The Business & Pleasure of Sports
It’s last call for the Florida Marlins on Thursday in a special event at the new ballpark in Little Havana.
The Marlins Community Foundation will host the fifth Annual Fish ‘N Chips Casino Party “Last Call” that evening at 6:30.
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The Marlins will provide the first glimpse of their new Little Havana/South Beach look in Friday night red-carpet coming out party on Nov. 11. By 11 p.m. they hope to hear the cha-ching of cash registers racking up the first sales of Miami Marlins merchandise.
The official unveiling of the logo and fashion show of players modeling the new uniforms is by invitation only. It will be streamed live on Marlins.com and feature a performance by Pitbull.
MIAMI The former minor league Miami Marlins played in Bobby Maduro Stadium. The soon-to-be Miami Marlins will play next to a street named for Maduro, an early force behind baseball in South Florida as well as Cuba.
Hispanic baseball icons Maduro and Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Felo Ramirez are the namesakes for two of the four streets surrounding the new ballpark in Little Havana unveiled Wednesday morning by the Marlins and local officials.
The Marlins haven’t officially moved into their new home in Little Havana, but they gave the go-ahead to begin play Thursday with the opening of a playground a few blocks away at Citrus Grove Elementary.
The kids at Citrus Grove, a high-poverty school that enrolls more than 1,000 students, have been without a place to play for two years. Their jungle gym was condemned and the Miami-Dade school district did not have enough money to replace it. That's when a group from Leadership Miami, the Chamber's leadership development program for young professionals, stepped in.
Continue reading "Marlins bring play time back to Little Havana school near new ballpark" »
Here is more evidence that appears to confirm the new Miami Marlins logo at the end of seat rows in the Marlins ballpark.
Continue reading "Photo clearly shows Miami Marlins logo in new ballpark" »
Spot the new Miami Marlins logo has turned into a popular game and will continue to be until the team’s coming out party on Nov. 11.
This latest one (above) is purported to be on the seats in the new ballpark. I’m not convinced that’s what we’re seeing here. It doesn’t seem to match any part of the seats that can be seen in photographs taken during the media tour last month. And it was not visible that day.
Play free association with Sun Life Stadium and baseball, and the first response is sure to be, “rain delay.”
Here, then, is a surprise. When the Yankees-Tigers Game 1 of the American League Division Series was halted and ultimately postponed by rain Friday, it marked the 22nd time this season that a game at Yankee Stadium was interrupted by rain. Nine of those games were postponed.
The leaked alleged logo for the Miami Marlins has stirred considerable discussion and criticism since it appeared on the Internet last week.
In cyber land, the multicolored ‘M’ accented by an abstract marlin has been about as welcome as an invasive virus, or at best as one of those annoying pop-up screens that you can’t click off.
This is the most enticing publicity tease to come along in quite a while:
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to watch Ricky Nolasco pitch against SpongeBob SquarePants?
I’ve often noticed at Marlins games that many fans are more focused on loading up at the concessions stands than following the action on the field.
Not sure if it’s like that at other major league parks or if it’s a reflection on the Marlins or South Florida Short Attention Span Sports Theater. Or all of the above.
There is a promotion for the Marlins’ game against the Mets on Friday that may appeal to those more inclined to munch than cheer. All You Can Eat Seats in sections 212-215 provide unlimited access to a buffet of Hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts and fountain soda from the time gates open until two hours after the first pitch.
This is a recurring promotion offered on the final Friday home game of each month. Others remaining after this week are Aug. 12 against the Giants and Sept. 2 against the Phillies.
Continue reading "Florida Marlins offer All You Can Eat tickets at Friday's Mets game" »
According to a release from the Florida Panthers, the team’s mascot, Stanley C. Panther, is on injured reserve. The team wouldn’t release the details of Stanley’s “undisclosed” injury, but said he suffered it “while attempting to hurdle a folding chair” on Dec. 17, during the game in which the Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-2.
Stanley, who is in a wheelchair, is listed as day-to-day. While he will be in attendance at tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins at BankAtlantic Center, so will his South Florida mascot brethren, including Billy the Marlin, Sebastian the Ibis, Burnie the Heat mascot, and the Dolphins’ T.D. (Having played Burnice – Burnie’s wife – in a game last season, I think it’s remiss not to have included her).
Feel like sending Stanley good wishes? You can sign a giant “Get Well” card on the JetBlue Tarmac on the arena’s front plaza on game days, bring your own cards, or starting on Jan. 3, send e-cards through FloridaPanthers.com.
Interactive holiday e-cards seem to get better and better each year. Here are a few I’ve received from local sports teams and entities:
Florida Marlins: No matter how you feel about public financing of the Marlins’ new ballpark, it’s being built. This card shows you construction in time-lapse – Have a Constructive New Year, indeed.
Florida Panthers: This simple interactive card covers the full gamut of business at BankAtlantic Center.
UM: This one isn’t from Hurricane Athletics, but there’s plenty of ‘Canes and The U cheer in this card from the University of Miami’s media relations department.
Orange Bowl: This one has a Corona ad feel, but is all South Florida. Enjoy this card from the Orange Bowl.
FAU Athletics: I’m not supposed to play favorites, but check out this card from the FAU Owls, complete with Athletic Director Craig Angelos showing off the under-construction football stadium and legendary football coach Howard Schnellenberger saying "Kwanzaa" is priceless.
Meanwhile, from outside Florida, this one from the Arizona Diamondbacks looks to have been shot in one take… Impressive work.
Rick Horrow, veteran of numerous sports financing deals, is behind a new documentary that traces the history of South Florida sports from the Miami Dolphins' 1966 inaugural season to LeBron James’ July 8 “Decision” to change the face of the Miami Heat. And pretty much everything in between, including the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers.
The “Birth of South Florida Sports” debuts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on WPEC Channel 12 in West Palm Beach. It includes interviews with legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, former Dolphin Dick Anderson, Dolphins owner Steve Ross, and golfer Jack Nicklaus, among others.
Horrow, CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, also interviews former Senator and former Florida Gov. Bob Graham, who spearheaded the movement to create sports authorities and give them the authority to oversee the building of sports venues. Horrow, who served as founding director of the Miami Sports & Exhibition Authority, and oversaw the building of Miami Arena, said Graham understood the importance of sports teams to a community.
That’s a lot of ground to cover in half an hour, but Horrow said it’s supplemented with podcasts and the release of an updated version of his book When the Game Is On The Line.
PBS’ Nightly Business Report now includes Horrow’s "Beyond the Scoreboard” series on Monday nights. Horrow also hosts “Beyond the Game” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays on WPEC.
Duffy’s Sports Grill and the Miami Dolphins have sweetened their ticket deal for the team’s final two homes games of the 2010 season.
The Palm Beach Gardens-based sports grill chain is offering up lower corner end zone seats for $79 each – down from $124 – that include express bus service to the game, pregame tailgate at Sun Life Stadium, a Dolphins cap and 50 Duffy’s MVP Bonus points. The buses leave from 10 locations from Fort Lauderdale to Melbourne. The deal is available for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills and the Dec. 26 game against the Detroit Lions. Find the deal at duffysmvp.com.
Meanwhile, other South Florida pro teams are offering holiday ticket specials:
The Florida Panthers are selling tickets to the Dec. 27 game against the Boston Bruins, Dec. 31 game against the Montreal Canadiens and the Jan. 2 game against the New York Rangers starting at $10. The team is also selling Holiday Growl gift cards for $49 good for upper bowl seats and $99 for lower bowl seats at BankAtlantic Center – both for regular season games from January to April. Find the specials at floridapanthers.com.
The Florida Marlins are selling special Holiday 10-Packs of vouchers that can be used for any 2011 games and in any combination. They start at $85 -- $8.50 a ticket – for Fish Tank seats up to $350 -- $35 a ticket for infield box seats. The first 25 buyers each week of the holiday season receive a special gift. That’s a game-used bat this week; an autographed helmet from Dec. 20 to 26; an autographed baseball from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2; and an autographed Rookie Stars poster for Jan. 3 to 7.
Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed a resolution today aimed at seeing if the contract to build the Florida Marlins’ new ballpark can be reopened to potentially reduce the public’s contribution to the $515 million construction costs for the venue. The county and city's contribution amounts to $361 million.
The resolution, which directs Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez or his designee to “initiate dialogue” with the Florida Marlins and city of Miami about reopening the contract, was included in the commission’s consent agenda, meaning there was no discussion of the item. Last month the county commission’s Budget, Planning and Sustainability Committee voted 4-0 for the resolution. The resolution was proposed in light of leaked financial documents showing the team made a profit in 2008 and 2009.
Good luck with that.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the Florida Marlins ballpark financing saga, the HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel feature on the subject doesn’t break any new ground.
What it does is put what’s been referred to as “Profit-gate” squarely into the ballpark financing debate. The ballpark may be nearly half-finished – media got a tour of the construction site Tuesday (check out a video here) – but some are still stinging from Miami-Dade County’s and the city of Miami’s decision to put $361 million into the $515 million ballpark, while the team was making a profit.
Documents released in August by Deadspin.com detailing the finances of the Marlins and a handful of other teams show the Marlins had net operating income of nearly $50 million combined for the years 2008 and 2009. Real Sports uses the documents as a way to examine whether the ballpark deal was a fair one for the community.
The piece could easily be used as a campaign advertisement for auto magnate Norman Braman’s campaign to recall Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, who declined to be interviewed for the show. Braman appears but both Alvarez and County Manager George Burgess, who also declined an interview, are both shown in clips from Braman’s trial targeting the financing for the ballpark among other county projects, saying they’d never asked to see the team’s financial books.
County Commissioners Carlos Gimenez (whose office sent out the below clip from the show) and Sally Heyman are interviewed about their concerns that county staff did not push hard to find out if the team could afford to put more dollars into the deal. County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, among the team’s staunchest supporters when the ballpark deal was approved, says she feels she was misled during the process.
Marlins President David Samson suggests Sosa is planning to run for county mayor and wants to use her questioning of the deal now to appeal to constituents. MLB President Bob DuPuy defends the deal as being good for the community.
The show, which also includes a touching piece on Marc Buoniconti 25 years since he was paralyzed on the football field, airs at 10 p.m. tonight.
Some Miami-Dade County Commissioners haven’t given up on the idea of trying to re-open the contract to finance the Florida Marlins ballpark, in the wake of leaked financial documents showing the team made a profit in 2008 and 2009.
Commissioners Sally Heyman and Javier Souto have sponsored a resolution directing County Mayor Carlos Alvarez or his designee to “initiate dialogue” with the Marlins and city of Miami to see if the contract can be amended to reduce the public’s contribution to the $515 million ballpark. The county’s and city’s contribution amounts to $361 million. But in order to re-open the contract, the county, city and team all have to agree.
With ballpark construction zooming along at the former site of the Orange Bowl – “on time and on budget,” according to the team – and Alvarez saying in August that negotiations would not be reopened, any amendments seem unlikely.
But last week, the Miami-Dade County Commission’s Budget, Planning and Sustainability Committee voted 4-0, with Commissioners Carlos Gimenez and Katy Sorenson, absent for the resolution directing the conversations to begin.
“I’m going laugh all the way to my second,” said a chuckling Commissioner Joe Martinez of his decision to second the motion to pass the resolution, “because obviously all three have to come to the table, and we can’t force the Marlins. So there’s been a motion there’s been a second. Does anybody wish to be recorded no?”
No one did.
“It’s a funny resolution passing,” Martinez said, “but at least we tried.”
“We can’t say we didn’t ask,” Heyman said. “This body asked. The negotiators didn’t.”
The resolution is not on today’s county commission agenda and has not yet been scheduled for consideration by the full county commission.
There is a date for the airing of an edition of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that includes a feature on the long and controversial road to funding the Marlins’ ballpark. The program is scheduled to be broadcast at 10 p.m. Oct. 26.
I haven’t seen the program yet, but those interviewed include Marlins President David Samson, Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy and county commissioners Heyman, Gimenez and Rebeca Sosa.
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Florida Marlins Special Assistant to the President Tony Perez will sign autographs and pose for photos at BrandsMart in Miami on Saturday.
Perez will be appearing on behalf of Sharp Electronics and will only be able to sign signature cards provided by Sharp. He’ll be appearing from 2 to 4 p.m. at BrandsMart, 4320 NW 167th St., Miami.
They always say the grounds crew at Sun Life Stadium is the masterful – and it’s certainly the busiest as one of only two pro stadiums left in the country to host baseball and football on natural grass. The other is Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, home to the Oakland A’s and Raiders. Sun Life also hosts UM football, the Orange Bowl and the Super Bowl.
The feat the crew pulled off between yesterday afternoon’s final Florida Marlins game of the 2010 season and tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots – including covering the infield dirt with sod for the second time in 10 days – was captured by WeatherBug’s InstaCam here. Hit rerun and adjust the speed to your preference.
Buoyed by the success of its partnership with the Miami Dolphins, Duffy’s Sports Grill has been expanding its relationships with South Florida’s sports teams.
The Palm Beach Gardens-based sports grill chain became the “Official Sports Grill of the Miami Dolphins” last August and launched the Dolphins Express – a network of bus transportation from Duffy's locations to and from Dolphins home games at Sun Life Stadium. Not only has that relationship expanded, but the sports grills are also including Dolphins tickets and special offers as part of their MVP loyalty card program, in which members get seated without waiting, discounts and other benefits.
This year, the Dolphins Express has expanded to 10 locations from Fort Lauderdale to Melbourne. The buses, which will all be express rather than making stops along the way, are leaving earlier and rather than a box lunch, the price for the trip includes a ticket and a pregame tailgate at Sun Life Stadium catered by Duffy’s. The prices are $79 for upper corner endzone seats; and $124 for lower corner endzone seats. The tailgates include hamburgers, chips, cookies and a cash bar for beer and wine.
“We’ve learned a lot from last year,” said Paul Emmett, Duffy’s president and owner. “The buses are leaving, there will be a tailgate party. All the buses will get together and we’ll be offering the grill and beer before every game.”
A schedule of the Dolphins Express stops and times is below.
The success of the Dolphins partnership has led to the sports grills – which have 22 locations and more than 300,000 loyalty card members -- partnering with the Florida Panthers and more recently with the Florida Marlins.
The Panthers partnership launched in June with Duffy’s hosting the team’s 2010 NHL Entry Draft Watch Parties at Duffy’s locations in Palm Beach Gardens and Fort Lauderdale. Duffy’s will also hold watch parties during the season and Panthers benefits are also part of the restaurant’s loyalty card program.
Meanwhile, the restaurant chain recently forged a partnership with the Florida Marlins, which is under way this season, but will be more visible in 2011. Among the plans are watch parties and promotional events aimed at driving ticket sales, said Brendan Cunningham, Marlins senior director of corporate sales.
“They’ve got a great footprint in the South Florida area, their plans for future expansion matched up well without backyard market,” Cunningham said. “It seemed like a perfect fit.”
Emmett said the relationships helps Duffy's with branding and drives more customers to the restaurants.
The Dolphins Express departure locations and times are as follows:
Melbourne: 1 p.m. games, 8 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 11 a.m.,; 8 p.m. games, 3 p.m.
Superplay: 1 p.m. games, 8:30 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 11:30 a.m.; 8 p.m. games, 3:30 p.m.
Jupiter East: 1 p.m. games, 8:45 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 11:45 a.m.; 8 p.m. games, 3:45 p.m.
Villages: 1 p.m. games, 8:45 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 11:45 a.m.; 8 p.m. games, 3:45 p.m.
Southern: 1 p.m. games, 9 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, noon; 8 p.m. games, 4 p.m.
Boynton East: 1 p.m. games, 9:15 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 12:15 p.m.; 8 p.m. games, 4:15 p.m.
Delray: 1 p.m. games, 9:30 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 12:30 p.m.; 8 p.m. games, 4:30 p.m.
Coconut Creek: 1 p.m. games, 9:45 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 12:45 p.m.; 8 p.m. games, 4:45 p.m.
Plantation: 1 p.m. games, 10 a.m.; 4 p.m. games, 1 p.m.; 8 p.m. games, 5 p.m.
Fort Lauderdale: 1 p.m. games, 10 a.m. ; 4 p.m. games, 1 p.m.; 8 p.m. games, 5 p.m.
OK, not really a stadium update, but a visual development along the way: Fox Sports Florida will debut “The New Ballpark” edition of “Inside the Marlins” on Friday night at 10:30 p.m., following the Florida Marlins-Chicago Cubs game.
It’s the last episode of the show’s 2010 season and it explores securing the financing for the new ballpark along with the design and construction. An interview with the ballpark’s chief architect, Earl Santee of Populous, is included, as is time-lapse video showing the progress of construction on the former site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana. The ballpark is scheduled to open in 2012.
A trailer can be viewed here.
Other broadcasts of the show are scheduled: Saturday at 6 p.m.; Monday at 11:30 a.m.; Tuesday at 6 p.m.; Sept. 24 at 11:30 a.m.; Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.; Sept. 29 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sept. 30 at 2:30 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 12:30 p.m.
A front page story in today’s New York Times details how New Jersey taxpayers are still on the hook for $266 million in bond payments that remain on the Meadowlands Sports Complex, despite the fact that Giants Stadium has been torn down and the New York Giants and Jets have moved into their new $1.6 billion new Meadowlands Stadium. The debt includes what’s left on the Izod Center, which is no longer home to the New Jersey Devils and Nets.
The bill comes to $35.8 million this year, and the bonds won’t be retired until 2025, the article says. The piece goes on to detail a number of locales where taxpayers are still paying off bonds on buildings that no longer exist: Seattle residents in King County still owe $83 million, scheduled to be repaid in 2016, on the Seattle Mariners’ former home, the Kingdome, which came down in 2000.
South Florida taxpayers seem only to be on the hook for sports venues in use – even though at least two – the Orange Bowl and Miami Arena – have been torn down in the past couple of years. The city of Miami made sure Miami Arena was off the city’s tax rolls in 2004 when it sold the pink oval arena – where the Miami Heat, Florida Panthers and UM men’s basketball team once played -- to Glenn Straub at auction for $28 million. And a $50 million general obligation bond approved by voters in 2004 to renovate the Orange Bowl has instead been applied to the Florida Marlins’ under-construction ballpark.
The release of financial documents showing the Florida Marlins were profitable in 2008 and 2009 couldn’t have come at worse time for … the Miami Dolphins.
That’s right, the Dolphins. As the Dolphins continue their behind-the-scenes planning to ask the public to help pay for renovations to Sun Life Stadium to keep it competitive to host future Super Bowls, the baseball team’s finances can’t have helped the football team’s cause.
The Marlins’ financial records, obtained by Deadspin.com, show the team had net operating income – before factoring in taxes, interest, amortization and other items – of nearly $50 million combined during the two years covered. With much of the fallout from the documents' release focusing on the team's ballpark deal, politicians are wary.
Miami-Dade County Commissioners, who opposed putting $347 million mainly in tourist taxes into the ballpark deal, say the county should have pushed harder to see the team’s financial records during negotiations. Even one of the team’s staunchest supporters, County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, asked County Mayor Carlos Alvarez to study whether the team could be required to pay more – and the county less – for the ballpark.
Alvarez says the county doesn’t see a need to reopen the ballpark contract – he says county negotiators were aware the team was profitable, which gave them comfort the team could meet its debt obligations to the ballpark’s construction costs. And besides, the team wouldn’t allow it. The county, team and city of Miami would have to agree to reopen talks.
But the raw feelings and distrust of the team are palpable.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, were already going to be fighting an uphill battle to convince politicians to support contributing to stadium renovations that could include a partial roof covering over the stands and seats closer to the field. Now how likely are pols going to be to chip in taxpayer dollars?
It remains to be seen what the Dolphins' pitch looks like. The public already knows Dolphins owner Steve Ross paid $1.1 billion for the franchise and stadium and it now knows he plans to privately finance a water park south of the stadium as a way to generate revenue after the Marlins leave for their new ballpark in 2012.
Dolphins officials say the water park plans are unrelated to stadium plans. Dolphins CEO Mike Dee has said Ross cannot foot the bill for stadium renovations himself. He said under NFL rules, the team can’t take on any more debt, which again raises the question of how stadium renovations will be financed.
“We have challenges with the current structure the NFL provides for franchises,” Dee said last month. “We’re maxed out at our debt capacity. We can’t take on any more debt. We have $235 million on our books from the last expansion. We’ve invested another $50 million in the facility in the last 18 months. We have the maximum amount of team debt allowed by the NFL … Our hands are somewhat tied with respect to the stadium and more investment by the team into the stadium.”
Under league rules, NFL teams can borrow up to $150 million.
“To borrow more, the club would need a special waiver approved by the other teams, which generally has only been granted to a team in connection with the construction or renovation of a stadium,” an NFL spokesman said.
Stay tuned…
Florida Marlins rookies Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison are helping celebrate the grand re-opening of a Dunkin’ Donuts in Riviera Beach on Saturday.
The store is hosting an open house from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., including kids activities, food sampling, and a live remote broadcast by ESPN 760 AM – and 76 cent medium hot or iced coffee just for the occasion. Stanton and Morrison will sign autographs (one free autograph from each player per customer) and pose for photos with customers from 11 a.m. to noon.
The Dunkin’ Donuts is at 5401 N. Military Trail, Riviera Beach (on the west side of the street just north of 45th Street).
Anyone wearing a Marlins hat, T-shirt or jersey will receive a free doughnut. And the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders are scheduled to appear at 10 a.m.
The franchise owners will also be donating $527.20 (in honor of Stanton’s (27) and Morrison’s (20) jersey numbers to the Marlins Community Foundation.
The Florida Marlins’ new ballpark sales center offers an impressive look at the team’s new home with actual seats, a full-size suite and 3D views from any seat in the venue.
The Marlins have now made those views available online.
The team has set up a virtual tour that gives you a view – and price – of any seat in the ballpark, as well as the interiors of suites and lounges. You can even make a deposit for season tickets for 2012 – when the venue is opening -- on the site.
Of course, the online version doesn’t afford you the opportunity to see the ballpark’s construction going on across the street from the sales center. Check out the virtual seating program at marlins.com/seatviews.
It didn’t take long for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez to respond to County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa’s request to see if the agreement to finance the Florida Marlins' new ballpark could be altered.
On Friday, Alvarez issued a carefully worded memo outlining the reasons why county administrators weren’t surprised by information revealed this week in leaked documents showing the Marlins were profitable the past two years. He reiterated what Marlins President David Samson and County Manager George Burgess have said this week about the importance of the team’s solvency as a partner in the ballpark deal.
Sosa sent him a memo on Wednesday asking if the team could be required to contribute more in light of the team's profitability.
“Even if we did see the need to reopen negotiations – which we do not – the Marlins are not willing to discuss reopening the contract,” Alvarez wrote in the memo sent to Sosa and distributed to county and city of Miami commissioners and staff members. “Nothing that we have learned has changed our reasoning in a way that would demand or justify new negotiations.”
In fact, Alvarez said he thinks the release of the information – the documents were obtained by Deadspin.com – and the subsequent reporting on it has “misled the public.”
The financial statements show the Marlins had a net operating income of nearly $50 million combined for the years 2008 and 2009. The documents show net operating income of $37.82 million in 2008 when the team’s on-field payroll was a league-low $24.8 million and $11.1 million in 2009 when the payroll was up to $35.1 million.
Alvarez chose to highlight the team’s net income -- which factors in interest, taxes, amortization and other expenses. Those figures show the team earned $29.4 million in 2008 and $3.9 million in 2009.
Alvarez said the figures should give commissioners comfort, not pause, that the team can cover its obligations to the $515 million ballpark. “That the team had a positive revenue stream should not have been a surprise to anyone. It was not a surprise to your negotiating team,” he wrote.
According to Alvarez's memo, the team’s contribution works out to $120 million up-front, $93 million in rent payments, $26 million for the capital reserve (maintenance) fund and any cost overruns on the ballpark.
He said county officials did not see “the team’s confidential financial information during negotiations,” but did do “a wide range of other research before we became confident that the deal was properly structured.” That included reviewing public documents, conversations with the team and potential lenders and financing experts.
He ended the memo with a forward-looking statement suggesting county commissioners may want to join him at the ballpark’s opening: “In April 2012, I expect we will all have reason to celebrate a model of sustainable public-private cooperation when the first pitch is thrown.”
Documents detailing the finances of the Florida Marlins’ and a handful of other Major League Baseball teams (reported by Deadspin.com), of course, reveal details we’ve never seen, but the team’s reaction to them is perhaps most surprising.
Of course, we’ve known the Marlins were making money and have even written as such repeatedly – despite the team’s protestations otherwise. While the release of the documents is, as Marlins President David Samson says, a crime, now that they're out there, here are some key details:
The Marlins brought in more than $75 million in both 2008 and 2009 from Major League Baseball’s revenue sharing program and central fund, before even selling a ticket, sponsorship or factoring in local TV and radio broadcast contracts.
Those figures combined were $79 million in 2008 and $75.4 million in 2009. That’s $47.9 million from revenue sharing and $31.3 million from the central fund in 2008; and $43.9 million in revenue sharing and $31.6 million from the central fund in 2009.
Revenue sharing is the system by which rich teams share revenues with lower revenue ones to even competition. The MLB central fund, which includes sources such as the national TV contract and to which all teams contribute – is distributed evenly. From other national sources, the Marlins got: $7.6 million in royalties and $2.9 million from the team’s investment in MLB Advanced Media – the sport’s Internet arm.
The documents show, the team had nearly $50 million in net operating income combined for 2008 and 2009. That was $37.84 million in 2008, when the team's on-field payroll was a league-low $24.8 million, and a more modest $11.1 million in 2009, when the payroll was up to $35.1 million.
Each time Forbes released its annual team valuations, Samson disputed the figures saying he didn’t know Forbes sources, but he also insisted the team wasn’t making a profit, and if there was one, team owner Jeffrey Loria would put it back into the team.
There are several examples of this, but here’s one from 2007, when Samson was asked about Forbes’ reporting the Marlins had the highest operating income of the leagues’ 30 teams at $43.3 million and with a league low payroll of $24.8 million:
"Very often the mistake that's made is they look at revenue sharing numbers and the team's payroll and take the difference and see profit without looking at our expenses," Samson said.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria "would want any dollar extra going into payroll," Samson said.
"What's happened is he committed to stop losing money, but he has never said he makes his living from the operation of the Florida Marlins. He simply doesn't want to lose all his money."
Jorge Costales, a Miami CPA who blogs about Marlins finances, has done a great job examining the documents compared to Forbes findings. Read his blog at 2thinkgood.com.
Another of Samson’s favorite sayings about payroll is that it will reflect revenues. When reminded of this during Monday’s conference call with reporters, Samson agreed but quickly added “local.” That’s a word that was conveniently absent from Samson’s previous discussions of team finances.
If you’re going to say payroll matches “local” revenues, he’s more accurate. Local revenue in 2009, the documents show, mainly consisted of $21.5 million in ticket sales revenue, $2.5 million from concessions and $16.7 million in local TV and radio broadcasts.
(As an aside, the documents reveal details of the team’s contract with Fox Sports Florida, which was a major part of its negotiations to build the new ballpark. The team needs regular revenue streams, such as TV money, to pledge against its portion of the construction. During 2005, the documents show, the Marlins and Fox Sports Florida struck a 15-year broadcast rights agreement – through 2020 – that pays the team $172 million during the life of the contract. It started with an initial payment of $40 million from Fox and comes out to $13.2 million this year, $13.6 million next year and $14 million in 2012.)
But this still begs the question-- what about all that “national” revenue.
Clearly the Marlins walked a fine line: if you make a profit, how much public money can you ask the public to chip in to your ballpark? If you say you’re saving the dollars for the ballpark – something Samson says the team has been saying all along, but hasn’t been – that’s a more palatable argument than the team isn’t profitable.
After years of saying the team wasn’t making a profit, Samson on Monday told reporters the documents “confirm everything we have said over the years of how we’ve operated the team.” He went on to talk about promising to secure baseball in South Florida and saving the dollars to put the team in a solid enough financial position to be able to fund its portion of the $515 million ballpark.
“We knew our contribution would have to be substantial enough, with team that did not have commensurate revenue,” Samson said. “In order to satisfy our contribution to the ballpark, we had to make sure we would be a team that would have the ability to borrow money.”
You have to wonder why Miami-Dade County officials didn’t push harder to see the Marlins’ books. And why a judge said opening the books wasn’t required, despite auto dealer Norman Braman’s lawsuit pushing for such, given that taxpayer dollars were being spent on the ballpark.
If the money really was going to the ballpark fund -- as a fan, you can still be angry the “profit” wasn’t going into payroll, but at least you’d know it was planned for somewhere other than the owner’s pocket.
Want to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Florida Marlins game?
Gene Spotlight, a new South Florida-based foundation formed to fund medical research into treatment and cures for 7,000 rare genetic disorders that afflict 25 million Americans, is offering that chance.
Until Sept. 3, the foundation is auctioning a first pitch and four Batter’s Box seats (behind home plate) at one of seven September home games at Sun Life Stadium. The package is valued at $6,000 and bidding is currently up to $2,300. Check out the package at charitybuzz.com.
Click here for more information on Gene Spotlight.
The Florida Marlins are using their new under construction ballpark as an incentive to encourage donations to help rebuild earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
As part of its “Marlins Ayudan” (Marlins Help) community program, the team has partnered with Waste Management and Food for the Poor on a “Homes for Haiti” campaign. Waste Management kicked off the program with a $50,000 donation to build 10 two-room homes. The goal of the program is to build a village of 25 homes.
The first 10 individuals or companies to donate $1,000 or more by Monday, will get a special behind-the-scenes hard-hat tour of the ballpark site. The tour at 6 p.m. Tuesday includes a cocktail party at the ballpark sales headquarters from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and will receive a personalized hard hat. Donors will get to meet Marlins executives and catcher John Baker, who visited Haiti with team officials last month.
To make a $1,000 donation, call 305-623-6497.
Fans can make $10 donations at marlins.com/homesforhaiti or by texting “Haiti” to 25383.
Florida's pro sports venues -- particularly those in South Florida -- scored record high numbers of food vendor safety violations, according to ESPN's Outside the Lines’ exhaustive report that examined the health inspection records of all 107 pro sports venues in North America.
Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins and University of Miami Hurricanes; and AmericanAirlines Arena, the Miami Heat’s home, were tied for third worst with 93 percent of vendors scoring critical violations.
Only St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Washington D.C.’s Verizon Center, which is home to the Washington Wizards and Capitals, scored worse. Both showed 100 percent of vendors with critical violations.
An excerpt from the inspection report for Sun Life Stadium says: In June 2009, an employee complained anonymously that small insects and other debris were blended into frozen alcoholic beverages at a stand where equipment wasn't being cleaned. When inspectors checked, they issued a critical violation for a buildup of slime inside the frozen drinks machine.
Centerplate, the stadium's food concessionaire released the following statement:
"Centerplate takes the topic of food safety and the well-being of our fans seriously, and works with the local health department to actively manage safe food service operations. Employees are trained and operations are routinely inspected to ensure that they meet standards for safe operation. Any deficiencies that are identified during the course of an inspection are immediately corrected, usually in the presence of the inspector," Bob Pascal, Centerplate senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
"The Florida state health department system has a rigorous and stringent approach to inspections, and evaluates stadiums based on whether they have met standards for safe operation--which Sun Life Stadium has done in 100% of its inspection reports for 2009 (ESPN's sample) and to-date in 2010."
The stadium, too, addressed concerns fans might have:
"It is important to note that the stadium has passed every health and safety inspection," Todd Boyan, the stadium's senior vice president of operations, said in a statement. "In fact, because the State of Florida is more strict than most states and demands more detailed and frequent testing, the stadium and its concessionaire are required to be more publicly diligent in meeting safety requirements. Any past inspection infraction has been corrected and we expect our concessionaire to meet every health and safety recommendation made by the appropriate local and state inspectors. Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety, and entertainment experience at Sun Life Stadium."
Meanwhile, the AmericanAirlines Arena report says: Critical violations included several safety issues related to electrical wiring and such equipment as gas boilers.
Just 67 percent of the vendors at the Florida Panthers' BankAtlantic Center recorded critical violations. The report said: Inspectors issued several violations for soiled ice bins and coolers.
Read ESPN’s full venue rundown.
According to the report, Florida’s venues “scored among the worst when it came to violations cited by inspectors. Inspections are performed by a state agency, and officials say that makes their standards more uniform and stringent.”
Florida Marlins outfielder Cody Ross will be dropping by Dunkin’ Donuts in Lauderhill on Saturday to sign autographs and pose for photos.
As part of a summer spectacular “Open House,” fans can also get a free doughnut. Billy the Marlin will be there, too, to accept a $500 donation to the Marlins Community Foundation.
Autographs are free, but only one item per fan. Free travel mugs to the first 200 customers.
The “Open House” runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ross is scheduled to attend between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Billy’s appearance is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon. The Dunkin’ Donuts is at 7340 W. Commercial Blvd., Lauderhill.
As he helped lead a tour of his team’s ballpark construction site on Thursday, Florida Marlins president David Samson reiterated the team’s desire to host a Major League Baseball All-Star Game in the new venue as soon as 2015.
“We’re going to submit a bid for the 2015 All-Star Game,” Samson said from a spot on the construction site overlooking home plate and with a view of downtown Miami. “We firmly expect it to be awarded because our bid will be so persuasive, given what’s going on in Miami, given what’s going on in this new ballpark. The Marlins had a game taken away and it’s time to get it back.”
The Marlins had been scheduled to host the 2000 All-Star Game at what was then named Pro Player Stadium, but in 1998, Commissioner Bud Selig moved the game to Atlanta’s Turner Field. The reason given was the region’s lack of a new, modern baseball-only ballpark. But the region was also still stinging from then-Marlins owner H. Wayne Huizenga’s decision to dismantle the Marlins after the team won the 1997 World Series.
Samson said he’s convinced the new ballpark will be awarded the sport’s Mid-Summer Classic.
“We feel more confident than ever that putting an All-Star game in Miami under the air conditioning, will be a win for baseball and we feel the commissioner will agree.”
Ground was broken a year ago for the new ballpark and construction on the former site of the Orange Bowl stadium is more than 40 percent complete. The media was given its quarterly tour of the construction, which included stops at different levels behind home plate with views toward the outfield and downtown Miami.
Concessions stands are already taking shape – complete with the bright-colored tile that is part of the ballpark’s signature style. There will be four color quadrants – blue, yellow, red and green – borrowed from Spanish painter Joan Miro’s palette that will easily help fans identify where they are in the ballpark. Already, blue tile has gone up in concession areas.
The seating bowl should be completed by the end of August.
The Marlins have completed priority ticket sales for existing full-season ticket holders and are opening up full season ticket sales to the public – starting with premium seating – on Monday. Samson said 97 percent of existing full season ticket holders have committed to buying seats in the new ballpark, which is scheduled to open in April 2012.
Lauren Book-Kim of Aventura will be on the field at Angel Stadium in Anaheim prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 13 representing the Florida Marlins as one of 30 “All-Stars Among Us.”
The program, launched by MLB and People Magazine last summer, recognizes individuals making extraordinary commitments to their communities: feeding the hungry, assisting the deaf and elderly, helping critically ill children.
Three extraordinary citizens representing each of MLB’s 30 teams were competing for a shot to be “All-Stars.” Fans cast 1.7 million votes – more than double last year’s figure – for the 30 finalists. One will be featured in a People Magazine article during All-Star week.
Book-Lim’s story is well-known locally. The daughter of prominent South Florida lobbyist Ron Book, Book-Lim was abused by a live-in nanny from age 10 to 16. She and her father have fought for tougher state laws to protect children from predators. Her Lauren’s Kids Foundation works to prevent sexual abuse and help survivors, through a hotline, counseling, and a curriculum to help kids learn how to prevent abuse.
In April, Book-Lim led a 500-mile walk from South Florida to the state Capitol in Tallahassee called “Walk in My Shoes” in recognition of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month.
Catching up after vacation:
+ Last week, Florida Panthers’ parent company Sunrise Sports & Entertainment announced Saveology had won the rights to name the team’s practice facility. SSE launched a contest last fall for businesses to get a shot at naming Incredible Ice for a season by buying four lower bowl season tickets for the 2009-10 season. Incredible Ice, which underwent a $10 million renovation that included adding a third NHL-sized sheet of ice, will now be known as the Saveology.com Iceplex. SSE values the name at more than $300,000. Saveology is a comparison shopping service and already a Panthers sponsor. The company already agreed to extend the deal through the 2011-12 season, too. Saveology will get exposure through a variety of advertising platforms and will pay for new signage at the practice venue, where employee uniforms will also bear the new name.
+ Plantation-based Dreams Inc.’s Mounted Memories division has created special limited edition Chicago Blackhawks collectibles to commemorate the team’s first Stanley Cup win in nearly 50 years: a shawdowbox with photos and some of the ice from the Stanley Cup finals. “This is a new product from our innovative line of memorabilia,” Mounted Memories President Mitch Adelstein said in a statement. “As an NHL licensee, we worked closely with the National Hockey League who was supportive and cooperative with our needs, and we captured portions of the ice from the arena. Our designers created an exciting way for hockey fans to recall this victory for which Chicago fans waited almost half a century.”
+ The New York Times’ piece on Dolphins limited partner Marc Anthony, although it mentions nothing about his sports investment.
+ People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on the Marlins to reconsider their plans to install two-custom designed saltwater aquariums on either side of home plate in the team’s new ballpark.
When Herman Russomanno takes his seat in the Marlins new ballpark in April 2012, he’ll have a view of the action from behind home plate and an eyeful of one of the venue’s most unique features: two custom-built saltwater aquariums that will serve as the home plate backstop.
Yes, aquariums. Two-way aquariums – meaning their swimming inhabitants can be seen from throughout the ballpark both inside the stadium and from the field.
As construction of the $515 million venue on the former site of the Orange Bowl continued across the street on Thursday, Russomanno officially signed his contract to purchase four Diamond Club – the new version of the Batter’s Box at Sun Life Stadium – seats in the new ballpark. He was the first season ticket holder to pick his seats in the ballpark’s new sales headquarters, which officially opens next week. When you say you want to be in the first row behind home plate, you get to be first in line to buy your seats, Marlins President David Samson said.
“Spectacular view,” said Russomanno, a Miami attorney and original Marlins season ticket holder. “Beautiful vista.”
Russomanno’s seats cost $325 apiece per game, but would have been $395 if he’d waited three months. Season ticket prices start at $10 a game. The ballpark is to have slightly more than 37,000 seats, including about 1,000 designated as standing room. Check out marlins.com for more information.
The aquariums are designed by Living Color Enterprises of Fort Lauderdale. One measures 34 feet long, 3 feet high and holds more than 600 gallons of saltwater. The other is 24 feet long and holds 450 gallons of water. They will be positioned on either side of home plate to prevent disruption in play and will be constructed of durable, bullet-proof materials to prevent shattering by foul balls and errant throws.
The team’s 1,800-square-foot ballpark sales center sits at the corner of Northwest 14th Avenue and Northwest 7th Street across the street from the ballpark construction site – so you can actually monitor construction from its outdoor plaza. The sales center includes giant renderings of the new ballpark, seating charts, a scale model with roof that opens and closes and video scoreboard that works, and a full scale suite with modern white furniture and wood paneling, just like the ones that will be in the new ballpark.
Fans can take a virtual tour of the ballpark, getting to see what the view from the future seats will look like. Two images side by side, show the same view of downtown Miami from the site – one with the Orange Bowl and the other with the ballpark under construction. “The Tradition Evolves” reads a sign over the images.
The Marlins are scheduling appointments with their 5,000 season ticket holders to visit the center and choose full season ticket plans in the new stadium. The team is not yet making partial and mini-plans available, but has promised to work with fans looking for smaller plans by pairing them with other fans seeking similar packages, said Sean Flynn, Marlins vice president of marketing.
The Florida Marlins are putting unused tickets to Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay’s perfect game against the Marlins on Saturday up for sale. So, yes, for the face value of the ticket, you can say you were there – even if you weren’t among the 25,086 listed as attending the game.
Major League Baseball counts attendance as tickets sold and has agreed to amend the attendance for Saturday’s game, if the team sells any of the unused tickets. Baseball seating capacity at Sun Life Stadium is listed as 38,560.
Isn’t the point of having the ticket, though, that you were actually there?
Chris Amoroso, vice president of Steiner Sports Memorabilia, said he expects the market for the unused tickets to include fans of the Phillies and Halladay, as well as collectors of perfect game memorabilia. In addition, companies like Steiner could buy some of the tickets to package with other items such as photos.
He called the Marlins’ decision to sell the unused tickets “very unique,” but he said the tickets are more about having a keepsake rather than a priceless piece of memorabilia.
“It’s very unique for someone who collects those types of things. If you’re a fan of him, it’s a nice add on,” Amoroso said. “The value I think it comes when and if Halladay will sign them. Then there will be value. Perhaps a few hundred dollars with a signature depending on how many will be out there, how many he’ll sign.”
The Marlins announced Wednesday they'd crossed another hurdle in the ongoing construction of their new ballpark on the former site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana: the first piece of structural steel to support the roof has been put in place. Weighing 24,000 pounds, the beam is the first of 13 that will make up the fixed steel roof structure on the ballpark's west side. It is scheduled to be completed in July.
Claude Delorme, the team's executive vice president of ballpark development, said in a statement the venue is more than 34 percent complete and that much of the next 13 months will be focused on the roof.
The full fixed canopy for the roof -- including the east, south and north sides - is scheduled to be completed in January.
Meanwhile, still missing the out-of-town scoreboard at Sun Life Stadium? The new ballpark will offer out-of-town scores and much more under a contract announced this week with scoreboard giant, Daktronics Inc.
The contract also includes video display board, digital ribbon boards, pitchers stats and ticket window displays. Installation is scheduled to begin in fall 2011.
“With their broad product line, control system with superior data integration capabilities, and their experience working new construction projects, Daktronics was clearly the best choice," Delorme said in a statement. "I know Marlins fans will absolutely love the new ballpark. The digital display technology will be a huge part of the game day presentation.”
The displays include a custom-shaped display board that's 101 feet wide at the top and 51 feet tall. There will be six ribbon boards in the seating bowl and at the ballpark's gates.
In another plug for my stories on going behind the scenes in a variety of sports jobs, here are some details that didn't make the package:
Pit crew: Hours spent at the track go by in a flash – there’s so much work to be done. Constant work on the cars, meeting race fans, signing autographs, cleaning the trailers, and, of course, keeping the frigs stocked with water and Gatorade and snack trays filled with chips, granola bars, fruit. Seconds really do make a difference - as I learned the hard way. Everyone has a job. The time between pit stops gets filled with snacking and watching the race on pit box monitors. As the “deadman” you really are thatclose to the gas – you’re standing under a 55-gallon drum suspended on a metal scissor stand. I just didn’t think about my proximity to the gas.
Grounds crew: What this very busy crew at Sun Life Stadium does can’t be overstated. These people work hard to create a pitch perfect field for both baseball and football. As one of only two professional stadiums left in the country that host both football and baseball on natural grass, these people are busy. The grass gets mowed every day. There are the summer rains. The endzone and center logo replacements between Dolphins and University of Miami games. Lowering and raising the pitcher’s mound when football and baseball overlap. And the difference between football and baseball is stark, head groundskeeper Alan Sigwardt explains: football is all about the grass and how it holds up against the different players – the 350-pound lineman versus the speedy receivers. Meanwhile, baseball is about the dirt – with only three players doing their job on the grass, the vast majority of the work is done on the infield dirt. “It’s two totally different sciences,” Sigwardt says. Watch video of my turn at the job below.
Zamboni driving: Top speed is 9 mph, but you’re typically driving slower than that. In a giant contraption with a sensitive turning radius. The red line at BankAtlantic Center is dotted with prints of Panthers paws – which you can see when you’re on the ice, but they’re difficult to make out otherwise. Driving the Zamboni satisfies both sides of head ice technician Graham Caplinger’s brain. He’s a perfectionist, fascinated by the science and math of the job. But he’s also a musician – a drummer – so he has learned to let go. He knows he creates a perfect sheet of ice only to see the players mess it up with their skates. “Everything’s as best as I know how to do it, I’ve checked and checked and rechecked and checked and checked, then it’s up to the players, the artists, if you will, to go out carve up their masterpiece,” Caplinger says. He also says the iPod is the greatest invention – it helps him pass the time spent on the slow-moving Zamboni.
Mascots: It takes a special person to be a mascot. There’s a mascot creed and rules. Never reveal your identity. No talking. Don’t seek permission – ask forgiveness later. Have fun. Grown-ups become big kids as soon as they see a mascot – they cheer, they yell, they pose for photos, they high five, they act silly. And the mascot loves it – he, too, acts silly with no – or few - consequences. “It’s like Batman Superman status. Nobody knows who you are. They think they’re laughing at me, but I’m actually laughing at them. I’m getting them out of their character,” Burnie the Heat mascot says.
Travelzoo, the online publisher of travel deals, is selling tickets to Florida Marlins homes games at Sun Life Stadium this week at significant savings.
For games against the San Diego Padres today through Wednesday, the Washington Nationals on Sunday and the San Francisco Giants May 4 to 6, fans can find tickets ranging from $8 to $22.50 -- representing savings of up to 60 percent.
For example, outfield terrace seats that regularly sell for $21 are going for $8; field box seats that are regularly $34 are selling for $14; infield box seats that usually sell for $43 are $18.50 and Club B seats that normally cost $51 are going for $22.50. Find out more here.
Catching up on last week:
+ Duke law professor Richard Schmalbeck and Rutgers Business School professor Jay Soled had an interesting Op-Ed in the New York Times last week suggesting it’s time to retire tax deductions for businesses that buy suites and club seats at sporting events. The professors say the deductions have led not only to skyrocketing ticket prices but also a squeezing out of the non-corporate fan in favor of building ever more revenue-generating luxury suites. It makes me wonder, too, if all those deductions led in part to all that extra entertainment – the frills such as dance teams, contests, djs and the like -- to keep all those people who’ve spent that big money occupied.
+ Former Miami Dolphins majority owner H. Wayne Huizenga, who sold the team and stadium to Steve Ross last year, quietly sold the Floridian Golf and Yacht Club for $25.6 million, the Palm Beach Post’s Jose Lambiet reports here.
+ Ever feel like the Black Eyed Peas have become the soundtrack to life? Might be onto something. The Wall Street Journal’s piece on the band, including Miami Dolphins limited partner Fergie, as a brand is here.
+ Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade sold his home…at a loss. Read more here.
+ Here’s the video to go with Creed singer Scott Stapp’s “Marlins Will Soar” – a rewriting of his song “You Will Soar” that honors the Florida Marlins and is shown on the scoreboard at Sun Life Stadium:
Perhaps it was just as well the Florida Marlins’ 2010 home opener was a nighttime affair, given that it reached a steamy 88 degrees this afternoon. Turns out it was the team that asked for the 7:10 p.m. start.
“Two things led us to do it at night. One, it’s not a season opener and two, it was a Friday,” Marlins team President David Samson said. “I prefer home openers during the day, no question about it, but season openers.”
The crowd of 40,666 was treated to a festive atmosphere nonetheless, including recognition of Chris Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez for winning last year’s National League Rookie of the Year and Batting Champion awards respectively; Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson throwing out the first pitch; and Creed’s Scott Stapp singing the National Anthem.
Stapp, a Palm Beach County resident, recently forged a partnership with the Marlins that has the singer and the team helping each others' charitable foundations, Marlins Vice President of Marketing Sean Flynn said. Part of the partnership includes Stapp re-writing his song “You Will Soar” as “Marlins Will Soar” complete with lyrics about baseball and the line: “Come on Marlins, make us proud.” A video of Stapp singing the song interspersed with Marlins highlights helped kicked off the festivities.
If you didn’t catch it tonight, Flynn says it will be shown in the stadium as well as online. He says it will be used similar to the way the team uses rapper Pitbull’s “Marlins Time to Represent.” Watch that video below.
Samson said he met Stapp at an airport when their flight was delayed. They began talking and have since exchanged text messages. Stapp also sat in the Marlins' suite during the Super Bowl in February.
One thing that irked at least a few people today was the disappearance of the out-of-town scoreboard – or teal monster – in left field. Remember this (see photo from a few years ago)? That’s no more. No more lineups and out-of-town scores. Instead, there are giant ads for MLB Network, a picture of Billy the Marlin holding a baseball glove, and a sign for a “Hit Me, Win Me” sweepstakes for a Ford truck that a fan can win if a Marlin hits the sign.
The way the Marlins explain it, the sign was malfunctioning last year and stadium ownership decided it was too costly to maintain. The Marlins had the option to pay, but chose not to, Samson said, because fans nowadays are getting real-time scores and updates on their cell phones and pdas.
With the Marlins scheduled to be in their new ballpark in 2012, is it any wonder no one was willing to shell out the dough to fix the board?
The team doesn’t yet have a lease to play at Sun Life Stadium in 2011, but Samson said he expects that to be worked out within a few weeks.
The Marlins introduction cards on the scoreboard show each player in front of an image of the new ballpark. Both Samson and team owner Jeffrey Loria said construction of the new venue in Little Havana is going well. Loria said he visits the site every month and a half or so. “It’s going to be the crown jewel of South Florida when we’re done,” Loria said.
Samson said while the team is entertaining calls from companies interested in purchasing the naming rights, other sponsorship opportunities and suites at the new ballpark, a new sales center for premium seating is expected to open at the ballpark site by late May. He said the team hopes to have a naming rights partner by next April at the latest.
In honor of the Florida Marlins’ home opener at Sun Life Stadium this evening -- tidbits of team business news:
The team has installed a new robotic webcam at the ballpark construction site so you can watch the progress from inside the ballpark. The webcam is mounted on the south roof track so you get panoramic views and images of construction inside the bowl, rather than just from outside the project, which the webcam mounted across Northwest 7th Street at Robert King High Towers affords. Images from both webcams can be found at marlins.com.
The construction appears to be moving along so rapidly that it seems as if the venue could be open as soon as next year. But we’re told it’s the roof construction that takes months and that’s why the team is targeting an April 2012 opening.
The team’s value is certain to rise – along with its revenue streams – when the new ballpark opens. According to Forbes' annual Major League Baseball team valuations, the Marlins are already more valuable than they were a year ago. In fact, Forbes says the value of the Marlins increased more than any other MLB team. The team ranked 27th – up from 30th last year – and saw its value increase 15 percent to $317 million, the magazine says. Marlins President David Samson once again dismissed Forbes' numbers, because he says the magazine doesn’t have access to the team’s books. Read Samson’s comments in my colleague Juan C. Rodriguez’s story here.
Forbes said the New York Yankees were the most valuable team at $1.6 billion, followed by the Boston Red Sox at $870 million and New York Mets at $858 million. Find the complete list at forbes.com/mlb.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to catch up -- March is a busy month, as always -- so here are some current links, as well as some I should have posted a while ago:
The Real Deal details Miami Heat radio broadcaster and former player John Crotty’s success in the real estate business with Colliers Abood Wood-Fay. Check out the story here.
Three locals were among the SportsBusinessJournal’s Forty Under 40 business executives honored in Los Angeles earlier this month: Miami Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt, who calls becoming AD at The U his “greatest achievement”; Florida Marlins vice president and general counsel Derek Jackson, who labored with others to get the team’s ballpark financed; and Max Eisenbud, vice president of IMG Tennis, who is agent for tennis star Maria Sharapova.
UM TV’s Sports Desk held a panel discussion during Communications Week called “Miami – A Sports Media Haven” - and included Emmanuel Munoz, Florida Marlins director of broadcasting; Jason Jenkins, Miami Dolphins director of media relations; Joe Pujala, Miami Heat and Miami Hurricanes Spanish language broadcaster; and me. We covered a number of topics, including the fickle nature of the South Florida fans and Miami’s role in sports. The piece aired March 12. If you want to check it out, It’s here.
From last week’s NFL owners meeting in Orlando, my colleagues who attended told me it looks even more likely the New York region will be awarded the 2014 Super Bowl over South Florida and Tampa. We’ll find out for sure at the owners meeting in Dallas in May.
And a little more on Dolphins owner Steve Ross pitching his “GameDay” Vision handheld TV device to the rest of the league’s owners: The SportsBusiness Journal reported Ross quietly purchased Kangaroo TV in December and not only is he expanding the number of Dolphins fans who will get the devices for games in the upcoming season (one for every two tickets in each season ticket holder account instead of just club and suite holders), but he’s offering devices to the other 31 team owners. In return, the Journal story explains, the teams would need to market the devices to their fans.
Under construction since July, the Florida Marlins’ ballpark is actually beginning to look like a stadium.
On a media hard-hat tour of the site today (see video below), we not only could make out the seating bowl, but we got to walk from the ground level up to the upper deck, which will be known as the Vista Level, on the stadium’s west side for a spectacular view of downtown Miami. You can see the downtown skyline and even make out the Adrienne Arsht (performing arts) Center to the east.
To the west you can watch planes heading to Miami International Airport and overlook the west side plaza, which is going to be the length of three football fields and serve as a gathering place for fans on game days and the community on non-game days. When the retractable roof is open, it will be parked above the plaza.
Sid Perkins, the project’s construction manager who works for the Hunt/Moss venture building the ballpark, was again our tour guide. He wore his signature cowboy-shaped hard hat, but this time there were Marlins stickers all over it, including across the Smith & Wesson logo. And yes, he carried a cigar.
Perkins says the project is between 25 percent and 30 percent complete and has about 350 workers on site, which will rise to about 500 in the next month. He says construction is moving smoothly and the ballpark should be ready for baseball in 2012.
Every corner of the site seems to be humming with activity – storm sewers and water lines are going in, as are pipes for the first bathrooms. Roof beams that will support the track for the retractable roof have gone up on both the north and south sides of the stadium.
“That beam has been cast on the ground and pulled into place four or five days ago,” Perkins said pointing at one section of beam, which he says weighs 3.5 million pounds.
Perkins showed off what will be the stadium’s seven levels: the Field level; the Administrative level, which will include team offices; the Promenade level or the main concourse, which will be 360 degrees – meaning fans can walk all the way around it; the Founders level, encompassing 14 exclusive Founders suites containing 22 seats each; the Club level; Media level; and Vista Level – or the upper deck.
One of the main things Marlins Senior Vice President, Stadium Development Claude Delorme stressed during the tour was the cozy intimacy of the ballpark. For example, the Vista Level is 93 feet high – offering a panoramic view of downtown. The top of the upper deck will reach about 125 feet, which Delorme says is shorter than many ballparks, which reach 150 feet to 160 feet.
Delorme said 21,600 of the ballpark’s 37,000 seats will be on the Promenade or main concourse level. “We really wanted to make sure the majority of our fans were on the main level,” he said.
Additionally, he said, the seat closest to home plate will be just 47.5 feet away – rather than the typical 55 feet in most stadiums. “We were able to get an exemption from MLB to be at 47.5, [which] again, makes it much more intimate.”
Delorme said contracts worth about $300 million or about 80 percent of the value of the construction have been awarded, including bid packages for concrete, steel, the scoreboard and seating. He said work is to begin on the two parking garages on the stadium’s north side in May with the two on the south side to begin in October or November.
Starting with tonight’s game, the Miami Heat is being prominently featured in this season's NBA’s “éne•bé•a” “Noche Latina” tribute to Latin heritage.
The Heat isn’t pulling out the “El Heat” jerseys again until next week’s games at AmericanAirlines Arena – on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs and Thursday against the Orlando Magic – but the Chicago Bulls will be “Los Bulls” at AA Arena tonight.
The NBA launched a comprehensive Hispanic marketing initiative last fall with the creation of “éne•bé•a,” – the Spanish pronunciation of NBA. This month’s Hispanic Heritage/Noche Latina celebration is aimed at celebrating the league’s Latin players and more than 16 million Hispanic fans across the country.
Celebrations are taking place at games this month in nine NBA markets – Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, New York and Orlando. Noche Latina was first held during the 2006-07 season.
The special nights include the uniforms with team names in Spanish, musical performances, giveaways and other activities. The uniforms and other products with the teams’ Spanish names are for sale at the NBA store in Manhattan, Champs stores, NBAStore.com and at the in-arena stores for the participating teams. The Miami Hoops Gear store sells a variety of El Heat items.
Meanwhile, the Florida Marlins this season are dubbing Friday night home games at Sun Life Stadium as “Fiesta Fridays” replacing “Fish Fridays.” Fiesta Fridays will have a heavy Latin flare, says Sean Flynn, the team’s vice president of marketing.
Hispanic baseball legends will sign autographs and salsa and pleneros bands will perform before games. And with the exception of Opening Night on April 9, the Marlins will be known as “Los Marlins” at Friday home games and will wear a Los Marlins patch on their uniforms.
New Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner made the union’s annual spring stop at Roger Dean Stadium this morning to meet with the Florida Marlins.
It’s been two months since the release of the carefully worded settlement agreement among Major League Baseball, the Players Association and the Marlins requiring the team to increase its commitment of revenue sharing dollars to payroll as it moves toward its new ballpark’s opening, scheduled in 2012.
“We’re actually pleased with the way things have played out under the settlement,” Weiner said after meeting with Marlins players. “We’ve said publicly what we’re going to say about the specifics, but I have no problem saying that so far, we’re pleased with the way things have played out.”
Weiner said, of course, the union has concerns about other teams, which he wouldn’t name. He also wouldn’t say if he expects similar settlement agreements could be forged with other teams.
“I can’t predict that, I can’t say there is the level of attention that we’re paying is the same with respect to other teams as with the Marlins, and if it reaches the stage where we think that kind of agreement is appropriate, we’ll push for it.”
Weiner said it wasn't the objective of the settlement with the Marlins to serve as an example to other MLB clubs.
“It may have that effect. That wasn’t what we set out to do,” he said. “What we set out to do was say we think we have a potential problem with the contract and how can we deal with that? If it has precedential impact, it has that, but what motivated us was we have a problem, we think, how can we resolve that. And the Marlins and the Commissioner worked with us and we think we got a good resolution.”
Marlins pitcher Andrew Miller, the team’s player’s representative, said Weiner mentioned the settlement briefly.
“He said he thought it was a good thing, he thought it was something the union asked, they made that announcement and I think the direct cause and effect that everybody saw was probably the Uggla signing, whether that has anything to do with it or not, who knows,” Miller said referring to the team agreeing in January – days after the settlement was announced – to a one-year $7.8 million deal for second baseman Dan Uggla to avoid arbitration.
“The only persons who knows the answer to that is [General Manager] Michael Hill or [President of Baseball Operations] Larry Beinfest or [President] David Samson,” Miller continued, “but I think they were encouraged by that. Everybody is. I’ve been here for a couple of years now and we’ve been competitive regardless of the payroll. I think it’s just one of those things, obviously, the union wants teams to spend their revenue sharing money and whatnot and so it looks like the Marlins are doing that right now. “
Weiner and Miller said other discussion mainly focused on general topics and basic planning for the current collective bargaining agreement’s expiration in December 2011.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez could have sidestepped any discussion of the Florida Marlins ballpark during this morning’s state of the county address.
After all, the $515 million ballpark, which is being financed with hundreds of millions in county hotel bed tax dollars, continues to be a controversial topic, even though construction at the former site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana is more than 20 percent complete. Images of the ballpark construction were included in one of two videos shown during the mayor’s speech, but it wasn’t identified by name.
Alvarez didn’t shy away from the controversy.
“While we are on the subject of the local economy, let’s talk about something very near and dear to my heart, America’s pastime. Baseball,” Alvarez said and then paused for an almost uncomfortable few seconds in which some tittering could be heard in the packed commission chambers at the Stephen P. Clark Center.
“Last summer we broke ground on a new Marlins ballpark,” Alvarez said when he finally resumed his speech. “You don’t need a time lapse camera to see the progress, just look out your window the next time you’re riding along 836. The ballpark is over 20 percent complete. Columns and beams are going up at a lightning pace. The prospects of hosting a future All Star game are promising.
“Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, there’s no denying that the ballpark is creating jobs hundreds of them and just the kind of jobs we want, the local kind. More than 60 percent of workers on site live right here in Miami-Dade County. The Marlins are keeping their promises and we are making sure of it. It is an economic boost we need right now,” Alvarez said.
He then acknowledged: “I know there are naysayers and skeptics, but I firmly believe, that Major League Baseball promotes Major League communities.”
He mentioned the ballpark again during a rundown of buildings the county is developing that are classified as “green,” energy efficient projects.
It’s been years since the focus of Florida Marlins’ FanFest hasn’t been the prospect of a new ballpark at some point on the horizon. So long that even Marlins President David Samson had to correct some fans who referred to the Marlins’ future home as “prospective.”
“This is the first town hall meeting, in our, this is our ninth season, where we no longer have to have to call it the prospective new ballpark,” Samson referring to Jeffrey Loria beginning in his ninth season as owner. “It’s the actual new ballpark.”
The team’s new home is 22 percent complete, the roof beams for the track for the retractable roof are going up and the bowl is taking shape at the former site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana. The venue is so “actual” that several fans thanked Samson and his staff for their success in finally getting the ballpark project under way.
Most of the questions at Saturday’s FanFest focused on the field this season. When asked how many wins the team would notch, Samson responded “enough to make the playoffs.”
A few fans had business questions. Among them:
+ Will Palm Beach County residents be able to take Tri-rail to the new ballpark?
“Absolutely,” Samson said. Shuttles, he said, will carry fans to the ballpark from the Jackson Memorial and downtown Miami Tri-rail stations, and the team will devise transportation plans for all fans. “We want our fans north of Miami to follow us south and we want fans in Miami to comes to games to enjoy that beautiful ballpark, which is going to have a roof and air conditioning and everything you could ever want,” Samson said to applause.
Tommy Hutton told fans it took him an extra 15 to 20 minutes from Sun Life Stadium to get to the new ballpark’s location.
+ How soon will the Marlins host an All-Star Game?
“It has not been confirmed, but if you thought to yourself we would host the All-Star Game in 2015, you would probably not be misleading yourself,” Samson said.
+ When will the team have new uniforms as part of becoming the Miami Marlins in the new ballpark and will teal be one of the colors?
Samson said new uniforms are in development, but “no color palette has been decided yet. We’re working on it though.”
He said, “We’re lucky to have an owner who has an incredibly talented eye for art and beauty, and so we’ll be ready to unveil that maybe during the ’11 season, but probably not until after we win the 2011 World Series.”
More applause.
The team said it sold more than 40,000 individual-game tickets during FanFest – the first day individual tickets for 2010 went on sale.
Florida Marlins players, coaches, executives, Mermaids, Manatees and Billy the Marlin have been making stops throughout South Florida this week, as they do every year at this time in advance of the start of spring training.
But rather than just stopping at malls, sporting events, and schools, the team decided to go earth-friendly this year. In keeping with their effort to ensure the under-construction ballpark meets strict environmental guidelines, team officials designed a whole week of activities that recognize the earth's resources. (See Gaby Sanchez learning about zoo-keeping from Ron Magill at MIami Metrozoo on Monday).
"We’re always trying to not do the same thing, trying to be innovative, thinking about what this community needs, thinking about things that are important to us when we move into the new ballpark, thinking about the earth’s resources," Marlins President David Samson said of the idea for a "green" caravan.
On Tuesday, they toured Waste Management in Pembroke Pines and a made a donation to Food for the Poor for Haiti relief. On Wednesday morning, they conducted a "green makeover" on a house in Little Havana, making it more energy efficient and re-sodding and adding drought-resistant plants to the garden.
Later, they served lunch to the construction workers at the ballpark site.
Other activities include Marlins players joining morning commuters on Friday for a ride on the Metrorail to stress the importance of public transportation. Later that morning, they'll be working to renovate Juan Pablo Duarte Park in Miami, refurbishing the baseball field, planting trees, and building recycling bins.
The team is also off-setting the carbon emissions from the entire week of activities by buying trees and planting them across South Florida.
The activities culminate at the team's 15th annual Jiffy Lube Marlins FanFest from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Sun Life Stadium. The day includes the opportunity to purchase single game tickets for the 2010 season, autograph sessions with players, live music, memorabilia and town hall meetings with players, coaches and executives. Parking costs $5, which can be applied to the purchase of game tickets, and proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross' Haitian Relief Fund. However, vehicles carrying four or more fans receive free parking.
In preparation for becoming the “Miami” Marlins when they move into their new ballpark in 2012, the Florida Marlins are dropping “Florida” from their gray road uniforms this season and replacing it with “Marlins.” They’re also dropping the ‘F’ from the left sleeve. See photos at left.
Symbolic for now, of course, but a significant move nonetheless.
"This is just the first of many re-branding initiatives that will be introduced during the transition to the new ballpark in Miami," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement released by the team. "We believe this change will better reflect the team’s commitment to the South Florida community and will provide an enhanced look to the Marlins brand that fans will embrace."
The end of the decade also corresponds with my first decade as the Sun Sentinel’s sports business writer. When I first got the job in September 1999, people would congratulate me and then ask: “What are you going to do with the rest of your time?” As if this somehow wasn’t a full-time job!?
Just in case those people are still wondering what I do with my time, here’s my $2 added to the end of the decade lists with a by the numbers sampling of South Florida sports business stories. (Disclaimer -- this does not purport to be a full or complete list):
5 NEW TEAM OWNERS: Alan P. Cohen and his group bought the Panthers from H. Wayne Huizenga in 2001. Jeffrey Loria took ownership of the Marlins from John W. Henry (by way of Major League Baseball) in 2002. Steve Ross completed his purchase of the Dolphins from Huizenga in 2009. And Cohen’s partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel (I’m counting them as two) took over majority ownership of the Panthers this fall.
5 (at least) TEAM MOVES: The Heat moved to AmericanAirlines Arena in 2000. Hurricanes football moved to Dolphin Stadium in 2008. FAU moved from Dolphin Stadium to Lockhart Stadium. FIU football moved into a new stadium. The Baltimore Orioles ended their spring training run at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and are moving to Sarasota next year.
10 (and counting...) TEAMS LOST: Miami Fusion (Major League Soccer); Miami Sol (WNBA); Miami Tropics (Spring Football League); Miami Manatees (minor league hockey); Florida Bobcats (AFL); Florida Pitbulls (ABA); Miami Morays, Palm Beach Phantoms and Florida Frenzy (all of the National Indoor Football League); Miami Diamantes (baseball); and others too numerous to count…
2 VENUES BUILT: UM opened BankUnited Center in 2003; FIU opened its new football stadium in 2008.
2 TORN DOWN: Both the Orange Bowl and Miami Arena came down in 2008.
4 TEAMS STARTED (and still exist in some form): Miami FC (soccer), Miami Caliente (Lingerie Football League); Miami Fury and Palm Beach Punishers of the Independent Women’s Football League.
NAME CHANGES get their own section: In 2001, Sports & Sponsorships President Scott Becher was more prophetic than he might have imagined when he told me this for a story about the golf tournament at Doral changing its name to Genuity:
"You're going to start to see names change for a second and a third time," Becher said. "I think by and large, fans get it, but from the sponsor's standpoint, it's like buying a used car. The car is never going to smell like new. The value of the sponsorship is diminished when you have to untrain fans to think of it as one name and reteach them a new name."
3 (Three-way tie) – Dolphins’ home stadium: Started the decade as Pro Player, then Dolphins Stadium, followed by Dolphin (no s) Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium. It’s set to become Dolphin Stadium again in January.
-- Key Biscayne tennis tournament: Lipton became Ericsson Open then Nasdaq-100 Open. Now it’s Sony Ericsson Open.
-- Golf tournament at Doral: Doral Ryder Open became Genuity Championship, then Ford Championship, and now it’s CA Championship.
2 (two-way tie) – Panthers home arena: National Car Rental Center became Office Depot Center and is now BankAtlantic Center.
--
FIU’s basketball arena: Golden Panther Arena started the decade as Golden Panther Arena, became Pharmed and is now U.S. Century Bank.
1 ZILLION Marlins ballpark plans: But the ballpark is under construction and scheduled to open in 2012.
Just in time for the holidays, Boca Raton-based Office Depot is offering up personalized photos of sports jerseys hanging in a team’s locker room. Yes, like the one at left with my name on a jersey and locker between Miami Dolphins Joey Porter’s and Ricky Williams’.
You can have your name or a friend’s or relative’s -- of course -- printed on the back of a jersey from any NFL, NHL or Major League Baseball team. About 15 college team are available, too, including Florida, LSU, Ohio State and current No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Alabama.
Called “That’s Me Sports Prints,” the photos are all 8 x 10 and available at Office Depot locations for $39.99 unframed or $49.99 with a frame.
Florida Marlins owner and art dealer Jeffrey Loria has promised his team’s new ballpark will be a work of art and unlike any other baseball stadium. That’s why he’s focused on creating a modernist structure of sleek white stucco, silver metal and glass.
On Tuesday, Miami-Dade County’s Art in Public Places Trust continued Loria’s theme, approving proposals for $5.3 million in public art projects planned for the ballpark, including a playful, dynamic home run celebration feature, budgeted at $2.5 million, by renowned multimedia pop artist Red Grooms. Grooms' work was selected from several entries after a series of meetings.
It’s still conceptual and difficult to describe, but it’s something like an arcade game decorated with pelicans and seagulls, blue sky and clouds with a series of marlins that will actually jump after a Marlins player hits a home run. (See picture at left) Grooms is known for large scale works of urban-scapes and buildings.
Grooms, who was born in Nashville, said he drew on his memories of visiting Daytona as a teenager. He remembered seeing the ocean for the first time, the pelicans and seagulls, he said.
“All that stuck with me,” said Grooms, 72. That’s how he decided “to incorporate the great natural beauty of Florida and wildlife” into his proposal. “I am featuring beautiful clouds and waves.”
Grooms described the home run feature, which he learned of from Loria, as “a pretty unusual project. It’s like making up a kind of new event or game or something.”
Marlins President David Samson said Loria was insistent the home run feature be a work of art.
"It's very important to Jeffrey that our ballpark be the museum of baseball," Samson said. "The home run feature is the perfect opportunity to differentiate Miami from the other ballparks. No one will be able to look at that and say 'is that art or is that baseball?' It's both, it's art in a baseball ballpark."
Initially the project was expected to have a feature rise from a pool of real water, but county officials liked the idea of using Grooms-designed water instead. The key to the work is part of it will be visible even if a game isn’t going on, but it will spring to life once a Marlin hits a home run.
This video gives a sense of the type of celebration Grooms has in mind, though it is likely to change before the final work is completed:
Meanwhile, the trust also approved another $2.7 million in projects for the ballpark:
A series of colorful tiled pathways by Carlos Cruz-Diez that will be located in the ballpark’s west side plaza entrance (see image at left of his work at the airport in Caracas), and two projects by Daniel Arsham and Snarkitecture. One of Arsham’s works is lighting for the ballpark’s roof columns.
The other, called a commemorative marker, will honor the history of the old Orange Bowl. It will be a series of giant concrete letters that spell out “Miami Orange Bowl” just like the old stadium’s original sign. The sculpture will represent the letters as if they fell off the Orange Bowl, and landed on the ballpark’s east plaza in different combinations spelling out other words, including “WON” and “GAME.” The letters will be the size and look of the ones that graced the Orange Bowl, but will be concrete and situated so fans can touch and sit on them.
“They have become one with the site and people can interact with them in whatever way they are comfortable, in terms of spurring memories of their relationship with the Orange Bowl and with events they’ve been to at that site,” Samson said. “They’ll be able to see the letters as part of the landscape, be able to come in actual contact with them … it’s sort of a common psychological thing when you can touch something it can spur a memory or smell something.”
It’s not unusual for teams to offer holiday ticket package specials, but the Florida Marlins are offering a holiday deal aimed at filling the stands for lots of games.
Not a surprise, of course, but this deal includes tickets to a game at every home series in 2010 or 26 games for $150. Yes, that’s $5.77 a game. While the tickets are on Land Shark Stadium’s lower level, they’re in right field in what has been the picnic area. But still – that’s less than parking. Find out more here.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat’s deal allows you to craft your own holiday three-game pack starting at $99. The team has divided up games ranging from $33 a game to $65 a game. Check it out here.
The Florida Panthers, too, are offering a holiday deal starting at $99 that includes two to four seats at up to seven games, and a David Booth autographed puck. The number of games and prices depends on the seat locations: The $99 pack, for example, includes two upper level seats; get four lower level seats for $499. More details here.
Sorry for the delay in catching up on news since vacation, but well, it’s been another busy week. And in case you didn’t know, the Super Bowl will be here in 58 days… but who’s counting?
Some thoughts and links:
+ Starting with Super Bowl, CBS says it’s 90 percent sold out of advertising spots for the Feb. 7 big game and ads are hitting $3 million. More from the LA Times here.
+ Baseball teams switching to healthier food, care of the Wall Street Journal here.
+ Olympic merchandise fun… got to read a story from the Vancouver Sun that starts: "Faster, stronger, higher — but not that high." Here.
+ Tiger and more Tiger: Plenty of fallout from the ongoing Woods crash/sexcapades story. Sponsors ponder their deals with the world infamous golfer. Gatorade says its decision to drop Gatorade Tiger unrelated to recent events.
+ Gotta love that sales of John Gribbin’s book Get a Grip on Physics, which was found in Woods’ wrecked car have skyrocketed. Here.
You can file this in the bulging "people with too much time on their hands" category, but there’s something catchy about Woods’ voicemail message Slow Jam Remix.
Bill Plaschke’s sportsman of the year award goes to “Sleaze.” Read his nicely-done column on the issue in the LA Times that includes gems like this: "Strong work, Sleaze. You made us forget about that awful beauty of baseball and focus on how the philandering third baseman got to second base. You made us ignore the sappy serenity of golf to watch the hound-dog champion play through his protesting wife to drive over water and into a tree."
Plaschke says our appetite for these kinds of stories seems insatiable, but the Poughkeepsie Journal reports on a Marist Poll that says more people think Woods should deal with the events privately and most don’t think the news will impact decisions about buying Woods-endorsed products.
+ City of Miami delays issuing bonds for parking lots at Florida Marlins ballpark: Bloomberg and The Miami Herald fill you in on this one here and here.
+ And speaking of the Marlins, as we know, team President David Samson is a man of many talents. He’s added playwright to the list. Penning a one-act play that is included in this Sunday’s soldout Miami Stories show at the New Theatre in Coral Gables. Samson is also to act in his own play. Read more here.
And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @sarahtalalay
If you’re a sports fan in South Florida, chances are you’ve seen RRA’s logo. Or heard of one of the companies Scott Rothstein’s invested in. That’s because Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler has been rapidly racking up sports sponsorships and teaming with local athletes and their charitable organizations.
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Remember those billboards featuring Rothstein with Dan Marino, promoting RRA’s partnership with the Dan Marino Foundation? RRA served as a presenting sponsor of The Summer Groove, hosted by Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, held in July at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.
Ten days ago – not long before it became public Rothstein was under investigation -- RRA was the sponsor of the Miami Dolphins 2009 Alumni Weekend. RRA sponsors the Heat and messages promoting the firm's connections with Marino’s and Mourning’s charities have flashed from the giant MediaMesh LED marquee on the front of AmericanAirlines Arena that overlooks Biscayne Boulevard. There’s even an RRA ad in the Miami Heat’s opening night program.
RRA has a sponsorship deal at BankAtlantic Center with the Florida Panthers. Three other companies in which Rothstein has an investment -- Bova, Renato and V Georgio Vodka -- also have sponsorship agreements with the team and arena. Bova sponsors the Panthers' Ice Dancers.
The Heat, Panthers and Dan Marino Foundation all declined to comment Tuesday. But don't be surprised if RRA's logo is no longer included as part of the Panthers' game presentation.
The Florida Marlins are the only one of the four major pro sports team in South Florida that doesn’t have any sort of partnership with RRA or Rothstein-connected company.
In January, attendees at a VIP party before the BCS National Championship Game received a football-shaped luggage tag featuring the BCS and RRA logos.
On Monday, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown broadcast his weekly radio show, “The Ronnie Brown Show,’” on WQAM-560 AM from Bova Prime in Fort Lauderdale, just as he's done all season.
Last month, Rothstein announced the formation of RRA Sports & Entertainment, a division to handle marketing and endorsement deals for athletes. Its first clients are Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and junior tennis player Sachia Vickery.
Rothstein is also a member of the corporate marketing committee of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee, but so far has been missing in action, host committee chairman Rodney Barreto said Tuesday.
“I did have lunch with him to discuss the Super Bowl and if he wanted to get involved with us. He’s involved with a lot of great charities. He agreed,” said Barreto, who met with Rothstein a few months ago.
“He’s attended no meetings, participated with no referrals or anything to date. As far as I’m concerned, he hasn’t done anything with our committee yet. I wish he would have,” Barreto said adding he thought someone of Rothstein’s stature and connections could help the host committee.
“He was a force, don’t kid yourself,” Barreto said. “It was brought to my attention, why don’t we consider having him help open doors for us, to help find potential sponsors. It didn’t work out.”
Norman Braman may have lost his long-running battle targeting the financing for the Florida Marlins’ ballpark and other Miami projects, but he has several supporters.
Nearly 100 politicians, lawyers, activists and other Miami-Dade County residents took out a full page ad in Monday’s Miami Herald to thank the luxury auto dealer for acting on the public’s behalf. According to the Herald, it’s 97 people who paid $5,000 for the ad that reads:
“The Greater Miami Community Thanks Norman Braman.
You fought the good fight and we appreciate all you have done. On behalf the hundreds of thousands of Greater Miami residents we want to you to know that we stand with you knowing that you have stood for what is right and just for all of us and future generations.”
The list of supporters included Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, former Miami Beach Mayor David Dermer, art collector and businessman Marty Margulies, auto and real estate magnate Alan Potamkin, Perry Ellis CEO George Feldenkreis, Ivax founder Phillip Frost and lots of others.
Braman was seeking, among other things, a public vote on the use of public tax dollars for the venue for a private baseball team.
You may disagree with the amount of public funding that’s been committed to it or its location at the former site of the Orange Bowl, but the Florida Marlins’ ballpark is actually being built. Construction is thoroughly underway.
So much so that the team was happy to show off the ongoing construction during a hardhat media tour this morning. Check out a photo gallery here. Sid Perkins, the project’s construction manager who works for the Hunt/Moss joint venture that his building the venue, was our tour guide. He wore a black Marlins polo shirt, a cowboy-shaped hardhat with a Smith & Wesson logo, and carried a cigar.
We had to wear hardhats, too, (although not cowboy-shaped), some of which had been used by Miami-Dade County Commissioners during the ceremonial ground-breaking on July 18. I got Bruno Barriero’s; Miami Herald Marlins beat writer Clark Spencer’s was Sally Heyman's…(insert joke here…)
Continue reading "Marlins Stadium Update No. 900,000 square feet" »
Luxury auto dealer Norman Braman has struck out again.The Third District Court of Appeal affirmed on Wednesday the lower court’s ruling in Braman’s suit targeting the financing for the Florida Marlins' new ballpark and other Miami projects.
That means the appeals court agreed with the Miami-Dade Circuit court, which last year ruled against Braman. Braman’s attorneys argued, among other things, the public should have been allowed to vote on the use of public tax dollars for the venue for a private baseball team.
“We’re evaluating the decision and our options,” Braman said Wednesday afternoon.
The Marlins are continuing construction of the $515 million ballpark, which began in July on 928,000 square feet at the former site of the Orange Bowl. The team declined to comment on the appeals court ruling.
Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami were also named in Braman’s suit.
“Incredible progress is being made at the site of the new Miami Marlins ballpark,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said in a statement. “Jobs are being created and the Little Havana neighborhood is alive with new activity. Today’s ruling ensures that we will continue to move forward in a positive direction, creating opportunities for businesses, residents, and visitors.”
The ballpark is scheduled to open in 2012.
About an hour into ABC’s broadcast of Saturday’s UM-Oklahoma game at Land Shark Stadium, Brent Musburger waxed about the Hurricanes’ former home, the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
ABC aired video showing where the old stadium once stood. On the site, as you know, workers have been constructing columns that will serve as the supports for the Florida Marlins’ $515 million retractable-roof ballpark. The images were something like this one at left, although much closer up. (Many, many thanks to Edward Martinez for posting the video on YouTube -- see below).
Here’s what Musburger said (thanks to a friend with a DVR):
“Well, there’s where the old Orange Bowl stood. All those great years and great games. Now an overpass is being built down there.”
Huh? An overpass? Could someone have clued him in?
Here’s what else he said:
“Many, many memories for a lot of folks here in South Florida and around the country, from Doug Flutie to Kellen Winslow, Joe Namath, you can go on and on. And here, they are in their new digs, Land Shark Stadium, where the Dolphins play their home games.”
In a highly unusual collaboration, 10 South Florida sports teams and events have banded together to sell a package of tickets to 10 different sporting events that saves fans $150 to $550.
The South Florida Super Pass, being sold in limited numbers through Oct. 30, costs $330 for regular seats and $1,125 for premium seats to see the region’s four pro sports teams, NASCAR finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, horse racing at Calder and Gulfstream, soccer, and attend the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament and the World Golf Championship event at Doral.
Getting all the teams and events to agree wasn’t simple. But Aaron Davidson, chairman of the sports committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, which is selling the ticket, said everyone saw the benefit.
“The economy probably helped. Our South Florida sports market is a challenging one in general,” said Davidson, who is also president of Miami FC soccer team. “Everyone realizes we’ve got to promote our South Florida sports. I hope this joint initiative is the first of many.”
The Super Pass can be purchased at sportssuperpass.com.
Each event works differently and the revenue is shared based on the team or event’s cost, Davidson said.
The Miami Dolphins, for example, are providing a 400 level seat with a food voucher or a Hall of Champions suite seat with food and beverage to the Dec. 27 game against the Houston Texans. The Florida Panthers are offering a goal zone ticket or an ADT Club ticket with food and beverage to any home game this season. Homestead-Miami Speedway is offering a reserved grandstand or Speedway Club seat to the Nov. 22 NASCAR finale.
The idea is to give fans a discount and encourage them to attend an event they might not have considered. Other teams and events have teamed up to sell a joint ticket, but those partnerships typically involve two events or teams. For example, the World Golf Championship and Sony Ericsson Open sold a joint ticket that allowed fans to attend both events, when their schedules overlapped in 2007. This summer, the Cleveland Browns and Indians sold a suite package together that included two Indians games and one Browns game.
Bill Sutton, associate director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, applauded the South Florida ticket plan, which he compared to an entertainment book of vouchers and discounts.
“It makes sense,” Sutton said. “It’s one of the hardest hit regions by the economy ... It gives people value and a sampling opportunity.”
Bolstered by announced crowds of more than 31,000 for each of the last four home games of the 2009 season, the Florida Marlins saw their attendance rise 12.5 percent from 2008.
The Marlins drew 1,465,109 fans for 78 home dates or an average of 18,783 fans a game. That’s up from 1,335,075 or 16,688 fans a game for 80 dates in 2008. This season three games were postponed due to rain and doubleheaders were scheduled in which attendance was counted just once. The team wrapped up its home schedule at Land Shark Stadium Sunday getting shut out 4-0 by the New York Mets.
That’s still last in the National League, but up one spot from the basement, where the team dwelled (in attendance) for the past three seasons. The Oakland A’s, who are in 30th place right now, play three more games at home this week, but it’s unlikely their home attendance will surpass the Marlins'.
The past four Marlins games had announced crowds of 31,042; 39,031; 35,666; and 31,167. Remember, Major League Baseball teams announce the number of tickets sold, regardless of whether the tickets are vastly discounted, included as part of sponsors’ deals, or stamped with a $1 figure and donated to charity.
Wondering about that attendance figure of 31,042 at Wednesday’s Florida Marlins-Philadelphia Phillies game at Land Shark Stadium? So were we. Several people told me that although the stands looked fairly crowded in person and on TV, the actual attendance in the stadium looked more like 20,000 to 22,000.
We all know it’s not unusual for announced attendance to be larger than the actual crowd. Major League Baseball attendance is announced based on the number of tickets sold, even if those tickets are vastly discounted or say, part of a sponsorship package or if the team stamps a $1 figure on them and donates them to charity. Read more about how attendance is tabulated across the leagues in this piece I wrote in 2006.
So, why if the announced attendance was 20,039 for Tuesday’s double header against the Phillies and the team is averaging 18,109 a game this season, would Wednesday’s figure be more than 30,000?
Looks like the Eye on Miami blog may have found an answer. The blog reports Miami-Dade County and city of Miami employees were offered up to four free tickets each to Wednesday’s game. A copy of the email sent to county employees describes the offer as the team’s “thank you to the many organizations in South Florida that make this a great community.” How about a thank you for the hundreds of millions of public dollars going to the team's new ballpark?
The county email also says the “value of the tickets falls below the gift reporting threshold under the County Code.”
No idea how many county or city employees took advantage of the offer, but it’s likely the team accounted for government employees – even if they didn’t show -- in the attendance announced Wednesday.
The Florida Marlins are freezing season ticket prices for next season and offering fans a break if they commit to pay for two seasons.
Pay by Monday – aren’t the Marlins still in a pennant race and wild card race? – and you’ll get an 8 percent discount. If you also agree to pay for 2011 – you won’t be charged until March – you’ll get the 2009 prices and 8 percent discount, too. The Marlins, who broke ground in July for their new $515 million ballpark in Little Havana they expect to open in 2012, are hoping 2011 is their last season at Land Shark Stadium.
If you just commit for next season, but want to pay in five installments, you’ll still get a 2.5 percent discount. Season tickets offer you seating priority in the new ballpark.
Full 81-game season ticket plans range from $6.75 a game in the Fish Tank to $184.50 a game in the Batters Box MVP seats. Infield box seats cost $27.25 a game and Club A seats costs $31.50 a game. The team is also offering 41-game plans ($8.75 in Fish Tank to $61.75 in the Founders Club); 28-game plans ($8.75 in Fish Tank to $34.75 in infield box) and 15 game plans ($12 in Fish Tank to $39 in infield box).
Individual ticket prices are also being frozen for 2010, but the team has assigned the games into new categories: Gold games are Opening Day and Saturdays; Silver games are Fridays; Bronze games are Sunday through Thursday games. It still costs more if you wait until game day to buy your tickets.
The Florida Marlins took another giant step in their ballpark construction Friday afternoon, conducting the first “vertical concrete pour” for the first of the 12 super columns that will support the venue’s retractable roof.
The first 16 feet of the concrete was poured into the 40-foot tall rebar cage installed last week for the columns. Among those in attendance: Marlins President David Samson, General Manager Mike Hill and former manager Jack McKeon. Check out photos by the Marlins’ Robert Vigon.
Ballpark construction facts: the first elliptical-shaped column will be 8 feet by 15 feet and 130 feet tall. The columns will support the 8,300-ton roof structure, which will include three panels supported by a two-track system on the north and south sides of the ballpark. The column poured Friday is part of the north track.
Just back from vacation. What’d I miss?
Marlins Stadium Update No. Third District Court of Appeals: Lawyers for auto dealer Norman Braman appeared at an appeal hearing last week for the case targeting financing for the Marlins ballpark that Braman lost last summer at the circuit court level. Don’t expect a ruling anytime soon. Meanwhile, work continues on the ballpark, including the first “vertical pour” for the first of 12 super columns is scheduled Friday afternoon at the former site of the Orange Bowl.
Land Shark Stadium spiced up: The stadium’s helixes, gates and security gates got the signature colorful paint styling of neo pop artist Romero Britto, who was joined by South Florida children on Sunday for a painting party.
