An old-school embarrassment
It’s just not the way it used to be. Isn’t that the refrain often used by athletes and fans who are of a past generation? Usually this statement is followed by a blast toward today’s athletes, either questioning their toughness, their love of the game, or the validity of their records.
But there are times that it becomes abundantly clear that old school isn’t always better or at least it isn’t always classier.
Case in point the 1972 Dolphins. This Dolphin team of course was the only NFL team to go undefeated, and if you didn’t know that they would be quick to tell you all about it. For years this team has celebrated that great season in the same way every year. They get together toward the end of the season and pop bubbly to the defeat of whatever undefeated team is the last to fall.
Let’s put this in perspective. What if when Peyton Manning was chasing Dan Marino’s single-season td record, Marino had shown up at the final games of the season and been vocal about not wanting Manning to break the record? What if Manning hadn’t broken the record and Marino had celebrated on the sidelines? We would have called the act classless and would have lambasted Marino and rightfully so.
And it’s become apparent this year that the record season seems to be all that is important to many on that Dolphins team. With the New England Patriots charging towards 16-0, the ghosts of Dolphins past have been out often and early. Don Shula earlier this year suggested that an asterisk be placed on the Pats record should they finish undefeated and Mercury Morris has consistently claimed that the Pats would have to go 19-0 to even get in the Dolphins neighborhood despite the fact that the Dolphins only had to win 17 games counting the Super Bowl. Throw in the fact that that team played mostly losing teams and that these men are being this childish is taking much of the shine off of what should be the NFL’s most prestigious record.
Don Shula was on Monday Night Football in the booth and tried to say that he would be the first to congratulate the Pats if they made it through unblemished, then proceeded to openly cheer for the Baltimore Ravens throughout his time in the booth.
This is not 1972. The NFL is a tougher league to win in, with more teams, salary limitations, and better athletes. In a league that pushes for parity what the Pats are doing is out of this world impressive and if they can skate past the Steelers this weekend they have a great possibility to end the season with a win over my team (Giants) and to go into the playoffs 16-0. I feel sorry for what will happen when the Pats play Miami. The winless Dolphins (if still winless) will have to bear the brunt of the Pats’ anger. If the Pats are still undefeated and the elder Dolphins insist upon being in attendance don’t be suprised if the score gets out of control. Whatever they say, the Patriots have run the score up on several teams this year and they might make it a point of trying to exorcise the Dolphin demons and make a statement that this will be their record to take.
The question after that is if they complete the journey and win the Super Bowl, will Shula go through with his statement of being the first to shake the Pat’s hands. And will the Hoody shake it back?