Own It!

While it seemed like there could be no better sponsor for the Dolphins than Land Shark, Ross was just setting the stage for an even bigger and better deal. On January 20, 2010, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee announced a new multi-dimensional partnership with Sun Life Financial. What is more representative of Miami than the sun?

But the name Jimmy Buffett will always conjure up images of parties in tropical settings, and Ross understands that. “The Jimmy Buffett brand will still be a part of the Miami Dolphins,” he assures. The Fin Zone tailgate and pre-game entertainment will continue, and, “Land Shark will be the official sponsor of the biggest Sunday party in South Florida,” Ross states. “When people come to the games, we show them a great time. We’ve changed the whole atmosphere.”

So now that Ross has upgraded the atmosphere, it’s time to upgrade the stadium. Huizenga started the process three years ago, when he completed a $250 renovation prior to hosting Super Bowl XLI. During that big game, an intense rain storm soaked fans and the field, leaving a foul memory in the minds of NFL executives, who have let it be known that, after 2010, Miami doesn’t have a fighting chance at landing another Super Bowl unless improvements—like the proposed new umbrella/roof—are made. “As part of the community, it falls on our shoulders to make those upgrades happen, if Miami wants to host future Super Bowls and Pro Bowls,” Ross says, although some of the funding will have to come from tax dollars.

The NFL touts that the positive economic impact for a city hosting a Super Bowl can near $500 million; recent academic studies report that it can be less than $100 million. Regardless of the total amount, in South Florida, where foreclosures and unemployment rates soar, any infusion of cash is a good thing. While newspapers and naysayers are spouting that the NFL inflates the impact in order to encourage governments to use tax dollars to fund stadium improvements (such as those that the Dolphins just proposed), Ross is adamant that it is the community—not the stadium—that benefits from hosting the Super Bowl.

“I don’t make any money from having the Super Bowl here,” he explains. “The NFL sponsors everything, and I am just the host.” (He jokes that it even costs him money, as he has to host a lavish party for all of the NFL owners the night before the big game at the new Viceroy Hotel in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. During the event, some of the minority owners will be performing—such as Gloria Estefan, who will sing “Are You Ready for Some Football?”) Ross stresses the benefits that the Super Bowl has on the community as a whole—more jobs, an influx of money, and priceless media exposure around the world. During the entire Super Bowl week, news outlets will be broadcasting from the tropical city, catching the attention of viewers stuck enduring the harsh winter elsewhere. This will lead to increased tourism following the big game, leading to even more money flowing into the community.

In just two years, Ross has successfully revolutionized the Miami Dolphins operation, and infused excitement about the team throughout South Florida. Most impressive? He managed to create such an impact from his remote perch in New York, where he continues to rule over his real estate empire. As New Yorkers already know, and as Miamians are quickly learning, Ross is a force to be reckoned with, no matter the industry. As such, expect him to continue to make big moves to secure  winning records for both his real estate company and his football team.