-by Brian Fein

The Dolphins make me cry. That sentence takes on a new meaning today. More like, "A Dolphin pisses us off!"

The Herald's Dan LeBatard has reported on Saturday night, that all-pro Dolphins' running back Ricky Williams will announce his retirement from the NFL early next week. True story? We have to assume so.

The story broke on ESPN's SportsCenter early Sunday morning. The hopes and dreams of the Miami Dolphins' 2004 campaign now lie squarely on the shoulders of a QB controversy and Travis Minor. What do we do now?

For many Dol-fans, Ricky Williams was all we had. He was the only thing we could cheer for on a team in shambles. He was the running back light at the end of the tunnel. The same tunnel where inept coaching and sub-par quarterbacking has reigned for so long. Ricky was the rock that the rest of the team leaned on. The foundation to build upon. And now its all come crumbling down.

Ricky reportedly wants to travel the world. He wants to take classes, see places, take pictures. To hell with the fans. To hell with the Dolphins. His heart is not in it. So he says.

All of our hearts are in it. We all loved sitting in The Pro every Sunday, cheering our loudest for #34 as he crossed the goal line, dreadlocks waving like a war-torn battle flag. "Run Travis, Run" doesn't seem to have the same ring to it.

As a fan, that light at the end of the tunnel just went pitch black. The tunnel, now eerily silent, is the darkest it has been in years. And we're only at the beginning, and its getting colder.

Ricky, I hope you have fun on your trips through Europe. I hope you take lots of excellent pictures and get all A's in your psychology classes. I hope you fulfill all your lifelong dreams, while the people who paid your salary suffer through years of Dolphins' mediocrity. I hope you're happy disappointing all the people who loved you and supported you for so long.

The only dim flicker of hope lies in the hands of Rick Spielman and Dave Wannstedt. Maybe they can convince Ricky to stay. Maybe they can erase all the brainwashing of Robert Smith and Jim Brown. Maybe they can coerce Ricky to light up that tunnel one more time.

Thanks for the good times, Ricky. It was fun while it lasted. Now I'll go finish burying my 34 jersey in its shallow grave.

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The Dolphins Make Me Cry
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