My life with the Miami Dolphins.
As the Miami Dolphins stand at 2-7 and with little chance of postseason play – let me be honest, no chance of postseason play – my thoughts turned to another retrospective of my 40-plus years supporting this team.
So bear with me and let us delve into the last 40 years of glorious failure.
The Marino mirage: Living the dream
Once upon a time, in the neon glow of the 1980s, the Miami Dolphins were the darlings of the NFL.
Quarterback Dan Marino, with an arm forged by the football gods themselves, was slinging touchdowns like he was playing Madden on rookie mode.
That 1984 season? Chef’s kiss. Over 5,000 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and a trip to the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, that Super Bowl ended with Joe Montana and the 49ers politely reminding us that defense is also a part of football. Marino never made it back to the big game, and so began the great Miami tradition: hope, heartbreak and humidity.
Still, watching Marino drop dimes to the Marks Brothers, Clayton and Duper, was football paradise.
It was also the last time Dolphins fans could confidently say, “This is our year!” without being gently escorted to the nearest therapist.
The wandering years: Fiedler, Frerotte and the quarterback carousel
After Marino hung up his golden arm, Dolphins fans entered what historians refer to as The Era of Uncertainty.
From Jay Fiedler’s scrappy heroics to Gus Frerotte knocking himself out head-butting a wall after a touchdown, it was… eventful.
There were flashes of brilliance, like the 2002 Monday Night Football snow game in New England. Ricky Williams ran through the blizzard like a Floridian who just saw snow for the first time – because, well, he had.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins lost that game, and the division, because of course they did.
By the mid-2000s, fans started keeping a ‘Quarterback Bingo’ card. The squares included ‘Injured’, ‘Interception’, ‘Journeyman’ and ‘Who?’
The perfectly imperfect season: 2007’s 1-15 masterpiece
Every team has a low point, but the 2007 Dolphins said: “Hold my Gatorade.”
They managed one glorious victory – against the Baltimore Ravens – thanks to Cleo Lemon and a lot of divine intervention.
That win was celebrated like a Super Bowl; fans danced, cried and hugged strangers.
Meanwhile, the undefeated 1972 Dolphins popped champagne again, possibly just to remind everyone they still existed and never went 1-15.
From wildcat wonders to Tua time
Then came the Wildcat offense of 2008. Ronnie Brown took direct snaps, confused defenses and somehow won the AFC East. Patriots fans blinked twice and muttered, “Wait… what just happened?”
Since then, it has been a rollercoaster powered by optimism, quarterback controversies and sunscreen.
The Dolphins have flirted with greatness, like that 2020 Raiders game where Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 30-yard prayer while his facemask was being yanked sideways.
The play perfectly summed up being a Dolphins fan: chaotic, painful and yet occasionally miraculous.
Fast forward to Tua Tagovailoa tossing bombs to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle doing his penguin dance, the Fins finally felt fun again.
Sure, every hit Tua takes causes collective cardiac arrest across South Florida but hey, that is part of the experience.
A lifetime of aqua and teal therapy
Being a Dolphins fan for the last 40 years has meant living in a perpetual state of “maybe next year”.
But it has also meant wild comebacks, bizarre plays and an unshakable community bonded by hope, humidity and heartbreak.
Now that my son is part of the fraternity, it is even more enjoyable.
So, here is to another four decades of Finsanity, where the highs are high, the lows are hilarious and the only constant is the feeling that, one day, it will all be worth it.
After all, as every Dolphins fan knows, it is not easy being teal.
