Jimmy Buffett took the stage for a three-song mini-concert at Dolphin Stadium on Friday, when the singer-songwriter and the Miami Dolphins announced they had negotiated a creative business deal.

Wait one second: that Parrothead celebration actually took place at LandShark Stadium. The park is now named for a lager that Buffett developed under his Margaritaville Brewing Label.

It’s not your typical multimillion-dollar licensing agreement. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that two different sources say Buffett isn’t paying any kind of fee for the naming rights. Instead, he reportedly will compensate Dolphins president Stephen Ross by making public appearances, working other joint promotions and maybe making some live performances.

The agreement is different in another way, too. A few of the baseball naming-rights contracts have spawned multiple names as those corporate brands were gobbled up by other corporate brands over the length of a multiyear deal. This one lasts only through the 2009 NFL season, after which a long-term agreement is likely to be negotiated.

Considering next February’s Super Bowl will be staged at the Stadium formally known as LandShark, Buffett is likely to be priced out of the bargaining if the place isn’t called Dolphin Stadium one last time for the big game.

What’s the point of the agreement between Ross and Buffett? The Dolphins want to create a new image of the NFL experience in their building. Create a new atmosphere of fun with a Margaritaville-themed area, new tailgate spots for fans, and perhaps an occasional performance by the brewmeister.

So, when Ross noted that the Dolphins would be “associated with Jimmy Buffett forever” during the announcement of the months-long agreement, there was some truth to what initially seemed like a silly statement. Ross also noted that football fans can stay home and watch games on HDTV with all kinds of camera angles and replays, and it’s time to spice up the live experience.

It’s that mentality that tends to drive this sports fan crazy. Isn’t the product good enough? Ross is probably right, though I don’t go to a baseball game to hear the entire history of rock-n-roll or watch people do stupid stuff on the field or the scoreboard.

On the other hand, this Buffett-Ross agreement is something that the Marlins would seem to need more than the history-rich Dolphins. I enjoy the baseball atmosphere there because there seems to be less bombardment, but it can’t be good for business when you aren’t able to draw 20,000 fans for either of last week’s Braves-Marlins showdowns. The Marlins are hoping their new stadium will spark the kind of interest they have almost never seen in their history.

With Friday’s celebration in Miami, hockey won’t be the only sport with a Shark Tank. The Marlins inherit a new name for their ballpark, at least for the remainder of the season. It was Dolphin Stadium when they departed on a road trip to Denver and Milwaukee last week. They come home to LandShark Stadium on Friday.