I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us but the list of “Best Tailgating Cities” came out recently and was topped mostly by the worst autocentric cities across America. Among the top ten were Miami at number 6 with Tampa right behind us at Number 7. Although parking availability wasn’t the only criteria, it was one of the key factors examined by Joe Cahn, a “Tailgating Expert.”Archive for the 'Dolphin Stadium' Category
I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us but the list of “Best Tailgating Cities” came out recently and was topped mostly by the worst autocentric cities across America. Among the top ten were Miami at number 6 with Tampa right behind us at Number 7. Although parking availability wasn’t the only criteria, it was one of the key factors examined by Joe Cahn, a “Tailgating Expert.”August 21, 2007To the University Community:
We have an extraordinary history and tradition at the Orange Bowl: The players running through the smoke tunnel. “Touchdown Tommy” and his cannon. The Ring of Honor. An incredible winning streak of 58 consecutive home wins. And three of our five national championships were won on that field. I love the Orange Bowl—we all do!
As many of you are aware, the University has been working closely with the City of Miami to assess the feasibility of making much-needed renovations to the Orange Bowl. It has long been our goal to have a first-class football stadium.
The City of Miami has been a wonderful partner with us at the Orange Bowl for many years, and they understand how hard we have wrestled with a very difficult decision. Mayor Manny Diaz has been heroic in his efforts to meet our future needs. After much thought, analysis, and discussions with many, many of our trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and fans, we have concluded that we must move our football games to a better facility. The more than $200 million in renovations that the city has proposed would only provide basic and mostly infrastructural upgrades. A part of those funds are not in hand and may or may not be determined until after the proposed construction would be well underway. Overall, the renovations clearly would not address the long-term needs of our athletes and our fans.
The Orange Bowl chapter of our history—in which we can all take great pride—will never close, and we are confident that the legacy of Miami Hurricanes football will live on and thrive as we move to a new location. After an assessment of all options available to us, we have decided reluctantly and painfully to move to Dolphin Stadium for the 2008 season.
Dolphin Stadium is one of the premier football stadiums in the country. At our new home, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in a first-class facility that plays host to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, the FedEx Orange Bowl, BCS National Championship Game, and that has been the site of recent and upcoming Super Bowls.
Our fans will experience outstanding amenities including one of the world’s largest plasma TV displays, high-definition video boards, club seating and suites, chairbacks on every stadium seat, approximately 14,000 parking spaces, and a large variety of concessions and restaurants.
The end zones will be redone so that our shared home will reflect both Miami teams’ pride. The Dolphins are actively pursuing a corporate sponsor so that by 2010 the stadium will have a neutral name.
I want to assure all members of our University community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, donors, friends—and the tens of thousands of fans who regularly cheer us on, that we looked exhaustively into every aspect of the choices in front of us, and that your needs figured prominently in our final decision. The quality of your experience at our games is of the utmost importance to us.
As always, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at an e-mail address we have established for your comments: umfootball@miami.edu. If you have any further questions, please go to the Official Athletic Department Web site at hurricanesports.com or call 1-800-GO-CANES.
Thank you, and Go ’Canes!
Sincerely,
Donna E. Shalala
It’s a sad day for
What’s more, with the loss of the UM presence at the Orange Bowl, the venue will no longer serve a useful purpose since its inception in 1936. Already discussions are underway to tear down the legendary stadium and construct a new home for the Marlins. I cannot begin to explain how terrible of a location this would be for such a demanding scheduled sport such as baseball. Conveniently isolated from urban transit and existing downtown parking facilities, the new ballpark would be secluded in a predominantly residential neighborhood. Close enough to entice downtown workers to want to attend games, but just far enough from preventing them from walking down the street or hopping on the Metromover. Plans aren’t even on the drawing boards to bring reliable transit into the area anytime soon and I can imagine any further Miami Streetcar plans would be sabotaged. We’ll be left with a massive new stadium for the Marlins, accessible only by vehicle and surrounded by suburban like structures. Continuing our legacy of urban planning disasters built by politicians with no legitimate foresight…
I broke a vow last night that I made to myself some months ago; I went to a Marlins Game and gave the slimy Jeffrey Loria a few of my hard earned dollars for a night’s worth of entertainment. I love baseball, don’t get me wrong. I hate Marlins’ ownership, past and present. I think they are all terrible businessmen, from the perspective of the customer that is. Loria’s recent dismantling and very empty threats take the cake, that’s why Friday night games like yesterdays can only attract 13,000 fans, many of them clad in Astro uniforms. I guess that San Antonio deal wasn’t really so sweet after all. I’m the first to hate to see the team in their present situation, but, I also hate to see a bunch of millionaires bitch and moan to get public financing for a new ballpark, especially one in suburbia which in the end will do nothing to attract more fans to the stadium. They have a fantastic young crop of prospects, including a former teammate of mine: Gabriel Hernandez who was traded from the Mets in exchange for Paul LoDuca. I hope for nothing but the best for the team, but, would like to see the owners actually do something that would be in the best interests of South Florida baseball fans…
It was nice to see Roger Clemens pitch and lose a game to the Marlins. I can’t speak favorably of the guy, though I respect his abundant accomplishments. Last night though, he was more of a firecracker than that “Rocket” they speak of. It was entertaining to watch the Astro fan in front of me walk out of the stadium like a coward in the eighth inning after spending the night making up various excuses about the fact that his team was facing a no-hitter going into the top of the sixth.
Oh, by the way, the new HD Screens Huizenga had installed for the upcoming superbowl are beautiful. Amazing quality and clarity…
Technorati Tags: Miami, Roger Clemens, Marlins
Recent Comments