The starting time of Sunday's game in Miami between the Dolphins
and the Pittsburgh Steelers has been moved from 1 p.m. ET to 8:30
p.m. ET because of Hurricane Jeanne.
The teams and the league agreed to move the start time because of the hurricane, which made landfall late Saturday night and pounded the region with 120-mph winds and sheets of rain.
On ESPN Radio's College GameDay, Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers reacted to the time change before it was official.
"They say we're gonna play it tomorrow night. Hopefully that can happen," Chambers said. "The big problem is [if] anybody is going to be able to work the game. That's the biggest problem we have, will there be damage, do we have to use the emergency personnel outside the stadium, that is the biggest thing they worry about."
The decision to postpone the game was made after the Dolphins
discussed the matter with the NFL, Dolphins president Eddie Jones
said Saturday. Team and league officials were monitoring the
hurricane.
"The Commissioner's office has asked the two teams to consider
the larger public safety issues to determine when the game can best
be played," Jones said in a statement.
The Dolphins said Saturday that the game time could change again, but ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported late Sunday morning that the 8:30 kickoff had been confirmed.
"Our first consideration will be public safety issues resulting from the storm," Jones said Saturday, "and that concern will be the priority in determining whether the game can be played [Sunday] night."
The Steelers flew in to South Florida on Friday, a day early, because of the hurricane.
Jeanne is the fourth hurricane to affect major sporting events
in Florida in the last six weeks, joining Charley, Frances and
Ivan.
The Dolphins have been affected by the last three. Their season
opener against Tennessee was moved up one day and played on a
Saturday because of Ivan. One week earlier, the NFL forced the
Dolphins to travel to New Orleans for an exhibition game after
players balked at leaving their families while in the path of
Hurricane Frances.
"We're getting used to this," place-kicker Olindo Mare said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.