Tag: Dan Marino

Dolphins legend to throw first pitch at Marlins’ Opening Day

The Dolphins’ GOAT will get the Marlins’ season started next month.

Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino will throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Miami Marlins’ Opening Day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 27, the Marlins announced Saturday.

“I’m honored by the invitation to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Miami Marlins on Opening Day,” Marino said in a statement. “It will be very special for me to return to the site of many memories and where the community made it home for me. Being back for this special moment, surrounded by the great fans of South Florida.”

Marino, 63, is no stranger to throwing out first pitches. The Pro Football Hall of Famer has done it at several ballparks, including PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Yankee Stadium in New York. Marino also threw out the first pitch on the Marlins’ Opening Day in 2005 and 2014.

The former Dolphins quarterback has spent the last decade in a special advisory role with the franchise, and regularly pops into the team’s quarterback room to provide input.

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Former Dolphins executive Chuck Connor dies at age 87

Don Shula credited Chuck Connor with making sure the Dolphins didn’t pass on the chance to take Dan Marino in 1983.

Former Miami Dolphins director of player personnel Chuck Connor died earlier this month at the age of 87, according to his family.

Connor joined the Dolphins in 1979 after beginning his NFL career as a scout with the Pittsburgh Steelers and BLESTO, a joint scouting service. During Connor’s tenure, the Dolphins continued to be a perennial winner with head coach Don Shula, but didn’t win another Lombardi Trophy, despite Super Bowl appearances in the 1982 and 1984 seasons.

With Connor leading the Dolphins’ personnel department, the team made one of the most consequential draft selections in its history when it took Dan Marino at No. 27 overall in 1983.

“Chuck’s the guy who made me draft Dan (Marino),” Dolphins legendary coach Don Shula once told the Sun-Sentinel. “Dan’s slipping and slipping, for whatever reason, and we realize he’s going to be there for us to take. I say, ‘We’ve got to take him.’ (Defensive coordinator) Bill Arnsparger says, ‘We’ve got to have a defensive lineman.’

“I remember going out in the hall with Chuck and he says, ‘We’ve got to take Marino.’ Turns out the defensive lineman we were going to take was there for us in the second round. Mike Charles. … So Dan was a bonus pick.”

Connor later became the director of pro scouting with the Atlanta Falcons where he stayed until 1995.

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WATCH: Bills’ HOF quarterback Jim Kelly ranks ’90s QBs

WATCH: Bills’ HOF quarterback Jim Kelly ranks ’90s QBs

Buffalo Bills legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly joined the ‘Centered on Buffalo’ podcast recently to discuss quarterbacks in the 1990s.

Former Bills Pro Bowl center Eric Wood, the podcast host, asked Kelly to rank four ’90s QBs in order: Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Steve Young, and John Elway.

It’s difficult to answer, but who better to pose the question to than Kelly? We’re talking about the conductor of the “K-Gun” no-huddle offense which led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early ’90s.

Kelly knows these quarterbacks well, especially Marino. Kelly’s Bills went head-to-head with Marino’s Miami Dolphins in 18 regular-season games and three playoff games.

See Kelly’s full response below:

Former Dolphins QB Dan Marino says he would throw for 6,000 yards in today’s NFL

Marino says he’d have even more success today.

It’s no secret that former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino was ahead of his time.

In an era of the sport where running the ball was still king, Marino was throwing for at least 4,400 yards per season with some regularity. In 1984, a 22-year-old Marino threw for 5,084 yards, a record that stood until 2011 when Tom Brady threw for 5,235 and Drew Brees threw for 5,476.

Today, the game is completely different. Football has become a game obsessed with quarterbacks and has made wide receivers the second-highest-paid position in the league.

Marino, appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, acknowledged that it’s possible that would’ve thrown for 6,000 yards in today’s NFL.

“Yeah, you do think about it,” Marino said. “The rules have changed and all that, but the one thing I would say is we were kind of a little bit ahead of our time going for 5,000 yards having [Mark] Duper and [Mark] Clayton and Dwight Stephenson as our center. We had some really good players. Do I now think that we could throw for over 6,000 yards? I don’t have to prove it… If you don’t have to prove it, you can say it. So, yeah 6,000 yards (that’s feasible).”

While it would probably difficult for many players who played in the 1980s and 1990s to thrive in the NFL today, Marino seems like one who could see a similar level of success if not more.

Dan Marino believes Dolphins can win a Super Bowl with Tua Tagovailoa

The legendary QB believes Miami can win with Tua Tagovailoa.

The Miami Dolphins, as an organization, have been fully behind quarterback Tua Tagovailoa since Mike McDaniel was hired as the team’s head coach prior to the start of the 2022 season.

McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier have done everything they can to support Tagovailoa publicly, and the same can be said for Dolphins legend Dan Marino, who currently holds a special advisor position with the team.

Speaking with Adam Schein on “Mad Dog Sports Radio,” Marino was asked if the Dolphins could win a Super Bowl with Tagovailoa, and his answer was rather simple.

“Yes, I believe so,” Marino stated.

To take the next step in his career, Marino explained that “he just needs to continue to grow, and I think he’s done that. He had the best statistical year of his career and the best in the league, I think. He just has to build on that.”

Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards this season (4,624), which was a career mark, while helping his team to an 11-6 regular season record. He also set career highs in completion percentage (69.3%) and touchdowns (29).

Unfortunately, Miami came up short of their ultimate goal of winning in the postseason, and Marino, while not wanting to make excuses, gave some reasons as to why that is.

“I’m not making excuses, but at the end of the year, we were in some tough situations on the road, and we had a lot of injuries,” Marino explained. “That all plays into it. Sometimes you just have to get in the right positions and have the right people healthy so you have a chance to get to the Super Bowl.”

In two seasons with the McDaniel-Tagovailoa pairing, with the former Crimson Tide quarterback starting the game, the Dolphins have won 19 of their 30 games. They’ve made it to the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2000-01.

If they don’t win a playoff game soon, they’ll both be looking for new opportunities somewhere else. However, they have the ability to achieve some great things together.

WATCH: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stars in hilarious Super Bowl ad

Miami’s QB stars alongside Drew Barrymore and Sir Patrick Stewart in Super Bowl ad.

With the Super Bowl fast approaching, the famous advertisements surrounding the event have started to surface across social media, and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stars in one.

Promoting the streaming service Paramount+ , Tagovailoa appears alongside Drew Barrymore, Sir Patrick Stewart and a cast of other characters with the goal of scaling an icy wall.

Tagovailoa isn’t the only Dolphins quarterback to be in a Super Bowl commercial this year, as Dan Marino is appearing alongside Lionel Messi in an ad for Michelob Ultra.

Flashback Friday 1994 wild-card round: Dolphins vs Chiefs

Flashback to the last time Miami faced Kansas City in the wild-card round.

With the Miami Dolphins set to square off against the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday in the playoffs, it may cause some feelings of déjà vu, as this isn’t the first time that these two teams matched up in the wild-card round.

The last time these teams faced each other on wild-card weekend was in 1994 on New Year’s Eve. The 10-6 Dolphins, coached by Don Shula, hosted the 9-7 Chiefs, coached by Marty Shottenheimer.

The Chiefs’ offense opened the game firing on all cylinders, as Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen set the tone, making plays in both the run and pass game. Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana completed all six of his passes, finishing the opening drive with a touchdown pass to tight end Derrick Walker.

It didn’t take long for the Dolphins offense to answer the call. Quarterback Dan Marino and running back Bernie Parmalee sparked an 11-play, 72-yard drive resulting in a touchdown run by Parmalee to tie the game 7-7.

It took the Chiefs just four plays to regain the lead with Montana finding running back Kimble Anders on a short route which Anders took the rest of the way for a 57-yard touchdown, putting Kansas City back on top 14-7. The teams traded field goals on the ensuing drives to make the score 17-10 in Kansas City’s favor midway through the second quarter.

With just over six minutes left in the half, Marino led the offense on an 80-yard drive to even the score. Marino worked his magic against the Kansas City defense. From the goal line, he found tight end Ronnie Williams for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game 17-17 going into halftime.

This game had the makings of an offensive shootout, as neither team punted in the first half. However, the second half was a different story.

The Dolphins received to start the second half, and Marino wasted no time putting his team on top for the first time. It took just a couple of plays for Marino and the offense to drive into the Chiefs’ red zone and score another touchdown, as Marino threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to receiver Irving Fryar. Miami had their first lead of the game at 24-17. The Dolphins earned one more field goal to extend their lead to 27-17.

After struggling in the first half, the Miami defense pitched a shutout the entire third quarter. The fourth quarter featured two game-clinching turnovers by the Dolphins defense.

The final quarter began with the Chiefs driving into the Miami red zone. The Kansas City offense was desperate for points after being stagnant in the third quarter. On a first-down play from the Dolphins 5-yard line, a rare mistake by Montana on a slant route resulted in an interception by Miami cornerback J.B. Brown.

After a quick three-and-out forced by the Chiefs’ defense, Montana and the offense had another chance to get back in the game. The Chiefs once again looked poised for another drive into Miami territory. However, that drive was halted when Miami linebacker Michael Stewart stripped the ball out of Allen’s hands for a forced fumble turnover.

The Dolphins maintained the lead to win the game 27-17 with neither team scoring any points in the fourth quarter. Marino finished the game with 257 yards and two touchdowns and a 125.2 passer rating.

It was the second playoff matchup between the two of the best quarterbacks of all time. The first time Marino and Montana matched up in the playoffs was Super Bowl 19 when Montana’s 49ers convincingly defeated Marino’s Dolphins 38-16. This wild-card matchup evened up the playoff series between the two legends. It would also be the final game of Monatan’s legendary career.

Best moments from sixth episode of Dolphins ‘Hard Knocks’

Here’s what we saw in the sixth episode of “Hard Knocks.”

The Miami Dolphins have been on a roll in 2023, and they picked up a win on Sunday afternoon over the Dallas Cowboys to improve to 11-4 through the first 16 weeks of the season.

And, now, they have even more attention on them, as they’re the focus of this year’s edition of the in-season version of “Hard Knocks” on HBO and Max.

The sixth episode of the season aired on Tuesday night with more to follow weekly.

Here are some of the best moments from episode No. 6 (some are NSFW):

A terrific Tuesday for Dolphins from ‘Tank’ to television

Dolphins, new and old, were providing entertainment on Tuesday.

It’s been a great start to a pre-holiday week for the Miami Dolphins and their fan base. Not only did the Dolphins shut out their AFC East rival New York Jets on Sunday 30-0, victory Monday was fantastic, but it might not compare to how terrific Tuesday was.

Many in this Dolphins universe of die-hard fans started Tuesday morning with “The Fish Tank,” a podcast hosted by Seth Levit and the 1998 NFL receptions leader, former Dolphins wide receiver OJ McDuffie.

“Marino to McDuffie” was the common phrase in the mid-late 1990s, as the Hall of Fame quarterback took his long-awaited dive into the popular Dolphins podcast.

The show was a trip down memory lane which is a must-listen for any Dolphins fan, as the trio, including Marino, talked about all things from coach Don Shula, the Marks Brothers, and in a personal favorite moment, his connection and reliance on McDuffie. Hearing Marino directly tell McDuffie about his faith in him, no doubt pulled on the emotional strings of fans of a certain age.

It came full circle in talking about the current Dolphins, and, as each episode concludes with a famous end segment, it gave us all a chance to watch (and listen to) Dan the Man work one final two-minute drill.

The quarterback with 47 game-winning drives in his career, danced around the blitz of questions with 120 seconds on the studio clock, and per usual, he delivered, in typical Marino fashion.

If that wasn’t fun enough, the day turned to night, and HBO’s “Hard Knocks” took over Dolphins fans’ televisions and social media channels. Following the win, and two games removed from that miserable Monday Night Football loss to the Tennessee Titans, Tuesday’s episode was welcoming.

It featured a segment on Tik-Tok star through a relationship with Braxton Berrios, a lifelong Dolphins fan and former Jet, who signed with Miami last offseason. Staying with social media, Pinecrest Elementary school teacher Mary Martinez has been making waves in the Dolphins community with her mathematics methods, mixing Miami players in her lesson plans. The Miami-based teacher was also highlighted in Tuesday’s episode.

Martinez has been tracking Tyreek Hill’s pace to 2,000 receiving yards and integrates her class in finding the average yards needed per game to hit that magic number. Bravo to Ms. Martinez and her class and school.

Speaking of class, it was in session when Mike McDaniel hit the film in the Dolphins lecture hall. McDaniel pointed out his own and players’ mistakes, leading to a theme of accountability that even he recognizes and possesses as a head coach.

When talking about accountability, the financial focus shifts to the literal and figurative elephant in the locker room – Christian Wilkins. A polarizing player lately in terms of his value, worth and future in Miami, the main feature of “Hard Knocks” was his teammate and defensive line brother Zach Sieler.

Without any teasing of this aspect of the episode, from the Sieler family to the Wilkins comradery, just tune in if you missed it.

The duo is a team within a team within a unit, and it’s evident that they have chemistry you simply can’t buy or replicate. Yet, you can retain and build around it. The Dolphins have a major decision to make with Wilkins, as they extended Sieler earlier this season.

Wilkins is having a career year after betting on himself following a summer contract conundrum. Both he and his camp have decisions to make as well, as the combo of him and Seiler could just be too good and unique to pass up.

As the show was wrapping up with highlights of the Dolphins grounding the Jets, the night ended as the day started – with Dan Marino, who was in the locker room, celebrating the win, when from his blind side came a near-sack surprise.

Although the game was over for Wilkins, and it’s been a minute since Marino was wrapped up by a defensive lineman, the big man bear-hugged the former gunslinger for a postgame quarterback hit.

And, in pure Marino fashion, he stayed up, didn’t flinch, and delivered a touchdown pass of a podcast…despite Wilkins being all over the greatest Dolphin to ever do it.

What a day, what a night, what a team.

LOOK: The best images from Commanders vs. Dolphins in Week 13

We look back at some of the best images from Week 13.

Sunday was an ugly day for the Washington Commanders. The Miami Dolphins came to FedEx Field and destroyed the Commanders 45-15 in a game where the score could’ve been much worse. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel essentially didn’t even try to score in the game’s final 20 minutes and still managed to score another touchdown.

FedEx Field was sold out for the sixth time this season and, unsurprisingly, was packed full of Miami fans. There were some legends on hand in Landover representing each team.

Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs, the most revered figure in Washington’s over 90 years as an NFL franchise, was on the field before the game. Legendary former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino was also present.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill put on a show, catching two long touchdown passes and finished with 157 receiving yards.

We look back at some of the best images from Sunday’s game.