Goodell wants Dolphins to stay in Miami
The Dolphins don't have one foot out of Miami, according to Roger Goodell.
The NFL commissioner said Thursday that the Dolphins don't necessarily have to relocate despite the Florida legislature's refusal last week to fund renovations to Sun Life Stadium.
"We do want to see the Dolphins stay in Miami," Goodell told NFL.com's Steve Wyche. "We want to see them stay in a facility that will allow them to compete, and to bring in other big events, including Super Bowls. And that takes work, it takes investment, and (team owner) Steve Ross was doing the investing and was really the guy who was putting his heart and soul into this and his passion into this. And that's what's frustrating is that it didn't get a chance to get to the voters. ...
"I went down to Tallahassee myself before the legislative session ended. Of course we will stay involved, we will do whatever is necessary because we do think it's right for all of Florida. We think (a stadium renovation) is particularly good for the Miami-Dade area. It will help attract bigger events, and that will have a real economic impact on the community."
Goodell's comments follow last weekend's remarks from Dolphins chief executive officer Mike Dee, who suggested the team might need to move.
"The Dolphins are one of the only franchises in the NFL that don't have a long-term lease with their community," Dee said, according to The Palm Beach Post. "At some point, somebody's going to buy the franchise from (Ross), and clearly the stadium is the first thing they would need to address."
