Florida Today
August 27, 2007
Hurricanes leaving Orange Bowl was a no-brainer
BY DERON SNYDER
Like an old pair of worn jeans and battered shoes, the Orange Bowl possesses a comfort level that counteracts its shabby appearance. The crummy conditions should make it easy to discard.
But the decrepit structure is so familiar -- at the fore of so many wonderful moments and fond memories -- that parting with it can feel wrong, like a betrayal.
"This is a painful and sad decision," University of Miami president Donna Shalala said in a statement last week, announcing the Hurricanes' move to Dolphin Stadium in 2008.
"We all love the Orange Bowl, its history and traditions," she said. "Mayor (Manny) Diaz and the commissioners of the City of Miami made an extraordinary effort to identify funds and design a renovation."
I understand why Shalala and longtime 'Canes fans might feel pain and sadness over the breakup of a 70-year relationship. But if you're relatively new to Miami football and the historic Orange Bowl, the move elicits pure joy and happiness.
The stadium always looked great on TV. But not so much upon my first visit, in 2000, when the 'Canes whipped poor McNeese State in a season-opening night game. Darkness wasn't enough to conceal the fact that the Orange Bowl, to my surprise, was a total dump.
That's not to suggest the atmosphere was as bad as the stadium. The announced crowd of 48,411 had a blast as Miami romped (61-14), en route to an eventual 11-1 record and title-game snub. And the energy and excitement displayed five weeks later -- when nearly 81,000 fans crammed the Orange Bowl and cheered Florida State to defeat in "Wide Right III" -- was college football at its finest.
Such action is out of place in college facilities at their lousiest.
Granted, Dolphin Stadium lacks the charm, character and intimacy of the Orange Bowl. But that's just a polite way of saying that Wayne Huizenga's place isn't dilapidated, antiquated or deteriorated.
Quite the contrary, considering the $300 million he's spending to renovate the joint.
"Dolphin Stadium is one of the premier football stadiums in the country," Shalala said. "At our new home, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete in a first-class facility."
More importantly (since the Orange Bowl never hindered the Hurricanes' performance, especially during a 58-game home winning streak that was snapped in 1994), Dolphin Stadium gives students, fans and boosters the amenities expected from big-time sports in 2007.
Frankly, the Orange Bowl was an embarrassment for a powerhouse program like Miami. It doesn't even have a replay screen. It was past its prime in 1987, when the Dolphins vacated, and decayed even worse by 1998, when the Orange Bowl game relocated. You can't even imagine a Super Bowl there, which last occurred in 1979.
Dab at your eyes if you must, but it's a no-brainer decision, as lopsided as 10,175 club seats and 240 suites of Dolphin Stadium against zero club seats and zero suites at the Orange Bowl. That should add about $2 million to $4 million per year to the athletic budget.
Some traditions aren't worth saving.
Some histories need to be put in the past.
