Imagine having so much money that you can literally walk away from being richer for the sake of owning an NFL franchise. That is exactly what Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross did this offseason.
Ross loves his football team. He has sunk millions into Hard Rock Stadium, the team's training facility, and failed quarterbacks. Amid more drama with his team, Ross not only broke the hearts of fans by not firing his head coach, but he is now laughing at them.
According to a report from Safid Deen of USA Today, Ross turned down a $10 billion offer to sell the team and promised to leave the entire franchise to his family. The sound you are hearing is the torrential downpour of tears.
Deen quoted SportsCorp Ltd. founder Marc Ganis, who consults NFL teams about their franchises.
"'I put the Dolphins' entire operation, not just the team, in the Top 5 in the NFL,' Ganis said. 'It's the transformation of the entire operation to arguably the most successful, diversified, regional sports entertainment operation in the country – and by the way, let me just say – and globally in the world.'"Safid Deen of USA Today
Stephen Ross turns his nose up at fans and turns down a $10 billion offer for the Dolphins
The offer wasn't countered by Ross, who still wants the entire organization, F1, U.S. Tennis, and Hard Rock Stadium, to stay with his family. Clearly, he sees this as a way to continue his legacy.
Ross views this as an opportunity to establish an ownership legacy, akin to the Mara, Johnson, and Rooney families.
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Clearly, Ross either puts the value of his team a lot higher than $10 billion, or he seriously doesn't want to sell it. Before the "tamper-gate" situation that arose from Brian Flores' accusations against the team, Bruce Beale was in line to take over the majority ownership should Ross sell, fall ill, or pass away. Once Beale was found to be involved in trying to get Tom Brady to Miami, he was removed from the succession plan.
Neither of Ross' daughters has experience running a football team. His daughter Kim, however, is married to a sports management executive. Dan Sillman is expected to play a significant role in the franchise sometime in the future.
Meanwhile, Dolphins fans can do nothing more than watch the team continue to spiral beyond mediocrity.