Tom Garfinkel is the most defining Dolphins member of the last decade

The Miami Dolphins didn’t get much right over the last decade but the decision to hire Tom Garfinkel stands as the team’s best decision of the decade.

With the passing of each year, the Miami Dolphins move further and further away from their years of prominence. With no answers, the team has spent the better part of the last two decades searching for answers. While they have not found answers on the field, Stephen Ross’ best and most prominent decision this past decade was to hire Tom Garfinkel.

Each year we reflect back on that year that was but it is only every ten years we can look back and reflect on a decade. While there have been some great players that have come and gone, some fantastic finishes like the Miami Miracle, there is always one defining moment that stands out.

Whether that moment is a good one or a bad one depends on what happens afterward. For the Miami Dolphins, there is one moment above all else that shaped the years to come for the franchise. His name is Tom Garfinkel.

Hired by Stephen Ross in 2013, Garfinkel inherited a bit of a mess left by the team’s former CEO, Mike Dee. Not that Dee was bad at his job but he often came across as a bit of a used car salesman. A man with direction but not really a plan to get there.

To understand why Garfinkel is our “Man of the Decade” we have to look at what exactly was going on when he arrived. Dee started the Dolphins Cancer Challenge and it was a great success. He is the one who led the charge to change the Dolphins logo to what it is today, and he was the CEO in charge when Ross decided it was time to begin renovations on the stadium. He fell short on that last one.

Enter Garfinkel. As it relates to the RIDE DCC event, Garfinkel moved it from during the season to after it and in doing so increased the participation. It has been a smashing success ever since. He now serves on the board and the event has raised over $32 million for cancer research.

The stadium renovations were conducted under the watchful eye of Garfinkel who not only met daily with construction crews but worked diligently to make sure the jobs and phases were completed on time. He carried out the plan to help Ross privately fund more than $550 million for the renovations.

When it was time to rename the stadium, Garfinkel found the sponsor with Hard Rock Casino’s and in addition secured future contracts for sponsors.

Tom’s fingerprints were not just on the stadium. He created a “content team” that has specialized in social media content and bridged the gap between fans and the team through those social outlets.

More from Phin Phanatic

• 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
• Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
• 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
• Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
• The Miami Dolphins should not take a running back in the draft

He has brought professional soccer, including the single highest-grossing event in U.S. history with the El Clasico Miami soccer event between Real Madrid and Barcelona. He along with Ross worked to create the now annual Miami Open for tennis events and worked to create a world-class venue on the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium.

I have been fortunate to meet Tom on several occasions. My first encounter with him had a lasting impact. He addressed a group of fansite operators and was asked a question about the stadium. He simply said, “I don’t know”. He told us that if we gave him some time, he would find the answer to that question. It stood out because he has never come across as someone who knows everything and isn’t afraid to tell you that he doesn’t know. Rest assured, he will find out.

In 2018, there was a report that Miami almost lost Garfinkel to another company. Ross made sure that didn’t happen. It was a smart move. A decision he has made twice this past decade.

Today, Garfinkel continued his work to make the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium an example to the rest of the league. Under his watch, HRS will no longer sell products in plastics but instead, those have been replaced with reusable and sustainable aluminum instead.

It is unclear what the next decade will hold but the Dolphins now play in a state of the art upgraded stadium. A lot of that can be credited to Tom Garfinkel. Over the last decade we have watched coaches come and go, players come and go, and Jason Taylor get elected into the Hall of Fame. The impact of Garfinkel will last threw the next decade and beyond. And don’t be too surprised when it is announced that Formula One racing may soon be headed to the Hard Rock Stadium grounds as well!