Hypothetical Question: How would you react?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Dolphins go 16-0.  Jets get a wildcard. 

Divisional weekend Jets @ Miami.  As the Mark Sanchez takes a snap to run out the clock on a Jets victory, the TV camera's show Mercury Morris and other 72' Dolphins opening champagne. 

[Sunstroke]

Letter bombs to all known addresses in Perfectville...

[Brian Fein]

WOW....

That's a crazy hypothetical the size of a hollywood plot twist.  I think I would forever be pissed at Mercury Morris and company for putting personal accomplishments over the team.  But, then again, he's really not a member of the team anymore.

Somehow, I think that you are trying to draw some parallel to 2007 here, to justify how you felt after the Giants beat the Patriots.  I hope you understand that these two events (2007 and your hypothetical) are VERY different.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

  I hope you understand that these two events (2007 and your hypothetical) are VERY different.

Of course they are very different.  One would involve the Dolphins the other a divisional rival.  No real comparison.

While my own rooting interest would never want the Dolphins to get successful enough to be the last undefeated team, I do think it would be funny if say the Dolphins went 10-0 being the last undefeated team and then drop to 10-1 and watching the '72 gang dance around the issue.  I am sure Don Shula would be politically correct enough to avoid pissing off current Dolphin fans.  But I could envision Morris saying enough to get everyone who still has his jersey to burn it. 

[Pappy13]

Dolphins go 16-0.  Jets get a wildcard. 

Divisional weekend Jets @ Miami.  As the Mark Sanchez takes a snap to run out the clock on a Jets victory, the TV camera's show Mercury Morris and other 72' Dolphins opening champagne. 

Would never happen.  If that happened Morris and the rest of the '72 Dolphins would be disappointed.  No question.  Not even up for debate.  The '72 Dolphins would like nothing better than for the 2011 Dolphins to go undefeated.  Then Miami would have 2 Undefeated teams.  That's a win-win.

[StL FinFan]

Would never happen.  If that happened Morris and the rest of the '72 Dolphins would be disappointed.  No question.  Not even up for debate.  The '72 Dolphins would like nothing better than for the 2011 Dolphins to go undefeated.  Then Miami would have 2 Undefeated teams.  That's a win-win.

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[Sunstroke]

But I could envision Morris saying enough to get everyone who still has his jersey to burn it. 

Lil_B and I asked Mercury a very similar question several years ago...more along the lines of "Would you cheer for Miami to go undefeated if they got to 15-0?" While I'm much too lazy to go digging through all the archives for three years of the show, his answer was basically that he would be pulling for the new Dolphins to do the deed.

[Dave Gray]

Great question.  I think I would hate Morris and find him classless.

But I think that it would probably go the other way.  Nothing would legitimize the 1972 team than the current Dolphins making a 16-0 run.  They'd be back in the spotlight, they'd get to take pictures together.  Imagine all of the signed memorabilia from both teams, T-Shirts, etc.  It would skyrocket the "value" of the 1972 brand.

I don't give one iota of crap about the 1972 team, in terms of collecting stuff (I wasn't alive back then).  But if the current team went perfect, I think it'd be really cool to have signed footballs from both QBs, for example.  I imagine that collectors would especially go crazy.

[Doc-phin]

I would love to add some sort of crazy answer involving a fit of rage, but I think I would be expecting the outcome.  It is so unlikely for a team to go undefeated all the way through and win it in the end that I just don't see it happening and would be expecting an early exit in the playoffs.  I would be a little extra pissed because of it being the Jets that got the best of us and we would have to hear that BS forever, but it wouldn't be a shock.

I would also be optimistic for the next season if the roster didn't have huge changes.  I actually think I would feel more comfortable having my team with a loss or two in the post-season (too much pressure to make history).  At the same time it is always nice to have a shot at being the greatest of all time, even if your team has already done it before !

[masterfins]

Most of the '72 Team would have enough class to skip the celebration for a year.

[Pappy13]

A better question might be if the Dolphins were to go undefeated, would the '72 Dolphins quit celebrating or simply invite the new Dolphins to the party every year?  I'm thinking it would be the latter.

[Dave Gray]

^ Good point.  And I agree.

There's more incentive for the 1972 teams to route for another Dolphins team to do it alongside them.

[MaineDolFan]

... the Mark Sanchez takes a snap to run out the clock on a Jets victory

This post makes me hate you.

[Spider-Dan]

I guess I'd be mad, but I don't think the '72 team would react that way.  While I'm sure that they aren't actively rooting for another team (even Miami) to beat their accomplishment, I think that they would not oppose a Dolphins' squad from joining them.

Most of the players left in the spotlight of '72 actively identify as Dolphins, and so another group of Dolphins going undefeated would just expand and prolong their legacy.  In contrast, another team (like NE) winning just obsoletes it.

[Dave Gray]

And even if the 1972 really wanted the Phins to lose in that game, I bet they'd not get involved.  They'd probably pretend that they were pulling for them, if only to preserve their own legacy.