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Miami Dolphins living on past glory


Jetfan13

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Face painters, body painters, families from as close as Plantation and as far as Port St. Lucie streamed into the stands for this weekend's three Dolphins training camp practices. Miraculous, it was.

Not that I didn't see a parade of heat stroke victims or that I did see two Trent Green Dolphins jerseys. No, the miracle is that the crowds didn't show up with torches and that look parents plaster kids with two steps inside the front door around 3 a.m.

The Dolphins, who once owned the state as Super Bowl champions, consistent winners and Florida's only professional sports team, now stand as the least-accomplished such team since their last AFC Championship appearance. Yet they still find themselves beneficiaries of a sort of rote support and optimism.

FALLING BEHIND

Since that 29-10 loss to Buffalo in Joe Robbie Stadium Jan. 17, 1993, championship rings have graced fingers of the 1997 and 2003 Marlins, the 2005-06 Miami Heat and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The often-laughable Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup. The Orlando Magic got slapped around in two NBA Finals, as did the Tampa Bay Rays in a World Series and the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Final.

At least they got there.

In this vein, the next team up from the Dolphins would be 1995-born Jacksonville, with two AFC title game appearances. Both losses, mind you, but they got to one by dropping a 62-7 divisional round bomb on the Dolphins that retired 92 percent of the Dolphins' Q rating.

Here's what makes Dolphins fan reaction to this comparative failure interesting: This isn't Pittsburgh, New Orleans or Green Bay, where locals hug the team with a ferocious civic love no matter the record. Nor is South Florida akin to Cleveland, where frustrated fans organized a pregame protest last November in only Season 11 of Browns II, or Dallas, where underachieving is unpatriotic. There would be some revolution-class angry mobs marching on the Cowboys' Valley Ranch after those last few playoff losses if everyone didn't have to drive 30 to 90 minutes to get there.

Here, there's some fussing, some fury, then, well, almost an optimism without passion.

The Dolphins always beat the blackout, usually without a 24-hour extension, then kick off on Sundays to patches of empty seats. Tickets get resold for any decent price or go unused for any reason -- too hot, too wet, bad horoscope. Their games always rank as the week's No. 1 TV program in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce TV markets, but every NFL team can claim that.

It all feels habitual, like the playing of a fight song with dated lyrics (that still should be kept -- unchanged).

Maybe it's that the Dolphins consistently engender hope by making the consensus right move, and that faith doesn't get shaken when it turns out to be the wrong move.

Jimmy Johnson! Nick Saban! Daunte Culpepper! Even Cam Cameron. That 1-15 comedy horror season makes it easy to forget Cameron was a semi-hot head coaching prospect with a less snarly demeanor than Saban (unfortunately, he was even more miscast as an NFL head coach than Saban).

THE RIGHT THING

The hiring of Bill Parcells near the end of the Cameron disaster, and Parcells' hiring of general manager Jeff Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano drew huzzahs from those inside and outside the NFL. The 11-5 near dream of a 2008 season got followed by the icy reality of last year's 7-9. Another move applauded by all, trading for elite wide receiver Brandon Marshall, seems to point to improvement in a crossroads season.

Forget the looming presence of the Heat. The Dolphins need some serious success before one aqua-clad fan looks around the state and asks another, ``Are we really that into these guys? And, if so, why?''

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The Dolphins, who once owned the state as Super Bowl champions, consistent winners and Florida's only professional sports team, now stand as the least-accomplished such team since their last AFC Championship appearance. Yet they still find themselves beneficiaries of a sort of rote support and optimism.

FALLING BEHIND

Since that 29-10 loss to Buffalo in Joe Robbie Stadium Jan. 17, 1993, championship rings have graced fingers of the 1997 and 2003 Marlins, the 2005-06 Miami Heat and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The often-laughable Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup. The Orlando Magic got slapped around in two NBA Finals, as did the Tampa Bay Rays in a World Series and the Panthers in a Stanley Cup Final.

Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

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Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

All very true, but the Jets don't dwell on past performances, since there was only one, like the phag fans do over 1973. And for the record, they have 2 rings, WHOOP-DEE-DOO

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Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

Yeah, but we don't look back at past success, we are a top team RIGHT NOW.

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All very true, but the Jets don't dwell on past performances, since there was only one, like the phag fans do over 1973. And for the record, they have 2 rings, WHOOP-DEE-DOO

Are you kidding? Most Jet fans seem to hang on every word Joe Namath utters. The removal of him from the banner here was not particularly popular with many.

And I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. Some day, I might be wearing a jersey of a former QB instead of the current one.

There is nothing wrong with the Dolphin fans cherishing 1972-73 nor the Jets '68, but don't pretend that there is really that much of a difference between the two franchise other than the frequency in which the head coach gives sound bites.

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Top team?

In the NFL? Nope, that's the Saints.

In NYC? Yankees.

Anyone can make a bold statement, how about you elaborate why the Saints are better. I am NOT taking into consideration LAST season's performance, so you can throw out the SB.

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Are you kidding? Most Jet fans seem to hang on every word Joe Namath utters. The removal of him from the banner here was not particularly popular with many.

And I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. Some day, I might be wearing a jersey of a former QB instead of the current one.

There is nothing wrong with the Dolphin fans cherishing 1972-73 nor the Jets '68, but don't pretend that there is really that much of a difference between the two franchise other than the frequency in which the head coach gives sound bites.

I've always believed you don't get to 'tout' any championship you weren't alive for. That's why it's obnoxious to hear many of these Dolphins trolls talk about something they never actually experienced.

I don't get excited over SBIII because it was 15 years before I was born.

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I've always believed you don't get to 'tout' any championship you weren't alive for.

I don't get excited over SBIII because it was 15 years before I was born.

That's a very reasonable position. Not my position, but a very reasonable position. But lucky for me there is not much worth touting about the Patriots before I was born. They did win a division championship over the Bills in '63. But that really isn't the focus of my fanhood. I do think it is bit odd to see 10 year olds wearing a Namath or Marino jerseys.

That's why it's obnoxious to hear many of these Dolphins trolls talk about something they never actually experienced.

If you don't find Jet fans your age touting SBIII equally obnoxious, than there is a bit of hypocrisy going on.

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I've always believed you don't get to 'tout' any championship you weren't alive for. That's why it's obnoxious to hear many of these Dolphins trolls talk about something they never actually experienced.

I don't get excited over SBIII because it was 15 years before I was born.

I have a 25 yr old working for me who claims to be a phag fan and brags about 73..but can't name 2 of 5 O-linemen from that game..doesn't stop him from taking credit for them though

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This is about half the fan base, every time I talk about football with a Dolphag the undefeated season gets brought up and 9 out of 10 times they weren't alive to see it. It never fails down here.

AMEN !!!!..BTW, where in Fla r u?

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Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

Even so, we would have to go another 50 years to be as embarrassing as the sox 2 in over 90.

Or we can just cheat and try to over take the pats, as the most disgraced team in all of sports.

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Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

Why do you always feel the need to redirect and hijack threads ? You add NOTHING to this board.

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This is about half the fan base, every time I talk about football with a Dolphag the undefeated season gets brought up and 9 out of 10 times they weren't alive to see it. It never fails down here.

Get a perfect season of your own and shut us up then.

West palm

Broadway and 39th?

I know we're only 21 posts in, but given the tardstorm brewing on the horizon, I'd like to take this opportunity to officially nominate this for Worst Thread of 2010.

I second this.

Why do you always feel the need to redirect and hijack threads ? You add NOTHING to this board.

Eh, I disagree. His post was in direct line with the OP's article. Well done, gwagh.

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Funny....

Since the last time the Jets appeared in the Superbowl.....

Giants have won the superbowl 3 times

Yankees have won the world series 7 times

Mets have won the world series twice

Knicks have won the championship twice

Rangers have won the stanley cup

Islanders have won the Stanley cup 4 times

Classic! :thumbup:

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Are you kidding? Most Jet fans seem to hang on every word Joe Namath utters. The removal of him from the banner here was not particularly popular with many.

And I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. Some day, I might be wearing a jersey of a former QB instead of the current one.

There is nothing wrong with the Dolphin fans cherishing 1972-73 nor the Jets '68, but don't pretend that there is really that much of a difference between the two franchise other than the frequency in which the head coach gives sound bites.

+1

Truth is truth. The Jets live in the past all the time. That was my EXACT reasoning why I felt that we needed to take Namath down. It wasnt in disrespect, its because we are always living in the past; even fans who werent even born to see that SBIII championship. Its like thats all we know.

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+1

Truth is truth. The Jets live in the past all the time. That was my EXACT reasoning why I felt that we needed to take Namath down. It wasnt in disrespect, its because we are always living in the past; even fans who werent even born to see that SBIII championship. Its like thats all we know.

What does a picture of Joe Namath have to do with the past? You might want to toss out any old pictures you may have, no disrespect.

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No disrespect taken. Its one thing to have a Joe Namath picture. Its another thing for Joe Namath to be the posterchild for 40 years.

sacrigligous..you don't think Brady will be the same for the patsies* once they fall from grace? Why is it that Marino is still a God in S Fla? And he doesn't even habve a ring...Some people wil always be associated with a teams success, its not just the Jets and Namath

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