October 29, 200322 yr From the Herald. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...all/7099358.htm Posted on Sat, Oct. 25, 2003 DOLPHINS FAN Fan buys huge ad begging for new Dolphins coach A longtime Dolphins fan frustrated with Dave Wannstedt's coaching buys a full-page ad in The Herald pleading for his recall. BY CHARLES RABIN crabin@herald.com Mike Price has always lived in Southern California, but his home team plays 2,700 miles away. He is a longtime Miami Dolphins fan who ``lives, dies and has his breath taken away several times each and every game.'' And this week, upset with the direction of the 4-2 team, Price let everyone know about it -- especially Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt and team owner H. Wayne Huizenga. Price, 34, spent $16,758 on a full-page ad in Friday's Herald sports section calling for Wannstedt's ouster and the removal of quarterback Jay Fiedler. A PROPOSITION Price also wrote that he would be willing to coach the team and pay the owner $2 million a year to boot. ''I think I could coach in terms of leadership skills. But I wouldn't know too much about the X's and O's of the game,'' said Price, who said he's a high school dropout who hit it big with Internet marketing companies and now runs Canyon Palms Realty, a company that builds customized homes. Canyon, Price said, has 18 employees. He estimates his wealth at over $10 million. Still, Huizenga wasn't biting on Price's offer. ''Wayne saw the ad,'' said Ron Castell, senior vice president of Huizenga Holdings. ``He wondered why this guy paid for an ad when he could have gone on talk radio and said the same thing.'' THE GRIPES Price's main gripes are that Wannstedt doesn't take enough chances and is afraid of change, and that quarterback Jay Fiedler's arm is too weak. Though fans are constantly making similar complaints on local talk radio shows and in newspaper opinion pieces, the ad caused only a minor buzz in South Florida on Friday. ''I thought it was very informative and correct,'' one reader told the Herald in an e-mail. Price office is decorated with teal and green knickknacks and paraphernalia, said Jason Falk, one of his employees. And when the Dolphins lose, Falk said, sometimes Mondays aren't too much fun. ''He just wants to see his team win,'' said Falk. The team lacks offense and heart, Price said in his ad. ''I'm very frustrated,'' Price said by phone Friday from his Riverside, Calif., home.'' Each year, Price said he tries to get to as many Dolphins games at Pro Player Stadium as possible. Price said Monday's game in San Diego will be rollicking. To look at the guy's full-page ad, go to: http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/news/finad.pdf
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