The Miami Dolphins became Miami's first major league-level sports club when they joined the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) during its first season in 1946. This was also the first year that the AAFC existed. Despite this, the team was only allowed to operate for one year before being taken away by the league.
The American Football League had Miami in its sights from the beginning of its existence. When Ralph Wilson purchased a stake in the league in 1959, he had high hopes of establishing his team in Miami, where he was born and raised. However, he could not find a venue appropriate for hosting professional football games. The Orange Bowl was the only stadium that could accommodate the size of the game, and at the time, only college teams were allowed to compete there. Because of this, Wilson had no choice but to forsake his intentions and instead form the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo, New York. However, the infant AFL kept its interest in Miami, and in 1962, it held a preseason exhibition game with the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans. After another three years, the AFL granted an additional franchise to the attorney Joe Robbie and the actor Danny Thomas. They agreed to give the AFL a staggering $7.5 million for their franchise, which is a staggering 300 times more than the $25,000 that the eight founding AFL owners had paid for the league's charter clubs.
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Nickname
The Miami Dolphins are consistently ranked among the most watched games played by fans of National Football League (NFL) teams.
Fans decided to name the AFL expansion team in a contest with 19,843 submissions. A total of 622 competitors came up with the answer "Dolphins." The bottlenose dolphin, a highly intelligent mammal with a built-in smile that is impossible to ignore, has been a source of awe for many years. The owner of the team, Joe Robbie, liked the name: "The dolphin is one of the fastest and smartest creatures in the sea." "Dolphins are capable of attacking and killing whales and sharks. They claim that whoever causes harm to a sailor will have a string of unfortunate events follow them.
In 1965, Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas were the ones who first invested in a franchise for the city of Miami. The franchise was intended to be called the "Miami Marlins," but another city organization already uses that name. As a result, they went elsewhere for ideas and decided to adopt the "dolphin" as their new mascot—a reference to the many aquatic animals found in Florida.
Their mascot was a pair of dolphins swimming side by side, one looking forward and the other looking backward. This one-of-a-kind design swiftly became instantly recognizable worldwide among sports fans!
People have come up with a variety of hypotheses over time regarding the reasons why dolphins were selected as a mascot: some people feel it could signify speed or agility; others say it may be because dolphin pods typically work together happily; and still, others suggest it is simply because they are so cute! Regardless of how you interpret their popularity, there is no doubting the adoration people in South Florida currently have for aquatic mammals.
The Shula Era
In 1982, Don Shula became the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, becoming one of only four coaches in NFL history to lead his team to multiple Super Bowl victories. The Dolphins won Super Bowl XXVII against the Washington Redskins by a score of 14–7, but they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 38–16 in the season finale of Super Bowl XXIX, ending what was arguably considered at the time to be the best run by any professional sports franchise.
The early 2000s saw a resurgence under new head coach Dave Wannstedt, who took them into the playoffs twice but failed to make it past the wild card round each time. He was eventually dismissed in the middle of the 2004 season after having a poor 10–6 record overall, which led to the team's dismissal. From that point on, things went from bad to worse at an alarming rate, culminating in the historic catastrophe in 2007 when the whole coaching staff was let go after a 1–15 season, which resulted in the worst record that any NFL franchise has ever recorded! However, despite this setback, Miami remained competitive, qualifying for the playoffs four times between 2008 and 2018. This includes a historic 2016 season in which quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a career-high 19 touchdown passes while leading the team to the Wild Card Round, but ultimately fell short against the Pittsburgh Steelers 30–12 despite having gone 10–6 in the regular term beforehand!
Wrap Up
The NFL will never forget the Miami Dolphins' early problems and unforgettable Super Bowl wins. The team's past is full of important people, like their loyal fans, famous players, and legendary coaches. The Miami Dolphins are still an important part of the NFL's rich history, even as they continue to change and try to be successful in the present day.
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