MDMiami Dolphins

Franchise history

The Miami Dolphins were founded in 1965 when the American Football League awarded South Florida an expansion franchise for a $7.5 million fee; attorney Joe Robbie and entertainer Danny Thomas were the principal owners, with Robbie later buying out Thomas's stake. The team took the field in 1966, its name chosen via a public contest to reflect Miami's marine heritage, with original aqua-and-coral colors nodding to the earlier Miami Seahawks and Biscayne Bay's reefs. The Dolphins played at the Orange Bowl through 1986 before moving to Joe Robbie Stadium (later Pro Player Stadium, Sun Life Stadium, and today Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens.

Under head coach Don Shula, hired in 1970, Miami became the NFL's model franchise. The 1972 team completed the only perfect season in league history, finishing 17-0 and capping it with a Super Bowl VII win over Washington, then repeated as champions in Super Bowl VIII. Shula's Dolphins returned to Super Bowl XVII and, behind young star Dan Marino, Super Bowl XIX, though both ended in defeat. Marino's 1983-1999 tenure produced record-setting passing totals, five division titles, and ten playoff berths, but no championship.

Since Marino's retirement, Miami has cycled through coaches and quarterbacks with only intermittent playoff success and, for years, the NFL's longest postseason win drought. The Dolphins share heated AFC East rivalries with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and New England Patriots, series that have defined decades of divisional football.

Sources

• Pro Football Reference
• Wikipedia

Super Bowl Champions won (2)

• Super Bowl VII - 1972
• Super Bowl VIII - 1973

Runner-up finishes (3)

• Super Bowl VI - 1971
• Super Bowl XVII - 1982
• Super Bowl XIX - 1984

See the full super bowl champions list for the winner each of these years.