You can take the GRITS out of Florida, but you can't take Florida out of the GRITS!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Fun Monday~ UNDEFEATED!

The wonderful Heather of "Heather's Recipes" is our hostess this week and her question is one I definitely haven't seen come up here before!


The topic: Sports. More specifically, the sports team that you are rabid about. Maybe you love the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe you never miss a Cincinnati Reds game. Perhaps you follow every goal of the Fighting Illini Water Polo team. Or maybe nobody can tear you away from a Manchester United game. I want to hear about whatever sports team(s) that make you cry tears of joy when they win and tears of sorrow when they lose. And on the flip side, I also want to hear about the teams you love to hate and why you hate them so much. You know what I mean. Like when you meet a new friend who is really cool and fun, and then you find out they root for your most hated rival team and you actually consider for a moment that you can't be friends anymore. Those teams.That's it. And if you don't like any sports at all, I don't know what to say to you. Tell us something else you are impassioned about



In Miami, we have the Heat (NBA), the Marlins (MLB), the Panthers (NHL) and, of course, the Miami Dolphins (NFL). I am not a big sports fan because, morally, I think it is just WRONG for men to get paid astronomical amounts of money just for playing a game. Teachers, Firefighters and Police should make the salaries of all those professional jocks out there!


Our various team members have not always been the most upstanding of citizens, thus being poor role models for kids. Drugs, murders, etc... the guys who get screwed up in those things...well, I just want to smack them upside the head with a 2X4! There are people who have to scrape pennies together to buy milk, and here they are with MILLIONS running around blowing it and being just plain dumbasses. Makes me so mad.


Sorry for my little rant. I'm through now because I'm here to talk about one of the only two professional sports teams I have ever given a rat's butt about. One being the Boston Celtics of the 80's with Larry Bird and the second being....*drumroll, please...........











THE UNDEFEATED MIAMI DOLPHINS OF 1972!














I was only in second grade when they went undefeated and won the Superbowl, but I REMEMEBER!



Now, take just a few moments, if you choose, to watch these videos. They're short and I think they're worth a look. No football team can compare to this one.

Click below to hear the famous Miami Dolphins song!







No other team has gone undefeated!


My brother in law taught Jim Langer, Center on this great team, to fly. The first plane I ever went up in belonged to him. I remember one weekend my sister and her husband were over at our house and the phone rang. A man asked to speak to my BIL. I was in 2nd grade and being very polite on the phone, asked who was calling. "Jim Langer." I freaked! I was what...7 years old? and I freaked OUT!





(of course, we all knew the Giants came awful close to breaking the 72's record...)


Look down this roster and see how many names you remember:


Numerical Roster
No.
Name
Pos.
1
Yepremian, Garo
K
7
Lothridge, Billy
P
11
Del Gaizo, Jim
QB
12
Griese, Bob
QB
13
Scott, Jake
S
15
Morrall, Earl
QB
20
Seiple, Larry
P-TE
21
Kiick, Jim
RB
22
Morris, Mercury
RB
23
Leigh, Charles
RB
25
Foley, Tim
CB
26
Mumphord, Lloyd
CB
28
Jenkins, Ed
RB
32
Ginn, Hubert
RB
39
Csonka, Larry
RB
40
Anderson, Dick
S
42
Warfield, Paul
WR
43
Howell, Mike
S
45
Johnson, Curtis
CB
48
Stuckey, Henry
CB
49
Babb, Charles
S
51
Ball, Larry
LB
53
Matheson, Bob
LB
54
Kindig, Howard
C-T
56
Powell, Jesse
LB
57
Kolen, Mike
LB
59
Swift, Doug
LB
60
Jenkins, Al
G-T
62
Langer, Jim
C
65
Moore, Maulty
DT
66
Little, Larry
G
67
Kuechenberg, Bob
G
68
Kadish, Mike
DT
70
Riley, Jim
DE
72
Heinz, Bob
DT
73
Evans, Norm
T
75
Fernandez, Manny
DT
77
Crusan, Doug
T
78
Dunaway, Jim
DT
79
Moore, Wayne
T
80
Fleming, Marv
TE
81
Twilley, Howard
WR
82
Stowe, Otto
WR
83
Den Herder, Vern
DE
84
Stanfill, Bill
DE
85
Buonticonti, Nick
LB
86
Briscoe, Marlin
WR
88
Mandich, Jim
TE
89
Noonan

Now go see who everyone else is rooting for (or who they HAVE rooted for ;) and have a great week!

18 comments:

Heather said...

As much as I love sports, I do have to agree with your rant. It makes me sick to see the kind of money they make to simply play a game. I think it goes to how screwed up our society has it's priorities. But that's a discussion for another time.

I had forgotten about the Celtics and Larry Bird. I remember rooting for that whole team, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge - loved them all! thanks for reminding me about how great they were!

Thanks for playing this week!

SwampAngel65 said...

Yup, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale...I was a total Celtics freak! I still have a satin Celics jacket that my Mom bought me. I wore that thing constantly!

Ali said...

It's at times like this I wish I knew a bit more about American sports! :-(

Hootin Anni said...

I love how you set us all up for a 'downer' on your teams...then, lifted us 'sports fanatics' up with all the Dolphin history. Cool

Happy Fun Monday.

Hootin Anni said...

ps....there are many many bad doctors, teachers and even priests who aren't 'clean' either.

storyteller said...

Oh … you’re singing MY song here! Methinks it’s one reason I don’t follow sports. Fun ‘trip’ down mem’ry lane. Thanks ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Gattina said...

I only know the dolphins in a zoo and not as a sport team, lol ! but I fully agree with the first part of your post !!

Debs said...

"Teachers, Firefighters and Police should make the salaries of all those professional jocks out there!"

I say this ALL the TIME! They are the ones who make the real difference in so many different peoples lives.

Great post. :D

h said...

Methinks the whole State can be proud of native son Boo Weekley for his UNDEFEATED performance against the heavily favored Team-Euro in the Ryder Cup.

That's an event where the players don't get paid. They play for the honor of representing America.

Anonymous said...

Oaky Ms. Swampangel - you are such a *wacko* but a loving one at that.

Yes, the 1972 undefeated Dolfins is a good choice.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

I'm with you on the rant. It's ridiculous, especially when some of the players don't have enough gratitude to behave and be a good role model for kids.

Alison said...

I totally agree with your rant...it is one of my pet peeves also!!

Jan said...

I semi-agree with your rant, and remember, I'm the wife of a retired LAPD detective. Sports are businesses and city governments are not. Sports teams make a profit and can pay whatever the market can bear. Governments, which pay police and firefighters are not in business to make money, they are funded by tax dollars. So if you want to pay more tax dollars, where you live, so your police a firemen can make more money; I say, go for it. Your local police and firefighters will really appreciate it.

BYW, read Lehanes new novel, The Given Day, that explores this.

ChrisB said...

You'll have to forgive my ignorance about your chosen teams!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed this !!!
P.S.ALWAYS in your arms
"Bad" GEO.

jsi said...

There has been no team better - they were exceptional!

I agree with you and over-paid professional athletes. I'd rather support nurses, firemen and teachers than a basketball/baseball/football star anyday.

Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you about the paycheck of athletes.

I also get upset when they cut art and music programs in school yet keep the super expensive football team. Wrong priorities.

I was only 2 in '72 but thought that the NE Patriots would have beat that last year!

Unknown said...

I agree that the people keeping us safe should get more $$ than the ones entertaining us, but. . .

Do you remember that year in Dolphin history?