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Seventeen and Oh: Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season
Publishing on the 50th anniversary of that magic season, the definitive chronicle of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history—from the award-winning author of A Terrible Splendor
The 1972 Miami Dolphins had something to prove. Losers in the previous Super Bowl, a ragtag bunch of overlooked, underappreciated, or just plain old players, they were led by Don Shula, a genius young coach obsessed with obliterating the reputation that he couldn't win the big game. And as the Dolphins headed into only their seventh season, all eyes were on Miami. For the last time, a city was hosting both national political conventions, and the backdrop to this season of redemption would be the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the strange, unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam.
Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team as well. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, with his supernova afro, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, nicknamed "Butch and Sundance," had to make way for a third running back, the outspoken and flamboyant Mercury Morris. But unlike the fractious society around them, this racially and culturally diverse group found a way to meld seamlessly into a team. The perfect team. Miami native Marshall Jon Fisher's personal perspective makes Seventeen and Oh a unique, compelling account of a season unlike any other.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins had something to prove. Losers in the previous Super Bowl, a ragtag bunch of overlooked, underappreciated, or just plain old players, they were led by Don Shula, a genius young coach obsessed with obliterating the reputation that he couldn't win the big game. And as the Dolphins headed into only their seventh season, all eyes were on Miami. For the last time, a city was hosting both national political conventions, and the backdrop to this season of redemption would be the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the strange, unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam.
Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team as well. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, with his supernova afro, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, nicknamed "Butch and Sundance," had to make way for a third running back, the outspoken and flamboyant Mercury Morris. But unlike the fractious society around them, this racially and culturally diverse group found a way to meld seamlessly into a team. The perfect team. Miami native Marshall Jon Fisher's personal perspective makes Seventeen and Oh a unique, compelling account of a season unlike any other.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2022
36 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Marshall Jon Fisher
6 books3 followersMarshall Jon Fisher was born in 1963 in Ithaca, New York, grew up in Miami, and graduated from Brandeis University, where he played varsity tennis. He worked as a sportswriter in Miami and a tennis pro in Munich before moving to New York City, where he received an M.A. in English at City College. In 1989 he moved to Boston and began working as a freelance writer and editor.
He has written on a variety of topics for The Atlantic Monthly, ranging from wooden tennis rackets to Internet fraud, and his work has also appeared in Harper’s, Discover, DoubleTake, and other publications, as well as The Best American Essays 2003. His book The Ozone Layer was selected by The New York Public Library as one of the best books for teenagers of 1993. His book (with his father, David E. Fisher) Tube: the Invention of Television was published by Counterpoint in 1996 and by Harcourt Brace in paperback in 1997. Their second book together, Strangers in the Night: a Brief History of Life on Other Worlds (Counterpoint 1998), was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the twenty-five Books to Remember of 1998.
In 2009, A Terrible Splendor was published to great acclaim. The Washington Post wrote, “Fisher has gotten hold of some mighty themes: war and peace, love and death, sports and savagery…. As the match enters its final set, all the narrative pieces lock together, and A Terrible Splendor becomes as engrossing as the contest it portrays.” The Wall Street Journal found the book “rich and rewarding,” and the San Francisco Chronicle called Splendor “enthralling…a gripping tale…. Wedding the nuances of a sport to broader historical events is a challenge, but Fisher pulls the task off with supreme finesse, at once revealing the triumph and tragedy of a remarkable tennis match.”
Marshall lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts with his wife, Mileta Roe (a professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Rock), and their two sons, Satchel and Bram.
Source
He has written on a variety of topics for The Atlantic Monthly, ranging from wooden tennis rackets to Internet fraud, and his work has also appeared in Harper’s, Discover, DoubleTake, and other publications, as well as The Best American Essays 2003. His book The Ozone Layer was selected by The New York Public Library as one of the best books for teenagers of 1993. His book (with his father, David E. Fisher) Tube: the Invention of Television was published by Counterpoint in 1996 and by Harcourt Brace in paperback in 1997. Their second book together, Strangers in the Night: a Brief History of Life on Other Worlds (Counterpoint 1998), was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the twenty-five Books to Remember of 1998.
In 2009, A Terrible Splendor was published to great acclaim. The Washington Post wrote, “Fisher has gotten hold of some mighty themes: war and peace, love and death, sports and savagery…. As the match enters its final set, all the narrative pieces lock together, and A Terrible Splendor becomes as engrossing as the contest it portrays.” The Wall Street Journal found the book “rich and rewarding,” and the San Francisco Chronicle called Splendor “enthralling…a gripping tale…. Wedding the nuances of a sport to broader historical events is a challenge, but Fisher pulls the task off with supreme finesse, at once revealing the triumph and tragedy of a remarkable tennis match.”
Marshall lives in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts with his wife, Mileta Roe (a professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Rock), and their two sons, Satchel and Bram.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 11, 2022
The 2022 NFL season is here after almost 8 months of no games. I’m ready to Fire the Cannons, Bear Down, Do my job, and welcome myself to the jungle. It should be a fun year to say the least. It is also the 50th anniversary of the NFL’s ahem only undefeated season (2007 is still undefeated in my books and may the helmet catch live in infamy). That off my chest, Miami native Marshall Jon Fisher details his Dolphins season of 50 years ago, starting with the birth of the franchise in 1966 and giving back stories and a detailed look at the team’s players, coaches, and personnel, while weaving in the nation’s precarious political situation as a backdrop. Having only known about Larry Czonka as host of American Gladiators and Bob Griese as father to Michigan national champion quarterback Brian, I found Fisher’s account to be informative and fascinating. I’m hoping another Florida team goes undefeated this year so the living Dolphins from 50 years ago, now not numbering many, no longer have to meet for a champagne toast.
🏈 4 stars 🐬
🏈 4 stars 🐬
January 23, 2022
As of the writing of this review, there has been only one perfect season in the NFL during the Super Bowl era. The 1972 Miami Dolphins completed the regular season with a perfect 14-0 record, then defeated the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington to complete their perfect year. 50 years later, Marshall Jon Fisher has written a book about that team that is almost as perfect as the 1972 Dolphins. Just about anything you would want to know about the team is in the book.
Fisher grew up in the Miami era and he shares some stories of his fandom as a child that tie in nicely with the particular subject in the chapter where a story would appear. As do many sports books about a bygone era, he also ties in some social and political commentary as he includes updates on the presidential election (especially since both major political parties held their convention in Miami that year), the Vietnam war and the peace talks taking place in 1972 and even some talk about the last mission to the moon, Apollo 17. Just like with his personal stories, Fisher does a nice job of weaving these topics into the book without them being a distraction or a lecture.
As good as those stories are, his writing about the team and personnel is even better. While many books on great teams or seasons will focus on a small number of key people, this one has small bios or information on nearly everyone associated with the team. There is plenty of material on the Hall of Fame people on the team – Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka and head coach Don Shula for starters. But just as prominent in the book are others who because of the position or role they played may not be as familiar to casual readers. These include people like Jim Langer, Larry Little, Vern Den Herder and Jake Scott. By including information on so many people, the reader will understand much more about how the Dolphins truly came together as a team that year.
The book’s chapters are divided up by each game played, plus one chapter on the previous off-season in which coach Shula reminded them of their loss in the previous Super Bowl, one chapter for the 1972 pre-season and one for what became of the people after the perfect year. That one does include mentioning the “celebration” that takes place every year after the last undefeated NFL suffers its first loss. The football writing, especially the description of each game and the information on key people involved in that particular win, was excellent. It was detailed enough for hard-core football fans to enjoy, yet easy enough that more casual fans won’t be confused by too much detail. That was what made this book one of the better football books I have read.
Any football fan at any level, whether they were around to see that outstanding Dolphins team, will enjoy reading about the best season any NFL team has ever had. As the 50th anniversary of that season approaches, it is a great way to spend time either reliving or learning about a truly great team.
I wish to thank Abrams Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Fisher grew up in the Miami era and he shares some stories of his fandom as a child that tie in nicely with the particular subject in the chapter where a story would appear. As do many sports books about a bygone era, he also ties in some social and political commentary as he includes updates on the presidential election (especially since both major political parties held their convention in Miami that year), the Vietnam war and the peace talks taking place in 1972 and even some talk about the last mission to the moon, Apollo 17. Just like with his personal stories, Fisher does a nice job of weaving these topics into the book without them being a distraction or a lecture.
As good as those stories are, his writing about the team and personnel is even better. While many books on great teams or seasons will focus on a small number of key people, this one has small bios or information on nearly everyone associated with the team. There is plenty of material on the Hall of Fame people on the team – Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka and head coach Don Shula for starters. But just as prominent in the book are others who because of the position or role they played may not be as familiar to casual readers. These include people like Jim Langer, Larry Little, Vern Den Herder and Jake Scott. By including information on so many people, the reader will understand much more about how the Dolphins truly came together as a team that year.
The book’s chapters are divided up by each game played, plus one chapter on the previous off-season in which coach Shula reminded them of their loss in the previous Super Bowl, one chapter for the 1972 pre-season and one for what became of the people after the perfect year. That one does include mentioning the “celebration” that takes place every year after the last undefeated NFL suffers its first loss. The football writing, especially the description of each game and the information on key people involved in that particular win, was excellent. It was detailed enough for hard-core football fans to enjoy, yet easy enough that more casual fans won’t be confused by too much detail. That was what made this book one of the better football books I have read.
Any football fan at any level, whether they were around to see that outstanding Dolphins team, will enjoy reading about the best season any NFL team has ever had. As the 50th anniversary of that season approaches, it is a great way to spend time either reliving or learning about a truly great team.
I wish to thank Abrams Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
October 10, 2022
A niche book, but ultimately one I really liked. A chapter per game mixed with stories of the players on this historic team as well as some wider context of the time. A great insight into the mindset of a team and players from a different era.
August 4, 2023
Truly a perfect book. 🐬
November 7, 2023
Plenty has been written about the perfect season of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, however “Seventeen and Oh” provides a bit of a different perspective. Marshall Jones Fisher writes as a youth in 1972, through the baffling NFL broadcasting rules that saw much of this season played out for him on the radio. The unique pice of the story is marrying the 72 Dolphins to the tumultuous current events of the time focusing on President Richard Nixon, his re-election, Watergate and Vietnam. The final chapter takes a bit of a left turn with a commentary on the violence caused by football and the shortened lives of the members of the 72 team or poor health conditions some currently experience. Overall a well written book that keeps the topic fresh and interesting.
October 9, 2023
A great book about the 1972 Miami Dolphins. This was written from the perspective of someone who was actually living in Miami during this time. At his age, these guys are pretty much your everything. It's more personal than a book written by a sportswriter. Fisher intercuts the story of the 72 Dolphins with Watergate and Vietnam and the city of Miami itself.
One of the things I liked most about the book was the mini biographies of pretty much all the players and coaches. Pretty much every player on the team had played elsewhere and found wanting. Even some of the Dolphins who had not played for anyone else had not reached their full potential. There were no superstars on that team. Fisher also mentioned some of the darker parts of the game. Players played on awful artificial turf. Most took painkiling shots just to play. Players played through concussions and other injuries that would bench players now for weeks if not months. At the end of the book, Fisher tells what happened to the players. Sadly, most of them suffered from their injuries as they reached middle age. Several players had brain damage from the hits they took. A great many have passed away.
I liked the index and notes but I wish Fisher would have included a bibliography.
One of the things I liked most about the book was the mini biographies of pretty much all the players and coaches. Pretty much every player on the team had played elsewhere and found wanting. Even some of the Dolphins who had not played for anyone else had not reached their full potential. There were no superstars on that team. Fisher also mentioned some of the darker parts of the game. Players played on awful artificial turf. Most took painkiling shots just to play. Players played through concussions and other injuries that would bench players now for weeks if not months. At the end of the book, Fisher tells what happened to the players. Sadly, most of them suffered from their injuries as they reached middle age. Several players had brain damage from the hits they took. A great many have passed away.
I liked the index and notes but I wish Fisher would have included a bibliography.
December 10, 2022
Much ink has been spent during the last 50 years writing about the 1972 Miami Dolphins team that went 17-0. Back in the 1990s (before GoodReads), in the heyday of my Dolphins fandom, I read a number of them including Mercury Morris' memoir, a biography of Don Shula, and probably But we were 17 and 0. When I saw this book on the New Non Fiction shelf at my local public library I hesitated to pick it up. Is it really going to to tell me anything new? Yes, and I'm glad I decided to give it a try anyway.
Fisher and his research assistants not only did a great job combing publications for primary sources, but Fisher conducted new interviews on some of the surviving players. He also takes this book to another level beyond a simply sports history, weaving in his own reminisces as a child in the Miami area in 1972 and local and world events in general between Aug 1972 and Jan 1973. The Republicans and Democrats both held their national conventions in Miami as the Dolphins' training camp was underway. Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War were unfolding in the backdrop of The Perfect Season. Both deeply involved President Richard Nixon who successfully ran for reelection, had a winter home on Key Biscayne near Miami, and was a fan of both the Washington Redskins and Dolphins coach Don Shula. 17-0 isn't just a remarkable feat accomplished by a colorful cast of characters, but it's put in the context of its time.
The passage of time also lends a sad coda to the story. Shula is dead now. Many of the players are too, and most (whether now living or dead) lasted long enough to pay the piper for those hard games on fake grass and the accompanying painkiller shots. CTE lends concussions a disconcerting weight.
This is my favorite sports history book, and a must read for Miami Dolphins fans.
Fisher and his research assistants not only did a great job combing publications for primary sources, but Fisher conducted new interviews on some of the surviving players. He also takes this book to another level beyond a simply sports history, weaving in his own reminisces as a child in the Miami area in 1972 and local and world events in general between Aug 1972 and Jan 1973. The Republicans and Democrats both held their national conventions in Miami as the Dolphins' training camp was underway. Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War were unfolding in the backdrop of The Perfect Season. Both deeply involved President Richard Nixon who successfully ran for reelection, had a winter home on Key Biscayne near Miami, and was a fan of both the Washington Redskins and Dolphins coach Don Shula. 17-0 isn't just a remarkable feat accomplished by a colorful cast of characters, but it's put in the context of its time.
The passage of time also lends a sad coda to the story. Shula is dead now. Many of the players are too, and most (whether now living or dead) lasted long enough to pay the piper for those hard games on fake grass and the accompanying painkiller shots. CTE lends concussions a disconcerting weight.
This is my favorite sports history book, and a must read for Miami Dolphins fans.
October 14, 2022
I’m very biased; I’ve been a Dolphins fan since late 1973. I’ve looked for ANY kind of media like this and have scooped it up including the multi-DVD set that tells the history of the team. I will say this has been the most enjoyable this far of all I’ve read and seen. And there are a number of reasons why: (1) there’s a rather large amount of detail - granted there would be since it’s a 300+ page book about ONE season that ONE team played but there’s detail from what the city of Miami and surrounding areas was like back then, detail of the major players and their lives, details of other rather important historical events of the time which really sets the story (2) there’s a ton of quotes from the players and coaches not only form the Dolphins but from teams they played against (3) there’s a focus on the driving force behind Shula’s coaching style and the reason an undefeated season was NOT the main goal (4) there’s enough statistical detail but not enough to big down the reader (5) there’s even detail about the authors life, the impetus for his writing the book.
There are more reasons but what I found most enjoyable is how the team viewed playing the game. They had fun, period. Nothing short of broken bones would stop them (and even in some cases broken bones didn’t stop them)
Even if your not a Dolphins fan, heck even if you’re not a sports fan, this is well worth the read. It is an amazing story behind the only team in NFL history of go undefeated
There are more reasons but what I found most enjoyable is how the team viewed playing the game. They had fun, period. Nothing short of broken bones would stop them (and even in some cases broken bones didn’t stop them)
Even if your not a Dolphins fan, heck even if you’re not a sports fan, this is well worth the read. It is an amazing story behind the only team in NFL history of go undefeated
December 26, 2022
As a Dolphins fan raised on the lore of the perfect 1972 team, this book was everything I wanted. It breaks down the schedule game-by-game, with asides to encapsulate every key player and coach. The author is a Miami native who describes the social and political atmosphere in Miami that year, including Vietnam, Nixon and racial tension. Fisher does this not in critical hindsight, but to add valuable cultural context to one of the great teams in American sports. He also addresses the team’s injury-filled postscript, again not preaching but reporting on what happened then and now. Any fan of football history will enjoy this book, and Dolphins fans will relish it.
July 28, 2022
I’m not a Dolphins fan, but count me a fan of this look back at their undefeated season of 1972. It’s an easy read - 17 chapters, each about a different game in the magical season of 17-0. It’s an engaging blend of football and cultural history - while you'll hear about each week's game, you'll also hear about the lives of the players and what was happening at the time in the US. For a lifelong sports fan, it’s fun time travel back to when athletes were much more relatable; sure, they got paid to play a game but not a whole lot more than the average working stiff.
December 29, 2022
Maybe the best football book I've read. Certainly the most distinctive subject matter, the 1972 Miami Dolphins still the NFL's only undefeated champion. Fisher has a smooth narrative style, both in describing 17 football games and providing backgrounds of the men who helped win all 17 of them. The Dolphins' story is also placed in context, both South Florida in the early Seventies, and the weight of Watergate and Vietnam growing across the country. I enjoyed every page.
November 28, 2022
As a native Miamian just a little too young for the 1972 season to be personally important to me, I loved all of this sports tale infused with Miami, US, and world history as context. This book was beautifully written and researched, and the game descriptions are so compelling, I have several on my list to watch in 2022.
December 18, 2021
Lucky enough to get a review copy. Excellent book. Captures the magic of the team, the era and the sport.
August 28, 2023
As an old Dolphins fan, I thought this was the best book ever about the perfect '72 team. Also an excellent read for anyone just interested in Miami and the country and the sport of football in the early 1970s. When I read the previous books about the Perfect Dolphins, I came away unsatisfied. I wanted to know more about each individual game--what actually happened in each game, and in the week leading up to it? That is all here in detail, written in engaging prose. Also lots about what was going on in America each week, and there was a lot going on that season: Vietnam, Watergate, women's liberation, the presidential campaign, with Nixon--a big football fan--hanging out in Miami at his Key Biscayne compound. Unlike all the other books, this author actually grew up in Miami and was there for the perfect season, and he throws in just a little bit of personal memoir, which is nice flavoring for this history. Great stuff, great reading!
September 22, 2022
A fun read about the only perfect team in NFL history, that is the 1972 Dolphins who not only ran the table during the regular season, most of it with a 39-year-old backup quarterback after Bob
Griese broke his ankle in week five, but also due to different playoff rules then, had to play the AFC championship game on the road in Pittsburgh which was no easy feat. Then on to the Super Bowl where they defeated George Allen's powerhouse Washington Redskins.
The 1972 Dolphins often are not given the proper respect due to the fact that they did not have any true superstars although many of its members eventually made the Hall of Fame. But those who disparage the No-Name Defense and the lack of superstars on that team, miss the entire point. Don Shula had built a team. In fact, history's only perfect team. So many times in today's sports world we look to the individual star. The prima donna who insists that he must get the ball and must be the center of attention while not fully involving the bench or other role players. These are the teams that have inherent weaknesses and cannot by definition be perfect. Don Shula's 1972 Dolphins were the very epitome of perfection in that it was indeed a team effort.
Griese broke his ankle in week five, but also due to different playoff rules then, had to play the AFC championship game on the road in Pittsburgh which was no easy feat. Then on to the Super Bowl where they defeated George Allen's powerhouse Washington Redskins.
The 1972 Dolphins often are not given the proper respect due to the fact that they did not have any true superstars although many of its members eventually made the Hall of Fame. But those who disparage the No-Name Defense and the lack of superstars on that team, miss the entire point. Don Shula had built a team. In fact, history's only perfect team. So many times in today's sports world we look to the individual star. The prima donna who insists that he must get the ball and must be the center of attention while not fully involving the bench or other role players. These are the teams that have inherent weaknesses and cannot by definition be perfect. Don Shula's 1972 Dolphins were the very epitome of perfection in that it was indeed a team effort.
September 1, 2022
When the author stuck to football, it was great. But no, decided to go out of his way to insert his left-wing bias.
March 28, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: PLAYING HURT… SMART… PRIDE… COACHING = ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM IN NFL HISTORY
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The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain fifty years later… the only single season undefeated team in NFL history! The author takes you back to that generation and years leading up to it in a manner that is educational… as well as entertaining… for both fans that lived through that time… and the many that have not. Action on the field and off is covered in excruciating detail. Not only of each game… but what made the team grow to the historical level they accomplished with the arrival of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula… whose practices alone made seasoned NFL players feel like they had never been in the pro’s before. Some whined and complained under their breath… eliciting the following statement from Coach Shula: “IF IT’S TOO TOUGH FOR YOU, PACK UP AND GO HOME, WE DON’T WANT QUITTERS.”
Simultaneous to the “BATTAAN-DEATH-MARCH-PRACTICES”… and victory after victory in the regular season and beyond… the author synergistically weaves a constant tale of worldwide events… from Miami to Viet Nam and back. The fact that both the Democrat and Republican Conventions were being held in Miami… Viet Nam bombings… peace talks… protests… and the Watergate break in… among other historical events were playing out concurrently… and the author never misses a beat on all of it… is a master stroke.
Additionally the author interjects great biographical backgrounds of the Dolphin players that are famous and non-famous fifty years later. The player historical flashbacks are wonderfully done to where you learn what made them who they are…both mentally and physically. The fact that the Dolphins were such an unlikely mix of liberals and conservatives… flakes… and intellectuals… blacks and whites… makes the background reporting so important... and yet it never… ever… slows down… even for a moment… the full speed ahead locomotive of historical NFL victories!
With all those “tasty” literary ingredients being mixed like a world class chef… the author Marshall Jon Fisher… dares to take it to even a higher level… by taking the chance of also adding his families moving to Miami in August 1966 from New York just in time for the birth of the Miami Dolphins… to his burgeoning literary master piece… and succeeds. All true fans will relate to the family falling in love with “THEIR” team… and in the days of local blackouts… or televised games… Father and sons… rushing out to the backyard during halftime… to reenact their hero’s maneuvers… and then scampering to get back in the house in time for the second half kickoff.
In addition to the non-football world events that will remind you of a different world… the accepted behavior regarding the health of players… will almost make you think its science fiction or the caveman times. From Xylocaine Cocktails… to playing with so many concussions… a person with no concussions couldn’t keep an accurate count of how many were ignored to keep players on the field.
Football was extremely different in those days… it isn’t like today… where many former players (and I agree) say they should put a skirt on the quarterback the way the NFL protects them. One of my favorite players from the time he was at Syracuse University was LARRY CSONKA… and I would like to share with you… a statement from Hall of Fame coach Don Shula about “ZONK”… that to me… means as much as a Hall of Fame Plaque. “I LIKE TO RUN WHERE THERE ARE HOLES,” SAID JIM KIICK, “LARRY LIKES TO RUN WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE.” EVERY OLD DOLPHINS FAN HAS AN IMAGE IN HIS MIND OF LARRY CSONKA FIGHTING THROUGH THE BODY-STREWN CENTER OF THE FIELD, CARRYING ONE OR TWO OPPONENTS ON HIS BACK OR LEGS AS HE STRAINS FORWARD FOR ONE EXTRA YARD. AFTER WATCHING ONE SUCH SCENE ON THE 1971 HIGHLIGHT REEL—ZONK TAKING TWO HITS AND FIGHTING HIS WAY OVER THE GOAL LINE, THEN LOOKING UP, HIS HELMET ASKEW, SWEAT AND MUD DRIPPING OFF HIS NOSE GUARD, SHOWING NO EMOTION AS HE FLIPS THE BALL TO THE REF-- **SHULA CALLED IT “THE VERY IMAGE OF MANHOOD.”**
AMEN BROTHER (FROM THE REVIEWER)
There are so many classic quotes from all these historical figures… but one little factoid that won’t be in the NFL record book… but it impressed me enough that I would like to share it with the world… is the following: Dolphin player JAKE SCOTT ON A WAGER, DOWNED FORTY-THREE BEERS IN ONE SITTING! That could be up there right next to the Dolphins winning Seventeen straight and winning the Super Bowl in one incredible… record breaking season!
This is a greatly written… and mixed… story of the only undefeated team in NFL history… and the time in the world that it occurred!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain fifty years later… the only single season undefeated team in NFL history! The author takes you back to that generation and years leading up to it in a manner that is educational… as well as entertaining… for both fans that lived through that time… and the many that have not. Action on the field and off is covered in excruciating detail. Not only of each game… but what made the team grow to the historical level they accomplished with the arrival of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula… whose practices alone made seasoned NFL players feel like they had never been in the pro’s before. Some whined and complained under their breath… eliciting the following statement from Coach Shula: “IF IT’S TOO TOUGH FOR YOU, PACK UP AND GO HOME, WE DON’T WANT QUITTERS.”
Simultaneous to the “BATTAAN-DEATH-MARCH-PRACTICES”… and victory after victory in the regular season and beyond… the author synergistically weaves a constant tale of worldwide events… from Miami to Viet Nam and back. The fact that both the Democrat and Republican Conventions were being held in Miami… Viet Nam bombings… peace talks… protests… and the Watergate break in… among other historical events were playing out concurrently… and the author never misses a beat on all of it… is a master stroke.
Additionally the author interjects great biographical backgrounds of the Dolphin players that are famous and non-famous fifty years later. The player historical flashbacks are wonderfully done to where you learn what made them who they are…both mentally and physically. The fact that the Dolphins were such an unlikely mix of liberals and conservatives… flakes… and intellectuals… blacks and whites… makes the background reporting so important... and yet it never… ever… slows down… even for a moment… the full speed ahead locomotive of historical NFL victories!
With all those “tasty” literary ingredients being mixed like a world class chef… the author Marshall Jon Fisher… dares to take it to even a higher level… by taking the chance of also adding his families moving to Miami in August 1966 from New York just in time for the birth of the Miami Dolphins… to his burgeoning literary master piece… and succeeds. All true fans will relate to the family falling in love with “THEIR” team… and in the days of local blackouts… or televised games… Father and sons… rushing out to the backyard during halftime… to reenact their hero’s maneuvers… and then scampering to get back in the house in time for the second half kickoff.
In addition to the non-football world events that will remind you of a different world… the accepted behavior regarding the health of players… will almost make you think its science fiction or the caveman times. From Xylocaine Cocktails… to playing with so many concussions… a person with no concussions couldn’t keep an accurate count of how many were ignored to keep players on the field.
Football was extremely different in those days… it isn’t like today… where many former players (and I agree) say they should put a skirt on the quarterback the way the NFL protects them. One of my favorite players from the time he was at Syracuse University was LARRY CSONKA… and I would like to share with you… a statement from Hall of Fame coach Don Shula about “ZONK”… that to me… means as much as a Hall of Fame Plaque. “I LIKE TO RUN WHERE THERE ARE HOLES,” SAID JIM KIICK, “LARRY LIKES TO RUN WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE.” EVERY OLD DOLPHINS FAN HAS AN IMAGE IN HIS MIND OF LARRY CSONKA FIGHTING THROUGH THE BODY-STREWN CENTER OF THE FIELD, CARRYING ONE OR TWO OPPONENTS ON HIS BACK OR LEGS AS HE STRAINS FORWARD FOR ONE EXTRA YARD. AFTER WATCHING ONE SUCH SCENE ON THE 1971 HIGHLIGHT REEL—ZONK TAKING TWO HITS AND FIGHTING HIS WAY OVER THE GOAL LINE, THEN LOOKING UP, HIS HELMET ASKEW, SWEAT AND MUD DRIPPING OFF HIS NOSE GUARD, SHOWING NO EMOTION AS HE FLIPS THE BALL TO THE REF-- **SHULA CALLED IT “THE VERY IMAGE OF MANHOOD.”**
AMEN BROTHER (FROM THE REVIEWER)
There are so many classic quotes from all these historical figures… but one little factoid that won’t be in the NFL record book… but it impressed me enough that I would like to share it with the world… is the following: Dolphin player JAKE SCOTT ON A WAGER, DOWNED FORTY-THREE BEERS IN ONE SITTING! That could be up there right next to the Dolphins winning Seventeen straight and winning the Super Bowl in one incredible… record breaking season!
This is a greatly written… and mixed… story of the only undefeated team in NFL history… and the time in the world that it occurred!
July 8, 2023
There are two ways of looking at this book - as an old fan and as a young fan. If you're an old fan of the Miami Dolphins, like me, and you've bought all the books from the 70s (Miracle In Miami, Promises To Keep, The Winning Edge, But We Were 17-0, or any host of memoirs by the likes of Griese, Csonka, Morris, etc.) you know every story in this book and it brings nothing new to the table, but serves a a good flashback. There's nothing new here. Of the book's 408 pages, almost 50 are footnotes from books or newspapers from 1972/3.
If you're a young fan of the Dolphins or football in general, and want to learn about the best team ever, this book is informative because it is well-researched (again, footnotes are about 12% of the pages). The author read all the books I read and put it all together pretty well to give you this fine recap.
Three issues I had. First, the author often repeats stories and anecdotes about players. I don't like when editors cut books down because they think the book is too long. For example, when Eric Clapton's memoir was cut by 150+ pages just to shorten it, I thought that was absurd because a fan doesn't mind reading 600 pages to learn more about their favorite artists. But this book could've been cut because you'll read a story about a player's past in, say, chapter 4, and then read it again in chapter 12. There's no reason for any author to do that because it looks like the author is padding the book to make it longer.
Second, he makes statements that are simply untrue. For example, when writing about the history of Orange Bowl stadium, he mentions that it was originally named Burdine Stadium, in one of the first examples of corporate naming of a stadium. But that's completely untrue. It was named Burdine to honor Miami entrepreneur Roddy Burdine. Sure, Roddy owned Burdine's department store chain, but Burdine died just before the stadium was completed and it was decided to honor the late Burdine just as Shea Stadium was named in honor of William Shea. Burdine, or more appropriately, the corporate store entity, never paid a dime to get Burdine's name on the stadium, so it was not at all an example of corporatism.
And like most books today, be forewarned that the author is obviously a hardcore left-winger who does inject his personal views inadvertently (for example, "the NFL denies football-induced dementia like a climate-denier" as if the warming of the last 18,000 years has been caused by humans - yes, folks, the polar ice cap completely covered the state of NY and ran into NJ 18,000 years ago and the earth has been warming gradually ever since). He even contradicted himself about the VietNam bombing campaign, quoting polls that showed the campaign to be popular while stating his opinion that they weren't popular while also seeming to blame Nixon for Nam when Nixon was the president who got us out, basically, in 4 years flat - just look at troop counts and you'll see that the war peaked in '68, under LBJ. And his claim of the sea rising up to 10 feet in the next 70 years us ridiculous left-wing alarmism. You think Obama would buy multi-million dollar ocean-front homes if the sea were rising at such alarming rates? Come on... Stick to football.
Anyhow, get this book used on eBay and save yourself some cash if you're young and want to learn about the Fins or if you're old and want to relive the glory days you remember and have already read about, but don't pay $28 for this book. I'll be putting it up on eBay shortly.
If you're a young fan of the Dolphins or football in general, and want to learn about the best team ever, this book is informative because it is well-researched (again, footnotes are about 12% of the pages). The author read all the books I read and put it all together pretty well to give you this fine recap.
Three issues I had. First, the author often repeats stories and anecdotes about players. I don't like when editors cut books down because they think the book is too long. For example, when Eric Clapton's memoir was cut by 150+ pages just to shorten it, I thought that was absurd because a fan doesn't mind reading 600 pages to learn more about their favorite artists. But this book could've been cut because you'll read a story about a player's past in, say, chapter 4, and then read it again in chapter 12. There's no reason for any author to do that because it looks like the author is padding the book to make it longer.
Second, he makes statements that are simply untrue. For example, when writing about the history of Orange Bowl stadium, he mentions that it was originally named Burdine Stadium, in one of the first examples of corporate naming of a stadium. But that's completely untrue. It was named Burdine to honor Miami entrepreneur Roddy Burdine. Sure, Roddy owned Burdine's department store chain, but Burdine died just before the stadium was completed and it was decided to honor the late Burdine just as Shea Stadium was named in honor of William Shea. Burdine, or more appropriately, the corporate store entity, never paid a dime to get Burdine's name on the stadium, so it was not at all an example of corporatism.
And like most books today, be forewarned that the author is obviously a hardcore left-winger who does inject his personal views inadvertently (for example, "the NFL denies football-induced dementia like a climate-denier" as if the warming of the last 18,000 years has been caused by humans - yes, folks, the polar ice cap completely covered the state of NY and ran into NJ 18,000 years ago and the earth has been warming gradually ever since). He even contradicted himself about the VietNam bombing campaign, quoting polls that showed the campaign to be popular while stating his opinion that they weren't popular while also seeming to blame Nixon for Nam when Nixon was the president who got us out, basically, in 4 years flat - just look at troop counts and you'll see that the war peaked in '68, under LBJ. And his claim of the sea rising up to 10 feet in the next 70 years us ridiculous left-wing alarmism. You think Obama would buy multi-million dollar ocean-front homes if the sea were rising at such alarming rates? Come on... Stick to football.
Anyhow, get this book used on eBay and save yourself some cash if you're young and want to learn about the Fins or if you're old and want to relive the glory days you remember and have already read about, but don't pay $28 for this book. I'll be putting it up on eBay shortly.
August 15, 2025
Just so you know, I was a big fan of the Dolphins in these years. Living in the Midwest, my first NFL team was the Green Bay Packers, but Lombardi had left and then died of cancer. The Packers were floundering. Miami caught my attention because of Larry Csonka and the similarity to our family name. Reading Marshall Jon Fisher's account of the perfect season (and many stories related before and after) was like jumping into a time machine. Like Fisher's family, we were caught up in the popularity of tennis (though not enough to join a club). We played football in the yard (or the street) with an "all-time" quarterback. And the space program was very popular in our house, too. I say all this knowing these facts about our family didn't set us apart-- we were merely part of the fabric of the times. And Fisher wrote this fantastic book in such a way that the memories came rushing vividly back to me. The final chapter of the book updates the reader on the Dolphins after the perfect season. It's not all rainbows and unicorns. Seeing what football did to many of these wonderful men affects me much as I think it does Marshall Fisher. Fisher mentions how one of the great boxing/sports announcers of the time, Howard Cosell, eventually called for the end of boxing. I know that I have largely lost interest in the NFL for similar reasons. At any rate, this is a very well-written book, and I think most people who lived through the 1972 season, and really the 70s, will find it entertaining.
September 15, 2023
I agree with the review given by Bill. For sheer content, the author does well in telling the story of the Dolphins’ undefeated 1972 season. I also liked the personal backgrounds he gave of the Dolphins players and coaches. However, I didn’t like the way the author interspersed these personal histories into the midst of the game summaries. I thought it disrupted the flow of the book and gave it a “stop-start” reading experience. I think it would have been better to have given a player history at the start of the chapter based on that player being a MVP of that specific game or at least having a major impact on that game.
It also seemed unnecessary to give updates on the Nixon administration, Vietnam War and Watergate throughout the book in each chapter. These side bars did nothing to enhance the book.
Finally the author brought up the CTE issue at the end of the book and even climate change in the Miami area. Again, I think the author’s social and/or political biases showed through and should have been left out of the book.
It also seemed unnecessary to give updates on the Nixon administration, Vietnam War and Watergate throughout the book in each chapter. These side bars did nothing to enhance the book.
Finally the author brought up the CTE issue at the end of the book and even climate change in the Miami area. Again, I think the author’s social and/or political biases showed through and should have been left out of the book.
January 10, 2024
Looking back on the year in which the Miami Dolphins went 17-0 winning the Super Bowl. the author takes you through not only the players and how they were acquired but also how Shula came to them especially after the Colts lost to the Jets, of course, Rosenbloom was still upset because the Colts lost to the Browns in 64 and felt like Shuls could not win the big game. So from there, you get a look at the players that were acquired through draft and trades and other means. And you get background on each one as well, of course, each player had something to offer to the team especially old man Earl Morral who came in to replace Griese when he got hurt and finished the regular season. This was a good book and brought back a lot of memories for me i remember watching most of these games very much worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com
December 18, 2023
Growing up a Dolfan (no longer watch the NFL) in Syracuse, NY (hey, most kids are front runners), this was right up my alley. It brought back many memories of that magical season. He did a little blurb on each players background as well, nothing too in depth; but enough to get a flavor for each of the players. Sadly, most of them (and football players in general) do not age well and reading the updates about players that I did not realize had died, was sad. But we'll all remember them for that magical 17-0 season. Interestingly, the author, as well as others (including myself), think the 1973 team was better.
As far as the other stuff in the book: Nixon was, in fact, a crook, Vietnam was a farce, CTE and climate change are real.
As far as the other stuff in the book: Nixon was, in fact, a crook, Vietnam was a farce, CTE and climate change are real.
November 6, 2024
this book was really good and the format was cute but it was just a little too in depth for me. I also appreciate the political context, but it felt like a "btw this is happening" that kept repeating without development through the book.
love the insight into the team & the weave of the story. also appreciate the CTE discussion at the end, most football fans tend to avoid that. finally, huge fan of the way that each team member is explained with backstory & how they got to the team when appropriate, rather than trying to frontload info or leave it out.
overall, great book on a topic that I just don't feel passionate about personally. probably would rate 4/5 stars if you're a big history of football fan, but it wasn't a casual read for a casual fan
love the insight into the team & the weave of the story. also appreciate the CTE discussion at the end, most football fans tend to avoid that. finally, huge fan of the way that each team member is explained with backstory & how they got to the team when appropriate, rather than trying to frontload info or leave it out.
overall, great book on a topic that I just don't feel passionate about personally. probably would rate 4/5 stars if you're a big history of football fan, but it wasn't a casual read for a casual fan
January 21, 2024
It's like 25% too long and I really didn't love the editorializing as the author looked back on his youth. That said, the strongest chapter was Post-Perfect where Fisher addresses the reality of CTE and the NFL industrial complex that ruins lives every Sunday. But we keep watching, myself included
April 2, 2025
Would have rated it five stars. But all of the Nixon material wasn’t needed.
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