In lying down, the Colts devalued longtime NFL record
1/15/2010

I was 8 years old, but it seems like last week. Jan. 14, 1973. Super Bowl VII was on TV.

I was stretched out on my living room floor, warmly wrapped in a Miami Dolphins’ blanket while proudly wearing my aqua and orange Dolphins’ pajamas.

At that age, only two things really mattered: Watching Scooby Doo on Saturday mornings and following the Miami Dolphins’ drive to a perfect NFL season.

I watched in blissful awe as my beloved Dolphins capped off a 14-0 regular season with an exciting 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins. I still remember my heart racing a mile a minute when the final gun sounded. They went 17-0. They were perfect, and for that day, for that next week, for that next year for that matter, everything was alright with the world.

Fast forward three decades later. I’m still a crazed Dolphins’ fan. Trust me. And, I firmly believe their perfect season is one of the greatest accomplishments in sports. OK, I ditched the Dolphins’ PJs years ago, but I proudly have a Dolphins’ room filled with enough items to make that team proud.

There have been only four undefeated teams in NFL history: 1934 Chicago Bears (13-0), 1942 Bears (14-0), 1972 Dolphins (14-0) and 2007 New England Patriots (16-0). Of these, only the Dolphins won a Super Bowl and finished the entire season undefeated. My heart skips a beat every time I say that.  

Their accomplishment remains unique, unequaled in the sport. Having said that, I’ve always believed records are made to be broken. That’s what makes what happened several weeks ago so upsetting.

The Indianapolis Colts, led by MVP candidate Peyton Manning, were on a crash course with a perfect season. They were 14-0 and leading the New York Jets at home when coach Jim Caldwell did what many NFL coaches have done in recent years: he benched a number of key starters in the second half to protect against season-ending injury.

Out went the perfect season, and the Jets, on the brink of playoff elimination, got an early Christmas present.

Has a perfect season been devalued?

For three decades, we could argue that no team had finished perfect because, simply, no team was capable. The Colts changed that. For the first time, a team with a legitimate shot openly said being perfect wasn’t important. 

Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, “If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?” I wonder, weeks later, the same thing. In losing, the Colts let down Manning, defensive end Dwight Freeney and others, who truly wanted to play, win the game and pursue perfection. They let down other teams fighting for their playoff lives and rolled out a red carpet to allow the Jets to sneak into the playoffs. And, they let down their diehard fans who pay big bucks to see a full-fledged game and only got to see half of one.

Granted, Miami’s accomplishment won’t ever stop being a source of tremendous franchise pride. But its uniqueness is slowly becoming less and less important when teams like the Colts lie down. 

Yes, the Dolphins can uncork the champagne and celebrate their place in history. Yet, how can the league feel good about what the Colts did? How often does a team have a legitimate chance to make history? It’s rare. Yet, a team has no chance of making history if it doesn’t even try. 

(Editor’s note: LaJoie is a member of St. Paul Catholic Church in Negaunee. He welcomes reactions to his column at jlajoie@charter.net.)

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