Dolphin Stadium
Encyclopedia : D : DO : DOL : Dolphin Stadium
- Redirect [[Template:Infobox Stadium]]
Since its inception, there have been three Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII) and two World Series ('97 and '03) played in the stadium. The stadium will again serve as host for Super Bowl XLI in 2007 and again in 2010 for Super Bowl XLIV.
Stadium History
Dolphin Stadium was the first of its kind to be constructed entirely with private funds. The late Joe Robbie led the financing campaign to build Joe Robbie Stadium (JRS) for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. JRS revolutionized the economics of professional sports when it opened in 1987. Inclusion of a Club Level, along with Executive Suites, helped to finance the construction of the stadium. Season ticket holders committed to long term agreements and in return they received first-class amenities in a state-of-the-art facility which is still used as a model for new facilities across the country.In 1990, H. Wayne Huizenga, then Chairman of the Board and CEO of Blockbuster Video and Huizenga Holdings Inc., agreed to purchase fifty percent of Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball to South Florida. That effort was rewarded in July 1991, when South Florida was awarded a National League expansion franchise. On January 24, 1994, Huizenga acquired the remaining fifty percent of the stadium to give him 100% ownership. Since 1991, several million dollars have been spent to upgrade and renovate the stadium. The improvement and revitalization of the building under Huizenga allowed the stadium to remain one of the finest sports and entertainment facilities in the United States.
The stadium has been home to the Miami Dolphins since 1987 and to the Florida Marlins since 1993, however stadium management has indicated that the Marlins must find a new venue by the end of their current lease. It has been the site of the FedEx Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game. Dolphin Stadium has played host to three Super Bowls in 1989, 1995 and 1999 with two more scheduled in 2007 and 2010, two World Series (1997 and 2003), and numerous concerts, featuring entertainers such as U2, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Billy Joel, Chicago, Genesis, Gloria Estefan, Guns N' Roses, The Who, Hall & Oates, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, and The Three Tenors.
Other events held at Dolphin Stadium have included international soccer matches, Monster Truck shows, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and Boat Shows, the UniverSoul Circus, and Australian Rules Football exhibition matches and numerous trade shows. The Stadium also plays host to the yearly Shula Bowl, a game played between Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University, only when FAU hosts the game (FIU hosts the game at their own stadium, FIU Stadium, every other year). In 2005 and 2006, Dolphin Stadium will host the 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A classification high school football state championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association.
Dolphin Stadium has been home to many commercials and feature films as well, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and the football-themed movie, Any Given Sunday, starring Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx.
Renovations for the Florida Marlins
Behind the scenes, the facility underwent $10 million in renovations to accommodate Major League Baseball and the Florida Marlins before the 1993 season. The conversion included the installation of retractable seating on the north side of the stadium, the construction of the baseball press box in the southwest corner of the facility, the building of the baseball dugouts, the addition of 660 new lights for suitable night play and the installation of a hydraulic disappearing pitcher's mound. The stadium also features a synthetic warning track designed to absorb water. At the time, the only other facility to feature this type of track was Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The renovation also included the construction of the Florida Marlins clubhouse and other amenities to accommodate baseball at the stadium.
The stadium's capacity for baseball was reduced to just over 47,600 seats. Even without the Marlins' desire for a more intimate atmosphere, most of the upper-deck outfield seats would have been terrible. The stadium's baseball capacity has been reduced even further in recent years, and it now seats just over 36,500.
Because of the need to fit a football field in the stadium, the field of play is larger than in most other new baseball stadiums. The 33-foot tall left field fence, nicknamed the Teal Monster (a play on the Green Monster at Fenway Park) further limits the ability of players to hit home runs. Foul territory is also fairly large in comparison with most new stadiums.
Since winning the World Series in 1997, Marlins' management has regularly argued that the stadium is insufficient to host a MLB team on a regular basis, arguing that too many of the seats are too far from the field and angled for football rather than baseball, and that a retractable dome is needed to prevent rain-outs. The stadium did not prevent the team from winning a second world championship in 2003, however.
On the field, the stadium is equipped with a Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT) system which provides draining for its natural grass. At a cost of $1 million, the system ensures a firm, dry playing surface within half an hour's time after as much as a three inch per hour rain fall.
Stadium naming rights
On August 26, 1996, Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom, sponsored the renaming of Joe Robbie Stadium as Pro Player Stadium. Pro Player, which specialized in licensed sports apparel, became the first sports marketing and products company to entitle a stadium or arena with their ten year, $20 million deal. This sparked controversy in South Florida, as Joe Robbie had spent millions out of his own pocket after the city and the state refused to fund a new stadium for the Dolphins and many people believed his name should remain on the stadium. Many people, including Florida-based sportscaster Hank Goldberg refer to it as "The Stadium Formerly Known as Joe Robbie" out of protest of the name. Fruit of the Loom, however, filed for bankruptcy in 1999, but the name remained until 2005. On January 10 of that year, Huizenga announced a $300 million renovation of Pro Player Stadium to add luxury suites, additional parking and a retractable dome and the immediate renaming of the facility as Dolphins Stadium. Daktronics is installing the world's largest HDTV-ready video system in both end zones that were completed by the Marlins' home opener on April 11, and the world's longest full-color fascia boards as they will be completed by July 2006.
It was first reported on April 5 in both The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that on April 8, 2006, the "s" would be dropped from the stadium name and revert back to the original "Dolphin Stadium" name along with a new logo (seen on the right). [link] [link] This renaming is part of a national branding campaign that will conclude with Super Bowl XLI on February 4 2007.
Relevant Facts
- Stadium Phone - (305) 623-6100
- Stadium Fax - (305) 624-6403
- TTY - (305) 623-6266
- Football Press - 30 (seats Booth A) plus 11 radio/tv booths
- Baseball Press - 75 plus 9 radio/tv booths
- Gates - 8
- Ramps - 8 (25 feet wide, 2 each corner)
- Escalators - 8 (2 each corner)
- Elevators - 13 (7 club level, 2 service/emergency, 2 press, 1 office, 1 freight)
- Parking
- *25,000 cars, 171 buses, 90 RV's, 84 limousines, 262 disabled spaces, 1 helipad
- Overall Size - 648 feet x 736 feet
- PAT - 128,000 sq. feet
- Concessions - 40 stands, 220 service lines (1 TV monitor per stand)
- Restrooms - 40 men, 40 women
- Locker Rooms - 4 (60 lockers per room)
- Field Surface - Prescription Atheletic Turf (Natural Grass)
- Scoreboards - Recently changed in the 2006 season with installation of new HD scoreboards
- *Right field/East end zone - 56 ft high x 142 ft long, Color Board 50 feet high x 140 feet long
- *3rd Base/West end zone - 54 ft high x 104 ft long, Color Board 50 ft high x 100 feet long
- *Baseball Scoreboard - 32 ft 6 in high x 202 ft long, clock is 14 ft 2 in wide x 14 ft high
- *Fascia Display - 2,105 feet long x 48 inches high
Relative Location
- 16 miles northwest of downtown Miami, Florida
- 18 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- 14 miles northwest of Orange Bowl Stadium
- 3/4 miles south of Calder Race Course
- 1 mile south of Miami-Dade County, Florida / Broward County, Florida line
External links
| align = center colspan = 3|Home of the Marlins Franchise
|-
| align = center width = 33%|Preceded by:
First Stadium
| align = center width = 34%|1993 - Present
| align = center width = 33%|Succeeded by:
Current
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| align = center colspan = 3|Home of the Dolphins Franchise
|-
| align = center width = 33%|Preceded by:
Orange Bowl
1966 - 1986
| align = center width = 34%|1987 - Present
| align = center width = 33%|Succeeded by:
Current
|-
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