The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Instead of complaining about the yearly rejoicing of another team's first loss of the season, I'll simply ask the question: "Why is the 1972 Miami Dolphins perfect season so important to this day?"

The 1929 Green Bay Packers went undefeated. Why aren't Green Bay Packer fans celebrating each season as the last of the unbeatens gets beat?

1972 was 40 seasons ago, and most of us weren't even alive when it happened, much less old enough to care about sports if you were alive or born around that time.

Will 1972 be less important if the Dolphins win another Super Bowl? If Mercury Morris dies? If another team goes to 19-0? In 10 years from now?

In all seriousness I am just trying to understand today's significance of yesterday's accomplishment.

If the Packers had celebrated losing last weekend.... well, that would have just been weird.

What's the deal with fireworks on the 4th of July? That shit happened so long ago.

I do wonder what the fan reaction would be to Mercury Morris opening a bottle of champaign to the Dolphins losing if they were ever the last team to lose a game. 

Because the 1929 Packers didn't win every game.  They had a tie.

I guess that's why no one cared about the home run race in 1998, right?  That was a 37-year-old record at the time.

Probably not, since they won another Super Bowl the year after their perfect season.

This is the only thing that would make any difference.

I'm not sure why you seem to have some sort of crazy belief that records become less significant with time.  Do you think people will stop caring about DiMaggio's hit streak or Wilt's 100-point game in twenty more years?

The really hypocritical thing is that while he seems to believe the record is less significant, he waited with baited breath and started a thread about how two Dolphin records were going to fall this year. Consistency please? -EK

For the same reason that it was a big deal when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all time HR record and when Aaron's record was broken.  Historical perspective.

^^ not to mention it is one of the few things the Dolphin fan's have left. 

How is this hypocritical? Do you even know what the word means?

I'm starting to see why MikeO really has it out for you. You're kind of annoying just to be annoying.

Spider Dan:

1. The word "undefeated" means that the team was not defeated. A tie isn't being defeated. Therefore, they went undefeated.

2. The 1998 homerun steroid chase was 100% entirely different and you know that.

Mercury Morris and the other members of the Dolphins '72 squad have not opened a bottle of champaign when the last team lost for many years.  In fact I believe that only happened once and it was only because several of the players from that '72 squad happened to be together like 5 years later and they just thought it would be an amusing gesture.  It hasn't happened since as far as I know, at least that is my recollection of the story.  If you have some evidence contrary to that recollection, I'd love to see it.

The whole "celebration" thing by the members of the '72 Dolphins has been completely blown out of proportion. It never was nor has it ever been a big deal to Dolphins fans to celebrate when the last team loses, it's a much bigger deal to fans of other teams that hear the media hype surrounding it and would like it to go away. It's taken on a life of it's own, it's not perpetuated by Dolphins fans. That's perfectly clear when the person who started the thread happens to be a Giants fan.

^ Your last sentence is bullshit.

Dave Gray updated the homepage note after months to read "Perfectville Population: 1". This was the 3rd-ever update since the TDMMC software was updated last year.

It is perpetuated by Dolphins fans, for Dolphins fans - and I'm just trying to figure out why. But clowns like EK Knight try to use big words and now the thread is derailed. Thanks.

Yeah, I don't know of any Dolphins fans that celebrate when another team loses their first game of the year.  I wanted the Patsies to lose a couple years ago, but that was more about the Patsies losing, than the record coming to an end.

Evidence contrary that it was a one time thing that happened in the late 70's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=actHMZfYvKo

Have left for what?

I have many quite fond memories of watching Marino playing. I enjoyed watching Ricky Williams play.  Heck it was only 3 years ago that I celebrated beating the Jets on the last week of the season to win the AFC East.  Few things we have left to remember? Celebrate? Hardly.  As a Patriots fan you haven't celebrated anything since their last superbowl win? That's an extremely short sided view of sports.

^ It doesn't matter. I'm done with this thread. Clearly this is still a very sensitive topic for Dolphins fans - how dare I ask "why".

So you're NOT a Giants fan or you didn't start a thread about the '72 Dolphins?

To answer JTex's original question:

It's because this team prides itself on having a rich history, even if it predates us.  It's why Yankee fans are proud of Babe Ruth.  It's also something unique about our franchise and gives us relevance each year, even if they current team isn't good.  Some of the proudest moments from our franchise, though they didn't happen in 1972, are still related to that event.  The 1985 Bears game stands out in many of our minds as one of the best.  ...and it was because we stopped that streak.

Records.  Most of Marino's/Shula records have fallen.  

A commercial is your evidence? I didn't watch the whole thing, at what point in that video do they pop the champaign?

Thank You, Dave Gray, for an answer to the original question!

On second thought I am not done with this thread. Here are 3 comments about the following article:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-mikeb-miami-dolphins-1220-20111219,0,5789954.column

mzuraf1 at 11:07 AM December 20, 2011
Wrong Wrong Wrong Mike - NFL fans got tired of 72 Fins players celebrating another teams failure.  That's why ESPN did not have any of them on this time around, espeically Mercury.
Can anyone really say those toasts were to celebrate their accomplishment?  When that will never be diminished by another team doing the same?  It stands on its own and always will.
The toasts were to celebrate another teams failure.  No one likes that.

potestas227 at 10:26 AM December 20, 2011
Living and basking in yesterday's 40 year old glory isn't the most pathetic thing in the world, but it sure is close...

Scott The Pool Cleaner at 6:54 AM December 20, 2011
I know Berargloomanddoombo is just doing his due diligence in mentioning the 72 Fins.  But, nobody cares anymore.  Mercury Morris may be the exception.  Stop rehashing the glory years.  They are distant memories.  It's a different game now.  This era of Miami Dolphin football hasn't been significant in a decade plus.  You have to be my age (50), to recall seeing that team play.  What matters is the here and now.  A disastrous team that couldn't draft it's way out of a paper bag.  Couldn't negotiate a trade involving my Snickers for your Kit Kat bar.  I hope you wake up and smell the Today versus the yesteryear.

Pappy13:

A. Do you know what a sentence is?
B. Video = Evidence

Records are made to be broken. The joy isn't in keeping the record, the joy is in creating the record in the first place and that can NEVER be taken away.

That's awesome.  Perhaps you should make it your personal mission to try to have the '29 Packers elevated to the same status of the '72 Dolphins.

Of course, you can't really say that they had a perfect season, because that kind of involves winning every game, which they didn't do.

Similarly, you could also argue that the '07 Patriots had an undefeated season (hell, a perfect season).  They literally did not lose a game during the season (only in the post-season, which is, by definition, after the season).

So why aren't people celebrating the miraculous triumph of the 2007 Patriots' perfect, undefeated season?  It is a question that is precisely as valid and intellectually honest as your question about the '29 Packers.

Please do explain.

Your point seems to be that old records should be forgotten, and the home run record was pretty old, too.  So why didn't people stop caring about it?

A. I'm sorry, I think I added a sentence after you posted your post which confused me as to which sentense you were saying was BS.  My apologies.

B. Not when the video is a commercial that pokes fun of the whole situation and doesn't even show the players popping champaign.  I suppose the members of the '72 Dolphins approached Reebok and told them they wanted to make a commerical that would run during the superbowl about them celebrating and Reebok agreed.  Don't be ridiculous.

Hidden in this mini-ramble is actually a gem of brilliant insight that I've been looking for.

And - it's what I think is a driving factor in the 1972 "pride". It's the first team to do so, ever. Like the 72-10 Chicago Bulls - the first team to 70 regular-season wins. If another team does it, it won't be as special as that first one.

But Pappy13 - you don't know the particulars of the Reebok commercial - but it's besides the point. They did do the commercial, regardless of who approached who.

Spider-Dan:

A. I agree - I really can't say that the '29 Packers had a "perfect" season. In fact, going through this entire thread, I never did say that at all!

You're mixing the words "perfect" and "undefeated" unfairly - they are not the same (Ex: Perfect = X-0-0. Undefeated: X-0-Y).

B. I don't owe you an explanation - but in short - 1998 was about two players simultaneously chasing the homerun record. The 1972 lore is all about rooting for the last undefeated team to lose every single season. If you can prove that those two are isomorphic than you're a much better person than I am.

Not really sure what was rambling in my post, it seemed entirely obvious to me. It wasn't especially insightful either I didn't think, but if you found it so, fair enough. Still seems like a backhanded swipe at me rather than genuine praise.

Yes, it's completely the same if the members of the '72 Dolphins told Reebok they wanted to do a commercial of them celebrating being the only undefeated team and if Reebok approached the Dolphins players and paid them to be in a commercial.  Yep, that's EXACTLY the same. And I don't have to know the particulars, because like I have already said I read a long time ago that the whole champaign thing has been completely blown out of proportion and it's not something the players do. I believe it was Bob Griese who has talked about it several times before.

Fine.  So why aren't people celebrating the 2007 Patriots' undefeated season?  It is literally true, in exactly the same sense that the '29 Packers were literally undefeated.  Why weren't people asking Tom Brady how he felt about Aaron Rodgers joining him in the club of QBs with undefeated seasons?

Your explanation of 1998 is weak.  Why did people care about Peyton breaking Marino's 20+ year old TD record?  Why did people care about Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's 30+ year old HR record?

http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/miami72.asp

It's important because it's a singular accomplishment that is unique to one franchise which can never be taken away or in this case actually broken.  You can't have a more than perfect season.  Only a perfect season.

It's hypocritical because you seem to think it's SO insignificant with all the time that has passed and love to mention how it's a stupid record to hang your hat on, yet you couldn't wait to show that the Packers were going to break it. That's the very essence of hypocrisy. -EK

Spider-Dan: What part of "I don't owe you an explanation" don't you understand? I don't care that you think it's "weak" - i'm not going to sit here and type out lengthy paragraphs of explaining my personal views on the subject so that you can just skim through the first few sentences and post a biased, argumentative reply anyways. I don't care if you agree with it or not - I'm right and you're not. That's that.

I like how you use qualifiers like "seem" to describe my personal feelings on the subject matter, when, in fact, you really don't know (and like Spider-Dan I don't owe you any type of additional information nor do I give a shit about convincing you about anything).

At least you know a hypocrisy when you "seem" to see one.

Ah yes, the cry of the utterly desperate. Why don't you add a "Neener neener" to it as well? That'll really hammer home your point.  ::) -EK

Sure, Jtex, you don't owe us an explanation of why you care or don't.  But likewise, neither do we.  We (many of us, at least) still care about the 1972 record.  Do we owe you an explanation as to why?

In addition, it seems as if you are much more preoccupied with the subject than we are.  Perhaps you don't care about the records, but only care that WE care about it.  ...I can't really tell.

You asked your question - I thought I gave a totally reasonable answer.  And not to skirt anything, which part of this is unresolved for you?

It seems like everyone owes him an explanation but he doesn't owe us an answer to anything.

Because he is JTex, the Anti-hypocrite!!!  >:D  -EK

What I find strange is that a Giants fan visits a Dolphins website and asks the members of that website why they are so fascinated with the Miami Dolphins. Maybe that Giants fan should be asking himself that question?

The part where you offered the explanation right after saying that.

Your explanation is flimsy, hollow, and inconsistent with many other scenarios.  If you don't want to explain why you think people should stop caring about 1972 but were totally entitled to care about Aaron's 1974, just say so... and people will rightly dismiss your opinion as unfounded.

I'm also having a problem with this:


...which you then followed with 5 more replies.

I think he is trying to avoid thinking about the Giant loss to the deadskins.

Tex,

The 1972 Miami Dolphins did something that hasn't been done in almost 50 years.  They finished a season without losing a game, nor having it end in a tie.  It's an impressive accomplishment.  If you lived anywhere else in the world, you wouldn't care about the Dolphins and their 72 season, or the proverbial "popping of the champagne," when the last undefeated goes down.  Personally, I think it's tired and since I was born in the mid 80's, the perfect season really doesn't mean as much to me as some of the others on this forum.  However, we as fans reserve the right to want "our" records to remain in tact.  Do you want anyone to take Strahan's single season sack record?  Probably not. 


You're the first one to remind us that yet another Miami record is falling, or on the verge of being broken.  So you know better than anyone else that at the rate we're going, Miami will not have anything left.  Let us still have something.



(p.s. apparently my user name got deleted?..I lost all my "stats" for posting and all my signatures and such)

But Yankee fans and Roger Maris's family didn't root against Sosa and McGwire when they were chasing and about to break Roger Maris Home Run record. Yankee fans and the family of Ruth didn't root against Hank Aaron when he was about to break Ruth's record. You never heard Joe Dimagaio openly rooting for guys to get out when they came near his hit streak record.

I understand why Dolphins fans and players feel pride with that record. But if someone else goes unbeaten, it doesn't mean the Fins have to turn in their 1972 Super Bowl trophy! It's just a record. Records are made to be broken. It's not that big a deal.

I LOVE the fact Miami is the only NFL team to hold this record of a perfect season. I HATE the fact the some to many of the guys who were on that team are a-holes in how they act about it in the press.

That has always been my stance

this

HA! Nice.

BS. You really are trying too hard to troll this. How many people on this board regularly make references to the perfect season besides you? I do not know any Phins fans who sweat the fact someone might tie the perfect season and join the 72 team.
You keep saying it is all Dolphins fans talk about, well here is a Dolphin site, so show all this worry about the perfect season by us.
It is time for you to truly put up or shut up.

Who? Give examples of when they were a-holes in the press.  Besides Morris who's always been an a-hole when it comes to '72 Dolphins. He's a given. I haven't heard much from the rest of them other than when asked about it and usually they are quite respectful of other teams although they pretty much all agree they don't want someone to break the record. I don't think that's being an a-hole, that's just being honest.

Nah, all they did was say they needed to put an asterisk next to their names in the record books. Maris was dead, so he couldn't object. Oh and by the way when Maris threatened to break Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a single season, he was attacked in the media unmercifully because they didn't want Ruth's record to fall to a relative nobody at the time.

The media wasn't then what it is now. I'm sure there were plenty of people that were rooting against Aaron, they just didn't have their own BLOG.  And no one has really gotten that close to Dimaggio's record I don't think to really root against them.

I understand the sentiment that people don't like the way that the '72 Dolphins and the Dolphins fans cherish their accomplishments, but I don't think it's really any different from any other legendary team.  There are plenty of Lakers and Celtics fans that talk about their long list of accomplishments. Yankees fans are just as bad. Just because those teams don't own an undefeated record so they can't "celebrate" every year when the last team loses, doesn't mean they are any less fanatical about their team.

Unless I am mistaken, wasn't it widely known that many people were rooting against Aaron based on race?

Yes, Aaron had death threats made against him. The whole notion that no one was rooting against Aaron is ridiculous.

Kuechenberg has badmouthed everyone and anyone in the press for years about this record. Openly rooting for teams to lose. He recently said,  "The most important thing that has ever happened in my life is us having the perfect season," said Bob Kuechenberg, then a Dolphins guard. "The second most important thing is what happened when the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl, preserving us as the only perfect season."

Dick Anderson:  "I hope our record stands," safety Dick Anderson said. "They say all records are made to be broken, but I wouldn't be a competitor if I said I hope they do it."

nick buoniconti , heard him on NFL radio ripping into the pats and packers a few weeks back. These guys are all clinging to this a little too much.

^^^ I would be clingning onto it as well. I'm sure Marino is probably saying under his breath, I hope Brees gets run over by a truck.

It sounds more to me like they're trying to protect their legacy. 

Now for some balance, here's (http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/article_9d34171f-8259-546f-b72e-431c1a7ae499.html#ixzz1hHCI2FlV) what he also said.

"Certainly, I am in no way at all interested in sharing our bit of sports immortality," said Kuechenberg, adding: "Imperfect is human. Perfect is immortal. And right now, we are uniquely immortal and I'd like it to stay that way."

"However, if they're good enough, and healthy enough, and lucky enough to run the table all three games in the playoffs, I'll be the first to congratulate them -- and also remind them we've already parked our car, so just park behind us in the driveway."

What do you expect them to say? That they hope the Patriots win and wish them the very best of luck? Why should they? Don't forget that the Patriots and Dolphins squared off twice a year. They were competitor's on the field, you really expect them to want New England to win? Kooch didn't want them to win, but if they did he would have congratulated them. That's not being an ass, that's being honest.

Also note that Kooch first started being called by the Newspaper when the Patriots were 4-0 that year. So who is that can't leave it alone, Kooch or the media? Every year there's talk about someone going undefeated and the media makes a big deal of it calling the '72 Dolphins for quotes etc. If the media would just stop talking to the '72 Dolphins and quit publishing what they say, there wouldn't be an issue, but no, they have to milk the damn thing for all it's worth.

It's the media that hypes this every damn year, not the Dolphins fans. I kinda started hoping that Green Bay would break the record just so those players could all start fielding all the reporters questions the following year when somone goes 6-0.

I don't know why anyone would expect anyone else who is a record holder to be happy if it is broken.

Because most sensible people have class and understand its just a game and their whole "life" isn't justified by a record. It's just a record.

You don't hear Marino on TV every Sunday rooting against Brees. He laughs and has fun with it. It doesn't make Dan any less of a player if Brees breaks a record.  Clinging to a record is pathetic and sad!

The 72 Fins could also say a simple...."NO COMMENT"....or just wish the unbeaten team well as they chase perfection. Instead of some backhanded compliment of we are already on the block, you are allowed to move in. Or we are already in the driveway, park behind us.

It's bush league and total BS. That's why America in general hates that team and the way they act. Just shut up about it.  Don't act like a-holes about a silly record.

It's NOT the media's fault. If the members of the 72 Fins gave the media no quotes, the story dies really really fast. Because its a boring story.

I think you're living in a dream world about that. Marino of course isn't going to say anything bad in public. He's gonna say all the right things. I doubt you would be saying that if you held onto any kind of record. No one wants their record broken.

I'm gonna pull a MikeO and say it isn't even debatable.  :D

That's the point, he won't say anything bad in public. The 1972 team does and all the time.

Debate over!