South Florida Dominating the Sports Industry

If you haven't noticed already, Miami has recently been an attraction for a multitude of sporting events of national and international recognition. It seems that South Florida has become a point of interest for the sport industry - something many Miami sport enthusiasts are delighted about. Let's go over the events that will be coming to the south side of the Sunshine State within the 2009-10 time span.

World Golf Chamipionship - CA Championship
Date: March 9-March 15, 2009
Location: Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Website: http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r473/

I believe that Tiger Woods might be coming back off his knee surgery for this tournament, depending on his recovery. This event is a great opportunity for all golf lovers and sport enthusiasts to go out on the greens in Doral and watch some of the greatest golfers on the planet. This event is internationally renowned and South Florida is lucky enough to be the host of such an event. Golf is a growing sport and you know a sport is big when it has its own channel (i.e. the Golf Channel), thus the CA Championship will undoubtly be televised across the globe. So, you can experience it live and come out on TV or spectate from afar as you watch one of the Sunshine State's most pristine golf courses - The Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

The World Baseball Classic
Date: March 14-March 18, 2009
Location: Dolphins Stadium
Website: http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/index.jsp

This event is baseball fan's dream come true. You get to see the MLB's top stars represent their countries in a battle for national pride. You'll see Derek Jeter & Jimmy Rollins (USA), Miguel Cabrera & Magglio Ordonez (Venezuela), and Ichiro & "Dice-K" (Japan) on one field for four days of top-notch baseball action. Florida Marlins fans will get to see their very own Hanley Ramirez, Jorge Cantu, Alfredo Amezaga, and Matt Lindstrom play for their respective countries in their Marlins home turf. Essentially, this is an all-star event for baseball and Miami is proud to be a part of the multi-cultural competition that the WBC bring to town. After all, Miami is well known for its cultural diversity.

Sony Ericcson Open

Date: March 25-April 5, 2009

Location: Crandon Park
Website: http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/1/en/home/default.asp

Whoever likes the back-and-forth action of tennis will love to be a part of the Sony Ericcson Open. The stars will align in Crandon Park to play in a week-long event to decide who indeed are the top tennis players in the world. On the men's side you have Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokavic, and Andy Roddick as just a few players that will duke it out on the courts. As for the women's end, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Jelena Jankovic will showcase their talent and fight for a title. If these star athletes aren't enough to drive someone to the event, the Sony Ericcson Open offers special events such as fashion shows, live entertainment with world renowned recording artists, great shopping, and more. It's an all encompassing experience for families and individual spectators.

McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game
Date: March 30-April 1, 2009

Location: BankUnited Center

Website: http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/

If you watch the NBA today, you will realize that many of the top players in the league were once McDonald's All-American players. Whether it's Shaq, Magic, Jordan, or LeBron, the NBA's elite have historically come from the McDonald's All-American game. At the American Airlines Arena, basketball fans will take a first-hand look at the future of college and pro basketball on one court. These kids might be young, but they are the cream of the crop and represent the best players in the US coming out of high school. So if you want to witness the future of basketball, take a trip to the AA Arena and watch these young men and women perform under the bright lights.

NFL Pro Bowl
Date: January 31, 2010
Location: Dolphins Stadium
Website: http://www.southfloridasuperbowl.com

For the first time in 30 years, the Pro Bowl will be played somewhere else other than in Hawaii. That "somewhere else" happens to be Miami Florida - different scenery, same tropical ambience. In the week prior to the Super Bowl, football fans will get to watch the NFL's best battle it out on the gridiron inside Dolphins Stadium. Miami fans will likely get to see a handful of their hometown players as well as experience the best of the rest. This game, coupled with the Super Bowl, is set to draw huge crowds to Miami and set off 2010 in a bang.

Super Bowl XLIV
Date: February 7, 2010
Location: Dolphins Stadium
Website: http://www.southfloridasuperbowl.com

The game of all games is coming to Dolphins Stadium to host the NFL's top-two elite teams in the vibrant city of Miami. As NFL fans push for their hometown teams to reach the ultimate game, everyone will tune in to see next year's best two teams play for the Vince Lombardi trophy. Selling out stadium seats and generating record-breaking TV ratings is something the Super Bowl is known for and on February 7th, 2010, Miami will the host of this global spectacle. This is the million-dollar answer for Miami on top of all the aforementioned events that will be coming to South Florida. Strap yourselves in because South Beach is in for a thrilling ride through sports madness.