German Dolphins fans can't get enough of Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel

FRANKFURT, GERMANY — They're looking forward to watching Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes, of course, and they've been wondering if Taylor Swift will make it, too, just like you.

Their Dolphins fandom began with Dan Marino, who else, and yes, it's true the Seahawks, Patriots, Packers and 49ers have strong fan bases here in Deutschland, too.

But what if we told you that the nearly 500 club members of Miami DolFans Germany that will attend Sunday's Dolphins-Chiefs game at Deutsche Bank Park can't wait to catch a glimpse of — you guessed it — Mike McDaniel.

Yes, McDaniel's immense popularity travels at least 4,832 miles.

"He brings the swag to Miami that has been missing for a long time," says Chris Burghard, a 41-year-old information technology specialist at Volkswagen, and a DJ who will host Dolphins fan events this week.

"Simple and plain - genius," says Marcus Merten, who works in the pharmaceutical industry. "Good play designer. Funny press conferences."

"I love this guy! He's fantastic!" says Dirk Albrecht, a driving instructor.

Fast cars - BMW and Mercedes as common as Ford and Toyota here - are the norm. And German Dolphins fans love the speedy offense general manager Chris Grier and McDaniel have assembled for their favorite team.

And they love how McDaniel exploits that speed with creativity.

"Coach McD is the best thing that could have happened to our Dolphins,' says Chris Rubertino, a 39-year-old council official. "His way of dealing with the players. He's a mastermind, And of course, his swag. He loosens the relationship with the team and gives the boys enough space."

"He has the ability to build up players with hard times, like he did with Tua," says Franzi Schmitz, a 26-year-old biology lab worker. "He is also an offensive mastermind and has (moxie). I hope with him and Tua we can build something long-lasting and they become the new (Don) Shula/Marino."

In advance of our week of Dolphins practice in Frankfurt - the team also arrived early Tuesday- The Palm Beach Post sought answers to some important Germany-NFL questions.

Here are some things we discovered, courtesy of the five guys commenting above, all key leaders of Miami DolFans Germany.

Tua is immensely popular but also polarizing in Germany

"Tua is a very likeable person and, of course, a very good quarterback. I admire him for still being able to smile with all the circumstances and criticism." - Burghard

"Tua is heavily debated in the German Dolphins and NFL community. Some only see him as a product of a McDaniel system. I think we did the worst we could do for his self confidence in his first two years. Tua has not the arm and power of Josh Allen, not the speed and agility of Lamar Jackson, not the creativity of Patrick Mahomes. But he has some other elite skills. I am not talking about the obvious and always cited accuracy and anticipation. He is also a master of pre-snap diagnosis. That’s why he has one of the highest percentages in first-read throws is getting rid of the ball. All this is possible because he has a high IQ, masters the playbook and can mentally visualize it. Would I love to see him for the next years in Miami? Yes, absolutely. Would I give him a Herbert/Burrow contract? No." - Merten

"Tua is an inspiration. After all the setbacks, he didn't let anything stop him. No matter whether it's an injury or bad coaches." - Rubertino.

"Tua is a fighter. He has big heart and his way of life are worth imitating. We made the right pick at the draft in 2020. Unfortunately, Tua had to suffer a lot from (Brian) Flores, but McDaniel gets the best out of him. He is our franchise QB! Look at the stats! And Marino believes in him!" - Albrecht.

Here's why they love American football

"The teamwork. The Toughness. The tactics. The tension until the end." - Burghard

"It is more than the stereotypes of "collision sport“ or "chess on turf.“ You can love football on so many levels. Just cheering with friends or looking at plays, game plan, tactical execution or diving into standard stats. And the athleticism. The tension." - Merten

"The tiniest detail is driven by tactics. On the non-pro level, I like the fact that it is the most inclusive sport I know, because it has a position and job for everyone, doesn't matter if he is tall, short, slim or chubby." - Schmitz

"The whole thing around is great, including tailgaiting. I love the tactics and that everyone can beat anyone." - Albrecht

German advice for Dolphins, American visitors

"In Frankfurt you say "Gude" - this is the short form of Guten Tag (Good day, Hello). Otherwise, it should be mentioned that "you're welcome" and "please" both mean "bitte." - Burghard

"Tua should try Frankfurter Grie Soss (a herb sauce you usually eat with boiled eggs and potatoes.) It is very tasty and a good special of the Frankfurt region." - Merten

"Try "Maultaschen." This is a Swabian specialty, Maultaschen are dumplings made of pasta dough with a basic filling of roast, onions and soaked rolls or pure vegetarian filling with cheese and spinach." - Albrecht

"Tua should try a decent schnitzel with fries and a good German beer. Then, enjoy his bye week." - Rubertino

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins fans in Germany pumped to see Tua, Mahomes Mike McDaniel