Most Beloved Miami Sports Stars of All-Time

[Dolfan4life!]

Your list is relative for the past 25 years but you are missing some if your list is going to be considered "All-Time". Here are just a few from only one franchise.

Larry Csonka
Jake Scott
Dick Anderson
Nick Buoniconti
John Offerdahl
and of course....Don Shula.

Just out of curiosity, why no Griese... or Little? (vs. Offerdahl or perhaps Anderson).

 

[Kdawg954]

If we are talking strictly about players, then its:

Wade
Marino
Mourning
Conine
Zach

For me, JT over Zach wasn't as difficult as it may seem. JT made sooo many impact plays over his tenure, JT for what I know is more involved in the community, JT had more years with the Fins and even though I think Zach probably was a little more liked by the fans (especially after JT left to the Jets), JT just fit better to me. But Lebron will be taking that 5th spot soon.

 

[Kdawg954]

Vanbiesbroeck was truly incredible in that '96 season. Hockey is the game I grew up playing and even though I was never a Panthers fan I remember just being brokenhearted when the Avs beat the Panthers in the finals after the performance Vanbiesbroeck put on to get them there. I played goalie from age seven through college and Vanbiesbroeck was always my favorite goalie and I still think that run they had, beating Cam Neely, Mario Lemieux and Eric Lindros to reach the finals, was historic whether or not they won it all.

I don't know that he would make a lot of peoples top 5's because I know hockey isn't real big down there, but kudos for mentioning the Beezer; we would certainly make my top 5.

Down here in South FL, you could argue that Panthers run had fans more wild than the Marlins titles and the Heat title . . . probably the Dolphins/OB days were the only wilder moments down here. South Florida is the ultimate bandwagon town and than bandwagon was on overload in 1996 (Remember the Marlins had not won anythingand the Heat were just starting to get good but the Bulls still ran the NBA). I still have my Florida Panthers jersey from around that time. Truthfully the Panthers were overmatched talentwise against the Avs, and hell several of those playoff teams, but sometimes good coaching, good teamwork and a hot goalie (Beezer) is all you need to make a run in hockey and the Panthers had all 3 going into the Finals. I never forget that game 4, probably the best goaltending game you will ever witness in professional hockey . . . Beezer vs. Roy, triple OT no goals scored until that 3rd OT.

 

[dolphindan1970]

Your list is relative for the past 25 years but you are missing some if your list is going to be considered "All-Time". Here are just a few from only one franchise.

Larry Csonka
Jake Scott
Dick Anderson
Nick Buoniconti
John Offerdahl
and of course....Don Shula.

Thank God for another older guy on here who knows and followed the Dolphins history. I keep saying the younger generation doesnt know these guys,but they all meant so,so much to bring the championships to Miami,especially Csonka and Griese,and Shula ! But what some other great names and players that meant so much also.Buinconti,Scott,Anderson,Offerdahl,Langer,and those NO NAME guys as well who played some hell of defenses and should at least be thought of as a whole unit !

 

[jtoomuch]

​Zonk.

 

[Lilseb93]

Here are a few players that come to mind:

Dolphins - Dan Marino and Ricky Williams. Dan is obvious and Run Ricky Run was such an anthem for those 2 seasons, I have never seen a buzz like that from any Dolphins player in my lifetime. Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor can be considered here as well.

Heat - Alonzo Mourning and Dwayne Wade definitely lead the pack here but even after one season and change Lebron James and even Chris Bosh the buzz is unlike anything we have seen down here is SoFla and who can forget Shaq. I gotta throw Tim Hardaway in the mix as well.

Marlins - Mr. Marlin Jeff Conine clearly is a fan favorite and top 5 is no stretch for him. However the buzz was never greater than when Dontrelle Willis aka D-Train was taking the mound. The guy had a unique delivery and would dominate at times early in his career until teams figured him out. Livan Hernandez obviously had a huge buzz being from Cuba and helping lead the Fins in 1997 to a World Series win and Josh Beckett in 2003 was unbeatable in the playoffs. My wildcard as a fan favorite tho . . . Chucky Carr. That guy was on SportsCenter every other night for a play . . very much a fan favorite. Miguel Cabrera is the best player we ever had tho.

Panthers - I don't follow hockey nearly as much as the first 3, but 1996 and John Vanbeisbrouck go hand in hand with all Panthers fans. That was a scene and buzz we had in South Florida that was truly unforgettable. Scott Melanby was a fan favorite during that time as well but our best winger had to have been Pavel Bure. Still to this day you have to wonder why we didn't do more to keep Roberto Luongo in net, but it is what it is.

Hurricanes - Much harder to list college guys because many of these guys were here for only 3 years and then thats it. Just to name a few, I'd go Ray Lewis and Ed Reed as the guys people know and Edgerrin James, Bennie Blades, Michael Irvin, Alonzo Highsmith and Ottis Anderson as local products who were big stars at the U. QB play is well known with Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverdie, Bernie Kosar and Ken Dorsey. Still there are plenty names I have left off but none of them really have that impact in South Florida in there hay day to give them the "buzz" needed to be on this list.

Other - Completely agree with Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson. Not really known for his days at the U, but as a wrestler and fan favorite . . . he deserves merit here. Kimbo Slice is Miami born and bred, and definitely had a buzz as his videos went viral on youtube. I have watched the buzz on Venus and Serena Williams in South Florida well before they got major. They have been down here since before 10 years old and they still live in South Florida to this day. They also own stakes in the Dolphins I believe.

Based on all that if I put together a top 5 it would be:

1. Dan Marino - Not unpassable and that is probably due to the lack of a ring, but he clearly is still the "legend" off all South Florida athletics.
2. Alonzo Mourning - The Heat weren't anything until he came. Combined with all his contributions off the court and coming back to help win a title in 2006, i had to put him at #2.
3. Dwayne Wade - "Wade County" need I say more. I'll probably have him above Zo soon and maybe Marino before it is all said and done, but the performance he gave in the 2006 finals is unlike any performance the NBA has ever seen in that kind of moment and only Josh Beckett pitching on 2 days rest to beat the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2003 WS comes anywhere close to that as an individual performance by a SoFla athlete in that type of moment to win a championship.

**Everybody's top 3 should have those 3 names**

4. Jeff Conine - The guy was an original 1993 Florida Marlin, on the 1997 championship team and the 2003 championship team and still has a position in the front office and is always on the TV broadcasts. Multiple charities in South Florida and holds the title of "Mr. Marlin". Fan favorite as the people know him as . . . Jeff cOOnine from the Marlins announcer and Niner . . . multiple nicknames always indicate fans. If he had the big time stats, he potentially could rival Marino in this list but either way it would be a injustice to leave him off a top 5 list.

5. Jason Taylor - This was tough for me and he won't be here for long as I think Lebron passes him as soon as he helps bring a ring down here, but JT deserves this spot. To me this list needs to consist of people who put in a tenure as an "icon" in South Florida Sports. Sure the Rock, Venus and Serena transplanted here before there careers skyrocketed and have enjoyed successes professionally . . . but I still don't consider them South Florida icons . . . they are more icons from South Florida and that makes a difference to me. Jason Taylor has enjoyed 13 seasons down here and would be a no brainer on this list if not for the "lack" of success the Dolphins have experienced during his tenure. He has charities tied to South Florida and despite the nonsense that some fans wanna give him for "going to the Jets" if the Fins don't offer you a contract and another team will, and that other and only team is the Jets, the man has a right to continue his career. Still he will forever be a Fin and fan favorite and rounds out my top 5.

Great list.

 

[allsilverdreams]

Ray finkle

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Thank God for another older guy on here who knows and followed the Dolphins history. I keep saying the younger generation doesnt know these guys,but they all meant so,so much to bring the championships to Miami,especially Csonka and Griese,and Shula ! But what some other great names and players that meant so much also.Buinconti,Scott,Anderson,Offerdahl,Langer,and those NO NAME guys as well who played some hell of defenses and should at least be thought of as a whole unit !

I share your frustration. To put basketball, baseball and hockey guys above Larry Csonka in terms of a beloved figure in Miami sports history is flat out nuts, to the point of parody. But it's hardly surprising. There continues to be a strange gap between perception and reality with the younger crowd who grew up in the Marino era but did not experience the early '70s teams. They want to believe the level of support and fanaticism was roughly equivalent in both eras, when it could not have been more dramatically imbalanced. Miami was in love for the first time in the early Shula years, and it overwhelmed any other topic in town, and has never been approximated. As much as the glory year Canes like Irvin want to believe they controlled the town for a few years in the '80s, it wasn't 10% of the passion and obsession for the upstart '70s Dolphins.

When I read the title of this thread my immediate thought was, "Early '70s Dolphins Team as a Whole," end thread. And I'll stand by that. The entire city was immersed in what Howard Cosell said about us on Monday Night halftime highlights, and you couldn't find a Sports Illustrated anywhere within hours if the Dolphins were on the cover. I remember the owner of the nearby 7-11 yelling at his supplier on the phone when it happened again, for the umpteenth time.

Csonka was the guy who made everybody grin, the tough but devious one you could relate to and wanted at your cookout. He's a simple choice as most beloved in that era.

 

[Daytona Fin]

Thank God for another older guy on here who knows and followed the Dolphins history. I keep saying the younger generation doesnt know these guys,but they all meant so,so much to bring the championships to Miami,especially Csonka and Griese,and Shula ! But what some other great names and players that meant so much also.Buinconti,Scott,Anderson,Offerdahl,Langer,and those NO NAME guys as well who played some hell of defenses and should at least be thought of as a whole unit !

in the 80s a lot the dolphins would travel around florida and go to local cmmunity colleges and schools and play basketball or softball for charities.it was pretty neat to go hang out with my childhood sports heroes for a few hours.

 

[LANGER72]

John VanBeesbrook (Hockey)
Chris Everit ( Tennis)

 

[Vertical Limit]

Kdawg's list is spot on except I'd add the coaches too - Shula, Riley and Jack McKeon.