Best era of Dolphins to dramatize

[Dave Gray]

Lets say you were going to make a prestige TV show that chronicled history: The Crown, Winning Time, etc.

But you were going to dramatize an era of the Miami Dolphins and make larger than life versions of real life people, what era or story would you choose?

[DenverFinFan]

Hmm..easy answer is undefeated and back to back years, but I would go with Marino era. His arc is kind of a sports tragedy but you have all the dramatic elements, larger the life character, unparalleled skill and talent but always coming up just short, set against a sleazy Miami 80s backdrop. Perfect.

[Spider-Dan]

I would probably say mid-90s to early-00s, starting with Shula being forced out and ending with Ricky's first "retirement."

[Downunder Dolphan]

Just make it about Don Shula.

From his time at the Colts and upheaval after the Superbowl III upset, the meteoric rise of the Dolphins to their peak, and the ups and downs after that to his retirement.

That's an awful lot of ground to cover, and would take at least couple of series to do. Perfect.

[Spider-Dan]

I think the Dolphins from 1974-83 and then from 1987-94 are... not really interesting?  I don't know what the storylines would be.
I would say the same about the Dolphins from 2009-20.  There's just not much meat on the bone.  It's basically Bullygate and that's it.

[DenverFinFan]

I think the Dolphins from 1974-83 and then from 1987-94 are... not really interesting?  I don't know what the storylines would be.
I would say the same about the Dolphins from 2009-20.  There's just not much meat on the bone.  It's basically Bullygate and that's it.

At the risk of making it only about Marino, I think a dolphins movie from 83’ to 87’ would be awesome. There’s a lot of potential there to make a very different kind of sports film.

[Downunder Dolphan]

I think the Dolphins from 1974-83 and then from 1987-94 are... not really interesting?  I don't know what the storylines would be.

To the contrary, I think it would be interesting and eye-opening to the unfamiliar. Following another competitive season ended by the classic "Sea of Hands" play, the backbone of the Dolphins dominant team are stolen by the USFL, eventually resulting in Shula's first losing season in 1976. The PI rules are changed (in part due to Shula's influence on the NFL rules committee) and the Dolphins game plan does likewise, becoming more pass-heavy and rebounding them back into playoff contention until Griese's career ending injury. What follows is the strange two headed thing that was "Woodstrock", and a top ranking defense culminating in the "Epic in Miami" followed the next season by a Superbowl appearance... Then Marino, another change in game style, and another Superbowl appearance, followed by another slide and Shula's worst ever season. In the '90s another rebound to be consistent playoff contenders without ever really getting over the (usually Bills) playoff hurdle... to the sale of the team, introduction of the Salary cap, the coaching win all-time record, and Shula's (controversial) end to coaching.

I reckon there's a fair bit of meat in there - when you cover Shula's NFL coaching career, you are covering some pretty major NFL history that stretches over two decades.

[Dave Gray]

I think that Shula is the way I'd do it.

Start by bringing him in from Baltimore with the old way of doing things.  ..definitely use the concussion stuff where guys literally get dragged off the field unconscious so you don't have to waste a timeout.  Go through the undefeated stuff.  Go through his personal tragedies with his wife's cancer.  Then you have Buoniconti and his charity stuff with his son.  ...all the way leading into the game starting to pass Shula by.

[Phishfan]

I agree with Shula. It is the most encompassing way to tell the story of the Miami Dolphins.

Just a slight correction for our friend down under, it was the WFL that robbed the team of talent.

[CF DolFan]

It almost has to be Shula. He is the bar for the Miami Dolphins and the general face of the franchise.

[Dave Gray]

There's a movie called The Queen (terrible title) that is about Queen Elizabeth and Tony Blair in the week after Diana's death.  It is just about that one week, that one issue, and their relationship.
As opposed to The Crown, which is a series about Elizabeth's entire life.

I do think a miniseries called "Bullygate" could be interesting.  If you're just drilling down and only dealt with one topic over a short time.
But "Shula" could be seasons long and also good.

[DenverFinFan]

It almost has to be Shula. He is the bar for the Miami Dolphins and the general face of the franchise.

Shula is the bar for Miami for sure but I think it’s too predictable. Do Marino era dolphins it doesn’t play out like a standard formulation for sports films. You can still incorporate Shula in it but 80s dolphins is where it’s at in terms of creating a unique drama

[Downunder Dolphan]

I agree with Shula. It is the most encompassing way to tell the story of the Miami Dolphins.

Just a slight correction for our friend down under, it was the WFL that robbed the team of talent.

Yes my mistake. 

I should have remembered it was the '70s World Football League instead of the '80s USFL.

[Brian Fein]

I'd make a real-housewives' style reality show about Bullygate.  That would be bingeworthy TV.

[masterfins]

I would say 1972 through about 1995.  That would cover all the Super Bowls Miami was in; and through the four years that Buffalo was in the SB when Miami was competing with them every year for the division title.