Arab Americans
Joe Robbie
Joseph “Joe” Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American lawyer and entrepreneur of Lebanese descent.
Robbie was the original owner of the Miami Dolphins, an NFL football team. Coached by Don Shula, Robbie’s Dolphins achieved a perfect season (17–0) in 1972 and two consecutive Super Bowl wins. Additionally, he built the US$115 millionJoe Robbie Stadium (1987–1996) with private funds in 1987. It was later renamed Pro Player Park (1996), then Pro Player Stadium (1996–2005), then Dolphins Stadium (2005–2006), then Dolphin Stadium (2006–2009; 2010), then LandShark Stadium (2009–2010) and is now called Sun Life Stadium (2010–present).
Robbie had a small part playing himself in the film Black Sunday, in which he is interviewed about security for Super Bowl X(1976).
Robbie also owned the Miami Toros and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (later the Minnesota Strikers) soccer teams of theNorth American Soccer League. Joe Robbie Stadium was one of the first major stadiums in the US designed with soccer in mind.
Honors and awards
For his contributions to the Miami Dolphins, and being the founder of the team, Joe Robbie became the inaugural inductee into The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll on September 16, 1990 (eight months after his death).