A Victorious Loss

Barry LeBrock

      Every once in a while you will hear a story that completely blows apart a long-held belief; the complete opposite of everything you've ever thought on a subject.

     The opposite is also true; occasionally you'll come across some information that solidifies what you already thought.  I had one of those moments Monday night while watching NFL Network's excellent series "A Football Life." 

    The Focus was Don Shula.   

     Growing up in Miami, Don Shula might as well have been the King. Or God.  He  was a man that seemingly had the whole world's respect. He did not demand it, he simply commanded it by his actions, his successes and the sheer force of his persona. 

     I was watching the show not to learn something new -- what could anyone say about the NFL's all-time winningest coach that I didn't already know? -- but because A) I am Jonesing for football, and B) It was on Don Freakin' Shula.  What was I gonna do instead, help my kid with his homework!?!  But I did learn something new. Something that reinforced, and even advanced every opinion I have ever had about the man.   

    The revelation came from right under the oft-broken nose of one of the all-time great Dolphins, Larry Csonka.  The former running back told the story of a trip the Dolphins made to Oakland to play the Raiders in the early 70's  (my research shows the game he likely referred to was played on September 23, 1973).  Now, you have to remember; the NFL was not the well-oiled, ultra-efficient league back then, that it is today, so when the Dolphins arrived at the stadium for their Saturday walk-through, they were shown  not to the visitors' locker room, but to the Raiders locker room.   

    Csonka remembered, "I'm using a locker that belongs to one of the Raiders.  I open it... and there's the game plan. The game plan! There's what they're going to do to try to defeat us tomorrow!

     Our offensive line coach, Monte Clark is walking by and I say, 'Hey Monte, look at this!'"  

 

       The next day, the Dolphins lost the first of only two games they'd drop all season; a 12-7 defensive battle in which 46 year-old George Blanda accounted for all of the Raiders scoring offense with four field goals.

     Back in Miami to prep for the following week's game against New England, Csonka encountered Clark again, wondering how his team could have lost to Oakland despite having the Raiders game plan.  Clark responded, saying when he told Shula about the find, he was instructed to throw it in the garbage.

     "That is Shula," says Csonka. "He said, 'Throw it away.' Because when you have [the other team's] stuff, and you use it, that's cheating. Shula won't cheat." 

 

    Long story short, after their return from Oakland, the '73 Dolphins went on to reel off fourteen wins in their next fifteen games including a 27-10 AFC Conference Championship victory in Miami over those same Raiders.   Two weeks later, the Dolphins hammered the Vikings 24-7 to win Super Bowl VIII.   

 

     A season that will be remembered by most for the Dolphins dominance, will be remembered by the precious few who know the truth behind that week-2 loss, for the uncompromising principals and quiet integrity displayed by one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. 







.