I lost my Dad earlier this year and I am dedicating this season to him.
I started watching NFL football when I was about 6 or 7 years old but never really attached myself to a team until the season of 1969 when due to living in the Bahamas and our radio and TV availability, I slowly started following the Miami Dolphins.
I became a lifelong fan the day the Miami Dolphins hired Don Shula. It was big news here because it was big news in Miami. I have never wavered in my love for the team.
My Dad was never into sports but slowly began to watch Miami games with me after he saw my interest in the team and after we watched the Dolphins lose to the Cowboys in Super Bowl VI in 1972.
My Dad went to FSU for his pre-med before becoming a dentist, but he always told me he was never into the school's sports (yes, he was a bookworm). Thankfully he became a Miami Hurricanes (not FSU) fan later when I got more into College Football.
The 1972 season started and my Dad surprised me when he told me we had been invited to go to a live game in Miami by a colleague of his who had season tickets. This was the highlight of my life at the time and a trip I have always held close to my heart. We had a blast that weekend as father and son and the highlight was the Dolphins defeating the Patriots 52-0 in the Orange Bowl. I still cannot believe it was 50 years ago this year. The season ended with not only a Miami Dolphin's Super Bowl win but capped off the perfect 17-0 season. Thanks to NFL GamePass I rewatched Super Bowls VII and VIII earlier this week bringing back those memories with Dad as our team accomplished it all.
I don't remember many details of the game against the Patriots in '72 but I do remember the people we went with wanted to leave with about 7 minutes to go in the game to beat traffic. My Dad saw my disappointment in this, and we stayed until the end and took a cab from the game. After that, we always found our own way to the games.
We went to at least one game a year every year for many years until I began to start my schooling and career. I remember Don Shula's first losing season in 1976 when we ended up going to the last game of the year where we lost to the Vikings to end the season 6-8. It was disappointing because it was the first loss we had seen in person.
We watched and listened to many games together, TV reception was not the best here and we often ended up listening to Rick Weaver on the radio for the play-by-play. Football was one of those bonds we shared together that meant a lot to me.
As time went on our games together slowly became a thing of the best as I had a wife and career. When I started Flight School after I got married in 1985 at Tursair in Opa Locka my wife and I got to go to most home games that year down in the Orange Bowl and got to watch Marino live that year. She quickly became a fan, but I missed the weekends with my Dad. We had returned home for Christmas in early December, and it was bittersweet for me because we missed the great game against the Bears that preserved the Dolphins' perfect season, but I got to sit with Dad that night and watch it on TV, we were both thrilled at the outcome.
Dad and I never got to attend a game together after the Dolphins moved from the Orange Bowl.
I have been to several games with my wife and finally got to take my daughter to her first game in 2010 when we lost to the Steelers thanks to Gene Steratore but that's another story. My daughter had a great time even though she was not into football despite how I had raised her. She loved the atmosphere and all that was going on that you cannot see on TV. It reminded me of my very first game.
Dad's interest in football declined over the last couple of years due to his dementia which slowly took away his interest in many things. I would watch small portions of games with him but there was little reaction from him.
When he died in January, a lot of my memories together with him came back as I remembered all the years and games we shared together, because they just weren't 3-hour games they were a weekend together as Father and Son.
As this season begins, I have dedicated this one to my Dad for all the years we enjoyed the game. Win or lose you will be in my heart Dad.
I may attend a game live this year and if I do it will be in his honor, 50 years later. It won't be the Orange Bowl, but you will be there with us Dad.
I started watching NFL football when I was about 6 or 7 years old but never really attached myself to a team until the season of 1969 when due to living in the Bahamas and our radio and TV availability, I slowly started following the Miami Dolphins.
I became a lifelong fan the day the Miami Dolphins hired Don Shula. It was big news here because it was big news in Miami. I have never wavered in my love for the team.
My Dad was never into sports but slowly began to watch Miami games with me after he saw my interest in the team and after we watched the Dolphins lose to the Cowboys in Super Bowl VI in 1972.
My Dad went to FSU for his pre-med before becoming a dentist, but he always told me he was never into the school's sports (yes, he was a bookworm). Thankfully he became a Miami Hurricanes (not FSU) fan later when I got more into College Football.
The 1972 season started and my Dad surprised me when he told me we had been invited to go to a live game in Miami by a colleague of his who had season tickets. This was the highlight of my life at the time and a trip I have always held close to my heart. We had a blast that weekend as father and son and the highlight was the Dolphins defeating the Patriots 52-0 in the Orange Bowl. I still cannot believe it was 50 years ago this year. The season ended with not only a Miami Dolphin's Super Bowl win but capped off the perfect 17-0 season. Thanks to NFL GamePass I rewatched Super Bowls VII and VIII earlier this week bringing back those memories with Dad as our team accomplished it all.
I don't remember many details of the game against the Patriots in '72 but I do remember the people we went with wanted to leave with about 7 minutes to go in the game to beat traffic. My Dad saw my disappointment in this, and we stayed until the end and took a cab from the game. After that, we always found our own way to the games.
We went to at least one game a year every year for many years until I began to start my schooling and career. I remember Don Shula's first losing season in 1976 when we ended up going to the last game of the year where we lost to the Vikings to end the season 6-8. It was disappointing because it was the first loss we had seen in person.
We watched and listened to many games together, TV reception was not the best here and we often ended up listening to Rick Weaver on the radio for the play-by-play. Football was one of those bonds we shared together that meant a lot to me.
As time went on our games together slowly became a thing of the best as I had a wife and career. When I started Flight School after I got married in 1985 at Tursair in Opa Locka my wife and I got to go to most home games that year down in the Orange Bowl and got to watch Marino live that year. She quickly became a fan, but I missed the weekends with my Dad. We had returned home for Christmas in early December, and it was bittersweet for me because we missed the great game against the Bears that preserved the Dolphins' perfect season, but I got to sit with Dad that night and watch it on TV, we were both thrilled at the outcome.
Dad and I never got to attend a game together after the Dolphins moved from the Orange Bowl.
I have been to several games with my wife and finally got to take my daughter to her first game in 2010 when we lost to the Steelers thanks to Gene Steratore but that's another story. My daughter had a great time even though she was not into football despite how I had raised her. She loved the atmosphere and all that was going on that you cannot see on TV. It reminded me of my very first game.
Dad's interest in football declined over the last couple of years due to his dementia which slowly took away his interest in many things. I would watch small portions of games with him but there was little reaction from him.
When he died in January, a lot of my memories together with him came back as I remembered all the years and games we shared together, because they just weren't 3-hour games they were a weekend together as Father and Son.
As this season begins, I have dedicated this one to my Dad for all the years we enjoyed the game. Win or lose you will be in my heart Dad.
I may attend a game live this year and if I do it will be in his honor, 50 years later. It won't be the Orange Bowl, but you will be there with us Dad.
