mialuv13
Active Roster
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2010
- Messages
- 2,053
- Reaction score
- 9
Ugh, I was hoping this thread would go away in the first page, but it is a significant thing to go down in So. Fla. sports. I'm going to just go ahead and add to it because, **** it. It's going to be a long one because, well once again, **** it.
First, a preface with as level-headed of a discussion possible of what LeBron brought to this city:
He had a huge economic impact on Miami, specifically near the downtown area. For one person to come to a city and bring that much excitement and revenue and hype and championships is incredible. Bars were packed, television ratings were sky-high, attendance at games was insanity for South Florida sporting events. It attracted huge names like Beckham to consider building a stadium with LeBron as one of the contributors. It gave people a reason to celebrate and take time out of their nights after working long days to sit back and feel like they were behind something that was nationally recognized for it's historical importance in a sport. Heat fans had bragging rights. Miami had bragging rights. He brought the bandwagon fans, the die-hard fans, and the haters all at once. And, most importantly, for ****ing once, Miami was the center of attention for mostly positive things for 4 years. ****, the closest thing the Dolphins brought to the Heat was their "Call me Maybe" video that garnered 20 million views on youtube. Even then that's still less than half of the 47.9 Million views for the Heat's "Harlem Shake." I for one, was born and raised a Miami sports fan. Die-hard to the core. I'm upset as a fan that "we suck again." But the man made the right decision for himself. He decided to tackle a bigger challenge and bring a championship to the desolate city of Cleveland that has been the butt of jokes for eternity in the sports world. I wish him the best and thank him for letting me and Miami sports fans experience a team that was a legitimate title contender for 4 seasons. The stories Dolfans talk about when it comes to the '71-'73 Dolphins are the stories I will talk about for the 2010-2014 Miami Heat for future generations. No matter what anyone around says about "bought vs. built" and whatever the **** else bull**** argument they want to bring up, as a die-hard fan, these past 4 years have easily trumped any other sporting experience in my life.
Now, onto the Dolphins:
Unfortunately, I, as well as the majority of this board, were born into a generation where the Dolphins went from possible contenders every season during the Marino era to being the laughing stock of the league. This has always been a football town for the most part, but there was an inevitable shift in that perception, not solely because of the LeBron show, but because of the Dolphins themselves.
Here are some reasons:
Being picked 31st in preseason polls even after being in playoff contention and upgrading the team. Being picked to lose every single game even against ****ty opponents. Suspensions, team melt-downs, 1-14 season, 13 ****ING CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITHOUT A PLAYOFF VICTORY! From 1966 to 2004 the Dolphins had 5 seasons going under .500. Since 2004 the Dolphins have gone under .500 seven (7) times. In the past decade, the team has been the worst it has ever been in the 48 year history of the team. We are on our 7th coach and 13th quarterback since 2004. Average pickups in the drafts. Overpaying for players who were utilized in head smashingly stupid ways. Underdeveloped draft picks. A ****ing eternal churning of the tide with bull**** upon bull**** all washing ashore while watching our division rival thrive with their own HOF QB. I think I made my point. It's sucked. Badly. It still does. The Dolphins have been a joke for the rest of the NFL to point and laugh at. The best I've got based solely on recent memory is that at least we aren't the Bills.
Alas, I bleed Aqua and Orange:
That **** sucks as a fan who puts his sweat, tears and heart into every game even when you don't expect them to win. No team has ever hurt me as much as the Dolphins have. ****, no person on earth has ever hurt me as much as the Dolphins have. But I still love them and can't wait for a moment to feel like a true championship threat again. It will be tenfold of anything the Heat ever gave me if the Dolphins win a championship in my lifetime. The Marino years are always going to be treasured. They were exciting, you knew we had a chance every season. The Jimmy era was also fun with a smash-mouth defense. Playoff contenders every year even through the end of the Wanny era. The endless what ifs with Marino and a run game or Marino with any serviceable defense. Those thoughts will always run through all our minds. Even to this day, with all the recent bull**** aside, the Dolphins are a historically storied franchise that are in the midst of some gut-wrenching times plagued by mismanagement and "what-ifs". But even now, the Dolphins really are the foundation of the South Florida sports scene; just that now, they are no longer the face of the scene.
LeBron leaving Miami does nothing for the Dolphins. The Dolphins are the only thing that should actually affect the Dolphins. Realistically that may not be true. However, put consecutive winning teams and playoff contenders out on the field as often as possible and this so-called "dark era" of Dolphins history becomes but a blip in list of accomplishments for the franchise. It's tough for younger generations to get into the Dolphins because they have not experienced the past version of the Dolphins. Since Marino retired, the Marlins won a World Series and the Heat have won 3 NBA Finals. Now with no LeBron, the best coverage we will get in So. Fla. will be about the middling Marlins, who have a fun young team, and a Dolphins team being underdogs in a bull**** AFC with weak teams.
In conclusion . . .
there is no positive or negative, it is exactly as it was for the South Florida sports scene for the past 10 years or so. Our biggest "celebrity" in Miami is a butt-hurt Wade and Pat Riley's hair. Talking to non-sports fans, they know who Wade is, they know Riley, and a lot of them know who Arison is. Ask those same people about the Dolphins and they will tell you that that Ryan Tannyhill's wife is hot and that bully-gate happened. That is, until the Dolphins prove that they deserve to be the face of South Florida sports again. Until the Dolphins put a team out there that attracts the bandwaggoners and brings the haters to hate on us, they will never be fully embraced by more people in the city and around the nation except for their die-hard fan base. Dolphins have a chance to change the community and nation's perception of who they are, or they take the risk of going from a historically great franchise to a historically mediocre franchise.
Bring a winning team and environment and the glory shall follow.
First, a preface with as level-headed of a discussion possible of what LeBron brought to this city:
He had a huge economic impact on Miami, specifically near the downtown area. For one person to come to a city and bring that much excitement and revenue and hype and championships is incredible. Bars were packed, television ratings were sky-high, attendance at games was insanity for South Florida sporting events. It attracted huge names like Beckham to consider building a stadium with LeBron as one of the contributors. It gave people a reason to celebrate and take time out of their nights after working long days to sit back and feel like they were behind something that was nationally recognized for it's historical importance in a sport. Heat fans had bragging rights. Miami had bragging rights. He brought the bandwagon fans, the die-hard fans, and the haters all at once. And, most importantly, for ****ing once, Miami was the center of attention for mostly positive things for 4 years. ****, the closest thing the Dolphins brought to the Heat was their "Call me Maybe" video that garnered 20 million views on youtube. Even then that's still less than half of the 47.9 Million views for the Heat's "Harlem Shake." I for one, was born and raised a Miami sports fan. Die-hard to the core. I'm upset as a fan that "we suck again." But the man made the right decision for himself. He decided to tackle a bigger challenge and bring a championship to the desolate city of Cleveland that has been the butt of jokes for eternity in the sports world. I wish him the best and thank him for letting me and Miami sports fans experience a team that was a legitimate title contender for 4 seasons. The stories Dolfans talk about when it comes to the '71-'73 Dolphins are the stories I will talk about for the 2010-2014 Miami Heat for future generations. No matter what anyone around says about "bought vs. built" and whatever the **** else bull**** argument they want to bring up, as a die-hard fan, these past 4 years have easily trumped any other sporting experience in my life.
Now, onto the Dolphins:
Unfortunately, I, as well as the majority of this board, were born into a generation where the Dolphins went from possible contenders every season during the Marino era to being the laughing stock of the league. This has always been a football town for the most part, but there was an inevitable shift in that perception, not solely because of the LeBron show, but because of the Dolphins themselves.
Here are some reasons:
Being picked 31st in preseason polls even after being in playoff contention and upgrading the team. Being picked to lose every single game even against ****ty opponents. Suspensions, team melt-downs, 1-14 season, 13 ****ING CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITHOUT A PLAYOFF VICTORY! From 1966 to 2004 the Dolphins had 5 seasons going under .500. Since 2004 the Dolphins have gone under .500 seven (7) times. In the past decade, the team has been the worst it has ever been in the 48 year history of the team. We are on our 7th coach and 13th quarterback since 2004. Average pickups in the drafts. Overpaying for players who were utilized in head smashingly stupid ways. Underdeveloped draft picks. A ****ing eternal churning of the tide with bull**** upon bull**** all washing ashore while watching our division rival thrive with their own HOF QB. I think I made my point. It's sucked. Badly. It still does. The Dolphins have been a joke for the rest of the NFL to point and laugh at. The best I've got based solely on recent memory is that at least we aren't the Bills.
Alas, I bleed Aqua and Orange:
That **** sucks as a fan who puts his sweat, tears and heart into every game even when you don't expect them to win. No team has ever hurt me as much as the Dolphins have. ****, no person on earth has ever hurt me as much as the Dolphins have. But I still love them and can't wait for a moment to feel like a true championship threat again. It will be tenfold of anything the Heat ever gave me if the Dolphins win a championship in my lifetime. The Marino years are always going to be treasured. They were exciting, you knew we had a chance every season. The Jimmy era was also fun with a smash-mouth defense. Playoff contenders every year even through the end of the Wanny era. The endless what ifs with Marino and a run game or Marino with any serviceable defense. Those thoughts will always run through all our minds. Even to this day, with all the recent bull**** aside, the Dolphins are a historically storied franchise that are in the midst of some gut-wrenching times plagued by mismanagement and "what-ifs". But even now, the Dolphins really are the foundation of the South Florida sports scene; just that now, they are no longer the face of the scene.
LeBron leaving Miami does nothing for the Dolphins. The Dolphins are the only thing that should actually affect the Dolphins. Realistically that may not be true. However, put consecutive winning teams and playoff contenders out on the field as often as possible and this so-called "dark era" of Dolphins history becomes but a blip in list of accomplishments for the franchise. It's tough for younger generations to get into the Dolphins because they have not experienced the past version of the Dolphins. Since Marino retired, the Marlins won a World Series and the Heat have won 3 NBA Finals. Now with no LeBron, the best coverage we will get in So. Fla. will be about the middling Marlins, who have a fun young team, and a Dolphins team being underdogs in a bull**** AFC with weak teams.
In conclusion . . .
there is no positive or negative, it is exactly as it was for the South Florida sports scene for the past 10 years or so. Our biggest "celebrity" in Miami is a butt-hurt Wade and Pat Riley's hair. Talking to non-sports fans, they know who Wade is, they know Riley, and a lot of them know who Arison is. Ask those same people about the Dolphins and they will tell you that that Ryan Tannyhill's wife is hot and that bully-gate happened. That is, until the Dolphins prove that they deserve to be the face of South Florida sports again. Until the Dolphins put a team out there that attracts the bandwaggoners and brings the haters to hate on us, they will never be fully embraced by more people in the city and around the nation except for their die-hard fan base. Dolphins have a chance to change the community and nation's perception of who they are, or they take the risk of going from a historically great franchise to a historically mediocre franchise.
Bring a winning team and environment and the glory shall follow.
