Posted on 05/04/2020 7:49:32 AM PDT by C19fan
Don Shula, the winningest head coach in National Football League history and a Miami Dolphins legend for half a century, has died. He was 90.
The Dolphins confirmed Shula's passing with a statement on social media.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Of course all of us J-E-T-S fans believe Shula ordered the grounds crew at the Orange Bowl to allow the field to become nothing but mud prior to the 1983 AFC Championship game.
They never really played against each other at their peaks.
Lombardi coached from 1959 to 1969, and his last great team was the 1967 Packers. He retired for a year, then coached the Redskins in 1969 before dying of cancer.
Shula started coaching in 1963 and really hit his stride shortly after Lombardi retired. They met once in the playoffs, Lombardi won. Shula was coaching the Colts.
Fun note: Shula actually built two Super Bowl teams. He built the Baltimore Colts, but when the Colts lost to the Jets in the Super Bowl, he went to Miami. Don McAfferty won the Super Bowl the next year with Shula's players, but the team fell apart. It was similar to Switzer winning a Super Bowl with Jimmy Johnson's players, Shula vs Chuck Noll was interesting, but Shula's Dolphins got good right before the World Football League started, and he lost a lot of key players to them. Noll's Steelers got good right after the WFL collapsed, so he was able to maintain his players, creating the 1970s dynasty.
I remember an ESPN Documentary about the 1983 NFL Draft. Miami picked Marino at #23 after Marino dropped like a rock. SI Writer Dr. Z thought Miami was a horrible landing place for Marino because of Shula. LOL!!!
Shula brought a lot of ex-Colt players over to the Dolphins, notably Earl Morrall, who many forget, took over for Greise in 72 after he got hurt, and kept the Dolphins perfect, until Greise returned for the Super Bowl.
** That’s right, the Dolphins, and they were mediocre in 1985. **
Yeah, but they had Dan Marino which gave them a punchers chance. Plus, they lined the sidelines for that game with a lot of the Dolphins starts from that undefeated season. That had the team pretty pumped up.
Yes, I remember that game..
It was crazy that in 1972, the Dolphins, even with their perfect record, still had to play the AFC Championship Game, in Pittsburgh.
RIP to a great coach.
Guess he learned from the Patriots, after the Snow Plow game.
Uh oh. You got me to thinking about Earl Morrall. Another fun fact: Before Morrall went to the Dolphins, he was the winning quarterback in the 1970 Super Bowl against the Cowboys. You know how much sports memorabilia goes for now. Morrall kept the helmet he wore in that Super Bowl. His wife drilled holes in it and made it into a hanging planter.
Prior to my very first HS football game, the Head Referee game into our locker room to tell us his expectations for the way we played the game with respect to penalties. The whole time he was talking to my team he kept his hands behind his back as he told the story of playing for a coach that would make the player run 1 lap of stadium stairs for every yard of penalty that player had. Then he pulled his hands in front of him and said that coaches name was Vince Lombardi and he showed hu his 2 super Bowl rings.
I never forgot that and always played under control but unfortunately I never remembered his name.
He was a masterful coach. Bum Phillips’ comment about him rings true: “He can take his’n and beat your’n then he can take your’n and beat his’n”. He adapted to his talent instead of being married to a system.
Watched some NFL Films retrospective about the 1972-73 Dolphins recently and FB Larry Csonka and DT Manny Fernandez would go off into the Everglades to relax. Fernandez would grab alligators and throw them into his boat.
One day, Coach Shula went to his whirlpool after a long sweaty practice and put in one foot then bounced out quickly because he noticed an alligator in his whirlpool. He knew who to inquire.
“Fernandez, what is this alligator doing in my whirlpool?”
“Oh, that,” replied Manny. “Happy birthday!”
An angry Shula asked, “what the hell type of gift is that?”
“Don’t be mad, coach,” said Manny. “You won!”
“I won?!? I won what?”
“The team took a vote whether to bound the gator’s mouth before we put him in and you won - by one vote.”
Shula has to be among the Top 5 NFL head coaches along with Lombardi, Paul Brown, Belichick and Walsh.
The only thing dumber than a journalist is a sports journalist.
You know Shula didn’t want to make the same mistake in 72, as he did in 69, with Morrall.
If Unitas started SB III, odds are the Colts would have won.
Condolences to Don Shula’s family and friends. R.I.P., sir. Thanks. love.
Csonka lives in Alaska based on a fishing show I saw. He invited Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick. They told many Shula stories.
When he interrupted Obama at the White House, funny moment.
Best coach in the NFL in my mind. I am glad he had a great and long life. He will be missed.
“Shula was coaching the Colts”
Please say the “Baltimore Colts.” That’s when the Colts were the Colts!
Bert Jones was my favorite QB back then. I remember the Fog Game in Baltimore, when they beat the Dolphins to win the AFC East, after being horrible for the previous seasons.
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