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Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?

Gonk

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Only about two weeks went by after the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 before Wayne Huizinga started trading off all the all-stars. I think about 2/3 of our starting line-up was gone the next season. The Marlins finished with the worst record in baseball the year after they won it all. If the Dolphins win the Super Bowl, will Huizinga get rid of all our talent for his profit? Does he have the balls to do it with the Dolphins?

edit: Whoops, thread title is supposed to be: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?
 
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Can he even do it with the Dolphins? Isnt it Spielman's job to hire and fire?
 
No, because noone will go to the games and he will lose money. In 1998 the Marlins ended up 54-108...pretty sad record.
 
Originally posted by Gonk
Only about two weeks went by after the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 before Wayne Huizinga started trading off all the all-stars. I think about 2/3 of our starting line-up was gone the next season. The Marlins finished with the worst record in baseball the year after they won it all. If the Dolphins win the Super Bowl, will Huizinga get rid of all our talent for his profit? Does he have the balls to do it with the Dolphins?

edit: Whoops, thread title is supposed to be: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?

I really don't think that will be the case for two reasons.

1st Wayne has always said that the Dolphins were first on his list.
I for some reason believe him on that. While he sold off the other 2 teams I think he is much more willing to spend cash on the Fins.

2nd Baseball with the lack of a salary cap is a much different animal than the NFL that has a salary cap.
Teams in baseball can be spending over 100 million more dollars on their roster than other teams..... See the Yankees.
Huzienga realized that in baseball you can easily buy a title and that is what he did. They loaded the roster and were paying "Yankee" money for the roster they built. I don't believe he ever meant to keep that team together. The NFL and the Fins is a different situation. With the salary cap the amount of money spent on your roster is pretty consistent. While you can tweak the salary cap for a year or two ala the Redskins, you still can't manipulate a roster like in baseball. The Dolphins haven't done any frivolous spending like the Skins. Every offseason the moves they have made have been very salary cap savy and meant to keep the team out of cap hell. Hence no need for a massive purge of a team even if win a Super Bowl.
 
Originally posted by Gonk
Only about two weeks went by after the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 before Wayne Huizinga started trading off all the all-stars. I think about 2/3 of our starting line-up was gone the next season. The Marlins finished with the worst record in baseball the year after they won it all. If the Dolphins win the Super Bowl, will Huizinga get rid of all our talent for his profit? Does he have the balls to do it with the Dolphins?

edit: Whoops, thread title is supposed to be: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?

First off Huizinga excuse for selling the team was that he was losing money about 20 millions that year.Another reason was the stadium issue and he also said lack of salary cap had to do with i too.

You talking about two different things and only way this team is dismantle is Dolphins enter salary cap hell.
 
Huizenga said way before 1998 that he bought the Dolphins b/c he loved football, but he bought the Marlins and Panthers as business ventures.
 
Originally posted by Gonk
Only about two weeks went by after the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 before Wayne Huizinga started trading off all the all-stars. I think about 2/3 of our starting line-up was gone the next season. The Marlins finished with the worst record in baseball the year after they won it all. If the Dolphins win the Super Bowl, will Huizinga get rid of all our talent for his profit? Does he have the balls to do it with the Dolphins?

edit: Whoops, thread title is supposed to be: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?

It can't happen to the extent it happened with the Marlins, the cap hit for similar moves would bankrupt this franchise for several years. Also the Dolphins have 100% fan support, very much unlike the 1998 Marlins. It's one thing to say you love a team it's another to give them what they need to be a success, like a stadium.

Oliver...
 
Re: Re: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?

Originally posted by Oliver


It can't happen to the extent it happened with the Marlins, the cap hit for similar moves would bankrupt this franchise for several years. Also the Dolphins have 100% fan support, very much unlike the 1998 Marlins. It's one thing to say you love a team it's another to give them what they need to be a success, like a stadium.

Oliver...

I agree. The Marlins don't get the $$ from concesions, parking, sky boxes, etc. That all goes to Huizenga. The live off merchandizing and ticket sales. That's why they have to have a very low payroll or they actually do lose money.

The Dolphins on the other hand... well lats just say the money comes out of one pocket and into another! :D
 
After Huizenga lost 37 million dollars in 1997, he firgured that baseball was not a moneymaking buisness, but football was. He already highlighted that he would not sell the dolphins if they ever won a championship. The year after we won, we would have a better fan base than the year before, which equals up to more $$$. In baseball, almost no regualr season games are sellouts, especially in florida where tehre is SO much more to do.

Huiznega made a mistake big time. If he kept the marlins, that money would have come back through fan merchandise and tickets money. The Marlins would have won at least one more title, and they wouldnt be in a big hole for six years. Thank god they are decent this year and are making a push for the wild card. I went to the game tonigt, I dont know about you other pure South FLorida fans, but i am excited as hell about these marlins, and these dolphins...
 
Marlins average attendance

1993-37,000
1994-33,695
1995-23,783
1996-21,565
1997-29,190
1998-21,363
1999-16,906
2000-15,134
2001-15,765
2002-10,038 Beach bum-they don't appreciate them.

Atlanta Braves attendance (same years)

47,960
44,548
35,581
35,818
42,771
41,492
40,554
39,930
34,858
32,142

It will not happen to the Dolphins. South Florida appreciates football.

And you have dumbasses like me traveling down too

:D .
 
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Originally posted by The Beach Bum
After Huizenga lost 37 million dollars in 1997, he firgured that baseball was not a moneymaking buisness, but football was. He already highlighted that he would not sell the dolphins if they ever won a championship. The year after we won, we would have a better fan base than the year before, which equals up to more $$$. In baseball, almost no regualr season games are sellouts, especially in florida where tehre is SO much more to do.

Huiznega made a mistake big time. If he kept the marlins, that money would have come back through fan merchandise and tickets money. The Marlins would have won at least one more title, and they wouldnt be in a big hole for six years. Thank god they are decent this year and are making a push for the wild card. I went to the game tonigt, I dont know about you other pure South FLorida fans, but i am excited as hell about these marlins, and these dolphins...

As far as a business decision, good ole Wayne made the correct decision in SPADES. All the Marlins have done is lose games, and lose $ since then. They have a horrid fan base when they are not on top of things. It would be STUPID IMO for him to continue to pay the salary of that '97 team into the '98 season and beyond.

Oliver...
 
dolphins are his cash cow. He is a brilliant business man! And he knows that after the Superbowl if he keep 90% of the team together, THere will be a lot of money spent on Dolphin paraphanelia and thats money in his pocket.
 
Originally posted by Gonk
Only about two weeks went by after the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 before Wayne Huizinga started trading off all the all-stars. I think about 2/3 of our starting line-up was gone the next season. The Marlins finished with the worst record in baseball the year after they won it all. If the Dolphins win the Super Bowl, will Huizinga get rid of all our talent for his profit? Does he have the balls to do it with the Dolphins?

edit: Whoops, thread title is supposed to be: Could we end up like the 1998 Marlins?


That will never happen, Wayne had the firesale to sell the team, no one was going to buy a team that was losing money with that payroll, it was a business decision, he got florida a championship and broke it down to make it sellable.

Wayne has no intention of selling the dolphins, so dont worry about it happening, if he did something like that wayne would have to leave town for good.

On a side note, 37k people showed up for Willis last night, how sick is that, I dont think 37k people showed up for a regular season game when the marlins won it all.
 
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