Amars
Championship or nothing.
Super Bowl? Huizenga says Miami has much better shot
• More notes below
By Craig Dolch
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
ORLANDO -- Wayne Huizenga hasn't met the player who many believe can take the Miami Dolphins to their first Super Bowl in 17 years, but he knows one thing about Ricky Williams.
"I understand he has more hair than I do," Huizenga said.
Maybe Huizenga should offer to don a dreadlocks wig, a la former Saints coach Mike Ditka, if Williams can live up to the hype quickly being thrust on him. Many Dolphins fans, perhaps spoiled by five consecutive playoff appearances and back-to-back 11-5 seasons -- matching St. Louis for the NFL's best record the past two years -- want to believe that Williams can provide the running attack the team needs to get to the ultimate game.
The team's No. 1 fan shares that optimism. To a point.
"We've all been around long enough to know that injuries really dictate where the heck you're at," Huizenga said in his usual State of the Wayne address at the NFL owners meetings. "If we stay healthy, then I think we've got a much better shot now than we did last year. I really think bringing Ricky in and improving the offensive line... we're a completely different team. We have more potential than we've ever had before."
Huizenga considers himself a hands-off owner, although he suggested Monday "it would be nice if we could get another big offensive lineman." He lets Dave Wannstedt run the football side and Eddie Jones the business end.
True to form, Huizenga said Wannstedt told him beforehand about the trade where the Dolphins gave up this year's first-round pick and a third-round in 2003 that could be a No. 1 if Williams rushes for 1,500 yards this season, but that it was only a courtesy call.
"He wasn't asking permission," Huizenga said, "and I said it sounds great to me."
But what happens if some of Williams' past problems in New Orleans -- he criticized teammates, the organization, the fans and the city in a Sports Illustrated article -- come with him to South Florida? When asked if he was concerned about Williams' "baggage," Huizenga turned to his business background.
"You always look at the alternatives," he said. "If we didn't get Ricky, there really wasn't an alternative for us. And when you look at where our first-round pick was, 25th, that's so far down you don't pick what you need, you end up getting the best available talent and then trying to swap that. The way I looked at it, we used our 25th pick to get Ricky Williams. That's a helluva deal."
Enough to finally get the Dolphins past the first round? Huizenga wasn't going to make any predictions.
"As good as Ricky Williams is, he's just one person," Huizenga said. "If you get three or four key guys hurt, like we saw last year, it doesn't matter how good Ricky Williams is. It's tough to get the job done."
Huizenga also discussed:
Wannstedt's performance: "I think Dave is fantastic. The results speak for themselves. I'm glad we got a good guy.
Ticket prices: The Dolphins have raised prices each of the past four years, and don't expect this streak to end. Their average for 2002 is $45.83, which is expected to rank in the lower third in the league.
"We're among the lowest in the NFL and when you see the ticket prices of some of these new stadiums, it's mind-boggling," he said. "Unfortunately, salaries go up more than ticket prices. The (ticket) increases are not going to come close to covering the increase in salaries."
Stadium name: The team will continue to use the name Pro Player on their stadium even though they're not being paid by the now-bankrupt sports clothing company. Huizenga said it's costing the team $3-4 million a year, but he'll stick with Pro Player Stadium until he finds a suitable replacement.
"It's better than putting a name on for one year or two," he said. "People are going to make fun of it no matter what name it is. I kind of like Pro Player. There are pros playing there.
Minority partner: Huizenga said the team no longer is looking for a minority partner.
• More notes below
By Craig Dolch
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
ORLANDO -- Wayne Huizenga hasn't met the player who many believe can take the Miami Dolphins to their first Super Bowl in 17 years, but he knows one thing about Ricky Williams.
"I understand he has more hair than I do," Huizenga said.
Maybe Huizenga should offer to don a dreadlocks wig, a la former Saints coach Mike Ditka, if Williams can live up to the hype quickly being thrust on him. Many Dolphins fans, perhaps spoiled by five consecutive playoff appearances and back-to-back 11-5 seasons -- matching St. Louis for the NFL's best record the past two years -- want to believe that Williams can provide the running attack the team needs to get to the ultimate game.
The team's No. 1 fan shares that optimism. To a point.
"We've all been around long enough to know that injuries really dictate where the heck you're at," Huizenga said in his usual State of the Wayne address at the NFL owners meetings. "If we stay healthy, then I think we've got a much better shot now than we did last year. I really think bringing Ricky in and improving the offensive line... we're a completely different team. We have more potential than we've ever had before."
Huizenga considers himself a hands-off owner, although he suggested Monday "it would be nice if we could get another big offensive lineman." He lets Dave Wannstedt run the football side and Eddie Jones the business end.
True to form, Huizenga said Wannstedt told him beforehand about the trade where the Dolphins gave up this year's first-round pick and a third-round in 2003 that could be a No. 1 if Williams rushes for 1,500 yards this season, but that it was only a courtesy call.
"He wasn't asking permission," Huizenga said, "and I said it sounds great to me."
But what happens if some of Williams' past problems in New Orleans -- he criticized teammates, the organization, the fans and the city in a Sports Illustrated article -- come with him to South Florida? When asked if he was concerned about Williams' "baggage," Huizenga turned to his business background.
"You always look at the alternatives," he said. "If we didn't get Ricky, there really wasn't an alternative for us. And when you look at where our first-round pick was, 25th, that's so far down you don't pick what you need, you end up getting the best available talent and then trying to swap that. The way I looked at it, we used our 25th pick to get Ricky Williams. That's a helluva deal."
Enough to finally get the Dolphins past the first round? Huizenga wasn't going to make any predictions.
"As good as Ricky Williams is, he's just one person," Huizenga said. "If you get three or four key guys hurt, like we saw last year, it doesn't matter how good Ricky Williams is. It's tough to get the job done."
Huizenga also discussed:
Wannstedt's performance: "I think Dave is fantastic. The results speak for themselves. I'm glad we got a good guy.
Ticket prices: The Dolphins have raised prices each of the past four years, and don't expect this streak to end. Their average for 2002 is $45.83, which is expected to rank in the lower third in the league.
"We're among the lowest in the NFL and when you see the ticket prices of some of these new stadiums, it's mind-boggling," he said. "Unfortunately, salaries go up more than ticket prices. The (ticket) increases are not going to come close to covering the increase in salaries."
Stadium name: The team will continue to use the name Pro Player on their stadium even though they're not being paid by the now-bankrupt sports clothing company. Huizenga said it's costing the team $3-4 million a year, but he'll stick with Pro Player Stadium until he finds a suitable replacement.
"It's better than putting a name on for one year or two," he said. "People are going to make fun of it no matter what name it is. I kind of like Pro Player. There are pros playing there.
Minority partner: Huizenga said the team no longer is looking for a minority partner.
