Win One For Flipper

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Carlos Milanes | Last updated Jan 31, 2025 10:16 AM ET

George Wilson, Coach of the inaugural Miami Dolphins team started in 1966, quoted “Win One for Flipper” at the start of that season, referencing the TV Star Dolphin residing in a tank behind the South end zone at the Orange Bowl.

She was very famous had her own show, and was the inspiration to the name of the Miami Dolphins.

Flipper, because of her infamy, was staged at the Orange Bowl for the first few fateful years, and her job was to flip in her tank whenever the Dolphins scored.
Unfortunately, that did not happen very often in the first few years, so Flipper was saved by the animal activists at the time.

Goodbye to our beloved Dolphin Flipper.

Anytime I criticize the current Miami Dolphins team, I remember what we Dolphins fans have been through, namely,

Rick Norton, the Dolphin’s first quarterback, was drafted in 1966 in the second round and paid a record salary at the time of $300,000!

The fact that he looked like Barney Fife was no deterrent.

Although I loved The Andy Griffith Show and Barney.

Our Coach was George Wilson, who had led the Detroit Lions to the NFL Championship in 1957.

Our Dolphins first quarterback had a career QB rating of 30, throwing 7 touchdowns to 30 interceptions.

Rick Norton threw the ball into the goalposts that were, at that time, located on the goal line. He hit the goalposts twice in the same game and hit the crossbar once.

That is when George Wilson put in his son George Wilson, Jr as Quarterback.

It did not get much better, but at least George Wilson, Jr did not hit the goalposts.

Despite Joe Auer’s 95-yard touchdown return on the Dolphins’ opening kickoff in 1966, the team was a disaster of leftovers and has-beens, reflecting how a new franchise was built at the time.

That was before Don Shula joined the Dolphins in 1970 and led a remarkable turnaround, resulting in the undefeated 1972 season and two consecutive Super Bowl wins.
That is an unheard-of achievement because of the team he inherited.

So, I consider the current Dolphins team and their shortcomings.

And I think about what Don Shula did to transform that group of players.

And then I think of that 1966 team and am compelled to send a message to the 2025 Dolphins team and say, “Win One For Flipper.”

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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