Phins For Sale…Wayne Wants to Sell

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are swarming in from around the country to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their unblemished record.  Even as the Miami brass plan a half time celebration in their honor, word surfaces out of Miami that the team is likely up for sale.  Wayne Huizenga, according to parties close to the situation, wants to sell the franchise, and may have a partner.

According to a report in the Palm Beach Post, Stephen Ross, a real estate developer and new resident of Palm Beach has had private discussions with Wayne Huizenga about buying the team, and the stadium.

How close to reality is this?  Well, earlier today the Miami Herald reported that Wayne was having casual conversations and that the information was coming from a source now said to be Jorge Perez, known as the Donald Trump of the tropics, who would be a partner in the deal.  According to the PBP, Wayne is so irate with the leak that it could cause problems with the deal itself, reportedly in 1.1 to 1.5 billion dollar range.  A record for a sport franchise in the US.

Wayne has refused to comment on the issue and left the Davie training facility earlier today without issuing a statement.  Wayne has always been adamant that he was not interested in selling the team, but also said he would always consider offers if “the price was right”.

“Wayne’s still thinking about it, but nothing has been done as far as agreement or paperwork,” according to another source close to the negotiations.

The Miami Dolphins are still considered one of the premier franchises in the NFL and over the past several years Wayne has apparently received soft offers on the franchise.  One of the problems sticking with Wayne could be the fact that the team is still winless.

Recently, Wayne spent over 250 million on stadium renovations to the club level of Dolphins Stadium.  A marketing and merchandise campaign as well for the new logo design as well as marketing for outside ventures (read the Phinphanatic.com exclusive interview with Chris Overholt here).

The next question of course would be who are these two men and what future will the Miami Dolphins have in their hands, should a turnover of the team take place.  Jorge Perez is a south Florida real estate icon and Stephen Ross is a resident so it is safe to assume, for now, that the teams future will remain in Miami.

Time will tell how close this is to becoming a reality.  With a decision looming at the end of the season on the status and future of Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller, a change in ownership could have an impact on any and all decisions from coaching to free agent signings.  The new owners may very well want to strip it down and rebuild it.  Until more information is known and the parties begin publicly aligning to make an agreement formal, only speculation from when to how to what next can be expected.  If waiting for the team to turnaround and head into a better future was not enough, the question that now surfaces is how will it effect the progress of the team.

It should also be noted that with this new wave of information, it is quite easy to believe that more suitors may be revealed in the near future or more may become willing now that it appears that Wayne is at least serious about dealing the team.

While many fans are calling for the head of Cameron, many more have voiced their frustration to the same degree when speaking of Wayne Huizenga, to that end, caution.  Be careful what you wish for.

A short but rather impressive bio on Stephen M. Ross can be read here.

A Bio by Time.com on Jorge Perez can be read here.