Dwyane Wade: Better than Marino?

     [Updated Sunday, 2-19: Wade winning the NBA All-Star Weekend's "Skills Challenge" last night only underlines the question, which we'll refresh to invite a new round of opinion...]   

     It is blasphemy in South Florida to suggest any pro athlete who has played his career here could end up being greater than beloved Dan Marino.

     But the Heat's Dwyane Wade could be that athlete, The Chosen One. I have not thought that before about anybody else who has played down here. Wade is that spectacular.

     Don't read this wrong. I'm not saying Wade, still a toddler in career terms, is anywhere close to surpassing Marino yet, or even that he absolutely will. Only that he has a real chance to retire having been judged better at what he did than Marino was.

      Marino may always be our most popular athlete, based not only on accomplishment, charisma and longevity, but on this being a football town. But early indications are that D-Wade may prove to be our greatest athlete ever.

Comments

[dmitry]

This is WAY WAY WAY premature. Did I mention it was WAY too early for this kinda talk? My hope right now is that Riley locks up Dwayne for the rest of his career, but when was the last time an NBA player spent an entire career with one team, lately? Once again, I really hope Riley locks him up, I'd hate to see Wade on another team in the future.

[David Tucker]

The biggest problem with that comparison is that while a QB is the single most important player on a football team, he is not the ONLY most important player. Marino never had the full support he needed in his career to get to another Super Bowl. He could lift the Fins but only so far until other deficiencies (usually the running game and very often the defense) brought the Fins down. Marino was brilliant but only involved in plays where the ball was being passed. He couldn't run, catch, or play defense.

"Flash" otoh can individually win a game. He can play offense & defense. He can steal the ball. He can draw double teams, leaving Haslem (Go Gators!) with an easy shot. Against Detroit, Wade scored 17 straight points on perfect shooting. A basketball player can do that. They still need a strong supporting cast but even with a painful injury last year the Heat almost got by Detroit.

Wade is going to be one of our most dazzling athletes of all time. If he stays with the Heat. He's going to be popular down there too. Maybe never as much as Marino but he'll be close. But i don't think the two are comparable. Marino is one of the greatest of all time. Wade is showing he's going to be one of the greatest of all time. That's all I care about. 8)

[Jonas]

While I do appreciate you raising this argument only one thing needs to be said, NO MIAMI ATHLETE CAN EVER SURPASS MARINO. Inherrent in this argument is the idea that Wade may in fact be on Marino's level one day, but never surpass him. They do have many things in common: 1) very successful, very early; 2) almost champions within the first two years; 3) extremely clutch at the end of games; 4) both coached by the best in the business; 5) a burning desire to win.

I am excited to see how this Dwyane Wade thing works out, and when its all said and done, he may in fact be amongst the best basketball players ever. But there is a reason that the Superbowl is the most widely viewed sporting event, and its because football rules the sporting world. Hence, Marino sits on the thrown of the South Florida sporting world but I think he may have to scoot over and make some room one day for Wade.

[the shadow knows]

as much as i love dwyane wade and as much as i am not a great fan of marino as a QB, i will admit that in the facet of quarterbacking known as passing dan marino is in the ionosphre; i don't believe that dwyane wade wiill ever be considered the greatest at any particular facet of his splendid all-around game.

[Dayton Elseth]

I think Wade can do it, but a few things need to occur for that to happen:
1. He needs to spend his entire career in Miami.
2. He must continue to be a superstar in the NBA...no down years. And, definitely no fading into oblivion like Penny Hardaway.
3. That superstar career must have some longevity.
4. He needs to bring an NBA title to Miami. If he could do it now and possibly later in his career, like Jordan, that should leave a lasting impression on his influence of the team's success.

[eddie]

I think that Dwyane Wade could go down as more beloved than Marino here if he continues to eb a superstar for many years to come and brings us some championships.

[The Greg]

I LOVE Dan Marino. That can never be questioned and I'm sure most Dolphans can say the same. Having said that, I do agree that D-Wade will one day surpass Marino as the greatest athlete in Miami's sporting history. As stated earlier, both of them are charismatic, clutch, spectacularly talented, and feverishly competitive. I think what will make the difference is that Flash is unbelievably humble, especially considering his exceptional athletic ability. He understands that no matter how great he is, he still needs 4 other players on the court with him. He has no problem sharing the spotlight with such a dominating figure like Shaq, because he understands how important the big man is to his success. His modesty will bring many golden basketballs to Miami. On the other hand, I think Marino’s fatal flaw was his vanity. I think that he thought he could win on his own, without the need for a great running game (and I obviously don’t know Dan, so this is just conjecture). He never pushed the organization enough to pick up a prime running back. He enjoyed throwing the ball 50 times a game. He liked being the focus of the offense. I know the fins tried drafting some backs in the first round that didn’t really work out, but they could have signed someone or made a trade. He could have taken a pay cut to bring someone in, but he felt he could do it himself, and to his credit, he almost did.

In a nutshell, I truly believe D-Wade will bring many championships to Miami, which will be the deciding factor that pushes him past Marino in the minds of South Floridians. For those that argue that a B-Baller can’t surpass a football player in stature see Michael Jordan in Chicago (which no one could argue is not a football town). If D-Wade brings 6 championships to Miami, wouldn’t you put him higher than Marino on the totem pole???

[Eduardo Calleja]

I think this will be a generational thing. Most of us grew up watching Marino, we saw him make come backs, we remember the fake spike in that Jets game, and we saw him break records and all the other incredible things he did. While nobody, even as much as I love Wade's game, will ever surpass Marino in my eyes, I don't think the same can be said for our children, most of them will grow up watching Wade hit the winning shot not Marino leading the winning drive. In that sense Wade might one day replace Marino over an extended period of time. But I doubt he will ever replace him in the minds of the people who watched Marino play for so long. They are both incredible athletes and we should feel lucky that we have had the opportunity to watch them play.

[darthgatorone]

This is just sportswriter bovine scatology spewed out to generate a column and controversy. To attempt to compare two separate athletes performing in two separate sports at different times is totally useless. At some point way, way down the line, a legitimate question may be asked as to who is the more populat athlete in South Florida, but greatest? Gimme a break. It's just as legitimate to ask who is the greater superhero, Superman or Batman, and just as productive.

[Bill]

To Cote: What?

[CubanCulebra]

Put the pipe down Cote. You need to find Jesus.

[Paul]

I have been a Dolphin fan since the moment I knew what a football was which pretty much coincided with the start of Marino's career and since that day, I loved him. In my eyes, he could do no wrong. If he threw an interception, it was the receiver's fault for running the wrong route. If he fumbled, it was a bad snap, and if he was sacked, someone missed a block. Fast Forward 20 years....When Wade hit the game winning shot in game 1 of the playoffs against the Hornets in his rookie year, I knew we were all witnessing someone special. Since then he has done nothing but be spectacular. While, he is still extremely young, I think eventually (assuming he remains in Miami long term) he will take his place next to (not in front of) Marino on the South Florida sports throne. GO HEAT! GO DOLPHINS!

[chaz schlueter]

I think some striking similarities between the two are the humbleness and charisma exuded by each athlete, both on and off the field. They are both class acts. And in my book, that goes along way to "greatest".

I hope the Heat make Wade a career Miami player. We need that.
Chaz

[Howard King]

I know it is much too early to start these comparisons, but watching him every game he plays, can't help but get excited about his future. He looks like someone that will be compared with the Dr J, Jordan & Magic. The best thing about him, his is humility and his team first approach.
The love the rest of this team have for him speaks volume, especially Shaq & Zo.
Can't help but love this kid.

[Joe]

In Miami Marino might be the beloved, but world wide, Wade is already more popular...

[Kurt from Boca]

Joe, I totally agree. Miami has only seen "one" real sports star in their 35 years on the professional map so to speak, and even though I agree Dan Marino was a star, and just outside of the top 5 QB's of all time, DWADE is already more popular the world over than Dan "Maroone" Marino ever was. Shaq is excluded above until he wins a championship here as I beleive he is more associated with the LAKERS to fans outside of FLA. If he does not bring a championship to South Fla, he'll most likely go into the hall and be remembered mostly as a Laker. If DWADE finishes his career with the HEAT and can bring home a couple of rings before he is finished, Marino should move over and make room for Flash. I would put Montana, Brady, Favre, Unitas, Elway, and Manning ahead of Marino all time.

[Heat d fan]

I beg to differ Shaq even though he will only play here 5 or 6 years will go down as the biggest Star ever to play in Miami. The real question is will he be shut out on titles the way Marino was by having mediocre defenses and running attach for so many years. Also Brady and Peyton Manning may eventually bump Marino and end up with Montana, Young, Elway and Farve as the greatest modern day quarterbacks.

[Taylor Jones]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Come on Cote your better than that. Were you just bored and wanted to spread some debate over the Miami Herald. Take it from a Cali boy here: Wade will never even be close to Marino. Marino dominated the quarterback position during his era. He was seen as the best of his time (unless your an idiot and think Elway is better), while Wade will always been in the shadow of Kobe and Lebron. He won't win tons of championships, and when Shaq leaves, he probably wont win any. The fact is, hes a very good point guard with tons of talent around him that make him seem better than he is. I would take Chris Paul over him as a Franchise player. Now I now this may seen crazy as his numbers don't even compare. But the fact is Paul sets up the whole Hornets team. You Miami residents may not know this unless you're like me and have NBA League Pass, but seriously the Hornets may have more of a chance getting past the second round than the Heat do.

Marino will never be surpassed by anyone in Miami. Certianly not by DWayne Wade.

[slapyousilly]

To TheGreg, you are numb nuts. Marino had no control on why the Dolphins never had a decent running back or defense needed to win the big one.

[Pam]

I can't imagine any other athlete being more 'above or loved' then Dan Marino. His complete package on & off the field gained more respect then Bryant's 80+ recent game.
The downfall was not having the heart and support from ownership / coaching to realize a vital part missing from the return to S.B. - a quality running game.
With Wade, look at his surroundings on the floor ... defense, offensive power that distracts and opens up his talent.
Especially after the Mark brother's ... it rested upon Dan to carry the team - and that's a heavy burden considering team sports is just that: 'team effort' to win the big games.
Looking forward as a devoted Fin Fan, still wishing for a future QB to salvage our team. Hoping for Brees in 06!