Florida's oldest professional sports franchise -- the Miami Dolphins -- was dealt a crushing blow Friday when the Florida Legislature ended its session without passing any funding plan that would assist the team's quest to refurbish its stadium.
The refusal of the GOP-controlled Legislature to aid the team wasn't just a defeat for the Dolphins -- it also could sack South Florida's efforts to lure another Super Bowl to the region in the next few years.
It also means the San Francisco Bay Area likely will be the front-runner to host Super Bowl L in 2016, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
Others who lost out include the city of Orlando, which was hoping for help to lure a Major League Soccer team, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Daytona International Speedway.
The professional sports teams were all backing a Florida Senate proposal that would have allowed each of them to compete for a share of state tax dollars. The measure would have created a process for pro teams to vie for $13 million per year in state incentives.
But the House -- led by Speaker Will Weatherford -- refused to bring up the legislation.
"In the weeks ahead, I will do all I can to convince my fellow owners to bring the Super Bowl back to Miami-Dade," Ross said in a statement released by the Dolphins. "The Bid Committee has done a tremendous job to give us a great shot, and my only hope is that it is enough to overcome the terrible message Speaker Weatherford has sent to the NFL tonight. In addition, I will continue to do all I can to build a winning team for the people of Miami-Dade."
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross blasted Weatherford, saying in a statement that the Wesley Chapel Republican had promised to at least let the legislation come up for a vote on the House floor.
"He put politics before the people and the 4,000 jobs this project would have created for Miami Dade, and that is just wrong," Ross said.
Weatherford, in a tweet, later contended that it wasn't true that he had promised an up or down vote.
Ross also said the decision sent a "terrible message" to NFL owners who soon will decide whether to bring a Super Bowl back to Florida in either 2016 or 2017. A vote on the matter is expected to be held in two weeks at the NFL Spring Meeting in Boston.
Top 100 Players of 2013
Make sure you vote for the Top 100 players of 2013. Voting ends May 31. Get your vote in. More ...
In order to convince skeptical politicians, the team agreed to a series of concessions -- including that it would pay part of the money after 30 years.
But the push by the Dolphins coincided with an effort by other cities and professional sports organizations to also obtain state tax dollars.
The Florida Senate bill would have let the Dolphins tap into local taxes to help pay for renovations to their stadium. But in the waning moments of the session, the Senate passed a revised version that stripped the local tax portion and instead just made the Dolphins eligible for state money. That failed, too.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
