Reports: Dolphins Owner Offers Marlins Land, Money

 

MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins might not be fish out of water yet.

 

The Associated Press is reporting that Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga has offered land and money to the financially strapped Major League Baseball team to build a new ballpark on the property next to Dolphins Stadium.

 

The offer was reportedly made sometime last month, but the Marlins have yet to respond.

Marlins officials have been eager to get a stadium of their own. The team has shared a stadium with the Dolphins since the franchise began play in 1993.

 

Two weeks ago, Marlins President David Samson confirmed that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has given the team permission to consider offers from other cities.

 

The move comes after years of negotiations between the team, the city of Miami, and Miami-Dade County to finance a new stadium. The Marlins requested a retractable-roof stadium at the site of the Orange Bowl, but as of last spring, the funding gap to build the stadium had grown to $30 million.

 

Because of increasing construction costs, the Marlins said that gap has now grown to nearly $100 million.

The team and the city had hoped that the state would make up the deficit with tax funds, but the inactivity of the state caused that solution to die. In May, the Senate let the legislative session end without taking a vote on a $60 million tax break bill that had already passed in the House.

 

Senate President Tom Lee said that the measure had virtually no support among his members. Lee said about 30 of the 40 senators were opposed to the subsidy, not to mention the millions more included for other sports projects.

 

Samson would not say what offers the Marlins will consider, but Las Vegas has been mentioned repeatedly over the last year as a possible new location for the franchise. Portland, Ore., is also said to be a leading candidate for relocation consideration.

 

Samson said that the announcement doesn't necessarily mean the team is leaving, but he did say if something doesn't change, "Miami could be the first major city to see its baseball team leave."

That's not entirely true.

 

Last season, the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington and became the Nationals -- bringing baseball back to the nation's capital for the second time. Washington has had two other major league teams but had been without baseball for 33 years prior to last season.

 

Because the team has not responded to Huizenga, a source familiar with the discussions said he may rescind the offer.

 

Huizenga was the original owner of the Marlins before selling the team in 1997. He currently owns the Dolphins.

 

Copyright 2005 by Local10.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

I dont know what the deal is here. However, if trimming pay roll is going to help pay for the stadium, I think most people will forgive them for the firesale.

Wayne isn't being philanthropic here.

 

What isn't being reported is what he wants in return.

Why haven't the Marlins replied yet? Why? Do they not want to stay here?

It's not being reported because the only ones leaking anything to the press are the Dolphins.

Because the team has not responded to Huizenga, a source familiar with the discussions said he may rescind the offer.

 

THEY NEED TO ACT NOW!!!!!! WHAY ARE THEY WAITING!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

This is from the herald today. It says that Marlins are meeting with San Antonio, but it also says that Wayne has discussed giving 50 million to the marlins.

 

"Marlins and San Antonio officials will meet this week

 

 

Officials from San Antonio plan to meet with Marlins officials in Texas this week, an official close to the situation said. Though Marlins executives visited Las Vegas last December, this will be the team's first meeting with officials from another city since receiving permission Nov. 21 to explore relocation.

 

Meanwhile, MLB president Robert DuPuy is expected to meet with Marlins and Huizenga Holdings officials this week to discuss building a stadium on Wayne Huizenga-owned land next to Dolphins Stadium. The proposal still has a funding gap of at least $80 million.

 

Huizenga has offered the Marlins free land on the site and discussed chipping in $50 million toward construction, sources said. Huizenga, who is believed to be losing patience, has not said whether he would expect a share of the stadium profits.

 

Miami-Dade County has offered $138 million toward a stadium. County manager George Burgess said Monday he still holds out hope but conceded, ``At the end of the day, we may not be successful, and the franchise may leave.''

is there anybody out there on the inside who can shed more light regarding this deal between the fish and the Wayne to us die hards?

If we're assuming a stadium cost of 400 million dollars, and the county is chipping in 138 million with 50 million from Wayne, that's 212 million the Marlins would have to find somehow. Could the state be more anxious to give the team money if they go back to them with Wayne on their side?

Because the team has not responded to Huizenga, a source familiar with the discussions said he may rescind the offer.

 

THEY NEED TO ACT NOW!!!!!! WHAY ARE THEY WAITING!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

that's what Wayne wants. I would love to see the other side of the coin

 

 

If we're assuming a stadium cost of 400 million dollars, and the county is chipping in 138 million with 50 million from Wayne, that's 212 million the Marlins would have to find somehow. Could the state be more anxious to give the team money if they go back to them with Wayne on their side?

 

with Wayne on your side, I would say the odds greatly improve

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

 

 

A stadium with Huizenga getting half the profits is what you have now, and that isn't working out very well is it???

 

Think. God gave you a brain, use it.

Wouldn't this just be a new form of the horrible, crippling lease we have right now in a new wrapper? H.W.H...Satan for short...would want significant amounts of the revenue generated from the new stadium, leaving us in the same canundrum we are in now.

 

That is my opinion anyway.

REVISED: Would you rather have a stadium called "Huzienga Bowl" or no stadium and no team at all?

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

 

 

A stadium with Huizenga getting half the profits is what you have now, and that isn't working out very well is it???

 

Think. God gave you a brain, use it.

 

 

lets not assume that Wayne offered the Marlins a bad deal. We have no basis or factual information.

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

 

 

 

maybe thats whats taking them so long to decide. If I'm the Marlins, i'm looking at every conceivable option available to me with Wayne being at the very bottom of the list. They understand they can do the stadium with Waynes help but they also understand they'll make a much healthier profit without a landlord.

Of course Wayne is making offers. If the Marlins leave he loses that revenue. Getting anything is better than getting nothing. Unless it becomes personal, he'll reduce his demands on what he gets back in order to ensure that he continues to get something. That's sound business strategy.

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

 

 

A stadium with Huizenga getting half the profits is what you have now, and that isn't working out very well is it???

 

Think. God gave you a brain, use it.

 

Perhaps he did not know that. No need to take shots at his intelligence.

 

The problem with the Marlins is it seems they are being very picky which I do not feel they have a right to other then making sure they get a good deal on a lease. If it's a matter of just not being able to come up with the rest of the money then Loria really needs to do some thinking and drop the pride act. Selig and MLB need to step up to the plate and help out aswell.

Would you rather have a stadium with Huzienga getting healf the profits or no stadium and no team at all?

 

 

A stadium with Huizenga getting half the profits is what you have now, and that isn't working out very well is it???

 

Think. God gave you a brain, use it.

 

 

i can remember a time when you weren't such a dick

Of course Wayne is making offers. If the Marlins leave he loses that revenue. Getting anything is better than getting nothing. Unless it becomes personal, he'll reduce his demands on what he gets back in order to ensure that he continues to get something. That's sound business strategy.

 

 

Actually he would prefer they leave and not have to compete for either the retail (us) sports entertainment dollar or the corprorate ones (corp tix sales, advertising, marketing, co-branding, etc.). With 81 games versus 16 a competitive Marlins team cleans house.

 

The "real" sound business strategy.

 

If he really wanted to do the right thing Huizenga would sell the stadium back to county and they could then work with both partners (Dolphins and Marlins) to assure each is profitable. Each could have their use own sale of skyboxes, each could sell their own advertising, do their own deals etc.

You figure 2003 would be happy and positive to everyone now that Luiy is traded away, he has been demanding it for months now.

You figure 2003 would be happy and positive to everyone now that Luiy is traded away, he has been demanding it for months now.

 

 

I just saw the handwriting on the wall sooner than most Spike. I'm sickened by all that's transpired.

You figure 2003 would be happy and positive to everyone now that Luiy is traded away, he has been demanding it for months now.

 

 

I just saw the handwriting on the wall sooner than most Spike. I'm sickened by all that's transpired.

 

I was just having a little fun at your expense, but you were adamant about trading Castillo before a mass exodus was even thought of. It's ok to admit you did a happy dance when you learned he was traded, we all know how much you hate Castillo and were blind to his sheer awesomeness.

"Marlins and San Antonio officials will meet this week

 

Huizenga has offered the Marlins free land on the site and discussed chipping in $50 million toward construction, sources said. Huizenga, who is believed to be losing patience, has not said whether he would expect a share of the stadium profits.''

 

 

:lol take a wild guess.

 

 

and if he chips in $50 million toward construction he should indeed get something back. But if he wants anything close to what the current lease looks like, then all he's really offering the Marlins is the exact same mess they're in now, except with a retractable roof.

 

I would hope he could agree to something that's at least reasonable for the Marlins to consider...

Well how much was Loria going to chip in originally? Wasn't it like 175 mil or something?

 

Cutting the payroll has already saved him more than 30 mil this year, and more than that in long term. If Huizenga gives 50 PLUS land, and the city gives 140 mil, I think that definitely closes the gap. If this is true, then Loria is just being selfish.