Photos by Megan Briggs/Getty Images (left) and Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Audio By Carbonatix
Once upon a time, your favorite sports icons were only accessible via television screens or the distant view through binoculars on game days. But in 2023, with social media and smartphones, fans now possess a portal into their private lives and, on occasion, can even engage with them firsthand.
Whether it’s Jimmy Butler’s live Instagram session from a cozy coffee shop in Italy or Tyler Herro engaging in a fan’s Twitter Spaces conversation, the avenues to connect with Miami’s sports stars are multiplying. And if you have some extra cash lying around, you might even be able to get in a word with Jason Taylor, Bernie Kosar, the Cavinder twins, and other local sports stars on Cameo, a website where fans can pay celebrities to send personalized video messages or chat with them directly.
Wondering which of your favorite sports personalities, active or retired, are on Cameo? Wonder no more. We’ve got you covered with ten Miami sports luminaries willing to drop you a line if the price is right.
Cavinder Twins: Former Miami Hurricanes Basketball Stars
Rating: 16 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $80
Average Length: 24 seconds
Seeing as the Cavinder Twins have millions of followers on TikTok, it’s pretty shocking to see they’ve been offering to send out personalized videos – sending happy birthday wishes and congratulating couples on their upcoming wedding – for $80-a-pop. Then again, many of the videos seem to be during workouts, which, we can’t lie, is a hell of a way to multitask.
In true basketball form, Hanna and Haley Cavinder are giving fans, on average, a 24-second shot clock on Cameo vids. Best guess – the average time spent playing those videos back on repeat is closer to 24 hours.
Bernie Kosar: Former Miami Hurricanes Quarterback
Rating: 199 reviews, 4.97 stars
Cost: $219
Average Length: 53 seconds
Former Miami Hurricanes QB and NFL great Bernie Kosar might be even better at Cameo than he was at tossing the pigskin. With nearly 200 reviews and a damn-near perfect 4.97/5 star score, the $219 price tag for 53 seconds of Bernie’s best wishes is a bargain for Phins fans.
While many celebs are mailing these messages in and obviously only doing them because someone else set up the account and tossed a phone in front of their face, Bernie seems to be putting his entire heart into sending his fans to love.
Jaime Jaquez Jr: Miami Heat Rookie
Rating: 20 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $150
Average Length: 26 seconds
Just a few months ago, Miami Heat first-round pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a college student. That means $150 pay for 26 seconds of Camero work was a gig too good to pass up.
As Jaquez Jr. just signed a rookie deal that calls for an annual salary of more than $3 million per year, we’re guessing his Cameo rates will rise, or he’ll skip giving birthday shoutouts for money in the name of endorsement deals.
Blake Ferguson: Miami Dolphins Longsnapper
Rating: 43 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $44
Average Length: 1 minute 13 seconds
Did you know the Miami Dolphins’ long snapper is on Cameo? Next question; did you know the name of the Miami Dolphins long snapper before you read the words above? If you’re 0-for-2, you’re likely not alone.
Everyone loves a long snapper until you hear his name uttered by a play-by-play commentator in the context of a fumbled snap. That’s just the nature of the game. If a long snapper is being talked about, it likely is for the wrong reasons. We’re happy to see Blake is getting some love with a perfect five-star rating on Cameo. Between a very affordable price tag of $44 and a longer-than-usual message length of 73 seconds, he deserves a nod.
Udonis Haslem: Former Miami Heat Forward
Rating: 43 reviews, 4.95 stars
Cost: $400
Average Length: 53 seconds
Udonis Haslem played for the Miami Heat for 20 years and reportedly earned more than $70 million doing it. That being said – the first rule of hustlin’ is you never go broke making a profit, and UD is out here playing by the same rules he did as a young man growing up in the 305.
For $400, you can have 53 seconds of the Miami Heat’s legacy leader congratulating you on the birth of your new son or wishing you a happy anniversary. If you’re a diehard Heat follower, that might seem like a bargain on a collectible that will only appreciate with time.
So I had a Cameo ordered of Jason Taylor, a Miami Dolphins GREAT- one of my dads favorite players of all time. I received it last week, and I was so torn. Do I give this to him now (because I’m infamous for giving people their gifts too early because I can’t stand waiting) pic.twitter.com/462443An9y
— Victoria (Tori) Sanders (@Tori_A_Sanders) June 19, 2020
Jason Taylor: Hall of Fame Miami Dolphins Defensive End
Rating: 128 reviews, 4.98 stars
Cost: $199
Average Length: 45 seconds
For $199 bucks, you can talk to #99. Apparently, many people have taken former Miami Dolphins great Jason Taylor up on this deal, and almost every single one who’s dropped a rating gave the prolific tackler a 5-star rating.
Even post-retirement, there is something captivating about Jason Taylor. His eyes are hypnotic, even when sending his condolences on the passing of your Yorkie, Buttercup.
Greg Cote: Miami Herald Sports Columnist
Rating: 171 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $60
Average Length: 1 minute
Legendary Miami Herald sports columnist Greg Cote doesn’t skimp on Cameo. The site data shows he is giving his fans an entire minute of his up-close-camera attention. Best of all? He decides when the video ends. No hard network out here.
If ever there was a platform that screams Look at Me, Louie, it would be the pay-to-connect Cameo. With a stellar 5-star review across 171 reviews, Cote has proven he’s in tune with the Louie segment on the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz, where he is a frequent guest.
Tony Fiorentino: Former Miami Heat Broadcaster and Assistant Coach
Rating: 7 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $65
Average Length: 1 minute 22 seconds
Tony Fiorentino has been down with the Miami Heat and its fans since Day 1, A1. He’s a fan-favorite and still, to this day, a part of the Miami Heat organization.
Coach Tony’s voice is one of the most recognizable in Miami sports history, associated with some of the greatest sports moments Miamians have ever enjoyed, and for just $65, he’s available for a generous 82 seconds of Cameo goodness – yeah, baby!
Seven reviews, all five stars? Those are good stats. If you know, you know.
mario chalmers misspelled NBA on his cameo page pic.twitter.com/4xJzKAIvD4
— Someone Still Loves You Boris Diaw (@LawRespecter) February 10, 2019
Mario Chalmers: Former Miami Heat Point Guard
Rating: 11 reviews, 3.73 stars
Cost: $200
Average Length: 20 seconds
Former Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers has a reputation that can best be summed up as being a lovable knucklehead, so finding out he owns a 3.73-star rating on Cameo tracks. The examples on his profile seem just fine, so our best guess is that not everyone is a fan of paying $10-per-second for a message from Rio.
For $200, you can go to a few regular-season Heat games. Or, you can receive a twenty-second clip of Chalmers for your Bat Mitzvah. It’s a toss-up.
O.J. McDuffie: Miami Dolphins Retired Wide Receiver
Rating: 79 reviews, 5 stars
Cost: $81
Average Length: 36 seconds
For $81, you get a few seconds with one of the greatest players ever to grace the Miami Dolphins’ field – Sign us up. And with a perfect 5-star rating through 79 Cameo reviews, the juice on O.J. McDuffie’s personal messages seems worth the squeeze.
You love to see it. When you need to send someone birthday wishes, O.J. is still getting it done in the clutch just like he did on third down during his playing days.
