The 2004 Dolphins may not win a game…
I had a better title, but it was too long…In 1972, the Miami Dolphins were at the pinnacle of sports civilization. They had just concluded a 14-0 season, and began their quest for a Super Bowl title. By the end of the first month of 1973, they were 17-0, and champions of the world.
The undefeated season has not occurred since and the unbeaten, untied season had never occurred before. The Dolphins had set a precedent that may never be equaled.
Since then, the living members of that team have celebrated each time every team had finally lost at least one game with a champagne toast. This has become a tradition of a great champion, tradition of a great feat. Whether or not they ever celebrate again may not be known until the end of the year, but the 2004 Dolphins may end up sipping liquor in 30 years.
The Miami Dolphins of 2004 have yet to win a game; they are a pathetic 0-6. They lost just last week to Buffalo, then 0-4, after leading for most of the game. Sadly, that may be their best opportunity to win.
Fans have taken out their Dolphins’ schedules and started crossing out unwinnable games and circling the winnable ones. Unfortunately, they can’t find many. Their division is strong, their conference is strong, their schedule is strong, and their talent base is weak.
I’m not saying that they are completely awful. They still have one of the best defenses in the NFL. But how much does that matter when you are scoring at a slower rate than Ken Lay with women? Hell, I gave odds that a new Friday the Thirteenth movie would come out before their next touchdown. I think I’m winning.
And people say it is Ricky Williams’s fault.
Bull.
The team would be just as lousy with him as without him.
Yes, they would be in more games and would score once every few Star Trek series, but how much better? Would they be better than 1-5 or 2-4? I don’t think so.
The main problem with Ricky Williams’s absence is now the Dolphins may just not win a game. They might become the polar opposites of the 1972 Dolphins.
So in 30 years when the few remaining members of the 1972 Dolphins pass on and the champagne celebrations cease, the Dolphin faithful can turn to a new tradition. When the Bismarck Cardinals, after a 30-29 miracle in Week 10 defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, finally get that first win of the 2034 season, the 2004 Dolphins can get out that bottle of hard liquor, pour a glass, and sip it down to drown their sorrows, for they went 0-16, 2 loses worse than Tampa Bay.
They still have 10 chances to avoid this, and maybe they can muster a miracle or two and avoid it, but a winless season seams more the likely.
I have Sunday Ticket so I’ll catch my traditional five plays or so, like I do for every game, but I’ll know who will win. The Dolphins need to find an offense, and what they have won’t get it done.
I heard probably the most accurate line of the year on the radio when the Bills completed their win last week. “And the Buffalo Bills get their first victory of the season and the Dolphins are on the clock.”
Where are the great college quarterbacks when you need them?
