Shula had coached the Colts the previous seven pre-merger seasons ( 1963 – 9 ) and was signed by Joe Robbie after the merger was consummated ; because the signing came after the merger the NFL's rules on tampering came into play, and the Dolphins had to give up their first-round pick to the Colts.

One of the most infamous games in Jets history took place in 1994 when the Dolphins ran the Fake Spike play, giving them an improbable victory and halting the Jets ' momentum that season, serving as a precursor to the Jets ' next two infamous years under Rich Kotite.

On the first play of the Dolphins ' second possession, Csonka, on his first carry of the game, gained 12 yards on a sweep.

On the third play of the Dolphins ' next possession at their own 38-yard line, Griese was sacked by Lilly for a Super Bowl record 29-yard loss ( A picture of Griese being chased by Larry Cole, Bob Lilly and Jethro Pugh is the game's most famous photograph ).

However a 15-yard illegal man downfield penalty on left guard Bob Kuechenberg nullified a 20-yard pass completion to tight end Marv Fleming on the first play after the turnover, and the Dolphins were forced to punt after three more plays.

While the Steelers defeated the Buffalo Bills, 32-14, in the first round, the favored Dolphins lost to the Oakland Raiders, 28-26, giving up Raiders running back Clarence Davis ' 8-yard touchdown reception with 26 seconds remaining in the game with a play now known as the Sea of Hands.

The key play in the game occurred when the Dolphins were in control and were leading the Raiders 19-14 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Redskins scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and gained a Super Bowl record 276 yards on the ground, while holding the Dolphins to just 47 offensive plays for 176 total yards, 76 of which came on a single play.

But after driving to their own 47-yard line on their second possession of the third period, the Redskins managed to fool the Dolphins with a reverse play.

On the next play, Marino finished the drive by hitting Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown pass, giving the Dolphins a 10-7 lead with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

" We were dominated to the point where one play didn't make much of a difference ", said Dolphins coach Don Shula.

The Bills became the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls, and just the second team to play in three straight ( the Miami Dolphins played in Super Bowls VI-VIII, winning VII and VIII ).

Their wide receiver / kick returner Roell Preston ( who previously played for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans ) held the distinction of being the only former Pro Bowler ( 1998 as a Packer ) to play in the XFL.

Dolphins are known to engage in complex play behavior, which includes such things as producing stable underwater toroidal air-core vortex rings or " bubble rings ".

At Joe Robbie Stadium, Snowflake, a bottlenose dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins, is kidnapped two weeks before the team is due to play in the imminent Super Bowl.

The Delfines de Coatzacoalcos ( Dolphins ) play in the Estadio Rafael Hernández Ochoa, which was built in 1980.

The Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins were already set to start play for the 1966 season before the merger was announced.

Several UB football stars from the 1950s and early 1960s went on to play professional football, including quarterback John Stofa with the American Football League's Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, and defensive lineman Gerry Philbin with the AFL's New York Jets.

The Jets got off to a 6 – 5 start under Carroll, but in week 12, he was the victim of Dan Marino's " clock play "— a fake spike that became a Miami Dolphins game-winning touchdown.

The Miami Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 27 – 24 at 7: 40 into the second overtime ( at 82: 40 of total play, the longest game in NFL history ; the length of the game coupled with the fact that it was played on Christmas Day led to a great deal of controversy and the league placing an 18-year moratorium on Christmas games ).

In 2006, Harrington did not play in the Dolphins ' first four games, backing up Culpepper.

He continued to play well with the Dolphins, in 1969-1974 and 1976, and made the AFL All-Star team in 1969 and the NFL Pro Bowl in 1972 and 1973.

He is perhaps best remembered among Dolphins fans for designing a trick play that helped the Dolphins top the Jets in a crucial game late in 1994.

Since then, a number of other teams have worn their white uniforms at home, including the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

They played home games from their inaugural season to the 2011 season at Sun Life Stadium, which they shared with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League ( NFL ) and which was also called Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium during their tenancy.

On March 7,, Wayne Huizenga, CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation, announced he had purchased 15 percent of the NFL's Miami Dolphins and 50 percent of the Dolphins ' home, Joe Robbie Stadium, for an estimated $ 30 million.

The Chargers then went on another second half run with four straight wins but this time instead of keeping the streak going the entire second half they had a big let down losing at home to the Raiders again, this time 28 – 13 ( ending their shared NFL record, with the Dolphins, of 18 straight wins in December ).

On October 27, 2003, the Chargers wore their navy pants with their navy jersey for a Monday Night Football game versus the Miami Dolphins that was played at Sun Devil Stadium, then the home of the Arizona Cardinals, due to wildfires in southern California.

Soon after the Dolphins ' win in the AFC Championship Game, Shula received a phone call at his home from President Richard M. Nixon at 1: 30 in the morning.

For this game, the Miami Dolphins were assigned the home team.

The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home typically for day games, but due to a ( since changed ) uniform policy, the Dolphins were obligated to wear their aqua jerseys as the designated home team, although Miami wore its aqua jerseys for its final regular season home game ( on a Saturday afternoon ) that season vs. the Detroit Lions.

The Chargers went into the final game of the season vs. the Steelers needing a win to get the # 2 seed ( a loss would have given that spot to the Miami Dolphins ), which came with a first round bye and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The team also wore their white uniforms in home games, as opposed to their time in Houston, when their blue uniforms were worn at home – in the two years as the Tennessee Oilers, the team only wore their colored jerseys twice, for road games against the Miami Dolphins and a Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys.

It also served as the home for the San Diego Chargers, on October 27, 2003, when the NFL moved a game against the Miami Dolphins there, due to wildfires in Southern California ( it was the first Monday Night Football game in the stadium in four years-the last MNF game there prior to 2003 was the game wherein legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young suffered his career-ending concussion ).

From May 8, 2009, through January 5, 2010, Sun Life Stadium ( formerly Dolphin Stadium ) in Miami, the home of the Miami Dolphins, was named Landshark Stadium pursuant to an eight-month naming rights deal.

Buffett also wrote new lyrics for the team to his 1979 song " Fins ", which is played during Dolphins home games.

Livingston is also home to ; two competitive swimming clubs, the Livingston & District Dolphins and the Aquanauts of Livingston ; Livingston and West Lothian Hockey Club, which has several men's and women's teams and provides junior coaching ; and two track and field athletics clubs Livingston & District AAC, and Lothian RC.

The 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game, with the new rule that the conference teams do not include players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl.

This smaller building, opened in 1990, features the marine mammal exhibit, which is home to Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins.

In 1972, the Dolphins completed the NFL's only perfect season culminating in a Super Bowl win, winning all 14 of its regular-season games, both of its NFL playoff games, and also Super Bowl VII.

For most of their early history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula, the most successful head coach in professional football history in terms of total games won.

In 1972 the Dolphins completed the only fully undefeated season in the NFL, winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games and Super Bowl VII, defeating the Washington Redskins 14 – 7.

Entering Super Bowl XVII, the Dolphins were favored to win the game, primarily because of their " Killer Bees " defense, which had recorded 12 interceptions in their 3 playoffs games, including 5 each in the final two.

The 49ers were 17-1 and the Dolphins 16-2 including their playoff games.

Though the Miami Dolphins finished the 1972 NFL season with no losses, the regular season at the time comprised only 14 games.

In his first two games as starter, Brady posted unspectacular passer ratings of 79. 6 and 58. 7, respectively, in a 44 – 13 victory over the Colts ( in their last season in the AFC East ) and a 30 – 10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

With the win, the Patriots matched the Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season.

In addition to the Super Bowl, several other playoff games have been played in the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game, which the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills, 29 – 10.

The Dolphins are 5 – 3 in playoff games held here, losing the most recent one in January, 2009, against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Dolphins have won all three games when wearing the orange jerseys.

The next season began well, with the Dolphins winning their first few games over their toughest opponents of the year.

The Miami Dolphins had the highest winning percentage in all professional sports in the 1970s, and Bob Griese was its starting quarterback throughout the decade, except when he was injured for several games in 1972, 1975, and 1978.

Prior to Super Bowl XVII, the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins both won three playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, but that came during the strike-shortened 1982 season when the regular season was reduced to nine games and the playoffs were expanded to 16 teams, with no teams receiving first-round byes.