So what did Don Shula say/do?

[MonkeyFunk]

I don't follow sports, and saw some references to something offensive he said/did.

Can somebody fill me in?

[Awsi Dooger]

1. I didn't hear anything that Shula has said

I'm in Miami and the local radio shows are flooded with thrilled Dolphin fans. We really didn't want to lose the annual treat of rooting for the last unbeaten to fail, which is really just rooting for the '72 Dolphins all over again.

People across the country need to realize that team made the city, in many ways. We had no other major teams, hell not even an arena. It was an expansion team only 6 years after founding, and 2 years after merging with the mighty NFL.

I don't apologize at all for rooting for that benchmark to remain unique in American sports.

Everyone here really respects the Patriots and what they accomplished, how far they took it against stacked odds. Shula won't make a gloating statement. Nor the other old timers from that team. It's relief, more than anything else, accompanied by the shock aspect.

[MonkeyFunk]

2. People were referring to something

he said before the Superbowl, from what I gathered. And you guys have every right to stay proud. That was - and remains - an impressive accomplishment.

[Awsi Dooger]

5. He stupidly mentioned an asterisk in the middle of the season

Shortly before the Ravens game. Based on Spygate.

At that point Dolphin fans realized how serious this threat was, that New England could actually remain unscathed. In previous years we've always wanted it out of the way, but truthfully no team since the '85 Bears was scary enough to think it was a probability, or even high level of possibility.

Shula made that remark just when I sensed legit concern on Dolphin message boards and Miami radio sports talk shows.

Brady and Manning are in their prime. That's the damn problem, from a '72 Dolphin standpoint. Once the next few years pass and they head into mid 30s, I doubt there will be a serious 19-0 threat. But until then I'm admittedly nervous. The colleges aren't spitting out enough pro style QBs to keep every team competent behind center.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Actually, I heard a couple of tremendously gloaty quotes this morning...

from members of the '72 Dolphins team. They ain't saints, after all. And even back then, they weren't exactly known for sportsmanship so much as they were known for kicking ass.

[Awsi Dooger]

4. The gloats I've heard have been directed at the haters

The fans who annually root for someone -- anyone -- to go unbeaten, just to supposedly "shut up" and surpass the '72 Dolphins.

Heck, I'm so-called guilty of that myself, gloating at the haters, including a thread in the Sports forum.

I like the Patriots and wanted to root for them yesterday. At 17-1 I would have pulled for them. A team that displayed such rare sustained intensity throughout the season deserved the damn ring. But the haters, as much as the '72 accomplishment, made me pull feverishly for the Giants. Particularly after I heard blowhard PGA golfer Kenny Perry say on CBS yesterday that he wanted New England to "shut up the '72 Dolphins."

Maybe you're right about gloating comments. I haven't read the local papers or absorbed every comment. Some of those old guys are prone to be more quotable and defensive than others, so in the immediate aftermath they might have said something foolish, inspiring more hate. :rofl:

Primarily I've been re-watching a fantastic game, an old-fashioned type where the trenches mattered.