Miami Beckham United and the Univ. of Miami "have mutually decided not to pursue the possibility of having the UM football team play" in David Beckham’s proposed soccer stadium "presuming it’s at the boat slip site next to AmericanAirlines Arena," according to sources cited by Barry Jackson of the MIAMI HERALD. The two parties had been "studying the idea for months," but the idea of a joint football/soccer facility "became too complicated, with too many logistical issues such as parking." UM also "has 18 years left on its Sun Life lease," and Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross "strongly opposed letting the Hurricanes out of that, though UM never reached the point of asking" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 6/1).
SOCCER CITY? In Miami, Michelle Kaufman wrote South Florida is "the best place in the world for soccer fans to be right now" outside of Brazil. Kaufman asked, "How does a city this crazy about soccer not have a Major League Soccer team?" Kaufman: "With every passing day, I am more and more convinced that David Beckham’s plan for a stadium and waterfront park in the heart of downtown Miami is a great idea" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/1).
