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| Thursday, August 31 | |||||
Dan is the reason I fell in love with football, the Dolphins and his ability to dominate the game. I will never forget the passion and competitiveness you could see in him just by looking at his eyes. Thank you, Dan. Matt Hubley Dover, Pa. My fondest Marino memory was the Monday night against the Bears when he lit up the 46 defense. Perhaps the best defensive unit ever felt his wrath, and as a Dolphin, he preserved the '72 undefeated team's status as the only unbeaten team. You could not blitz Marino and live to tell about it. Ken LeGendre Portsmouth, N.H. Dan Marino was the player who got me interested in pro football. I was 12 years old and mesmerized by his 1984 season. I have remained a Dolphins fan and, more importantly, a Dan Marino fan for the last 17 years. Joel Athey New York City, N.Y. I'll never forget when he was playing agianst the Jets, and he made it look like he was gonna spike the ball to stop the clock. Instead he dropped back real quick and swung it outside to a receiver for a touchdown. Unreal! Joe Lama Brantford, Ontario My friends and I argued on the school bus (I was in the eighth grade) who would be the best player from the '83 draft. I'm glad to see that 17 years later I can close the argument as having been right. Doug Toth Cary, N.C. What does it mean to be the most prolific passer of all time? This means that the team that you played for all of your life will respect you and will do anything, I mean anything, to make you happy. ... I will never understand what the Dolphins did with Dan ... and about how they handled his situation. Brant Gilmore Morgantown, W.V. It's a shame that a quarterback is often judged only on whether he won a Super Bowl or not. Was Phil Simms, Mark Rypien, or Jim McMahon better than Marino? God no. They couldn't even carry his jock strap. The Dolphins would have been a horrible team for the past 17 years if not for No. 13. Richard Klein Manchester, Conn. I'm tired of reading from all these so-called "experts" who say that his Hall of Fame career is "tarnished" because he didn't have a Super Bowl ring. If the Dolphins would have gotten him a running game of any kind, Marino would have had the ring he so desperately tried for. Brega Fireforge Neptune, N.J. Everyone thinks of John Elway as the Comeback King, but he does not hold the important stat. John Elway has the most comeback wins, but Marino has most games won or tied on the final drive. Two minutes to go, game on the line and give Dan the ball. Game over. Michael Coursen Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y. I remember the start of the 1994 season, and all the people calling for the Dolphins to start Bernie Kosar instead of Dan Marino. Dan was just coming off of the Achilles injury and was having a pretty lousy exhibition season. Don Shula stuck with Dan, and Dan responded by throwing for 473 yards and five touchdowns and leading Miami to victory over the New England Patriots. No one called for Kosar anymore after that. Barry Turner Toledo, Ohio Being an Italian by birth, I am very proud in the way Dan represented the Italian American generations. Michel Violante Boca Raton, Fla. We here in South Florida are very lucky to have you not only as a player but as a citizen of this community. Thanks and good luck. Peter Martin Miami, Fla. My most fond memory of Mr. Marino was in the 1984 Super Bowl and witnessing how poised he was as a sophmore in the NFL against a the future Hall of Famer, Joe Montana. I, too, thought there would be other Super Bowls. Lee Coonfer Vancouver, B.C. I am the saddest person alive today. I (after my brother) am the biggest Dolphin fan ever! And we especially love Dan Marino. I have feel so BLESSED to have been able to watch such a CLASSY guy for so many years! He was the ultimate football player, a gentleman ... I am going to miss him terribly. Karen Lang Milford, Conn. My religious experience of watching the 'Phins will never be the same. Greg Derby Tampa, Fla. He is the reason I began to watch American Football. Vicky Hosker Manchester, England In your memory Dan, I will be naming my first born after you. Peter Due Long Island, N.Y. His retirement is my favorite moment. Now I'll never have to worry about him throwing for 400 yards and three touchdowns against my Jets. Dave Finan Lambertville, N.J. | ALSO SEE
Dan Marino retrospective | ||||
