LittleSammy Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 I had the opportunity to meet him in person one time. When he found I was a Bills fan he had nothing but praise for the Bills fans. He said the Buffalo fan base was among the toughest to deal with of any of his opponents over the course of his career. A class act all the way! 1 1
Niagara Dude Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, BuffaloBills1998 said: It’s been reported this morning that Coach Shula passed away at age 90??. RIP coach, it was a great privilege to be able to watch you on the sideline. Respect and loved beating Shula coached teams, Shula and Marino were two biggest parts of squish the fish week.
Rico Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 27 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said: And as I hinted. He didn't need to cheat or have the Refs at his beckon call to win. Or Rodger destroying the evidence in SpyGate. Cheated just as much if not more than Belichick, you just didn’t hear about it back then. 1
Steve O Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, dorquemada said: A .658 career winning percentage! Wow! RIP coach. And to think they replaced him with the Pork Faced Satan Tickets to the game, $200 Parking, $20 Beer, food, drinks for the kids, $50 Watching Jimmy Johnson wig out, priceless! RIP coach Shula.
eball Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 3 minutes ago, Rico said: Cheated just as much if not more than Belichick, you just didn’t hear about it back then. I seem to recall an undercurrent that he had the refs in his pocket, but nothing quite so overt as what BB has done. One of my favorite memories as a Bills fan was how Buffalo ended Shula's coaching career. When BB retires (or dies) I don't think you'll see nearly the level of respect expressed by, in particular, fans of other teams.
blacklabel Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 Aw man, what a bummer. Even when he was beating up on our Bills it was still hard not to respect his greatness. RIP Coach Shula. All time great.
The Dean Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 RIP, Mr. Shula. Marv wrote this nice piece on Shula back in 1996, upon Don's retirement. https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/01/15/the-last-of-the-legends-a-respectful-rival-wonders-if-we-will-ever-see-the-likes-of-don-shula-again 1 2
Purplebulldog Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 As much as he made Sunday's miserable for me when I was a kid, the rivalry of Kelly and Marino in my teens and 20's were incredible. Another part of my youth has gone. RIP coach class act on and off the field! 1
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 (edited) 45 minutes ago, Rico said: Cheated just as much if not more than Belichick, you just didn’t hear about it back then. All coaches look for an advantage. Technology back then and now is way different. Belicheat broke rules. I can see when the Refs backed the Patriots when America needed Patriots after 911. but they carried it too far. How can a team lead the league in fewest penalties for 10 years straight (more)? That is just not feasible w/o getting the benefit from the refs. Pats 2 penalties, the other team 10 week after week. Edited May 4, 2020 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce
dorquemada Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 42 minutes ago, eball said: I seem to recall an undercurrent that he had the refs in his pocket, but nothing quite so overt as what BB has done. One of my favorite memories as a Bills fan was how Buffalo ended Shula's coaching career. When BB retires (or dies) I don't think you'll see nearly the level of respect expressed by, in particular, fans of other teams. It was alleged at the time (by my idiot teenaged peers and their drunk idiot dads) that Shula was the only coach on the Competition Committee so Dolphins always got away with cheating. I have no idea if any of it was true or not but kind of stinks of sour grapes
Rico Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 7 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said: All coaches look for an advantage. Technology back then and now is way different. Belicheat broke rules. I can see when the Refs backed the Patriots when America needed Patriots after 911. but they carried it too far. How can a team lead the league in fewest penalties for 10 years straight? That is just not feasible w/o getting the benefit from the refs. Shula was on the Competition Committee. He didn’t have to break rules, he made them. He had a very, very favorable relationship with high-ranking people in the league office. 5 minutes ago, dorquemada said: It was alleged at the time (by my idiot teenaged peers and their drunk idiot dads) that Shula was the only coach on the Competition Committee so Dolphins always got away with cheating. I have no idea if any of it was true or not but kind of stinks of sour grapes Your peers and their dads were very savvy.
Bob in STL Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 Great HoF coach. One of the best ever. He had our number in the 70's … we kept him and Marino out of the SB in the late 80's and 90's. Another throwback coach who quietly went about his business.
Chandler#81 Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 32 minutes ago, The Dean said: RIP, Mr. Shula. Marv wrote this nice piece on Shula back in 1996, upon Don's retirement. https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/01/15/the-last-of-the-legends-a-respectful-rival-wonders-if-we-will-ever-see-the-likes-of-don-shula-again Thanks for this Deano! I laughed at him and his invincible Colts vs. NYJ in SBIII, when I was 14. I cursed him throughout the 70’s in my 20’s. Reveled in whooping him opening day ‘80. Cursed him again from ‘83 through ‘87 in my 30’s. Bought season tickets to witness 1st Hand his inability to beat the Bills for the next 8 years to his finale, despite coaching the next best team in the Conference during this time, in my 40’s. Today, I’m a sad old man. Rest in Peace, Don. 2
stuvian Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Logic said: In 32 seasons as a head coach, Don Shula had only two losing seasons. That is beyond incredible. There is a legitimate case to be made that he is the greatest head coach of all time. that is simply astounding. I never knew that. His was a life well lived, in and out of football
RobbRiddick Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 Such sad news. One of the things that sucks more and more as you get older is that so many people who played such a big part of your youth end up fading away one by one. He was a rival, but I always enjoyed his battles with Marv (thankfully Marv won most of them) and I liked his work as sportscaster. Thank God for YouTube so whenever we're feeling misty eyed we can go back and spend time with these guys. 2 2
Returntoglory Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 I grew up watching the Dolphins whenever a Bills game was not on. My Dad was a Dolphins fan. He absolutely admired Don Shula. Class act all the way. Rest in Peace Coach ❤️
chaccof Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 3 hours ago, SF Bills Fan said: He was a thorn in our side through the 70's but we had some great battles in the 80' and 90's. He was a true titan in the game. Boy, "thorn in our side" is a bit of an understatement considering the Bills were 0-1970's against the Dolphins.....but point well taken. Didn't his last playoff game as a HC result in a loss against the Bills? Or am I thinking of something else?
Franco_92 Posted May 4, 2020 Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, eball said: I seem to recall an undercurrent that he had the refs in his pocket, but nothing quite so overt as what BB has done. One of my favorite memories as a Bills fan was how Buffalo ended Shula's coaching career. When BB retires (or dies) I don't think you'll see nearly the level of respect expressed by, in particular, fans of other teams. The funny thing about this is that I've read about 5 different fan forums' threads on this topic today. They were uniform in their respect and admiration. Except for one fan base. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about - the nicest comment in the thread was "I could say some things, but I won't, and will just say RIP." or something to that effect. It was downhill from there. Scumbags over there in Bahhhhston
Recommended Posts