I hope the Patriots go undefeated. I'm sick of the 1972 Dolphins and their crying about being the only undefeated team.

Here is an article you might enjoy:


http://msn.foxsports.com/...4?MSNHPHMA

'72 Dolphins don't want to face the truth

A champagne toast is in order. Raise a glass for the 1972 Miami Dolphins, a team that has finally succeeded in diminishing its own perfect season.

The latest silly salvo directed at the undefeated New England Patriots comes from Mercury Morris, now 61, who went on the radio the other day and spoke his apparently deteriorating mind.
"They win on February 3, and they're the second-best team in the history of the NFL," said Morris. "We're the first team. ... If they win, they're going to be the second team."

So there.

Of course, every team deserves to be judged in the context of its time. That said, a 19-0 season — New England's record should it win the Super Bowl — would be more impressive than Miami's mark, 17-0. Anyone not named Mercury Morris can do the math on that one.

What's more, Dolphins alums like Morris were not well-advised to call attention to themselves, or else someone like me would remind you of their dirty little secret. The '72 team benefited from one of the easiest schedules in NFL history. Bash the Patriots and their coach all you want. I do. Just understand that with a game left to play, they are nothing if not tested, as their regular season included victories over six playoff teams — the Colts, Cowboys, Chargers, Steelers, Giants and Redskins.

Now, go back and check the '72 Dolphins. Their regular season included only two games against teams that finished better than .500 — the Vikings and the Giants, who were both 8-6 that year. The combined won-loss record of their opponents was 43-86-3. Let me rephrase. Their average opponent had a winning percentage of .333.

There are some notably sane Dolphin alums. Jim Mandich, a tight end on that '72 team, comes to mind. When recently asked how that team would do against these Patriots, he responded: "They would kick our (butts) from one side of the field to the other."

There's no shame in that, just common sense. As a rule, ballplayers get bigger, stronger and faster every year. The Patriots have 35 years of athletic evolution (not to mention a little HGH, in the case of Rodney Harrison) on their side. The Dolphins offensive line averaged 253 pounds. The front three starters on New England's defense range from 300 to 325 pounds.

Still, Mandich's teammates seem incapable of acknowledging the obvious.

"The weight issue is overstated," the Dolphins' old center, Jim Langer, told The Miami Herald. "Another 50 pounds doesn't mean a damn thing. It's all about leverage."

Said Bob Kuechenberg, once a guard: "If we play under the old rules" — basically enabling the defense to beat up receivers all over the field — "we win going away."

Fifty pounds doesn't mean a thing. We win going away. Lines like these — so contemptuous of an obvious truth — could be dismissed as a mere goof if they weren't also a little sad. No one wants to hear old men sound like little boys. But then again, maybe that's what this is about. It says right here that these ex-Dolphins don't resent the Patriots nearly as much for cheating as for making them feel old.

The undefeated season seemed to confer an eternal standing. But faced with the prospect of an even better undefeated team, the aging Dolphins are being forced to confront their own mortality.

As Charlie Babb, the former Miami safety, told my colleague Alex Marvez, "The older I get, the more it means. More than anything else, that's all that we have left."

They've spent months trying to rationalize their everlasting superiority, building hypothetical constructs that might favor their cause. They neglect their soft schedule, of course. Instead, they dwell on the old rules, as if that could possibly help them. They talk of having to play with their second-string quarterback, Earl Morrall, for 10 games. And, of course, there was the suggestion — first advanced by Don Shula — that an undefeated Patriots season should be designated with an asterisk.

New England was caught illicitly stealing defensive signals in the first week against the Jets. That alone is reason enough to root against them and to dislike the coach. Spygate might cast suspicion on Bill Belichick's career -- what of a coach who made cheating part of the game plan? -- but not this season. Again, the Pats were busted in Week 1 against the Jets, a team they beat by 24. It's not as if Belichick got caught in, say, Week 10. He never got a chance to study and make use of the stolen signs.

So there goes Shula's asterisk. It bears mention, by the way, that Shula wasn't always comfortable with hypothetical scenarios. Back in 1989, Steve Sabol of NFL Films came up with an elaborately modeled computer program featuring 20 of the greatest NFL teams in an elimination tournament. According to Dave Hyde's Still Perfect: The Untold Story of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, Shula detested the idea, and kept calling Sabol to see how the computer was treating his legacy.

"That team never got the credit it deserved," he would say.

Still, the computer Dolphins won every "game" until the very last, when they lost to the '78 Steelers. Not long after that Dream Bowl, as it was called, Sabol made the mistake of picking up his phone. It was Shula, hollering in what Hyde would describe as "a voice of rage."

"What kind of computer is that?" he asked.

Shula and his former players have made it a habit to pop of bottle of champagne following the first defeat of each season's last undefeated team. They might find themselves toasting the Patriots' loss on Feb. 3. The Giants have a legitimate shot. More likely, though, the 1972 Dolphins will learn of their fate the hard way. This is no Super Bowl for old men.

Graycap23 said:

No you cmost certainly are not the only one sick of them bastards...popping champagne every year the undefeated go down... '72 Dolphins!

Great article....I think that the Dolphin's 17-0 record should have its place in history preserved because, at the time, it was a great accomplishment....but for some of the former players to dismiss the Pat's run at the record tarnishes it way more than another undefeated season ever will...they should enjoy the fact that it took 37 years to match and surpass their accomplishment....that for more than a generation, they were spoken of in hallowed terms....and now, they should gracefully step aside and allow a very worthy team (if they pull it off...) to bask in that glory.....

Nice article. Thanks.

THAT'S the muthafucka I'M tired of! I can deal with the other '72ites but that muthafucka there just whines and bitches about being "0" and how no one has come close and all this other shit. Fucka, calm down! This shouldn't be the ONLY thing that defines your existence. Move the fuck on, muthafucka! Shit!

MuthaFunka said:

But how do you REALLY feel....don't hold back.

I mentioned this on the sticky thread and elsewhere. I'm tired of hearing it from them. It would be different if others were pleading their case, like, say, Steve Sabol or Dr. Z or Peter King or John McClain or someone like that.

Their bitterness, I think, stems from the fact that no one, prior to this point, considered them the greatest team of ALL time. They've watched the Steelers and Cowboys of the 70's, the Niners of the 80's and 90's, the Cowboys of the '90's, the '85 Bears, the 00's Patriots, heck, even the Bills teams of the 90's, get more pub and respect than they ever did.

But the public doesn't like bitterness. And that's what I'm sensing.

Now they have legitimate reasons to say they're overlooked. The Pats dominate a league that is now expanded and parity-driven. But the Pats didn't have the advantages that the Fish had due to the lack of free agency in the 70's. The Fish, Steelers, Boys and Niners mostly kept their core guys intact, adding and replacing key pieces along the way.

But the main reason they're overlooked is simply this: any of the teams, including the Pats, are 10 points better than the '72 Dolphins. They tend to think a little more of themselves. I'd take the '84 or '89 Niners, '85 Bears, '93 Cowboys, '91 Skins or even the '89 Bills over those guys. The '04 or '07 Pats would run them off the field.

They're a great team, but I mean, REALLY. They sound like the Little Richards of the NFL. People know they're great, but get tired of hearing that these guys demand even more respect than they get.


[Edited 1/25/08 12:58pm]

namepeace said:

Lol.....

namepeace said:

Shut up!

Sowhat said:

Graycap23 said:

Not me - GO GIANTS!!!!!

I'm sick of the 72 Dolphins but I HATE the Patriots, I hope the Giants pull off a miracle and win....

Graycap23 said:

Mega dittoes.

uPtoWnNY said:

Lol....the Giants have been a bigger pain in my Bears sides so I have 2 root against them.

Graycap23 said:

Funny you should mention the Bears, as the Giants looked like they were about to have another late season collapse when they played the Bears, but the Bears totally inept offense allowed the Giants to get back into the game and win it in the closing minutes. That put the Giants back on track to the Super Bowl.

If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, they deserve to be called the greatest football team of all time. They would have beaten a number of playoff teams with a roster that was assembled during the free agent/salary cap era, where no roster spots are guaranteed. I'm just sad that the Packers lost last week, because I was hoping for the big miracle of Brett Favre and the Packers beating the mighty Patriots in the Super Bowl, which would have given Brett Favre the storybook ending to his career. It would also allow me to claim that the Bears were the best team in the NFL, because the mighty, awesome Patriots couldn't beat the Packers yet the Bears beat them twice! So much for that fantasy.

As awesome as the '85 Bears were, I think that this year's Patriots team would wipe the floor with the Bears. In fact, I think that the only teams that could compare to this Patriots team are the 1978 Steelers and 1989 49ers. The 1992 Cowboys could give the Patriots a run for the money, but I think the Patriots would still beat them in a high-scoring barnburner.

728huey said:

Prior to that, in Week 3, the Redskins let the G-Men off the mat and failed to score from NY's 2-yard line in the closing seconds, which would have sent the game into overtime. I continue to believe that had the 'Skins won that game, the G-Men would be at home, and either the Cowboys, Packers or Redskins would be readying for the Super Bowl.



For the reasons you state below, I think they had the greatest season of all time, but still are not the greatest team of all time. Their accomplishment cannot be ignored (win or lose, IMHO). To build a team like this in a parity-driven, free agency era is remarkable. But, on balance, I'd put a handful of teams above them.

I was hoping for the Pack to win as well. They had more firepower on offense and better corners, along with a great front four on the defensive side of the ball (which is truly the Giants' biggest strength).



I don't necessarily disagree. Although I will say that the 1984 Niners were about as good as the 1989 Niners, and, IMHO, the 1993 Cowboys were even better than the 1992 Cowboys, to the extent that their running game was even more punishing than it was the year before. Had Emmitt Smith not held out those 2 games in the '93 season, they might could have run the table as well.

I'd also put a good word in for my 1991 Redskins, who lost 2 games by 5 points and had a margin-of-victory average very similar to the 2007 Pats (though I give the Pats the edge on them, barely, because of the WR corps).

All you have to do is listen to Mercury Morris' Dolphins rap and you will hate the '72 Fins for the rest of your natural life.

RodeoSchro said:

I heard him on Mike and Mike (ESPN Radio). That was the last straw. But I think this line in the article sums it up perfectly.



I don't think that Tom Brady will think that way when the next team comes along and goes, say, 21-0.

Football players can be the biggest drama queens sometimes.

I will never understand how Morris who probably was the 3rd best runningback on this own team is allowed to speak. These old players and their reactions to breaking their records never cease to amaze me...

From Jerry Rice being pissed at Moss because Moss said the touchdown record wasn't that important (news flash Jerry...its not blasphamy to say that...you did it in 12 games, your the greatest WR ever, so class it the fuck up and be quiet).

Dan Marino squirming in his chair every time Brett Farve broke a record of his (he looked constipated as he gave congratulations).

Phil Simms giving a silent pause after his broadcasting partner tells him Tom Brady broke his playoff completion record (Phil went into a brief coma but regained composure)


Grown as men acting the way they do because a player or players break or is going to break their records. Guys like Marino that is all they have so yeah it may sting a bit more for him, but Rice and others with SB rings need to get over it. And don't get me started about Emmitt "I can't speak the english language" Smith...

I also want to add...if your impact on the game is great no matter who breaks your records your legacy as a great player will be intact. Does anyone think Jim Brown is any less great because he does not have the rushing record? No...he is still arguably the greatest RB/Player to have played the game.
[Edited 1/26/08 10:33am]

728huey said:

lol.....don't get me started. U do REALIZE the Bears held all 3 of their playoff opponents 2 a total of 10 points. The Bears defense would have KILLED the Patriots.....

Bears 46 Patriots 10.....Just like in 1985.

Graycap23 said:

Actually it would have been Ditka 67 Patriots -45....Da Bears!


Seriously I think the Pats would carve up the Bears like Marino did. Teams now know how to abuse the 46 defense...That is why no one uses it exclusivly anymore.

Sinister said:

Hey Graycap, the '85 Bears were my favorite football team of all time! I still have great memories of that season. Having said that, Sinister was right in explaining why I think this year's Patriots team would beat the crap out of the '85 Bears. That team relied heavily on the 46 defense, which was to rush the quarterback and running back with the front four linemen and at least two other players, usually the linebackers but sometimes the strong safety. Sometimes the defense would put eight players in the box and rush all of them. Most of the time the opposing offense would get hammered because there was no way that their line could cover them and the running backs and receivers could be easily overpowered by the rushing linemen. However, the flaw in the 46 defense was that it left the corners covering the receivers man to man with only the free safety as a safety valve.

The one loss that the Bears had during that season was against the Dolphins, and Dan Marino was basically able to carve up the defense by doing three step drops and releasing the ball before the defense had time to read the pattern. He also used a lot of slant patterns to offset the rush, which let the receivers run for huge yardage after the catch because they only had one man covering them. The Bears used variations of the 46 defense all through the remainder of the 1980's, but it was permanently exposed during the 1988 NFC Championship game against the 49ers, where Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig and John Taylor made mincemeat out the Bears defense, which for the most part had the same personnel they had in 1985. This year's Patriots squad has even more offensive weapons than that 49ers team did, and that team had a bunch of Hall of Fame players on it.


[Edited 1/26/08 12:31pm]

728huey said:

I hear u but I'll take McMahon, Payton and the rest against ANYONE.

Damn. This means MORE of that muthafucka Mercury for years to come. Fuckin' Pats.

Graycap23 said:

I'm sick of the 2007 Patriots, glad they didn't win.

728huey said:

Hummmm.....so what were u saying about the Patriots beating the crap out of the 1985 Bears? The best defense of all time?

The dolphins are not the only professional football team to have a perfect season. The 1948 Browns did too. Sure that was back when they were with the All American Football Conference but still they should not be forgotten.

At least Fox didn't show any of the '72 Dolphins popping champagne bottles last night. But you KNOW they were.