on the menu. And yeah there is a specialty stand offering Buffalo Wings (in Miami???). One look at them and pros like us can immediately tell you that they were not the real deal. Not even close...
Seating Area
Armchair seating for close to 75,000, most colored in Dolphin orange split into two levels, with a club seating area and teal seats surrounding the top of the lower level. Color accents are all done in Florida colors - orange, blue and teal. Two jumbotron scoreboards, one at each end zone, that also provide constant out of town scores and stats to boot. Two levels of suites can be found surrounding the playing field between the two levels.
Premium Seating
This was one of the first NFL venues to introduce the club seat concept, a novel idea now duplicated just about everywhere. The 200 level concourse is climate controlled, and a premium restaurant called the Hall of Champions and a bar overlooking the field called the Legends Club are available to club ticket holders. Ticket prices here run from $145-$270.
Retired Numbers and Banners
Flags at three of the four corners of the stadium stand to commemorate the Dolphins greatest players and achievements. In one corner are two flags celebrating their back to back Super Bowl victories over the Redskins(VII) and Vikings(VIII). At another corner are five flags for the AFC Titles won in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, and 1984. Still in a third spot are two flags for the retired numbers 12 and 13 for Brian....errr BOB Griese and ohhh....what was that guys name again, let's check the encyclopedia here.....ahhh yes, Marino, Dan Marino. A flag bearing Larry Csonka's #39 will be added later in the 2002 season.
Also to be noted is the Dolphins Honor Roll on the facade of the upper deck with the names of many other Dolphin legends including Joe Robbie, Don Shula, and the 1972 undefeated team that won Super Bowl VII. While most names are facing the sideline, Dan Marino gets his name listed in the end zone along with his career totals for TDs, completions, attempts, and passing yardage - all of which are career NFL records!!
Touchdowns, Extra Points, Fumbles....
Touchdown - Let's hear it for the Ultimate Sports Road Trip jinx!!! Yes normally our hearts are with the home team wherever we go to, except when any Buffalo club is playing, and ESPECIALLY when it's against the Dolphins. What a thrill it was to see the Bills down the Fish 23-10 and we're not sure if it was that close.
Fumble - err....Interception(s).....Dolphins backup QB Ray Lucas started in place of the injured Jay Fiedler. After a game in which Lucas fumbled twice and threw four interceptions one could say that a better performance could have been had by filmmaker George Lucas, or retired NBA thug Maurice Lucas!!!
Touchdown and Game Ball - to Russ Salvatore of Salvatore's Italian Gardens. Each year, Russ rents out Shooters Waterfront Cafe, a canalside hot spot in Ft. Lauderdale on the night before the game. When the place was in full swing, there were several hundred Bills backers partying long into the night....a great time was had by all including us!!
Fumble - Questionable rules and regulations...Yes we realize that in today's day and age security is a priority, and checks of carried items are pretty routine. But can someone explain why a small clear plastic bag cannot be carried into Pro Player Stadium, yet once a souvenir is bought inside the gates it is then perfectly acceptable for it to be placed in a similar clear, plastic bag???? Who thinks this stuff up!!!
Fumble - The "Miami Dolphins" fight song! A direct takeoff of the old Houston Oilers fight song. ARE WE THE ONLY PEOPLE INFURIATED ABOUT THIS PATHETIC ATTEMPT TO STEAL A SONG AND MAKE IT THEIR OWN!! And a pretty lame song at that.
The Bills make me wanna SHOUT! (OK, well at LEAST we changed some of the lyrics for gosh sakes!)
Extra Point - several six lane roads run by Pro Player Stadium, and near the stadium there are traffic signals and overhead lane guides that advise motorists as to which lanes are going in which direction, of course this changes at various times during game day. Nice way to control traffic.
Extra Point - Immediately outside the stadium are on ramps taking you right onto the Florida Turnpike. The steel support beams under the ramps are painted in orange and teal.
Summary
A nice venue with a decent tailgate on the outside and a pretty good atmosphere within the walls of the facility. Pro Player is a great place to witness an NFL contest, yet despite its young age it is being passed up by the many newer NFL venues that have sprung up in the past few years. But if the weather is good and the tickets are available, as both are usually the case, Pro Player will always remain a favorite destination for those from parts beyond South Florida to catch their team in action. Our advice, bring a cap, sunscreen and wear shorts!
DOLPHIN STADIUM TO GET NEW NAME
May 7, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - The venue known at various times as Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Stadium,
Dolphins Stadium and Dolphin Stadium will soon become Land Shark Stadium. An official
announcement is forthcoming.
Land Shark is a beer brewed by Anheuser Busch in conjunction with singer Jimmy Buffett. It's
not well known now outside Florida, but it hopes to expand its marketplace.
Officials say the two sides discussed keeping the deal short-term, perhaps only through the end
of the upcoming Dolphin season. The stadium will host next season's Super Bowl in February.
The stadium hasn't had a corporate name since the Pro Player signs came down in 2005 after a
decade.
Previous Dolphin Stadium owner H. Wayne Huizenga spent years searching for a partner to
replace Pro Player, a sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 1999 - four years into a 10-year, $20 million naming rights
deal.
In 2005, the complex was renamed Dolphins Stadium. A year later, Huizenga dropped the "s."
Huizenga sold majority interest in the stadium and team to Ross in January. Since then, Ross
has been discussing ways to improve the game-day experience for fans.
Buffett and Anheuser-Busch launched a cooperative project in 2005 to produce Buffett's own
beer under the Margaritaville Brewing Label - one of several Margaritaville enterprises Buffett has
created, including a restaurant chain and record company.
Among the ideas under discussion is adding original South Florida-themed artist renderings in
the stadium, perhaps on stadium gates.
Though the stadium will be renamed after a beer, alcohol sales at Dolphin Stadium are cut off
after half time at Dolphins games.
SHARK ATTACK AT FLORIDA STADIUM
May 14, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - Sharks will be everywhere at the home of the Miami Dolphins as LandShark
Lager purchased naming rights to the venue. The new name is Landshark Stadium.
Landshark is brewed by Anheuser-Busch under the Margaritaville Brewing label in a deal with
singer Jimmy Buffet. Buffet staged a mini-concert at the stadium as part of the announcement.
Terms of the one-season contract were not disclosed, but reports said Buffett is not paying a
straight rights fee but instead will compensate the team through appearances, other marketing
opportunities and potential concert performances.
The beer will be sold at the stadium along with other offerings. There will be a
Margaritaville-themed area, including places to tailgate. Stadium officials said plans were still
being formulated, but if there is a restaurant or dining area, it would be open only on game days.
May 21, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
The Miami Dolphins will provide 5,000 wireless handheld devices to premium
ticket holders next season, allowing fans to view replays, alternate camera angles and statistics
during National Football League games. The devices will be handed out free to fans in suites or
club seats, allowing them to view high-definition footage from multiple camera angles, as well as
order food or send text messages. Terms of the team's agreement with Kangaroo Media, which is
providing the devices, weren't disclosed.
NFL SAYS LANDSHARK STADIUM MAY SEE FEWER SUPER BOWLS
October 8, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - NFL officials say the aging Landshark/Dolphin/Pro Player stadium may see fewer
opportunities to host a Super Bowl in the future if it is not modernized. The venue will host its 10th
Super Bowl next year.
The leagueÕs senior vice president of events, Frank Supovitz, told a business group in Miami that the
venue lacks a roof, modern luxury suites and other amenities needed for the high-profile event.
"You have to look at what the other cities are offering in terms of comfort," Supovitz told the
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
Two years ago, a February storm drenched Super Bowl XLI in Miami Gardens - the kind of
hassle that Supovitz noted he won't have to worry about with the host cities in 2011 and 2012.
"I'm not going to have anyone rained on in North Texas," Supovitz said, referring to the Dallas
Cowboys' new $1 billion stadium.
Supovitz's remarks come four months after Dolphin executives said they were stunned at the
criticism Land Shark received in South Florida's loss to New Orleans for the 2013 Super Bowl.
Land Shark, built in 1987, underwent a $200 million-plus renovation in recent years and South
Florida is competing for the 2014 Super Bowl.
We're "working with the NFL to see what should be done," said Miami Dolphins CEO Mike
Dee. He said the league's stadium concerns also could be a worry for South Florida's spot on the
four-year rotation for the college football championship.
"We only have one more BCS championship committed," he said of the 2013 game. Atlanta and
Dallas both "want in" as BCS hosts, he said.
Supovitz focused his luncheon remarks on plans for Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7 and the Pro
Bowl a week earlier on Jan. 31.
That Sunday night game will be the first time the Pro Bowl will be held outside of Hawaii since
1980, making South Florida the petri dish for a league experiment to improve television ratings
and media coverage of the NFL's all-star game.
He encouraged the luncheon guests to take clients to the Pro Bowl, describing it as a rare
chance to entertain on a budget at a special NFL event. "
There are not a lot of companies - small companies in particular - that can bring a lot of people
to the Super Bowl," he said. "For one thing, it's expensive. For another, the tickets are really hard
to get."
Pro Bowl tickets go on sale Monday, and most cost under $100.
Face value of Super Bowl tickets starts at $500.
The Pro Bowl returns to Hawaii in 2011, and Supovitz said the South Florida results will help
determine the location in 2012 and beyond.
MIAMI STADIUM NEEDS UPGRADES FOR FUTURE SUPER BOWL
December 10, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - If the owners of Landshark Stadium in Miami want to continue to host Super
Bowls, the venue will need to be upgraded, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The 22-year-old stadium underwent $250 million in improvements in 2007 but is still falling
behind the competition with new stadiums opening in Dallas, Phoenix, Indianapolis and New York, Goodell said.
Miami will host the Super Bowl for an NFL-record 10th time Feb. 7. Goodell spoke at a kickoff luncheon for the game.
Deficiencies with the Dolphins' home include lighting and the location of lower-level seats, which are not close to the playing field. The league doesn't seek a retractable roof, Goodell said.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said the franchise is studying possible upgrades. It's unclear whether the team and league will seek public money. Ross said the Dolphins have yet to come up with a cost estimate or a proposed source of funding. A new stadium is not being considered, he said.
DOLPHINS MAY SEEK TAX MONEY FOR STADIUM UPGRADE
January 7, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - The Miami Dolphins may be preparing to ask Miami/Dade County officials for
$250 million to upgrade their stadium in hopes of keeping future Super Bowl games in the venue.
NFL executives laid the groundwork for the move in recent months, saying the Super Bowl may not return to South Florida unless a host of improvements are made to the Miami Gardens facility.
The changes include enclosing a portion of the stadium to avoid the debacle of South Florida's last Super Bowl, when a rare February deluge drenched spectators at the 2007 NFL championship.
The stadium's lighting also would get an upgrade, as would the lower bowl, allowing spectators to sit closer to the sidelines. The Dolphins have not made a formal proposal, and team CEO Mike Dee said Tuesday it was too early to attach a price tag or funding source for the renovations.
"It would be well premature to speculate how it gets paid for, who pays for it, what it costs,"
Dee said. "We're going to see if there is an appetite in this community . . . to try and get this done."
But a private push for a tax-funded stadium redo has gained enough steam in recent weeks that Miami-Dade's tourism bureau adopted a resolution urging county commissioners to put the Miami Beach Convention Center first in line for any hotel taxes that might go to the Dolphins, said county tourism director William Talbert.
Broward's tourism director was cool to the idea of using hotel taxes for a football stadium, saying a proposed headquarters hotel for the convention center would attract more tourists.
NEW NAME UNDER DISCUSSION FOR LANDSHARK STADIUM
January 7, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - The Miami Dolphins are already at work to find the next naming rights sponsor
for Dolphin Stadium. The venue now carries the Landshark Stadium name in a deal expected to only last one year.
Team officials arenÕt saying much, but they suggest a change could come before the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl. Reports say San Life Financial of Canada is in talks about taking over the rights.
In May, the facility's name was changed from Dolphin Stadium to Land Shark Stadium as part of a business deal with entertainer Jimmy Buffett. Land Shark Lager beer is part of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville brand.
But the Land Shark deal, which did not involve a rights fee, is due to expire after the Dolphins season ends or the Jan. 5 Orange Bowl, whichever comes later.
The team has been searching for a corporation willing to pay a substantial naming rights fee.
DOLPHINS PROPOSE ROOF FOR STADIUM
January 14, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - A translucent square roof is being proposed by the Miami Dolphins as part of a
package of upgrades to Dolphin Stadium. The upgrades are designed to help keep the Super Bowl as a regular visitor to the venue and the team wants public help in funding the project.
While the team didnÕt disclose the cost, reports say the roof, which would cover most of the field, would cost up to $250 million.
Rodney Barreto, who is leading the effort to fund the renovations, has said a mix of state and local options are under consideration Š including a special taxing district around the stadium. He said he hoped to have some public commitment for the funding by April, when South Florida must submit its bid for the 2014 Super Bowl.
Dolphins CEO Mike Dee portrayed the Dolphins as neutral on the question of whether the public should pay for the stadium renovations, and that the Host Committee would pursue the funding.
The renovations would hand the Dolphins a dramatically reworked stadium sure to be more appealing for fans.
Plans call for ripping out the entire lower bowl and adding about 3,000 prime seats while moving the spectator area closer to the sidelines.
Dolphin Stadium also would get new lights designed for high-definition television - equipment the team has to temporarily install every time it hosts a night game.
NEW NAME FOR DOLPHIN STADIUM
January 21, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - The newest name for the home of the Miami Dolphins is Sun Life Stadium.
Reports say Sun Life Financial will pay $7.5 million a year for five years to name the venue.
Most recently the venue was called Landshark Stadium in a one-year deal and it had reverted
to Dolphin Stadium before the new agreement was reached. The venue has previously been known as Pro Player Field and Joe Robbie Stadium.
DOLPHINS WANT STATE TO LIFT CAP ON HOTEL TAXES TO FUND UPGRADES
January 28, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Miami, Fla. - The Miami Dolphins want to use hotel tax funds to help pay for upgrades to Sun
Life Stadium and are asking the state legislature to raise the six percent ceiling on the tax to generate the necessary revenue.
Revenues from the tax levied at Miami-Dade hotels are largely spoken for after county leaders agreed to use public funds to construct a new ballpark.
"This is certainly one of the options," Dolphins lobbyist Ron Book said of the plan to seek an increase of the county's tourist tax. But Book - who also represents Miami-Dade County as a lobbyist - said other financing proposals are being weighed.
Winning public funding to enhance a stadium remains a tall order - particularly at a time governments are strapped for cash and taxpayers struggle through an economic downturn.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said he hasn't been presented with any specific proposals. But the mayor declared his opposition to tax dollars being used for renovations at the Miami Gardens facility.
"I would not be supportive of any public funding for the renovation of the Dolphins' stadium," said Alvarez, who said he's against raising the tourist tax. "Now is not the time."
Alvarez strongly backed the use of public dollars for the under-construction Florida Marlins stadium in Little Havana, but said this situation is different.
For one, a funding source was available then, unlike now, he said. For another, he said "the Marlins will play 81 homes games a year here for the next 30 years, rather than paying for improvements to compete for one game every four or five years."
NFL executives, Miami Dolphins officials and stadium supporters contend that Sun Life Stadium needs more than $200 million in renovations if future Super Bowls are to return to South Florida.
The improvements include partially enclosing the stadium with a roof that would shield fans from rain showers and the glaring sun. The proposal calls for new lighting to accommodate high-definition television Š which the team must currently install every time it hosts a night game.
