Pre Super Bowl XLII Message
Regardless of what happens in SuperBowl XLII, the achievements of the 1972 Dolphins will remain a part of NFL History. The Patriot-obsessed media of today have already crowned New England the "Greatest Team of all time". This is ironic considering that the media leader, ESPN, rarely recognizes sporting feats that occur before 1979 (the year that network was born) and that most of the trendy sports anchors of today weren't born or weren't old enough to appreciate the old football dynasties of the Packers, Steelers, and Dolphins.
As I read articles and blog postings criticizing the "grumpy old" 72 Dolphins, and how it would be great to "shut them up" I am amazed. Most of the players on the 1972 team earned less in a season than today's players earn in a week. Most of them, thankfully, are still with us but cannot get a money-laden Players Union to help them with medical expenses for replaced hips, worn out knees, and even broken necks. How any true football fan (even Patriots lovers) can speak so disdainfully of the 1972 veterans and the rest of that gridiron generation is beyond me.
I regret not compiling the information, stories, and opinions I have on the 1972 Miami Dolphins players, coaches, and games on this website before now. I will be doing that this year. In the meantime, if you share my love for the NFL's first perfect team, I hope you enjoy this video - an early project I did while first learning video post production.
Eli, we love you.
Post Super Bowl XLII Message
Well, the Giants did it. Not since the Dolphins won Super Bowl VII have I felt as much joy as I did at the end of this SuperBowl.
But I know this joy was not shared by the majority of today's football reporters and it is certainly not enjoyed by the NFL. The NFL is in quite a fix, you see. The league wants parity, needs parity to keep interest and revenue income distributed as much as possible across all 32 teams. But the press, and the NFL, can plainly see the results of parity, free agency, and salary caps. The true dynasties and true great teams are gone, in the past. The NFL and the press desperately want today's game to be filled with legends. They want to talk about greatness now. I could actually hear the NFL's and ESPN's promotional plans for the 19-0 "Perfect" New England Patriots crumble as Eli marched New York down the field that final drive.
This season was supposed to be the last year the 1972 Miami Dolphins would have to be mentioned by the mainstream press. Thank goodness the Giants didn't read the memo. Instead, this year was the best possible publicity for those "grumpy old men". Their accomplishments look even more impressive, the perfect season even more unattainable.
Since 1972, a team has managed to start a season with 10 or more wins only eight times. I've put together a list of the teams that came closest to achieving a perfect season. Can it ever happen again? I don't know. I honestly thought this would be the year that a new perfect season would go into the books.
Eli, thank you.