Well, that was the last game on the baseball dirt. The Marlins have a home game September 7 then that's it until September 19th. Dolphins obviously play Sept. 12th and 18th. You know they will sod the field, since they did it last year and I think they had even less time between the marlins game and Phins/Jets game. Any memories good or bad of the dirt? (Didn't Mare a couple FGs off the dirt in 2003 against the Pats? Phins ended up losing in OT by a FG) The last time there were no Marlins was 1992...ironically the last season that the Dolphins went to the AFC Championship game. Curse of the Marlins? I'll only believe that if the Dolphins go to the AFC Championship game this season. So far the only thing they've confirmed is to move the sideline seats closer. Currently 90 feet away, which is much further than most other stadiums because of the baseball config.
yeah but you know they put that grass tupee on the field last year to cover up the dirt, didn't exactly win me over.
I've always hated the Marlins because of that dirt. Want them eliminated from post season asap every year.
Why not hate Joe Robbie for making the stadium able to house that dirt? Or the owners always allowing them to play there? Or our players for not taking advantage of being one of 2 teams in the entire NFL that plays on that field? Or etc etc etc
We;d still be under the curse this year. Next year, the curse will be lifted and perhaps we'll make the AFC Championship game. That 1992 AFC Champ. game was the lowest I've ever been at a sporting event. 13 years old and nearly in tears over a football game.
The dirt was a advantage last night did you see the Cowboys field goal attempts. Lined the ball up trying to avoid the dirt got into that kickers head it was ugly lol. Id prefer to never see dirt in the field though.
Exactly. You'd think our kickers would be practicing on that crap daily....it shouldve been a home field advantage. Instead it's been an "excuse" for dolfans for plain crap dolphins teams the last few years.
It's an injury hazard, IMO. I don't think anyone uses it as an excuse for our team's play... we just dislike the dirt infield.
Mare refused to practice on the dirt, he was an *** and an overrated kicker. He never made a FG when it mattered. /Scientific FACT. // DC$ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mare.
Agree that Mare was overrated, but to say he never made a kick that mattered? Harsh. And false. http://www.footballdb.com/boxscore/2002101313 Maimi 24 Denver 22, Mare with a 53 yard FG as time expired. Dolphins go to 4-1. Unfortuantely fiedler got hurt and Chambers was head hunted by Kennoy Kennedy and the season ended in bitter pain and dissapointment, but Mare made a huge kick. I'm sure he amde more, but this was a good one
What an eyesore. That dirt was ugly as hell and made the stadium look like total dung. I still remember the 2005 opener against Denver. I don't recall ever seeing a field in worse shape on opening day. How embarrassing. The end zones looked like hell. The field looked tattered and torn. It was really ugly.
Bite your tongue, Sick... Never even joke about hating JR... Gotta agree tho, we will never miss that dirt...
Bull****, I have seen PLENTY of occassions people saying "we lost many games because of that dirt" Eventhough BOTH teams play on it, and we have been playing on it since 1993!
I agree with SICK, both teams play on it so the advantage should go to the home team. If we weren't prepared for it...thats on the coaches.
Baseball has been the bane of that stadium since it's inception. It's a lousy football stadium because of it. You simply are too far away, I know they want to move the lower bowl closer after the Marlins move out, but it won't do squat for the upper decks. Getting rid of the dirt infield will be an extremely welcome change.
Agreed. I appreciate that Robbie did that to bring baseball to the area, but the result was a bad football stadium and a bad baseball stadium.
Because that involves criticizing the Dolphins in some manner, I guess. The infield dirt (and the Marlins by extension) is just a scapegoat for the failures and letdowns of Wannstache, nothing more. This. Conceiving the current stadium as a multi-sport arena was a horrendous idea. They don't even use the soccer configuration anymore, IIRC.
I'm not going to hate on Joe Robbie, because despite his faults, such as letting baseball into his stadium, being tight fisted with the players who fled to the World League, Csonka, Warfield and Kiick, he is still the reason the Dolphins even exist. BTW, didn't Wayne Huizenga have a lot more to do with baseball being brought into Joe Robbie Stadium than anyone else?
Tin I have not heard that directly come out of anyones mouth in terms of moving the lower bowl closer, have you?
Wouldn't have been possible if Joe Robbie didn't design the stadium to allow baseball to be played there. And Joe Robbie's son owns a Fort Lauderdale soccer team, so the family is pretty committed to sports besides football.
Mike Dee said it. Forgot how much closer he said though. 18 feet I think? Plans can change though. They should do 25-30 feet closer.
Its not the Marlins fault they have been there this long, but blame needs to be put on Huizenga's shoulders squarely. He could have built his own stadium for the Marlins, but wanted the public to pay for it for him. When we wouldn't he got all pissy and decided to sell the team (its a more involved story, but that is a short version). They should have been gone by 1998 or 1999, except for Huizenga.
Jake, you're confusing Huizenga with Joe Robbie...Robbie built the stadium formerly known as JRS with his own money...not too many have done that... Besides, with all the success the Marlins had for several years there, you'd think they could have built their own stadium ??
Actually Joe Robbie built Sun Life to house football and THE OTHER football ; soccer. Remember at the time he built Sun Life he also owned the Ft Lauderdale Strikers, and his vision was to use the stadium for both teams, and then to see the World Cup and other international "friendlies" played there. His untimely death and the Robbie family squabble caused the Robbies to pay a hefty "death tax" and so they had to sell the team & stadium. Huizenga then saw something when Baltimore & (and someone can't remember who) played two exhibition games at Sun Life that drew 120,000. It's not Joe Robbie at all who envisioned baseball there, but Huizenga who refitted the stadium for baseball. So lets put the blame on the right person.
Joe Robbie did NOTHING to bring baseball to that stadium or So Fla. It was all on Huizenga. That stadium was refitted in 1992 for baseball and Joe Robbie had been dead for over 2 years by then. Please put the plame squarely on the person who deserves it, Wayne Huizenga.
The Marlins spent most of their two decades of existence trying to get their own ballpark. The holdup for years and years was the City of Miami's refusal to give the Marlins a downtown location (like the Heat's American Airlines Arena.) When the Marlins finally gave up on a downtown park, they took what the City was offering to them, the Orange Bowl site. Since Miami owned the OB, they basically kicked the Canes out (who then signed a 25 year lease with Sun Life Stadium), demolished the OB, and the Marlins began construction of their stadium.
That's because Huizenga refitted the stadium in 1992 for baseball. Joe Robbie NEVER envisioned baseball there at all. He always wanted just football and soccer.
Joe Robbie died on January 7th, 1990, more than 2 years BEFORE the Marlins franchise was awarded to Wayne Huizenga. Please put the blame on one man ONLY and that is Huizenga.
any help is better than what this team has to deal with now..I just wish they wouldn't spend the money and just go all out and privately fund the most indimadating stadium to ever be built..The OB2, it would be an attraction all its own, and pay for itself in no time.
Yes I have. Mike Dee, when he put his plan to the counties over a year ago, saying that in order to get more Super Bowls they needed improvements and retrofitting to a football only stadium, and that part of the plan is to add seats closer to the field. Because in their model of a retrofit, they will lose the corner seats to put up 4 huge jumbotron screens.
Joe Robbie was dead, and the Robbie family was out of the picture (maybe Tim Robbie still was part of the team, but not sure) when Huizenga decided he wanted baseball there, and refitted the stadium for baseball.
Larry, I know what I am talking about. Joe Robbie did indeed build the stadium, and with his own money. That was in 1987, and he was dead in Jan 1990. The Robbie family squabbled too long over the team ownership after his death, and missed some kind of deadline, which caused them to have to pay some kind of huge death tax penalty, and that forced them to sell part of the team & stadium to pay the tax debt. Huizenga started buying them in 1990, and had full ownership of both by early 1991. It was his decision to allow MLB to play 2 spring exhibition games at Sun Life in 1991 between Baltimore (who used to train here in Miami, at old Bobby Maduro stadium) and maybe the Yankees (?!?!?) anyway it was a huge success bringing in 120,000 for the two games. Huizenga thought that MLB would be a go here, and the MLB owners were looking to expand (they wanted those franchise fees) and it just all sort of came together quickly for Huzienga in 1991. Here is from the Marlins history wikipedia page : Anyone who blames Joe Robbie in the least, is barking up the wrong tree. Its is all on Huizenga. 100 % !
Yeah the City refused or put off for years planned renovations for the Orange Bowl which finally made it easy for the Dolphins to step in and make a lucrative offer to the U to use Sun Life. They took the offer and then the City (and County) went ahead with the plans for the OB site for the Marlins.