Sports fans say Dan Marino's admission may taint his legacy

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Former NFL player Dan Marino finished his career in Miami Gardens but his legacy lives on in Boca Raton at Sports Immortal, a museum that showcases more than one million pieces of sports memorabilia from the world's greatest athletes.

On the second floor of the museum, in the 6300 block of US 1, a life-size figure of Dan Marino breaks through a brick wall, there is an autographed helmet and an original painting of the former Miami Dolphins football player.

Jim Platt, the vice president of Sports Immortal, said what happens to an athlete away from their sport often impacts their legacy.

"Unfortunately, it's just another example of another beloved sports heroes having their reputation tainted off the field because of scandal," he said.

Marino joins Barry Bonds, Tiger Woods and, most recently, Lance Armstrong as among the sports greats whose public legacies have been tainted by indiscretion.

"We need role models for our children to aspire to be," Platt said.

Platt's father started what is arguably the biggest endeavor of its kind as a child in the 1950s.

This week, Sports Immortals announced it would take its sports history on the road with a traveling exhibition to forty cities across the country.

Platt said he was not sure if Dan Marino's memorabilia would be a part of the exhibition.

"Unfortunately, his memorabilia and the valuation of his memorabilia probably will take a hit in the realm of 20 to 25 percent," he said. "Another one of our athletes just has no more reputation to stand on."

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