What's Going On With Miami's Sports Teams?

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Miami is known for lots of things, such as the city’s great culture, fantastic beaches, and wonderful climate. However, what is often overlooked is the city’s sports teams. Miami has a professional sports team in three of the four North American sports leagues. The city has representation in the NBA with the Miami Heat, MLB with the Miami Marlins, and NFL with the Miami Dolphins. All three teams have won titles in their respective leagues, and all three have loyal and passionate fan bases. If you’re looking for Miami homes for sale, then rest assured you’ll always have something to do, as the city’s teams provide year-long entertainment for the city’s residents. However, what is the current state of each Miami team, and what does each team’s future look like? 

Marlins
The Marlins have recently fallen on some tough times.  After recently selling the franchise to an ownership group that includes the legendary New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, the team has struggled mightily. The team has recently started to rebuild their roster by trading away their star players and trimming down the team’s payroll, sacrificing current results in the hopes that they will be primed for success in the distant future. This offseason, the Marlins unloaded the reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees. While trading the league MVP may seem strange, the Marlins received a decent package of young prospects in return, and won’t have to worry about Stanton’s massive 13 year, $325 million contract down the road. In the offseason, the Marlins also traded away star players Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, and Marcell Ozuna. With these moves the Marlins current roster is now completely devoid of star talent and won’t be looking to compete for N.L pennants or World Series titles anytime in the near future. However, if Jeter and the new regime can pull this rebuild off properly and build a strong team through draft picks and prospects, then the team’s current struggles will be well worth it.

Heat
It’s been 8 years since Lebron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach to join forces with Dwayne Wade and altered the course of Miami sports forever. The self-proclaimed “Heatles” were able to win back-to-back championships and secure four straight trips to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, in 2014 Lebron James left the Heat to return back to the Cleveland Cavaliers and things haven’t been promising in Miami since. Chris Bosh struggled with medical conditions until he was eventually forced into early retirement, and Dwyane Wade and the front office had a falling out, leading the star to sign with the Chicago Bulls for the 2016-2017 season. However, now Wade is back, and Lebron James is once again exploring free agency. Perhaps it’s time for a “Heatles” reunion in South Beach? After all, James once famously boasted that he’d bring the Heat eight titles but only produced two during his time in South Beach. Perhaps it's time for him to fulfil the rest of his promise?

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Dolphins
Even though they’re one of the most historic franchises in the NFL, the Dolphins haven’t been playing like it recently. The team has only made two postseason appearances since the start of the 2002 season, and haven’t made it past the divisional round since 2000. In addition, this last season was nothing short of a disastrous campaign. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill was injured early on in the season, leading the Dolphins to turn to the often criticized Jay Cutler to lead them. The result was not pleasant for Dolphins fans as the team finished 6-10 and were never really in the playoff picture. Now uncertainty surrounds the team, as questions begin to arise. Is Ryan Tannehill durable enough to stay on the field, and does he have enough weapons around him to compete for championships? For now, Tannehill is the Dolphin’s guy, but happens if the team continues to struggle and fails to make the playoffs when he comes back from injury?  The Dolphins need to be careful in the upcoming years, as the front office’s moves could define the team’s legacy for years to come. ​