Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history, recently said that he fears that the team’s feat finally will be exceeded in 2009.
“They’re a legitimate concern,” Shula said regarding the Colts and Saints. “I’m rooting secretly inside that somebody beats them.”
As to the Saints, Shula has gotten his wish. As to the Colts, only five chances remain.
Now, with a 19-0 mark from the Colts looking possible, Shula is trying to change the image of the team that set the standard 37 years ago.
“We get accused of being a bunch of grumpy old guys that get together and hope and pray that the last undefeated team gets beaten and that’s not true at all,” Shula told NFL Network’s Steve Mariucci on The Coaches Show.
(Shula’s right. It’s not true. Based on Shula’s comments from last week, they root secretly that the last undefeated team loses.)
“If somebody does what we’ve done, I’m going to be the first guy to call that coach and congratulate him,” Shula said. “But until they do, we’re very proud of that record. . . . People that have records want to continue to have those records. But, you’ve got to be a sportsman and if somebody breaks or ties that record, you’ve got to acknowledge that and congratulate them -- and we’ll do that.”
Still, the annual bottle of champagne that gets popped when the last undefeated team loses creates a much different image.
And don’t even get us started on Mercury Morris, who has remained amazingly quiet only two years after sharing with anyone and everyone who’d listen to his anti-Patriot rantings.