By: Andy Kent

If ever there was a winning game plan to be admired when it comes to landing a record 11th Super Bowl for the Miami area, it was on display this morning at Sun Life Stadium.

The Super Bowl Bid Committee has tapped into everything the National Football League is looking for and then some for the historic 50th Super Bowl to be played in 2016. Plans for an urban core as the central location for activities include a comprehensive Super Bowl Village in downtown Miami, a Super Bowl Cove complete with floating nightclubs and a Navy aircraft carrier docked at Bayfront Park.

Biscayne Bay offers a water theme that cannot be matched by any other potential host city, which is why the committee included a zipline ride over Bayside Marina and water shuttles transporting fans and VIPs from South Beach and the Brickell Avenue area on the Miami River back to the front of Bayfront Park. There will be multiple stages for environment and interactive experiences set up all along Biscayne Boulevard and the NFL Experience will be housed on a large area inside Bicentennial Park.

All 32 NFL owners will be voting on both the 50th and 51st Super Bowls in Boston on May 21st, with Miami going up against San Francisco and the brand new $1.2 billion stadium being built in Santa Clara for Super Bowl L. The loser of that bid will battle with Houston for Super Bowl LI, which has a 10-year-old building in Reliant Stadium.

“We knew we had to do something totally different, outside of the box, unconventional and new,” said Super Bowl Bid Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto of the proposed $21 million plan. “We’ve hosted the game 10 times and back in 2010 a lot of the core activities were up in Broward County and Dade played backup with some of the events on Miami Beach and downtown Miami, so the activities were spread out among the three counties. … What we are presenting to the owners now we believe will force them to make a tough decision.”

Some of the lavish details of these plans had been revealed two weeks ago on the first night of the 2013 NFL Draft, but the water elements had been kept secret to the public until now. This also was the first time the public got to see some of the elements of the street festival that will take place downtown, with the centerpiece being a version of the London Eye overlooking Biscayne Bay.

There is a convenient open slip in between American Airlines Arena and Bicentennial where the aircraft carrier can be moored and the plan is to play a football game on the flight deck where an artificial grass field would be constructed. Fans also would be able to zipline over the water inside a translucent football, while VIPs would get to enjoy a party atmosphere on barges set up as floating nightclubs.

“There has certainly been a lot written in the past week about what is not in this bid,” Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said. “I was happy to hear today about all of the exciting things that are in the package.”

Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver and radio play-by-play voice Jimmy Cefalo will be giving the presentation to the owners in Boston.

This event will allow applicants to register with South Florida Workforce for stadium modernization project opportunities.  Attendees can also participate in interview and resume workshops and learn about other employment opportunities that are currently available with the Dolphins, Sun Life Stadium, and many of their largest vendors.
Miami-Dade County residents interested in attending may pre-register at the following
website: https://iapps.southfloridaworkforce.com

“”We’re going to the U.S. in June with the same group that’s going to compete at the Confederations Cup. This will be a very tough tournament, and as always, we will take the players that we consider the best,” said Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque. “We have a very stable roster, with top players to choose from, although the base of the team was formed a while back and it will be those players that are in the matches against Haiti and Ireland, as well as in Brazil.”

The match, which is presented by Relevent Sports, Sun Life Stadium and RSE Ventures, will mark the first time that the two sides have met. Three days before, Spain will face Ireland at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Tickets are currently on sale and available through www.sunlifestadium.com and www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the stadium box office at (305) 943-8000. Tickets start at just $29 and a limited number of VIP Field seats will be made available on the sidelines to watch the match. For more information on the VIP Field Seating, teams, players and event, please visit www.sunlifestadium.com.

Spain is the current World Cup and European Champion, having won the 2008 and 2012 European Championship as well as the 2010 World Cup. Lastly summer Spain became the first team to win three international tournaments in a row at the senior level. Currently ranked as the top team in the world by FIFA, Spain will travel to Brazil following the Miami match to participate in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

The backbone of this historic Spanish side is made up of stars from Real Madrid and Barcelona, arguably the two top clubs in the world. These players include 7 Balon d’Or nominees: Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Sergio Busquests, Gerard Pique, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Spain also routinely features top England-based players such as Chelsea’s Juan Mata and Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Spain’s top team to Miami, said Relevent Sports CEO and President Charlie Stillitano. “Fans will have a chance to watch Spain’s marquee stars against a quality Haitian side as the world and European champions prepare for the 2013 Confederations Cup. We invite South Florida’s passionate soccer community to come out and be part of this historic event.”

One dollar per ticket will go directly to Project Phoenix Stadium, helping to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Additionally, fans that purchase tickets will receive complimentary access to both team’s practices at Sun Life Stadium on the day prior to the match.

GET TICKETS HERE

“Modernizing Sun Life Stadium will create thousands of jobs for Miami-Dade and pump millions of dollars into the local economy. To ensure that the benefits of this project stay in Miami-Dade, we will be working with Operation 305 and local business leaders to recruit local small businesses and local workers for the construction and ensure that we are hiring a diverse Miami-Dade workforce for this project,” said Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee.

“With Miami-Dade’s unemployment rate at nearly 10%, our community needs the thousands of jobs that the Sun Life Stadium modernization will create. Operation 305 looks forward to building on the success with the Port of Miami Access Tunnel project and is proud to be partnering with the Miami Dolphins on the Sun Life Stadium modernization project,” said Christopher Hodgkins of Operation 305.

“In the coming weeks, we will be hosting Opportunity Fairs across Miami-Dade, as we prepare for the Sun Life modernization project, which is expected to break ground this year. As we move forward on this project, we will continue working to ensure that a diverse Miami-Dade workforce is hired,” added Marsha Jackman.

The first Operation 305 Opportunity Fair will take place between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Thursday May 2nd, 2013 at Sun Life Stadium and will allow applicants to register with South Florida Workforce for stadium modernization project opportunities. Attendees can also participate in interview and resume workshops and learn about other employment opportunities that are currently available with the Dolphins, Sun Life Stadium, and many of their largest vendors. Miami-Dade County residents interested in attending may pre-register https://iapps.southfloridaworkforce.com/dolphinsrenovation/

“Today, the Florida Senate spoke loudly, with a huge majority of Senators voting to let Miami-Dade residents have the final say on modernizing Sun Life Stadium. As Miami-Dade residents have learned about the project, which will create over 4,000 jobs and provide a substantial boost to the local economy, our momentum has grown.

“We look forward to working with leaders in the Florida House as they consider this legislation in the coming days.”

“With the Senate Appropriation Committee’s unanimous vote today, the bill that gives Miami-Dade voters the final say on bringing Super Bowls, college championship games and international soccer to our community now moves to the full Senate. The momentum to modernize Sun Life Stadium and create more than 4,000 jobs continues to grow. We look forward to continuing to work with our bill sponsors and the leadership as the bill works its way through the Legislature and to the governor’s desk.”

MIAMI GARDENS, FL

Eight teams are participating in the one-of-a-kind tournament including club teams from Spain, Italy and the United States. Following is a list of four participating teams; four additional marquee international clubs will be announced on May 7.

•  Inter Milan
•  Juventus
•  Los Angeles Galaxy
• Real Madrid

“The United States has never seen a club soccer tournament of this scope and caliber,” said Charlie Stillitano, Relevent Sports CEO. “The Guinness International Champions Cup will bring a new level of excitement and enthusiasm to the burgeoning sport of soccer across America. The teams are world-class, the fans are passionate and we could not be happier to facilitate such a landmark event. I want to personally thank Stephen Ross for the vision and support in turning this tournament into reality.”

The tournament will open in Europe on July 27 in a city to be determined and be contested over seven days at six marquee venues across the United States, with semi-finals in New York and Los Angeles on Aug. 3-4. Below is a complete list of United States host cities:

•  Phoenix
•  San Francisco
•  Indianapolis
•  Los Angeles
•  New York
•  Miami

The tournament will be seen in 151 countries across the world and culminate on August 6-7 as all eight teams descend upon Miami’s Sun Life Stadium for a pair of exciting doubleheaders including the championship match on August 7. FOX Soccer will televise 11 of the prestigious tournament’s 12 matches live, including the championship on Aug. 7 at 9:00 PM ET. FOX Sports will also add to the coverage and broadcast a live match Saturday Aug, 3 at 8:00PM ET. In future years the tournament will be televised by FOX Sports 1, FSMG’s newly minted national multi-sport cable channel launching in August.

“FOX Soccer is excited to work with Relevent Sports and Guinness to be the primary television home for the Guinness International Champions Cup this summer,” said David Nathanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, FOX Soccer. “The tournament brings great teams from around the world together in the U.S. and gives American soccer fans a chance to see the sport and at its highest level of play.”

Each participating team has a long-standing soccer tradition not only in their respective leagues, but on an international scale. Every team in the tournament has won their home country’s league title in multiple seasons, countless European championships and have over 100 combined domestic league championships. The United States has not seen a tournament of this caliber since they hosted the 1994 World Cup and the fast growing soccer market continues to express the desire for additional games. The inclusion of these international championship clubs into one tournament in the U.S. will be unforgettable for both host cities and fans alike.

“This tournament will set the gold standard for club soccer in the United States,” said Matt Higgins, CEO of RSE Ventures, the sports, entertainment and technology company co-founded by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

“A year ago, Stephen Ross had the vision to create a meaningful preseason tournament that would bring the world’s best teams and top talent to venues all across the United States, culminating in an unprecedented celebration of the sport at Sun Life Stadium. The Guinness International Champions Cup is more than a soccer tournament; it will make it possible for Americans across the country to experience competitive international soccer first hand.”

Miami’s Sun Life Stadium will host all eight teams for the championship and consolation rounds on August 6 and 7. The four games over two days will not only highlight the world-class level of the sport, the continued growth and passion for soccer in the United States but also Miami’s thriving food, arts and music scene with a two-day fan festival. Tickets for the doubleheader matches at Sun Life will be available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.

“Guinness & Co. is a well-known supporter and champion for sports around the world and we are very excited to be involved with such a groundbreaking international soccer event here in the United States,” said Doug Campbell, GUINNESS Brand Director. “To so many, soccer is more than a game and we have always celebrated Guinness beer as being more than a beer. We are excited to bring the brand’s refreshing tasting Guinness Black Lager to thousands of passionate adult sports fans to enjoy, responsibly, this summer during the Guinness International Champions Cup.”

All teams will play at least three matches in the bracketed tournament, including one match at Sun Life. Fans can look forward to learning more about the four additional teams, venues and tournament bracket on May 7. Further details about the Guinness International Champions Cup can be found at www.internationalchampionscup.com. Teams required to qualify for 2013-14 international competition based on 2012-13 domestic league finishing position may be subject to change.

As kickoff approached, though, the overcast skies cleared, giving way to perfect conditions for some afternoon football.

For the first time since November, Hurricanes football was back at Sun Life Stadium, as the team wrapped up its spring schedule with the annual Orange-White game in front of a crowd of Canes-crazy fans.

This type of intra-squad scrimmage, an annual tradition for major college programs, is used to evaluate players in a live game setting. It also gives fans what is likely a first look at this year’s team, which is coming off of a 7-5 season. On Saturday, many Hurricanes appeared to already be in midseason form.

The Orange team, which was led by the quarterback Stephen Morris, running back Duke Johnson and the first-team offense, beat the White team, 35-20.

From start to finish, it was a day to celebrate the program and the season to come, with a Select-A-Seat event for prospective season ticket members preceding the game.

Early in the first quarter, the spotlight shifted to a player making a much-anticipated return. In one of the great moments of the day, Morris found Malcolm Lewis, the rising sophomore receiver who suffered a cringe-inducing, season-ending ankle injury last year at Georgia Tech, for a 75-yard touchdown pass, immediately setting his all of his teammates off on a mad dash to the end zone.

As fans buzzed about the Hurricanes’ future, they got a little taste of the program’s championship past. Sure, current stars like Johnson impressed – he finished with 120 yards on 10 carries – making tacklers miss seemingly at will. But a few former greats got in on the action, as well.

Former Miami center Brett Romberg snapped the ball to Gino Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner, who floated a perfect pass down the left sideline to Andre Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown; a cool moment from a trio of Hurricane legends.

Miami will return to Sun Life Stadium for its 2013 season home schedule, opening against Florida Atlantic on August 30. For more game and ticket information, click here.

By: Andy Kent

MIAMI – Nearly five hours of debate yielded a favorable vote for the Miami Dolphins by the Miami-Dade County Commission on the private/public partnership brokered by the team and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

There were 11 of the 13 districts represented inside the County Commission Chamber and after some amendments to the proposal were hammered out and read onto the record, the partnership was approved by a vote of 8-3. A second resolution to set a public referendum for May 14th so that the residents of Miami-Dade County can get their voice heard also passed, this one by a 9-2 vote.

“I thought the process today was extremely constructive,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said. “I think that this is a Commission that is very focused on the details, as well they should be. They charged the Mayor with coming to them back in January with a partnership that made sense for this community and we fully expected the type of dialogue and the attention to detail that existed today.

“I think at the end of the day their votes spoke loudly that this is truly a partnership that’s different, that’s unique, that meets the commitments that we made in our pledge back in January. It exceeds, in fact, most of those commitments that we made in our pledge. So we’re gratified with the result and salute the type of dialogue and attention to detail that took place.”

A key component to the successful vote was the Dolphins’ commitment to repay the net proceeds of the County and State contribution, something that is unprecedented as far as sports facility partnerships are concerned.

Now the information will immediately be disseminated to the voters through the County Commission’s website, television station and mailings, as well as through traditional media. Legislators in Tallahassee still need to approve the bill authorizing the county to implement the additional 1 percent tourism tax and the $3 million per year tax rebate on goods and services sold at Sun Life Stadium.

Hall-of-Fame center Dwight Stephenson was among those in the audience showing support and the team got a sound endorsement from Mayor Gimenez and Commissioner Barbara Jordan, the partnership’s primary sponsor on the board. The Commission also heard from Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto and the head of the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau, Bill Talbert, who also brought with him some representatives of the hotel industry.

In the end, the long hours, days and weeks of negotiations between Gimenez and the Dolphins seems to have paid dividends. The two sides did all of the dirty work in terms of making the necessary concessions in order to come up with what has been described as an unprecedented partnership, and both feel that what will be presented to the voters is fair and will prove beneficial to all parties.

“This is a two-way street,” Gimenez said. “We didn’t get everything we wanted and the Dolphins didn’t get everything they wanted, and so in a sense that’s probably how you would look at a good negotiation. It’s just not one way or the other. The Dolphins had certain things that they required really in order for them to even consider some of the things that we were doing and so we had to of course verify that they actually needed those things and then we had to come to some sort of a mutual agreement.”

And that agreement now rests in the hands of the voters.

“We’ve been on the street and out there talking to community groups and engaging with cities and elected officials, but more importantly engaging with residents,” said Dee when asked about the challenge that lies ahead. “Our sense is that when the facts are known, when the economic development that emanates from this partnership is clear, that we don’t bat a thousand but we bat a pretty high average on having people be supportive about what’s going to be in front of them on May 14th.

“This is about jobs, it’s about job growth, it’s about all these events that will come here over time and we believe our facility is a key economic driver for the county. We think at the end of the day the facts will prevail and we have great confidence in the Miami-Dade voters that they’ll make the right decision.”

“We are proud to join Mayor Gimenez in agreeing to an unprecedented public-private partnership that will modernize Sun Life Stadium and protect property tax payers, while helping secure the future for Super Bowls, college championships and international soccer in Miami-Dade. The future is also brighter for the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Orange Bowl.

“We look forward to working with the County Commission to ensure that the voters of Miami-Dade have the final say on creating more than 4,000 jobs and pumping millions of dollars into the local economy. When the people of Miami-Dade go to the polls, we are confident they will support this partnership, where the Dolphins will pay approximately 70 percent costs, will repay approximately $167 million to the state and county, will pay for 100 percent of any cost overruns during construction, and will be committed to staying in Miami-Dade for the next 30 years.

“I want to thank Mayor Gimenez and his team for their hard work and commitment to bringing jobs and opportunity to the people of Miami-Dade. This is truly an unprecedented agreement, and the Mayor deserves tremendous credit for making it happen. I love this community and nothing would make me prouder than watching the Miami Dolphins play a Super Bowl in a modernized Sun Life Stadium. That’s more than a dream for me — it’s a goal I will work toward every day. I know that together we can make it happen.”