My daughter (my oldest; as of December 8, I have two and I have to get used to not just saying “my daughter” anymore) was upstairs taking a nap as Buffalo iced Sunday’s 17-14 win over the Phins. She came downstairs shortly after it was over. Since she is 2 1/2, she doesn’t know much about football beyond who her daddy’s favorite team is. She plunked down next to me on the couch as I was absorbing the latest kick in the testicles that this football season has offered. She saw that football was on, and shouted “Go Dolphins!”
I felt proud, distraught, and guilty as hell all at once. Proud because I feel that any sports fan dad should be able to get their kids to like their teams. Anything less, and you’re probably failing.
Distraught and guilty because, well, let’s not beat around the bush, folks: this is a Dolphins team that’s hard to like. The 2008 team? That was the most likable Dolphins team in 20 years. Hell, I knew Bills fans who said “I’m not normally a Miami fan, but I am this year.” Last year’s team still had some of that 2008 division champs luster, combined with the promise of a young, potentially franchise QB. This year’s team? They’ve been playing for their lives for three weeks now, and have come out with a stinkbomb of a game every time.
Yes, last week’s win over the Jets was a stinkbomb. And don’t give me that “a win is a win” stuff; when your three best players are a punter, a rush linebacker and the other team’s quarterback, you played a rotten game.
What’s wrong with this team? Well, injuries are surely part of it, but every team has injuries by this point in the year. That only goes so far as an excuse, even on a team hit as hard as this one.
