The Miami Dolphins Want Broward to Pay for Stadium Upgrades? OK, Let's Play for it (Updated)

The Dolphins want $200 million to add some kind of hat thing to Sun Life Stadium.

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The Dolphins this week revealed the ridiculous idea that Broward County ought to help pay for $200 million in upgrades to Sun Life Stadium -- which isn't even in Broward County. The Legislature would have to change state law to allow this completely ballsy idea on the part of Dolphins ownership, but there's an easier way.

Let's play for it.

Specifically, let's put Broward and Dade high school players against each other for all the marbles. It wouldn't be hard to organize: They're already playing January 14 in the
Dade vs. Broward All-Star Game, a matchup sponsored by the Dolphins. They'll play at 7 p.m. at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami, simply for bragging rights.

The head of Broward's contribution to the game says he's in for the $200 million bet. "Well, we won last year," says Damian Huttenhoff, the Broward County School Board's director of activities and athletics. "Let's go for it."

Huttenhoff was kidding, I think. But Broward does have an advantage. The two counties have been playing in a version of the game for 14 years now. Stats aren't kept, but Huttenhoff believes we're 7-7. This year, however, Broward schools upset Dade high schools in matchups between the county's powerhouses. Miami football stalwarts like Northwestern and Edison no longer compete with the likes of Broward football juggernauts like Miramar and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Or can they? Dade, if your boys can run with Broward's best, let's put money on it. Specifically, $200 million in fairly nutty stadium renovations.

UPDATE: Dade County appears to be in for the $200 million bet. I asked Cheryl A. Golden, the instructional supervisor for the greater Miami Athletic Conference Division of Athletics/Activities in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, about the idea. Her emailed response was short and sweet: "Why not!"

The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, were not impressed with the idea. Twan Russell, the team's director of youth and community relations responded: "You're joking, I'm sure."

No, I explained. Let's put some money on this thing.

"Do you have any real questions about the game?" Russell asked, before politely hanging up.