The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Don't mistake this with WORST time in history, though for you, they may be the same.  But what period (or specific game) frustrated you the most?

For me, the late Fielder years were pretty tough.  I just didn't think he had the skills to get it done, he continued to throw weak out-passes that would get picked, we did the run-run-incomplete-punt offense, and we would draft ANYTHING but a QB every year.

So frustrating, because although we were always somewhat decent, I felt that we could've been great, because we had other pieces that were squandered.

The Jimmy Johnson years are what closed the door for me on any connection to Miami. He insisted on making the team a running team, and when they got behind late, relied on Marino to try and dig them out of holes that no one could overcome. How you can be responsible for drafting Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Sam Madison, and Patrick Surtain, and still finish barely over .500 as a coach is beyond me. -EK

Early 90's when the Dolphins were great, but could just never get past the Buffalo Bills.  Screw Buffalo.

The Wanny years.  He took the team downhill every year despite the talent level

Watching every game of that 1-15 season was about the most hopeless I ever felt as a fan. I knew I didn't want to miss it when we actually won but that was so heartbreaking every week. It was so bad people wouldn't even trash talk you anymore. It was just sympathy from other fans which felt worse to me.

I agree with this.  If Miami just could have got past Buffalo in the winter playoff games I think they would have one a couple Super Bowls.

Another frustrating time, don't remember the year, but Miami started the season 9-1, then went on to lose 6 straight and miss the playoffs.

1993.  That skid right there should've sent Shula into retirement. 

The responses are funny, that everyone has a different answer, and all are equally valid.

Yeah, 1993.  The last win of the season was in the Sleet Bowl on Turkey Day in Dallas with Steve DeBerg at QB.  Hey, I was at that game.  Bless Leon Lett.

I think anything that's happened after Jimmy Johnson was hired has been our most frustrating time.  I'm really hoping that 16 year window closed with the beginning of the Philbin era, but I won't hold my breath.

I agree with the Wanny years. When we went 1-16 I didn't hurt nearly as much because of the pain I had already endure. I truly believe that we were literally 1 person (QB) and a coach away from a team of greatness. I guess it was the curse of Dan for not winning him one.

Oddly being at our one win was one of the greatest moments. People were crying all over the place. It was just a special moment to be there and have that weight removed in my opinion.

Add me to this list.....these were the most frustrating years for me because we were always so close and could not beat the Bills.....and we should have!!!!!

2002-2003

Such a talented team and they blew it both of those years

Agreed.

As much as I hate to use such a large timeframe, each year since has been frustrating to no end. A QB carousel, people who can't draft if you gave them all 32 picks in the first round,  and coaches who couldn't find it with both hands and a flashlight, it's irritating.

Wasted a good defense during the Wannstedt years. Cam Cameron, 1-15. Field goal fist pump Sparano. The DICKtator, Saban. Grab the money and run Bill Parcells, and now Ireland. Oh yeah, and F the new logo.

Early to mid 90's.  Wasted Marino's last years, could barely break .500 and it had nothing to do with Wanny, Jimmy Johnson or Nick Saban.

So there.

Some of you need to go back and look at what was going on in Miami 1993 through, maybe, 1996?  It was an awful time to be a fan.  Huge signings, records decent, but not good enough to get a first round bye, disappointing playoff finishes, Marino getting hurt, Shula being ushered out...

Yet.  That period rocked.

I'm interested on your take on this. It doesn't seem to follow many other POV's, so I'm just curious. -EK

^^ Simple history.  Jimmy took over in 1997, Wanny was after Jimmy, and Saban was after Wanny.  He clearly said 1993-1996 - Shula was the coach.

Gotcha. Makes sense. Thanks. -EK

I'm going to say today's game against the Pats.

For me this was the most frustrating too. 1990, 1992 & 1994 were exciting seasons where we really seemed to be on the verge of achieving something really big, but managed to stumble at one of the last hurdles (usually Buffalo).

The last few years there's been a feeling of futility as much as frustration - I'm rapidly losing whatever faith I had left in the Ross/Aponte/Ireland administration, not that there was a lot to begin with. :(

Slight correction to whoever said this - Jimmy took over for the 1996 Season, Shula was "persuaded" to leave after we were knocked out of the Wildcard Game by the Bills December 1995.

Personally, it's a time that I remember being unhappy with what was going on - the J.R tags were removed off the sleves of the team uniforms, the name Joe Robbie was removed from the Stadium, Shula departed, it all seemed like WH was trying to re-write/trash all the prior history of the team in the space of a couple of years.

It also didn't help when I was told that a person working for the team who I was in semi-regular contact with (Willard) wasn't there anymore for no particular reason. Not too far off 20 years ago now... where did all that time go?

Now.  Today.  Right this second.

Being stuck in the middle of a nation-wide - no, GLOBAL - scandal like this makes me ashamed to be a fan.  Its all anyone wants to talk about and all anyone will remember for the next 10 years.

I am looking forward to one day being a powerful team again.  But I can't tolerate continued mediocrity and no progress.  For the past 15 years, it has been nothing but revolving door at head coach, constant stream of failed retread players, and underperforming young players.  I feel like Bullygate is just putting a gallon of kerosene on a fire and its about to explode.

I am the die-hardest of die hard Dolphins fans, but I'm not sure how much more of this negativity I can take.

This isn't a 10 year scandal.  It will hang around a lot longer than Trip-gate or Rex's foot fetish videos, but it won't last as long as camaragate. 

I know this is drifting towards other board topics, but how much of the issue I've highlighted do you think comes down to leadership, or lack of it.

I can't help think of the sign on Incognito's locker, the pranking/hazing, the tabs in the thousands dropped on rookies, seriously how in the world can stuff like this genuinely build team morale and real respect for senior players?

Serious question - in the current era, apart from Jake Long and maybe Pouncey, when is the last time we've had a rookie make a big impact for the Dolphins? I'm really scratching my head to find one, yet "good" teams manage to come up with them year after year.

I've been a fan following the Dolphins for over 30 years, but I cannot think of a time when the team has ever been so low. It's getting to the stage where I'm almost embarrased and even ashamed that I support them, it's that bad.

I've really felt the team was moving forward the past two years (draft picks, decent head coach, salary cap management, free agent acquisitions, etc), and the current scandal has the potential to set this team back three years.  The only way to pull out of this funk is to win games.  The remaining games are all winnable, but they are also evenly matched games that can be losers.

Serious thread drift.  But I am assuming from your name you are from Australia and not the USA. 

You have probably gathered that while this incident may have unique properties, hazing is part of the sports culture of the USA (although declining at the high school and college levels)

How prevalent is it in your country in sports? 

Yeah I'm from Australia. I guess it really depends on which sport and what level as to how much it exists.

At (arguably) the highest level AFL they take a zero tolerance policy to things like this. A bit of light pranking may occur, but generally senior players take on a serious mentoring role to juniors and rookies.

As far as veterans using rookies as ATMs, I've never heard of such a thing here, if anything it's the complete opposite (which to me makes a heck of a lot more sense anyway - it's the senior players who are loaded with cash, and treating younger players when they have earned their respect is more of an incentive than bleeding them dry).

Racism has evolved to a zero tolerance policy, on and off the field. This year a 15 year old spectator who called a player a "monkey" was pointed out and evicted from the ground, but not before being interrogated by security and made an embarrassing example of on national television. The player accepted her apology, but the law has been laid down - an adult could be looking at a serious ban for the same thing.

It's basically the same for players on the field. Go back 20 years racism was common at the top level, now if a player racially vilifies another once they're looking at a huge suspension from the game and a whopping great fine. It just isn't done anymore.

This is definitely the most frustrating season I've ever seen