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.”

> Discuss this entry

There are clocks around the Marlins offices at Land Shark Stadium that count down the days until April 1, 2012. That's when the team's new ballpark is expected to open.

Saturday was a significant day. Less than 12 hours after the team finished an extra inning game against the Philadelphia Phillies that stretched into Saturday morning after a 78-minute rain delay, team executives and players, and representatives of Major League Baseball, Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami gathered on a sun-scorched spot in Little Havana where the Orange Bowl once stood. They were joined by some 5,000 fans, many decked out in Marlins gear, to celebrate the beginning of construction of the team’s looong sought ballpark.

Work at the site officially started July 1, but when something takes this long to get approved, there’s cause for celebration. In fact, with the sun beating down, the late-ish start to the program, and numerous speeches -- many in both English and Spanish -- there were moments when it felt like it might take as long to hold the ground-breaking as it did to get to this day. But by the end of the event, which started at 10 a.m. and didn’t end for another two and a half hours, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and President David Samson, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, County Commission Chairman Dennis Moss, City Commissioner Joe Sanchez, Gov. Charlie Crist (via video), representatives of the architect (Populous – formerly HOK Sport), and the construction manager (Hunt-Moss), and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig had all waxed about the new ballpark with its roof to prevent rain delays and air conditioning for sweltering days like today.

Marlins inaugural pitcher-catcher battery Charlie Hough and Benito Santiago did first pitch honors, the organist played Take Me Out to the Ballgame, videos showed Marlins highlights, including the two World Series championships, and what the new ballpark is to look like.

The dignitaries then donned hardhats and wielded shovels with handles fashioned like baseball bats and dug the dirt at the spot in the ceremonial diamond where home plate will be. They took dozens and dozens of photographs. And then they finally allowed fans, who waited patiently as they melted in the heat, to get a turn shoveling some dirt at home plate and getting a snapshot.

Among the attendees: eight county commissioners, at least two city commissioners (ballpark opponents city commissioners Marc Sarnoff’s and Tomas Regalado’s names were announced and the crowd booed), Manager Fredi Gonzalez, President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest, General Manager Mike Hill, Senior VP of Stadium Development Claude Delorme, former manager Jack McKeon, Special Assistants Tony Perez and Andre Dawson, Mr. Marlin Jeff Conine, and current players including Hanley Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco, Matt Lindstrom, Dan Meyer, Brian Sanchez, Chris Coghlan. University of Miami President Donna Shalala was also in the crowd.

Loria couldn’t have seemed happier, even delighting the crowd with a message in Spanish. He spoke about the future, talking about the ballpark’s clean lines, fan comforts, including “great” food, and the roof that will finally bring certainty that games will be played and won’t be delayed.

(Is it ominous or poetic that Saturday night's game was rained out?)

But Loria also didn’t neglect the past.

He spoke of the University of Miami Hurricanes’ many years at the Orange Bowl, including winning its first of five national championships in 1983. He talked of the Dolphins' 1972 undefeated season.

“We honor both of these teams, we remember their achievements,” Loria said. “We vow the ghosts of glorious past victories will be with us, when we take the field every single night.”

Alvarez echoed Loria: “This spot in little Havana is full of memories. We have watched the Miami Dolphins complete the NFL’s only undefeated season from this land right here in the Orange Bowl. We grew up watching the Miami Hurricanes, win five national titles on this land. As far as I’m concerned this is sacred ground in athletics.

“Now it’s the Miami Marlins’ turf," he said. "I don’t know about all of you. I think I can guess, but I’m ready to see a player such as Hanley Ramirez hit a home run with downtown Miami as a backdrop.”

For some it was part campaign opportunity: Crist, who is running for U.S. Senate, gave a videotaped message. Sanchez, who is running for mayor of Miami, tried to make it look like he wasn’t campaigning. “I am very proud to have played a very small part of this great success,” Sanchez said. “And I speak from the heart, when I tell you when our leaders focus on what’s right for the next generation, and not the next election, that is what makes great cities in America.”

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig told fans that all the controversy that surrounded getting the ballpark deal will disappear once the 37,000-seat, $515 million venue opens, expected in 2012. When he was through, fans shouted “All-Star Game, All-Star Game.”

Selig said the new ballpark would be given “primary consideration,” but he wasn’t ready to commit how soon that might happen. He was also clearly overwhelmed by the heat – “Where I was this morning, it was 55 degrees,” he said.

Samson meanwhile, said the team will be working on new merchandise and branding and even uniforms for the team’s name change to Miami Marlins, when it moves into the new ballpark in 2012.

“New uniforms, we’re relocating,” Samson said. “We’re going to embrace our current fan base and welcome a new fan base, because it’s what we need to have happen.”

Samson also mentioned some of the amenities that will be included in the new ballpark, in part because of fan suggestions, including game radio broadcasts pumped into restrooms during games, a smaller secondary video board down the left field line for fans who don’t have a good view of the main centerfield scoreboard. He said fans also wanted to be able to see into the bullpens during games, so the left field swimming pool area will have views into the home bullpen and there will be a group seating area in right field with a view into the visitor’s bullpen. Yes, that means the dugouts will be switched with the Marlins’ on the third base side, rather than the first base side, as it is now at Land Shark Stadium.

Watch the video, from Populous, that was shown at the ground-breaking, showing details of the ballpark:
 

> Discuss this entry

With more than 6,000 applicants descending on the former site of the Orange Bowl last week seeking jobs on the Marlins' new ballpark, the project’s construction manager has created a Web site for potential employees.

Hunt/Moss, the joint venture between Hunt Construction Group of Arizona and Fort Lauderdale-based Moss & Associates, has posted a potential employment questionnaire on the site at huntmossjv.com. The site also includes information for companies wishing to bid for work on the project. Hunt/Moss estimates as many as 5,000 individual workers will be needed for the ballpark's construction.

“The outpouring of interest last week clearly demonstrates this is an important project that will provide much needed jobs during these difficult times,” Marlins President David Samson said in a statement. “We look forward to subcontractors beginning work the next several weeks.”

Construction crews began grading the site for the ballpark last week. Watch progress on the Marlins ballpark webcam. An official ceremonial ground-breaking is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday.

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @sarahtalalay

> Discuss this entry

At the same time out of work construction workers swarmed the grounds where the Orange Bowl once stood for a shot at a job on the Marlins’ $515 million ballpark, critics were gasping over the $2.4 billion it is expected to cost to pay off the construction bonds for the project.

Miami-Dade County officially released the financing costs for the bonds late this afternoon, but the Miami Herald had already published the numbers. The $2.4 billion is the cost over 40 years to pay off $409 million in bonds, most of which will go to the ballpark.

There’s been no shortage of criticism of the numbers, including by our own Mike Mayo, especially since County Manager George Burgess told commissioners last week he didn’t know the final costs, as he was asking commissioners to approve increasing the interest rate on a portion of the bonds. The financing schedule takes into account the higher than anticipated interest rate and backloads higher debt service payments to ensure the county has collected enough tourist tax dollars to cover the payments.

In his memo with the financing schedule, Burgess stressed the county is working hard to avoid dipping into the general fund, which has been pledged as a secondary funding source, should tourist tax dollars fall short.

“The bottom line is that the transaction was structured within the constrained tourist tax revenue streams in a way that will significantly minimize any exposure to the secondary pledge of the bonds,” Burgess wrote.

There’s also the possibility the bonds can be refinanced when credit markets improve.

Put simply: there’s no question the project relies on a huge sum of public dollars. County officials call them tourist tax dollars, which have a restricted use. That’s true, but they are still public dollars.

But don’t forget that when you buy a house, you pay a lot more than the asking price over the life of your mortgage. For example, if you bought a $200,000 home with 6 percent interest, you’d end up paying $431,626 over 30 years – or more than double the sale price.

The bonds for the stadium construction, which were mainly sold to institutions, are scheduled to close July 14. The team has scheduled an official ballpark ground-breaking at 10 a.m. July 18.

> Discuss this entry

Earlier this month, the Marlins installed flag poles on the dirt where the Orange Bowl used to stand to signify the location of the baseball diamond in the team’s new ballpark.

Three flags representing the Marlins, Miami-Dade County and city of Miami, are at home plate. First base features a flag for architect Populous (formerly HOK Sport); second base has the U.S. flag; and third base has a flag for Hunt/Moss – the joint venture construction manager for the ballpark.

Now, you cannot only get a glimpse of the flags, but you can watch the dirt at the location. Literally. The team has installed a webcam that will provide updated images from the site every 15 minutes. You can access the camera at the team's Web site. One has to hope this will become more exciting once ground is actually broken – expected sometime in July.

“This exciting, state-of-the-art technology allows us to share the historic construction of our new home with Marlins fans everywhere,” Marlins Senior Vice President of Ballpark Development Claude Delorme said in a statement. “Everyone can now follow the increased activity on the site as groundbreaking quickly approaches.”

For now, you can zoom in to see where the flags are placed and see the downtown Miami skyline, which is to be the view beyond the outfield in the $515 million, 37,000-seat, retractable-roof venue. You can even check out photos from the previous days by hour, but other than getting lighter or darker, there isn’t much that could be called activity yet. Update: no, it's not downtown - it's Coral Gables.

The ballpark is to have a southeast orientation, according to a release from the team, and be situated on land bordered by Northwest 6th Street on the north, Northwest 4th Street on the south, Northwest 16th Avenue to the west, and Northwest 14th Avenue to the east.

> Discuss this entry

After getting an abbreviated overview of the architectural and transportation plans and with little discussion, Miami City Commissioners unanimously approved this afternoon the permit needed to begin construction of the Marlins’ ballpark in Little Havana. That’s right... a 5-0 vote for the Major Use Special Permit for the $515 million venue.

Earl Santee of Populous (formerly HOK Sport), Rolando Llanes of Civica and transportation consultant Cathy Sweetapple gave commissioners a sense of how the proposed ballpark will fit into the community, that it will be surrounded by parking, retail and as many as 96 residential units, and what kind of traffic it will bring. Santee spoke of how the ballpark will serve as a centerpiece for the Little Havana community and how it will connect the neighborhood. Its open views will allow people in the area to see into the venue at all times and the west plaza will serve as a public gathering place all year long.

“These projects are special and here in this city, this is a unique opportunity to create another special place,” Santee said. “The plan is to connect the neighborhood to a ballpark.”

Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez spoke most dramatically of wanting to ensure the ballpark includes some way to honor the history of its location at the Orange Bowl, where the Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes played and where President John F. Kennedy addressed Cuban refugees after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1962.

“There needs to be a history component,” Sanchez said. “Every great stadium whether it’s for football, baseball or hockey has a historic element.”

Sanchez also stressed his interest in ensuring the ballpark stands as an icon that will be seen from nearby roadways.

“This will be one of the best stadiums designed in this great nation of ours,” said Sanchez, who is running for the mayor of Miami. “This is it … After this, it’s the construction.”

No word yet on when the team plans to host a formal unveiling of ballpark renderings, but it’s expected sometime next month. Ballpark construction is expected to begin in July with a planned opening in 2012.

> Discuss this entry

Even before Isiah Thomas was introduced as Florida International University’s new basketball coach this morning, Justin Forer saw another merchandising opportunity –- and outlet for fans, who might not think too highly of the controversial Thomas.

With the ink barely dry on Thomas’ contract on Tuesday, Forer had already posted “Fire Isiah University” (FIU, get it?) T-shirts for $20 apiece on his FireThatGuy.com Web site. They’re in Golden Panthers colors, too: blue and white and blue and gold.

Forer, 31, a Miami native, who recently moved back to the Magic City after a decade in New York, including Thomas’ rocky tenure with the New York Knicks, actually launched the business in 2005 with shirts calling for the firing of former University of Miami football coach Larry Coker. The shirt was so popular that Forer’s side business was born.

“At the time there was a big move to have Larry Coker fired,” Forer said. “FireThatGuy is not necessarily to hate coaches, but to give fans a chance to voice how they really feel.”

Although not an alum, Forer knows a thing or two about Miami football, having, as he says, “grown up in the endzone of the old Orange Bowl.” And about South Florida sports: his first foray into the sports souvenir business was in 1996 during the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup run when he bought cases of plastic rats and he and some friends sold them out of boxes on street corners in Miami.

For his second sports business, other coaches and general managers followed Coker. There were Isiah Thomas shirts from his time with the Knicks. And hats and baby bibs, too.

“I don’t know that we sold any baby bibs, but they were out there,” Forer said. “After Larry Coker, Isiah became the No. 1 seller.”

Forer said he thought about starting a blog, but decided the merchandise was a more proactive way to get fans involved. His other victims have included former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and former Detroit Lions President Matt Millen. Current ones include Miami football coach Randy Shannon and Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis. Forer insists that only two targeted coaches – Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics and Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants -- “not only did not get fired … but went on to win championships.”

“I hope that Isiah is not walking around with a 'Fire Justin' T-shirt,” he said. “And to be honest, the shirts are all in good fun. Fans deserve a chance to voice their opinion, too.”

> Discuss this entry

On Friday, the Marlins hosted a wiffle ball game (see photo) on the grounds of the former Orange Bowl, which they hope will become the location for their new home.

On Saturday, renderings of that home – a proposed $515 million retractable roof ballpark – were up in select spots around their current home, Dolphin Stadium, during the team’s annual FanFest.

The team also handed out fliers depicting the new home and encouraging fans to show up on Friday (Feb. 13) at the Miami City (9 a.m.) and Miami-Dade County (1 p.m.) commission meetings to show their support for a new ballpark. The two commissions are scheduled Friday to determine whether ground will finally be broken for the long-sought ballpark. The commissions are considering five agreements that spell out the details of the financing and construction of the ballpark. The vote – at least at the county commission, where the team needs 9 of 13 votes – is expected to be close and is not assured.

According to an announcement in Miami Today, a group called “Coalition Against Marlins Bailout” has scheduled a protest at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, outside the county government center, 111 NW 1st St., Miami. And the Miami Herald writes opposition to the use of county hotel bed tax dollars to fund the ballpark has surfaced again from Miami Beach officials who want bed taxes used to upgrade the Miami Beach Convention Center.

But Saturday at Dolphin Stadium was about celebrating baseball, the Marlins and their players and to ask questions about certain elements of the ballpark. Among the ballpark details that Marlins President David Samson shared and were applauded:

Food: A “Taste of Miami” concept in which offerings are to represent the range of ethnicities and tastes of South Florida from croquetas to sushi to stone crabs to hamburgers. “It’s going to be a pleasure watching people eating stone crabs, while they just got something from Café Versailles,” Samson said.

Roof: Opening and closing the roof should take 11 to 16 minutes, depending on wind and other factors, Samson said. He said during the rainy and boiling summer months, the roof should be closed most of the time to ensure games are played and fans are kept cool in the air conditioning.

Dimensions: Similar to Dolphin Stadium, the new ballpark will be a pitcher’s park, Samson said, but with the short porches reversed, so that right field is shorter and left field is farther away. These are the dimensions: Left-field line: 340 feet; Left-field alley: 384 feet; Center field: 420 feet; Right-field alley: 392 feet; Right-field line: 335 feet. There will a “Bermuda Triangle” sort of feature with a surprise being planned by Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

Parking: Season ticket holders will be assigned spots in four garages based on where they live or will be coming from to the ballpark to make it easier for them to get in and out of the location, Samson said. For example, he said, West Broward residents who take the 836, will be assigned west side garage spots; fans traveling south will be in east side garages.

Design: The renderings don’t give the full effect of the glass and color planned for the venue, Samson said. He said there will be a glass wall facing downtown Miami.

Meetings: The Miami City Commission meets at 9 a.m. Friday at Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami; the Miami-Dade County Commission meets at 1 p.m. Friday at the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1st St., Miami.

> Discuss this entry

The Marlins are hoping Friday the 13th turns out to be their lucky day. Miami-Dade County Commissioners and Miami City Commissioners are to vote Feb. 13 on the five agreements that spell out the financing, construction and other details to make their ballpark at the site of the former Orange Bowl a reality.

The five agreements – Construction Administration; Operating; Non-Relocation; Assurance; and City Parking – were released Tuesday. If you want some light reading, take a look at the documents here on the county’s website.

Acknowledging that I haven’t read every page YET, the agreements overall appear to extract more from the team, thereby offering more protections for the public. The budget for the ballpark is to remain the same, the documents show, ($347 million from the county; $155 million from the team; and $13 million from the city), but the team is responsible for any cost overruns incurred on the ballpark AND the public infrastructure. That means if there are overruns on the estimated $21 million in drainage, sewer and road work the city and county will split, the team will be responsible for those.

The team’s rent payment of $2.3 million a year will rise 2 percent a year – meaning more money for the county to cover its debt. The team will provide 81,000 tickets – or 1,000 a game at an “affordable price” starting at $15 in the ballpark’s inaugural year. Another 10,000 – double the original 5,000 – a season will be provided free for youth groups and community organizations.

If the team is sold within seven years, the team would have to pay a higher percentage than initially planned, to the county as a profit share. Under last year’s agreement, the team would pay 10 percent if the team was sold in year one; under the new agreement, that’s shot up to 18 percent. The percentage falls each year, but is significantly more onerous than in the earlier agreement – arguably creating something of a disincentive to sell.

Neither County Manager George Burgess nor Marlins President David Samson would say the changes were made to appease the concerns of county commissioners who have threatened to vote against the ballpark agreements.

“We wanted to get something stronger,” Burgess said.

“You do what you think is right to achieve a goal you have. Our goal from the beginning was to partner with the city and county … through the course of negotiations there were certain provisions that changed,” Samson said. “Our focus has been to get this deal done.”

Even if the commissions sign off on the agreements, there’s still an option for any of the parties to terminate them by June 30. Burgess and Samson said they don’t expect that to happen. They expect construction to begin this summer with the ballpark opening in 2012.

The city commission is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Feb. 13, followed by a 1 p.m. meeting of the county commission. The county commission must approve the agreements by a two-thirds vote -- or 9 -- of the 13 county commissioners. Expect it to be another long day.

> Discuss this entry

FedEx isn’t advertising during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, but the express shipping company got nearly four hours of television exposure during this month’s FedEx-sponsored Orange Bowl and BCS national championship games at Dolphin Stadium.

That’s exposure valued at $383 million measured against television ad rates during the games – with the value during the BCS game being higher than the Orange Bowl game, naturally. According to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, that value was calculated this way: $256 million from the BCS game in which Florida beat Oklahoma, and $126.8 million from the Orange Bowl game in which Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Joyce Julius reported FedEx got 51 mentions and an hour and 59 minutes of screen time during the BCS game and 59 mentions and an hour and 56 minutes during the Orange Bowl game.

Two other BCS bowl game sponsors scored higher values than FedEx did for the Orange Bowl game during their traditional bowl games this year. Tostitos received 43 mentions and an hour and 58 minutes of screen time during the Fiesta Bowl for a value of $138 million; Allstate received 45 mentions and an hour and 51 minutes during the Sugar Bowl for a value of $131 million. Citi, meanwhile, got 25 mentions and an hour and 21 minutes airtime during the Rose Bowl for a value of $111.4 million, Joyce Julius reported.

The Michigan firm's research shows other companies that received significant exposure time during the BCS game included Nike with a value of $61 million and Southwest Airlines with a value of $31.3 million.

> Discuss this entry

Near the end of a road in far western Hialeah with a lake as a backdrop, politicians, Major League Baseball and Marlins officials, and youth baseball players gathered Wednesday to celebrate the announcement of a new MLB-backed youth baseball academy.

Proclaiming it to be a “great day” for his city and Miami-Dade County, Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and others gushed about the importance of the baseball academy that will be open to young men and women throughout South Florida to play baseball and softball. Construction of the academy, which is being modeled after MLB’s first academy in the country in Compton, Calif., is expected to begin in 2010 and take about two years to complete. Hialeah is providing the land and MLB is contributing about $3.2 million to the project.

The fact that the group, which included five county commissioners and a representative of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, gathered at all is supposed to show how close officials believe they are to finalizing the long-awaited $515 million Marlins ballpark. The academy won’t happen, officials say, unless the ballpark is built on the site of the former Orange Bowl. The Hialeah academy was the result of the city's offer to provide the land for a ballpark during negotiations in 2006.

“Major League Baseball is committed to South Florida. This is an affirmation of our commitment to South Florida,” MLB President Bob DuPuy said.

But amid the glowing talk of giving youths an opportunity to play baseball and boost their self-esteem, there was clearly some concern that getting the final ballpark documents approved might not be as simple and rosy as Wednesday’s gathering.

“Commissioner Seijas, very good to see you,” Marlins President David Samson said addressing County Commissioner Natacha Seijas before the rest of the crowd. Seijas, after all, was the only one of the five commissioners present who, despite her profound love of baseball, hasn’t always supported the Marlins ballpark project.

Samson, however, remains as optimistic – publicly – as ever. The five ballpark agreements are nearing completion and although it hasn’t been officially scheduled, officials are hoping for a vote of the Miami city and county commissions on Jan. 22.

“We all came together now, because we feel as though we’re in a position very, very shortly, to deliver to 13 county commissioners and five city of Miami commissioners completed documents for their approval. There is no deal without their approval,” Samson said. “They’re the only votes that matter. This is the vote to end all votes, this is it.”

Commission Chairman Dennis Moss said Jan. 22 is the target date, but he’s not sure that’s possible. He, Commissioners Pepe Diaz, Rebeca Sosa, and Bruno Barreiro, who were also in attendance, have routinely supported the project.

“I’m personally supportive of the stadium. Again, the devil is in the details,” Moss said. “I’m supportive of it, I’m hoping we can work through with whatever issues we have, and get an agreement signed off on and move forward on keeping the Miami Marlins in South Florida.”

The stadium project will need approval of nine of the county’s 13 commissioners. And some members of the public have grown increasingly concerned about the large public investment in a stadium when the economy is struggling. Commissioners reminded that the public investment comes from tourist tax dollars that can only be used for projects such as sports venues and convention centers, rather than roads or schools or public safety. They also said the stadium will create jobs.

Seijas said she would reserve comment until she’s seen the final stadium documents.

Samson thanked everyone for the hard work on the Hialeah academy, but reminded the crowd where things stand.

“There’s a little work left to be done, but I’ve never felt more confident than I do today, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon," Samson said.

As always, stay tuned…

> Discuss this entry

While Orange Bowl Committee members are pulling double duty, serving as ambassadors for tonight’s 75th annual FedEx Orange Bowl and next Thursday’s BCS National Championship Game, some people – and places -- are doing triple duty.

The Dolphin Stadium grounds crew, for example, is preparing for three big games – now that the Dolphins have made the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season – two bowl games with an NFL playoff game in the middle. That hasn't happened since the BCS added a fifth game to the rotation three years ago.

As soon as tonight’s game between Cincinnati and Virginia Tech is completed, workers will begin cutting out the logos at the center of the field and the endzones for new pieces of sod that will then be painted with Dolphins and NFL playoffs logos in advance of Sunday’s 1 p.m. Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game. After Sunday’s game, the same process – which takes up to 12 hours – will occur again in advance of the BCS game featuring Florida and Oklahoma.

Stadium President Bruce Schulze calls hosting the three games “pleasant challenges.” After all, the stadium had some practice this fall hosting the UM Hurricanes for their first season since moving from the Orange Bowl.

“We got so good at doing it during the Dolphins and UM seasons,” Schulze said.

Meanwhile, the Marriott Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale is the host hotel for the Orange Bowl and BCS games and it will also play host to the Ravens.

Tourism officials are hoping Ravens fans will join the visitors here this week for the bowl games.

“Baltimore has a great reputation for traveling with their teams,” Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman said.

The CVB has been promoting the region in Cincinnati, Virginia and Oklahoma, she said.

The three games have also provided an active secondary market for tickets. Tickets to the Orange Bowl are still listed for re-sale, although not for as little as $6 as some were selling for last month.

“There’s definitely a lot of activity down there,” said Scott Roback, vice president of business development for RazorGator, which serves as the official ticket exchange site for the OB and BCS games. But Roback said, the Dolphins game “is not the highest demand playoff ticket. That being said, there’s still a secondary market for tickets.”

> Discuss this entry

After 12 straight years of advertising during the Super Bowl – and a presence in 18 Super Bowls since 1989 – FedEx is bowing out of the 2009 game. At an average price of $3 million for a 30-second spot, lots of companies are making difficult choices about television’s most expensive advertising. Read FedEx Director of Advertising Steve Pacheco’s reasoning here.

But FedEx is likely to get plenty of exposure during the next week, with its name attached to the 75th annual Orange Bowl game tomorrow night and the BCS National Championship game a week later on Jan. 8.

When the BCS added a fifth bowl game to the mix three years ago, not only did the national championship host location get an extra bowl game, the title sponsors did, too. The eight-figure four-year agreement with Fox to broadcast the BCS games includes a number of ads for the title sponsors during the games and promotion during other Fox broadcasts and in print and radio advertising. FedEx is also the “official overnight delivery service of the BCS.”

Eric Wright, vice president of research and development for Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, says the title sponsor earns more mentions during the non-championship bowl game, but the value from the national championship game is higher.

“It looks like the sponsor grabs slightly more onscreen time and mentions in their traditional bowl than the championship game, but the ad rates being what they are [in the national championship game] were higher,” Wright said.

For example, Allstate received 61 mentions and two hours and 42 minutes of screen time during this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl for a total value of $172.4 million, when measured against ad rates during the game. The insurance company got just 50 mentions and one hour and 53 minutes of screen time during the BCS National Championship game, but that time was valued at $231.1 million, Joyce Julius reported.

By contrast, the title sponsors FedEx for the Orange and Tostitos for the Fiesta and presenting sponsor Citi for the Rose Bowl, received less value from their exposure, even if there were more mentions or screen time. Joyce Julius figures show FedEx received 48 mentions and an hour and 49 minutes of screen time for a value of $117.3 million. Tostitos got 61 mentions and two hours and 12 minutes of screen time for a value of $142.3 million. And Citi got 29 mentions and an hour and 42 minutes of airtime for a value of $107.4 million.

The trend was similar in 2007, the first year the fifth game was added to the BCS rotation. Tostitos got 86 mentions and two hours 10 minutes of airtime for a value of $101.2 million for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. For the BCS National Championship game, the company got 36 mentions and an hour and 50 minutes of airtime for a value of $175.3 million.

Meanwhile, Fedex received 66 mentions and one hour and 55 minutes of airtime for a value of $88.6 million; Allstate received 56 mentions, an hour and 58 minutes of screen time for a value of $89.6 million; and Citi got 26 mentions and just 16 minutes of air time for a value of $26.6 million from the Rose Bowl.

> Discuss this entry

With no real news on the state of ballpark negotiations, the Marlins announced today they have launched a new Web site dedicated to news of the ballpark.

In all seriousness, they did launch marlinsnewballpark.com, “the official site of the Marlins ballpark,” complete with details about the planned $515 million stadium, how it will be financed, the history of the Orange Bowl, economic details, and background about the venue's architect, HOK. There’s a news section, commentary, even a section where fans can print their own signs of support for the ballpark.

And there’s a section for photos… Alas, under the section titled “renderings,” the site says "Coming Soon" in English and "Under Construction" in Spanish. There’s also a Spanish version of the ballpark Web site here.

The team said the idea for the site came from fan research. In a statement, Marlins President David Samson called it a "one-stop shop for ballpark information."

It's still possible the agreements spelling out the details of the ballpark's financing, construction management, non-relocation and other items could be presented to Miami-Dade County and Miami city commissioners in December, but it's more likely they'll be made available in January with a vote scheduled sometime that month.

> Discuss this entry

Even with the Gators in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 8, tourism officials were expressing their gratitude Monday for the match-ups in the two bowl games that will be held at Dolphin Stadium in January.

The other three teams are from out of state and their fans are expected to travel. Virginia Tech will face the University of Cincinnati, which has never appeared in a major bowl game, in the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. The Gators play Oklahoma in the national championship game on Jan. 8.

Tourism officials are predicting that even in this difficult economy, fans will pump as much as $250 million or more into the local economy in hotel rooms, restaurants and other businesses. College football fans have a passion that’s unrivaled, even in tough times, tourism officials say.

Mary Beth Romig, spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, told my colleague, tourism reporter Doreen Hemlock, that hosting the title and Sugar Bowl games in January, brought an estimated $350 million to the region, including $200 million from the BCS game, even though it included a local team, Louisiana State University.

And the Sugar Bowl game brought newcomer Hawaii. Romig said Hawaiians typically don’t travel east of Las Vegas, so it wasn’t clear the team’s fans would make the trip to New Orleans. Tourism officials needn’t have worried. The team’s fans chartered planes.

“The spirit of Hawaiians was terrific,” Romig said. “It was good for New Orleans. Having the national spotlight on us was very important.”

Broward is expected to benefit this year because not only is the media headquarters hotel the Marriott Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale, but Virginia Tech and Florida are to stay at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood. Virginia Tech will practice at Nova Southeastern University; Florida at American Heritage in Plantation. Cincinnati and Oklahoma will stay at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach and practice at Barry University.

Meanwhile, last week, tourism officials said they weren’t quite sure what to expect from fans of Big East champion Cincinnati. To hear it from the university, though, the school is expecting a big crowd. The athletics department has been fielding phone calls ever since it was clear the Bearcats were bowl eligible. Those calls picked up after the team became the Big East champion, said Mike Harris, Cincinnati assistant athletic director for sports communications.

The school included $50 bowl credits with the sale of each season ticket that can be applied to the purchase of bowl game tickets. Those credits were also sold individually and by Friday afternoon a total of some 8,600 credits had been purchased, Harris said.

Reggie Philpott, a student employee in Cincinnati’s ticket office, said last week that Bearcats fans were planning vacations around a possible trip to South Florida. “It’s like 18 degrees in Cincinnati,” he said.

> Discuss this entry

Even with all the economic uncertainty we’re facing – now that we’re officially in a recession -- Orange Bowl Committee officials are still happy to be hosting two bowl games this year: the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 and the BCS National Championship game on Jan. 8.

Corporations and fans are belt-tightening, of course, but that’s why hosting the national championship game this year – and the extra bowl game – is good news, said Orange Bowl Committee CEO Eric Poms.

“You feel it with the corporate community, you certainly pay attention to the ability of fans to travel, but fortunately the BCS has great significance. So hopefully the universities the first week build a lot of excitement and have that opportunity to play in the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl," Poms said. "And the next week, when you have the national championship at stake we expect there won’t be enough inventory of tickets and sponsorships and suites.”

A bit of an unknown is Cincinnati, which is expected to face the ACC champion (Boston College or Virginia Tech) in the Orange Bowl game, but chances are Bearcats fans will relish the trip to see the team in its first major bowl game in warm South Florida.

“We don’t know because it’s a program that joined the Big East a few years ago. We don’t know what the reaction will be,” Poms said. “Our gauge is when programs get in for the first time, there’s an explosion of enthusiasm because it’s a stage they’ve never been on … It’s cold there, so it’s an opportunity.”

Following that game with the national championship game should be good for the tourism industry.

“The hotels, airlines and rental cars and restaurants get double the dose,” Poms said. “I think it’s great visibility for the community.”

"The economy affects every industry in this country, the bowl industry is no different,” Poms said, but he also said the enthusiasm of college football fans is unrivaled. "There's a passion, people went to school there, they're connected to their university. So when it comes to opportunities such as suite sales or hospitality or travel, I think it transcends that decision."

> Discuss this entry

As you no doubt know, the Orange Bowl is no longer. It’s been flattened and workers are clearing the site to make way for a new ballpark for the Marlins. At least that’s the current plan. All bets are off as to whether the Marlins actually meet their anticipated April 2011 opening.

But pieces of the OB live on. In homes and offices. In backyards. You’ve snapped up light fixtures, lockers, orange seats, wooden seats, photos, pieces of the stadium’s concrete.

Under its salvage contract with the city of Miami, Mounted Memories, a division of Plantation-based Dreams Inc., held a January celebration, to honor the old stadium and then agreed to share 15 percent of all sales of items from the stadium and 10 percent from those sold at auction.

So far, the city has received $235,884.78 from the sale of items, city records show.

Records also show there are still plenty of items available, including signs, seats, framed photos, and T-shirts. Still looking for something? Check out the online store here.

> Discuss this entry

Bring the popcorn! Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeri Beth Cohen is hosting a movie night. Of sorts.

In a move that even she called “unorthodox” Monday, Cohen will show the videos -- in the courtroom -- of the Florida Supreme Court hearing three cases related to one of the main arguments in auto dealer Norman Braman’s case against the Marlins, Miami and Miami-Dade County. Braman argues the public should vote on the financing for $3 billion worth of Miami projects, including a $515 million Marlins ballpark.

Cohen is “torn” because she said she believes the state Supreme Court’s ruling last September in Gregory Strand v. Escambia County, which challenged the county using property tax dollars to pay off bonds without a public vote, does apply in the Braman case. However, the court is re-hearing the case so the decision is not final.

Cohen said she watched the Supreme Court re-hearing Strand and two other related cases over the weekend.

“I wanted to see what was going on. It was very instructive,” Cohen said of watching the Strand arguments. “The bad news is it’s a mess. The good news is they are asking the same questions I am.”

Despite the objections of a city attorney, who said he didn’t think the videos would advance the case, Cohen said the video showing will go on after the team, city and county rest their case, expected on Tuesday. She said attorneys could watch on their own, but “I’m having a party and I’m inviting you … We have to do what I want to do,” she said. “You are going to accommodate me.”

Meanwhile, much of Monday was spent listening to the testimony of county witness Tony Villamil, president of Washington Economics Group, who had studied the potential sites for a Marlins ballpark in 2001, when John Henry owned the team. Villamil, who testified for more than six hours, studied Bicentennial Park, a site on the north side of the Miami River and a spot near Miami Arena.

Villamil testified about the amenity a ballpark provides for the community and its ability to spur economic development. He also said he believed if a new ballpark isn’t built, the Marlins will move from South Florida.

But Villamil’s credentials were called ino question by Braman attorney Bob Martinez, who wondered how Villamil could testify based on studies from 2001 and no analysis of the current stadium proposal.

“We know without a stadium we lose the Marlins,” Villamil said. “We know that.”

Even Cohen was not convinced. “We don’t know that,” she said. “…Major League Baseball controls that and it hasn’t been determined yet. It’s too early.”

Cohen and Martinez questioned how Villami could know what to expect, particularly if he hadn’t studied the most recent ballpark plan and had no idea if the Marlins will draw better in a new bllpark.

“How can they know their attendance is going to go up?” Cohen said. “How do we know that?”

Villamil said officials need to believe the Marlins – an idea that didn’t sit well with Cohen. She reminded the court that large companies, such as Bear Stearns, had suffered based on assumptions.

“I don’t mean to cross examine you,” Cohen said, “but I have a big decision to make.”

> Discuss this entry

More thoughts and tidbits from the Norman Braman trial targeting financing for the Marlins ballpark:

To vote or not to vote: Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeri Beth Cohen is clearly very thoughtfully weighing how to apply a Florida Supreme Court ruling from September that says if property taxes are used to pay off bonds on major public projects for more than a year, they are subject to a vote of the public. However, the ruling is being reconsidered and is not final. The court is on recess until late August.

Cohen made it very clear that she’s read the Strand v. Escambia County case and similar cases and is comfortable with her interpretation that the Miami-Dade County-city of Miami "scheme" to fund $3 billion in city projects, including a port tunnel, museum park and the ballpark, is subject to a referendum. But she said she's not sure how to apply it in this case. (She also took pains to ensure everyone understood she didn't mean "scheme" in a "sinister" way.)

The referendum question is the key argument remaining in Braman’s case – which was dealt a setback this week when Cohen dismissed two of the complaints dealing with bond financing. Braman believes the financing plan is a “shell game” because it expands Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agenies (CRA) to generate millions in property tax dollars meant for impoverished neighborhoods to pay debt on the performing arts center, thereby freeing up hotel bed tax dollars for the ballpark.

Attorneys for the county, city and team argued the Strand case does not apply because the CRA is not a taxing authority, the CRA dollars are not “pledged” to pay off the bonds, and the ruling isn’t final. Cohen said she understands those arguments, but believes Strand applies because the CRA dollars will be used to pay off bonds. The question for her is how to apply the ruling since it isn’t final.

By the way, Cohen called the proceedings “the trial of the month” because of the media attention they are receiving.

Polls and votes: A poll discussed in court and another released by Bendixen & Associates this week show county voters don’t support public funding for a ballpark. And clearly, team, city and county would prefer to avoid a public vote.

During his testimony this week, Marlins President David Samson said he believes the public supports a ballpark, based on the “hundreds and hundreds of emails,” he’s received from fans. Samson also said he supports “representative democracy,” meaning the people elect politicians to make decisions.

If Cohen does rule in favor of a referendum, it’s questionable whether it would apply to funding for the ballpark. If the county can prove there is no property tax money going to the ballpark other than the $50 million in general obligation bond funding, which was already approved by voters in 2004 – albeit for renovation of the Orange Bowl, not a ballpark – the funding likely wouldn’t be subject to referendum. Since the ballpark is linked – at least on paper – to the $3 billion in projects in the city-county plan, it’s unclear if the public must vote on it as well, with the other projects.

Samson and attendance: Braman attorney Bob Martinez made several attempts to embarrass Samson during his testimony Thursday, including bringing up the question of whether team owner Jeffrey Loria is still his stepfather. Samson said he is not because he divorced Samson’s mother several years ago.

“He was your stepfather?” Martinez asked.

Marlins attorney Sandy Bohrer objected: “Is he going to ask if he has brothers and sisters?”

Martinez later spent several minutes detailing the Marlins’ attendance and that of the Montreal Expos – the team Loria previously owned – pointing out that under Samson’s leadership the teams ranked between 26th and lowest in attendance among MLB’s 30 teams dating back to 2001.

“So your track record, whether you blame it on the stadium or whatever, your track record as president of a baseball team,” Martinez said, “that ballclub, its attendance has ranked at the very bottom whether it was in Miami or Montreal.”

Samson replied: “If you’re trying to say there’s some correlation, you are certainly entitled. It’s a free country.”

What’s next?: The trial resumes Monday with witnesses for the county testifying about the ballpark serving a "paramount public purpose" rather than using public dollars to bankroll a private enterprise, as Braman argues.

Depending how Cohen rules, the team, city and county are planning to proceed with negotiations to wrap up the language in the definitive construction management, assurance, non-relocation and other agreements that spell out the detailed terms for building the ballpark.

Under the Baseball Stadium Agreement approved in February, those documents were meant to come back to the city and county commissions by July 1, but were delayed because of the trial. County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez asked County Manager George Burgess on Thursday when the commissions would see them.

Burgess estimated in late August or September.

> Discuss this entry

Random thoughts and tidbits from the trial in the lawsuit filed by auto dealer Norman Braman against Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and the Marlins over a plan to finance $3 billion worth of projects, including the Marlins' proposed $515 million ballpark:

First: if you haven't read my colleague Mike Berardino's notes from Tuesday's All-Star Game, read them here. MLB officials remain optimistic about the Marlins opening their new ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl in 2011, but they are a tad concerned about the timing, particularly with the ongoing lawsuit.

What if: What will happen if the ballpark isn't ready in time for the 2011 season? Unclear. The team's lease expires after the 2010 season and Dolphin Stadium officials have previously said the team won't be kicked out if its new home isn't ready. Asked about this issue during the trial Wednesday, Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess said "My assumption is they'd either renew their lease or it would be up to them and Major League Baseball to find an alternative place to play."

While much of the testimony has focused on the intricate details of bond financing, requirements for public referendums, "paramount public purpose," and ad valorem taxes, there have been some moments of levity.

Oscar v. Super Bowl: During his testimony about the economic benefits of a publicly-financed baseball stadium, University of South Florida economics professor Philip Porter compared stadiums to movie theaters to show that private enterprises don't deserve public dollars. Even though he has repeatedly disputed the economic benefits of Super Bowls and other large events, he acknowledges he is a sports fan who loved attending Super Bowl III at the Orange Bowl when he was growing up in Miami.

The movie theater comparison prompted Assistant County Attorney David Hope to ask Porter what was the last movie he saw in a theater. Practically stumped for an answer, Porter said, "Oh, I don't know...Ben-Hur." The answer elicited laughs from the courtroom.

Hope was questioning Porter about determining quality of life issues. He acknowledged that Ben-Hur, released in 1959, won an Academy Award and wondered which Porter received more enjoyment from - the movie or Super Bowl III? Porter said Super Bowl III.

"Ben-Hur won an Oscar and you still remember Super Bowl III," Hope said.

"It had nothing to do with public subsidies," Porter said.

Dueling cell phones: At one point Wednesday, a cell phone chirped -- a no-no in court. Burgess pointed out the culprit was his wife. Judge Jeri Beth Cohen gave Mrs. Burgess a pass.

She wasn't so lenient with Braman attorney Bob Martinez, whose phone cell phone also began ringing. "Mr. Martinez," Cohen admonished: "Mrs. Burgess's wife is not usually in court."

A red-faced Martinez chuckled about his Bob Marley-playing phone.

> Discuss this entry

After hours of intricate technical debate over public financing, Florida Supreme Court decisions, public referendums, the definition of “pledge” and whether the Miami Community Redevelopment Agency has taxing authority (really exciting stuff!), things got a little more spirited in the courtroom Monday afternoon.

When auto dealer Norman Braman -- plaintiff in the case against the financing for a Marlins ballpark and other Miami projects -- took the stand at the end of the first day of the trial in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, that’s when things got interesting.

Braman told the court he didn’t believe public tax dollars should be used to fund a private enterprise – and ballplayers’ salaries – without a vote of the public. He also raised an issue his attorneys had spent a lot of time questioning public officials about: the financial wherewithal of the Marlins. Too bad Judge Jeri Beth Cohen agreed with Marlins attorney Sandy Bohrer that the team’s finances were irrelevant to the case.

But not before Braman and his attorneys made their point about the team’s financial health.

“I’m opposed to the baseball stadium for a lot of reasons,” Braman said. “I know the Marlins do not have the financial capacity…”

But Braman was cut off by Bohrer, who repeatedly objected to questioning about the team’s finances and admitting into evidence a document Braman says he received from Marlins President David Samson in 2003. The Marlins were seeking local investors at the time and the document was said to include financial data about the team.

Braman attorney Bob Martinez said the document shows the team was $150 million in debt and had no equity. Braman later slipped in that he turned down the team’s request to invest because “I could not invest in a company that had $163 million…” but he was again cut off.

Martinez halted his questioning and team, county and city attorneys refused to cross-examine Braman.

After court ended for the day, Samson said he had "no recollection" of the document he is said to have shared with Braman. "There’s nothing to talk about. It’s not allowed in evidence. There’s just nothing to say," Samson said shaking his head over the court proceedings. "It’s just a lot of taxpayer money going to waste right now."

Other testimony during the day – shown via video -- focused on whether public officials had questioned the Marlins about their finances, ever asked to look at their books and if they knew why the Marlins need public money for a stadium.

“My understanding is they can’t afford it,” County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said, when asked why the team needed tax dollars for its proposed $515 million ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl.

The trial resumes Tuesday morning with witnesses expected to include Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess and perhaps Samson.

> Discuss this entry

Unless auto dealer Norman Braman has a giant change of heart, his lawsuit is going to trial Monday morning.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen ordered the parties into mediation talks Thursday afternoon to try to settle the case, in which Braman is suing the Marlins, Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami over a plan to fund $3 billion worth of Miami projects, including a ballpark.

But formal talks were stalled as of Friday. And on Saturday morning, Braman told a rally of supporters on Watson Island he won’t settle unless there’s a public vote on the city-county plan. (I was not at the rally, but spoke with someone who was). Fewer than 100 people attended the rally organized at Watson Island precisely because it’s one of the areas the city and county want included in an expanded Community Redevelopment Agency district (meant to include areas of “slum and blight”) to generate millions more in property tax dollars to help fund the city-county projects.

Braman has said he would drop his lawsuit if the public was allowed to vote on the financing for the $515 million ballpark and the other projects. He objects to funneling dollars meant to revitalize neighborhoods into paying off construction debt for the performing arts center. He wants voters to have a say.

The county, city and Marlins believe they can win the case – several rulings have stripped some key arguments from Braman’s case – and they don’t believe a referendum is necessary.

I’m told settlement talks had included a variety of options, such as projects that would improve neighborhoods, increasing the percentage the community would receive if the Marlins were sold and providing more public access to the ballpark to be built at the site of the Orange Bowl. Those ideas appear to be off the table.

More on Monday…

> Discuss this entry

The Miami courtroom was packed Thursday afternoon in anticipation of opening statements in the lawsuit filed by auto dealer Norman Braman that targets the financing for the Marlins ballpark.

But Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen surprised everyone by ordering the sides back into mediation – talks had taken place Tuesday and Wednesday without reaching agreement – to try to reach a settlement. She said the trial would resume Monday morning, meaning it’s possible a settlement could be close.

Braman has said he would drop his suit if the financing for the $515 million ballpark were put to a public vote. That’s not something the defendants – the Marlins, Miami-Dade County and city of Miami – will support. County Manager George Burgess, who was set to testify in the case Friday, said as much Thursday, when asked by a reporter if he’d agree to a referendum.

“Why?” was all Burgess said.

Both sides seem willing to continue talking, but they weren't revealing what a possible settlement might entail.

“If we could work out something that’s positive for the community, that’s been my objective from the very outset,” Braman said. “If it makes sense for the community and makes sense for everybody, I certainly have no objection to it.”

What Braman objects to, among other issues, is the way the city-county plan to fund $3 billion worth of projects by expanding Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA) to generate millions in special property tax dollars directs some of those tax dollars to pay down debt on the performing arts center. Those CRA dollars are meant to be used to revitalize areas deemed “slum and blight.”

The Marlins, county and city believe they can win the suit, but whoever loses is expected to appeal. And Braman could take the issue to the Florida Supreme Court.

The team hopes to break ground for the 37,000-seat ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl in November. While the county could issue the bonds to pay for construction while the case is still in court, it’s not only unlikely, but who would buy those bonds? A delay is also expected to drive up the cost of the ballpark.

The Marlins' lease at Dolphin Stadium expires after the 2010 season.

> Discuss this entry

Against the backdrop of the rubble that once was the Orange Bowl stadium, the Marlins made what they hope is viewed as their boldest statement of commitment to South Florida to date: the “official” signing of shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a long-term contract.

On a hot and dusty field across the street from the OB site in Little Havana -- the scoreboard is all that remains standing from the 70-year-old former home of the Dolphins and Hurricanes – the Marlins held a choreographed announcement Saturday that included politicians, Little Leaguers, Billy the Marlin and even members of the Manatees, the team’s burly men’s dance troupe.

Ramirez, who signed a six-year, $70 million contract, arrived on a bus and was greeted with cheers and the ding of a cowbell. Marlins officials said all the right things about making a commitment to the community because a new stadium “will” be built.

They insisted the out of character move was about signing a “special” player who will be part of the Miami Marlins – which will become the team’s new name when it moves to a new ballpark, the team hopes in 2011. They do not have any other long term contracts in the works at the moment, however.

They say it had nothing to do with appeasing some politicians who have been expressing reservations about the deal the city and county approved in February to fund a $515 million ballpark and $94 million parking garage. Final stadium documents need the approval by July 1 of two-thirds of Miami-Dade County Commissioners (nine if 13 members are present), rather than a simple majority.

“It has to do with signing a player we want to be here when we open the stadium and we will open a stadium here,” Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said emphatically. “It has nothing to do with smoothing anything. We don’t run our business based on politics, we run our business based on the baseball department and our baseball people thinking what they think and making recommendations.”

But it was abundantly clear the Ramirez deal would not have come without a ballpark deal in hand.

“I think the stadium obviously changes the equation,” Loria said. “Clearly, the city have voted yes, the county has voted yes. And the leaders have made their statements and with the stadium coming on now, it does change the future. Clearly.”

The pols who did show – Miami Mayor Manny Diaz; City Commissioner Angel Gonzalez; City Manager Pete Hernandez; County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro; Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina – are all supporters of the stadium.

“I think clearly this does show the ownership is investing in the future of this ballclub,” Diaz said. “This is as big an investment as I can remember in the years that they’ve been around. It’s a huge investment and it’s an investment premaced on the fact there’s a new stadium that’s going to be built here and that with those additional revenues they’re going to reinvest to get the kind of quality players that we need to bring another World Series trophy home.”

There’s plenty more work to be done to ensure a ballpark is actually built. A suit filed against the plan by luxury auto dealer Norman Braman, still looms. But team and city officials are optimistic about a November ground-breaking.

“I’m hoping the message, first of all, is we all know we’re here to stay with the stadium coming on board now,” Loria said. “But the message is we’re going to build this team to where I want to have it again. It’s a great bunch of players, and as I said a couple of times now, we’re going to evaluate this and the baseball people will bring me their recommendations and we’ll sit down with them.”

> Discuss this entry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

> Discuss this entry

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

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

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

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

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

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

> Discuss this entry

OK, so not everything’s up for sale. The city of Miami, which owns the 70-year-old Orange Bowl, is keeping the turf, which it plans to put in a park. It’s also hanging onto one set of goalposts, the murals, the giant Miami Orange Bowl letters on the outside of the stadium and the Welcome to the Orange Bowl sign inside the venue.

Gary Fabrikant, the assistant director of Miami's Department of Capital Improvements, says the city is also keeping the scoreboard.

But virtually everything else is up for grabs: seats, light fixtures, trees, urinals, two sets of goalposts, turnstiles, ticket booths, the tunnel Hurricanes players ran through to get to the field. You can order a specific seat on a first-come, first-served basis until Jan. 20, but those will cost you extra. There are a limited number of chairs with backs, including those two rows of white ones that sat closest to the field on the sidelines, the ones that bear an LA Dodgers logo. The thought is that those seats, referred to as the “Dodgers seats,” were installed in the early 1960s when Dodger Stadium was being built.

Sunrise-based Mounted Memories, a division of Dreams Inc. of Plantation, was awarded the salvage contract by the city last month in part because of its track record for producing uniquely packaged products. Orange seats will bear autographs and can be framed or installed in a display case; panoramic photos are paired with a piece of concrete.

Seats uncovered in the west endzone that were installed in 1966 and bear an orange and a seat number are being included in a shadow box frame with a copy of a black and white photo that shows those seats being installed for a price of $199. A set of four of those seats is being fashioned into small benches for $495 each. The company is also going to receive a piece or two of the lattice work from the outside of the stadium that it plans to package with other souvenirs.

On Jan. 26, Mounted Memories is hosting a Farewell to the Orange Bowl from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a flag football game between Dolphins and Hurricanes greats, a small auction and an opportunity to get autographs. Tickets are $20 at Field of Dreams stores and at tickemaster.com. An auction will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at the Orange Bowl for the larger, one-of-a-kind items: the urinals, goalposts, trees, light fixtures. For more information, visit: orangebowlstadium.com

Ross Tannenbaum, president and CEO of Dreams Inc., and Fabrikant said they hope to raise about $1 million for the city to help pay for the stadium's demolition. Fabrikant said the stadium will be turned over Jan. 28 to DEMCO, a New York firm, that will spend the next five months pulling down the stadium for a cost of $1.9 million.

> Discuss this entry

The Orange Bowl Committee will install to its Hall of Honor this year, Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis, Alabama tackle John Hannah and … the FedEx Corp.

Huh?

The corporate-sponsored Regions Bank Orange Bowl Hall of Honor is honoring FedEx, the express delivery company that title sponsors the Orange Bowl game. The corporation – and Davis and Hannah -- will be honored at the AvMed Coaches Luncheon on Jan. 2. And my favorite part of the press release announcing the inductees: “The trio will then be inducted into the Hall of Honor during the 74th Annual FedEx Orange Bowl on January 3, 2008.”

The trio.

The Hall has a lofty roster that includes Joe Namath, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Joe Paterno, Tom Landry and Howard Schnellenberger and includes journalists and NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol, who are in the “contributor” category.

But FedEx’s induction marks a first for a corporation. The company is the longest continuous bowl sponsor, Orange Bowl Committee spokesman Larry Wahl said.

“They’ve been as loyal to us as we’ve been to them,” Wahl said, even as a he chuckled a bit. “I don’t believe there’s another [corporation],” he said as he scanned the list of 72 inductees.

“It’s kind of cool, isn’t it?” Wahl said. “It’s unique.”

Jim Andrews, editorial director of the IEG Sponsorship Report, doesn’t know of any others, but he bets there are some.

What’s next? AvMed, the luncheon sponsor, in the Hall? Regions Bank in the Regions Bank Hall of Honor?

> Discuss this entry