Fins Flashback
The seasons, the numbers and the Sundays worth going back to. For the weeks when this one needs some company.
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Where it starts
The first season
The Dolphins began play in 1966. Everything on this page comes after that: every Sunday, every argument, every hat.
I like to start here because it is a reminder that somebody had to be the first fan. Somebody bought a ticket to a team with no history at all and decided this was theirs.
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The 1972 season
Perfect
The 1972 team finished 17-0. It is the only perfect season in NFL history, and it ended with a 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII.
Every fan base has a thing they bring up when the conversation gets tough. This is ours, and I do not plan to stop bringing it up.
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Super Bowl VIII
And then they did it again
The next season the Dolphins won Super Bowl VIII, 24-7 over Minnesota. Back to back.
People remember the perfect year, and they should. I think the one after it says more. Doing it once can be a great run. Doing it twice is who you are.
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Don Shula
The most wins there is
Don Shula retired with 347 wins, the most by an NFL head coach.
Think about how many Sundays that is. How many game plans, how many Mondays after a loss when he had to walk back in and start again. The number gets the headline. I think about the Mondays.
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Dan Marino, 1984
The year the ball never came down
In 1984 Dan Marino threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns.
Say those two numbers to a Dolphins fan of a certain age and watch their face change. I have seen grown men go quiet. That season is why a lot of people wear aqua to this day.
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1987
The stadium opens
The stadium opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium. The name on the outside has changed since. The walk in still feels the same.
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