Fox Sports' Kriegel says the '72 Dolphins are delusional!

[Absurdly Metro]

It's about time somebody called these punks out. Kreigel is a hater but even he can't deny the obvious difference between these two accomplishments (assuming a Pats win of course).

Here are some of the choice excerpts including a link to the whole article:
'72 Dolphins Don't Want To Face The Truth

First our old pal Mercury Morris is getting a bit too anxious watching the new neighbors move in next door...

A champagne toast is in order. Raise a glass for the 1972 Miami Dolphins, a team that has finally succeeded in diminishing its own perfect season.

The latest silly salvo directed at the undefeated New England Patriots comes from Mercury Morris, now 61, who went on the radio the other day and spoke his apparently deteriorating mind.

"They win on February 3, and they're the second-best team in the history of the NFL," said Morris. "We're the first team. ... If they win, they're going to be the second team."

So there.

Of course, every team deserves to be judged in the context of its time. That said, a 19-0 season — New England's record should it win the Super Bowl — would be more impressive than Miami's mark, 17-0. Anyone not named Mercury Morris can do the math on that one."

OUCH! But wait. Kreigel's outing the Phins dirty little secret too...

What's more, Dolphins alums like Morris were not well-advised to call attention to themselves, or else someone like me would remind you of their dirty little secret. The '72 team benefited from one of the easiest schedules in NFL history. Bash the Patriots and their coach all you want. I do. Just understand that with a game left to play, they are nothing if not tested, as their regular season included victories over six playoff teams — the Colts, Cowboys, Chargers, Steelers, Giants and Redskins.

Now, go back and check the '72 Dolphins. Their regular season included only two games against teams that finished better than .500 — the Vikings and the Giants, who were both 8-6 that year. The combined won-loss record of their opponents was 43-86-3. Let me rephrase. Their average opponent had a winning percentage of .333.

But certainly the '72 Phins understand that you can't compare teams from different eras, right? Surely they're aware that players today are bigger, stronger, and faster thean they were 35 years ago, aren't they? They can't possibly believe they would actually BEAT the Patriots on the field, can they?

There are some notably sane Dolphin alums. Jim Mandich, a tight end on that '72 team, comes to mind. When recently asked how that team would do against these Patriots, he responded: "They would kick our (butts) from one side of the field to the other."

There's no shame in that, just common sense. As a rule, ballplayers get bigger, stronger and faster every year. The Patriots have 35 years of athletic evolution (not to mention a little HGH, in the case of Rodney Harrison) on their side. The Dolphins offensive line averaged 253 pounds. The front three starters on New England's defense range from 300 to 325 pounds.

Still, Mandich's teammates seem incapable of acknowledging the obvious.

"The weight issue is overstated," the Dolphins' old center, Jim Langer, told The Miami Herald. "Another 50 pounds doesn't mean a damn thing. It's all about leverage."

Said Bob Kuechenberg, once a guard: "If we play under the old rules" — basically enabling the defense to beat up receivers all over the field — "we win going away."

Fifty pounds doesn't mean a thing. We win going away. Lines like these — so contemptuous of an obvious truth — could be dismissed as a mere goof if they weren't also a little sad.

As Charlie Babb, the former Miami safety, told my colleague Alex Marvez, "The older I get, the more it means. More than anything else, that's all that we have left."

Theres some pretty good stuff about Shula in there too. Apparently he's a bit of a hot head when it comes to that team and their record. Maybe someone should alert NFL Security. Wouldn't want Shula going all Polian on BB or Pioli in Glendale.

 

[patsox23]

good stuff. bump.

 

[Sundayjack]

Imagine you're me for a moment. In between the supermodel dating, A-list parties, money counting, and TMZ ducking, I have to contend with two competing interests: Shula/Dawlpfinz vs. Belichick/Patriotts. I want Don Shula to inflate until he explodes more than anything else, so I'd live with Option B.