Mercury rising

Whether intentional or not, it's worth noting that old friend Mercury Morris is one of the Dolphins' honorary captains for today's AFC East clash with the Patriots.

According to Miami's game notes: "The past and the present of Miami Dolphins football come together at each home weekend once again in 2008. In an effort to pay tribute to the tradition-rich history of the franchise, alumni will serve as honorary captains for every home game and take the walk to midfield for the coin toss, along with the team's permanent captains. The honorary captains for today's game against the Patriots are RB Mercury Morris (1969-75), LB John Offerdahl (1986-93), and S Shawn Wooden (1996-99, 2001-04)."

Morris had plenty to say about the Patriots during the 2007 season, particularly after the team's perfect season fizzled in a 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

"I'm happy for the New York Giants," Morris said immediately after the Super Bowl. "They were the ones who did it, and they deserve to win because they did what it took to win; which is exactly what we did 17 times in 1972. I guess for the people who weren't around then and don't understand that we are so proud of the fact, not that the Giants knocked off the Patriots, but that people now will get an idea that the only way you can go undefeated is to win every game. You can talk about it all you want, but you still have to win every single game."

For those interested, Morris has already declared himself a fan of the undefeated Tennessee Titans.