Reporting from the Miami Dolphins press conference:On the eve of Thursday morning's press conference, the South Florida sports community anticipated Gloria and Emilio Estefan's minority ownership announcement with the Miami Dolphins. With the atmosphere filled with Miami Sound Machine music and Hispanic classics created by the Estefans, the stage was set for the moment.
Stephen Ross stepped up to the podium and let the people know of his reasoning behind such a deal. Mixed feelings had already been swirling as a result of the recent Jimmy Buffet partnership that stamped a new name on the stadium. Ross felt it was proper to explain the logic behind such a move.
The Dolphins owner emphasized the importance of reflecting the South Florida community's identity through the ownership of the team, stating that "nobody reflects the community better than Emilio and Gloria Estefan." He went on to explain how owning a team is not about "paying lip service" but rather serving the community and its constituents. After his brief statements, Ross introduced the new minority ownership duo and gave way to what they had to say.
Gloria addressed the press first with a seemingly soothing attitude towards the deal that had been made between Estefan Enterprises and the Miami Dolphins. Her words mainly aimed at expressing the joy she and Emilio had in becoming a part of a team that they had followed since their youth. She went on to joke around by assuring everyone that she "will not be calling any plays" and "Emilio will not be playing quarterback" - a subtle way to offset any rumors of actual personnel and team involvement.
When it was Emilio's turn he mimicked Gloria's sentiments of happiness and summarized his feelings by stating that his heart was "in the right place."
A few highlights in the conference included one reporter's question towards Ross' strategy and a touching statement by Emilio.
A reporter asked Ross if he was implementing a "hollywood strategy" towards running the Miami Dolphins, referring to the Jimmy Buffet deal and the newly inked Estefan partnership. Of course, Ross did not see it that way and reassured that he was not exactly aiming for a Los Angeles Lakers type of atmosphere, but he did explain that we are seeing more and more conjunction between entertainment and sports because "sports is entertainment."
As for Emilo Estefan's touching statement, he verbalized how his emotions for the team are beyond setting a model for the Hispanic community. He referred to the unity that exists in sports, particularly in the sport of football within the U.S., and stated that "it's like September 11, no matter who you were you loved this country." He went on to compare that to the Miami community when it comes to sports.
Overall, the press conference was brief and concise, but contained hopeful words that instilled excitement in Dol-fans as the season nears. Steven Ross has already made two notable deals to generate such excitement and it seems evident that another move may be on its way to fruition.
The question is: Who else will join Stephen Ross' Dolphin family?
No comments:
Post a Comment