Seventeen and Oh

Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season

By: Marshall Jon Fisher

Narrated by: Tom Campbell

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 turbulent: the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam.

Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the quarterbacks: Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 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.

©2022 Marshall Jon Fisher (P)2023 Tantor

A love letter to Miami

I wish I could’ve shared this book with my father. A native Miamian until the day he died, he was a die hard fan of the dolphins and the city of Miami. This is not only a history of the perfect season, but a love letter to the city of Miami.

Perfection is attained by slow degrees

...it requires the hand of time."
- Aristotle

It may be difficult for young viewers of the NFL to understand the Miami Dolphins were once a great football franchise. In fact, some would argue that the only team in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated through the whole season, the 1972-73 Dolphins, were the greatest team of all time. And some would argue they were even better the following season when they won their second consecutive Super Bowl.

As with any great sports book, the author does a superb job of bringing the characters to life. The legendary coach Don Shula, steady QB Bob Griese, smooth wide receiver Paul Warfield, bruising fullback Larry Csonka, incomparable guard Larry Little...and of course the no name defense. Back stories are told, and each of the 17 games (the Dolphins went 17-0) is told as its own chapter.

The writing is excellent, and I really enjoyed how the author also discussed what was happening in the world at the time. The Vietnam War, and Watergate, and also Richard Nixon's love for football. The surrounding events are not overdone. Minor detriments for the book go to discussions of the author's personal life, which really aren't that interesting, and also a tad bit of lecturing with a liberal bias. Climate change and the threat of Miami being flooded by melting ice caps really felt out of place. The sort of thing that doesn't diminish the book, but does make you roll your eyes while listening.

It's very sad what has happened to the Dolphins, who haven't been in a Super Bowl since 1985. At least anyone interested in their storied history, and their place among the pantheon of great teams, can listen to this book and remember the good ole days. One can only hope for their fans that they will return.

If you can tune out the Nixon fetish, it's ok

Wow did I not know I'd be fast forwarding through so many 1972 election stories in a Dolphins 17-0 book.

Hardly anything on the dichotomy of this undefeated team that knows it's 12-2 team a year later was much better and the question of "Why is undefeated important then?" is never asked.

Very little about the Xs and Os of how they won every game even when they didn't play well, very little from opponents.

But we got a lot of Richard Nixon. For....reasons.