Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

[BLeonard]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9240615/florida-legislature-refuses-help-aid-miami-dolphins

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida's oldest professional sports franchise -- the Miami Dolphins -- has been dealt a crushing blow by the Florida Legislature, which ended its session without passing any funding plan that would assist the team's quest to refurbish its stadium.

The refusal of the GOP-controlled Legislature to aid the team before adjourning Friday evening wasn't just a defeat for the Dolphins -- it could also sack South Florida's efforts to lure another Super Bowl to the region in the next few years.

Wonder if this is the "Marlins Effect" coming back to bite Miami sports teams in the ass...

Also wonder if those fine people in Los Angeles will start talking about trying to lure the Dolphins out west now...

-Bill

[BidsJr]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

ESPN dipping further and further into politics will be their undoing.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

ESPN dipping further and further into politics will be their undoing.

Yeah. ESPN. Real sweethearts...

ESPN Is The Biggest Reason Your Cable Bill Is So Expensive

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-09/sports/30497101_1_cable-companies-cable-channel-cable-customers

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/hiestand-biz/2013/02/28/espn-cable-tv-regional-sports-networks-verizon-fox/1947197/

[OLDSRIP]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

How is that stadium? I have never been there. I think taxpayers are getting sick of supporting businesses that make outrageous profits.

[DynaPaul]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

Seriously... Why should the citizens pay for it? It's a private business.

[better days]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

Seriously... Why should the citizens pay for it? It's a private business.

Actually, it was to be paid by a tax on hotel rooms. I have no problem with that. If tourists want to come down here & clog the roads the stores & resturants, I say make them PAY.

[Buddo]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

I think there's going to be quite a bit of fall-out from this.
Seems like the legislature conveniently managed to sideline what the Fins were trying to do, which in the first instance, was to get something passed, so as the people could vote on if they wanted a hotel tax to help fund the stadium, or not.
Much as I don't like to admit it, it would appear that the Fins were actually trying o do things the right way around, yet politics got in the way. There's a few things on PFT about it, and unless the Governor does something to allow a poll, in the very near future, the Fins will have no chance of hosting a SB before 2018, without paying for the necessary upgrades by other means.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

..."And although public funding may be off the table, there's always this: (Dolphins owner) Ross, who is worth $4.4 billion according to Forbes, could use some of his own money to finance the renovations. (We'd advise against holding your breath waiting for this eventuality.)".

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22196343/dolphins-owner-rips-florida-house-speaker-over-renovation-bill

[swiper]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

Yeah. ESPN. Real sweethearts...

ESPN Is The Biggest Reason Your Cable Bill Is So Expensive

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-09/sports/30497101_1_cable-companies-cable-channel-cable-customers

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...n-fox/1947197/

This is why the landscape is ripe for CBS, NBC or FOX to builf their own versions of ESPN. Competition would help[ to stop that.

[better days]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

This is why the landscape is ripe for CBS, NBC or FOX to builf their own versions of ESPN. Competition would help[ to stop that.

NBC already has.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

I haven't been there in probably 8 years but it was nice enough when I was. Can't imagine it has deteriorated all that much especially since they don't get the winter weather.

[Beebe's Kid]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

This is why the landscape is ripe for CBS, NBC or FOX to builf their own versions of ESPN. Competition would help[ to stop that.

That sounds like a good idea...the old invisible hand. The problem is that everybody involved will be looking for profits, so if one of the other networks enters the fray, they will only think that they can do so for the $4.00/subscriber, and the cable bills will likely go up. Cable companies are also going to be looking for a little chunk on top, and as long as people are paying it, they'll keep charging. If they lose some viewers, they'll just raise the profits on those that remain to make up the difference. It would need to reach a point where an extremely large amount of viewers stopped paying...and that is unlikely, as there is little that Americans like than having the "freedom" to pick from 875 cable stations, of which they watch about three.

[DraftBoy]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

NBC already has.

As has Fox, or will in a few months.

[better days]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

I haven't been there in probably 8 years but it was nice enough when I was. Can't imagine it has deteriorated all that much especially since they don't get the winter weather.

Well, the HOT Fla Sun & wind & rain are very damaging.

[FinNasty23]

Re: Fla. Legislature refuses to aid Fins

Seriously... Why should the citizens pay for it? It's a private business.

Its not like Ross would be the only person benefiting from it. Getting this done would help secure Super Bowls, world soccer events, NCAA Championships, etc... which does a lot for the local economy. And we weren't paying a dime. Ross was paying 70% of it, and the balance was coming from a tourist tax that tourists would pay when staying in hotels. Oh, and the hotel association of Florida (whatever its called) was on board with it. If there was any overruns... Ross was paying for it. If we didn't get one of the next 2 Super Bowl bids... Ross would pay for the whole thing. And in 30 years, he will have paid every cent back. And for it to pass... the team wanted to let the people vote on it to approve it, that way no one felt like they were pulling a fast one forcing it through against the will of the people (ala. the Marlins). Ross made a ton of concessions and did everything to make that deal palatable to the city. But some guy trying to push his own political agenda cut it off before it even made it to the people. Its bull****...