What's the worst referee gaffe in Miami Dolphins history?

[Adam Strange]

It turns out the Cowboys that year was also a beatable team. That was the last shot at a ring for Marino.

Marino was, most likely, not winning a ring that year, although I'm confident they would have won a conference title. They were a good team, one of the last really good Dolphins teams, in fact. And they had a succesful season, despite losing their starting backfield by the middle of it (losing Keith Byars that year really hurt). Marino was on the top of his game. But the AFC, for whatever reason, was just not going to beat the NFC. Granted, the Dolphins would have had a better shot than the Chargers since Miami would have been playing in their home stadium and there would have been plenty of incentive on Marino's part to grab a ring and on the part of his teammates to win one for him. So it wouldn't have been impossible. They would have been a huge underdog though, and I could easily see the game getting out of hand quickly.

 

[DolFan in NE]

Marino was, most likely, not winning a ring that year, although I'm confident they would have won a conference title. They were a good team, one of the last really good Dolphins teams, in fact. And they had a succesful season, despite losing their starting backfield by the middle of it (losing Keith Byars that year really hurt). Marino was on the top of his game. But the AFC, for whatever reason, was just not going to beat the NFC. Granted, the Dolphins would have had a better shot than the Chargers since Miami would have been playing in their home stadium and there would have been plenty of incentive on Marino's part to grab a ring and on the part of his teammates to win one for him. So it wouldn't have been impossible. They would have been a huge underdog though, and I could easily see the game getting out of hand quickly.

Just thinking about those early 90's teams and the missed opportunities makes me want to puke...or cry..or both.

 

[andyahs]

F@#$!!! That s%$^ happened RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE. It was my first game in down in Miami and Gene Steradousche sent me into a rage on my way back to the parking lot. I have never been so furious in my life.

Right in front of me too. Had my daughter to her very first game and even she saw it was a fumble. We left very disappointed but the only bright side is she can't wait to go back this year.

 

[Fins1971]

It turns out the Cowboys that year was also a beatable team. That was the last shot at a ring for Marino.

Not only the bad call in that S.D. game but with us leading big the lights in the Fins locker room mysteriosly went out during halftime.
Had the refs and the Stadium against us.

 

[Adam Strange]

Just thinking about those early 90's teams and the missed opportunities makes me want to puke...or cry..or both.

Eh, at least the team was legitimately good back then, even if they never made it past the AFC championship. I'll take the early 90s (and mid 90s and late 90s) team over the post 2003 Dolphins any day of the week, and twice on Sunday as they say.

 

[nyjunc]

It turns out the Cowboys that year was also a beatable team. That was the last shot at a ring for Marino.

Dallas didn't reach the SB that year, SF did and they humiliated SD. The NFC was head and shoulders better than the AFC, I think if you beat SD you probably beat Pitt the next week but you weren't winning a SB that year.

 

[Fins1971]

Dallas didn't reach the SB that year, SF did and they humiliated SD. The NFC was head and shoulders better than the AFC, I think if you beat SD you probably beat Pitt the next week but you weren't winning a SB that year.

Statiscally the 49ers were better than us that year but you never know. We had the 18th ranked scoring defense and the 49ers had the top offense. Probably similar outcome as marino's 1st Super Bowl. But the call vs SD still robbed us of the chance.

 

[Statler Waldorf]

That Saints game was the worst I've ever seen, the touchdown that wasn't a touchdown on the INT return and also then stopping the clock for review so the Saints could run one more play before half-time. If they'd called the play correctly on the field that clock would have run out and we'd gonie into the half 24-3.

 

[nyjunc]

Statiscally the 49ers were better than us that year but you never know. We had the 18th ranked scoring defense and the 49ers had the top offense. Probably similar outcome as marino's 1st Super Bowl. But the call vs SD still robbed us of the chance.

I don't think any AFC team had a shot, I think Miami would have kept it closer but if Dallas couldn't beat SF that year no one was. Those 2 teams were so much better than everyone else at that time. It's a shame for Marino that his best chance came against a team as great as the '84 Niners.

 

[Statler Waldorf]

Dallas didn't reach the SB that year, SF did and they humiliated SD. The NFC was head and shoulders better than the AFC, I think if you beat SD you probably beat Pitt the next week but you weren't winning a SB that year.

Yeah becuase we all know there is no way the 2001 Patriots could beat the Rams becuase the Rams were head and shoulders better that year, the Broncos against the Packers, or the 2007 Giants against the Patriots. You love to pretend you know how these hypotheticals would turn out, but it really is a waste of time. Miami very well could have won it all that year, Marino could beat anyone on any given Sunday.

 

[Fins1971]

I don't think any AFC team had a shot, I think Miami would have kept it closer but if Dallas couldn't beat SF that year no one was. Those 2 teams were so much better than everyone else at that time. It's a shame for Marino that his best chance came against a team as great as the '84 Niners.

Yeah, that 49er team in 84 was #2 offense and #1 defense. Definitely a challenge.

 

[nyjunc]

Yeah becuase we all know there is no way the 2001 Patriots could beat the Rams becuase the Rams were head and shoulders better that year, the Broncos against the Packers, or the 2007 Giants against the Patriots. You love to pretend you know how these hypotheticals would turn out, but it really is a waste of time. Miami very well could have won it all that year, Marino could beat anyone on any given Sunday.

It was a different era, early FA wasn't yet affecting the great teams and creating parity. Not only did the best teams win they usually humiliated their AFC counterpart. Miami would have had no shot, don't take offense.

 

[fitskin]

Vinny Testerverde sneaking the ball over the goal line against the Seahawks. A game that didn't directly involve the Dolphins but had a huge outcome on how the season ended. Also led to instant replay.

"But the game officials ruled that he did, and as a result it became the dramatic winning touchdown in a 32-31 victory over the Seahawks that left the Jets at 9-4 on the season and tied for first with Miami in the contentious American Football Conference East. Testaverde himself said today that after the game, on the ride back to his parents' home on Long Island, he replayed in his mind what happened. He was trying to figure out what the head linesman Earnie Frantz had seen that led him to signal, without hesitation, a touchdown."

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/08/s...s-on-the-day-after.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

[nyjunc]

Vinny Testerverde sneaking the ball over the goal line against the Seahawks. A game that didn't directly involve the Dolphins but had a huge outcome on how the season ended. Also led to instant replay.

"But the game officials ruled that he did, and as a result it became the dramatic winning touchdown in a 32-31 victory over the Seahawks that left the Jets at 9-4 on the season and tied for first with Miami in the contentious American Football Conference East. Testaverde himself said today that after the game, on the ride back to his parents' home on Long Island, he replayed in his mind what happened. He was trying to figure out what the head linesman Earnie Frantz had seen that led him to signal, without hesitation, a touchdown."

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/08/s...s-on-the-day-after.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

it actually didn't wind up changing anything, if we lose that game and tghe rest of the season plays out the saem we still get the 2 seed. Sea may have made it instead of NE.

 

[Statler Waldorf]

It was a different era, early FA wasn't yet affecting the great teams and creating parity. Not only did the best teams win they usually humiliated their AFC counterpart. Miami would have had no shot, don't take offense.

I figured you'd try to make up some qualifier when I pointed out that upsets happen quite often in the big game. You're still just plain wrong though, in Superbowl IV the Chiefs upset the heavily favored Vikings, in Superbowl III the Jets upset the heavily favored Colts, in Superbowl XXV the heavily favored Bills were upset by the Giants; so don't give me this "different era" silliness, upsets have been part of the Superbowl since the very beginning. You don't know what would have happened, so stop pretending like you do.