WOW ! Amazing weekend,....and hopefully I will get some sleep tonight. Where do I start ? How about the beginning. I told Bob, my long time Dolphin wingman & one of my closest friends, to be at my place at 8AM. He arrived at 7:15. No worries, we were all pretty excited ( including his niece sleeping in the backseat ).

When we arrived at the hotel I was still riding high !

1st order of business, promptly hang up my game day outfit.

We got a quick power nap and Richie "Phinominal Dolfan" showed up as we were all heading to try to stalk the team. My man is a Cincy local yet one of the biggest Dolphin's fan around.

Once downtown we did get get some pics and autographs. I'm partial to the big guys,....specifically the D line.

My man Tony recovered a fumble today !

So,....I also rubbed elbows with the Dolphins brass. In my Ron Burgandy voice,...."i'm kinda a big deal",.....LOL. NOT ! But they do know my name.

Game day !

Yes,....we were all fired up ! 1st order of business, get that new flagpole up.

My little display table,...

That's right,....Funky Fin Monkey & Mini OFF4L made this trip too !

When I when to Canton for HOF weekend I met a few of Cincy's "super" fans. Truth be told,....I stayed there just long enough to say hi and grab a quick photo. They are all nice guys, and good sports.

I would have stayed longer, excect I was hosting my own gig and needed to get back.

I feel like I'm forgetting my much better half. Without her support, I could never live the life I do. She is amazing !

Just because I love him like a Brother,....

I feel the need to talk about all the different Dolphin's fans I met over the last few days. OH, MI, KY, IL, PA, TN, SD, VA are just some of the states I recall. The stories are what interest me. Some traveled less than an hour, some traveled 9 hours ( via car). Some were vets, some were rookies, and there were even some 1st timers. it was truely amazing to me to hear all the tales and to see the excitement in their eyes as they spoke of their love of our beloved Dolphins. This is just a small portion of those who came to our tailgate,....

I'll admit,....I had a not so hidden agenda. I was going to give a speech, swag them, then pass the hat.

After tossing out a bunch of beads & Dolphins trinkets, I moved on to something slightly more desirable.

Passing the hat during our tailgate really paid off.

Hustle baby,.....hustle. I will not give less than 110%

If a random fan wanted a pic, they got the pitch. If they were in Fins colors and I talked to them, they got the pitch. Every time just asking for $1 after explaining why I am riding 170 miles. I rarely got turned down and I raised over $325 by just asking for donations.

http://www.ridedcc.com/dcc/page/Griffin-Van%20Nest.htm

If you're sitting on the sidelines, here's your chance to get in the game and be a difference maker. Just one dollar is all I ask.

I have to say, I really got along with everyone. However, Vilmos & I seemed to connect. So much so that I had him put on my "Ohioan by Birth" sign,...."and Romanian too" with his autograph.

His is also a big soccer fan. And he now is planning a trip to NY to meet us for the Jets game !

Finally, a stylist was in our crew !!! Phinominal's wife, Amy ( I think,......soooo many names in a short period ), hooked me right up before we headed in. I knew I liked her the moment I met her, but when she says,....." we can't have you looking a hot mess now can we ????". Now,...I really like her ! A big thank you is needed here !!!

Smile,....it's about to get fun !

Maybe you noticed M.M.'s sign,....I changed it before heading into the stadium.

I'm sure there are going to be some even better pics float in over the next few days as the crew posts them to FB and tag me. I know for a fact there are several that didn't make it on to my camera, but are "instant classics". I can't wait to see those too !

I'll leave the game analysis for those better suited to that type of post. I'm more of a Dolphins "lifestyle" type of guy,.......duhhhh. I hope you enjoyed my little slice of heaven as much as I enjoyed my day then sharing it with you. I would again like to extend my humble thanks to all. I met lots & lots of people that made this weekend so incredible. Like the fella from Findley, Ohio ( 45 minutes from Toledo ), who's wife surprised him this morning with tickets to the game and being a diehard DolFan he was tickled pink to be in our section. I hope they make up to Toledo next weekend to the Toledo Fanclub. And the other fella ( I forget his name ), who reads the Phinsider ( and my stories ) but doesn't post, yet reached out to me because he & his Wife wanted to be in our section. I am humbled and will continue to roll out the welcome mat to any & all that cross my path. It was a great weekend, and the car ride home flew by as Bob drove & i posted,......LOL. Too cool.

Until next time in NY,....

OFF4L