The Tribune

By Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya

This has been a long time coming, I have to let it go at this point.

I guess you are wondering what ‘it’ is?

Today’s your lucky day, I will share.

On December 17, 1984 the Dolphins hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the Orange Bowl.

The game against the Cowboys was the regular season finale and a lot was on the line, both individually and collectively, for both teams.

Despite entering the game with a 13-2 record, the Dolphins were not guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The Denver Broncos had finished their season a day earlier with a 13-3 mark, and would win the No. 1 seed in the AFC if both teams finished with that record because of their advantages in the tie-breakers. So the Dolphins had to win the game to be sure of having the top seed in the conference.

The situation was more dire for the Cowboys. They had a 9-6 record but if they lost they would fall into a tie for the last playoff spot in the NFC with the 9-7 New York Giants, who also completed their season a day earlier.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the Giants had the edge in tie-breakers, so Dallas’ predicament was pretty obvious: win and they were in the playoffs, or lose and go home.

With such high stakes for both teams, it was easy to overlook the individual records that were well within reach for quarterback Dan Marino and wide receiver Mark Clayton.

Marino, finishing his second year in the NFL, had engineered a potent Dolphin passing attack. Heading into the game he had already thrown 44 touchdown passes, having blown by the former league record of 36 TDs .

While 50 TD passes were out of the question, two other significant milestones beckoned.

Marino had 4,744 yards passing and was looking to break Dan Fouts’ NFL record of 4,802 passing yards.

Beyond that stood the 5,000-yard plateau that no quarterback had ever crossed.

Marino’s prolific passing made Fouts’ record look like a gimme and the 5,000-yard mark doable.

Clayton’s challenge was more daunting. With 15 touchdown passes, he would need to catch three more to break the NFL mark of 17 touchdown catches in a season, held by three other players.

The three needed touchdown passes probably wouldn’t be a problem for Marino, but being on the receiving end of them would be problematic for Clayton. He was part of an explosive set of receivers, including Mark Duper (who, like Clayton would finish the year with over 70 catches and 1,300 yards), Nat Moore, and Tony Nathan and there was no guarantee Clayton would catch every touchdown pass that Marino might throw.

Sigh .... this is still very painful!

The game started quietly, with the Dolphins taking a 7-0 halftime lead following a 41-yard TD pass from Marino to Clayton in the second quarter, with Marino breaking Fouts’ yardage record on that play.

Miami extended the lead to 14-0 in the third quarter following a three-yard TD pass from Marino to tight end Bruce Hardy.

(At this point I knew my ‘Boys were in trouble a feeling I would experience many more times over the years with my team.)

Still holding on to a thread of hope, and praying for ‘football miracle comeback’, I watched my ‘Boys tie the game at 14-14 on two touchdown runs from RB Timmy Newsome, set up by some big plays from Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett and QB Danny White.

My mouth was hard again, the ‘Boys were back in it and then, just like that they weren’t!

The Dolphins regained the lead 21-14 with 2:31 left in the game on another Marino-to-Clayton scoring play, this one covering 39 yards, most of it coming after Clayton eluded the grasp of Cowboy cornerback Ron Fellows.

The ‘daily double’ was secured, Clayton tied the NFL single season record for touchdown receptions and it put Marino over the 5,000-yard passing mark.

In true Cowboy fashion, my team wouldn’t go quietly into that sweltering South Florida night, no they had one more heart-stopping trick up their sleeves.

Dallas QB Danny White threw a pass to RB James Jones on the left sideline that was tipped by Dolphin cornerback Don McNeal.

Instead of fluttering to the ground, the ball wound up in the hands of WR Tony Hill, who ran it into the end zone to complete a 66-yard scoring play and tie the game.

At this point I was convinced my ‘Boys were going to hold the Dolphins to 4 downs running out the remaining 56 seconds in regulation, and we were winning in overtime.

We had the momentum, and after the miraculous Tony Hill play, another legendary Cowboys comeback was a mere formality.

I had my ‘hit list’ of ‘DolFans’ I was going to slow roast the next day in school, all the verbal jabs they threw all season were going to be returned 10 fold. The Wilkinson brothers, Anthony and Andrew, Stevie Albury, John Pinder and Andrew Thompson. It was going to be my time to talk!

In retrospect, I don’t know what I was thinking at the time, but I seriously thought about calling my father on ship to shore HAM radio on board the SS Emerald Seas, it didn’t matter he was the captain, what did matter, he was a ‘DolFan’.

Thank God my mother talked sense in to me.

And just as I was up, Dan Marino coldly dashed me right down, and out!

Forcing me to swallow one of the most bitter sporting pills ever!

With 49 seconds left, Marino connected again with Clayton over the middle. When Cowboys CB Ron Fellows slipped, Clayton ran untouched into the end zone to give the Dolphins a wild 28-21 win, and me a broken heart and hurt feelings that seems to be lasting for a lifetime. Literally, I’m still painfully reminded to this day by my father and ‘DolFan’ friends of this game in particular.

So this at this weekend’s edition of ‘Dan Marino and Friends’ May 25-27.

I want closure, after all of the events and festivities, I want an apology from Mr Marino for all the pain and suffering he’s caused me to carry and deal with over the years.

As a die hard Cowboys fan stuck amongst the local ‘DolFans’ I want to let my contention for Marino go, so I can hate the Dolphins for a myriad of new reasons, which I will address in a future edition of The Press Box.

I hear Mark Clayton may be in attendance, maybe I can kill two Dolphins with one stone.

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net