In Miami, Greg Cote writes it may be time for fans who hold a grudge against Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria to "hit the reset button ... and give his ownership a fresh look with new eyes." Loria "built up mistrust and ill will with years of cheap payrolls and decisions motivated by cost-cutting." But the Marlins now are "in solid shape and headed right," with a "buzz about the club that is refreshing." Hosting the '17 All-Star Game is a "direct result of Marlins Park, which opened maligned in 2012 but is the foundation of what’s right moving forward" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/13).
FERRY INTO THE ABYSS: In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz writes Hawks GM Danny Ferry is "still in purgatory." Schulz: "When’s Ferry coming back? He’s not. Don’t expect that to change any time soon." Ferry is "still on a 'voluntary' leave of absence, even if logic suggests there’s nothing voluntary about it now." If he "could come back today, he would be back." Ferry "deserves a chance to work in the league again," but he "remains toxic in Atlanta" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 2/13).
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a Q&A with the N.Y. POST's Tim Bontemps said of Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov, "He’s been a great owner. I know he would have liked to have spent more time in Brooklyn, but the situation back in Russia, especially over the last year, hasn’t allowed him to travel as much as he hoped. ... When you look at what he and [Nets investor] Bruce Ratner have done in Brooklyn by successfully completing that building, by making the move from New Jersey, from that standpoint it’s been spectacular" (N.Y. POST, 2/13).
ROW, JIMMY: ESPN.com's Pat McManamon wrote it "seems there are still things that are impeding winning" for the Browns, as there are "enough things that have gone awry." But it is on team Owner Jimmy Haslam III "to ensure that those impediments are blown up, that people are working together to win and not struggling against themselves." Haslam for a year "has been talking about not being dysfunctional," but "strange things happen under his watch" (ESPN.com, 2/12).
