RIP Don Shula

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Pretty damn good steakhouse owner.

/carnivore

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.

 

[qtlaw]

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.

 

[daytonadan1983]

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

 

[LanceyHoward]

If csonka, kiick and warfield don’t jump to the WFL, do the dolphins of the 1970s pick up another title or two?

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.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

One thing that has gone unrecognized is that thee 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 a game. 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 play Cincinnati, with 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 as dominant as the Super Bowl teams. They were much easier to throw on.

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

 

[Slacker]

Three horrific first-round defensive draft picks (Jackie Shipp, John Bosa, Eric Kumerow) in a four-year span in the mid-80s.

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

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

 

[BTExpress]

exmediahack was pondering . . .

As someone who watched a LOT of NFL from about 1981 on, I am, thus, surprised his teams didn’t win more that decade.

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.

The worst thing about this place --- heck, any message board --- is the unwillingness of people to follow one simple rule: Respond to the post, not the poster.

Instead, we try to psychoanalyze people's motives and political leanings and what kind of agenda they're bringing because . . . "YOU DON'T SEE THE WORLD LIKE I DO, SO I'M GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!"

That's it. Class dismissed.

 

[JC]

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

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

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

 

[BTExpress]

He coached against someone who coached in 1920 and someone who is coaching in 2020. That's a mighty long bridge.

 

[Jerry-atric]

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

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

This seems like an overreaction. Everyone has a bad day, though.

I enjoy Shula’s steak houses.