Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and CEO Mike Dee held a 45-minute conference call last night with season-ticket holders and "talked about bringing significant changes to the Dolphins’ football experience while also mentioning plans for a grand celebration this year of the 40th anniversary of the 1972 perfect team,” according to Ben Volin of the PALM BEACH POST. One of the “biggest changes could be to the Dolphins’ logo and color scheme.” Nike just replaced Reebok as the NFL’s new uniform maker, and “could design a new uniform and color scheme for the Dolphins for the 2013 season.” Ross said, “We’re looking at all of that, and I think you’ll start seeing some changes along those lines, in those areas.” Volin notes another change Ross “wants to make is to build a canopy or some sort of shelter over the seating bowl at Sun Life Stadium, but still keep the playing field exposed, much like it is at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.” He is “putting more effort into getting it built now because he badly wants the Dolphins to win the bid for Super Bowl L, which will be voted upon early next year.” Ross said that the team will “still continue to play Jimmy Buffett’s song ‘Fins’ during games instead of sticking exclusively with the team’s traditional fight song.” Ross: “The one thing I never really liked from day one was the fight song. I guess that’s part of the privilege of ownership, but I understand the fans like it, so that will continue to be our policy” (PALM BEACH POST, 6/12). Ross said he is “optimistic” he can land Super Bowl L in ‘16. In Miami, Barry Jackson wrote Ross said that he “likely will unveil plans later this summer to upgrade Sun Life Stadium -- something the NFL wants -- but gave no indication how it would be financed, which is the major roadblock.” Ross said, “I'm looking to really upgrade the stadium.” He added that he “definitely wants ‘an enclosed stadium,’ his plan for Sun Life does not include a dome” (MIAMIHERALD.com, 6/11).
OPEN COMMUNICATION: In Ft. Lauderdale, Gould & Kelly note the Dolphins “again showed their new, more open and fan-friendly side” last night. Ross said that the team's strategy to “offer more transparency spawned due to the threat of misinformation.” Ross: “I hated reading in the papers, ‘sources say’ and everything being speculative in terms of what the Dolphins were doing or weren't doing or what they might do.” Gould & Kelly report the team is “exploring moving the seats closer to the field at Sun Life Stadium.” Dee said in reference to the baseball retrofitting done to the stadium, “With the Marlins moving out we have the ability to unwind what was done to the stadium.” Dee added that season-ticket renewals "were up and far beyond where they were a year ago” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/12).
"HARD KNOCK" LIFE: ESPN’s Damien Woody said the Dolphins' appearance on HBO's “Hard Knocks” will be good for the team “from the standpoint of when you’re on TV, you’re not trying to get embarrassed on TV when people are watching." Woody: "The competitiveness rises when you have those cameras constantly shooting ... so you see guys take it up another notch.” ESPN’s Herm Edwards, who coached the Chiefs when they were on the show in '07, said, "Players do feel a sense of urgency because they know every Thursday night, all the players in the league are running up into their rooms to watch the reality show.” Edwards said there some guys on the team “you can’t hear a peep out of," but when the cameras "start rolling … it seems like they went to acting school." Meanwhile, ESPN’s Mike Hill noted the Dolphins yesterday signed WR Chad Ochocinco to a one-year contract and said when it was first announced HBO picked the Dolphins critics claimed they “were such a bland team.” However, that “could be about to change," as Ochocinco "could make it must-see TV” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 6/11).
