Miami Dolphins Football Is In The Air

Summer's heat is finally ending.

Fall's colors are just around the corner.

Football season has finally arrived.

Football season is the most important event of the year (along with Christmas). Ask any fan(atic) who follows their favorite team closely. They cannot wait until the football season starts. They can't wait for the joys of a close, nail-biting win, the late season playoff race when it is do-or-die time, or the joy of realizing that your team has actually accomplished something worthwhile (unless you are a fan of the Lions, Raiders, Patriots, or any other team that failed to reach the playoffs last year).

This is the beginning of 21 (or more) weeks of fun, dissapointment, and triumph. But most importantly, it is the beginning of opportunity. Each team gets a chance to go down in history as a team that won it all. It doesn't matter how they did the year before. Each team is given a clean slate and the opportunity to record success on it.

But I am not writing this based on observing other fans and teams. I am writing this through personal experience with my Miami Dolphins.

Yes, they are MY Miami Dolphins.

Don't ask me why I call them mine, or why when I am talking about Miami I say "we" or "us" even though I have no part in the ownership of the team. It comes with the territory of being a fan. It is second nature to anyone who talks about their favorite team frequently for any period of time.

The Dolphins used their clean slate last year to stage the best improvement in just a year. They took the opportunity given to them with the weakest schedule in the NFL and made the most of it. Even though they didn't win it all, they set the foundations for future seasons.

After all of their hard work to get to where they were going, how were they rewarded? With the toughest schedule in the NFL this year. But none of the Dolphins players have complained about it so far. That shows that the team doesn't care who they play. It shows that they are confident in what they can do. And that kind of confidence leads to great things.

So keep playing Miami, and show your doubters how wrong they are.

If Spiderman's Uncle Ben were a Dolphins fan he would say something like, "With great performance comes greater challenges."

But the Dolphins have been preparing for those challenges this year. With NFL guru Bill Parcells and head coach Tony Sparano at the helm, the Dolphins are more than prepared to face whatever challenges are thrown their way. Which is why I look forward to seeing my Miami Dolphins facing those challenges on the field. Because the Dolphins will surprise people again this year.

And that's a promise.