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Inside the Dolphins’ Preparation to Have Fans at Hard Rock Stadium

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.— This all started with Tom Garfinkel seeing an airline ad months ago, during which the carrier showed video of a flight attendant rubbing down seats, as the narrator touted its new policies to clean planes after each trip. The Dolphins president had plenty of resulting questions.

You didn’t clean it before? How do you know it’s cleaner than it was before? Are they just scrubbing the arm rests more vigorously?

So began Miami’s long journey here to late August, the eve of the season. The last college or pro stadium to host an actual football game is now preparing to reopen to fans.