"Can the Florida Panthers be bigger than the Miami Heat in a crowded South Florida sports market? Can hockey not merely survive where ice is born to melt but thrive to a degree it surpasses basketball in overall stature? It is time to wonder that as a reasonable debate, and not as a maybe-someday hypothetical but as a tectonic shift that might already have begun to happen."
"The Panthers are on top of the world in their sport as the Heat is sinking in theirs. This is still a football town, don't get that wrong. That's despite the Dolphins and Hurricanes largely abdicating this century, with UM's last national championship in 2001 and the Fins' last playoff win in 2000. But the biggest team after football is open to debate for really the first time."
"And what the Panthers and Heat have done, or not done, this offseason, underlines the opposite directions. The Cats have already won the summer, doing the seemingly impossible by re-signing all three of their key free agents in Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad. The Heat seems stuck, mostly watching as others make the moves. And the torpor is reflected in DraftKings' NBA title odds for next season, as of Wednesday. Miami is tied for 10th-best odds In the Eastern Conference of 15 teams."
South Florida's sports landscape is shifting as the Florida Panthers rise and the Miami Heat falter. The Panthers have consecutive Stanley Cup championships and retained key players Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad, strengthening their core. The Heat were swept in the first playoff round and have shown limited offseason activity, reflected by bottom-third DraftKings title odds in the Eastern Conference. Football remains the dominant sport, but the choice for the biggest team after football is now genuinely contestable. Panthers' national loathing underscores competitive respect and fuels the team's identity and momentum.
Read at Miami Herald
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