Miami Dolphins: 39 Years Later the 1972 Team Still Has to Prove Themselves

In 2007, NFL fans watched an impressive run by the New England Patriots. The media unanimously rooted for the New England Patriots to be perfectly undefeated, only to be upset by the vastly underrated New York Giants in the Super Bowl. I will forever be a Justin Tuck fan.

Miami Dolphins fans cheered everywhere. The media cringed. 

The media, and many NFL fans, are bored with perfect 1972 Miami Dolphins. Weird isn't it? 

Many mock the macho-confidence of Mercury Morris and the gathering of teammates for champagne when the last undefeated team is defeated. 

I love Mercury Morris. Anyone who triumphs in life in spite of a chemical addiction is consider great in my book. Add an undefeated season to his resume and his greatness is amplified. 

It's so strange that, in a society driven by the desire for perfection, very few outside of the Dolphin's faithful, consider the 1972 Miami Dolphins to be really that dominating. Nope, it's the Steel Curtain, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders or San Francisco 49ers who get all of the attention. Most push the undefeated accomplishment into the background because, well, it happened in the '70s and...well, it was a down year in the NFL (I've heard that argument by the way). 

The comment I remember most was during the 2007 Super Bowl week. It was a CBS pre-game commentator who said that he was actually "bored" with the 1972 Miami Dolphin's accomplishment. A new and sexy representative was needed in the NFL. Who better to fill that gap than Tom Brady?

Wow. I'm was ecstatic the Patriots lost that game. 

I've heard the argument that the NFL in early '70s were down years (absent of solid competition), that it was easier to go undefeated. If it was so easy, why didn't anyone go undefeated in 1971, 1973 or 1974? Probably because it's harder than the media and fans understand it to be.  

Out of curiosity,  I looked up the schedule of that 1972 season. I noticed several opponents which the Dolphins bested to be perfect. Do you notice any one name in particular? I do. 

That season they had to face: Len Dawson and the Kansas City Chiefs, Fran Tarkenton and the Minnesota Vikings, and...

The Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins had the beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship game. It was greatness against greatness and the mighty Steelers couldn't keep the Dolphins from a perfect season. 

I didn't know this until many in the media accused the Dolphins of perfection in a down year. I respectfully disagree and so does the schedule. 

9/17/72 at Kansas City 20-10

9/24/72 Houston 34-1

10/1/72 at Minnesota 16-14

10/8/72 at New York Jets 27-17

10/15/72 San Diego 24-10

10/22/72 Buffalo 24-23

10/29/72 at Baltimore 23-0

11/5/72 at Buffalo 30-16

11/12/72 New England 52-0

11/19/72 New York Jets 28-24

11/27/72 St. Louis 31-10

12/3/72 at New England 37-21

12/10/72 at New York Giants 23-13

12/16/72 Baltimore 16-0

Playoffs

12/24/72 Cleveland 20-14

12/31/72 at Pittsburgh 21-17

Super Bowl VII 1/14/73 Washington 14-7 

I would've loved to see Larry Csonka and Joe Greene go at it. Or Mel Blount vs. Paul Warfield. That would've been a great championship game to have witnessed. I searched for video on the Internet, I can't find anything! Strange! Only highlights of the "Immaculate Reception." 

The Dolphins beat the Steelers, Vikings, and Raiders in 1973. Down years in the NFL, please. 

Haters.