Of the three teams from the state of Florida, the Miami Dolphins are the oldest franchise which was established in 1965. The Dolphins play in the AFC East along with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. The team’s home games are played at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
The 1972 Dolphins are remembered even to this day for being the only team in the history of the league to win all of their regular season games and three playoff games including Super Bowl VII against the then Washington Redskins (Washington Commanders) going 17-0 on the season.
Miami Dolphins mascot
The Miami Dolphins mascot is a costumed dolphin whose name is T.D. The origin of the name seems to be somewhat of a mystery as some people believe it stands for ‘The Dolphin’ while certain others believe it stands for Touchdown. Whatever the case, T.D. came into existence from 1997 onwards. Prior to that, the team had a live Dolphin named Flipper as their mascot from 1966 to 1968.
The Dolphins' mascot is a completely light gray colored suit with a fin on his back. He has big blue eyes on each side and he wears the team jersey switching between the colors white and aqua along with the team's pants. His jersey number is 1.
Dolphins mascot T.D. on and off the field
During games on the field, T.D. is the one entertaining the crowd. He is also the one to lead the fans in cheering for the team and supporting them as much as possible. Celebrating with the players and fans after the Dolphins score a touchdown is a customary attribute of his. Not much could be found on the Dolphins mascot when it comes to any tricks or stunts but he is a great hit with the children more than the adults.
Off the field, T.D. attends several events bringing joy and pleasure to the guests. He can be requested for fun and entertainment as well as marketing and promotions. Having T.D. at any function is sure to be a hit amongst the general public. But in more serious situations, T.D. has been going to hospitals regularly visiting the patients and spreading a cheer amongst them. Especially notable have been his visits to cancer patients who are in much need of smiles and laughter given what they go through.
Who was the original T.D.
Although the identity of the current person inside the T.D. suit could not be identified, the original T.D. was a man named Bill Bant. He was actually hired for a temporary role to fill in for another person who was selected by the franchise to be the mascot.
According to the Bant himself, while performing in one of the initial games, the person who was hired as the permanent mascot injured his knee to the extent that the doctors told him he could no longer perform. Incidentally, as Bant was his backup and had already trained in practice, he auditioned again and got the permanent role. Bant ended up being the T.D. mascot for ten seasons from 1997 to 2006.
FAQs
A. The Miami Dolphins mascot is called T.D.
A. The Miami Dolphins mascot was introduced prior to the 1997 season.
A. Since maintaining, transporting and repairing the big tank of Flipper was proving quite expensive, the Dolphins stopped using the live dolphin.
A. Most people are of the opinion that T.D. simply stands for ‘The Dolphin’.
