Dolphins History's Effect on Today's Phans?

[dolpns13]

Im with you. I;m a 90's kid too. Even though we didnt win anything back then, at least we were competitive. Every week I knew we could win.... 11-5, 10-6 seasons....
Id say since 2000, if you average it out, we're way below average-probably close to 6-10 on average during that span. I miss the 90's and early 2000's when the AFCE was arguably toughest division in football.

This board has a mix of people who were around in the 70s and those who weren't. I turned 33 last week so my recollection of Miami really started in the early 90s. At that time Miami was Buffalo's bitch. I was alive for the 1984 Super Bowl but being 3 years old, I had no clue what football was.

The best Miami has been in the last 15 years was in the early 2000s. Everything since then has been completely average.

In regards to the NBA, only a handful of teams has won the title in the last 15 years: Miami, Boston, San Antonio, Detroit, Dallas and the L.A. Lakers. Not many teams get that far.

In regards to MLB, it's the usual suspects who make it to the World Series: St. Louis, Detroit, NY Yankees, Boston. How the Marlins won 2 I'll never know.

I don't blame kids or teens today to thinking Miami has been ****ty in the NFL for years. They wouldn't be lying. It's too bad though.

 

[dolpns13]

Born in 91. From Niagara Falls and just like my uncle hated everything about the Bills and I still do. I remember watching Marino in his later years but didn't understand it or what I was witnessing like I do now. Now I am just hoping for a playoff win.

Im from Syracuse but live in Dirty Jets land. Ironically there its pretty spread out in terms of fans. Id say there is more Giants fans than anything. But other than that its pretty even between Bills Jets Dolphins and Steelers.

 

[JFoxx]

Been a fan all my life (well over 40 years). Been through the ups / downs, but will always remain a fan for life. I've been a fan of various players through the years, but nobody will ever replace Marino as my #1. I don't blame the younger fans for their apathy at this point, as not only has the team struggled, but they have no real identity. Seems like we keep rotating players and coaches the last 10+ years, so nobody can really call a player one of their own. Things will eventually change and there will be that guy or two that will be the face of the team. I'm hoping for the SB again in the near future, as it's been a long drought and would wonders for the fanbase.

 

[kellyh3034]

Yea. I've been a fan since the 70's. I feel sorry for the younger generation because they never saw the glory years. It really wasn't if the Fins were going to make the playoffs but if they were going to win the super bowl. Much like New England of today without the cheating. Still a fan. Will always be.

 

[El Calebra]

I am 58 and have been a fan since the inception of the team. I also grew up in Miami and remember the good times. There were actually times you could hear car horns sounding and people cheering in our neighborhood after big wins.
Back in the early years we had no other sport but football unless you count dog and horse racing a sport.

I watched the day Danny walked out onto the field for the very first time and watched him walk off for the last time.
To be a dolphin fan, you know what the "blues" are all about. You have suffered through many losing Sundays only to be resurrected the following week with big wins.
I remember when the Dolphins owned the Patriots and the Bills. I remember beating Buffalo regularly and NE too.

Seemed the Raiders were our biggest rival along with the jets back in the day. Memories remain and hope still exists.

 

[BlueFin]

I went to the Heat game yesterday, good win vs the Knicks, and hit a packed Pub on So Be to celebrate. Many were talking about the back to back titles, and looking for the Three-peat. Then, someone brought up the Dolphins back to back titles, and was politely ripped for living in the past. Canes and Marlins were brought in as well. Some comments, mostly from younger fans.

Dolphins- Ancient history, no one cares. I'm a fan because of Marino, not what happened 40 years ago. I was not even born when that happened, welcome to the present. That's like my grandfather telling me how it was to live way back when, don't care.

Canes- Bad ass. Kick ass, take no prisoners. Five Titles, coming out of nowhere. Had the wrong team playing on Sunday back then. We will be back.

Marlins- They suck a lot but, still won two World Series. Wish the Dolphins would have done the same.

Heat- Nothing but love and thanks, with Marino being "almost" as good as Le Bron.

I have no idea of the age of posters but, have to wonder if they feel the same.

Who cares?...I am old enough to remember and it means a lot to me...I really don't nor do I expect the younger fans to have the same reverence for it. The younger fans should remember what they say now when they get older and some younger fans say the same things about the current Miami Heat great era and diss it. People should show respect for the past but many don't.

I personally couldn't care less about the NBA or amatuer football played at the college level.

So for me...the Dolphin greatness of the 70's (still the only undefeated NFL team in history) is the great era I look back on and remember.

I feel sorry for the later eras where the Dolphin teams were never quite complete or good enough during Marino's era....or the absolute embarrassing joke the Dolphins have been since Wannstedt.

 

[So Be]

Been a fan all my life (well over 40 years). Been through the ups / downs, but will always remain a fan for life. I've been a fan of various players through the years, but nobody will ever replace Marino as my #1. I don't blame the younger fans for their apathy at this point, as not only has the team struggled, but they have no real identity. Seems like we keep rotating players and coaches the last 10+ years, so nobody can really call a player one of their own. Things will eventually change and there will be that guy or two that will be the face of the team. I'm hoping for the SB again in the near future, as it's been a long drought and would wonders for the fanbase.

VG point. Kids growing up during the Marino era of 16 years had a Hero, and then there was JT to a lessor degree but, still a Hero, and Rickey with some ups and downs. Kids don't care about off the field stuff or business, they just want a player who makes plays they can talk about to their friends.

Since then it's been Marshall, Bush (both short lived), and Wake, although some kids like Pee Wee better. lol Here's hoping that RT and Wallace fill the void this year. The kids need someone.

I remember from 2008, when we brought in Tuna, Sporano, and Ireland,and the Phins PR dept labeled them as "The Big Three" and put them up on billboards, etc, etc. My nephew, who was 10, asked who they were, and I explained it to him.

His reply was "Don't we have any good players to advertise?" LOL

 

[Dolphins7273]

The Dolphins may as well be the Lions/Browns to people 25 and under.

 

[Alnur]

I was born in 67, been a fin fan since the age of 3. At first I was brain washed by my grandmother who was a diehard redskins fan. My brother said I have to pick a team, he picked the Steelers and after the fins beat the redskins I changed to the fins. He said ok you get one do over. Been a fan ever since. I loved Dan and really wanted him to get a ring, but the one thing that I didn’t love was he never wanted to run the ball, he didn’t even try to conceal the fact that it was going to be a run. I could look at the screen a g run, pass, run, pass and be right 90% of the time. If he and Shula would have worked on some balance like the Bronco did with Elway he would have had a ring or two.

 

[DuderinoN703]

Im with you. I;m a 90's kid too. Even though we didnt win anything back then, at least we were competitive. Every week I knew we could win.... 11-5, 10-6 seasons....
Id say since 2000, if you average it out, we're way below average-probably close to 6-10 on average during that span. I miss the 90's and early 2000's when the AFCE was arguably toughest division in football.

I remember consistent 10-6 and 11-5 seasons :boohoo:

 

[pacogar]

This is a subject that interest me as a life long dolphin fan. I was nine years old in 1971 when my dad got season tickets. I really didn't know much about the game. It was fun going to the OB. Itwas the longest game in history vs KC in the playoffs got me hooked. I recall watching some guy named Ed Podalack go nuts against us I think 300+ yds and all those OT. When Garo kicked the winner I was hooked. When we got crushed by Dallas I cried.

I had the privilege of going to almost of all those games between 71-74. The OB was electric we were bad asses our only real rival was the Raiders. When the big three Csonka,Kiick and Warfield left that period of dominance ended to the Raiders in the AfC title game. Shula was the driving force. In those late 70 we were average but we had Grease who became a mad bomber with glasses. Then we got back to the SB on the back of he Killer Bees. You could look at the schedule each year and count 10 12 wins every year.
Then lighting struck for us when we got Marino.
To you younger fans the best way I can sum it up for you we were the New England Patriots of the last 13 years. We had the best coach in the league the top QB in the league. We won the division every year. We expected to win every Sunday. Up until we got Marino the Dolphins were the only game in town. Every man woman child was a dye hard fan in those days. Two big things happened in the early Marino years. The Canes exploded on to the college football scene and grabbed it by the throat. Second the Dolphins moved from the OB.
The fish were good during the Marino years but never great. The Canes took over they had their run as the most dominate team in football it was great fun to be witness those two eras of dominance one at the pro level the other at the college level. Talk about a spoiled Miami football fan.
I think the Heat came on the scene in '88 but we sucked until Reily came on board in '96. That was also the year JJ replaced Shula. My dad also gave up his season tickets because we had stopped going to the games cause we liked watching it on TV and hated Joe Robbie Stadium versus the OB. The fact is the dolphins haven't won **** since we moved from the OB.

I have kids that are young adults now. They laugh at me because the dolphins have been disgraceful The last 10 years Yet I remain a hard core fan. Win or lose. It's all cyclical our time will come again. I must say that after the Atlanta and Cincinnati games last year I got so stoked because of the vibe from those victories. I know we have a lot of wood to chop I want to believe in the Fish again which is hard cause I wanted to be sold on Philbin but last year has me wondering if he is the right guy. I have been patient hell it's been 30 years since the 49ers kicked our ass.
I feel for my dad how was a pretty hard core dolphin fan he passed in 2012 ....thanks dad for making me a hard core Dolphin Fan!

All you young people out there savory what the Heat is doing. With pasage of time and the cycle of sports the appreciation of excellence on a national stage is Aweome to live through as a fan of that team. Seen it with Dolphins Canes and now the Heat.

The dolphins I hope will again some day. Reach that level again.

 

[Shula01]

Born in 65 and the old man is a Raider fan so in the 70's the Dolphins and the Raiders were the games to watch.. So naturally(haha) I became a Dolphins phan... Sorry Pops....The Snake and four eye's... Great times..

lmao...that's awesome, Born in 69 and had to listen to my Pops curse out "Four Eye's" as well...def. great times. - can't forget the Orange Bowl either. As a fan today that's all i have to look back on, and those were great times! Watched the entire Marino era come and go...I'm a young 44 years old :) and i believe we'll see them back on top when we least expect it to happen.

 

[TX-FinFan]

33 here I got hooked on football playing tecmo super bowl in like 1990 or 1991. I picked the Fins as my team because of Marino and Duper and Clayton. Been hooked rooting for this team ever since although since Marino retired we just haven't done anything right. It comes down to sorry drafting and sorry coaching.
Anyway my favorite players over the years are: Marino, Clayton, Surtain & Madison, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Ricky, Chris Chambers, Tannehill and Cam Wake. I'm starting to feel old naming all those past great players.
We need to start winning back the AFC East and hopefully Brady is retiring soon just in time for Tanny to hit his stride!

 

[goulds]

I remember clothes pinning Csonka rookies to my bicycle spokes to make noise. Born in 1961 I was walking into the OB when Joe Auer was returning our fist rplay ever for a KR TD. Mom & Dad held those season tix for the first 4 years and we gave them up just as the FINs turned the corner in a big way. 72 & 73 were the most dominant 1 and 2 year runs in the history of the game. To those who weren't around for that just hang In there. When we are back on top again it will be that much sweeter.


Key play in franchise history is Sieples long run on the fake punt against the steelers in the 72 AFC champ game. I believe without that momentum shift we lose that game and never recover. I was sitting on the couch alone at my house about ready to leave as soon as he punted the ball to go outside and play in the street when he tucked it away and ran like 40 or 50 yards setting up a score going into half if remember correctly. If he doesn't do that no Perfect season no SB 7 or 8 no dynasty and we are today the leagues sorriest franchise. I truly believe it all rode on that one play.

 

[MP-Omnis]

The history of the franchise is the only reason the Dolphins have anything going for them as far as fandom is concerned.