Dolphins to honor Tebow before game vs. Broncos. Wait, what?

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

Imagine that your local professional football team organizes a ceremony to honor a recent national championship by a nearby college team. That doesn't sound like a bad idea, does it?

No, of course, not. Unless ...

• The beloved star of the college team you're honoring now plays for the team that will be attempting to beat the home team that day;

• You're essentially inviting a horde of fans of that beloved college star to attend your game, where they could end up rooting against the home team, because of their passionate allegiance to said beloved star;

• Your stadium also serves as the home field of a different college team, which happens to hate the college team you're honoring that day, and those fans could end up booing the hell out of the other college team's celebration.

This is the plan the Miami Dolphins have, though, and they're sticking to it. On Oct. 23, when Tim Tebow(notes) and the Broncos visit, the Dolphins will be honoring the 2008 national champion Florida Gators. That was Tebow's team. And they'll be doing all this in a stadium that is also home to the Miami Hurricanes, and the Miami Hurricanes do not like the Florida Gators.

Here are two columns -- one Denver-based, and the other Miami-based -- that absolutely hate the idea.

I think it's genius. With all the attention that Tim Tebow receives, despite the fact that he's the third- or fourth-best quarterback on the Broncos roster, there's bound to be a little resentment bubbling for him within the Broncos locker room. If you're the Dolphins, why not have a great big party honoring Tebow and stoke the flames a little bit? See if you can get Kyle Orton(notes) to punch Tim Tebow in the face.

Then maybe they'd trade you Kyle Orton. At the very least, they'd have a big team distraction to deal with.

I'm pretty sure the Dolphins are just thinking that they want to sell some tickets, though. But I prefer to think it's part of a sinister plan hatched by Tony Sparano.

It's worth noting that the Dolphins also wanted to have a day celebrating the 10-year anniversary of a Miami Hurricanes national championship, too. Miami declined, saying that they don't want to celebrate anything, since they're so awash in shame right now they have their own celebration planned.

Again, that's Oct. 23. It could be an interesting day at Sun Life Stadium.

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

Writers from the Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to weigh in with a comment of your own.

Dave Hyde, Florida Sun Sentinel

Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee is trying to sell tickets in a season that's going to be difficult to sell tickets considering the obstacles (awful economy, successive 7-9 seasons, the money the Heat sucked out of the sports-buying budget, etc ...) But a reunion of the 2008-09 Florida team during the Oct. 23 game with Denver at Sun Life Stadium is a really dumb idea. There is a small connection with Mike Pouncey and Tim Tebow on the pro field together. And the Dolphins will bring in Urban Meyer. But don't they understand this is the University of Miami's home field? Can't they see how this is a slap at Canes fans? And that's not even getting into what Florida State fans think. There's nothing wrong with taking chances to sell tickets -- but this is an embarrassing mis-read of the market. Not only will this not sell tickets. It's going to backfire into looking like another front-office faux pas.

Baxter Holmes, Los Angeles Times

Anyone in sports has received the laughable press release that make you wonder if the flak on the other end really thought the pitch was a good idea. Sometimes, like journalists and everyone else, these people just don’t think, but because it’s PUBLIC relations, these dim-witted mishaps are just that: Public. With a rotten squad and a deserted stadium, the Miami Dolphins were desperate to make a buck and tried to be creative. Swing and a miss. Now, for them to honor a player who happens to be on the opposing team (Denver’s Tim Tebow) is forgivable, but if you’re broke, don’t tick off a tenant (the Miami Hurricanes) by hosting an arch-rival (the Florida Gators). Then again, if you’re plan was to gain attention, well done and touché.

Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune

It is good public relations for the Dolphins to honor the 2008 Florida Gators when they host Tim Tebow and the Broncos on Oct. 23. It would be better public relations, given the outcry of Hurricanes fans, if the Dolphins were to honor the 2001 Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 18 when they host Andre Johnson and the Texans. What the Dolphins are doing by honoring the Gators is all about reaching out to another fan base and selling themselves. They hardly can be blamed for that. The Dolphins may share a city with the Hurricanes, but their loyalty to their closest neighbor isn’t going to overcome their interest in making a more attractive bottom line. The way to assuage those angry Hurricanes fans, and maybe even help themselves in the process too, is to give them their day as well.

George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel

Brilliant! (Insert as much sarcasm as possible).

I know the Dolphins are hurting to fill seats, but this reeks of a desperate ploy to snag a few Orange and Blue fans to blend in with the fading number of Aqua jerseys in the stands.

You simply never honor a rival on your home turf. And even though the Hurricanes don’t have an on-campus stadium, Sun Life Stadium is as good as it gets.

For South Florida, it should always be about the U. That obvious point has slipped by the pro team trying to suck up to legions of other fans.

Apparently Chad Henne and Tony Sparano aren’t enough of a draw these days. Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer are, according to the Dolphins’ marketing experts.

Worst idea ever.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/08/is-it-good-or-bad-pr-for-the-miami-dolphins-to-be-honoring-the-florida-gators.html

[dbatesman]

Armando Salguero, Miami Herald

I think this is a great idea.

[RutgersJetFan]

Armando Salguero, Miami Herald

I think this is a great idea.

Best writer ever. He's like the visa of sports media.

[stoicsentry]

Again another reason why it's hard to take the Dolphins seriously... as if we needed any reasons other than simply being named 'Dolphins' or wearing... those colors... or being owned by pop singers... or... and so on.

[Blackout]

TEBOW POWER

[vinnys025]

Tim Tebow=Scott Frost