Dolphins in Heat in Miami

In addition to glitz and glamour, Miami is well-known for its numerous professional sports teams. A city this large is bound to have at least one; however, Miami has an official team for just about every major sport. The Miami Dolphins are a National Football League (NFL) franchise; the Miami Heat is a National Basketball Association (NBA) team; the Miami Panthers are a National Hockey League (NHL) team; the Florida Marlins (soon to be Miami Marlins) are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise; the Miami Tropics are an American Basketball Association (ABA) team; and the Miami FC is a United Soccer League First Division team.

It should be noted that while Miami is the home of so many professional sports teams, only one, the Miami Heat, plays in the city limits of Miami at the American Airlines arena. The Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins play home games at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Miami FC team plays at Tropical Park Stadium and the Florida Panthers play home games in nearby Sunrise, FL.

While the Miami Dolphins play home games in Land Shark Stadium, the team’s training facility is in Davie, FL. The Dolphins are part of the Eastern Division of the NFL. Founded in 1966, the Dolphins began as an expansion team. The Miami Dolphins team is the largest professional sports team in Florida. The team went to its first Super Bowl in 1971 and in 1972, had the first perfect season in the history of the NFL, ending in a Super Bowl win.

The Dolphins were coached by Don Shula for much of the team’s existence. Shula is the most successful head coach in NFL history, with his team posting only two losing records during his 26 season Dolphins tenure. However, the Dolphins may be best known for quarterback Dan Marino. Marino broke a number of NFL records and was one of the best passers of his time, leading the team to five division wins, ten playoff games and a Super Bowl appearance, before his retirement in 1999.

In fact, it should be noted that nine Super Bowl games have been held in Miami; four at Dolphin Stadium and five at the old Orange Bowl stadium.

The Miami Heat is the second of four major sports franchises in the Miami region. Members of the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the team was formed in 1988 as an expansion effort, around the same time that the Charlotte Hornets was formed. Since that time, Miami went to the playoffs 13 times and won the NBA finals in 2006. Notable Heat players include Dwayne Wade, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice and Shaquille O’Neil.

With such a prominent football and basketball team, one might be hard-pressed to believe that ice hockey is a huge sport in this tropical locale. The Miami Panthers is an ice hockey team that is part of the Eastern Conference of the NHL. The team plays at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL. Started by Blockbuster Video honcho H. Wayne Huizenga in 1992, the Miami Panthers regularly play in front of record crowds and have the distinction of having the most successful first season out of any expansion team in NHL history. In fact, the team’s first season success was attributed to Coach Roger Neilson’s “trap defense.” As of 2008, the Miami Panthers was the only team to have a lifetime winning average of .500 or more against the Montreal Canadiens, which is considered to have the most wins in NHL history, coveting 24 Stanley Cup championships.

The Florida Marlins are part of the Eastern division of the MLB. The team was established in 1993 as an expansion team and plays all home games at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens. Since the Marlins’ inception, the team has gone on to win the World Series in 1997 and 2003. The Marlins managed to snag these wins despite being Wild Card entries each time, meaning the team went to the World Series without taking first place in their specific division. The team is in the process of erecting a new stadium in the city of Miami, replacing the old Orange Bowl stadium. The Florida Marlins will undergo a name change, as well, becoming the Miami Marlins after the 2011 season.

The Miami FC is a professional soccer team and is part of the First Division of the USL, which is on the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team is owned by Traffic Sports USA, which is a brand operation of a larger corporation that runs soccer club tourneys in South America.

Miami is just as well-known for its college sports as it is for its professional teams. The University of Miami’s Hurricanes are national favorites and began calling Land Shark Stadium home in 2008. The Florida International University Golden Panthers team plays at FIU stadium and is a beloved local college team. The Orange Bowl, which is part of the Bowl Championship Series that determines the national college football champions annually, is located in Miami, with championship games being held at Dolphin Stadium.

Miami also holds competitions between Paso Fino horses at the Tropical Park Equestrian Center. In addition to professional sports, there are a number of other recreational activities in the Miami metro area, including professional tennis associations, a number of dog racing tracks, golf courses, boating marinas and more.

Things to See & Do in Miami - The MiamiSmarts Article Series

1. An Introduction to Miami
2. Getting Around Miami
3. Secrets of South Beach
4. Dolphins in Heat in Miami
5. The Miami Music Scene
6. Things to See in Miami
7. The Miami Cultural Scene
8. Shopping in Miami