RIP Don Shula

You would frequently find some great stuff on the SI letters page. A few years earlier, pre-1982, the magazine had a feature story on Joe Theismann and it had a snippet on a space on his shelf he had reserved for a Super Bowl. A couple weeks later, a letter writer said the only way he would get a SB ring was if he broke into Redskins' backup QB (and former Steeler) Mike Kruczek's locker and stole his ring.

Theismann got the last laugh on that one.

 

I've always considered that a really good question. That team still was in its prime and remained a contender even without those three. But in the then-dominant AFC, the Steelers were on the verge of a dynasty, and the Raiders were up there as well. The Dolphins of the mid-'70s also had a lot of injuries on defense that basically ended the careers of some of the "No-Name" mainstays. Put it this way: a playoff game in '74 between the Csonka-Kiick-Warfield Dolphins and the rising Steelers undoubtedly would have been a classic.

 

It’s a great what if. I still think the Steelers won multiple, but likely not all four.

 

Dave ran the restaurants after leaving coaching and has done a great job with the expansion.

I sat at his table, across from him, at one of the Shula’s openings over 15 years ago. He sent his steak back. Absolutely savage.

 

My mom passed on a passion for clothes so in 1970 I fell in love with the Dolphins (awesome aqua and orange unis) and felt the loss to the Cowboys then the elation of the SB wins over the Redskins and Vikings then loss to Raiders in “Sea of Hands. “. Then the Marino era and then the slow descent. Shula was someone I saw who was firm, passionate without being totalitarian. He’s synonymous with the Dolphins and gave me some great memories. Thank you Mr. Shula, may you RIP.

 

Can you imagine the numbers Warfield would have put up if Marino was throwing to him?

 

One thing that has gone unrecognized is that the rule changes instituted to increase after the 1973 season hurt the Dolphins a lot. The 72 and 73 defenses lead the league in scoring defense allowing only 171 and 150 points respectively. They were great defenses but oddly did not have great corners in Tim Foley and Curtis Johnson. There was no Herb Adderly's or Mel Blount's on the squad. Neither Foley or Johnson ever made the Pro Bowl as a corner.

The Super Bowl Champion teams compensated for these corners by running mostly zone. At that time you could hit a receiver all over the field until the ball was thrown. The three linebackers, Doug Swift, Mike Kolen and Bunoconti were small but very fast. The five-yard chuck rule was not implemented until 1974. So the Dolphins linebackers would make deep drops and the zone turned into a gauntlet.

I remember watching a playoff game between Miami and Cincinnati in 1973, when the Bengals had Bill Walsh as the OC and Ken Anderson as the QB, where the Dolphins held Anderson to 113 yards passing. The Bengals All-Pro deep receiver, Isacc Curtis, was held to one catch for nine yards. I remember the color guy, (probably Al DeRogatis), harping on the fact that Curtis was getting hit all over the field.

After the rules were changed the Dolphins defenses were generally good but not as dominant as the Super Bowl teams. They were much easier to throw on.

 

Terrific color and history. I learned something today. Thanks!

 

Jeezus, fuck you. Shula was a great coach anyway.

If you can do it better, step up. Otherwise, shut up and step off.

 

exmediahack was pondering . . .

Thus, I explained a big reason they never became an elite team that decade. Wasn't a knock on Shula. It's called responding to posts (and not posters), as I just explained 24 hours ago.

That's it. Class dismissed.

 

Then there’s not a pro athlete who should ever be criticized by the press.