Few celebs coming in on Dolphins' dime
By Jose Lambiet
Palm Beach Post Columnist
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
How do you know the Miami Dolphins' season is really wretched?
When the team is willing to pay some of the beautiful people to come to the stadium — and few are taking the offer.
Oscar nominee Terrence Howard dresses the part — as a fan of the winless Dolphins — while sitting with daughter Heaven in a luxury box during Sunday's game against the Patriots.
The 'Fins quietly started a new program this year to create a buzz where their football doesn't — by stacking the stands with A-listers.
For that, the team hired local NFL Alumni Association PR Director Doris Porter, wife of former Colts linebacker Ron Porter, and gave her a budget to pay the celebs' expenses, including flights, rooms at a five-star resort, lunch money and Dolphins garb.
If a Left Coast entertainment big wants to bring a posse, those bills can reach well into five figures, she said. "When you think the Dolphins invested $300 million into the stadium, that's a nominal amount of money to entice people to come," Porter said.
The boldfacers' only job, meanwhile, is to wave at the crowd when the Jumbotron focuses on them, agree to radio and TV appearances and be nice.
Yet, even if it's never been a problem for the NBA's Miami Heat to pack the likes of Palm Beach troubadour Jimmy Buffett courtside and charge them a premium, giving it away has been an uphill battle for the well-Rolodexed Porter — and it's not getting any easier.
She scored her biggest coup at Sunday's debacle against the New England Patriots. And even then, while Oscar nominee and rising star Terrence Howard (The Brave One, Crash) flew from New York on the Fins' dime, the Pats' contingent included Matt Dillon (Crash, Wild Things), Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) and supermodel Gisele Bundchen, QB Tom Brady's honey.
"Well, I'm sure it'd be easier if we were 7-0," Porter said. "But hopefully, we'll get many more big names."
Compounded with the team's losing streak is some of the higher-ups' hesitation when it comes to more controversial characters. Porter has reached out to the likes of trainwreck Britney Spears, her ex baby-making accomplice, Kevin Federline, and the oft-rehabbed Lindsay Lohan, but has been overruled.
"Understandably, Mr. Huizenga (Dolphins owner H. Wayne) is very image-conscious," Porter said.
Other things that went wrong: Texas hunk Matthew McConaughey (Sahara) was supposed to be here Sunday but demanded a private jet, and rap mogul Diddy said he'd be at the home opener against Dallas in September but never showed up.
"It's a full-time job," said Porter, who brought in Cane star Eddie Matos and singer Carlos Ponce earlier this season. "I spend my time dealing with the publicists and making sure every detail is just right."
She's already working on the last few games. If all goes well, soccer star David Beckham could be watching his first U.S. football game at Dolphin Stadium. Also on deck for December: former tennis star Anna Kournikova and MTV-generation icon Lauren Conrad (The Hills).
Said Carol Henderson, Dolphins director of sales: "It's something fans enjoy. Everybody wants to be where celebrities are, including at our games."
