Essay Contest Winner | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Essay Contest Winner

dolfan87

The Human Bullet
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
3,711
Reaction score
2
Age
51
Location
Arizona
We have picked our winner, and are waiting for permission (and also a name, since it wasn't given in his e mail :) ) to announce it.

Everyone who entered did an outstanding job, and we were very, very impressed with all the entries.

Fin Heaven & Co. will be having more contests in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for your chance to win more cool prizes!

Thanks to all who entered!!

87
 
Our winner, whose name is Carmen by the way, has granted us permission to post his essay.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

87

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why I Root For the Miami Dolphins

I was a 7 year old boy and it was a few days before the Miami Dolphins were going to be playing the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 19. My grandfather was dying of cancer at the time. His time was limited but he never let it get him down. I really never followed the NFL, I was only 7 years old. Yet, my grandfather was the biggest Miami Dolphins fan on the face of the earth. Through the years he loved Kiick, Csonka, and Bob Griese. The one man who he really was a fan of though was Don Shula.

My grandfather loved Shula because he embodied everything he thought a coach should be. Firm but fair and always a man who whether he won or lost did it with class. One thing my grandfather always told me was, "It's alright to lose, as long as you lose with class and give respect to your opponent." He believed this is something Don Shula always did.

At the time we lived in South Florida and it was the day after the Dolphins had just beat the Steelers to advance to the Super Bowl. My grandfather loved seafood and we went to this one little restaurant by the coast that had the best lobster around. It was about 4:45 in the afternoon and the place was almost empty. Then all of a sudden a group of guys walk in. Among that group was Don Shula. It was the Dolphins coaching staff. They went to this back corner and sat around this large round table. My grandfather had his back to the door and the table didn't even notice who had just walked in. I, 7 years old at the time and not a football fan, didn't even know who just walked in. My mother, father, and aunt did though. While they didn't want to disturb Mr.Shula from his business and his meal, they also knew him coming over to my grandfather to say a few words would really boost his spirit.

So, my aunt and mom walked over to the table, told Mr.Shula of my grandfathers condition and asked if he could come over to just say hi and wish him well on his fight with cancer. Don Shula was out of his chair before my aunt and mom could even finish asking. He walked over, patted my grandfather on the back and began talking to him like he had known him for years. It was only a 3-5 minute chat they had but it seemed like it went on forever.

From that day forward I became a fan of the NFL and more importantly a fan of the Miami Dolphins. With people like that at the cornerstone of an organization, how could you ever root against the Dolphins.
 
Congratulations Carmen!.........Great essay.........It actually brought a tear or two to my eye.
 
carmen!

thats a great essay, your grandfather knew who the good guys were. sounds like he must have been my age because it sounds as if we had the same heroes! i wish i could run into shula or marino like that!:rolleyes:
 
Great essay bro! I think of myself as a pretty good writer, and I don't think I could have topped that.

What's your name on FH? If you don't have one, then start posting dangit ;)

Congratulations!
 
actually, i was a shula fan. there used to be a big rivalry between the rams and the colts. i was kindof a dolphin fan but when shula went to miami, that was a done deal.
the question is, will i ever change loyalties now that shulas gone, YEAH RIGHT, file that under NEVER!
 
Great story!
My grandfather is the reason I am a Dolphins fan also. He used to work in the scorers' box at the Orange Bowl. I can remember sitting under the desks by everybodies' feet, watching the game waaaaay down on the field below, and having no idea what was going on down there.lol. My grandfather was a big fan and I know he still follows the fins from wherever he is. Thanks for making me think about him today.
 
I to became a Dolphan from watching that SB. I think i was 6 years old, and was watching my first football game. Everyone at my house was rooting for the 49ers, except my Dad. Since I was 6 and my dad was my personal hero at the time i was all for the Dolphins. About a week later my mom kicked the old man out, and he moved to Florida. I didn't see him again for about 10 years. In his absence I became obsessed with the Dolphins and found my new hero, in Dan Marino. I am sure many psycolagists would say this was because it was my last memory i had of my dad so naturaly I held on tight, but who knows. I was going to enter the contest , and write a essey about this subject, but i wouldn't wear the OG clothes so I didn't want to take a chance of taking them away from someone that wanted them.
 
Any particular reason you wouldn't wear Oronde's product?
 
Actually 06 it could simply be that it isn't his "style" or "type" of clothing.
 
posted at the same time Ice. :)

It is just at the site I believe.
 
Just not my style. I am a polo shirt and blue jeans type of guy. I am just not hip enough for urban wear:(
 
Back
Top Bottom