Will the Dolphins ever switch back to their old uniforms? Dan Marino certainly hopes so
Dan Marino agrees with many Miami Dolphins fans that the team should permanently switch back to their old uniforms.
Marino, the Dolphins’ special advisor to the vice chairman, president and CEO, was asked by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk last week on PFT Live what it would take for the Dolphins to revert back to their ever-popular uniforms that the team wore during its glory days.
Florio asked the Hall of Fame quarterback: “What is it that we would have to say to the owner of the Dolphins, Stephen Ross, to get him to bring back the old uniforms all the time? We hear from Dolphins fans all the time — they want the throwbacks to be the permanent uniforms. What do we have to do to get Mr. Ross to bring them back?”
Marino responded by agreeing with the fans’ wishes.
“I don’t think he will because that was kind of his baby,” Marino told PFT Live. “You know what I mean? I’d like to see them come back too, because they look great, especially when we have those games where we’re wearing the throwbacks. But, at the same time, he owns the team . . . I don’t think he wants to hear that question anymore. Just better leave it alone. Leave it alone.”
The Dolphins wore their throwback uniforms twice this past season during home games, wearing their all-white throwbacks against the Patriots on Oct. 29 and donning their aqua throwbacks against the Cowboys on Dec. 24.
Whenever the Dolphins wear their throwback uniforms, the hotly debated topic resurfaces about whether the team should permanently switch back to their iconic uniforms.
Miami wore, with slight variations, the same jersey during their Orange Bowl seasons (1966-86), then switched to a version where the numbers, instead of having connecting orange trim, had the trim spaced by a thin strip of the jersey. That switch coincided with the opening of what is now known as Hard Rock Stadium.
After seven seasons, the Dolphins went back to the Orange Bowl style for coach Don Shula’s final two seasons and Jimmy Johnson’s first (1994-96).
In 1997, the Dolphins uniform underwent a major overhaul, with navy introduced to the scheme and the helmets.
In 2013, under Ross’ direction, the most recent major transformation occurred. The most tectonic alteration was the logo changing from the jumping dolphin on the helmet to a swimming dolphin. While the jerseys drifted closer to the Orange Bowl classics, it was only by small degrees.
Marino’s legendary No. 13 jersey is still worn by many fans at Dolphins games. He rewrote the NFL record books and carried the Dolphins during 17 of the team’s most successful years.
There have been 25 quarterbacks to start for the Dolphins since Marino retired following the 1999 season.
