for the project, which is needed since the stadium is next to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

And speculation continues that the Orioles are the “mystery” team negotiating with Indian River County to move to Dodgertown in Vero Beach. The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to move out of Vero to Glendale, Ariz., where they will share a new complex with the Chicago White Sox. That move could take place as soon as 2009. The Cincinnati Reds are also rumored to be in talks with the Indian River County, in part because Sarasota voters last month rejected a $16 million bond referendum to help fund a $45 million upgrade of Ed Smith Stadium.

Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird says he has been in talks with a Major League Baseball team since July, but has refused to name the team. Baird got approval Tuesday – coincidentally the same day the Orioles got their lease extension in Fort Lauderdale – to negotiate “behind closed doors” a deal with a team to replace the Dodgers.

Alan Koslow, a Hollywood attorney representing the Orioles, is insistent the team wants to stay in Fort Lauderdale, but wants to be able to begin the overhaul project. He said he has sought the help of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein to try to arrange a meeting with the FAA in an effort to speed a resolution and he hopes make way for the construction.

“The Orioles are committed to Fort Lauderdale, provided we can get FAA approval,” Koslow said.

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