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Today is the day Miami Marlins President Dave Samson is running 52 miles in honor of the construction workers who built him and his ex-step-daddy Jeffrey Loria the half-billion dollar ball park paid primarily by Miami-Dade taxpayers. We told readers about Samson’s shameless publicity stunt to show off his double marathon running prowess earlier this month.
Well this afternoon, Samson blessed us with his presence when he stopped to take a break in front of the New Times offices at 4500 Biscayne Boulevard. Obviously, he didn’t come in to say hello, so we went outside to see why Samson had brought traffic to a stand still.
Update: New Times video guy, Jacob Katel, hopped on his bike to catch up with Samson’s marathon team and ask him a few questions on camera. Thing did not exactly go well. Click through for video.
Dressed in a florescent yellow tank top and skin-tight running shorts, Samson was flanked by the film crew from Showtime’s “The Franchise — A Season With The Miami Marlins,” another crew from Florida Sun Sports network, a bevy of beautiful brunettes, and three cops (one from the city of Miami and two from Miami-Dade). They munched on pizza slices and drank Gatorade and water, before continuing their run.
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Of course instead of running on the sidewalk, Samson and his entourage were in the street, causing traffic to slow down to a crawl. The cops were also providing a protective barrier so Samson won’t get run over by an incensed taxpayer. If that wasn’t enough, the caravan also included two convertible Mercedes-Benzes and the Marlins team bus.
It’s too bad we didn’t have any tomatoes handy to hurl at him.
Update: Jake Katel grabbed his bike to catch up with Samson’s race team. Here’s what happened:
Dave Samson is a pretty cool dude. In fact, we’re willing to bet he reads the New Times, and is signed up to Voice Daily Deals. Hey, we know he likes free stuff.
He was friendly with us while running a double marathon for charity. But, as for his lady friends, two police departments, and a Showtime film crew: not so much. It only took us one or two city blocks to get sassed by some chicas, hit with Miami-Dade police sirens, threatened by an old man, and reprimanded by a City of Miami cop. Geeze everybody, relax, I’m just one guy on a bike.
Samson running partners didn’t want us talking because it would make it hard for them to run, even though they were talking the whole time they were running.
The film crew didn’t want us filming.
And the police wanted us off the street with our bike, even though that’s where it should legally be.
Even we asked David Samson when the Marlins were going to start winning, he said smiled and said, “Tonight.”
We’re starting to think the guy would appreciate some irreverent sports coverage and let us into the games and press conferences, but the PR flacks, team organization, police, and competition are the ones blocking our way in.
Either way, Samson raised over $500,000 for various charities. So will we see him running again next Friday? It’s gonna take a lot of marathons to pay off that half billion tax payers poured into Marlins Park.
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