When tennis sensations Venus and Serena Williams were asked Tuesday what advice they might have for Dolphins majority owner Stephen Ross now that they will own a piece of Ross' team, Venus quickly addressed her first official recommendation.
``Don't draft us!'' she said.
Then again, given their physical prowess, Ross might want to consider that idea. The Dolphins just added some serious talent to their ownership group, this time in the form of athleticism instead of entertainment.
On the day when Ross introduced the Williams sisters as the latest investors of his recently acquired team, it might have been the first time when players seemed somewhat awed by their new bosses' abilities.
``It's exciting,'' said running back Ronnie Brown, who added he has ``hung out'' with the Williams sisters during a night on the town. ``Considering how successful they are with their sport, it brings a little more excitement to the Dolphins.''
The Williams sisters, residents of Palm Beach Gardens, join Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony, all of whom have bought a small stake in what is becoming a star-studded cast of owners. But the group doesn't only have its celebrity status in common -- it also shares another common thread that Ross has been targeting.
``Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem,'' Ross said.
A FIRST IN NFL
The sisters become the first black females to hold a limited stake in an NFL team. The league has no black majority owners. The Estefans also are the first Cuban-Americans to have a stake in an NFL team, and Anthony is a New York native of Puerto Rican descent.
But Venus and Serena seemed far more excited about becoming part owners for other reasons, namely their ties to South Florida.
``We're South Florida girls,'' Venus said. ``When we get off the road, this is where we come home to.''
Serena is familiar with the NFL (for more reasons than dating former NFL players LaVar Arrington and Keyshawn Johnson), claiming to be a loyal Dolphins fan. The sisters said they have attended gamesand plan to be at many more whenever they aren't ``working.''
``When we play tennis, you're so focused you don't really get to feel that atmosphere,'' Venus said. ``When we go to a Dolphins game, we get to soak in the atmosphere and we realize, `Oh my God, we do this too!' ''
On Tuesday, they took a tour of the team's facility for the first time, although they said they didn't get the chance to meet vice president of football operations Bill Parcells because they didn't want to bother his responsibilities at practice.
During a news conference outside the facility overlooking the practice fields, Ross presented both with Dolphins jerseys embroidered with their first names on the back.
UNIFORM AGREEMENT
Venus' jersey was No. 11, chosen because the name of her clothing line is ``EleVen by Venus Williams.'' Serena's jersey was No. 89, chosen because their late half sister, Yetunde Price, was born on Aug. 9, 1972 (8-9).
``We're honored,'' Serena said. ``Venus and I in tennis have tried to do so much for the sport. We're really excited to even have this opportunity.''
Soon after the news conference ended, the Dolphins' practice also ended, causing players to walk past the Williams sisters. Linebackers Jason Taylor and Joey Porter stopped to meet the sisters.
After a few minutes, the athletic pow wow ended, and everyone moved along. Asked about Ross' decision to make bring on the Williams sisters, Taylor said he thought it's ``definitely different,'' even though he believes it's ``going to be good.''
``He's trying to build a brand, and he has a certain way of doing it,'' Taylor said. ``Make no mistake about it, winning football games is what this is all about. Mr. Ross wants to win football games. This isn't just for show.
``If you win ball games, you have a lot of fans.''
The Miamiherald Reports:
