MIAMI (AP) -Maybe the Miami Dolphins are worth owning after all.
Dismal and dull all season, the Dolphins earned their first win of the year in thrilling fashion Sunday, scoring on a 64-yard pass in overtime to beat the Baltimore Ravens 22-16.
Owner Wayne Huizenga wouldn’t say whether one win might be enough to persuade him to keep the team.
“Things will come out down the road,” Huizenga said in the winning locker room. “We’ll see what happens.”
Huizenga confirmed Saturday he has been discussing the sale of the franchise since April. The Dolphins won’t be the NFL’s first 0-16 team, but they haven’t reached the AFC championship game – much less the Super Bowl – since Huizenga became sole owner in 1994.
With a 1-13 record, Miami is out of the playoff picture for the sixth year in a row, extending a franchise record, and Huizenga has said he’s tired of losing.
That made Sunday a time to savor. When reserve receiver Greg Camarillo scored his first career touchdown for the victory, he was mobbed by teammates in the corner of the stadium.
“I was at the bottom,” a gleeful Camarillo said. “I was smashed.”
The locker room celebration was more subdued but just as heartfelt. Cam Cameron, relishing his first win an as NFL head coach, stood before his players and let out a huge sigh of relief.
Later, a grinning Huizenga made a brief visit.
“In my suite it was like winning the Super Bowl,” he said. “It was very emotional for me.”
Despite the win, Huizenga has tough decisions to make, and not only whether to sell. He has yet to say whether Cameron will return for a second season, even though he’s the Dolphins’ fourth coach since 2004, and instability has been a big part of the franchise’s problem.
While Huizenga is reluctant to endorse Cameron, the coach said their relationship is excellent.
“I can’t imagine anyplace getting more support from ownership and from the organization than we get,” Cameron said. “It’s up to us as coaches and players in the on-the-field performance to get the job done. The support is tremendous. It’s up to us, because everything is in place for us to build and do well.
“Wayne and I talk a lot. That’s an enjoyable part of the job, the interaction with him and his family.”
Huizenga has always inspired loyalty and praise from his coaches, from Don Shula and Jimmy Johnson to Dave Wannstedt and Nick Saban. Shula was at Sunday’s game to take part in a reunion of the 1972 perfect-season Dolphins.
“Wayne has been a great owner in this league, and there’s nothing more he wants than to win it,” Shula said. “I would have loved to have had the opportunity to go down that path with him, to win it all with him being the owner, but that didn’t happen.
“I don’t know what his thoughts are right now – whether he’s interested in getting out of it, or maybe taking on a partner, I’m not sure.”
Huizenga recently discussed a potential deal with Miami developer Jorge Perez and business partner Stephen Ross, a New York builder.
Perhaps the final two games will influence Huizenga’s thinking. The Dolphins play Sunday at unbeaten New England, where they’ll likely be three-touchdown underdogs.
“We’ve got a phenomenal opportunity,” Miami kicker Jay Feely said. “It would be the story of the year if we could go in and knock off New England and preserve the ’72 Dolphins’ legacy.”
Back in 1972, Huizenga was a big Dolphins fan. He still is, and he’s believed to be seeking at least $1 billion for the team.
As the Dolphins showed Sunday, they’re not totally worthless.
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