Greatest Moments in Miami Sports History

The Magic City is no stranger to hosting the biggest and most exciting moments in the world of sports. So before ’Mania invades the MIA, take a look back at the city’s rich history of competition.

Namath’s Guarantee—Jan. 12, 1969
Undeterred by the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, Jets quarterback “Broadway” Joe Namath famously guaranteed his team would leave Super Bowl III as champions. Namath threw for over 200 yards, and the Jets pulled out a 16-7 win in their first and, to date, only championship.

The Perfect Season—Jan. 14, 1973
The ’72-’73 Miami Dolphins ran roughshod over their opponents, to the tune of a 14-0 regular season. From there, they swept the playoffs, closing out the season with a 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins at Super Bowl VII.

Bad Boys—Jan. 1, 1984
Long before Michigan’s “Fab Five”revolutionized college basketball, a team of brash, young, racially diverse football players brought a new swagger to the college game. Their wild season culminated in the “Miracle in Miami,” in which the Hurricanes—who had no All-Americans on their squad— stunned the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day 1984, winning the U’s first National Championship.

The Hail Mary—Nov. 23, 1984
There are some Orange Bowl moments that Miami fans would choose to forget if they could, like the dramatic final seconds of this 1984 matchup between the Hurricanes and the Boston College Eagles. Down 45-41 with six seconds left, Doug Flutie uncorked a 48-yard pass to receiver Gerard Phelan, stunning the ’Canes and securing the Heisman Trophy for the diminutive quarterback.

Marino Sets A Record—Dec. 17, 1984
Dan Marino threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in this season’s final home game. It brought his yearlong passing total to an astounding 5,084 yards—a record that has yet to be eclipsed in more than 27 years.

The U Rolls On—Jan. 1, 1992
On New Year’s Day in 1992, the Hurricanes again met the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the National Championship game, and, once again, the ’Canes were victorious—for the fourth time in eight years. Also on this National Championship-winning squad was a young Dwayne Johnson.

Home Field Advantage—Sept. 3, 1994
The 1994 Miami Hurricanes set a home game record, winning their 58th consecutive matchup at the Orange Bowl, with a 56-0 rout over Georgia Southern University. The streak would end two weeks later, against Washington University, and ultimately be eclipsed by the Boise State Broncos in 2010.

The Marlins Win The Series—Oct. 26, 1997
The Marlins and Indians were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, when Marlins shortstop Edgar Renteria lined a single over Charles Nagy’s head to score Craig Counsell and give the Marlins the walk-off win. It was the first World Series trophy for the Marlins, who were in their fifth season at the time.

The Return To Dominance—Jan. 3, 2002
Backed by a coterie of future NFL Pro-Bowlers (Jeremy Shockey, Clinton Portis and Ed Reed), the Miami Hurricanesput together an undefeated season. It ultimately set the school back atop college football, as the program won its fifth National Championship.

The Fish Do It Again—Oct. 22, 2003
For the second time, the Marlins got a big walk-off World Series hit from a shortstop, when Alex Gonzalez homered in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 4 at Pro Player Stadium off Yankees reliever Jeff Weaver. The Marlins went on to close out the series days later at Yankee Stadium.

Rookie Of The Year—June 18, 2006
The Miami Heat won its first NBA Championship in 2006, carried by veterans Shaquille O’Neal and Gary Payton, as well as rookie sensation Dwayne Wade. While the team clinched the title on Dallas’s home turf, it wouldn’t have done so without Wade’s dominating 43-point performance in Game 5’s overtime victory at American Airlines Arena.

Watney Wins Big—March 13, 2011
Down two strokes to fellow American Dustin Johnson entering the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, golfer Nick Watney shot a 67, including a run of four birdies in five holes, to win his first PGA tournament event, netting the tourney’s $1.4 million prize.