Ricky's out, DHL's in

The Miami Dolphins don't have the explosive speed of Ricky Williams to rely on this season, given his unexpected retirement in August, but they can count on a new source of speed of another sort. Delivery and logistics giant DHL has entered into a two-year partnership with the Miami Dolphins pro football team that makes the carrier "the official express delivery provider of the Miami Dolphins and Pro Player Stadium." (Pro Player Stadium, near Fort Lauderdale, is the home of the Dolphins.)

The agreement runs through the 2005 football season and will include stadium signage, joint-marketing initiatives and community- focused programs that will reinforce DHL's commitment to the South Florida region.

DHL recently announced that the Miami area would serve as DHL's headquarters for North and South America.