Weekly Recap as an Out-of-Town Miami Dolphins Fan

Life as an Out-of-Town Season Ticket Holder

Being a Miami Dolphins season ticket holder when you don’t live in South Florida isn’t just about football – it’s about devotion to the team and experience that I grew up with for the last 25 years. Its the Pro Player Stadium nostalgia of waving your keys to the opponents team/fans and waving goodbye, as they had to embark on their flight home – or simply enjoying a hot-dog with an overpriced beer. As an out-of-town Miami Dolphins fan living in St. Augustine – travel can be quite challenging, as well as making sure you’re not over spending along the way. This is the start my home game experiences as an out-of-town season ticket holder.

0-3: The Reality Check We Didn’t Want

Three weeks into the 2025 season, and we’re staring down the barrel of another rebuilding year. The speculation is everywhere in the media these days—from local talk radio on WQAM to Twitter/X threads, to the guy next to me on at the game. “Fire McDaniels,” “Fire Grier” “Trade Tua,” —the usual chorus that follows every rough start. And to be honest – I agree with these statements 100%.

But here’s the thing about being a lifelong Dolphins fan, is that we’ve seen this movie before. We’ve weathered the storms, celebrated the unexpected victories, and learned that in Miami, hope springs eternal—sometimes foolishly so.

Let’s not forget the 1-15 season with Cam Cameron as our head coach, Trent Green as our #1 QB (we all know how that went down) — and Randy Mueller as the GM. Sounds like we might see a repeat this year?

The Out-of-Town Perspective

There’s something different about being a Dolphins fan from a distance. Maybe it’s because every game is an event, not just another Sunday watching football around the house. When you’re driving down from St. Augustine, every snap matters more. Every dollar spent on gas, every hotel night, every overpriced stadium beer—it all adds weight to each play and moment at the game.

The locals can just shrug off a bad performance and head home in traffic. We’re stuck with it for the entire drive back, replaying every missed opportunity, every blown coverage, every coaching decision that made us question our life choices.

MNF: What I’m Watching for vs. the Jets

As we head into Monday Night Football against the Jets, I’m not looking for miracles. I’m looking for signs of life. Can this team show me that my investment—financial and emotional—isn’t completely misguided?

Here’s what I need to see:

Identity. What kind of team are we trying to be? 2023 is over, and that locker room is far from what we are seeing today in this team.
Fight. Pure and simple. Show me you care as much as I do. They showed us this during the Bills game for sure.
Progress, not perfection. Small improvements that suggest we’re building toward something.

The Monday Night Lights

There’s something special about Monday Night Football in Miami, especially against the New York Jets. The atmosphere is different, the stakes feel higher, and as an out-of-town fan, you feel like you’re part of something bigger than just another game.

Win or lose against the Jets, I’ll be there. Because that’s what we do. That’s what it means to be a Dolphins fan—especially one crazy enough to hold season tickets from St. Augustine during this type of season that we are up against.

Looking Ahead

This is just the beginning of what I hope will be a weekly chronicle of the highs and lows of following this team from afar. Some weeks might be celebrations, others might be therapy sessions. But they’ll all be honest takes from someone who’s invested—literally and figuratively—in this team’s journey.

Next week: My Monday Night Football experience and whether the Dolphins can finally put together a complete game.

Fins Up, wherever you are. 🐬