Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressJuly 20, 2017

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a lifelong fan of the Miami Dolphins, has grown weary of watching the New England Patriots rack up Super Bowl wins while his team watches from afar. Operating on the theory that misery loves company, he tried Thursday to sell a fellow Patriot antagonist on a plan he’s cooked up […]

Joe HendersonJanuary 5, 2017

Mitch Perry’s story Tuesday on FloridaPolitics.com about the bill filed by state Sen. Tom Lee to dismantle state’s Sports Development Program triggered an instant thought: Well, forget about a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. I followed up with a call to Lee, a Republican from Brandon, and asked if my thought about the […]

Jim RosicaDecember 6, 2016

A new House bill would prohibit sports teams in Florida from building or refurbishing stadiums on public land. State Rep. Bryan Avila, a Hialeah Republican, filed the bill (HB 77) Tuesday. The House website shows it does not yet have a Senate companion. The legislation says “sports franchise(s) may not construct, reconstruct, renovate, or improve […]

Florence SnyderNovember 8, 2016

Grumpy and possibly jealous old men — some with newspaper columns — disapproved of Saturday’s comedy debut of Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler, and Tallahassee homeboy David Ross. Fresh off their World Series win, the trio swung by Saturday Night Live to sing “Go Cubs Go” with superfan and trained professional comedian Bill Murray, and to bump and grind with Benedict Cumberbatch in a […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 9, 2016

Good morning, and welcome to the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, which will be observed in America at the same time the National Football League kicks off its regular season on Sunday. Technically the season began last night, with a rematch of Super Bowl 50 in Denver, where the Broncos defeated Cam […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerJuly 12, 2016

After getting rebuffed in another attempt to secure state incentive money for improvements at its historic track, the Daytona International Speedway has signed on two new lobbying teams with the start of another state fiscal year. The speedway has hired Johnson & Blanton and Southern Strategy Group to represent its interests in Tallahassee. The speedway, […]

Scott PowersJune 1, 2016

All the bickering this spring about whether Orange County could cough up $1 million a year to get the NFL Pro Bowl may be long forgotten next winter if the game week goes as announced. The NFL made the official announcement Wednesday afternoon that Orlando will host the next three football All-Star Games at Camping […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 5, 2016

Americans for Prosperity—Florida is out with a new advertisement taking aim at sports incentives. The digital advertisement ad campaign asks Floridians to tell their elected officials to oppose efforts to give incentives to sports teams. The digital ad campaign is scheduled to run through Super Bowl Sunday. “As wealthy team owners and NFL executives gather […]

Associated PressFebruary 1, 2016

The Florida Legislature is being asked to give tens of millions to help sports teams in Jacksonville and Miami and Daytona International Speedway. The state’s economic development agency on Monday forwarded three sports applications to state lawmakers to review. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity did not rank the applications but suggested that all three […]

Phil AmmannDecember 30, 2015

In the opening weeks of 2016, Florida’s three professional football stadiums and Daytona International Speedway will each vie for taxpayer funds to help pay for upgrades, many already in progress. Ranking the applicants — Jacksonville Jaguars, Daytona International Speedway (DIS), Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins — will be the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, […]

Tag: Miami Dolphins
Image via AP.

Dolphins fan Marco Rubio ponders a Tom Brady-free NFL

Pro sports franchises: Build your own stadium, ballpark, or arena

Bryan Avila files stadium funding bill

On Election Day, let’s talk baseball …

Mitch Perry Report for 9.9.16 — Will we see more NFL protests on 9/11?

Daytona International Speedway revs up lobbying efforts by hiring Johnson & Blanton, SSG

NFL makes official announcement on Orlando Pro Bowl

Americans for Prosperity-Florida takes aim at sports incentives in new ad campaign

Legislature asked to consider money for sports teams

Daytona International Speedway a perfect fit for Florida Sports Development Program