Latest on Dolphins' Pitch for SunLife Renovations

Oh wait a minute, you think they are going to saw off, for lack of a better term, 10 rows off the top all the way around?

 

They should have moved everything forward 25-30 feet and installed retractable rows of seating at the bottom to accomadate soccer.

 

No, I think they're going to remove the rows and keep the structure the same. Add canopies and or decorate it with something to fill in the void.

They do not want to add more seating to the stadium because they know its hard to sell out as it is now. So whatever the add to the lower bowl will be deducted from the upper decks.

Also: By saying everything will move in the lower bowl the same distance, it is quite possible that nothing will need to be removed in the upper deck.

 

New logo, new stadium renovation plans...I'm excited.

 

I really hope this new color we are talking about here goes back to the lighter teal. I would kill to see the lighter teal again...it was so pretty.

 

holy sh$&, if you think about, that would be the way to do it to create the most intimate feel, remove a complete section of the top rim, making it less square footage as a whole, you would still have to move a lot of concrete in the lower bowl to change the energy/noise dynamics, but making it smaller as a whole while at the same time occupying the space inside that's already there should be the way to do it no?

 

To bad for us, to bad for them, especially those owners who didnt build their stadiums to take advantage of acoustics, intimacy, and crowd noise and the money making machine that is a 12 man project...really not smart...and I'm suprised you are disagreeing with me..it's simple common sense..simple business sense..and it can aid in your freakin team winning games.

 

Sorta related to this when you think about attracting Superbowls .... do you realize the Falcons are just about approved to get a new stadium?? The Georgia Dome is like 20 years old, and they're talking about tearing it down, and building an iconic stadium for Atlanta to attract any event it wants to. Just something to think about.

 

Seahawks at Home in '12: 8-0
Seahawks on Road in '12: 3-5

This more than anything proves your point.

 

It's not everything by any means. But I think it can make a difference at times, and certainly impact the results in 1-2 games a year. The crowd - like in SEA - can really carry a team at times, and get them pumped for big games. Not to mention what it can do to disrupt the visitor (see the OB, Bears v. Dolphins '85 MNF).

Also, beyond the actual victories the crowd may help produce, it also helps when fans band together like that - it builds commraderie, and good feelings about the team, beyond what we would normally experience. The place would probably seem more like a party, making it more fun for people to go to, and - thus - attract fans in both good times and bad.

I can tell you as a regular visitor to Buffalo, that team has been about as down as it can get since '99. And they still draw well. The reason, I can tell you both from experience and interaction w/ Bills fans: It's a big fat party! The stadium is old, but it is loud as hell, I can assure you, and the fans know it. When the Bills do something good, it is downright deafening and intimidating. But like you say, the team has to be good too, and they haven't been, so it only helps so much. But I can assure you that when they were going to four straight Superbowls, and I was going to college out in WNY, that place helped the Bills win a game or two each year, just like I think it helps Seattle now, maybe even Baltimore too.

Just saying, the talent will win out, but why not have a home crowd that can help enhance that talent, leading to possible better results. And if that fails, at least be a fun place for fans to go to, drink, and drown their sorrows w/ like-minded people.

 

So condescending, and so wrong...

Do you not understand the concept that it can help.do you not understand the concept that it can also hurt..do you not watch the games in the great stadiums, do you need read the praise, do you not see the actions of the players, do you not see the behavior of the fan..If your case is a real home field advantage has never helped or inspired a team play harder or better than you have no clue...sorry, I love you by the way.

 

" did we just become best friends?" ... Lol

Seriously, you get it, and demonstrate very clearly as to how a culture can deteriote ESPECIALLY!!!when you are the extreme opposite in the spectrum of this topic..

You know what pisses me off..we have suits telling OUR fans they are WiLLING to do something drastic to change the dynamics of the energy and noise in the OUR stadium, screaming to you..we ..have...a..problem... and people are still giving me sh&$ like I'm the one who's fu&$ing crazy..

 

I'm not disagreeing. I'd prefer a loud stadium. But I think you are wrong on the business-sense side. Whatever money would be spent on making the stadium louder isn't going to be as lucrative as making the amenities more luxurious. The NFL isn't picking Super Bowl hosts based on the acoustics and crowd noise, they're picking hosts based on whether they can charge $500k for a luxury suite. I've been to M&T, and its a lot of fun, but its not going to host a Super Bowl.

 

I'm sorry but once you get in the half-a-billion range I think it's a waste of money on an old stadium. Put the money towards a new stadium.

It's like spending $7000 on continual transmission replacements on an old car worth $8,000.

Just put it towards a new car for $17,000.

 

You don't think Paul Allen is making a sh&$ load of money on their whole 12 th man movement, that concept can only be attainable thru proper structure alignment, the building, and those fans in it, get just as much pub as the team..The trickle down affect that comes from that connection, is what it's all about, from a business perspective, image is everything.

It would be easy as hell to build it for both things to happen, 12 th man concept, Super Bowl lure...it's just never been done because they just don't get it.

 

You think..

 

What exactly do you think the Seattle stadium inherently provides that the new Dolphins stadium wouldn't? The biggest cause of noise in Seattle is the canopy.

Either way, if the team is that concerned with noise, they can always pipe it in like half the teams in the league do.

 

You're not crazy!

You would think it would be obvious what a good, noisy, "fun" stadium would mean to fans, and - related - the team, but maybe some just don't get it. Or, they get it to a point, but don't realize how important it really is. Again, Buffalo is a perfect example in this, in how a bad bad BAD team over a LONG time can benefit from a loud, fun stadium that builds fan support and comeraderie. They also have a "12th Man" retired in their own ring of honor, from back in the early '90s. Trust me, there is nothing to cheer for them on the field, but it's almost like they feel they're missing something if they don't go (and mostly, they do). And as many have told me, and as I've experienced myself many times - it's a big GD party in the parking lot that extends right back into the noisy cauldron of death that is Ralph Wilson Stadium. Even when the team sucks as it has since the Clinton administration.

Sun Life has been called "Sun Life-less" and while I think it can be loud in good times, w/ good teams, when things are bad, it just doesn't seem like a fun place to be. Take into consideration all there is to do in SoFla as well, and it's a recipe for disaster in bad times. Making it more fun and enjoyable for the fans (as these rennovations will somewhat do), can make it harder for fans to pull away during bad times.

And then, in good times, it's a living hell for the opponent.

Yep, and those haven't been great Seahawk teams either, until this year. Not bad, mind you, but certainly not great. And they still manage to have a consistent above .500 record at home. Plus, see my point above about loud, fun stadiums and losing teams.

 

There absolutely is a home field advantage. But the evidence suggests that the advantage isn't in making the players play better. Evidence suggests that it affects officiating, and provides favorable calls for the home team.

 

And thinking back to the Orange Bowl (one of two places I'm visiting when I get my time machine, the other being Ebbets Field), wasn't half the fun of going to games seeing just how loud and - literally - rocking it could be at times? It was always mentioned during the TV broadcasts.

As an aside, I lived in SoFla until I was 9-years-old in '82, when my mother decided it would be much cooler to go back home to Upstate NY and raise our family. And while she helped make me a Dolphins fan, bought me jerseys, t-shirts and the like, she never took me to one GD game at the OB, and she could've swung it dammit. By the time my step-father got involved, which cemented the whole Dolfan thing, I was snowbound in Upstate NY. Crap!

 

and here is the fundamental problem on this topic, it is my opinion that because of how far our fans are from the players, they are not inclined to invest emotionally and are not engaged into the game, our sight lines and distance creates a spectator type viewership, not an engaged one..if you research the buildings of Seattle and the ravens you will discover that their stands are logistically closer than all the others, and ours is exponentially farther from all the others...not a good combination, and a complete disadvantage for our teams and there cultures, plenty of data to support the theory of the 12 th man advantage..simple common sense, simple logistics.

Why are we not hearing anything from the university of Miami?

Jesus, how these two programs can't come together and figure this out, have a collaboration on a project, is beyond stupidity.

 

Not sucking is also a huge part of the equation. The premier teams of the league get calls no matter where they are.

 

If I knew what the new stadium was going to be logistically, I could be more clear..

It's not about just about a decibel level persay..it's about the fans being close enough to the action to actually transmit energy to the players...now I know that may sound a bit crazy, but when an athlete is on a stage, their performance in a lot of cases can depend on how close they feel to their fans..A closer distance will engage the fan into the game, (while also creating the tangible noise that can literally affect snap counts, cause penalties, frustration, anxiety) a farther one will become more inclined to be disengaged, more passive, like I said before, more of a spectator type viewership ( this is why when someone does stand, they get *****ed at)..that energy is critical in the aid to increase adrenaline into the player, and make that player feel more accountable to play better...out of sight, out if mind is not a good metaphor for inside a football stadium when it comes to creating electricity.

 

The latest estimate here in Miami-Dade County is that at least 85% of the voting public is opposed to the Dolphins getting any public money for this renovation. Whether the money is from a tax rebate to the Dolphins or through a raise in taxes paid at hotels by visitors to Miami, the majority of the citizens of the county just don't want any more public money given to billionaire sports owners.

The Marlins basically have ruined any legitimate chance the Dolphins had at getting financial assistance from the politicians. I don't see any more politicians wanting to face a recall vote if they were willing to vote for spending public money on the stadium. Personally I would rather have seen the Dolphins get help with the financing and the Marlins move out of Miami, because they didn't get their stadium. Unfortunately the Marlins did get their stadium and now the Dolphins will suffer the consequences of that decision.

The reality is that the vast majority of the citizens in South Florida don't care about the Dolphins and they care even less about bringing Super Bowls or other events to the stadium. I just don't see the Dolphins and Ross getting any financial help from public funds to upgrade the stadium.

 

Something like this..

"The University of Miami lost a grand part of its heritage when the Orange Bowl was destroyed and all the tradition associated with is at risk of disappearing forever. The Miami Hurricanes have helped transform the University of Miami into a vibrant institution of excellence. Without rich traditions it is in danger of becoming a sterile factory of education. Every major public and private college with a major athletic program has the tradition its students, alumni, faculty and the community will long remember and is engrained in their being. That tradition is having "gameday" be a ritual where everyone involved can walk through campus to their own stadium. That tradition is LIVING your alma mater, being an active participant not just a spectator. The next generation will know nothing of the electricty felt at the Orange Bowl when the team would emerge from the smoke, they will have no traditions because they are going to be at an NFL stadium where the Hurricanes are basically just squatters. Our students, alumni, faculty and the community DESERVE THEIR OWN TRADITIONS that UF, FSU and now even FAU, UCF and FIU enjoy every home game!!

If you support the idea of a stadium for our Miami Hurricane Football team either on Campus or close by (i.e. Tropical Park) that our Canes can call their own then sign the petition! An on campus stadium is ideal but won't be easy. Our students need this, our alumni need this and the community needs this! It could be the focal point of many great memories for decades to come!! WE WANT A STADIUM! If you WANT to see UM build that stadium then sign the petition! SIGN THE PETITION and then tell your friends and family to SIGN THE PETITION!"

Something else..

"James and UM officials are enthusiastic about the proposed changes, which could go into effect for the 2015 season, because there will be 3,700 additional lower-bowl seats between the goal lines, and some sideline seats will be moved closer to the field.

Sun Life Stadium has never matched the intimacy of the Orange Bowl, but UM believes the changes will help.

They “get fans closer,” James said. “It’s great for our program.

“It will create a winning environment.”

What can I do, it's right in front of their eyes Nasty..

I would start an OB2 Phins/Canes multiplex petition website if I had the skills..but I don't..

Nowhere am I reading that the canes people are offering to help out in finances..

Theres this one group that is tring to pitch for the hurricane project, which is a stadium that reps the city, our culture, the team, recaptures the glory, while being a environmental safe house for major disasters..

Well, the canes seem to be excited about the change to sunlife so maybe they will start talking about what they really could do if they put their minds to it and realize, their histories will always be intertwined because of one thing, a special venue..

 

If came true, which would be incredibly stupid imo by this region, It would be real bad.

Wy do y'all think I have such a sense of urgency about this, I feel like this culture is going to be the death of our team.

 

No they did not, the WC matches were in the Citrus Bowl due to the Marlins.

Sunlife might get some WC qualifiers down the road but the WC Finals has already been awarded through 2022.

 

If SBs and BCSs help the economy, then failure to host playoff games hurts it.

Therefore, the Fins should have to pay a 25% rebate of all public funds if they fail to reach AFC title game in 3 yrs

 

I have attended Canes games since George Mira was the teams QB in the early 1960's. I hate the fact that the team has to play so far away from their University. It is difficult for students to get to the games and you lose the college atmosphere having to play so far from the school.

Obviously the University will never build an on campus stadium, because the rich citizens of Coral Gables will never allow it. Therefore it makes sense that the Hurricanes would support the renovations at Dolphins stadium, but I don't see these renovations improving attendance for Hurricane games. The only thing which will improve attendance for both the Hurricanes and the Dolphins is for these teams to start winning more games. Over 70,000 fans used to show up at the old and outdated Orange Bowl because the Hurricanes and Dolphins were winning football games. Fans weren't concerned with how hot it was or how comfortable the seats were. They didn't even care about the run down bathrooms. They showed up because the teams were exciting and consistent winners.

Instead of Ross trying to improve the stadium to attract Super Bowls and other events. Both he and the Hurricanes need to put winning and exciting teams on the field each week and fans will be happy to show up, roof or no roof. Who cares if it is raining, if your team is winning?

 

When the Bills team sucks the attendance drops big time. Just like it is in almost every NFL town. When the Dolphins, Jets, and Patsies come to town its a little different but thats the same thing in any rivalry.

The Bills, when the product is really good, are a rabid bunch for sure.

 

I have stated before that as a Dolphin fan, I have no problem paying more for tickets to help pay for these renovations. I also have no problem with the tourist tax rate being increased to help pay for upgrading the stadium.

I just happen to live in South Florida, and I know that the vast majority of the citizens don't want any more tax money used to build or renovate stadiums for billionaire owners. As a Dolphin, Hurricane, and football fan, I am not the one who needs to be convinced. It is the 85% of the public who will show up at the polls to recall any locale politician who happens to vote to use public funds on the stadium.

Unfortunately DJ, you are preaching to those who are already converted. The non-converted though just don't care about the Dolphins and they make up the vast majority of the citizens in this county.

 

There are so many ways around this that it aint even funny. The Dolphins need to back the correct county/city commissioners and help some get elected and there could be a vote that the public has no say in. When it comes to tourist taxing.

 

The politicians don't always do what the citizens want them to. Even in the unlikely event they get recalled, I'm sure they'll land more lucrative jobs from someone they helped out.

 

I would agree with the except there is one thing that the Dolphins have going for them imo.

They have never got a dime to do anything in 45 years.