By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
Notification Show More
Latest News
No. 11 Wisconsin stays red-hot with elusive win over Illinois, 95-74
No. 11 Wisconsin stays red-hot with elusive win over Illinois, 95-74
Game Analysis
LIV Golf explained | LIV on FOX
LIV Golf explained | LIV on FOX
Game Analysis
Shedeur Sanders might have revealed his preferred NFL team, all thanks to Madden
Shedeur Sanders might have revealed his preferred NFL team, all thanks to Madden
Game Analysis NFL
No. 14 Michigan St beats No. 13 Purdue 75-66, moves within half-game of 1st in Big Ten
No. 14 Michigan St beats No. 13 Purdue 75-66, moves within half-game of 1st in Big Ten
Game Analysis
Champions League: 10-man AC Milan eliminated, Club Brugge completes shocker
Champions League: 10-man AC Milan eliminated, Club Brugge completes shocker
Game Analysis
Aa
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Reading: How the 1972 Dolphins inspire toasts, boasts across borders
Share
Aa
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Search
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
BigPaulSports > Blog > NFL > How the 1972 Dolphins inspire toasts, boasts across borders
NFLSports News

How the 1972 Dolphins inspire toasts, boasts across borders

BigP
Last updated: 2023/02/03 at 5:57 PM
BigP Published February 3, 2023
Share
How the 1972 Dolphins inspire toasts, boasts across borders
SHARE
12:15 PM ET

  • Eric GomezMexico writer

MEXICO CITY — Legendary sports feats tend to echo over time, in the process resonating with those who were not around to celebrate in real time. That’s why younger fans of the Miami Dolphins raise a figurative glass each season when the last NFL team without a loss eventually falls, free to celebrate an oft-cited tradition of the 1972 squad — the only team to ever finish a season undefeated.

Fifty years after those Dolphins entered the record books, they continue to inspire lore (E60’s “The Perfect Machine” on the ’72 Dolphins debuts at noon ET Sunday on ABC and will be available on ESPN+ afterward). The uniqueness of the team’s accomplishment crosses the expected borders of fandom. Even in Mexico, the knowledge of rooting for the only NFL team to have a perfect season is enough to prompt instant gratification.

“As a fan of the team, it fills you with a sense of pride,” said Jorge Macias, a 34-year-old embryologist from Mexico City. “So if the 1972 team celebrates with champagne, as the legend says, us fans can toast to it as well.”

Members of Dolphins Nation Mexico have made trips to Hard Rock Stadium as part of the team’s Fan Club Weekend. Courtesy photo

Adolfo Martinez, 40, is another one of those fans too young to remember the glory days of the ’70s who nevertheless pours himself a glass once the Dolphins’ place in the record books is secured.

“I don’t always have champagne readily available, but I make do with a beer or a shot of tequila,” said Martinez, who works as an electrical engineer in the Mexican capital.

The NFL boasts over 48 million fans in Mexico, according to Arturo Olive, the league’s top executive in the country. Though the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers consistently rate as the most popular teams among Mexican fans, the Dolphins also claim a strong following. A 2020 poll conducted by the Mexican business newspaper El Economista showed the South Florida squad ranked fifth in popularity, while former quarterback Dan Marino was rated as the third-most-popular player despite retiring in 1999.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Since 1978, the NFL has staged 12 games in Mexico, including five regular-season matchups. The Dolphins’ only appearance was a 1997 preseason contest against the Denver Broncos in Mexico City at the fabled Estadio Azteca, which pitted two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Marino and John Elway. At the time, the announced crowd of 104,209 fans was the third-largest in NFL history, with the Dolphins enjoying near-unanimous support from the crowd.

“It was a great experience because of the support they showed us,” Marino said after the game. “Being able to play in front of as many people as we did was outstanding. They’re great fans and they had a real good time, I could tell.”

Martinez began cheering for the Dolphins as a 7-year-old, initially transfixed by players such as Marino and the “Marks Brothers,” star wide receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. He admits, however, that the reason he fell into fandom for Miami, a city almost 1,300 miles away from home, couldn’t have been possible without an assist from an unlikely figure — Mickey Mouse.

“I have family members who live in Florida, so I knew Miami was near Orlando — and that’s where Disney World is,” Martinez said.

Both Martinez and Macias are card-carrying members of Dolphins Nation Mexico, an official fan club with chapters all over the country. From August all the way through Miami’s season, the group organizes watch parties that can gather as many as 100 fans.

Founded in 2015, Dolphins Nation Mexico has grown to over 4,000 followers on social media, though Macias says a sizeable part of the membership remains offline. Through the Dolphins front office, some members have made the trip up to Hard Rock Stadium as part of the team’s Fan Club Weekend, the most recent of which occurred during the Week 6 clash against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We have a great relationship with the team,” Macias said. “They send us gifts to raffle off within the group, help us with charitable causes and invite us to events in Miami. We’re the international fan club who sends the most people to Fan Club Weekend.”

Manny Fernandez, who attended halftime festivities for the 1972 Dolphins in October, was a lauded member of the undefeated team’s defensive line. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Throughout their history, the Dolphins have featured a number of Latino and Mexican American players, including Kiko Alonso, Greg Camarillo, Matt Moore and Fuad Reveiz. However, perhaps the most lauded among the group is Manny Fernandez, who anchored the defensive line during the perfect 1972 season.

Fernandez was a leader within Miami’s vaunted No-Name Defense, which produced four Pro Bowlers and allowed just 12.2 points per game, best in the NFL. In the Super Bowl, Fernandez recorded 17 tackles and a sack of Washington’s Billy Kilmer, helping the Miami defense to a shutout of the offense; the only touchdown for the NFC champions came on defense with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter, when Mike Bass returned a fumble 49 yards to make the score 14-7.

“To have a player like [Fernandez] be a part of such an achievement is special,” Martinez said. “The league was over 50 years old when the perfect season happened, now it’s over 100 years old and it hasn’t happened again.”

And though the vast majority of Dolphins Nation Mexico members have yet to see the team win the Lombardi Trophy in their lifetime, the ability to link up and spread camaraderie provided by the social media era allows these fans to enjoy their fandom on a large scale. During this year’s AFC wild-card game between the Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, over 150 Dolphins Nation Mexico members packed a local restaurant to watch Skylar Thompson give the reigning AFC East champs a run for their money.

Next season, as the Dolphins look to build on a moderately successful year and perhaps gear up for a deeper playoff run, a litany of news stories and off-the-cuff remarks about the 1972 team will invariably show up when the last undefeated team in the NFL bites the dust. Far removed from Miami Gardens and the homes of the surviving players from that team, the men and women who make up Dolphins Nation Mexico will raise a toast, too.

“Maybe next year I’ll celebrate by going to Disney World,” Martinez said. “Full circle.”

Sponsored Content

Juega en grande con cryptomonedas

You Might Also Like

Shedeur Sanders might have revealed his preferred NFL team, all thanks to Madden

2025 NFL franchise tag tracker: Tee Higgins leads list of candidates (again)

Will the 49ers regret paying Brock Purdy? | First Things First

Panthers re-sign QB Andy Dalton on 2-year deal to keep mentoring Bryce Young

BigP February 3, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow
newsletter featurednewsletter featured

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    Popular News
    Fields on buzz he may return kicks: 'Funny to me'
    NFLSports News

    Fields on buzz he may return kicks: ‘Funny to me’

    BigP BigP May 29, 2024
    Mustachioed matrimony: Bears fans pay homage to Mike Ditka during wedding
    Chargers’ DeAndre Carter: Substitute teacher-turned-special teams standout
    Quarterback, O-line, tight end: Offensive positions Raiders could target in draft
    Browns, sponsor end stadium deal after decade
    - Advertisement -
    Ad imageAd image

    Categories

    • Sports

    About US

    We offer information and tips on US Sports and evernts all over the world.
    Top Categories
    • Game Analysis
    • Free Picks
    • Services
    • Premium Content

    Subscribe US

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

      © Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.

      Removed from reading list

      Undo
      Welcome Back!

      Sign in to your account

      Lost your password?