With the official announcement, the Williams sisters became the first African-American femals to have a stake in an NFL team."We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said during a press conference Tuesday. “They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem.”
Said Venus Williams: "I am honored to be a partner in the Miami Dolphins franchise. I admire Stephen Ross' vision for the team and I am thankful to him for allowing Serena and I to be part of Miami Dolphins history.”
For her part, Serena said: "I am so excited to be part of such a renowned organization. Having spent so much of my childhood in the area, being involved with a staple of Miami culture is a huge honor. We look forward to many championships and much success together with the Miami Dolphins."
FORMER DOLPHINS PLAYER DIES: T.J. Turner, who started 83 games in his seven seasons with the Dolphins in the late 1980s and early '90s, has died in Texas of complications from a stroke he suffered last week.
A third-round pick from the University of Houston in 1986, Turner started at both defensive end and nose tackle from 1986 through 1992.
WILFORD BACK TO JAGS: How's this for irony? Ernest Wilford has rejoined the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team for which he played before he signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in the spring of 2008.
Here's the best part, though: Wilford will be used at tight end by Jacksonville, continuing the experiment the Dolphins had tried this summer. Word is the Jaguars wanted to move Wilford to tight end in 2007, but he resisted the change because he didn't want to hurt his cause as an impending free agent.
ZACH STILL SITTING: Meanwhile, Zach Thomas continues to sit out practice in Kansas City because of an undisclosed injury.
Thomas has been out since Aug. 4, but he's not talking and the coaches aren't revealing what's wrong with him.
Word is he's helping Kansas City's young linebackers with his experience, but there are some whispers that he's not a lock to make the 53-man roster.
Stay tuned.