Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch financial advisor and a man who gives just about everything that he has to his career has something which he adores far more than his career, much like many of us do. That something special is of course pro-football and in particular the greatest team on the planet, the Miami Dolphins. Patrick and I have been going to games together for as long as I can remember and it is our opportunity to forget about our day-jobs, and let it all out. We were talking recently about our favorite Dolphins moments, take a look at our top picks and see what you think.
Breaking the Streak
In the 1985 season the Chicago Bears were looking to achieve the perfect season and they had the stomping offense and the brick wall-defense which they felt would be enough to get them over the line, that was until they came to Miami of course. The Bears would have been the first team to do this since a certain franchise had achieved it in 1972, but they would come unstuck when they visited the Dolphins, beating the Bears and keeping their record in tact.
Dan Marino
Marino may not have lifted the Vince Lombardi trophy for the Dolphins but on the two occasions when he broke the records for most passing TDs, one in a season and the other of all-time, the Dolphins fans celebrated like he had just won that ring which he coveted so much. The greatest player doing the very greatest of things, two of the greatest Dolphin moments.
Shula Breaking Records
Marino wasn’t the only one to smash records and in 1993 it was coach Don Shula who broke the record of most career wins by a head coach, as the Dolphins eased past the Philadelphia Eagles. Shula’s career winning percentage for the ‘Fins was an incredible .659, something which we won’t see surpassed for some time to come.
Repeat?
After that vintage season in 1972 the pressure was very much on the shoulders of all Dolphins players and fans to try and get somewhere close to what they had done the previous year. With everything to lose the Dolphins stepped up and managed to lose just 2 games on their was to their second Championship in as many years, the pressure only seemed to spur this team on to push harder and work smarter, and another Super Bowl was the prize.
Perfection
There is little more that can be said about the 1972 perfect season, a startling achievement which will live on forever in the annuls of history. No team had pulled off the perfect season until Don Shula decided that his roster would be the one to just that, watching Shula carried off the field on the player’s shoulders after that Super Bowl is one which will live long in the memory for every ‘Fins fan, including us.
Any changes you’d make to this greatest moments list? Let us know in the comments below or use the Action Life Media Contact Page.
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