2015: All For One

M.J.

9 years ago

It’s been a long road for Fin Fans. There’s a palpable tension that resonates even in the forums. Fans are frustrated: some want to have hope, some want to criticize, some are desperate for the glory days, some want to vent, some just want to see it to believe it. Those who are on the opposite end of the spectrum butt heads – and it can get ugly. It’s easy to forget in the midst of all the turbulence (even the best of us succumb) what all Fin Fans are regardless of their views – FAMILY. We ALL want Miami to win. We ALL want OUR team to post a “W”. We ALL want to feel great about something dear to our hearts. We ALL could use a little extra joy in our lives. It’s fun to debate football, to give our perspective on the team’s direction, about players and coaches; but, we must never forget what binds us: Love for the Miami Dolphins.

This season is a BIG one – there’s no doubt about what’s riding on it. There will be tough times coming whether we have a “successful” season or not. There will be plenty of time ahead for disagreements. Now, at this juncture, let’s take a pause and for a brief moment and let’s be unified: “Stronger Together” it is said.

We all have our stories about when, why, and how we became Fin Fans. For most of us, it was a moment that dramatically altered the course of our lives. That’s what fan means – fanatic. If your fanatical about something, that something affects you dramatically. It’s been 36 years since I was baptized as a Dolphins fan and in turn a football fan. I remember “THAT” day well…

…Uncle Jimmy’s was on the wild side of town – the fun side. Every type of person lived there and they all loved Uncle Jimmy. He was a German / Irish George Jefferson – started with one dry cleaning store and was “moving on up” with each subsequent store thereafter. Full of life, Uncle Jimmy’s house always had people coming and going. He had a basement/bar that was a 70’s dream. If you are Irish / German or know them well you’ll understand the glory of Uncle Jimmy’s basement/bar.

I remember THAT day well. Being drawn by my two cousins (Billy and Jimmy Junior) screaming back and forth, I crept down the carpeted, basement steps. It was low-lighted, nearly dark – as always. Its ambiance was full of mystery: at once bidding and forbidding. Illumination came from the T.V., the year-round Christmas lights on the liquor shelf, the neon Budweiser and Coors signs; the three figures squirming on the long velour couch were cast in soft, multicolored light. Exhilarated and terrified, my steps were stuttered as I went over to them.

Billy, my favorite cousin, turned to me with a girl and a bowl of popcorn in the arm. His Cheshire smile seemed to be the brightest light in the room, “Little Mikey will settle it, Jimmy!”

Jimmy, with his usually brooding look, grimaced at me, “Okay, who’s gonna’ win, Cowboys or Dolphins?!”

At seven years old, I hadn’t the foggiest clue what he was talking about. An epiphany of sorts overtook me and turned my head to the T.V., I saw a bunch of men running around and hitting each other.

I looked back at Jimmy with his deepening scowl. Then I turned to Billy and the girl in his arms. I was strangely overcome by her bright smile cast against a smokey appearance. It felt as if her smile was pumping me up with helium. The pay per head bookie service sites like www.AcePerHead.com.

“Who do you like, Billy?”

Smiling ever wider, “Dolphins.”

“And you, Jimmy?”

Okay, I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

“Cowboys!” He gave me a look that held painful implications if I failed to make the right choice.

More by instinct than thought I blurted, “Dolphins.”

Billy threw a handful of popcorn at Jimmy whose pale skin seemed to turn redder than his orange, tousled hair.

I paid a steep price of torment over the next couple of years at the hands of Jimmy. But, it was worth it. As I sat between my idol Billy and his girl for the remainder of the game that day, washed in her kisses and hugs as the Dolphins went on to win (at least so I was told), a love of the game, and more specifically the Dolphins possessed me.

Much like that day, my time as a Dolphins fan has been quite similar. There was a price of pain to be paid over the years for my choice. But, sitting in between the likes of Bob Griese, Nate Moore, Dwight Stephenson, Dan Marino, the “Marks Brothers”, Bryan Cox, Don Shula, Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor and so many more, the pain was worth it. Profound memories, covering over three decades, have been filled with their faces and feats. They have altered the course of who I am… and I am grateful.

Let’s take a moment to relive how we came to bleed orange and aqua. Each of us has different stories about how we came to love football and the Miami Dolphins but trapped in this wild world we live in, we are one, a family of fans and despite our differences and opinions, we cheer with all our hearts, GO FINS!!!

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