Tag: Stephen Ross

Dolphins Challenge Cancer rides to major victory over weekend

Dolphins Challenge Cancer raises over $12 million.

The 2024 NFL offseason is underway, yet, over the weekend at Hard Rock Stadium, One Team came together for One Fight, which is more important than what you can find on a scoreboard or boxscore.

Dolphins Challenge Cancer held its 14th annual event on Saturday, and it was a massive hit. The DCC stands as the largest fundraising event in the NFL and represents the largest known philanthropic pledge in all professional sports.

The #OneTeamOneFight mentality has the Miami Dolphins partnered with the University of Miami and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as thousands of participants and donors.

Thanks to the outstanding efforts by the Dolphins organization, the DCC, as well as countless fans who helped this cause with their fundraising and awareness efforts. Most notably for many, superfan Lisa Siegel. Siegel has always been a die-hard Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes fan and her ties to both organizations run in her family. Her father began working at the University of Miami in 1966, and she followed in her dad’s footsteps, as she’s worked for the university since 1989.

Her connection to the DCC deepened when her mom was diagnosed with stage IV Peritoneal Cancer. Siegel lost her mother just 17 days after she was admitted to the hospital. She is one of the many “Heavy-Hitter” fundraisers, and she alone was responsible for raising over $26,000 for this year from 530 donations, in part of the $12 million total that was raised this DCC to combat cancer.

Whether it was riding a bike, running, or walking to support this cause, the Miami Dolphins family was in full force, with ownership, current and former players, and, of course, a Hall of Famer or two.

Sending the bikers off on the 54-mile ride was none other than number 54 himself, Zach Thomas. Miami’s latest enshrine to Canton, as well as fellow immortals Dan Marino, Larry Csonka and Jason Taylor, all had their respective numbers match certain legs of the rides, those being 13 miles, 39 miles and 99 miles.

To no surprise, Thomas was dressed, ready to ride and among the best finishers. He even had time to mess around with unrestricted free-agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Following the rides, Thomas and Wilkins laughed it up, as participants had a chance to relax after their rides and mingle with Dolphins past and present.

Of course, the metaphorical elephant in the room is what will happen with Wilkins contractually. While that is a conversation for another piece, seeing Wilkins participate was not just encouraging for his potential return but also a testament to the quality person he is.

The same can be said about former Dolphin Mack Hollins, who again participated as a bike rider, as he did last year. Recently let go defensive assistant coach and Dolphins legend Sam Madison also rode in support on Saturday. Legendary wide receiver Mark Duper returned to the event while owner Stephen Ross, president Tom Garfinkel and head coach Mike McDaniel were all on hand as well.

If you’re looking for inspiration and motivation on top of all of this dedication, look no further than Jaelan Phillips. The edge rusher who suffered a torn Achilles against the New York Jets on Black Friday in November was at the DCC, walking, talking and being the fantastic person he has proven to be.

Phillips stopped by to chat with Dolphin podcasters Seth Levit of “The Fish Tank” and Travis Wingfield of “DriveTime,” and his mere presence was a jolt of energy for Dolphin fans eagerly waiting for his return to the field.

Levit summed up the conversation, saying, “Jaelan is truly a special individual. Because of his upbringing, as well as the adversity he’s had to face with respect to overcoming some significant injuries, we’re seeing a guy with a much broader perspective than most people have at 24 years old. As a result, you’ve got a young player who is one of the most gifted and relentlessly driven athletes you will find on a football field, yet he somehow manages to bring that same energy to his work in the community. It’s uncanny, and we are all very lucky to have him representing the Miami Dolphins.”

In regards to the DCC, Levit added, “This year’s DCC was electric. Thousands of people flooded Hard Rock Stadium for one altruistic reason, and it was a beautiful sight. From the F1 starting line to the integration of the Paddock garages to seeing Dan Marino, Zach Thomas, of course, my guy O.J. McDuffie, and so many others come together for a singular purpose was inspirational, to say the least. How can we not appreciate the Miami Dolphins for building the largest fundraising event in the entire National Football League?”

Through all the fundraising and awareness, the DCC could be looked at as one of sports most successful and important philanthropic events and entities. The 2024 DCC increased that overall fundraising total to over $75 million since the event began in 2010, and kudos to Executive Director Javier Sanchez and his team within a team.

In addition to Siegel, pillars of the event like past Fans of the Year, Ian Berger, Marc Angelo and Allie Goodman were present and integral in helping spread awareness and are constant supporters and advocates of the DCC and all things Dolphins philanthropy. Also in attendance was the founder of one of the top fan groups in this base, Danny Johnson of The Positive Porpoise.

Berger, who represented the Dolphins as 2020 Fan of the Year and continues to be a beacon for this fanbase, is a consistent advocate of the DCC. “Dolphins Challenge Cancer represents the best in all of us,” he said in a direct message. “Thousands of participants raising funds that could potentially help millions is an emotional and rewarding experience!”

Angelo, the 2021 Dolphins Fan of the Year, heads the NorCal DolFan Club, a proud fundraiser for DCC riding for Team Positive Porpoise. He said, “TPP is almost to $71,000 raised this year and $280,000+ in the four years supporting DCC.” The NDC has supported DCC for nine years and has been on Team TPP for the last three years, riding in the event.

Goodman, the 2022 FOTY for the Dolphins, also known as “Dolphreaky,” said, “The way this community comes together in the fight against cancer is second to none! To see people from all walks of life riding and walking amongst those who have fought and actively fight cancer is so rewarding.”

A great advocate of the team and their endeavors, Goodman added, “The Miami Dolphins did an absolutely fantastic job creating a top-notch event that was even better than in years past. The DCC continues to grow every year, and everyone should consider getting involved!”

In a sport where wins and losses on the field judge success, sometimes, the best victories come off the field. In the case of the Miami Dolphins and the DCC, 2024 was another major win.

Congratulations to the Dolphins, Sanchez, the DCC, as a whole, and all who participated.

Report: Dolphins in ‘preliminary talks’ to sell minority stake to hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin

Hedge-fund manager in talks to buy stake in Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last two seasons.

In 2022, head coach Mike McDaniel, in his first year, took the team to the playoffs, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in the five years prior. And, he did so without his starting quarterback for a good chunk of the season.

Now, in 2023, they’ve started 7-3 through the first 11 weeks, and they have a 1.5-game lead in their division.

The Dolphins have been a hit, and on top of that, owner Stephen Ross has done a lot of work to bring attention to Hard Rock Stadium and the surrounding area with the Miami Grand Prix  Formula 1 track right outside.

With all of this built up success and attraction, it’s no surprise that there’s someone interested in purchasing a piece of the pie.

According to FOX Sports’ Andy Slater, Ross is in talks to sell a minority stake in the team, Hard Rock Stadium and F1 Miami to hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson confirmed, through a source, that there are talks ongoing and are in the preliminary stages.

Griffin, 55, a born-and-raised Floridian, who’s currently in the process of building “the most expensive home on Earth” in Palm Beach, is the founder, chief executive officer and majority owner of Citadel LLC, a large hedge fund.

According to Forbes, he’s the 40th-richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $35.2 billion.

As of 2021, according to the Palm Beach Post, Ross owned 95% of the team with a number of minority owners with recognizable names, including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony, Fergie, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.

If the Dolphins can get some more capital brought in to make sure they can continue spending on the roster and the stadium/fan experience, a sale to a wealthy minority owner should be great news.

Obviously, such a sale is far from cemented, but it’s something that could come together over time.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross voted for kickoff rule change

Miami was one 26 teams to vote for it.

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The NFL owners are currently holding their Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discussing a number of league matters, including some rule changes.

Owners approved a rule allowing teams to designate an emergency third quarterback from the 53-man roster that can be used if the first two quarterbacks are deemed unable to compete by the medical staff. This was originally a rule from 1991-2010, but after last year’s NFC Championship Game, which saw the San Francisco 49ers turn to running back Christian McCaffrey at quarterback, the league is bringing it back.

League owners also voted on a change that would allow returning players to field a kickoff as a fair catch and receive the ball at the receiving team’s 25-yard line. After originally not getting enough momentum to pass, commissioner Roger Goodell made a plea to the owners, and the rule was passed with a 26-5-1 vote. The only teams to vote against it, according to the MMQB’s Albert Breer, were the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Breer also noted that Las Vegas Raiders abstained from voting.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was one of the 26 who voted for the change. While the big push from Goodell was regarding player safety and preventing future litigation, Miami may also benefit on the field.

Last season, Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins’ lead kickoff returner, averaged 20.1 yards per return, which was the second-fewest of all returners with at least 20 returns on the year.

This change, had it come in 2022, could’ve given Miami better starting field position throughout the season, making it easier on the offense.

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49ers-funded political ads take shots at Dolphins owner Stephen Ross

Jed York and Stephen Ross are using their wealth to fund a political race in Santa Clara.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has been keeping busy during his suspension that’s set to end in just a couple of weeks, as he’s involved in a political race in Santa Clara, California.

Ross is supporting Santa Clara mayor Lisa Gillmor’s re-election campaign, contributing $100,000 back in September, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. However, opposing Gillmor in this race is Anthony Becker, a city councilmember, who’s being backed by San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York.

The 49ers have reportedly contributed nearly tripled their original $750,000 donation back in September to the campaigns of Becker, Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal – the latter are running for city council.

Recently, Becker’s campaign has been producing ads that aim to call into question Ross’ integrity and morals. In one ad that aired during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast, Ross was called “one of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters.” It also claimed that he had “shady backroom deals” with Gillmor.

With Ross and York so involved in the league’s business, there’s a good chance that they’ll be seeing each other, and things could get interesting.

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Report: Stephen Ross aiming to leave Dolphins to family, not Bruce Beal

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wants to leave the team to his family, not vice chairman Bruce Beal

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has begun taking steps to change his succession plan for the team, according to the Sports Business Journal. Ross reportedly wants to leave the team to his family – specifically his daughter, Jennifer Ross – instead of partner and vice chairman, Bruce Beal.

The process has not yet been finalized and it’s unclear when it could be completed.

Back in 2016, the NFL approved a plan giving Beal the first right to buy the team as Ross’ successor in the event of his death or a sale of the Dolphins. By changing the successor to his daughter instead of Beal, Ross would be keeping the team in the family.

Such a move would keep the franchise in his family after his death as he now wants — but it would also forestall the awkward step of Beal seeking approval to ascend to controlling owner after being punished for tampering.

Both Ross and Beal are currently suspended by the league for tampering violations. Ross is suspended until Oct. 17 and was fined $1.5 million for unpermitted conversations with Tom Brady and the agent of Sean Payton. Beal was suspended from all team meetings for the rest of the season and fined $500,000 for talking to Brady.

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Dolphins’ loss of picks puts even more pressure on Tua Tagovailoa

He has more need to prove it this year.

Entering 2022, all eyes were already on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. With a new offensive-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel that brings a quarterback-friendly system, a number of new weapons and an improved offensive line in front of him, could he play up to the level expected of a top-five draft pick?

Through 21 starts, Tagovailoa has led the Dolphins to a 13-8 record, but his statistics (4,467 yards, 27 touchdowns and 15 interceptions) haven’t been overly impressive. On top of that, he’s dealt with some injuries that have kept him off the field.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier had stockpiled draft picks for the 2023 draft, putting Miami in position to make two first-round selections. This gave the team options if Tagovailoa didn’t take a step forward in 2022. They could use those picks to move up in the draft and take a quarterback prospect, or they could trade those picks for a proven veteran to lead their team.

Now, after Tuesday’s penalties from the NFL, stemming from former head coach Brian Flores’ accusations of tampering, the Dolphins have lost their own first-round pick next year as well as a third-round pick in 2024.

In most cases of teams having multiple picks in the same round that they’re set to lose one from, they’re only allowed to keep the lower of the picks. However, here, Miami will lose theirs no matter what. So, if San Francisco’s pick ends up being a better pick, the Dolphins will still get that one.

Without that extra draft capital, Grier has lost an asset that he said he made a concerted effort to keep when trading for Tyreek Hill this offseason.

“I’m not going to lie, it was important for us to keep those two picks because we had done so much to acquire those before,” he said back in April.

Now, Tagovailoa has more pressure on him than before to prove that he’s the quarterback that Miami should want running that team in 2023 and beyond. If he can’t, it’s going to be harder to find a potential franchise quarterback than previously thought.

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Dolphins’ ‘Just kidding!’ defense against tanking allegations is as egregious as it is arrogant

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross claims to be exonerated regarding all of Brian Flores’ allegations. Here’s why that’s not even close to true.

One sure way to deflect criticism when pressed on any statement, no matter how odious, is to insist that you were only joking  Whether you’re a first-grade kid or the President of the United States (there are times when it’s tough to tell the difference), it’s an easy out, albeit with variable effectiveness.

In the case of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the accusations made against him by former head coach Brian Flores regarding “tanking” (intentionally losing games) for more favorable future draft picks, the NFL decided after a six-month investigation by former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White and, a team of lawyers from the Debevoise law firm, that those accusations were without merit. The accusations regarding the Dolphins tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton, however, had merit, and the team has been punished accordingly.

Ross, never one to avoid pressing his luck in the worst possible fashion, immediately went hard with a statement.

Yeah, well, about all that. When you read the NFL’s statement on the tanking allegations closely, it’s clear that it was discussed. From that statement:

  1. The Dolphins did not intentionally lose games during the 2019 season.  Nor did anyone at the club, including Mr. Ross, instruct Coach Flores to do so. No witness contended otherwise. The Dolphins competed hard to win every game, including at the end of the season when they beat Cincinnati and New England, despite worsening Miami’s position in the 2020 draft.
  2. On a number of occasions during the 2019 season, Mr. Ross expressed his belief that the Dolphins’ position in the upcoming 2020 draft should take priority over the team’s win-loss record. These comments were made most frequently to Team President and CEO Tom Garfinkel, but were also made to General Manager Chris Grier, Senior Vice President Brandon Shore and Coach Flores. These comments, which he took to be suggestions that he lose games, troubled Coach Flores and led him to express his concerns in writing to senior club executives, each of whom assured Coach Flores that everyone, including Mr. Ross, supported him in building a winning culture in Miami. After this, Mr. Ross no longer made any such comments to Coach Flores.
  3. One such comment is a claimed offer by Mr. Ross to pay Coach Flores $100,000 to lose games, as to which there are differing recollections about the wording, timing, and context. However phrased, such a comment was not intended or taken to be a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any respect by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club.

“Every club is expected to make a good faith effort to win every game,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement. “The integrity of the game, and public confidence in professional football, demand no less. An owner or senior executive must understand the weight that his or her words carry, and the risk that a comment will be taken seriously and acted upon, even if that is not the intent or expectation.

“Even if made in jest and not intended to be taken seriously, comments suggesting that draft position is more important than winning can be misunderstood and carry with them an unnecessary potential risk to the integrity of the game. The comments made by Mr. Ross did not affect Coach Flores’ commitment to win and the Dolphins competed to win every game. Coach Flores is to be commended for not allowing any comment about the relative importance of draft position to affect his commitment to win throughout the season.”

The NFL would rather poke itself in its collective eye with something sharp than fall to any admission about the integrity of the on-field product, and thus, we revert to the “I was just kidding” defense. This was laid out by White and her team, and acknowledged by Goodell, and that was the seeming end of it.

Flores, now the senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, had this to say in his own statement:

In February, Flores filed a class-action claim against the Dolphins, claiming racist hiring practices, and he also dropped this bombshell via his legal team:

In January 2022, Mr. Flores, who spent three years as the Head Coach of Defendant Miami Dolphins, Ltd. (the “Dolphins” or “Miami”), found himself without a job. He was fired by the Dolphins after leading the team to its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003. The purported basis for his termination was alleged poor collaboration. In reality, the writing had been on the wall since Mr. Flores’ first season as Head Coach of the Dolphins, when he refused his owner’s directive to “tank” for the first pick in the draft. Indeed, during the 2019 season, Miami’s owner, Stephen Ross, told Mr. Flores that he would pay him $100,000 for every loss, and the team’s General Manager, Chris Grier, told Mr. Flores that “Steve” was “mad” that Mr. Flores’ success in winning games that year was “compromising [the team’s] draft position.”

Not too different in scope than “One such comment is a claimed offer by Mr. Ross to pay Coach Flores $100,000 to lose games, as to which there are differing recollections about the wording, timing, and context. However phrased, such a comment was not intended or taken to be a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any respect by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club” from the White report.

The NFL is claiming differences in tone and context in this matter, when the truth is, every side has agreed that there were these discussions — thata team owner “expressed his belief that the Dolphins’ position in the upcoming 2020 draft should take priority over the team’s win-loss record.” There is no way to slice and dice such a statement in a way that does not cast serious aspersions upon a team’s intent to win at all times.

Ross’ insistence that he and the Dolphins have been cleared of “all of Brian Flores (sic) allegations” is especially egregious, because the White investigation didn’t even step into the scope of Flores shredding the NFL’s allegedly racist hiring practices. One assumes that the NFL did not include any such investigation in the report, if there has been such an internal investigation, because Flores’ lawsuit is ongoing. In June, the league filed a claim to have Flores’ lawsuit moved to arbitration, which would ostensibly allow the league to avoid a expanded and public discovery process.

At this point, it’s easy to imagine that everyone over at 345 Park Avenue is thinking, the less discovery, the better.

Here’s Brian Flores’ statement after NFL penalizes Dolphins

There’s still disappointment from his side.

The Miami Dolphins were punished by the NFL on Tuesday for their findings during the investigation into claims made by former head coach Brian Flores regarding tampering.

The team was docked two draft picks, the owner was fined $1.5 million and suspended and the vice chairman was fined $500,000 and suspended as well.

Former U.S. attorney and SEC chair Mary Jo White, who led the team’s investigation, found that the Dolphins had been guilty of tampering with both Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton while they were both under contract.

However, they could not substantiate the claims that Flores made regarding tanking during 2019, his first season with the team.

Following the release of the findings, Flores released the following statement, voicing his displeasure:

I am thankful that the NFL’s investigator found my factual allegations against Stephen Ross are true. At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross’s offers and pressure to tank games especially when I wrote and submitted a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns regarding this subject at the time which the investiagtor has in her possession. While the investigator found that the Dolphins had engaged in imperimissible tampering of “unprecedented scope and severity,” Mr. Ross will avoid any meaningful consequence. There is nothing more important when it comes to the game of football itself than the integrity of the game. When the integrity of the game is called intro question, fans suffer, and football suffers.

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Why Stephen Ross’ suspension is one day longer than Deshaun Watson’s

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ suspension is one day longer than Deshaun Watson’s. Here’s why that isn’t an accident, and what it means.

Well, it’s been a busy week for the NFL, and we haven’t even gotten to Thursday’s Hall of Fame game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders. On Monday, former federal judge Sue L. Robinson levied a six-game suspension against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson related to multiple accusations of sexual assault. The decision satisfied almost nobody for all kinds of reasons (we were especially gobsmaeked by Judge Robinson’s definition of “non-violent sexual conduct), but that’s something the NFL can appeal if it so chooses.

A little more than 24 hours later, the six-month investigation into the Miami Dolphins’ alleged tampering with both Tom Brady and Sean Payton, and whether Dolphins owner Stephen Ross exhorted his then-head coach Brian Flores to intentionally lose games for more favorable draft picks, came to a conclusion.

Former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White and, a team of lawyers from the Debevoise law firm, deduced that the team indeed had impermissible contact with both Brady and Payton, through there was no reported proof of any “tanking.” The investigation did not go into Flores’ accusations of racist hiring practices, most likely because Flores’ lawsuit is still live.

In any event, the Dolphins didn’t just lose their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick in the fallout. Ross was also suspended until October 17, 2022. Per the league, Ross “may not be present at the Dolphins’ facility and may not represent the club at any team or NFL event. He may not attend any League meeting prior to the Annual Meeting in 2023, is removed from all League committees indefinitely, and fined $1.5 million.”

What’s interesting about the timing of these two suspensions is that Ross’ is exactly one day longer than Watson’s. Watson’s six-game suspension closes after the Browns play the New England Patriots (oh, sweet scandal irony) on Sunday, October, 16.

The NFL may get a lot of things wrong, but it rarely does things without a point. In this case, it could be that punishing Ross in this specific manner, and making note of the “unprecedented scope” of the tampering, sets the league up to go after a longer suspension of Watson on appeal, due to the unprecedented number of Watson’s alleged violations against the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. In her ruling, Judge Robinson spoke quite a bit to precedent, and more specifically, to “standards of fairness and consistency of treatment among players similarly situated.”

Thus, the six-game suspension, when the sheer number of Watson’s alleged violations would seem to engender a much more severe punishment. We know that the NFL wanted Watson suspended for at least the entire 2022 season, with conditions to his reinstatement in 2023. In settlement talks with the NFLPA, the league was willing to go as low as 12 games.

In the end, Watson’s representatives chose to bet on the ruling of an independent arbiter, and at first glance, they bet right. But the Ross suspension could well lead to the NFL’s right and ability to step into legal definitions of “unprecedented” that could lead to a much longer Watson suspension.

Stay tuned to see what comes of that. In the meantime, it’s been a week, NFL — and it’s only Tuesday.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross releases statement in response to suspension, loss of picks

He still denies any wrongdoing.

After former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores claimed that the team had tampered with quarterback Tom Brady while he was still under contract with the New England Patriots in 2019 and that owner Stephen Ross had told the coach to tank that year, the league ran its own investigation.

The findings from that investigation, which was led by former U.S. attorney and SEC chair Mary Jo White, were released on Tuesday. They found that Miami had been in contact with both Brady and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton’s agent, Don Yee, while the two were still under contract with their respective teams.

As a result, the league stripped Miami of their 2023 first-round selection and 2024 third-round selection. They also suspended Ross until October 17 and fined him $1.5 million as well as suspended Dolphins Vice Chairman Bruce Beal from league meetings through the end of the season and fined him $500,000.

In response, the Dolphins released a statement on behalf of Ross.

The independent investigation cleared our organization on any issues related to tanking and all of Brian Flores other allegations. As I have said all along, these allegations were false, malicious and defamatory, and this issue is now put to rest. With regards to tampering I strongly disagree with the conclusions and the punishment. However, I will accept the outcome because the most important thing is that there be no distractions for our team as we bgin an exiciting and winning season. I will not allow anything to get in the way of that.

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