| | MIAMI -- Now that Dan Marino might be headed to the
Minnesota Vikings, the Miami Dolphins say they want him back.
The Dolphins previously have been vague in discussing Marino's
future, prompting speculation the veteran quarterback has
played his last game for Miami.
But according to team president Eddie Jones, the Dolphins told Marino, 38, they want him to remain in Miami if he decides to play this year, which would be his 18th in the NFL.
"Danny has been told he can come back," Jones said Monday.
For that reason, Jones said, he was flabbergasted by the news
that Marino is considering a contract offer with the Vikings.
"I guess he has assessed that (Minnesota) is the best place for
him to go do what he desperately wants to do, which is to win a
ring," Jones said.
Sources close to Marino, speaking on condition of anonymity,
confirmed that he was offered a contract last week by Minnesota
coach Dennis Green. Marino has been promised a starting job and is
expected to decide this week whether to accept the offer, sources
said.
Marino became a free agent last month after voiding his contract
with Miami. The Dolphins then signed free-agent quarterback Jay
Fiedler to a three-year, $3.8 million deal.
When asked about Marino's future, Dolphins officials have
repeatedly said it's up to Marino. They always stopped short of
saying they wanted him back.
"We decided early on that we weren't going to make this a big
public brouhaha," Jones said. "Dan had the right to void his
contract, he did that, and it didn't make much sense for us to say
more than that. I've always felt we shouldn't negotiate in the
public, and so we didn't."
Money isn't believed to be an issue for Marino, who hasn't
spoken publicly about his status in two weeks. He couldn't be
reached for comment Monday.
Marino is perhaps the most popular athlete ever in South
Florida, and the possibility that he might soon be wearing a purple
jersey upset many Miami fans.
"The public feels that the Dolphins have pulled a Benedict
Arnold on Dan Marino and turned their back on him," said WQAM
radio talk show host Jeff DeForrest, who took phone calls from fans
for four hours Monday.
"Canceling season tickets seems to be the prevailing sentiment.
They seem at this point to be up in arms at the whole notion that
Marino might play somewhere else and not be able to play here."
The angry fans included Frank LaBosco, 68, who said the Dolphins
shouldn't let Marino get away.
"They've treated him like a dog," LaBosco said. "Even if he
doesn't play this year, they should keep him around and teach the
kids coming up."
Not all fans were upset, however. At Shula's Steak 2, a sports
bar where Dolphins memorabilia covers the walls, the prospect of
Marino leaving Miami made sense to some.
"He wants to win a Super Bowl," Tony Gutierrez said. "If he
feels he can get the opportunity somewhere else, good for him. It's
like any other industry -- people come and go."
But at Century Village, several residents interviewed suggested
another option for Marino: retirement.
"He should rest on his laurels," said George Zucker, 75.
"He's not going to add to his stature any, and he's just going to
get hurt. He doesn't need it." | |
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