My Life and Times

Posted on Thu, Dec. 09, 2004
Marino: On touchdown record, his futureBY ARMANDO SALGUEROasalguero@herald.com
Dan Marino is on the phone line, and an assembly of international media is listening to him talk about Peyton Manning's assault on his touchdown record, a possible return to the Dolphins front office and exchanging a Hall of Fame bust for a Super Bowl ring.
The quarterback who threw 48 touchdown passes for the Dolphins in 1984 watches the Indianapolis Colts quarterback now and has accepted that one of his most cherished records likely will fall.
And Marino is not exactly loving the idea.
''I wouldn't be human if I told you that I want to see someone else beat it,'' Marino said of the record. ``If anybody is going to do it, you'd like to see a guy like Peyton because of what he's done and the type of person that he is.''
Manning has 44 touchdowns through 12 games, and Marino expects many more.
''I definitely think he's going to throw more than 48,'' Marino said. ``How many that is, it all depends on the kind of games he's playing in. Of late, he's had to play some games where he's had to score a lot of points because the other teams would score on him, but I think he's going to get well into his 50s.''
CAREER CHANGE?
Marino has interviewed Manning as part of his work for CBS and HBO, and Wednesday he was asked whether he's pondering a career change soon. He worked as a Dolphins senior vice president for 22 days early this year, and Marino would not rule out returning to work for the franchise sometime in the future.
''You know what, that stuff never gets out of your blood,'' Marino said. ``I don't care what kind of football player or person you are, you always want to think you want to be back involved. I guess that's something right now I haven't been thinking about that much.
``But maybe someday I will think about it.''
A report published this week quoted unnamed sources stating Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga offered Marino a chance to rejoin the team this year in an executive role. But Marino and Huizenga haven't talked in months, and the Dolphins deny the report.
Dolphins president Eddie Jones also said he and Marino did not discuss a front-office job when Marino visited the team's training facility last week.
Marino was even angered by the report because he was worried Huizenga would take offense to the idea he is turning down yet another opportunity to work for the Dolphins -- although that opportunity hasn't been officially tendered.
Marino vented some of his anger when asked Wednesday whether he had been offered a Miami job recently.
''Why don't you get the NFL source that put that out there to answer that question,'' Marino growled.
Later, Marino released a statement saying, ``I love the Dolphins, and I said I might be interested in a position with the team down the road. But right now, I'm happy working in television.''
A NICE GIG
The reasons Marino won't return to the Dolphins now are not too complex.
He works four days per week as a studio analyst for the NFL Today pregame show and for Inside the NFL on HBO. Marino works on those shows about six months out of the year.
Marino also does endorsements for Maroone auto dealerships, a jewelry store and soon will take on pitchman duties for a mattress company.
All those jobs bring in approximately $4 million per year.
Next month, Marino likely will be voted into the Hall of Fame. He said he wouldn't trade the day he's inducted for the one prize that eluded him: a Super Bowl ring.
''For me to say that winning a Super Bowl, play three years in the NFL and have two Super Bowl rings, I would not trade that for 17 years playing with the Dolphins,'' he said.
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