MNF Guide: Miami

The Miami Dolphins might have become the Los Angeles Lakers of the NFL. With celebrity owners, primetime games and much fanfare, its no doubt ESPN is showing the Dolphins for the 2nd time in 5 weeks. This week they invite Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets into town for an AFC East Rivalry. Make sure to follow The Sports Bound guide to enjoying all Miami and the Stadium has to offer.

The Landshark Stadium (formerly known as Joe Robbie, Pro Player and Dolphins Stadium) was the first ever built on private funding. When it opened in 1987, it revolutionized the economics of professional sports with club level seating and executive suites.

The stadium was designed to be wider than the normal NFL stadium in order to hold Soccer and eventually baseball. Because of this, the first row of seats is 90 feet away from the playing field, making it one of the less intimate stadiums in the NFL. While criticized for its lack if intimacy, this decision did leave to an eventual baseball team in Miami, the Florida Marlins.

Though it has received multiple renovations in the past 20 years, the biggest is the creation of one of the largest hi-definition video boards and LED ribbon boards in the world, adding a dynamic entertainment dimension to the stadium experience.

For Miami Dolphins games, the parking lot opens up 4 hours prior to kickoff with prices at $25 for cars, $80 for RVs, busses and limos. There is space for about 24,000 cars, so make sure to get there a little early to enjoy the experience and prevent a stressful parking situation. Tailgating is the thing to do pre and post game. is in the middle of a vast sea of parking lots, expressways, undeveloped future building sites, low-end condo & apartment developments & strip shopping centers. The food at the stadium itself is actually pretty good in variety & quality. But if you want real local choice & quality head over to nearby Aventura & North Miami Beach.

Landshark Stadium has been the site of many sporting events. The stadium has hosted four Superbowls (1989, 1995, 1999 & 2007) and will host this years Super Bowl as well. It has also been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996 with exception to the 1999 game which had to be moved because of a Miami Dolphins playoff game. Other events held at Land Shark Stadium have included international soccer games, monster truck shows, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, Australian rules football exhibition matches, and numerous trade shows.

Movies have also been shot in Land Shark Stadium, most notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which stars Jim Carrey and even features Dolphins great Dan Marino as himself; Marley and Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston; and the Oliver Stone-directed Any Given Sunday where it was the home of the Miami Sharks.

You're sure to score some points if you brought your girlfriend along for the ride this week...from October 14th through 17th Fashion hits Miami. We're sure you've heard of Fashion week taking New York and Paris, but this week, it finds home in sunny Florida. There are plenty of free events too! Check it out at http://www.fashionweekmiami.com/

Fashion not your thing, you can still find something upscale and trendy at Sentai Hotel. Stop by for a drink and score some celebrity sightings along the way. Thursday, head down to Rumbar where the top rum mixologists will go head to head to create the best rum induced cocktail! Located in the Ritz Carlton hotel, this upscale hotel is offering a great event for non- guests.

Can't find tickets but still want to watch the game? Try the Sports Grill located at10005 Sunset Dr. They have over two dozen TV's as well as diverse food samplings.