1972 Dolphins champagne celebration: Do ex-Miami players toast the first loss of the last undefeated NFL team every season?

In 1972, the Miami Dolphins created NFL history by having a perfect season. The Dolphins won all fourteen games of the regular season, won two playoff games, and defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII by a score of 14-7. They became the first and still the only NFL team to remain undefeated throughout the entire season.

The incredible 1972 Miami Dolphins roster is considered one of the strongest teams in the history of the sport. A few teams tried their best to achieve what they did but failed to stay consistent with their performances. Right after this unbelievable feat of a perfect 17-0 record, the legend of the Dolphins' champagne celebration started to make rounds everywhere.

In the 2022 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles took the NFL world by storm after bagging eight straight wins. On Monday, the Washington Commanders halted Jalen Hurts and Co's terrific run with a 32-21 victory in Week 10.

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What is the 1972 Miami Dolphins champagne celebration?

As the story goes, each player on the 1972 Miami Dolphins roster keeps a bottle of champagne at the start of every NFL season and they all come together to celebrate after the last remaining undefeated team loses their first game of the season.

In the lesser-known version, a few 1972 Dolphins players with the then-Miami head coach Don Shula celebrate every year to toast the continuation of their team's record. But is the champagne celebration real?

There is no confirmation behind the story and the head coach, Shula himself, does not know if this legendary celebration ever took place. He revealed:

"That's probably the most-talked-about thing that just doesn't happen. We've got players scattered all across the country. Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese and Dick Anderson all live in Coral Gables, and they'll go to a parking lot and open a bottle of champagne, but those three are too cheap to invite the rest of us down there."

Meanwhile, Dolphins star defensive end Jim Riley confirmed it was just a rumor. He thinks the rumor must have started when three players from the 1972 team, Garo Yepremian, Nick Buonticonti, and Dick Anderson, decided to celebrate their unbeaten record, but they did it only once.

The whole team has never gathered together to celebrate the loss of the other teams. However, Riley and the other team members wish for the longevity of their unbeaten record.

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How many teams have come closer to an unbeaten season of the 1972 Miami Dolphins?

Previously, NFL teams used to have a regular season with 14 games, but that changed in 1978. There are currently 17 games in the regular season. In 2005, the Indianapolis Colts looked set to beat the 1972 Dolphins squad's record by winning their first thirteen games of the season. The next three games did not go as planned and the Colts ended the season with a 14-2 record.

In 2007, the New England Patriots won all 16 of their games in the regular season but lost to the New York Giants by 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. The Green Bay Packers won their first 13 games during the 2011 season but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in their 14th game. The Packers ended the regular season with a 15-1 record.