Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I’ve been ignoring this story, figuring the odds are just too great for it to actually happen. But after 12 attempts in the 2007 NFL season, The Miami Dolphins still has not won a game. In this day and age of NFL parity, it’s virtually impossible to A) win every game or B) lose every game. Of course, this is Florida, where we buck the odds every day (hey! There’s a slogan for ya!).

Back before 1978, NFL teams only played 14 games per year. The 1972 Miami Dolphins won all fourteen, two playoff games, and the Super Bowl to go 17-0, creating the NFL’s only perfect season. The New England Patriots won 21 in a row (18 reg. season) spanning 2003, the ‘03 playoffs & Super Bowl, and 2004. The Patriots are currently on a 12 game winning streak for this year.

But let’s take a look at the other side. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost every single game, and ended with a final record of 0-14. Furthermore, the Bucs lost the first 12 games in 1977 for 26 losses in a row, a record that stands today. Miami is currently 0-12 for 2007, and with a season-ending loss last year, they have 13 losses in a row. They are unlikely to lose the final 4 games this year, and even more unlikely to lose the first nine games next year. So it would seem the 0-26 record is safe.

But even though it will be difficult for Miami to lose the next 4 games, it is certainly a possibility. The Carolina Panthers lost 15 in a row in 2001, after winning the season opener. Members of the ‘76 Bucs say they don’t want anyone to suffer through a winless season. Batman Wood wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. I don’t want any other team to have a winless season, either. But not because I care about their feelings. I just love the notoriety of laying claim to being the absolute worst at something.

Go Miami!

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