"Marlins' Samson says Miami deal close"

 

Marlins' Samson says Miami deal close

 

By Sarah Talalay

Staff Writer

Posted December 11 2004

 

Marlins President David Samson said Friday he is convinced a ballpark deal in Miami will be completed soon, despite team executives meeting with the mayor of Las Vegas earlier this week.

 

Samson said the meeting between two Marlins officials and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who wants to lure a major league team to his city, was to ensure the Marlins consider their options for a new home. The team's need to look at alternatives is fueled in part by a Nov. 16 letter it received from Pro Player Stadium management indicating the Marlins' lease will be terminated when it expires after the 2010 season.

 

"There's a sense of urgency for the Marlins to organize and plan its future," Samson said. "We firmly believe a stadium deal will get done, but getting that deal done is no longer simply about economics.

 

"It's about the franchise itself."

 

The team has a series of one-year options at the stadium, owned by H. Wayne Huizenga, that run through the 2010 season. Every December, the team must exercise its option for the year after the coming one, meaning this month the team plans to renew for 2006.

 

Samson said the team has offered to guarantee cost overruns and remains hopeful it can move to a $420 million retractable roof stadium east of the Orange Bowl by 2008, to stem the losses it incurs at Pro Player. The Marlins pay rent and receive only percentages of concessions and parking and no suite revenue.

 

"The fact is we are very hopeful and very close to a deal that will keep the Marlins in South Florida, in the city of Miami and the county of Miami-Dade, for the next 40 years," Samson said. "We are a millimeter away."

 

Team, city and county officials have been negotiating a financing plan for months but have yet to finalize a deal.

 

As a result, Marlins Vice Chairman Joel Mael and Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting P. J. Loyello met with Las Vegas officials on Wednesday, although both sides insisted relocation was not discussed.

 

Las Vegas officials hope to lure a team, after making an unsuccessful bid for the Montreal Expos, who will move to Washington, D.C., next year.

 

"I cannot comment on the Las Vegas trip other than to say with the lack of absolute certainty regarding a stadium deal, it has become necessary to keep an open mind, given that the very survival of our franchise is at stake," Samson said.

 

The Las Vegas trip angered Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and City Manager Joe Arriola, who accused the team of negotiating in bad faith.

 

However, both said the city's offer to the team still stands, and county officials remain bullish that a deal can be completed.

 

Samson said the team has offered a lien on the franchise as well as a method for funding overruns, which have been a sticking point.

 

"We have all agreed that the partnership itself, the county, city and team, will work together with the construction manager and the architect so that all of us have comfort that the project is being built according to budget and if not there will be early warning indications and agreements in place for the team alone to fund the increase in price," Samson said.

 

Sarah Talalay can be reached at stalalay@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4173.

 

Copyright ? 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

East of the Orange Bowl? This is interesting....the ballpark will indeed have a view..apparently, the OB will be enclosed once more with the upper deck being made smaller and many of the seats moving to what is now the open end.

East of the Orange Bowl? This is interesting....the ballpark will indeed have a view..apparently, the OB will be enclosed once more with the upper deck being made smaller and many of the seats moving to what is now the open end.

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Yeah I kinda thought when the negotiations had started on this deal that Loria would try and get it built on the east side to get the view. Speaking of the OB, why were the seats in the East endzone taken out? Are they preparing for renovations already?

could this be moved to the New Digs subforum. Thanks

East of the Orange Bowl? This is interesting....the ballpark will indeed have a view..apparently, the OB will be enclosed once more with the upper deck being made smaller and many of the seats moving to what is now the open end.

632100[/snapback]

 

 

Yeah I kinda thought when the negotiations had started on this deal that Loria would try and get it built on the east side to get the view. Speaking of the OB, why were the seats in the East endzone taken out? Are they preparing for renovations already?

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no ballpark=barely any money to do OB renovations....city of Miami's bluff has been called.

let me draw up a quick map of the east side ok?

Here comes the new revised map from the info I have gathered....

 

http://images.snapfish.com/3425973523232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2334%3D426%3D498%3DXROQDF%3E23236%3B4754%3B62ot1lsi

The Orange Bowl at one time was enclosed. This was back when it sat 85,000 easily.

Stupid question: Why did they open it up?

In 1944, the stadium was enclosed when over 10,000 seats were added to the endzones bringing the capacity to 35,030. In 1947, an additional 25,000 seats were added raising the capacity to 60,000. Between 1950 and 1957 around 16,000 seats were installed completing the upper deck of the stadium.

 

In 1959, Burdine Stadium was renamed the Orange Bowl. The NFL?s Miami Dolphins played their first game at the stadium on September 2, 1966. The east end zone seats were removed in 1977, reducing the capacity to 75,500.

 

 

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/past/OrangeBowl.htm

Stupid question: Why did they open it up?

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unused seats cost money.

Damn that's the first time I see a satellite pic of the OB and parking lot. That's a dramatically smaller parking lot than at PPS.

Nobodies answered my question on why there are no seats in the East End Zone anymore?

Damn that's the first time I see a satellite pic of the OB and parking lot. That's a dramatically smaller parking lot than at PPS.

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A 38k ballpark only needs about 7,500 spots. PPS really doesn't have that many, but compared to the OB it is a parking lot the size of Texas. Parking lots take away from the urban ballpark feel and are generally avoided. You will learn to live with this. Tropicana Field only has about 7,500 spots for 44,000 people.

Nobodies answered my question on why there are no seats in the East End Zone anymore?

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unused seats cost more money.

unused seats cost money

 

 

But wait. Didn't the Dolphins of the 70's and Canes of the 80's and early 90's bring in enough people?

unused seats cost money

 

 

But wait. Didn't the Dolphins of the 70's and Canes of the 80's and early 90's bring in enough people?

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yes, but concerts and other events couldn't use them. The open end was also made to install the scoreboard. But with modern engineering, you can create scoreboards that can be put on the structure.

Nobodies answered my question on why there are no seats in the East End Zone anymore?

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unused seats cost more money.

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Oh that's right the bandwagoners left after the Canes first loss.

BTW, stadium capacity will go down into the mid-60's

Nobodies answered my question on why there are no seats in the East End Zone anymore?

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unused seats cost more money.

632130[/snapback]

 

 

Oh that's right the bandwagoners left after the Canes first loss.

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:plain

BTW, stadium capacity will go down into the mid-60's

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That sounds about right to me. The OB is such a nice historic facility I hate watching games and seeing tons of empty seats in the upper deck.

 

BTW; I was watching a movie on AMC last week about some domestic terrorist crashing a blimp into the OB during a Super Bowl during the Steelers and Cowboys (it looks like scenes were actually shot during the Super Bowl). Corny movie, anyone know the name of it? Looked mid 70's to me.

"That sounds about right to me. The OB is such a nice historic facility I hate watching games and seeing tons of empty seats in the upper deck.

 

BTW; I was watching a movie on AMC last week about some domestic terrorist crashing a blimp into the OB during a Super Bowl during the Steelers and Cowboys (it looks like scenes were actually shot during the Super Bowl). Corny movie, anyone know the name of it? Looked mid 70's to me."

 

 

I believe that the movie was "Black Sunday".

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1002526-bl...unday/about.php

"That sounds about right to me. The OB is such a nice historic facility I hate watching games and seeing tons of empty seats in the upper deck.

 

BTW; I was watching a movie on AMC last week about some domestic terrorist crashing a blimp into the OB during a Super Bowl during the Steelers and Cowboys (it looks like scenes were actually shot during the Super Bowl). Corny movie, anyone know the name of it? Looked mid 70's to me."

 

 

I believe that the movie was "Black Sunday".

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1002526-bl...unday/about.php

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Thanks. :thumbup

"That sounds about right to me. The OB is such a nice historic facility I hate watching games and seeing tons of empty seats in the upper deck.

 

BTW; I was watching a movie on AMC last week about some domestic terrorist crashing a blimp into the OB during a Super Bowl during the Steelers and Cowboys (it looks like scenes were actually shot during the Super Bowl). Corny movie, anyone know the name of it? Looked mid 70's to me."

 

 

I believe that the movie was "Black Sunday".

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1002526-bl...unday/about.php

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Yes, it was called Black Sunday

no ballpark=barely any money to do OB renovations....city of Miami's bluff has been called.

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Actually all the Bond issues that were voted on during election day had the OB renovation, if the Marlins stadium goes astray the OB still gets renovated