The most famous one seems to be the one that is being karmically revisited this year with the Saban link to an injured star QB - hopefully undoing the "Culpepper over Brees" fiasco. But the Bill Arnsparger achievement award brings a couple more to memory.
1) What if Bill Arnsparger didn't leave to coach LSU after 1983? You'll remember 1983 as the year some QB started his career in Miami...his name eludes me. Anyway, until that point, the Dolphins were a defensive monster. Bill Arnsparger had been the force behind the great defenses of the 70s, and now he was going to be there for the Marino days, right? Right? Wrong. Bill Arnsparger left to become head coach of LSU after the 1983 season ended. Chuck Studley took over, and the Dolphins defense got progressively worse. They were decent in 1984, but I have little doubt the D would have been far more solid in the Super Bowl. Also, for all of us who seethe when we hear the name "Tom Olivadotti," Chuck Studley was actually WORSE. In 1986, what some consider to be Marino's best year, the Dolphins gave up 132 points over three of their first four games, including giving up 50 points or more TWICE. They managed to hold opponents under 30 points only twice in their first seven games. This was in 1986, not 2006. Points were a lot tougher to come by. We missed you, Bill. Oh, how we missed you.
2) What if the WFL didn't take three Dolphins stars away before the 1975 season? The Sea Of Hands game is remembered as the end of the Dolphins early 70s run. But that's not what caused it. In 1975 the Toronto Northmen of the fledgling World Football League signed away Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield in their primes for $3.5mm combined. Only Csonka ever played for the Dolphins again, for one year in 1979. To his credit, New Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Howard Schnellenberger did a pretty damned good job with what he had in 1975. Imagine what would happened if Howard had those additional weapons at his disposal?
Bonus: What if Howard Schnellenberger wasn't lured away from the University of Miami by the USFL? Fate does have a sense of humor. A decade after the WFL put Schnellenberger in a bad spot, the USFL hired him away from the U to coach the Miami Federals. The deal fell through and Howard was done at Miami, replaced by Jimmy Johnson. While Jimmy clearly got the job done repeatedly, who knows what would have happened if Howard had stayed? "Who knows how many national titles Coach Schnellenberger would have won if he'd stayed?" UM Coach Larry Coker says. "His success would have been off the charts."
1) What if Bill Arnsparger didn't leave to coach LSU after 1983? You'll remember 1983 as the year some QB started his career in Miami...his name eludes me. Anyway, until that point, the Dolphins were a defensive monster. Bill Arnsparger had been the force behind the great defenses of the 70s, and now he was going to be there for the Marino days, right? Right? Wrong. Bill Arnsparger left to become head coach of LSU after the 1983 season ended. Chuck Studley took over, and the Dolphins defense got progressively worse. They were decent in 1984, but I have little doubt the D would have been far more solid in the Super Bowl. Also, for all of us who seethe when we hear the name "Tom Olivadotti," Chuck Studley was actually WORSE. In 1986, what some consider to be Marino's best year, the Dolphins gave up 132 points over three of their first four games, including giving up 50 points or more TWICE. They managed to hold opponents under 30 points only twice in their first seven games. This was in 1986, not 2006. Points were a lot tougher to come by. We missed you, Bill. Oh, how we missed you.
2) What if the WFL didn't take three Dolphins stars away before the 1975 season? The Sea Of Hands game is remembered as the end of the Dolphins early 70s run. But that's not what caused it. In 1975 the Toronto Northmen of the fledgling World Football League signed away Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield in their primes for $3.5mm combined. Only Csonka ever played for the Dolphins again, for one year in 1979. To his credit, New Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Howard Schnellenberger did a pretty damned good job with what he had in 1975. Imagine what would happened if Howard had those additional weapons at his disposal?
Bonus: What if Howard Schnellenberger wasn't lured away from the University of Miami by the USFL? Fate does have a sense of humor. A decade after the WFL put Schnellenberger in a bad spot, the USFL hired him away from the U to coach the Miami Federals. The deal fell through and Howard was done at Miami, replaced by Jimmy Johnson. While Jimmy clearly got the job done repeatedly, who knows what would have happened if Howard had stayed? "Who knows how many national titles Coach Schnellenberger would have won if he'd stayed?" UM Coach Larry Coker says. "His success would have been off the charts."
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