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A Bears' Fan View On 72 Dolphins, Patriots and Shula

By Adam T

I am sure most of you have gone through some form of this thought concerning the chance that the Patriots run the table, but seeing as how the Bears have a unique connection if only because in our Super Bowl year back in the 80s the Miami Dolphins are the one team to stop us from going undefeated and the New England Patriots are the team we waxed in the big game.

In case some of you have been trying your hardest to ignore all of this stuff, sorry I am about to recap.

Every year members of the undefeated Dolphins open up a bottle of champagne whenever the last team who is undefeated gets their first loss thus preserving their spot as the only team to go a whole year undefeated.

I think in general most non-Dolphin fans don't have a problem with the tradition, but we get tired of whoever bringing it up every year and putting whatever ex-Dolphin who is their spokesperson on TV to talk about it.  It just gets annoying and monotonous.  

Recently, the remaining person with whom I still gave any credence to his opinion, Don Shula, has let him opinion be known that if the Patriots do go undefeated it should be with an note that reminds everybody about the situation with the Pats and the cheating scandal.

In any other year, maybe this is worth something, but being associated with the Dolphins it just feels like the Dolphins laying the groundwork for a nice and tidy excuse should the Patriots run the table.

Not to be one sided I asked out Dolphins blogger his opinion.

As for the champagne talk and everything, here's all I'll say:  I can see how other players and fans might get annoyed every year at these ex-players making it a point to pop open champagne and celebrate when the last undefeated team loses in the NFL.  I understand that outsiders might find it rude.  But I think what people need to understand is that they have every right to do what they do.  They earned it.  No other professional team in the country can ever claim to have done what that group did back in '72.  Should they try and keep their mouths shut whenever a team, like the Pats this year, threaten the record?  Yes they should.  But they have every right, once the last unbeaten team has fallen, to celebrate any way they want.  Wouldn't you do the same thing?

Granted.  I give him every bit of this that says they deserve it.  What they did was a phenomenal feat and any credit or prestige or awards they get  I will not argue with,  BUT....

there is a difference between being proud and just being obnoxious.  Listen, we remember.  We know what you have done.  We don't need the fact shoved down our throats every time a team gets within a whiff of it.  

When and if somebody else duplicates the feat, we are not going to take anything away from you.

Insecurity? Fear of being forgotten? Trying desperately to hold on to relevancy?

Whatever it is, to me all it does is take away from your legacy.  Maybe there should be a note next to Miami's record saying they went undefeated and then proceeded to rub it in everybody's face every chance they got.

Your thoughts?

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