Rapper T-Pain popped out of a hearse and strode onto a VIP carpet to the sounds of screaming fans. A few feet away, Jimmy Buffett hoisted a beer on stage.

Gloria Estefan signed autographs, and Serena and Venus Williams arrived to flashing cameras.

It could have been the Grammys or the opening of a hot South Beach club. But a few minutes later, the Miami Dolphins took the field for their home opener at Land Shark Stadium.

Dolphins majority owner Steven Ross' vision of melding a gritty but exciting football team with some glitz kicked off Monday night, with fans lining up 15-deep to see A-list celebrities, if only for a second.

The carnival atmosphere outside set the stage for a nationally televised game on the field, with the Dolphins hosting the Indianapolis Colts in front of more than 65,000 fans. After the celebrities left in their limos, the scoreboard read: Colts 27, Dolphins 23. With the loss, Miami's record is 0-2.

Game result aside, excitement prevailed. ``Welcome to a new era of Dolphins football,'' Ross bellowed into the microphone, just after Buffett wrapped up a special version of his hit song Fins.

``You know, they're not doing this in Indianapolis,'' Ross said.

They're not doing this much anywhere else, aside from Lakers games, known around the world for their celeb-soaked fan base.

Since the end of the Dolphins' AFC East championship 2008 season, Ross has recruited celebrities like a kid collects autographs.

Buffett, Estefan, the Williams sisters . . . Ross has made South Florida's brightest stars either minority owners or business partners.

On Monday, they were all in one place, stealing the spotlight from the main event-- at least until the opening kick.

``It's kind of fun to be involved in this opening game,'' said IndyCar star and Coral Gables resident Helio Castroneves, who, like golfer Tiger Woods and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, was part of the pregame spectacle. ``With so many people, so many great friends going, you just want to be involved.''

The party in the parking lot began long before the sun went down.

Brats and beers before a game are nothing new for tailgaters, but even the most dependable fans noticed -- and were impressed by -- the upgraded amenities and the star power.

``We've had season tickets for 30 years, and we've never seen anything like this,'' said Fred Brady, 68, of Palm City.

Said Danielle Landi, 39, of Pembroke Pines: ``Wisconsin has die-hard fans, Massachusetts has die-hard fans. Here, it's not the same. But with everything that's going on here, it's going to give Miami its own identity.''

And that's what Ross, who succeeded Wayne Huizenga as majority owner in January, had in mind.

With season-ticket figures battered by the recession, Ross has looked for ways to broaden the Dolphins' reach. From upgraded concessions to advancements in in-stadium technology, the team made significant improvements to the 22-year-old stadium in the offseason.

But without a doubt, Ross' celebrity outreach has generated the loudest buzz.

And Buffett, whose beer label acquired the stadium's naming rights in May, was the main attraction. He performed some of his greatest hits before thousands at the Fin Zone bar area at the stadium's Grand Plaza.

The stargazing continued inside the stadium, where celebrities watched players warm up on the sidelines. Serena and Venus Williams, who also own a small share of the team, appeared on-field with legendary Dolphins quarterbacks Dan Marino and Bob Griese.

Buffett's appearance motivated some fans to come to the game more for the entertainment than the football.

``Oh, my God, it's fantastic,'' said Brenda Braley, president of the Miami Parrot Heads chapter, who helped sell more than 600 tickets to Monday's game to other Buffett fans. ``We're just hungry for a show.''

Lost amid the excitement were concerns earlier in the week that the game might not even appear on local television.

The team didn't sell out the game until late in the week -- and still has plenty of tickets available for its final seven home games. If a game does not sell out, it is blacked out on TV locally.

And even Ross admits that all the frills the area has to offer won't fill the stands if the product on the field is sub-par.

``Everything we're talking about is on the margins, from the fans standpoint,'' Ross said. ``They really love the Miami Dolphins, but it's all about winning football games.''