Marlins Man
| Marlins Man | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laurence Leavy October 13 United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Lawyer, sports enthusiast |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Marlins Man is the nickname of Laurence Leavy, an American attorney from North Miami Beach, Florida who, after 2012, gained notoriety for his frequent appearances at major sporting events while wearing orange Miami Marlins apparel. His seating placement in view of broadcast cameras has drawn attention at the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Kentucky Derby, and other events.[1] Leavy has been described by USA Today as a "ubiquitous superfan".[2]
Background
At a 2012 Miami Heat playoff game in which white T-shirts were distributed, Leavy stood out in his bright orange Miami Marlins jersey. After attending a Marlins game the same day, the white T-shirt was stolen from his seat, causing him to be visible on television. Later that year, Leavy was seen sitting behind home plate at AT&T Park during the World Series.[3] The following day, a park ranger near the Golden Gate Bridge coined the term "Marlins Man".[4] Leavy credits his rise to prominence to the new color scheme introduced by the Miami Marlins in 2012.[5] He lists his favorite sports teams as the Miami Marlins, Heat, Dolphins and Florida State Seminoles.[1]
Events attended
In addition to the World Series, Leavy has been spotted by media at a variety of other events. In 2014, Leavy estimated that he spent an average of 300 days per year traveling to sporting events.[1]
In January 1991, Leavy was seen at the 1991 Orange Bowl between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
In May 2014, media spotted Leavy behind the Oklahoma City Thunder bench in a Western Conference semifinals playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers.[6]
In May 2015, Leavy was seen at the finish line at the 2015 Preakness Stakes, in which American Pharoah completed the second leg of the Triple Crown.[7]
In June 2015, Leavy was seen attending his 70th NBA Finals game at Quicken Loans Arena, as the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Golden State Warriors.[8]
In October 2015, Leavy attended both MLB Wild Card games, in which the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees, and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates. He attended both series of the ALDS in which the Kansas City Royals defeated the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers. He also attended both series of the NLDS, in which the Chicago Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, and the New York Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was seen, again, attending the ALCS, in which the Kansas City Royals defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, and the NLCS in which the New York Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs. He attended all five games of the World Series between the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals.[9]
During the 2015 MLB season, Leavy attended 148 games.[10]
On April 3, 2016 Leavy was again easily spotted in his trademark Marlins attire sitting in the second row, behind home plate attending the Kansas City Royals home opener against the visiting New York Mets.
On April 4, 2016, Levy was seated a few rows behind the Villanova bench as the Wildcats defeated North Carolina 77–74 on Kris Jenkins' three-point buzzer beater, to win its second national championship.
Personal life
Leavy is the owner of a law firm in Miami, Florida.[11] In 2015, Leavy was diagnosed with liver cancer, and was told he had only months to live. However, the diagnosis turned out to be false. He had kidney stones as well as an enlarged blood mass on his liver.[10] He has been a Marlins season ticket holder since the Florida Marlins first season in 1993.[12]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
