I just had a thought for the Ol'timers

[DKphin]

Just think if Arnsparger had stayed and not taken the LSU job. I believe we could have won a few more SBs and Dan would not have the *"yeah, but he did not win the SB". Do not know why the thought popped into my head.
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[Danny]

Well, if Larry Z, Paul Warfield and Jim Kick hadn't left when they did, we probably would have won a couple of more superbowls in the 70's. But it is what it is and it's been 39 years since we won one. That's why nobody can't blame the fans for being upset with our team.That's why I laugh everytime I hear that it takes time. It's been 39 years and counting.

Ozzy rules!!

[Bopkin02]

You know, this isn't such a wacky thought. In 1983, Marino's rookie year, the Dolphins set the team record(since broken) for sacks. They had the number one defense in the league. They made the playoffs but got upset in a sloppy game at home vs. Seattle. I was in 10th grade and it made me sick.
After that season, Arnsparger left.
We all know about 1984. Marino totally lit things up, but throughout that season the defense, now under Chuck Studley I believe, started to struggle. As the season went on, it became softer and softer and before the last game of the season, Monday night vs. Dallas at home, the defense had a players only meeting to try to get things straightened out. The Dolphins won the game, and of course the next two playoff games, but there was still lots of talk about how their defense was struggling. In the Super Bowl, it was 10-7 Miami at the end of the 1st quarter, but the 49ers scored 21 points in the second. We added a couple of field goals, but at 28-16 at the half the Niners had all the momentum and had totally beaten us down. Had Arnsparger been around for that 1984 season, I wonder how that Super Bowl would have gone. Could the game have been closer at the half? That game felt over by halftime, but maybe in a 21-13, or 21-16 game, had we allowed even one less touchdown, it would have been totally different. I remember that season so well, watching the Dolphins whenever they were on TV(No NFL Ticket back then!) and I have every victory from that season on DVD and I've seen them several times. That season was great until the end, but it is a good point about what could have been.

[Roman529]

Why Shula kept Tom Olivadotti around for all those years is a mystery to me. The Steeler's Dynasty of the 70's may never have happened had the WFL not scooped up Csonka, Kiick and Warfield. I think the Steelers may have still won a couple SB's, but not four SB's in a period of six years.

[DKphin]

It was Studley and then we descended into Hell with Olivaidiot.

You know, this isn't such a wacky thought. In 1983, Marino's rookie year, the Dolphins set the team record(since broken) for sacks. They had the number one defense in the league. They made the playoffs but got upset in a sloppy game at home vs. Seattle. I was in 10th grade and it made me sick.
After that season, Arnsparger left.
We all know about 1984. Marino totally lit things up, but throughout that season the defense, now under Chuck Studley I believe, started to struggle. As the season went on, it became softer and softer and before the last game of the season, Monday night vs. Dallas at home, the defense had a players only meeting to try to get things straightened out. The Dolphins won the game, and of course the next two playoff games, but there was still lots of talk about how their defense was struggling. In the Super Bowl, it was 10-7 Miami at the end of the 1st quarter, but the 49ers scored 21 points in the second. We added a couple of field goals, but at 28-16 at the half the Niners had all the momentum and had totally beaten us down. Had Arnsparger been around for that 1984 season, I wonder how that Super Bowl would have gone. Could the game have been closer at the half? That game felt over by halftime, but maybe in a 21-13, or 21-16 game, had we allowed even one less touchdown, it would have been totally different. I remember that season so well, watching the Dolphins whenever they were on TV(No NFL Ticket back then!) and I have every victory from that season on DVD and I've seen them several times. That season was great until the end, but it is a good point about what could have been.

[CattailsrEdible]

We had no speed on d at all in 84, we were built to stop the run, and Montana lit us up in the sb! Why we kept olivadotti so long is beyond me! Shula must've really love him.

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[hab321]

You know, this isn't such a wacky thought. In 1983, Marino's rookie year, the Dolphins set the team record(since broken) for sacks. They had the number one defense in the league. They made the playoffs but got upset in a sloppy game at home vs. Seattle. I was in 10th grade and it made me sick.
After that season, Arnsparger left.
We all know about 1984. Marino totally lit things up, but throughout that season the defense, now under Chuck Studley I believe, started to struggle. As the season went on, it became softer and softer and before the last game of the season, Monday night vs. Dallas at home, the defense had a players only meeting to try to get things straightened out. The Dolphins won the game, and of course the next two playoff games, but there was still lots of talk about how their defense was struggling. In the Super Bowl, it was 10-7 Miami at the end of the 1st quarter, but the 49ers scored 21 points in the second. We added a couple of field goals, but at 28-16 at the half the Niners had all the momentum and had totally beaten us down. Had Arnsparger been around for that 1984 season, I wonder how that Super Bowl would have gone. Could the game have been closer at the half? That game felt over by halftime, but maybe in a 21-13, or 21-16 game, had we allowed even one less touchdown, it would have been totally different. I remember that season so well, watching the Dolphins whenever they were on TV(No NFL Ticket back then!) and I have every victory from that season on DVD and I've seen them several times. That season was great until the end, but it is a good point about what could have been.

While I agree with the majority of what you said (and made me remember that season). I always likened the downfall of the defense to the fact that Miami struck so quickly, the defense never really got much time to rest and teams were able to game plan more for our defensive sets. Lets not forget tho, that Arnsparger left after SB VII to coach the Giants and returned in '76.
Oh and I was in 11th grade in '83.....my how time flies!!!!

[NY8123]

I wasn't old enough to be in depth in 83 and 84. I was a fan but a kid so I didn't think about things like who the defensive coordinator was. I was more enamored with Marino's name ending in a vowel and the same vowel as mine lol.

I know one thing had Miami played D like they did in Marino's rookie year for the next 10 they would have won a few more super bowls.

[justbgreen]

This is a great thread, makes us “old timers” proud to be old timers. I was 11 years old when the Dolphins went to their first Super Bowl; it was a great Sunday, until they played the game. I was so sad and upset! The next two years were great of course, two Super Bowl wins, three straight Super Bowl appearances, life was good. Then boom, damn WFL took away three of the best players we had, as a young kid I couldn’t understand why they would leave this great team, my team. Obviously I was too young to understand the business end of “school yard football”. When we got Dan and he started lighting things up, it was fun football again. You knew that you always had a chance to win the game. All we needed was a little better running game, which would help run time off the clock and at the same time help rest our defense. I do agree that as great as Dan was, sometimes we scored to quick and our defense would then be back on the field to soon without rest. Not as big of a deal early in the season, but late in the season everyone’s banged up. I wish Arnsparger had stayed, I agree that the defense was without a doubt different, they lost their Arnsparger Swager!!!

[Baller]

The departure of Bobby Beathard was another big factor in the woulda coulda shoulda been discussion. That man was a great personel guy!