Miami Dolphins: Miami's Pro Football Team

The Miami Dolphins are the oldest professional sports team in Florida, founded in 1966. Its original owners were Joe Robbie and TV star Danny Thomas, who bought the franchise for $7.5 million. Over the years, the Dolphins have become one of the flagship teams in professional football, winning two Super Bowls, fielding 11 Hall of Fame players, and notching the NFL’s only undefeated season in 1972.

How to Watch the Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins play their home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The recently renovated stadium is among the finest in pro football, having hosted six Super Bowls, most recently in 2020. The Dolphins feature one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL. Here’s everything you need to know about the Miami Dolphins and how to watch them.

The schedule begins in the preseason, with one or two home games played at Hard Rock Stadium in August. Then, the regular season begins in September and runs until early January as the Dolphins play eight or nine home games a year. Tickets are available online. The Dolphins play in the AFC East, whose other members are the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and New England Patriots. If you’re in town for a division game, prepare to meet thousands of opposing fans, many of whom use Dolphins games as the main event of a fall or winter weekend away in Miami.

The Dolphins have their own fight song, which you may want to learn before going to a game. It’s played every time they score, and the more spirited the crowd becomes, the more often you’ll hear it. Be careful…it’s catchy and might get stuck in your head for a long time afterward.

TD is the official Miami Dolphins mascot. When the team began play in 1966, the mascot was an actual dolphin that swam in a tank near the Orange Bowl end zone, doing flips after every Dolphins score. Today, TD is a more traditional mascot, and along with Miami Dolphins cheerleaders, is an essential part of any Miami Dolphins game.

How to Get to Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium is conveniently located on the Miami-Dade/Broward County line in Miami Gardens. It’s easily accessible from several exits off of Florida’s Turnpike, via surface streets on Northwest 199th Street or Northwest 27th Avenue.

Parking at Hard Rock Stadium varies depending on how far from the stadium you park, but averages about $75 per game. Tailgating starts four hours before kickoff and is as much a part of the experience as the game itself. Color-coded lots surround the stadium, and you’ll find several satellite lots farther south on Northwest 27th Avenue as well. There are two park and ride lots with complimentary shuttles to the Northwest stadium gate. One is located at the Golden Glades parking garage; the other is near the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Both charge $10 for parking.

You can also take the Brightline high-speed train to the games, getting off at the Aventura station in Aventura and taking the special End Zone Express shuttle to the stadium. Uber also offers Uber Shuttles, picking up and dropping off in Brickell, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

A Storied History

The Miami Dolphins began play in 1966 as part of the American Football League. The team played at the Orange Bowl in Little Havana and merged into the National Football League in 1970 when the two leagues joined forces. That same year, the Dolphins hired head coach Don Shula, a move that would bring the franchise unbelievable success.

Shula led the team to three straight AFC Championships from 1971 to 1973. The Miami Dolphins’ undefeated season came in 1972, as the team went 17-0 and won its first Super Bowl. The 1972 Miami Dolphins still stand as the only undefeated team in NFL history. The team went on to win the Super Bowl the following season as well.

In 1983, the Dolphins drafted quarterback Dan Marino, who would set nearly every NFL passing record by the end of his career. Though he never won a Super Bowl, he led the Dolphins to their last Super Bowl appearance in 1984. In 1987, the team moved north to Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens. The stadium has had several names in its history, and is now known as Hard Rock Stadium.

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