Everything Miami
Miami Dolphins
Founded in 1966 by Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas. The Dolphins originally played in the American Football League (AFL) from 1966 to 1969, where they were not particularly successful, compiling a 15-39-2 record. Then, they joined the NFL (National Football League) in 1970 and hired Don Shula, who transformed Miami into an absolute juggernaut over his 25-year coaching career. In his first five years as head coach for the Dolphins, they made the playoffs, going to the Super Bowl in three consecutive years, winning the Super Bowl in back-to-back years, and having the only undefeated team in NFL history, the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Fast forward to 1983, in week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Don turned the reins over to Dan Marino, and everyone knows about the iconic status of Dan. Dan and Don created one of the most dominant QB head coaching duos the league had seen at the time. After Don Shula retired, Jimmy Johnson took over as coach of the Dolphins from 1996 to 1999. It wasn't a memorable stint, as it was his last game coaching and Dan Marino's last time playing QB against Jacksonville, which ended in a 62-7 loss. From 2000 to 2021, the Dolphins have been mediocre, making the playoffs only four times, experiencing poor luck in finding their next franchise quarterback and winning the AFC East only once, in 2008. In 2022, the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniels as their newest head coach, and he has been a more successful coach for the Team, going 28-23 and making it to the playoffs in his first two years as head coach. However, he took a step back last year with an 8-9 record. This year, Miami is looking to have a bounce-back year with a fully healthy Tua Tagovailoa and aims to make the playoffs, with the hope of winning their first playoff game since 2000.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat began its NBA tenure at the start of the 1988-89 season, and Rony Seikaly would be the franchise's first-ever draft pick. They would start their first season in the Midwest division of the Western Conference. The Heat was abysmal in their debut season, finishing with a 15-67 record. In that draft, they selected Glen Rice in the first round and Sherman Douglas in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft. At the start of the 1989-90 season, Miami would move to the Atlantic Division. Once again, the Heat would be a bottom dweller in the league, going 18-64, and continued being one of the worst teams in the League. In 1995, Lewis Schaffel and Billy Cunningham sold the team to a young Mikey Arison. In the Summer of 95, Arison would end up getting Pat Riley, who stepped down as head coach of the New York Knicks, which would turn into a very hostile and violent rivalry between the two franchises, in the 95-96 season, the Heat would be 24-29, Riley went out to get Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway and that would push Miami into the playoffs at 42-40 but would get swept by the record setting Bulls team in 3 games. The 1996-97 team was the best Heat team at the time, posting a 61-21 record and a 32-9 road record, earning them the nickname "Road Warriors." In the playoffs, the Heat would battle their in-state rivalry in a five-game series, with the Heat pulling off the win to secure the series. Their next series would be against the New York Knicks, and the series went seven games, with both teams' superstars taking over key games. In the series, you would see a giant brawl break out when PJ Brown body slams Charlie Ward, and there were some key suspensions on both teams. PJ Brown was suspended for the final two games of the series, and the Heat went on to win the final two games against the Knicks, reaching.
The Eastern Conference Championship against the Chicago Bulls, where they would eventually fall to the Bulls in five games for the second straight season. Throughout the following three seasons, the Heat and the Knicks met in the playoffs, with the Knicks winning every time. From 2000 to 2003, the Heat was on a downward spiral from their past success, with Pat Riley stepping down as head coach. At the end of the 2003 season, the Heat finished with a 25-57 record and secured the fifth pick in the NBA Draft. The Heat would select Dwayne Wade (thanks to the Pistons for taking Darko), with the fifth pick overall in a very stacked 2003 NBA Draft class that included future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. With the news of Pat Riley stepping down as head coach before the start of the season, his longtime assistant Stan Van Gundy would take over as head coach. Most analysts didn't expect the Heat to be a playoff-caliber team. Still, they surprised everyone by making the postseason, going 42-40, and sweeping the Charlotte Hornets before losing to the Indiana Pacers in a 4-2 series. In the 2004 offseason, the Heat made a massive acquisition by adding Shaquille O'Neal, creating a dynamic duo with Dwyane Wade. This pairing brought instant success, resulting in their third-best season, with a 59-23 record. They would go on to sweep New Jersey and Washington, and ultimately face the Detroit Pistons. The series went to seven games, with the Pistons taking Game 7 in Miami. In the following offseason, the Heat would acquire Antoine Walker, Jason "White Chocolate" Williams, and James Posey. At the start of the 2005-06 season, the Heat would go 11-10, where Pat Riley would become the head coach after Stan Van Gundy would step down due to personal and family reasons, and Pat would return to become the head coach of the Miami Heat, and they would go on to be 52-30 at the end of the regular season and finishing the second seed. In the playoffs, the Heat would beat the Bulls in six games, then defeat New Jersey in five games, and they would meet the Pistons for the second straight year. The Heat would win in six games, with every game failing to reach the 100-point mark. The Heat finally made it to the NBA Finals for the first time, facing the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat lost the first two games but went on to win the next four, carried by a young Dwyane Wade, who became the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP, with 34.7 points, the third-highest in NBA history by a player making his Finals debut, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a game. Over the next four seasons, the Heat experienced some low seasons, with Pat Riley stepping down as head coach and Erik Spoelstra taking over the helm. In the 2010 offseason, the Heat added LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form the Big 3 with Dwyane Wade, becoming the most polarizing team the NBA had seen at the time. From 2011 to 2014, it was an enjoyable and successful time for the Heat, as they made it to the finals four straight years, winning two of them, and developed some very heated rivalries with the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. In the summer of 2014, the Heat would see LeBron return to Cleveland. The transition period in the post-Big three era was enjoyable, but it wasn't comparable to the heights of The Heatles. The Heat hit a rough patch after Dwyane Wade left the Heat to go to the Bulls, and with Bosh retiring early due to blood clots. Dwyane would later return to the Heat in 2017 before retiring in 2019. In 2019, the Heat made a deal to get Jimmy Butler, and over the next six years, it was a fun ride to be on. In the 2019-20 season, the Heat made it to the bubble due to COVID-19, and there they went on a run by beating the Pacers in five games and the Milwaukee Bucks in five games as well, which booked them a rematch with their fiercest rival, the Boston Celtics. The Heat would win the series in six games, with everyone witnessing one of the most iconic blocks in NBA history, as Bam Adebayo met Jayson Tatum at the rim. The Heat would ultimately fall to the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals, where we saw one of the most memorable finals performances by Jimmy Butler, going toe-to-toe with LeBron. In the 2020-21 season, the Heat struggled after returning from a 70-day break following the Bubble. They were swept by the Bucks, looking flat throughout the series. In the 2021-22 offseason, Miami acquired PJ Tucker and Kyle Lowry, which propelled the team to a 59-23 season and secured Miami's fourth-ever spot as a one seed. In the playoffs, the Heat would beat Atlanta in five games, eliminating Philadelphia in six, for the second time in three years, and face off against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Series has seen a lot of drama throughout the seven-game series, with Jimmy attempting the game-winning three-pointer that bricked off the rim, and Boston would win the game and move on to the NBA Finals. The 2022-23 season marked a significant drop-off for the Heat, from a 59-23 record to 44-38, resulting in a play-in tournament appearance that included a loss to Atlanta and a win against the Bulls. The Heat would take on Milwaukee as an eight seed for the third time in four years, and it would be another Jimmy masterclass throughout the whole series, with him averaging 35 points per game and setting a Miami Heat playoff record for the most points in a playoff game with 56. The Heat would win the series in five games. The Heat would take on another rival in New York, defeating them in six games. For the third time in four years, Miami would face off against the hated Boston Celtics. This matchup was one of the wildest series you will see as a fan, with the Heat winning the first three games. Boston initially looked like they had no clue how to play basketball, but then they figured everything out, winning the next three games, while Miami struggled to understand the game. Still, in game six it was an entertaining and competive game where Jimmy managed to get to the line a make all three of his free throws and putting the Heat up by one with a 103-102 lead with 3 seconds left in the game, Boston would call a timeout to set up a game winning play, Derryck White would inboud the ball to Marcus Smart and he attempt a three point shot that would miss and White would have the buzzer beater and giving Boston the 104-103 win and tying the series to 3 and sending it back to Boston for game seven. In Game 7, Miami took control of the game and never looked back, winning 103-84 and sending the Heat back to the NBA Finals. However, they would ultimately run out of steam and lose to the Nuggets in five games. The 2023-24 season was similar to the previous one. Still, this time, there was no luck in the finals, where they would have to play in the play-in tournament again and secure an eight seed, only to be gentlemen swept by the overpowering Boston Celtics team, with no Jimmy Butler due to injury. The 2024-25 season would be a tumultuous time for the Heat, as they would constantly be dealing with Jimmy Butler, ultimately trading him on February 6th to the Golden State Warriors. They acquired Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and, as part of the trade, Davion Mitchell from Toronto. The Heat would be the first team in NBA history to win the play-in tournament as a 10th seed, only to get swept by Cleveland. In the offseason, Miami made a trade to get Norman Powell and Simone Fontecchio, while losing Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to Utah, and Duncan Robinson to Detroit.
Florida Panthers
The City of Miami and, later on, Fort Lauderdale were awarded an NHL hockey team in 1993. Within the first 3 years, the Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup championship but lost in four games to the Colorado Avalanche. In 1998, the Florida Panthers relocated to the Sunrise/Fort Lauderdale area, where they played in a brand-new arena called National Car Rental Center (now known as the Amerant Bank Arena). Before the start of the 1998-99 season, the Panthers would acquire Pavel Bure, who would have the record for most goals in a season in Panthers franchise history. Throughout the next few seasons, the Panthers were dreadful and had their worst season in Franchise history in the 2001-02 season. At the 2002 trade deadline, the Panthers would trade Bure to the Rangers. The following eight years were a horrendous time for the franchise, from reaching the Stanley Cup in '96 to being threatened with relocation. In 2010, Dale Tallon took over as GM for the Panthers. Over the next few seasons, the Panthers showed promise, winning their first division title in franchise history, only to lose to the New Jersey Devils in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. The following season, the Panthers failed to recapture the magic of their success the previous year and were once again bottom dwellers. In the 2013 NHL draft, Florida received the second overall pick and used it on Aleksander Barkov, who would later become the greatest Panthers player to walk through the doors. In the 2013-14 season, the Panthers would once again struggle, but luck would fall in their favor when they secured the number 1 overall pick and used it on Aaron Ekblad. Fast forward to the 2015-16 season, and the Panthers would finally have a successful season, winning 12 straight games for the first time in their franchise history. They would also return to the playoffs, but lose to the New York Islanders in six games in the first round. From 2017 to 2020, there were numerous front office miscues, making for a rollercoaster experience. In 2020, Bill Zito would enter as the new General Manager for the Florida Panthers, and that is where they found instant success, finishing second in the Central Division due to COVID-19. The 2021-2022 season is by far the Panthers' best season in franchise history, with 56 wins, 118 points, and their first-ever Presidents Trophy (the award for the best team throughout the year). They would go on and win their first postseason series since their 1996 Cup run, beating Washington in six games, but their season would end at their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the following offseason, they would go on and hire Paul Maurice as head coach, and on July 22nd, they would trade away Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weager, a 2025 first-round pick, and a prospect, Cole Schwindt, for Matthew Tkachuk. This was the first trade of a 100-point scorer since 1988, when Wayne Gretzky was traded for Jimmy Carson, and this was also the very first ever sign-and-trade in NHL history. In the 2022-23 season, the Panthers aimed to build on their success from the previous year's President's Trophy-winning squad. Still, with some injuries and looking at the outside of the playoffs, the Panthers had to scratch and claw their way into the playoffs, where they achieved it on the last night, with the Chicago Blackhawks beating the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Panthers would face the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round. The series was extremely physical and violent, with Boston leading 3-1 in the series. The Panthers would win Game 5 in Boston, 4-3 in overtime, and Game 6 in Sunrise, 7-5, to force a Game 7, where they would beat Boston, 4-3 in overtime, shocking the Bruins crowd and putting the hockey world on notice. In the next round, the Panthers would beat Toronto in 5 games and sweep Carolina to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1996. They would ultimately lose to the Vegas Golden Knights (who won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history) in five games. Heading into the 2023-24 season, the Panthers secured another successful season by winning the Atlantic Division on the final night of the season, as they defeated Toronto 5-2, while Boston lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators. In the postseason, the Panthers would once again face off against their bitter rivals to the north, the Tampa Bay Lightning, where they would finally get their first postseason series win against the Lightning in 5 games. In the next round, the Panthers would face off against a familiar rival, the Boston Bruins, who would knock off the Toronto Maple Leafs. The series was just like the year before: very physical, with a lot of hitting in game two. There were 125 combined hits and 148 combined penalty minutes. The Panthers would go on to win the series in six games. The Panthers would face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would defeat the Rangers in six games. They would then go on to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, facing off against the Edmonton Oilers. The series had a lot of drama, with the Panthers winning the first three games, looking like they're about to sweep the Oilers, but from game 4 to 6, the Oilers looked like an absolute unit and forced a game seven where everyone thought the Panthers might blow a 3-0 series lead. In Game 7, the Panthers won the game 2-1, securing their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In the 2024-25 season, the Panthers were favored to win the Stanley Cup again; however, over the course of the season, they would deal with numerous injuries and suspensions. A week or two before the trade deadline, the Panthers would trade away goalie Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Seth Jones. At the very last second of the Trade Deadline, the Panthers would trade away a draft pick to the Boston Bruins for Brad Marchand, and absolutely shocked the hockey world with that trade. The Panthers would coast into the playoffs, where they would face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they would quickly dispatch them in 5 games. They would beat Toronto in 7 games and beat Carolina in 5 games to advance to their third straight Stanley Cup finals, giving us a rematch against the Edmonton Oilers. The series wasn't really that close outside of Game 1 and Game 4. In Game 6, Sam Reinhart would be the first-ever Panthers player to have a hat trick in a playoff game, and the Panthers would win their second straight Stanley Cup title. In the offseason, the Panthers managed to pull off yet another shocker by bringing back Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand. It has the Panthers' eyes set on becoming the first dynasty in the Salary Cap era, and the first team since the New York Islanders of the late 70s and early 80s.