South Florida Fins Fans

[mf52dolphin]

Originally posted by ZOD
It's really not as bad as he thinks.

For instance-

I live in S.C.

Last year at the Jets game I was still out in the parking lot eating shiskabob and drinking beer at the opening kickoff. I was disappointed about missing the first 3 minutes of the game but it was shrimp, steak, tomato, potato, and pineapple on the grill with a couple of Dos Equis man!

I made my way in at around 13 minutes left in the 1st qtr.

At the half it's a madhouse to get a beer, p, or whatever.

Throw on top of that at the half the excellent azz kicking I saw a Dolfan give a Jet fan and I should be excused from making it back for the kickoff.

I drove 1200 miles round trip on three seperate occassions last year. I stay on the beach ($) for three days. I paid for a family of four one time and my wife and I on another (just the guys for the Jets game :D). I stay til the sweet or bitter end.

It costs all this and I'm still not in my seat at the opening kickoffs?

Before you complain....

Go there, experience it, and see where you are for the opening kickoff.

Ah Zod your cook should get the fire going quicker, and you need to gulp down the Dos Equis quicker.

 

[ZOD]

Originally posted by Muck
Then again, I get there at 10 AM for tailgates.

Yes I did have some bad planning on the Jets game tailgate. When you party til 3 am at South Beach it tends to effect your ability to awaken early in the morning at 30 something. In my early twenties I could have awaken at 7am and started it all over again.

 

[poppy]

Interesting thread!. Things have never been the same since they left the Orange Bowl. That place was rabid. I mean rabid!!!!!
It was one of, if not, the best homefield advantage in the N.F.L.

J.R.S. , while nicer, is an ergonomically poor football stadium. The fans are too far from the field. Add to that its a stadium is class conscious, namely the corporate class. This also detracts from the energy and enthusiasm.


The Dolphins have one of the stronger national followings of any team in the NFL and I don't think its too much to ask our So. Fla bretheren to get more passionate. Sure I realize that there are many great So.Fla Fin Fans. I used to be one of them. However, it is disheartening to see all the empty seats on an almost weekly basis at the beginning of games and at the start of the second half.

So.Fla is developing a reputation as the Los Angeles of the east.

 

[Bumrush]

It's not that we are fair weather fans!! We all love football, but you have to remember that we were treated to the best coach and QB of all time!

For me, I love going to games, its fun to tailgate and I am as diehard as anyone who roots for this team. However, over the years you begin to develop this attitude that the Fins are not good enough to take it one level higher. Year after year we blow multiple chances to take our game to another level. Lately, it seems as if we have more to gloat about than to be thankful for. Call me a fair weather fan, call me whatever you want, but the truth is its hard for me to get pumped up after years and years of failure. I can remember crying as kid when Bufallo (or anyone else for that matter) would beat us, feeling ill all week after a loss. After years of negative conditioning it rarely phases me anymore. I have a small taste of what it feels like to be a Red Sox fan. Always having high hopes, and always falling short. Well next year I won't fall in to the same trap. I probably won't renew, not because I don't love the Phins anymore, only because it's no longer as fun for me as it used to be. I used to spend my weekends thinking about the upcoming games, now I don't even think about the game until I am sitting in my seat.

 

[ARealFinsFan]

First of all, We have one of the biggest stadiums in all of football and WE SELL OUT EVERY GAME FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS.

So what's the problem? The fans don't get in their seat to start the game except when we play buffalo, the jets, pats, and night games.

At halftime, they are buying beer......

As for the stadium being half full........That has never happened.....luckily there is a record called the MIAMI DOLPHINS MEDIA GUIDE......and guess which franchise has the best average attendance since 1970?

The Answer: The Denver Broncos

Who was second?

The Answer: THE MIAMI DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!

So.......(BUZZER SOUND!!!!!) try again..

 

[PhinstiGator]

Originally posted by ZOD
...but don't you think it's a little condescending to judge others about the opening kickoffs when you have not experienced it yourself?

Don't you think it's abit condescending when fans yell "Wanny Sucks" when they have never coached a lick of NFL football?

 

[goldfish]

Originally posted by njfinfan
I feel your pain mg. I, and all the other fin fans in the sports bar I watch the games at, were very saddened and disheartened to see the emptiness of that stadium both at the beginning of the game and at halftime.

Having said that, I'm from South Florida, and the South Florida fans are fair weather fans. They only support the Dolphins when they win. When they're losing, they bail. Believe me, been to that stadium many times when the fins were losing and it was half empty. Also have spoken to many fin fans while living down there and they don't support the team like others do their teams.

It's a sad state of affairs. And 'pate, by the way, how can he do anything else living in Boston, but try and rally the Dolphin fans. There's nothing wrong with that.

This point gets tossed around all the time.... as if Huiz... is losing money or threatening to leave. I attend all the games... I was sitting in my seat 70 MINS.... prior to kickoff last week because my tailgate plans got smashed... who cares! Why should I get depressed cause somebody next to me leaves in the 3rd qtr. Call me selfish but I support Dolphins for my own reasons... I sit there and watch even though I'm mad,sad, upset or elated.... for my own gain or loss. I could really give a rats azz what other people decide to do with their tix.

We have something in common.... we like the dolphins, but if you don't celebrate the way I do... it's cool. It's not a sad state of affairs.... a sad state of affairs is the fact that our soldiers are getting killed while our gov't has its thumbs up their azzes.

I guess you don't pay attention to half empty stadiums in other areas? I guess you are just upset that you couldn't be here in one of those empty seats?

I guess I'm not a fan because my season ticket partner couldn't come last week and I kept the seat open so that I could have a little more space.... is that selfish or what....it was an empty seat, but you can be that the Phins got their money....

 

[njfinfan]

I'm know Wayne is raking in the dough with all the season tickets, individual tickets and merchandising alone for the Dolphins. That's not my point. The only point I was trying to make is that for us who don't live in the area (don't ask me why I left - wish I hadn't) it's frustrating to see the empty seats when, you're right, we would give anything to be able to be at that stadium for each and every game. I watch from the sports bar (I get there every Sunday at 11:00am) and stay until the bitter (ot otherwise) end. And I understand the passionate support for the Dolphins and the other post that they disappoint us year after year. I just believe in supporting my team winning or not. I wear Dolphin gear all offseason as well as all football season and am a very loyal fan.

I don't pay attention to half empty stadiums anywhere else because I only like the Dolphins. I do, however, know because I live here and have been to games there that Giants stadium is the same way when the Jets are losing - so Miami fans are not the only fair weather fans. (Anyone else hear that the Jets may be getting their own stadium in NY?)

Anyway, it certainly does not compare to our soldiers getting killed, not even in the same realm.

Go Dolphins!

 

[inFINSible]

Perhaps it's the Dolphin's fans, who hate the coach/QB and are positive that there is no point in cheering for a team that is going no where, that are the ones not in their seats.

They've already decided the out come of the season so why be in a hurry to see it?

 

[ZOD]

Originally posted by PhinstiGator
Don't you think it's abit condescending when fans yell "Wanny Sucks" when they have never coached a lick of NFL football?

Why are you asking me?

Did you here me say, "If Dave let's that clock run out, he should be fired on the spot" from my living room? :D

I didn't comment on that thread.

 

[PhinstiGator]

Originally posted by ZOD
Why are you asking me?

Did you here me say, "If Dave let's that clock run out, he should be fired on the spot" from my living room? :D

I didn't comment on that thread.

Sorry. It was NOT directed at you specifically...but it was meant for everyone who believes that they can offer a harsh judgement without being judged themselves.

Your question just provided a great springboard for me to make that statement.

:surf:

 

[Dolfan02]

To the original poster:

Unless you're in Miami and go to the games you won't understand why you see some seats empty during games. I've given my insight on this countless times and I don't feel like writing another thesis that explains it all BUT, Zod made some good points. Unless you go to the games and see it for yourself, you'll probably feel like apologizing for making those comments.

1.I was at the the last game still tailgating as were many thousands others and didn't get unitl 9:00 minutes to go in the 1st quarter. Miamians are late for everything! Thats the why it is here. I'm not Cuban but there's a saying down here (unfortunately) "We're on Cuban time" meaning you disregard being on time somewhere. Now why do people leave early from the game? Because they haven't figured out that no matter how early you leave you're going to be stuck anyways because the surrounding road system around Joe Robbie sucks, plain and simple. They don't care some now leave earlier, now they leave at midway through the 3rd quarter, but not all.

2. At halftime, its not good, the minimum-wage low-class food stand workers in Joe Robbie don't give a rat's *** that the lines to order are wrapped around the stadium. THUS, nobody makes it to their seats on time for the beginning of the 3rd quarter and you see a sea of orange seats. Plus I've noticed they stopped having beermen or even soda sellers walk through the aisles during the game. Another thing is the season ticket holders that probably average 5 games attended per year. For several reasons I'm not going to explain they don't attend all games.

3. And finally, which may sound funny but I actually took noticed it the last few weeks watching numerous other games on NFL ticket. Joe Robbie has orange seats which are super bright - its super noticeable from watching on TV when a seat is empty but I GUARANTEE you if you watch games in New England (which I did) you'll notice a lot of seats are empty too, its harder to tell because the seats are blue and match the team jersey and blue jackets. So you really have to focus but its there! Same in Buffalo, blue seats, same in Kansas City - red seats. I noticed it. Seats are empty, its just harder to tell because the team jerseys match the seats. I really really wish we would change the seats to aqua to squash that TV appearance. In all, I'm not trying to make excuses. Can we improve as fans? Sure. Are we faced with surrounding problems that hinder us more so than other stadiums? Absolutely.

I really hope everyone gets to read this.

 

[PhinstiGator]

There you have it...the answer to the problem is that all fans must wear ORANGE. That way they can blend in with the empty seats.

Let's bring a little bit of Orange bowl attitude to JRS!

 

[Muck]

That is a good point. The orange seats do make things deceiving. Everytime you see the blimp view or whatever, it looks like the place is empty. But it looks the same way when the place if slammed full.

 

[ARealFinsFan]

I remember the Raiders game last year and that place was rockin' and rollin' I then saw the game on tape and it didn't seem that full.......

What we have to do is have all the fans dress in WHITE....The place will then look like a mad house!!!!!!!!!