Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets whose authenticity and ownership are verified via a tamper-proof network of computers, called the blockchain, that meticulously tracks transactions and sales. While it's unclear what NFTs have to do with baseball or the Miami Marlins, these two groups that were previously believed to be mutually exclusive — Miami Marlins fans and NFT aficionados — will convene for the very first time at "Miami Marlins Bored Ape NFT Art Display."
Before the game against the Giants on Friday, June 3, 18 NFTs of Bored Ape Art will be displayed on the 18 columns throughout the stadium's Promenade Level. For the uninitiated, Bored Apes are considered the Babe Ruth of these digital collectibles and can sell for six figures (even as their prices have drastically fallen this month).
Fans who aren't already scoffing at the idea of NFTs invading the sanctity of the ballpark can purchase tickets to a pregame party at Recess Sports Lounge with the Magic City Apes, a local chapter of Bored Ape Yacht Club owners, from 5 to 6 p.m.
Because NFTs are not limited to artworks or sleep-deprived simians — Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet as an NFT for $2.9 million, and Kings of Leon released an album as a series of NFTs — this event got us thinking. If someone created an NFT collection of Miami sports moments, which five would be the most sought-after? Here are our predictions.
The Miami Miracle
The Miami Dolphins' last-second win over the New England Patriots on the last play of their meeting back in 2018 is so rare that YouTube and the NFL won't even allow us to embed it in this post. It's as if they knew this would be an NFT and pre-emptively decided to corner the market on it.As big moments go in Miami sports history, this one meant next-to-nothing because the Dolphins went nowhere that season. But the play itself will go down in history as a moment Miami sports fans will never forget. Seven seconds, no timeouts, 70 yards. If this were an NFT, you'd want it in your digital wallet.
"The Decision"
We could sit around and gab about the greatest moments from the Miami Heat's Big 3 era, but the one moment that will give us the chills even thinking about it is the one that started it all: The ESPN special about LeBron James' "Decision," in which he told the world he'd be "taking his talents to South Beach."More than 12 years later you'll still find high school players using the phrase "taking my talents" when declaring the university they've chosen. In NFTs and physical trading cards, the first of something, or a memorable moment that later is considered history, is much more valuable. These words started it all and continue to live on in sports history.
"Pudge"
Those who know NFT art know there is a well-known project called Pudgy Penguins. The Miami Marlins' answer to Pudgy Penguins would be "the Pudge," an iconic play at the plate for the final out of Game 4 in the 2003 National League Division Series, courtesy of catcher Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez Torres.The Marlins may have multiple championships under their belt, but this play on the way to the World Series is undoubtedly one of the greatest in Marlins history.
"The Lob"
Of all the mediums that can become NFTs, none has been more revolutionized than the art world. And if ever there was a play in Miami sports history that could be referred to as art in the traditional sense, it would surely be the iconic Wade lob to LeBron that looks more like a Renaissance painting than it does a basketball highlight.Imagine if you could own the pixels of this play and display it on a high-resolution monitor at all times on a neverending loop?! Signed photos and bobbleheads are so 1990. This is the future of sports collectibles.
"The Shot"
There are rare sports moments, then there are once-in-a-lifetime sports moments. If "The Shot" was an NFT, it would be a 1 of 1.No matter how old it gets, the video of Ray Allen's three-pointer that tied Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals never gets old. Somehow, people in charge of NBA TopShot (an NFT marketplace of legendary moments built from reels licensed from the NBA) have yet to offer "The Shot" to NFT enthusiasts.
At least not yet.
