Comments on: What’s Wrong in Florida?

By: Ivan

Ivan — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:45:25 +0000

I agree with all the reasons above. I’d also like to add that the stadium is the middle of fucking nowhere. Its 20 miles from where i live on an expressway. And considering that the games start at 7:05 on weekend, we’re talking about an hour and a half with traffic. So, when people get out of work at 5:30, they have a hard time getting all the way out there during the day. Also, you lose the factor that they have in certain stadiums for day games, because its hard to go out there in the middle of the day when its 95 degrees outside with 90% humidity. If the stadium was downtown, you could take the Metro(the only form of train system in Miami) or a bus if its in Hialeah. But the only way you’re getting to Joe Robbie is by car, and its far, and its not good for going to 90 games a season. It should be telling that the Marlins have one of the highest TV numbers of any team(atleast thats what i’ve heard, feel free to fact check that).

By: billbaer

billbaer — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:29:54 +0000

Yeah, there are a ton of factors that I left out. I didn’t even think of the lack of loyalty to the Floridian teams.

I went down to Florida a long, long time ago to watch the Phillies’ spring training (this was when the Marlins were maybe 2 or 3 years old) and it appeared that baseball was really popular down there. Maybe it was just spring training, and maybe it was because MLB baseball hadn’t been down there before… but 13 years later, I’m baffled that either team fails so horribly to fill up a stadium.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:22:54 +0000

Transplants are definitely a big problem that most people here don’t mention. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and I would guess there are more yankees fans here than marlins fans. Weather is also a problem. Frequent rain and 95 degree temperatures cause fans to watch the game from home.

By: Brody

Brody — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 19:35:49 +0000

http://miamisportsblog.com/2007/09/14/the-real-problem-with-baseball-in-florida/

This is the real problem with baseball in Florida: Snowbirds.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:26:08 +0000

Not to sound like a bitch, but Dolphins Stadium is a disaster for baseball viewing. First off, it’s fucking hot as shit for most of the season. Second, for a solid two months plus of the season, it rains every night. If I’m not going to be at least somewhat comfortable, there is no way I’m going to bother going to a baseball game in a football stadium with a baseball diamond stuck in it.

By: Signal to Noise

Signal to Noise — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:58:08 +0000

Bad stadiums and lousy ownership are obvious reasons, but I would submit a couple more possibilities:

1) Spring training. A lot of the base for these teams was probably judged based on spring training attendance, which is a totally different beast.

2) The folks with the disposable income to be able to go to baseball games in the state are more likely to be transplants with team loyalties already in place (esp. in the Tampa/St. Pete area.)