Phins "Let It Loose" & Then Re-sign Tyrone Culver
By Brian Miller
O.k. I really did try….REALLY tried to come up with something catchy in that title. Unfortunately the “Words Got In the Way“. I know that was a really bad pun but I just couldn’t get “Conga” mixed in and I really was trying to do “Anything for you“. O.k. now I’m just starting to make myself sick…no that is not a play on a Miami Sound Machine song.
Today the Miami Dolphins did play a little “MSM” as they announced that on Thursday Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio will be formally announced as minority owners of the Miami Dolphins. New full owner Stephen M. Ross plans to welcome his new partners at a presser on Thursday morning.
The Estefans are Cuban-Americans who are rich in South Florida tradition where the Cuban influence runs high. Up until recently the Miami Dolphins never truly embraced their south tropics feel when it came to the football team. Now, in a matter of two months, the Dolphins under new owner Ross have struck two deals that will embrace the cities culture.
Only a month ago the Dolphins threw a party announcing the naming of the stadium. Jimmy Buffet‘s own Landshark Lager is the stadiums new name and Buffet himself has agreed to contribute to the stadium aura on gameday. Buffet has already re-written one of his songs to incorporate the Miami Dolphins. Will the new owners do the same?
It is not known as of yet what the Estefan slice will be but it likely will be a small portion. The Estefans, particularly Emilio, are lifelong Dolphins fans so their ownership share fits with many fans ultimate dreams. It’s still unlikely that Ross, a fan of celebrity endorsements and involvement, has finished his search for minority owners and he may in fact add more as time goes on.
The Dolphins didn’t stop their with the announcement of the Estefans. Today, the team announced that back-up Safety Tyrone Culver has been signed to a two year extension. Scheduled to make around 440K this year, Culver will now see a contract in the neighborhood of 1 mill per season. He will make over 800K this year with each successive year of the 3 year deal increasing to over a million each season. The contract is for 3.22 million over 3 years.
Culver was picked up by the Phins last September after failing to make the Green Bay Packer roster. He played in 59% of Miami’s defensive plays last year. Culver adds solid dept to a secondary unit that on paper could be a very good unit.