Which sport is Miami’s sport? It’s a little complicated
I got to thinking after reading a post from Henry Abbott (a/k/a the Godfather of the TrueHoop Network) on Thursday asking the following: Is Miami a basketball town?
I’ve only lived here five years, but I love the city and I think I’ve picked up what it’s all about. And because of that, I think it’s a harder question to answer than just picking a sport.
Miami is an event town. People in Miami want to see a show, something that really moves them to get off the beach and into an arena or stadium (I know it’s cliche Miami locals, but it’s the best way to explain). That’s why the Dolphins and football always tend to be the dominant sport.
Football was the first major professional sport to show up in Miami, with the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference, an early rival of the NFL, in 1946. It folded after a year, but the city would try again by welcoming the Miami Dolphins and the AFL in 1966. Of course, the merger happened, the perfect season happened, Dan Marino happened, and the city was tied to one team.
Basketball would follow in 1988. Baseball and hockey came in 1993. But by that time, football was ingrained in the city. Plus, it’s the perfect sport for the attitude of Miamians. It’s rarity makes every game an experience, even if the team is middling. 81 games for baseball, or 41 for hockey or basketball, isn’t very unique.
But there are times when the other sports can break through. In 1996, fans organically developed the tradition of throwing plastic rats on the ice as the team reached the Stanley Cup Final. Over 67,000 turned out to World Series games in 1997 as the Marlins beat the Indians in seven. And the city was draped in white as the Heat ran all the way to the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2006.
The problem is this: none of those teams sustained. The Panthers are currently in the longest streak without a playoff appearance in NHL history. The Marlins won again in 2003, but much like in 1997, the team couldn’t afford to pay its stars and shipped them off. The term “fire sale” has now become synonymous with the team. And the Heat got old and content after that title, save for Dwyane Wade.
But now is another opportunity for the Heat. And this time, there appears to be sustainability. Barring a horrific work stoppage next year, this team will be contenders every year they take the court. Plus, they will likely gain a crucial mid-level exemption next year, allowing them to pick up another quality piece. Long-term winning is probable, and with that comes a show. And if the Heat can bring the show night in and night out, the supremacy of the Dolphins will be given its biggest test since the 1960s. Only time will tell.
Update: I completely forgot a huuuuuge item I wanted to mention, but got off on the event tangent and forgot arguably the most important factor. Commenter Alex Ortiz reminded me of it. Long story short, a lot of transplants from the northeast and a lot of non-natives makes Miami a non-monolithic city. Lots of rooting interests, a lot of which aren’t even in this country. He gets into in more (and does it well, so read it), but that’s the gist, and it’s a very important point. Thanks, Alex.
18 comments
i thought this might work as a new fight song for the heat.
to survivor-eye of the tiger
the dundundun dundundun
dundundunnnn will be replaced by
this
Wade
Wade james bosh
Wade james booshhh
Teaming up all in south beach
For a time took our chances
Tried with others now we’re all on the heat
just three guys with their eyes on the prize
So few times it happens like that
we’d trade some money for glory
Won’t lose the grip on the dreams of the past
we’ll team up just to keep them alive
Chorus:
It’s the eye of the tiger we’re the cream of the court
Risin up to the challenge of our rivals
we’ll be the last team surviving at the end of the fight
And their keeping space for us all in the finals
Wade and james and bosh on the heat
Hangin’ tough staying hungry
They’ll stack the odds till we take to the street
For we ball with the skill to survive
Chorus
Risin up straight to the top
Took the cuts got the glory
Went the distance now we’re not gonna stop
Now a team with our hands on the prize
apologies for the length of post. just something i thought heat fans might like.
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oman Reply:
July 24th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
the last verse would have to be played after june to make sense.
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Miami Native Reply:
August 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
good work! I like it more than the gospelesque “can you feel the down in your soul?” I also liked Glenn Frey’s The Heat Is On!
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I think another wrinkle to the story is the influx of Cubans and people from New York and New Jersey. While going to school at FIU in Miami I was amazed at the sheer number of the Cuban population that lives there and because most of the older generation of Cubans no nothing of basketball as a result they don’t watch it. Same with people that come from other states because they may already be basketball fans, but they are affiliated with other teams. Miami is a “melting pot” outsiders would never understand that unless they lived there long enough to see it and coming over here for spring break does not count. With that said I have seen the Heat’s fan base has been increasing ever since Dwyane Wade got here so if we are not a Basketball city then we are an emerging one. Now with the Miami Thrice is in place as Matthew said the sustainability should now be there.
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Alex Ortiz Reply:
July 24th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
meant to type “know nothing of basketball”
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Hey, not to be an @ss or anything, but baseball has 162 games in a season. Basketball is the one with 82 games, you should check that error. Now about the topic at hand… Florida in general, being a southern state, is traditionally rooted in football. That being said, miami, being florida’s most northern of cities (in terms of the people of migrate here and stay) I think a strong heat team for the next decade would probably swing the pendulum into basketballs favor. I personally wouldn’t have any issue at all with both football and basketball being great at the same time, because that would bring local pride to a town that isn’t known for supporting it’s sports teams (I think thats cause there are a lot of people from other towns, and if your not winning, it’s hard to abandon your original hometown team for the local one). I also think it would be great for business. I’m originally from nyc, but in the 90′s I got to experience the renaissance that chicago went through, largely in part to a major boost in its economy during the championship bulls era. That city saw a major change, and I’m hoping that this one will see one similar or greater.
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Matthew Bunch Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 10:36 am
I was refering to the home games played. 81 home baseball games, 41 home basketball and hockey games.
I don’t disagree with anything else you say. It could be a big deal, and a sustained winner could change the balance.
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H2Oh Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
dully noted.
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H2Oh Reply:
July 25th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
*duly
I believe those numbers listed are the amount of home games played by each team in their prospective sports. So unless someone is traveling around the country, thats how many times people in Miami have to see each team play.
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I think Miami is not a basketball town now and in the past. The future is very promising though. If the new Heat team can go on winning titles year after year, which is most probable, it could eventually be a basketball town of the future.
The mere announcement that the three will be playing together sold a lot of season tickets, showing that people are expecting to see something more exciting than the dolphins and football.
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5 years in a city and you already got us down? To be honest after reading that first line I was ready to spew hot venom but… You are pretty much dead on except you miss how upbringing and family culture in the Miyayo affects our fandom. Loyalty is stressed hard when you grow up in Miami, loyalty to friends, family, and it deveops to sports teams as well. We take players like Zo, Hardaway, Marino, Zach, JT into our hearts and we live and die with the fortunes of our teams like they are family. Especially in the people who’s family or roots are from the carrbean… You go down to Liberty and you’ll find Big Mama who calls Dwade and U her 4th and 5th child and you’ll find my mom confessing her love for Ricky and how excited that “El Rey” LBG, no typo she never remembers it’s LBJ, is coming amd wondering if Bosh would accept home made empanadas in the mail.
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H2OH Reply:
July 26th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
best post ever!
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I know this is a blog on a professional sport, but you must mention the Miami Hurricanes when speaking of sports. The canes have been a mainstay here way before the heat, marlins, or panthers.
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how can you talk about sport in miami and not mention tha ‘U’?? the Fins had one great season , the heat had 06, the marlin done it twice and the Panthers once..Sports in Miami from the early 80s to early 00s was all about tha ‘U’ , miami was and will always be a football town tha ‘U’ kept miami on the sporting map when all other miami sport teams broke your heart year after year….check out the ESPN documentry ‘its all about the Ü’ to know if miami is a football town..
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Chris you were right about the neglect of UM but a tad bit off of your take on the dolphins, they went to 5 superbowls and won 2, then were blessed with a high flying offense with Dan Marino. UM was great, but the national title” ain’t no superbowl!” I think the success of the dolphins in the 70s, the Marino era in the mid 80s to late 90s, UM in the 80s and then South Florida was introduced to other professional sports in 88, thats only 22 years ago. You also have to consider the big HS football following, by all means we are not as fanatical as Texas, but football wins out because most kids here want to play football more than anyting else. Also in combination with outsiders you have a few locals that just like to root for the rival, I knew a couple of guys that grew up rooting for the noles, now kids are doing the same with the gators, while living their entire life in MIAMI!
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Matthew Bunch Reply:
August 2nd, 2010 at 8:00 pm
To the three of you, I never got back around to answering. I excluded UM because I was focusing on professional sports. I’m a UM grad and am a pretty darn big fan, so it was certainly not a slight.
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oh, and i forgot to mention that the Heat had a vvery strong following when Riley became the coach and got ZO and Tim down here, the team became an overnight success always flirting with greatness but always falling to the bulls or knicks. In fact the following was so strong that the city was convinced to help fund the AAA and thats even with crazy Brahman trying to stop it like he has done the Marlins in the past. People forget that Miami was set to rival the Lakers with the Eddie Jones, Anthony Mason trade, and FA Brian Grant, but ZO had to retire after flying around the world for the olympics and the birth of his child. Zo’s sudden illness set the franchise back, but the Heat had a big following then, so its more fair weather fans than bandwagon.
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