By SteveCCNV
I was born in Miami and lived there until I was 20. After attending my first game at age 4, I became a fan,. I don’t have any real memories of anything before I started school at age 5, except 2 from my first game. From these 2 pictures in my head I can still see that old Orange bowl scoreboard off to my left on the other end of the field that read 20-20 (vs Raiders preseason), and the opposing teams bench with Howard Twilley falling down into it, breaking his leg. The benches were built into the ground like a baseball dugout.
The Shula era kicked off in grand fashion for me, it started with a season preview of the Dolphins at my church in Miami Lakes, they talked about how the savior and member of our church Don Shula was coming to Miami to coach the Dolphins. My last up close and personal meet and greet with Shula was in the late 70s on the Don Shula show. My mom worked for Eastern Airlines and somehow got tickets to the show, there were only about 2 other people there with me on stage with Shula, Tony Nathan and the host of the show. I got to talk to him after the show, it was one of the highlights from my youth.
My family got season tickets (1970), 3 on the 6 yard line upper deck, 2nd to last row on the northwest end, and 2 my dad got from his work around the 35 yard line, also northwest end, and next to the guy that used to wave the Garo sign every time he kicked. For 7 straight years I never missed a home game, and saw all of the road games on TV. By 1976 the team had their first losing season under Shula and we decided to give up the tickets, mainly due to my dad’s company not giving him the 2 free tickets.
I stopped going to the games, but didn’t stop watching every game. In 1981 after graduating high school I got this fantastic job, selling cokes at the OB, well almost. I never sold any, just used my badge to get in free. In Sept 1983 I left Miami and moved to Burbank, Ca., about the same time Marino was starting his first game. I wondered, if I would remain a fan, but Marino’s greatness sealed that fate, and it didn’t hurt that in 1984 the Fins played the Los Angeles Raiders in L.A.
In 1983 still having my pass to get into games, I flew back to Miami and went to a Monday Night game against the Bengals. Nine of us got in free with the 3 passes. It was easy back in those days, since you could walk right up to the fence in the open end zone and hand the pass out. Quite an interesting night, I sat in front of Jimmy Conners and rainbow head (john 3 16), not sure why those 2 were sitting together. One of my friends had 4 guys try to take him out after he hit their buddy in the chin, creating a cleft chin (blood was pouring out), but he turned around with his fists in the air, back and forth and no one would hit him, 2 of us were standing outside the circle though. Another friend got kicked out for going on the field. On the plane ride home the next day I sat in front of Howard Cosell and Sparky Anderson, and behind the secretary from the Bob Newhart show, which was typical in those days flying to L.A.
Around the year 2000 I found a fan site online at the Sun Sentinel, way before Omar’s time there. Guys like FinFan Rob, Phinmanski, and Myth99 were also on that board. The format was just open forum, it was actually pretty good, and not much different than what we have today, except no login, so you could use whatever name. There were about 10 regulars and a few trolls, but the format being as simple as it was, was pretty good. After the mass exodus a few years ago, here we are today still waiting for our next SB title.
Finsmob Unleashed 
Duarte is a 5th-6th WR too….so I hope we can also develop a guy like Gray or Hughes….but more likely find one after mandatory roster trims begin…say Erik Swoope from Miami. He was a basketball player is still developing, but the Colts don’t run many 2 TE sets, if at all. He could be a camp casualty.
The left side of Miami’s offensive line was vulnerable to pressure against the Giants, and that’s not a good sign, considering Ryan Tannehill struggles when his pocket isn’t perfect
I am so tired of hearing this bullshit media narrative.
People like Nomar overuse hyperbole. Ryan Tannehill doesn’t need a perfect pocket he just needs more than two-and-a-half seconds to get the ball off.
Every QB struggles when he see his whole blind side breaking down too quickly. That’s what Defenses train for and scheme…lol
Some cool stories about brushes with sports celebrities. Might be a good blog topic someday.
I actually had the opportunity to have a very short conversation with Marino after he tee’d off on a hole in a Celebrity golf tournament he was playing in. Got a couple autographs that day as well. That pretty much made my whole decade…LOL
I used to work at Caesar’so Tahoe, the casino that sponsored the celebrity golf tournament. I worked in room service a couple of years, then was a dealer, so I’ve met lots of those guys, plus other celebrities throughout the year, including everone’so favorite Rosie O’Donnell, who outshines Joe Theismann
Lots of stories of stars, including a talk about OJ during the trial with his former MNF host Bob Trumps. Mike Schmidt, Curly Neal, Joe Namath one of my favorite chats, but none better than George Carlin…Didn’t meet Dan, but did get to see him play golf, followed his group for several holes, man can he hit it.
It’s Sister Hazel not Witch Hazel and Whalen should make it over him.
It’s Sister Mary Elephant
SHUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank-you
No more excuses!!!
steveccnv says:
August 19, 2016 at 9:59 am
I used to work at Caesar’so Tahoe, the casino that sponsored the celebrity golf tournament. I worked in room service a couple of years, then was a dealer, so I’ve met lots of those guys, plus other celebrities throughout the year, including everone’so favorite Rosie O’Donnell, who outshines Joe Theismann
LOL @ the Rosie O’Donnell reference,
Reminds me of the joke on here a few years back…”I think we’re going to need a bigger boat”
Yeah, there’s been plenty of Rosie bashing here. She’s really funny though, had a table packed and laughing for hours, while Theisman’so boring ass was bitching up a storm at the next table. The Pete Rose story may be the funniest though, I’ve told it here in the past.
Room service was an adventure every weekend, between naked chicks in rooms to Jose Canseco in a suite with a hot blonde that wasn’t his wife, to bachelor parties to celebrities, to a story Home would like about a guy in a towel trying to hold it up and carry a tray.
bookman11 says:
August 19, 2016 at 7:45 am (Edit)
Some cool stories about brushes with sports celebrities. Might be a good blog topic someday.
There was an earthquake in WV the day I met Chad Pennington! Coincidence? I think not. 😊
Nice!
Bookman
It was “I think we’re going to need a bigger shark”. It was in reference to the hammerhead sharks
I guess playing the Cowboys has its benefits
The game will be live on nfl network tonight
I saw the comments about Dolphins Digest yesterday. My dad worked at the printing plant (in Miami, or was it Hialeah?) that was contracted to print them. I was very fortunate in that he would bring home a copy from the first print run before any were shipped. And no, he wasn’t the reason some of you got your copies late lol
Oh well look at you. LOL
I said I was very fortunate lol
Digest was the lifeboat for out of towners. And well done too.
Yep!
Exactly
D says:
August 18, 2016 at 11:36 pm
Stanger you are the pirates fan here aren’t you? If so you probably remember Jay Bell. He is a close personal friend of cousin and her husband and I have had chance to meet him several times. …
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D — you leaving me hanging with that? Give me some thoughts on him, a story or something. I don’t care if he is a meth head (although I doubt), the nicest guy ever or somewhere in btwn.
Herd, was that earthquake the one like 4-5 years ago or so?
It was. And the earthquake was earlier in the day. But still …. Makes for a good story!
Know we know how Omar felt everytime he talked to Pennington…..like an earthquake hit him
We felt that in our building and we all went outside. I could feel the driveway moving. It was a very weird feeling.
I felt the earth move…😉
Bookman
It was “I think we’re going to need a bigger shark”. It was in reference to the hammerhead sharks
Mike,
Exactly..LOL!! I knew something didn’t look right when I wrote that……might be because I actually wrote the original line from the movie…..Dumb A$$…LOL
Arian Foster is hitting the field today. Good sign.
Last time he saw live action was……….last year’s Fest.
Rock — don’t forget to take the curse off him. 🙂
Forgot to mention nice fan post Steve. Also liked the celebrity stories you had (and everyone else’s). I haven’t really met any celebrities so I got nuttin’…
Not sure he is a celebrity any more, but shot bull with Arturo Freeman for a couple hours while we sat a blackjack table. Awesome guy. And he did’t like Jimmy J (who I briefly met) any more than I did…..but then Jimmy might have cut him.
I liked Arturo Freeman, real athletic safety, who could also bring the lumber.
Celebrities I’ve met, all of these at work BTW . . .
Jacqueline Onassis
CBS Anchor Jim Jensen
CNN Anchor Garrick Utley
NJ Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko
Others I’ve met outside of work
Zach Thomas
Joe Klecko
Ed Kranepool
That’s all I can think of
I know you and Zach became BFF’s (and didn’t surprise me one bit from either end), but what was Jackie O like? Much as we love sports, she’ the big name there.
Jackie O you win.
Bookman
The shark joke may have been my funniest intentional joke, but doesn’t hold a candle to my unintentional one, unfortunately – lol
Ok, let’s hear your unintentional one where you crapped yourself😉
Yeah,
Your unintentional one was even funnier….
Anytime something like that can be remembered for years you know it was either really good, or really bad, or both..LOL!.
Twice, you win the best DD story, how can anyone top your dad working for the printing company? Home would’ve said he worked for DD and wrote some of the stories, and he personally was responsible for the northeast getting their editions on time.
Not getting them on time.
Twice
Very fortunate indeed. Were there any other perks, maybe tix,?
Naaah, he just worked for the printing plant. Now, if they had also printed the tickets…. lol
LOL! Yeah, now that would have been sweet!
Rock — don’t forget to take the curse off him. 🙂
OH SHIT!!!! I totally forgot I put a hex on him last year! Where is my voodoo kit? Damn it where is that thing!?
Man I hope I can find it to remove the whammy before he blows his knee tonight!
Ahhhhh…..you have a voodoo kit….so THAT explains how DT3 could put a move on Revis in the open field and blow his knee out. I never did understand how that happened until now.
also responsible for Brady’s knee. I predicted it the game before it happened to one of my pat’s friends and She was like screw you, then the next week she called and said “OMG how did you know?” “I didn’t know, I made it happen” LOL
That is funny
Stanger
To be fair, all I did was shake her hand. Her assistant picked up her glasses, and took care of everything, just a quick introduction, and then she walked away while her assistant did her thing. Just like in the movies, she was wearing those huge sunglasses. I think she didn’t like to be seen.
This was at the 86th and Madison office of Meyrowitz Opticians. She had a file about 3 inches thick there, at least 50-60 pairs of glasses over the years, probably more.
Celebrities I’ve met (in order of meeting them, not importance)
David Crosby (CSN)
George Lucas
(I played win lose or draw with them and their wives)
Edgar Winter
Dan Marino
Bruce Willis
Demi Moore
Don Shula
Dwayne Johnson (the REAL Rock)
Edgar Winter! That’s pretty cool. George Lucas too. Marino of course is gold, unless you’re SB. 🙂
I met Lucas and Crosby at the house I was living when I was 17. I was a dishwasher at a restaurant and moved out of my folks house and needed somewhere to live and the Chef had an extra room so she let me rent the room from her. Turned out her sister Jan was married to David Crosby!
That is also where I met Edgar Winter. She knew a TON of people, lived in Plantation and whenever one of the celebrities were in town they would stop buy to see her. (well, not when ever but sometimes.) I met all the local radio DJ’s there too. It was a huge party house.
I hung out with a couple of the guys from the Sopranos in NYC after a fight at the Garden. My friend dated Harold Lederman’s daughter Julie and she got us into a private party. Federico Castelluccio (Furio) and John Ventimiglia (Artie) were the guys. They were pretty cool.
Who did you have a fight with? lol
LOL, boxing match. I don’t remember which fight it was but Jule Lederman was one of the judges that night.
I must really be having a bad day because I actually thought there was a fight like outside of The Garden and Tim and his good time buddies ,The Sopranos guys, were standing around watching.
I met Bruce Willis at the grand opening of Planet Hollywood in Coconut Grove. (I was the Electrical contractor who did the job) and I met Demi Moore at the studio in Miami where she filmed Strip Tease (I did all the electrical work for the studio and was there during the filming)
I met Don Shula because I built some of his restaurants. (I mostly dealt with his wife and son)
I met Marino as a kid when I worked for the pool company the built his pool.
Bruce Willis and Dan Marino were both dick heads
SB coulda told ya that. That’s unfortunate. Zach Thomas was so damn nice.
Marino was nice to me and my daughter…but that WAS in public so maybe he thought he needed to be.
I’m sure he was just smitten with you Bookman
Yeah, I was a helper for the pool company that was building his pool. Had a huge hole in the back yard, back hoe tracks all through the lawn and he yelled at me for walking on his grass……
Jordan may be the biggest dick, he gamble at Caesar’s in the high limit room, and no one else was allowed to play at his table. He was the biggest star at the golf tournament, the kids would wait at the elevators at 6:00 AM and wait for him every morning, he regularly, wouldn’t sign autographs.
I guess when you’re that big you can’t go anywhere without being mobbed, but he was a dick to acquaintances and teammates too.
Has anyone met the man that met Andy Griffith😉
No, but I met a guy who met Kevin Bacon, so i’m within two or three degrees. LOL
Lol
Mike E. says:
August 19, 2016 at 3:02 pm
I’m sure he was just smitten with you Bookman
I let him out of some Library fines
I was living in California, my mom was still living in Miami, and her neighbor was William Judson, Dolphins CB. I met him once, then the next year Fins were playing in SD, so I asked if he could get me some tickets, he had 4 waiting for me, but my friends backed out of going.
So instead of going down on Saturday, my wife and I went Sunday morning, but no tickets were waiting at will call. Turns out he didn’t get the message, and was expecting me at the team hotel, where he was going to introduce me to the team. Most unfortunate thing I’ve ever done😣
LMAO!!! I’m dying over here, I quick read this and thought you said “So instead of going down on my wife and I”. LOL
You have a wife named Saturday?
Not sure if any of you know him but I met jazz fusion guitarist Alan Holdsworth. We were standing outside of Town Hall before the show and he came flying out on his way back to his hotel because he had issues with the electronics in his guitar. So my friends and I all walked very quickly with him to his hotel and back to the show. He was very cool to all of us.
Never herd of him…….he doesn’t count. LOL
LOL, if you play guitar and like jazz fusion you’d know him. He influenced a lot of players including Eddie Van Halen and Alex Lifeson.
LOL!!
LOL @ Bookman. I thought the mention of the Lederman’s would explain it. 🙂
Tim, that has to be a very small group of people. Play Guitar AND like Jazz Fusion. The Jazz Fusion part disqualifies about 99.99% of the population….
That’s probably true but there are a lot of jerks in the world. LOL
Steve, your wife’s name is Saturday? That is a very unique name! 😉
LMAO!!!!
LMAO!! Saturday’s his mistress
LMAO!! You guys are on a roll today!
Nope 2nd base
LOL
Alan Holdsworth is awesome. That is cool you met him
I thought he meant Albert Haynesworth
Yeah to us he was a God and when he walked right past us we were like holy shit that’s him. So we yelled Alan!!! and started walking with him. He appreciated us being fans and was very nice. Shook his hand and got autographs but I couldn’t tell you where it is now. This was mid/late 80s. It’s probably in a box somewhere that I would have to just come across.
I met that pitcher who threw the back to back no-hitters, Johnny Vandermeer . He gave me a big league baseball bat.
Are you saying he laid the wood on you? LOL
Naples you met Art Vanderlay, oh wait that was George’s fake Architect name…
I love how cocky he is about his fake persona. LOL
Watching Kim Bokamper and Jimmy Cefalo having a discussion on the field in Dallas pregame and Cefalo said he remembers against the Bills last year they kept blitzing a corner and RT would point to him but because he couldn’t change the play they kept blowing it up. How fucked up is that?
They were talking about how much more liberal Gase is with his offense and giving his QB more control of the plays and offense overall. I always felt that’s the way it should be. That’s like not picking players that a coach needs and then asking him to win games. Dumb!!!
They just talked about how much the coaches like Damien Williams and that Kenyan Drake who’s not even in Dallas tonight with a hammy could be on the bubble. Someone recently said that and I didn’t agree but they both seem to think that is the case. Yikes!
People speculate too much, that kid has a roster spot pretty much already with his name on it. If anything they might IR him, but cut aint in his future.
Yeah I don’t want to start a rumor they were speaking from the standpoint that they know what it’s like to be a rookie and how TC and the PS works.
stangerx says:
August 19, 2016 at 12:02 pm
D says:
August 18, 2016 at 11:36 pm
Stanger you are the pirates fan here aren’t you? If so you probably remember Jay Bell. He is a close personal friend of cousin and her husband and I have had chance to meet him several times. …
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D — you leaving me hanging with that? Give me some thoughts on him, a story or something. I don’t care if he is a meth head (although I doubt), the nicest guy ever or somewhere in btwn.
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Jay Bell is a really awesome guy. Great personality but he has a really big heart and a soft spot for helping children. Very down to earth person, you didn’t feel you were in the presence of a celeb.
Thanks D — didn’t expect anything else. Funny how interviews translate into the real person. He always seemed as solid as they come.
steveccnv says:
August 19, 2016 at 3:04 pm
Has anyone met the man that met Andy Griffith😉
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No but i have been to the town that Mayberry was modeled after. a town in NC where he grew up. Mt. Airy NC.
Rockphin says:
August 19, 2016 at 3:20 pm
Steve, your wife’s name is Saturday? That is a very unique name! 😉
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LOL just to show you that this group in the region of maturity and witty responses, share a brain, i actually didnt see this reply, before i made the same damn one lol.
bookman11 says:
August 19, 2016 at 2:49 pm
Marino was nice to me and my daughter…but that WAS in public so maybe he thought he needed to be.
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With some of the things that came forward about his infidelities, it could have been her that you got to see that side of him. (please forgive if your daughter was too young at that point for this to be an appropriate comments) 🙂
naplesfan2010 says:
August 19, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I met that pitcher who threw the back to back no-hitters, Johnny Vandermeer . He gave me a big league baseball bat.
Reply
Tim Knight says:
August 19, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Are you saying he laid the wood on you? LOL
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Definately was handling and exchange of wood in that comment… You didnt say it was his wood, was there another people involved. Was it a menage a trois wood handling/exchange event? Did he just reach over and gab someone else wood to give to you? Was Mike there?
Well the Marlins took their SHIT!
Guess I can get back into Football now 🙂
GO PHINS!!!
Howie — been wondering where you were. Great to see you.
Your boys play my boys tonight.
“Since June 24, the Pirates’ 28-17 record is the best in baseball.” Not sure why I bring that up. 🙂
Tim Knight says:
August 19, 2016 at 2:42 pm
I hung out with a couple of the guys from the Sopranos in NYC after a fight at the Garden. My friend dated Harold Lederman’s daughter Julie and she got us into a private party. Federico Castelluccio (Furio) and John Ventimiglia (Artie) were the guys. They were pretty cool.
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Leave it to the new jersian to have a celeb moment and it be people who play gangsters… lol
That’s not my only one. I didn’t just meet them I partied with them. LOL
does that make you a made man now?….forgive me, i dont fully understand ya’lls ways
No I was just saying it wasn’t just a meeting, we actually hung out, joked around, talked about the Sopranos and film and all kinds of other stuff. It was pretty cool.
Nice stuff Steve. I saw that first paragraph about Twilley.
That was my Man back then and thats what all the kids on the block called me.
Notice the new/old avi since my good computer went down.
30-16 Phins
LMAO @ Drake not making the 2016 roster. I also LOL last time I saw that mentioned on here. Drake will get his due time. The team will have patience with him. He’s too much of a big play potential weapon not to!
They didn’t go defense with the pick for Piggy and spend it on a college star RB/KR/WR just to cut the guy cause he tweaked his hammys.
They were just saying if he thinks he can just show up late in the game and make the team that’s not how it works. I don’t think he’ll be cut either, but they weren’t trying to invent a story either, they were just being candid about where he’s at.
Well, his missing time will definitely keep him out of the starting lineup and out of rotation for now….but he can easily earn that by getting healthy and flashing in practices. I suspect we’ll see him a lot in the final PS game if he can go on the piano string hammys.
Make that violin bow hammys. 🙂
I hope so but this is two hammy issues now. The same with Parker. Some of these young guys have to put more time into hydration and stretching. It’s really that simple but they don’t know it yet. The NFL level kicked it up a notch and it challenged them. These two could be some of the most explosive playmakers we have. The talent is there.
We should see Parker tonight.
Sorry… I stood that from Tim.
Stole ^^^^. Damn .🤓
Alright Hamilton, it’s game time!
Gnarly..
Totally awesome!!!!
Damn I thought the game was at 7, not an hour of pregame BS.
And of course they instead talk about the Effin Patsies..
I walked away, too much gossip filler. Not like back in the day when they actually talked about the game and tactics and did their homework. This group has no idea about any of these teams except for the popular view. No depth of view like back in the day. This just hit me big time. Geez!
New blog up!
second game of the preseason and I’m already looking forward to next year’s fucking draft