Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins: A Unique Era

The Miami Dolphins and Dan Marino are an inseparable part of each other. In fact, Dan Marino has been an institution in the Miami Dolphins that gave to people without asking in return. The only thing that Dan Marino received in return was an ungrateful fanbase, a monument, and a coach named Jimmy Johnson, who treated him like trash.

Don Shula, who was another institution in the Miami Dolphins, at least treated Dan Marino with the respect that he deserved.

Many people forget the fact that Dan Marino was once drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1979, but he preferred to play college football. Imagine if Dan Marino would have accepted to play with the Kansas City Royals. Imagine the Miami Dolphins without Dan Marino and his impressive 16-year career, which almost took the Dolphins to the Super Bowl.

Dan Marino was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1961 and played college football with the University of Pittsburgh from 1979 to 1982. During this period, he participated in the Backyard Brawl. For those who do not know what the Backyard Brawl is, it is an annual game between the University of Pittsburgh and the West Virginia University Mountaineers, which has lasted since the end of the 19th century.

It was in the Backyard Brawl that he helped the University of Pittsburgh win 24-17 with 252 yards and a field goal. Dan Marino also threw 256 yards and rushed 40 yards during this historical occasion, which occurred in 1979.

Dan Marino started his career in the NFL after being chosen by the Miami Dolphins as the 27th draft pick in 1982, in spite of all of the negative criticisms. Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins initiated a moment in history that lasted 16 years and which will never be repeated.

Dan Marino was assigned the No. 13 for the Miami Dolphins and had an impressive record, which included 420 touchdowns, 4,967 completions, and 8,358 attempts for 61,361 yards. Marino passed 5,000 yards in one season and had 13 3,000-yard seasons. Dan has been named the Most Valued Player for the NFL, PFWA, and NEA.

Marino has been named Comeback Player of the Year, as well Offensive Player of the Year for the NFL as well the UPI-AFC Player of the Year.

Regardless, this was not enough for Jimmy Johnson, who replaced Don Shula as coach of the Miami Dolphins in 1996. Jimmy Johnson [in my opinion] detested Dan Marino and took advantage of the many health problems that Dan Marino accumulated over the years to make his last years the ones without dignity.

The final indignity was when the Miami Dolphins finished playing against Seattle; Jimmy Johnson had the whole Miami Dolphins practice for the Jacksonville Jaguars game. The result was a team that was fatigued and a humiliating defeat for the Dolphins. The career of Dan Marino came to an inglorious end, and Jimmy Johnson retired like if nothing happened.

Dan turned out to be a better person than Jimmy Johnson by helping people in Miami Florida who have been down on their luck. Dan Marino also opened a chain of restaurants bearing his name, and he has participated in the CBS Coverage of the NFL season.

Marino with CBS is a superior sports announcer to Jimmy Johnson. Dan was also inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Dan Marino deserves my respect, since he refused to play with the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers so that he could spend time with his family, community, and enjoying life as a sports commentator for CBS.

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