The Dolphins announced first-round rookie draft pick Ryan Tannehill had won the starting quarterback job on Monday. And the lines have been out the door and around the block at the Dolphins ticket office ever since.
No. Not really.
I'm told ticket sales have been steady but there has been no appreciable surge of ticket sales since the Dolphins got themselves a new quarterback. Now, folks in the club's business offices are hopeful that Tannehill can eventually show so much promise on the field that fans truly get excited about the team again and indeed do flood the ticket windows.
But Dolphins fans, who have been through 16 other starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino, apparently want to see the product perform before they plunk down money to, well, see the product perform. This is not a faith exercise anymore for them.
And that is the reason tonight's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons is important to the Dolphins on multiple levels. Yes, from a football standpoint it is a priority for Tannehill to reward his coaches' decision to start him by playing well. It will make the entire football team feel good about its signal-caller.
But as the Dolphins are a for-profit business the club is also hoping Tannehill shows up bigtime so that fans react, so that the excitement that has been lacking returns, so that ticket sales pick up. "A 70-yard bomb on the first series would be nice," is how one club source put it.
Amen!
Let's face it, football isn't the same when the stadium has wide swaths of empty seats. Fans don't have as good a time and the team doesn't enjoy as strong a home field advantage, which as everyone agrees, is important. In Miami it can be downright depressing when opposing fans arrive in legions and the home fans can't muster the same type of enthusiasm or noise to make life difficult for the opposing offense.
The Dolphins need an injection of good news throughout the organization. They need fans to get excited enough about the team to actually buy tickets and attend games. That will help the team win at home. But it's a Catch-22.
The fans aren't going to come out to help the team win until the team wins.
Maybe if Ryan Tannehill plays exceedingly well tonight, it can be a first step in that cycle. That makes his performance tonight important to the organization on multiple levels.
A mi me parece que odin es massisi.
Posted by: oscar canosa | August 24, 2012 at 03:40 PM
My last comment got deleted.
Posted by: Tim Couch | August 24, 2012 at 03:42 PM
Did Oscar break the blog again?????
Have we been Canosa'ed??????
Posted by: Kris | August 24, 2012 at 03:56 PM
lol
Posted by: certified turd burglar | August 24, 2012 at 03:57 PM
Dashi is a complete a-hole. he is the same jerk who was spanked upside down on Cote's blog, and left with his tail between his legs. Pay no attention to this fool.
Posted by: dolphin Dan13 | August 24, 2012 at 04:08 PM
.It is definite and I share your opinion. The Dolphins are a goog team, but the fans are not happy with your job.Oh to be positive and hope that he does the job and see what happens. Actually, every change, every new entry and every game is important, but we certainly expect results only. Although I also think they should be more selective. There are good elements to which they should be taken into account. Good luck to all
Posted by: DavidWilliamspph | August 24, 2012 at 04:10 PM
I love Kris's "Canosa'ed"
funny stuff
Posted by: Ohio Dolfan | August 24, 2012 at 04:10 PM
Dashi is Dashi. Trust Me.
Only other Alias is "In Ur Mouth".
Don't worry I'll go back to Cote's blog when he post something on Sports.
Whooped, Ha!
Who's following who?
Posted by: Dashi | August 24, 2012 at 04:25 PM
i usually go to dolph´s games twice in a year, since i´m in Mexico its difficult to attend more games, but nobody wants to cheer for an offense that doesnt score and a deffense that doesnt stop anybody... period
Posted by: sagneul | August 24, 2012 at 04:56 PM
Im more excited about this year than I have been in a long time, go Tannehill, and GO PHINS!
Get rid of the trash that brings the team down, no need for wife beaters or drug users.
Posted by: Shawn | August 24, 2012 at 05:25 PM
That's right Shawn we don't talent on the team at all !! We'll b the highest principled last place team in the league. Did you all read the Deadspin dolphin prediction? It's hysterical. AND sadly accurate
Posted by: amsmith965 | August 24, 2012 at 06:55 PM
I have had season tickets 35 years and gave them up this year. I have sat through many bad seasons and would do it many years more. But I cannot tolerate how embarrassing it is to have Ireland as our GM and the way he conducts himself. We are not Oakland and have never been low class til Ireland. On top of that he stinks at finding talent. He looks for acorns and missed all the stars available. I still watch every game but no longer will spend $4000 to attend games. Also no one would buy my seats either which were 10 rows up from the field on the 25 dolphin side. What does that tell you?
Posted by: Finfan23 | August 25, 2012 at 09:40 AM
I'd buy a ticket to see his wife upside down on a pole before I bought a ticket to see Ryan.
Posted by: JackSparrow | August 25, 2012 at 08:07 PM