Fin City
October 04, 2004
Hurricanes, injuries and Ricky's retirement--it's hardly the Perfect Season, but the sun's gonna shine again
OCT. 3 >> NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS >> 4:15 P.M. EST
[1] SHULA'S STEAK HOUSE Coach Shula opened this wood-paneled joint in '89, the first in a nationwide chain. Says Zagat, "Drop back 10 and punt" the "overpriced offerings." [2] DAN MARINO'S FINE FOOD & SPIRITS A less expensive alternative. Says Zagat, "No touchdown." [3] ORANGE BOWL The Dolphins' home from 1966 to '86 and where college football champs are often crowned. In the '60s, a dolphin named Flipper frolicked and retrieved kicks from his tank behind the east end zone. In the cinematic masterpiece Ace Ventura: Pet Detective evildoers kidnapped the mascot (Snowflake) but were brought to justice by Jim Carrey. [4] GRANDE OAKS GOLF CLUB In 1999 Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga bought the club that served as Caddyshack's Bushwood. You might spot a Jordan-Pippen twosome. [5] ANTHONY'S RUNWAY 84 Italian food, an airplane motif. This is where the Dolphins' brass wine and dine free agents. [6] GET CYCED FITNESS Tackle Larry Chester shed 58 pounds here in the off-season. If that guy on the lat machine looks like Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. the Rock, that's 'cause it is. [7] DON SHULA EXPRESSWAY Dedicated Aug. 3, 1983, eight months after a Super Bowl loss to Washington. [8] OUR LADY OF THE LAKES Catholic church attended in the early '70s by Shula and George Wilson, Shula's fired predecessor. The two rarely talked at services. [9] MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PARKING LOT Returning from a '71 playoff win in K.C., Shula and son David discovered their car had a dead battery. They hitched a ride 12 miles home to Miami Lakes, then invited the folks who had given them a lift in for a drink. [10] UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI Are you ready for some political football? PBS's Jim Lehrer moderates the Bush-Kerry debate here, on Sept. 30. [11] FIGHT CLUB Where IBF lightweight champ Glen Johnson, who knocked out Roy Jones Jr. last Saturday, trains. Johnson hangs with Dolphins Sage Rosenfels and Jay Fiedler. [12] PRO PLAYER LOCKER ROOM Where, in front of his players in '99, Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson celebrated a win over the Bills by repeatedly punching a box of Flutie Flakes. Flutie was insulted, calling Johnson's histrionics a slight to his autistic son, Doug Jr., then seven. (Proceeds from the sale of the cereal went to fight autism.) Two days later Johnson wrote Flutie an apology.
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PRO PLAYER STADIUM
? FIRST REGULAR-SEASON DOLPHINS GAME: Oct. 11, 1987; 42-0 win over Chiefs
? FIRST MARLINS GAME: April 5, 1993; 6-3 win over Dodgers
? FOOTBALL CAPACITY: 75,540
? BASEBALL CAPACITY: 36,331
? RANKING ON PETA'S TOP 10 VEG-FRIENDLY BALLPARKS: 8th; second to Oakland among NFL stadiums
? POPULAR CONCESSION ITEM: Cuban pork sandwich ($6.50)
