Welcome to Land Shark Stadium, Home Of the Miami Dolphins

Remember the good old days when our football teams played in Three Rivers Stadium, Veterans Stadium, Candlestick Park and The Pontiac Silverdome? Yeah, those days are gone. While it's true we already knew that, it seems as if each new corporate sponsorship name gets a little more, well, bizarre than the one before.

According to a report in Saturday's Miami Herald, the Miami Dolphins are set to announce this week that Dolphin Stadium (formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium and Pro Player Stadium) will be known as Land Shark Stadium, for at least the 2009 football season.

So, what in the name of all that is holy is Land Shark? It's a beer that is the brainchild of musician Jimmy Buffett, who has also been mentioned as a possible minority owner for the Dolphins. From Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:

The deal's payoff for Land Shark Lager is marketing. The payoff for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross -- just like it is for the owners of U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Petco Park in San Diego, Safeco Field in Seattle, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. -- is money, although no one was saying Friday how much the deal would bring the team. To accessorize the stadium's fifth name since it opened as Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987, Ross wants to open a Margaritaville-themed area inside the park. Ross apparently has been searching for a minority owner, and he reportedly has approached Buffett. The deal could give Buffett incentive to invest.

The thought of a Margaritaville-themed area seems like an OK idea, just so it doesn't result in the actual playing of the song Margaritaville. Not that it really matters much, but the folks at beeradvocate.com were not all that impressed with the quality of this particular lager.

It's also worth pointing out that this year's Super Bowl will be played in Miami ... at Land Shark Stadium.