Will the Dolphins Ever Be Good Again
Across the United States Sunday night, tens of millions of us volition take in the spectacle, Super Bowl LVI. Shortly later on 6 p.m., the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will foursquare off in America'due south most watched sporting issue.
Gathering for the large game has get a cultural tradition. Some other tradition? Watching teams non named the Miami Dolphins play football on Super Bowl Dominicus.
In one case again, I, along with fans of 30 other National Football game League teams, volition have no rooting interest. This volition be the 37th Super Bowl I'll watch since the Dolphins concluding played in it. It'll be the 48th since they last won it.
Like many of united states, I'm but glad the game won't include Tom Brady or the New England Patriots.
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The Super Basin
Anybody who knows me knows a couple things virtually me:
- I'm much larger than the caput shot that runs next to my columns in the newspaper.
- I love line-fishing, but I have a reputation for shutting downward the bite.
- I like beer.
- I'thousand a giant fan of football and a Super Basin geek.
I'd like to see the Bengals pull off the win, the team's first in the large game. Having said that, I recall the Rams will win for reasons I'll explicate later.
My first memory of any sporting event was sitting cross-legged on my living room floor watching Super Bowl VII. At historic period 6, I was absorbed by the Dolphins beating Washington's football team 14-vii. Jake Scott, who wore No. 13 earlier Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino arrived more than a decade after, had two interceptions and was named the Nigh Valuable Player. I notwithstanding accept his football carte du jour on my desk-bound.
I've watched every one of the big games since then. Some take been great, others, not then much.
Volition the Dolphins e'er brand it dorsum?
The lamentable thing is, I accept no idea if I'll ever again see my favorite football team play in the Super Basin. I and a lot of Dolphins fans my age aren't getting whatsoever younger.
Since the season ended, it'due south been a rough couple of weeks for Dolphins fans:
- January. 10 — Dolphins fired 3rd-year head coach Brian Flores
- Feb. i — Flores filed a lawsuit against Dolphins, Giants and NFL alleging racism in hiring practices
- Feb. two — Flores declared Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss to lose games in 2019
- Feb. six — Dolphins hired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as the squad'southward 14th caput coach in franchise history.
Is McDaniel, 38, the next Don Shula — 257 wins over 26 years — or the next Cam Cameron (ane-16)? The squad does have some adept, immature talent, so there is promise. Hopefully, McDaniel's creative schemes will energize an bloodless Dolphins criminal offense.
Yet the disorganization at the top makes loyal aqua and orange fans wonder if they can return to the playoffs every year without a change in team ownership.
Who dey?
The Bengals are easy to beloved. They're immature, brash and second-yr quarterback Joe Burrow exudes cool conviction while throwing shade in mail-game interviews.
Burrow is the new Joe Namath. He's already accomplished legend condition in the Queen City. Win or lose, he'll never have to pay for dinner there equally long as he lives.
I don't know how the "Who Dey?" chant originated. Yes, information technology'southward about as annoying as 1988'due south "The Ickey Shuffle," the concluding time they played in the game. Even so, it's way better than the tomahawk chant you hear at Chiefs games or the detestable "Fly, Eagles, Fly" song you hear at Philadelphia games.
Why do I want to see the Bengals win? Because I tin can't imagine what it's like for the team's fans to accept suffered so long — the franchise was founded in 1968 — without seeing a championship victory.
Also, if they win, the city volition go bananas. I've only been there in one case, but I'm sure there will be a half-dozen cars prepare ablaze in the streets in celebration.
Can the Rams win?
My logical football mind says the Rams will win — as long as quarterback Matthew Stafford doesn't throw likewise many interceptions. And he will throw an interception; you tin bet on it, and thousands of people will.
The game should be an exciting one with ii big-armed quarterbacks slinging the ball deep downfield to speedy receivers. To me, the two virtually fascinating statistics heading into this game are:
- 17 — Interceptions thrown by Stafford, which were the near in the NFL this season
- 51 — Times Couch has been sacked, which were the most in the NFL this season.
- eleven — Number of completed passes longer than 35 yards by Stafford, which were most in the NFL this season.
If the Rams defense can force more turnovers than Stafford produces, so they'll probably win the franchise'due south second Super Bowl, the first while playing in Los Angeles. The Rams were playing in St. Louis when Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner led them to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.
A Rams victory also means they bring together the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers in bringing a third pro sports title to the City of Angels since 2020.
I'grand sure the underdogs will be cheered past fans of teams that never accept won a Super Basin: Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and yep, fifty-fifty the woeful Cleveland Browns.
As a Dolphins fan, I hope the Bengals can pull it off. Why? The Bengals managed only half-dozen wins the concluding two years combined. That gives promise to fans of every team in the NFL.
My pick: Rams 27, Bengals 24.
Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. Sign up for his and other weekly newsletters at contour.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or e-mail him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
Source: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/02/10/super-bowl-observations-will-dolphins-fans-ever-see-them-return/6690938001/
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