Figure 1 Good things are happening with sports in South Florida
The baseball season has begun and some of the other sports are now in playoff mode. It is fair to say that sports fans are enjoying life at the moment. There hasn’t been too much for the fans to celebrate in South Florida in recent years though. But could that all be about to change?
Media pundits and some of the best betting sites in California may favor teams from other cities, but there is definitely something happening in our corner of the world. The last time a Miami team won a championship is now an entire decade ago – but there are players at our local organizations that might be sizing up for rings in the years to come.
New Era for the Dolphins
There was a time when the Dolphins were the best team in the NFL. Unfortunately that time is quite a long time ago now. Dan Marino may still be remembered fondly in South Florida but the next generation of championship players never really materialized.
It has been 13 years since the Dolphins last won the AFC East – and there have only been two years when they made the postseason. But there have been three winning record seasons now and second-year head coach Mike McDaniel will be helped by Vic Fangio to create a fearsome defense. The Dolphins should be much harder to beat in 2023.
Bring the Heat
This is the South Florida team that most sports fans think can be the one to bring a championship home. The Heat had the best record in the Eastern Conference last year but then came unstuck against the Celtics in the Conference Finals. Erik Spoelstra is adamant that Miami will come back stronger.
The 2022-23 regular season was not spectacular. But the Heat has come alive in the postseason. Jimmy Butler is the main man, but the likes of the veteran Kyle Lowry and others, such as Bam Adebayo, make Miami a formidable team. Whatever happens in the playoffs, the Heat is back as one of the best in the East.
Miami is a Hockey Town
The Panthers only took three years from their debut to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They were eventually swept by the Avs and spent the next 20 years rarely troubling the postseason. But Florida has now extended their season for a fourth consecutive year and is giving the best in hockey a run for their money.
New head coach Paul Maurice is one of the youngest in the NHL and was able to lead the Panthers to a Wild Card spot this year. Boston had been just about unbeatable all year but Florida took the series in seven and had no problem with the Leafs either. This is another local team that is building for the future.
Figure 2 Florida has come to love hockey
Ongoing Problems for Marlins
Since the then-Florida Marlins won their second World Series in 2004 there has been very little success on the diamond in South Florida. Aside from a solitary playoff run in 2020, there has been no postseason excitement at all and a winning season is just a distant memory for Miami baseball fans.
Although we are promising a bright future for South Florida sports teams, it is difficult to guarantee that the Marlins will follow the likes of the Heat and the Panthers into the later rounds of the playoffs. But, the baseball season has just begun and everyone is still full of hope. Who knows? The Marlins could surprise us all.
Celebrity Soccer
There were probably some soccer fans that thought that MLS Cups would soon be coming South Florida’s way when David Beckham took up the option to become co-owner of Inter Miami. But it has been three years of frustration so far for a team that has not even made Miami its home quite yet.
Phil Neville has an entire career of top-level soccer experience but his coaching credentials have been questioned. We will have to see how the team gets on this year without a goal scorer like Gonzalo Higuain as well. This is the youngest organization in the area – but it might take a little longer to bring a championship home.