Often lost in the fantasy world of professional sports is that athletes are fans, as well.
That certainly resonates with Miami Heat captain Udonis Haslem, whose passion for the Miami Dolphins has been well chronicled for years, few moments as rewarding for the South Florida native as donning his orange and aqua and hosting teammates at Hard Rock Stadium.
Or at least that had been the case.
Going forward, Haslem said, he is planning on a wardrobe change when it comes to NFL game days.
Dolphins colors, he told the Sun Sentinel, no longer can be his colors after the dismissal of coach Brian Flores and the ensuing fallout from charges Flores fired at the franchise.
“Probably not, probably not,” Haslem said of again wearing Dolphins colors. “But that’s fine. It has nothing to do with my love for the city. I mean, I still love the city of Miami.”
For all the struggles of the franchise he followed so passionately, it was the dismissal of Flores that made the respected veteran power forward reconsider his autumn viewing.
“I’ve wasted too many Sundays, man,” Haslem said after a morning workout. “And they losing on purpose? I take this to heart. This is personal. So if those allegations are true, I can’t move past that.”
The allegations are Flores claiming Dolphins owner Stephen Ross attempted to incentivize him to lose at a time that the team’s fortunes were down, and the opportunity of a top draft pick was significant.
“I love the Dolphins. I love that organization,” Haslem said. “But as an athlete who puts their heart and soul into the things I play, to hear that was very disturbing. And it’s hurtful to somebody who’s grown up watching that organization.
“So that’s where I’m at it, more hurt than anything, by those allegations.”
Haslem said he also has been disappointed by the NFL’s lack of coaches of color, calling the league’s Rooney Rule of interviewing coaching candidates of color a sham.
“I mean, at the end of the day, we understand it’s a problem in the NFL,” Haslem said. “It’s not a secret. I don’t understand you have so many African Americans impacting the sport at the level of playing, but there’s nobody making any decisions. We’ve all understood that’s been a problem, for a long period of time.
“The Rooney Rule ain’t working. So find something else. The Rooney Rule gives people the opportunity to do the bare minimum. That means nothing.”
Which is why it became even more personal when Flores was dismissed.
“He came to my restaurant a lot of times, 800 Degrees,” Haslem, 41, said of the Aventura spot he co-owns with former Heat guard Dwyane Wade, 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen. “He spent time in my restaurant. We exchanged numbers and we’ve conversed a number of times prior to this.
“I had an opportunity to build a relationship with Coach Flo. And the experiences that I’ve had with him, he’s been a straight-edge guy. And I can appreciate that. And for me, as a real, down, hard Dolphins fan, I hope those allegations aren’t true. But I do believe that Coach Flo is a very honest guy, and I had a great relationship with him, and I don’t think he would make those things up. So I’m siding on the side of what’s right. And what I think is right. And that’s what I’m talking about.”
So what next on football Sundays? For now, Haslem said he’s leaning toward the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Because they’re still a Florida team,” he said.
But so are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I don’t want to jump on the bandwagon like everybody else,” he said. “I’m an underdog type of guy.”
So no trips to Miami Gardens during the 2022 NFL season.
“Nah, no,” he said. “Unless they play the Jaguars. Then I’m in the building.”
They don’t. So, he won’t.
But he said there also are the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Flores has since been hired to serve as linebackers coach.
“I’m keeping my options open,” Haslem said.
