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One Wary Dolphins Fan Weighs A Publicly-Funded Roof For 'Joe Robbie Stadium'

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SunLife Stadium, which I will forever lovingly call Joe Robbie Stadium, in honor of the man who built it, on his own, with no public funding, is in need of some sprucing up. The current owner is asking for public money to help in this endeavor. A public that is very wary of rich team owners asking for financial help—think Marlins.

So, is this a replay of a Greek tragedy?

It’s a tough decision, no doubt about it. But the Dolphins are not the Marlins, and Super Bowls are awarded to communities regardless of the local team’s abilities -- unlike baseball, where a world series only goes to the winners.

It’s also a known fact that super bowls tend to flood communities with cash from visiting teams’ fans. That would be a direct return on the investment if public dollars are used.

As a fan who has sat in the stands during a sweltering September game, I can attest that a roof would be a major benefit, not to mention that our stormy afternoons would become a non-issue.

Although we’ve been once bitten on this very issue, I say for the above reasons we should put up the cash. The only way this one comes back to haunt us is if the NFL decides to leave us out of the mix for some reason—a situation, given our climate in January, our beaches, and our infrastructure for handling masses of tourists, I find highly unlikely.

Bill Andrews calls Hollywood home and has been a resident of South Florida for most of his life.

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