True love?

Greetings readers.


Have you ever questioned your love? Have you ever questioned whether what you are doing or involved in is really the right thing for your life and your soul? Have you ever stepped back and asked yourself the "difficult" questions?


I sure have.


First, I must preface this post with some facts. The NFL Football season time of year is hands down my favorite time of year. No matter what may be going on in my life during this time of year, it is positively enhanced when there's football. I love it. I also have been a loyal fan of the Miami Dolphins football team for a million years.


That said, recently I've been doing some intense soul searching after a trusted ---albeit ball-busting--- friend challenged the very essence of my life with regards to my love for the Miami Dolphins football team. Wow. To question a persons love/loyalty of their chosen football team is huge but this questioning was much bigger than even he could have imagined. See, he didn't just question my love for the Miami Dolphins football team.


He accused me of loving the New England Patriots football team!


Now, anyone who has even a vague idea of NFL football would know that, considering the Dolphins and Patriots are rivals in the same division, it is not only horrible to like two teams in the same division but would actually render a person a "pink hat" football fan if they liked rival teams in the same division. If you do that you may as well pick your favorite team based on their uniform colors or which players have the nicest asses. You just cannot do that kind of thing in NFL Football. Loyalty, honor and trust are keys when indulging in Football "life" and I've spent many years as a Dolphins fan through the good times and the shit times. The shit times unfortunately have been abundant and have decisively overshadowed any "good" times as of late.


But I stay loyal. I stand by the team every year despite their lack of effort to get a quality Quarterback. Despite their questionable choices for head coaches. Despite the fact that season after season they have managed to waste excellent defenses and solid running games by NOT EVER GETTING A QUALITY QUARTERBACK TO LEAD THE OFFENSE SINCE FUCKING DAN MARINO RETIRED. I stay loyal. Yes, each season admidst the orgy of multiple Football games happening at once, betting, fantasy football, shit talking, beer drinking, cheering, booing, bad food eating, reveling, general good times, and still more shit talking. But my dear reader, shit talking gets difficult as I get to watch friends teams make the playoffs --even the Super-- Bowl and think "Gee. It must be nice to have this fun while having the confidence that your favorite team is actually a feared and winning team...wow." I think, "Gee. It must be nice to be a fan of a team who's front office not only talks about putting a competitive team on the field every season but actually does it." Admittedly, I've had to endure good doses of chop-busting from friends and family who are N.E. Patriots fans season after season as the Pats whip up on the Dolphins. I've commented that their head coach is "The best coach in NFL history" and that "Tom Brady is a Hall Of Fame Quarterback". Etc. I do think they're right up there. I'd be lying if I said I don't admire an organization that has their act together. One that has a focus for what they need to do to win and who scouts, drafts, trades for and retains players that will fit into their system. An organization that has everyone on the same page from parking attendants to the owner. An organization that not only has won a few Super Bowls in recent memory but is in the mix for Super Bowl possibilities seemingly every year. Indeed, it IS possible to win often with the right leadership, great QB and vision for the teams "identity". It IS possible to admire a team like that.


But are they my true love???


My thoughts raced. As I watch Miami prepare for their 2011 campaign with a backfield that consists of a rookie running back, paired with a recently signed running back with "great potential" who hasn't yet lived up to it. I watched them sign a street bum named Matt Moore who will compete for the starting job with their existing number one QB --Chad "The Bum" Henne. I watch as the defense, which is very good, stays intact but may go to waste for another year with a potentially hapless offense leading the way. I watch as the receiving corps stays full of playmakers but they simply WILL NOT SIGN A TOP NOTCH QUARTERBACK to throw these players the football. I watch as they don't sign a QB who even has some precident for being able to win or even one who can manage a game effectively.


My thoughts drift to the Patriots as they sign a big name Wide Receiver who will fit in to their system well...they sign a big name defensive tackle....shit, they were 14-2 last year and they may be as good or better this year??? My thoughts ran to them meeting the Dolphins the first week of the season and winning 97-4....my heart sank. Was my chop-busting, ball-breaking, son-of-a-bitch friend who likes the Chicago Bears right??? Did he see something in me that not even I knew existed?? Was my "praise" of the Patriots due to respect for their coach and quarterback or, do I subconsciously really prefer them as my team and am only sticking with the Dolphins out of comfort-zone-familiarity and blind loyalty? Was my current distaste of the Dolphins based on my perception that they do not have urgency to put a winning team on the field? Did I just want to be excited again by following a winning team???


Considering my deep, deep love for NFL Football and the fast-approaching 2011 regular season, I had burning questions that needed answering. Quickly.


I realized that, sometimes love is "tough". Sometimes you need to be patient and understanding and realize that the other person (or team) is doing the best that they can. Maybe they are going through things that I simply cannot understand and they really need my support? Granted, the definition of "insane" is doing the same things every day and expecting things to change --like NEVER GETTING A QUARTERBACK WHO IS A WINNER SINCE DAN MARINO RETIRED. Anyway, I was reminded that true love is unconditional and not always easy. I was reminded that love is what you make of it.


That said, I realized that the Dolphins are indeed MY team and I should start acting like it once again. I will blindly launch into my love of the Miami Dolphins with an optimistic and clean slate after answering the tough questions from the depths of my soul: "Am I a New England Patriots fan or am I a Miami Dolphins fan?"


After my sould-searching had run it's course, the dust settled and I am a Miami Dolphins fan. I will be here for them when they are ready to win again and I will talk so much shit in their defense this year even if it borders on delusional. They shall soon return to their lofty post of Lords of the AFC EAST!!!


Maybe sooner than I/we think?


~ZFJ