The Mystique of the Orange Jersey

September 22, 2010

Outfitted in vibrant orange jerseys and bold white pants, the Miami Dolphins have chosen key occasions to break out their alternate uniforms. In the most recent recollections of those instances, each occasion has resulted in one thing: a memorable victory. And whether chance or coincidence is in play, there's no doubt that the orange and white bring out the best of the Dolphins. Perhaps, the very presence of these wares seem to emit some sort of gridiron magic.

With that said, it is still unknown whether Miami will elect to use their alternate unis in 2010. In the past seven seasons, the Dolphins have only worn them three times (2003, 2004 and 2009). But given the success it has brought Miami, the organization may decide to bring the flashy orange threads back for another go around. If they do so, there are promising trends to justify that decision - trends convincing enough they may lead some bookies to sports betting.

For starters, Dolphins' quarterbacks have excelled in the orange jerseys. Just last season, Chad Henne threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns against the New York Jets. Prior to that, in '04 A.J. Feeley was two yards shy of 200 passing yards and nailed a game-winning TD pass to defeat the New England Patriots. Take a step back to '03 and you'll find Jay Fiedler's late-game heroics versus the Washington Redskins, leading Miami back from a 23-10 deficit after coming off the bench in the fourth quarter.

Beyond the passing game, running back combos have also impressed while donning the fruit burst unis. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams drove the "R&R Express" down New York's throat in '09, combining for 142 yards and two TDs. Five years earlier Travis Minor and Sammy Morris put up three TDs on 54 yards of rushing against New England. And Williams teamed up with Minor in '03 to blast Washington for 127 yards and 2 TDs.

Did I mention that each of the games resulted in wins? There isn't a more likable trend than that, if you are a team that believes in superstitions, that is.

Other key trends to consider are the following:

• All games were played in Miami
• All games were Monday Night Football (MNF) games
• All games were decided by less than a touchdown

Thus, we are left with a couple questions to consider. Will Miami bust out the orange jerseys once again in 2010? It seems that the most likely occasion would be on October 4th, because it just so happens to be a Monday Night Football game - at home - against the Patriots. If that is the case, will we see similar results from the QB position and RB unit? Well, Henne, Brown and Williams have already done it once. We know they can do it again. It's all a matter of execution.

Word to the wise, Miami's front office should mark a large orange "X" over October 4th and roll out the mystical uniforms for that divisional match-up. After all, it can't hurt to test whether superstitions really work. At the very least, the highlighter-like jersey colors can distract Tom Brady from focusing on running the Pats offense. Besides, rumors have it that the cause of Brady's September 10 car accident came after a sudden, painful recollection of his 4-interception, 2-sack performance in Miami back in '04. Allegedly a glow of orange stormed his mind and caused him to swerve into another car.

I'm just saying, that's the word on the street.

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Update from Dolphins.com: "Dolphins To Paint South Florida Orange In Celebration Of 45th Season"

The Miami Dolphins are encouraging all fans to wear orange and to celebrate the the 2010 home season with the “Orange Offensive,” a series of community pep rallies and the lighting of key landmarks throughout South Florida in the color orange, leading up to the team’s home opener against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 26th at Sun Life Stadium... The Orange Offensive reaches its crescendo on Sunday, September 26th at Sun Life Stadium when the Dolphins face the New York Jets at 8:20 p.m. and the Dolphins players will be wearing their orange jerseys and fans will be receiving an orange rally towel, courtesy of Budweiser (read more).

So much for the trend of orange jersey-ed games only on MNF. Guess the Dolphins took initiative and wanted to use the orange jerseys at the first available opportunity. That only suggests that they must truly believe in the lucky unis.