I've just read a book about the 'undefeated' team. What I got from it is that Miami has always been a disrespected franchise, straight from the beginning. Laughed at pre-Shula. Considered a team with a lame schedule during the undefeated season. Grudgingly respected after that and the season following but still hardly spoken of in glowing terms. Even now, that Miami team isn't mentioned in the same breath as other legendary outfits, despite its record. The one era when I think we were 'liked' to an extent was the Marino period. That's because they couldn't deny the brilliance of that guy. Since, it's just reverted to type: a downtrodden, nonsense franchise situated in a place where football doesn't matter.
The lesson to take from this is that Miami likely never will be flavour of the month. So what ? Just win. I'm not interested in the amount of minutes the fools on the networks spend discussing us. I just want to win. Make them dilute their hatred of us with respect. The reality is that the last few days have been a step in the right direction. This team is talented on both offense and defense. It needs tweaking, not major surgery. Geez, a quality OC and we're likely in the Play Offs now. With a second year QB. Imagine a good OC and a real good GM, giving us drafts of what we need. Playmakers on both sides of the ball. Not leaving us without a real OL. Not leaving a second year QB without a running game. Philbin has his faults but the truth is we don't really know about him at this point. He didn't call a Daniel Thomas stretch play on 3rd and short. He still has it all to prove but I see nothing to think he's a garbage coach yet. And you know what ? If he is a poor coach, we've got only one more year of it before hopefully a real GM overhauls this franchise.
I see it as a real opportunity right now. Recruit properly and we can do well next year. If Philbin doesn't cut it, we get the cleaning of house anyway. Forget the media and the writers. Their views weren't changed by an undefeated season or by the best QB in the history of football; they aren't going to be changed by a nice GM and OC either. We need to do it in spite of their hatred and the one thing I know is that it will be damn well more enjoyable because of it.