Panthers and Marlins Owner Wayne Huizenga is profiled in
Sunday's Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL on issues surrounding two of
his pro teams, the Panthers and Marlins.
THE PANTHERS: Huizenga "confidently" predicted his NHL team
will play in the Miami Arena this season, adding he "can't
imagine" a judge saying the team can't play there while a new
arena is being constructed. The Panthers are currently involved
in a lease dispute with the Miami Sports and Exhibition
Authority. Huizenga: "To reward a team that brought all this
great wonderful free publicity to Miami ... to reward that team
by saying, 'Screw you, we want more money,' doesn't make any
sense at all." The team's suit asking for an injunction to
enforce a lease they signed with the Miami Arena will be heard
this week (Gordon Edes, Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 8/18).
MARLINS: Huizenga would consider selling the Marlins next
year if the team fails to attract more fans. Huizenga has lost
close to $100M since buying the team, including $18M this season.
He realizes "in order to make it a fair test, we have to put a
winning product on the field," but adds, "If attendance is up
marginally, then forget it. If it goes up quite a bit, we may
say, 'Well, let's give it another shot'" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-
SENTINEL, 8/18).
