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I never said Miami was the only place with fair-weather fans. Just saying that they are! But I wouldn't say that fans everywhere are fair-weather, either. We can't really generalize in that regard.
I guess what baffles me is that the Dolphins could have a season like they did last year (following a season like they had in '06) and still average 92% attendance, but the Heat and Marlins don't fare as well. What is it? Is is sport specific? Are Miamians just more interested in football than baseball and basketball? Why? I don't think it is just the stadium alone causing this.
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Originally Posted by 305guy
And real UM fans don't care about the tuition and the politics that is affiliated with UM, UM was the first college football team from Miami that had us all watching and rooting for them. No one has to go to UM to be a fan, poor and rich alike that's who we were talking about and watching on Saturday afternoons. UM also drafts heavily from Miami and alot of local high school standouts end up there so it even sparks more interest from us locals.
And this is exactly why I couldn't understand the animosity of UM's own fans towards their own team at the game that I attended. I thought UM fans were just as loyal as any other until I attended that game. I was there as a fan of the opposing team, and no matter what my team does, there are always tons of fans cheering them on, not booing the quarterback and making a scene like I witnessed. Even when the game isn't going our way, even at the home field, that just doesn't happen. We might boo the officials, but never the players themselves. I'm not saying that any fans are better than the other, but I was just shocked to see this behavior.
Now, as far as a stadium effecting a team, I think the Hurricanes are getting the shaft by not having their own stadium that is close/on campus. That just completely sucks to have to go all the way to Dolphin stadium for a college game.
Anyway, the Orange Bowl is gone. It won't be forgotten. If only they'd bring back the Orange Bowl Parade, that is something that can be revived and I think would be good for the city. It really sucked that they stopped doing that to begin with. It was always something I looked forward to as a kid, and even marched in the Jr. Orange Bowl Parade when I was in middle school. The King Mango Strut is fun, but the Orange Bowl Parade was nationally televised.
I never said Miami was the only place with fair-weather fans. Just saying that they are! But I wouldn't say that fans everywhere are fair-weather, either. We can't really generalize in that regard.
I guess what baffles me is that the Dolphins could have a season like they did last year (following a season like they had in '06) and still average 92% attendance, but the Heat and Marlins don't fare as well. What is it? Is is sport specific? Are Miamians just more interested in football than baseball and basketball? Why? I don't think it is just the stadium alone causing this.
And this is exactly why I couldn't understand the animosity of UM's own fans towards their own team at the game that I attended. I thought UM fans were just as loyal as any other until I attended that game. I was there as a fan of the opposing team, and no matter what my team does, there are always tons of fans cheering them on, not booing the quarterback and making a scene like I witnessed. Even when the game isn't going our way, even at the home field, that just doesn't happen. We might boo the officials, but never the players themselves. I'm not saying that any fans are better than the other, but I was just shocked to see this behavior.
Now, as far as a stadium effecting a team, I think the Hurricanes are getting the shaft by not having their own stadium that is close/on campus. That just completely sucks to have to go all the way to Dolphin stadium for a college game.
Anyway, the Orange Bowl is gone. It won't be forgotten. If only they'd bring back the Orange Bowl Parade, that is something that can be revived and I think would be good for the city. It really sucked that they stopped doing that to begin with. It was always something I looked forward to as a kid, and even marched in the Jr. Orange Bowl Parade when I was in middle school. The King Mango Strut is fun, but the Orange Bowl Parade was nationally televised.
The reason Miami fans are more interested in the Dolphins than any other team is because of the history of the Dolphins in Miami. The Dolphins were the only show in town for almost 30 years. That's a huge head start over the Heat, Marlins and Panthers. Miami is undoubtedly Dolphins country when it comes to the sports scene. You got the undefeated 72 team and Dan Marino as Miami's favorite son and you've got your loyal fan-base.
As far as booing your quarterback, hey if he's sucking all game and playing better for the other team I'm all for letting him know about it after a while. I don't think that's being unloyal just a little tough love.
I would say most sports towns are like Miami, obviously not all...but yeah, most. It would be cool for the Canes to get their football stadium down in Coral Gables or South Miami since it's so pedestrian friendly down there and one could walk to bars/restaurants afterward...but that'll probably never happen uinfortunately. The basketball team does have a great stadium on campus though.
The Orange Bowl was old. Really old. It wasn't sacred ground or anything, it was a football stadium, nothing more.
I was only there a couple of times. I have to say though, that I loved it. A great, fun place ofr a game. I saw a couple of Orange Bowls, the best being Colorado-Notre Dame. Great, great game. The place was rocking, the floors were shaking. The stadium had personality, not a big sterile place with carpeted hallways like Dolphin Stadium. I'll miss it.
The Orange Bowl was old. Really old. It wasn't sacred ground or anything, it was a football stadium, nothing more.
I was only there a couple of times. I have to say though, that I loved it. A great, fun place ofr a game. I saw a couple of Orange Bowls, the best being Colorado-Notre Dame. Great, great game. The place was rocking, the floors were shaking. The stadium had personality, not a big sterile place with carpeted hallways like Dolphin Stadium. I'll miss it.
Your post just made me remember that my high school's "big football game" of the year was played in the Orange Bowl. Yeah, two high schools with good football teams still couldn't fill up the place, but it was just so much fun! It lent a completely different feel to the game opposed to playing at the Tamiami field.
As with many things, the memories, in time, become sweeter than the reality.
Location: Boca Raton, FL but want Clayton, NC ASAP!
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<sadly nodding in agreement>
I have several fond memories of seeing the 'Canes at the OB.
My husband hails from an area of Virginia where there are places that you can't walk 10 feet without finding an artifact from either the Revolutionary or Civil War. When he moved here, he was astounded about how little "history" there is to the place.
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Originally Posted by sergio
When I moved to Arkansas, one thing I really liked about the area was the sense of history. Just in the NW Arkansas area alone there are two Civil War parks. Huge parks that are preserved so that our future generations can not just read about history but walk among it. They can feel like they are back in the days when men fought for a cause and not oil. There is alot of history in this part of the country and people hold on to that and protect it.
Then I see how the city of Miami is tearing down one of the only landmarks in the city, the Orange Bowl, so they can build a six hundred million dollar stadium without public approval for the Florida Marlins. Of course, I am not comparing the Orange Bowl with a Civil War park. If we had the choice to keep one, I would keep the park over a football stadium anytime. But the OB, as I like to call it, was one of the only pieces of history that Miami had to look up too. A place where JFK delivered a speech, a place where records were set by college and pro teams, great games were played and the whole country shared memories of. As I grew up in Miami, I attended many Dolphins and Hurricanes games at the OB. I was there to see the Canes win the National Championship in 1987. I was there to see the Fins win two AFC Championships in 1982 and 1984. I was there for the classic 1985 Monday night game when they beat the Undefeated Bears to defend their undefeated record. I remember turning my TV on in time to see the Flutie Hail Mary pass that they show over and over. The first football game I ever watched was in this stadium. It was the Steelers against the Cowboys in the Super Bowl back in 1978. Yes, I am that old. That game started the love affair with football I held for the next thirty years. Now its gone and all because of greedy baseball owners and politicians.
The City of Miami should be ashamed, again. They have been known as crooks, a bananna republic and a third world country for many years. Once the Marlins started greasing palms the little thieves started scheming of ways to build them a cathedral to their ego. I can hear them now: "If we dont fix the Orange Bowl and the Canes move, then we have a huge piece of land we can use for free to build this thing. But what do we do about these annoying voters? They will surley see though our scheme and vote against it? Unless, we dont give them the option. We say its a way to revitalize the city. We can even throw in some of those other scams we have sitting on the backburner. The tunnel to the port we dont need, the street cars nobody will ride, all can be added to this plan! And we use tourist tax dollars so that way they dont think we are using their hard earned taxes. We can even use the 50 million dollar bond they voted for in 2003 to fix the Orange Bowl instead to build the baseball park! And that way, they have no say and I get that house in the Hamptons I have been wanting!"
So lets do the math, 600 million dollars for a ballpark. The Marlins average attendence is 11,000 "fans". (From experience I can tell you most of them got the tickets freely from work or some radio station contest. I worked in promotions for Clear Channel and we gave away dozens of tickets for just calling in) So 11k fans divided into 600 million is....way too much money to spend on a sport with such a lousy fan base. The Miami Dolphins, the areas most beloved and oldest franchise was forced after several lost ballots to finance their own stadium!! They averaged 60,000 fans at their games back in 1986 and they didnt get this huge gift. Why, in this day of poverty, homelessness, foreclosures, unemployement, is the city of Miami (who filed for bankruptcy a few years ago) paying for this? The streets are falling apart, their is no affordable housing (Which some of this money was suppossed to go to) and you need a 600 million dollar stadium? And for a city with a small identity since Miami Beach has the hot spots how you are going to tear down one of the only symbols that people recognize?
Although I dont live in Miami anymore, I swear on my honor that in my lifetime when I visit I will never set foot in this new white elephant. I hope that after tearing down the OB, the deal falls apart some how and the new dump is never built. That way the Marlins, who I am no longer a fan of, can move their sorry asses to Vegas or San Antonio.
Another team I am no longer a fan of is the Hurricanes. By moving to Dolphins Stadium you are now a tenant. You dont have your own stadium. You alienated your student fans by moving to the nothern border of a southern county school. You will never reclaim the mystic you had at the OB. Your a college team playing in a cavernous NFL stadium with no identity. The Dolphins were never the same after moving away from the OB and I hope that curse affects you too.
Good Riddance to both teams and Goodbye to an old friend.
P.S: While in college I had a roomate from Philly whom wanted me to show him the town. I asked him what he wanted to see and the first thing out of his mouth was "Take me to the Orange Bowl".
I have several fond memories of seeing the 'Canes at the OB.
My husband hails from an area of Virginia where there are places that you can't walk 10 feet without finding an artifact from either the Revolutionary or Civil War. When he moved here, he was astounded about how little "history" there is to the place.
If he wants history, he should check out St. Augustine. Miami didn't get established until the early 1900's/late 1800's and that was hampered by the depression. Miami is a young city when compared to places like Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, etc. St. Augustine is where you go to check out historic landmarks.
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