The Dolphins “made a deal with Miami-Dade County voters Thursday: if South Florida doesn't get Super Bowl 2016 or 2017, the team won't use tax money for Sun Life Stadium renovations,” according to a front-page piece by Chris Perkins of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said that he “couldn't guarantee which Super Bowl South Florida would get.” But he added, "We are guaranteeing the referendum will be predicated upon a successful Super Bowl outcome on May 22." Perkins notes South Florida is “battling" Santa Clara for Super Bowl L in '16, and if "unsuccessful in that bid, then South Florida goes against Houston” for Super Bowl LI. Dee “wasn't sure the Dolphins would have made the money back guarantee if they didn't experience such a positive outcome after speaking with NFL officials and owners in Phoenix." Meanwhile, the Dolphins announced that Miami “will be hosting the core of the Super Bowl activities" if South Florida secures the game (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/22). In West Palm Beach, Ben Volin notes the Dolphins hope the referendum "will be held a week or two before" NFL owners vote on the Super Bowl host. Dee said, “Even with a successful referendum, we’re going to give the community the option to not move forward.” Several owners this week said that they “likely wouldn’t vote for a Super Bowl in South Florida unless the stadium were improved significantly.” Colts Owner Jim Irsay: “Without the referendum and the stadium improvements, I don’t believe there’s a high likelihood that Florida’s going to get it” (PALM BEACH POST, 3/22). In Miami, Patricia Mazzei notes the decision “marks the latest concession from the Dolphins as they seek political support" to upgrade Sun Life Stadium. The Miami-Dade County Elections Department "estimates" the referendum would cost $3-5M (MIAMI HERALD, 3/22). NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said what the team did on Thursday “in an interesting and kind of clever announcement (“NFL Total Access,” NFLN, 3/21).
