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Steady
rain fell for much of the first half of the Miami-Baltimore game, coming
down hard at times. It suddenly stopped, however, once the first half
was over.
A dry
Marino walked onto the field with tears in his eyes, and joined his wife
and five children and former coach Don Shula on stage to receive his much-awaited
tribute. He fought back the emotion of the moment to deliver an impassioned
speech. "I spent 17 years fulfilling a dream playing in front of these
fans in Miami, and it was very special to me," Marino said.
Over
70,000 screaming fans chanted "Danny! Danny!" and roared in adoration
of Marino during a nationally televised halftime ceremony honoring the
certain Hall of Famer's career.
"There
was a lot of anxiety leading up to today," Marino said. "I have two minutes
to talk about 17 years."
The ceremony
featured over 800 on-field performers who spelled 'Danny' on the damp
field, a video highlighting Marino's career, and a fireworks display that
lit the dark sky. Marino's No. 13 was retired, joining Bob Griese's No.
12 as the only Miami numbers never to be worn again. Griese emceed the
event.
A life-size
bronze statue of Marino that will stand in front of the stadium was dedicated,
and the league's career leader in passing touchdowns was inducted into
the Dolphins' Honor Roll to finish off the emotional 14-minute ceremony.
The ceremony
was being billed as the most expensive player tribute. To ensure that
it would be a first-rate party, Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga told show
producer Michael Olmstead -- the orchestrator of John Elway's ceremony
last season -- that he wanted to spend twice as much money on Marino's
fete than was spent on Elway's.
"Dan,
your integrity, your sense of responsibility, makes you a role model for
the entire community," Huizenga told Marino.
About
90 former Dolphins players attended the ceremony.
"I've
thought a lot about the tradition of the Dolphins," Marino said, with
a slight tremble in his voice. "Seeing the former players here, the emotion
builds up because those were the guys I went to war with."
Marino's
name joined 12 other former Dolphins on the Ring of Honor that encircles
the stadium, including Hall of Famers Larry Csonka, Jim Langer, Larry
Little, Dwight Stephenson, Paul Warfield, Griese, and Shula, and the entire
1972 undefeated team. Marino was already honored once this season, when
50,000 fans showed up for a tribute that featured a reunion of the famed
quarterback Class of 1983 and a couple of songs by Hootie and the Blowfish,
Marino's favorite rock band.
But
Marino promised he isn't tired of the adulation. "We could have spread
it out a little bit," Marino said. "We could have retired the jersey one
night, and then we could have done the Honor Roll another night."
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