Perfect Season

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The phrase Perfect Season refers to any sports season in which a team remains undefeated.

In the National Football League, the term "Perfect Season" refers to the 1972 Miami Dolphins undefeated campaign led by coach Don Shula and notable teammates Bob Griese, Earl Morrall and Larry Csonka (among many others). This team went 17-0-0 and won Super Bowl VII. A tradition has been established by veterans of this team of celebrating the accomplishment annually on the occasion of the last remaining undefeated NFL team being dealt its first loss. (It is not true, however, as is often falsely reported, that the team gathers to drink champagne on the day the final undefeated NFL team loses. Shula denied this urban legend in an interview with ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski.)[1]

Serious challenges have come from the 1998 Broncos[2] and the 2005 Colts[3] with both teams having won their first 13 games before losing their next two, noting that back in 1972, NFL teams played 14 regular season games. (Another interesting note of trivia is that it is technically inaccurate to say that the Miami Dolphins did not lose any games in 1972, because during the previous season Miami had lost Super Bowl VI held in January 1972, and that Miami lost to the Green Bay Packers during the pre-season of 1972.)

To this day, the "perfect season" stands as a classic example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, with the Dolphin defense having even been branded with the nickname "No-Name Defense" in mockery of its lack of star power. The '72 Dolphins used that nickname with pride[4].

  1. ^ [1]"Shoes ... The Jaw ... by any name, Shula still the king," by Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com, Feb. 1, 2007
  2. ^ [2]Accessed Jan 16, 2007
  3. ^ [3]Accessed Jan 16, 2007
  4. ^ [4]Accessed Jan 16, 2007


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