Is Miami Big Enough for Peyton Manning, Ozzie Guillen and the Big 3?

Miami is not a great sports city. What it is, however, is a world-class bandwagon town. I'm by no means knocking the residents of South Florida, because there are many things that work against it becoming one of the best sports towns in the country.

It takes special events, special teams or special personalities to fill stadiums or arenas down here. LeBron James and the Miami Heat qualify. The Miami Marlins have their new stadium, their flashy, outspoken new manager in Ozzie Guillen and even big superstar free-agent signings. They certainly qualify.

The Miami Dolphins, however, are not just average, they're boring. In Miami, where fan support waivers so quickly, and even the most celebrated franchise doesn't get a free pass, being this bland for this long is the worst possible scenario. Heck, the Dolphins could be 3-13, but one huge splash could put them over the top as far as fan support and ticket sales are concerned. 

Signing Peyton Manning would put the Dolphins in the category of the Heat and the Marlins right now. The fact the Dolphins actually find themselves third in the pecking order of South Florida sports is incredible in and of itself, but acquiring one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, even in the twilight of his career, would breathe a sense of rebirth into the franchise that it hasn't felt in well over a decade. 

Is Miami big enough for all three major teams to be contenders at the same time? Is the city's extreme economic situation going to hold back maximum support for three teams at once? No. Fans in this city flock to winners, and flock to names. There is enough support to go around.

What there isn't, however, is enough local sports media.

With the ridiculous amount of attention the Miami Heat command on a daily basis, and the reporters who will be fighting to get that next headlining Ozzie Guillen quote, what would happen if the Dolphins signed Manning? Would the Heat feel a reprieve from the media hype, as much of the coverage would head north to Sun Life Stadium? Would the Marlins and their new spaceship of a stadium somehow fly under the radar? 

It's very possible. Peyton Manning would put the Dolphins back where they belong: on top of the Miami sports scene. For now, LeBron James' miscues and Ozzie Guillen's rants are still going to dominate the front pages.