<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrianUrlacher54 @ Sep 25 2006, 04:11 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Loria didn't own them until 2003, and the owner in 1997 lost 40 million that year.</div>1) I know, but Huizenga was just as terrible an owner.2) <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Following the World Series victory team owner Wayne Huizenga claimed massive financial losses
which would later prove to be mostly false as he reported team and stadium earnings separately. He dismantled the team by trading off most of the club's most talented players. Among them, Moises Alou was traded to the Houston Astros, Bobby Bonilla was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kevin Brown was traded to the San Diego Padres and Gary Sheffield was traded to the Dodgers as well (for Mike Piazza, who was immediately traded again, this time to the New York Mets).
Fans were outraged by this "fire sale," some comparing it to Huizenga's Blockbuster Video selling used tapes at bargain rates. Some disgruntled fans came up with the slogan, "Wait 'til last year!" Marlins home attendance plummeted.</div>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_MarlinsThere was nothing wrong with the Marlins until 1997 when Huizenga pissed them off with a Fire Sale for his own personal reasons. It killed most of their fan base who turned their back on the Marlins and never came back. 1993 Attendance - 3,064,8571994 Attendance - 1,937,4671995 Attendance - 1,700,4661996 Attendance - 1,746,7671997 Attendance - 2,364,387Won First World Series, Dismantled Team Over 1997 Offseason/1998 Season1998 Attendance - 1,750,3951999 Attendance - 1,369,4212000 Attendance - 1,218,3262001 Attendance - 1,261,2202002 Attendance - 813,111Team Sold to Jeffrey Luria, Back to Competitive Baseball, or so they thought. 2003 Attendance - 1,303,2142004 Attendance - 1,724,1052005 Attendance - 1,823,388Jeffrey Luria turns on the Fans, Firesale Version 2 2006 Attendance - 1,009,732