Dolphins Honoring 1972 Team as Achievement Gets Progressively Better

Halftime of the Miami Dolphins’ Sunday night time recreation in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be the primary time the group has honored its 1972 workforce for reaching the one excellent season in NFL historical past.

However every new celebration comes with two simple points, one unhappy, one actually good.

The unhappy half, after all, is the passing of members of that 1972 workforce because the years roll on, most not too long ago former beginning huge receiver Marlin Briscoe. And clearly this shall be a celebration that shall be lacking greater than a dozen of the 1972 Dolphins, together with Coach Don Shula and fellow Corridor of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Jim Langer, amongst others.

They clearly shall be remembered and missed throughout the celebration of an achievement that grows extra spectacular with every passing yr as a result of it is now been 50 years of NFL groups making an attempt to do what the 1972 Dolphins did — and developing brief.

“I feel again then, so what? So that you go undefeated, win the Tremendous Bowl — anyone goes to do it in 5 years,” Corridor of Fame quarterback Bob Griese stated in a Zoom media session this week. “No one did it. In 10 years — they’ll do it quickly. 15 years, no one has performed it. 20 years? No, no one. 30 (years), then the great groups come by, the Brady yr, the New York Giants with Eli Manning beating the Patriots in that Tremendous Bowl recreation. And all people says, ‘Geez, that have to be fairly arduous to do, go undefeated.’ So sure, I feel as time has passed by, I feel extra individuals understand that that was one thing particular. We didn’t understand it was one thing particular. We simply thought … we didn’t attempt to go undefeated. We simply went on the market and tried to win every recreation. Win every recreation and that’s what we did. Nevertheless it’s more durable to do now as a result of there are extra video games. I feel we get extra respect now than we did again then as a result of we went undefeated.”

By means of six weeks of the 2022 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles stand as the one workforce with a shot to match the 1972 Dolphins’ feat — they really would prime it now as a result of the common season is 17 video games in comparison with 14 again then.

On paper, the Eagles seem like they may attain double digits unscathed with their subsequent 4 video games at house in opposition to Pittsburgh, at Houston, at house in opposition to Washington and at Indianapolis.

“Properly, we’re all beginning to growl in our beards about it,” Corridor of Famer Larry Csonka stated. “You’re glad that there’s one or two groups which are nonetheless undefeated while you attain in regards to the sixth or seventh recreation mark. However then across the 10-game mark, you begin to wish to see them disappearing quicker since you’re very guarded about it. It’s a jealousy factor. In a single capability, it’s enjoyable. In one other capability, it’s nonetheless a contest factor and it’s slightly irritating, significantly while you get to the Tremendous Bowl, and it’s coming proper all the way down to the wire. No one can higher us however they’ll definitely tie us. So that you’re pulling very closely in opposition to them to do this. It makes you are feeling alive. It makes you are feeling such as you’re a part of it once more, and that’s an excellent factor.”

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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM

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REGULARLY HONORING THE 1972 DOLPHINS

The Dolphins first honored the 1972 Dolphins on the twentieth anniversary of the proper season once they acknowledged the workforce at halftime of a recreation in opposition to the Buffalo Payments and put them onto the Dolphin Honor Roll.

The workforce once more was honored in 2007, the thirty fifth anniversary, on the day the Dolphins secured their solely victory of that season on Greg Camarillo’s landing catch in additional time in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens.

It occurred once more in 2012, the fortieth anniversary, after which in August 2013, the 1972 Dolphins visited President Barack Obama on the White Home.

Then got here maybe the best recognition of all coming from the NFL when it named the 1972 Dolphins the No. 1 workforce of all time as a part of the NFL’s 100 Biggest marketing campaign.

“Properly, 50 years implies that we’ve gone 50 years and we’ve been usually imitated however by no means duplicated,” Corridor of Famer Larry Little stated. “It’s positively an incredible deal to me as a result of I by no means thought our document would final this lengthy or truly, as a result of I felt another groups would come alongside and at the very least tie us. Not that no workforce will ever surpass us. However , to tie us however not surpass us.

“I by no means thought that we’d be on prime of the mountain by ourselves. I believed we’d’ve been joined by another person and it hasn’t occurred.”

A YEAR FOR DOLPHINS ANNIVERSARIES

Whereas the 1972 season clearly is the large one, there are a number of different seasons celebrating anniversaries this season.

— The 1982 Dolphins: That is the fortieth anniversary of the workforce that went to the Tremendous Bowl throughout the strike-shortened season.

— The 1992 Dolphins: That is the thirtieth anniversary of the workforce that reached the AFC Championship Recreation for the final time, sadly dropping at house in opposition to the Buffalo Payments.

— Ricky’s dashing title: That is the twentieth anniversary of Ricky Williams main the NFL and setting a workforce document with 1,853 dashing yards.

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