Are we a dying breed?

[Mercury22]

As our beloved Dolphins continue to climb the mountain of suck that they've been climbing for, well, really ever since Dan Marino retired in 1999, and it appears the effects have been staggering on the size of the Dolphins fan base.

As evidence, its been reported that the Dolphins had their lowest rating ever for a home opener and the lowest in the NFL for this seasons opener.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/14/ratings-for-dolphins-opener-shockingly-low-in-miami/


reports suggest that the number of viewers was staggering low. It leads me to the question, are we a dying breed? I can remember the Tampa Bay Bucs franchise had no fans at all on the west coast when I was a kid. I mean none. I've always been a huge NFL dork, and followed the sport religiously since I was little. One of he first questions I would always ask people when I'd meet them was "Do you follow NFL?" and if so, "What team did you follow?". I never once heard of anyone who was a Bucs fan, but then again, they completely sucked and had pretty awful uniforms.

I have to wonder if our beloved Dolphins are starting to significantly lose their fan base, and if we aren't becoming that 70's and 80's Buccaneers team.

Thoughts?
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"22 players are involved in every football play. To value precisely the activity of one of them, it is first necessary to account for the actions of the other 21"

[TheKillerNacho]

Its sad to think about but when a team has been a disappointment for as long as we have, fans tend to lose interest and potential new fans choose a different team because of our reputation. It doesn't help that our colors are aqua & teal. I mean if you're a Miami youngster getting into football, would you feel like following "the fish", a team that has done nothing worthwhile for over a decade?

I wouldn't say we're about to become a team like the Bucs, though. The Dolphins are a team with history and I think there will always be a decent chunk of Dolphins fans. But starting to improve again would cause the fanbase to become more lively again.
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With much cheese,

Nacho Simulation Football League

[phinmun]

I live in South Carolina where college football seems about 20x as popular as the NFL (which sucks) but I still run across Dolphins fans now and again. It seems like everyone knows someone who likes Miami. It's always an older generation, though. Never a young person which says a lot!

I'm in my mid-late 20s and I'm the youngest Dolphins fan I know, personally.

[Deadeye]

I would say that yes of course Phin fans are a dying breed. You cannot suck as long as we have without deterioration of the fan base. Factor in the blistering heat that makes it difficult to be in the stadium on September and October afternoons and you've got a real problem.

Honestly, the team could relocate at some point not too far down the road. And the ONLY solution is to put a consistent winner on the field, which I think Ross is probably incapable of doing.
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Earn more sessions by sleeving.

[patdt13]

There's a surprising amount of Dolphin fans in New England. I dont think we're at TB's level yet.
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[xXxHOUSEDxXx]

Not only are we a terrible football team, but we're very unentertaining to watch as well. Such an awful boring team.
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[Mercury22]

[SUG]

[Mercury22]

[ukdolfan]

[neezy007]

9er fan here, but I think it would help if the Dolphins darkened their colors. To a, you know, Miami Hurricane type jersey.
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[Deadeye]

[Deets]

[Deadeye]

[green4gulf]