MIAMI – It’s a big night for sports in South Florida and some fans watching from home will have to decide what to watch as Inter Miami, the Miami Marlins and Miami Dolphins are all scheduled to play on Friday night.
Local 10 News spoke with Miami sports fans outside of loanDepot Park Friday that couldn’t contain their excitement.
“It’s going to be a good night. We got Marlins. We got Dolphins. We got Messi!” said one South Florida sports fan.
At loanDepot Park, fans arrived at the stadium hours before the first pitch as the Marlins are set to host the New York Yankees at 6:40 p.m., the first of a three-game series that is known for drawing large crowds and packing the ballpark.
“When we face the Yankees, this place gets nuts,” said one Marlins fan. “It’s a big deal and I hope the stadium will get pretty packed.”
But with more fans, comes the traffic nightmare of getting to the Little Havana stadium, and then there’s the issue of finding parking since the garages usually fill up well before game time.
Along the Dolphin Expressway, Local 10 News spotted road signs alerting drivers of Friday’s game. The traffic is already starting on the eastbound exit ramp to Northwest 17th Avenue.
Fans like Manny Forte, who anticipated the congestion, arrived with ample time to find parking.
“The traffic is always bad coming from the north end so today makes it nuttier,” said Forte.
The Miami Marlins will be the first to get started and then 20 minutes later, Fins fans will kick off week one of NFL pre-season football as the Miami Dolphins will host the Atlanta Falcons at 7 p.m.
At 8:30 p.m., Messi mania will once again hit the field at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale as Inter Miami hosts Charlotte in the League’s Cup quarterfinals.
South Florida sports fans will also have the opportunity to watch Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Be sure to watch Local 10 News at 7 p.m. Sunday for the Local 10 special, “Celebrating Legends.”