Don Shula, Raiders Vs. Dolphins, and Me

Remembering One of the Great Coaches and Rivalries of the 1970s

by Tom LaMarre

Coach Don Shula, who died on Monday at the age of 90, flew into the Bay Area with his Miami Dolphins the day before their regular-season game against the Oakland Raiders in 1973 and met with the local media in his hotel room in Berkeley.

I was the Oakland Tribune’s beat writer for the Raiders at the time and was fortunate enough to be there.

“The Raiders are a tough team to play, not only for us but for everybody,” Shula told us. “We might be the world champions and haven’t lost in a while, but we know we’re going to have our hands full tomorrow.”

The Oakland Athletics were on their way to winning the first of their three straight World Series and were playing at the Oakland Coliseum on that Sunday, so the Raiders and Dolphins had their game moved to Memorial Stadium at the University of California in Berkeley.

Old man George Blanda kicked four field goals that day and the Raiders, with their own legendary Coach John Madden (pictured at right with Shula), ended Miami’s 18-game winning streak, 12-7.

Shula was just as gracious after the game as he was the day before, and at one point he seemed to be looking at me when he said: “I told you they were going to be tough. The Raiders always seem to play their best against us.”

Even though Shula might be the greatest coach in NFL history and his regular-season record of 328-156-6 is unmatched, he was only 6-11 against the Raiders and never won in Oakland, or Berkeley.

Later that year during a nationally televised feature on the Dolphins’ dynasty, Shula took viewers into the room where he and his staff scouted the other teams in the NFL. On one big wall was every team’s complete depth chart.

Shula explained what it was and pointed out only two players on the board, cornerback Willie Brown and tackle Art Shell of the Raiders, saying that each “might be the best player at his position in the NFL.”

Shula obviously remembered Brown’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown that helped the Raiders beat the Dolphins, 14-7, in a 1970 playoff game.

The Dolphins and Shula got revenge for that loss to the Raiders in 1973 by downing Oakland, 27-10, later that season in the AFC Championship Game at the Orange Bowl, but the Raiders ended Miami’s two-year run as Super Bowl champion in the famed “Sea of Hands” game during the 1974 playoffs.

“The Raiders family mourns the loss of legendary Coach Don Shula,” the Raiders said in a statement on Monday. “Coach Shula was a fierce competitor and his leadership and innovation on the field forever impacted the game. The Raiders join the entire football community in sending thoughts and prayers to the Shula family at this time.”

And Madden released this statement: “Besides being a competitor of mine, Don was a really good friend, mentor, and confidant who gave more to the game than he took from it. He was a member of the Competition Committee for years, as this was something he believed in. He always wanted to make the game better because he cared so much. Don Shula was a great man and a great friend.”

I don’t know if he did this with every sportswriter, but after that first meeting in 1973, Shula always said, “Hi, Tom,” whenever he saw me.

So I say now: “Goodbye, Coach. Rest in Peace.”