With the Miami Dolphins announcing on Saturday that they will celebrate their 50th season as a franchise this year, legendary head coach Don Shula felt it was appropriate to take another shot at the New England Patriots.
Before the Deflategate scandal erupted, Shula infamously referred to Bill Belichick as “Beli-cheat.” He put the Pats in his crosshairs again when discussing the Dolphins’ 50th anniversary.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years,” Shula said, per Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. “Always done with a lot of class. A lot of dignity. Always done the right way. We didn’t deflate any balls.”
Shula, who led the Dolphins to the only undefeated season in NFL history back in 1972, obviously couldn’t help himself. He was then asked a follow-up question about whether Deflategate taints the Patriots’ most recent championship.
“I think I’m going to pass on that answer,” he said.
The ’72 Dolphins have always felt threatened by the Patriots, so their opinions on subjects like this are almost always incredibly biased. That said, Shula certainly isn’t the only one who doesn’t approve of the way New England’s organization is run.
So far, we have surprisingly seen people like this NFL quarterback defend Tom Brady ahead of what seems like a suspension for the three-time Super Bowl MVP. Shula, on the other hand, is loving every second of the drama.
