Breaking down the Tua-Marino number debate

Just because it feels right doesn't make it right.

That's how those Dolphins fans throwing out the idea of the number 13 being un-retired so Tua Tagovailoa can keep his college number should view the whole concept.

There's a reason the organization retired Marino's jersey in September 2000, a mere six months after he had announced the end of his brilliant NFL career. There's a reason there's a statue of Marino in front of Hard Rock Stadium, the only Dolphins player so honored.

The man was the greatest player in franchise history, and there's not an objective fan or non-fan who would argue that point.

So if the organization deemed it appropriate to honor him by retiring his jersey number, what has changed to necessitate revoking that honor?

Longtime Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi suggested in a column that Marino, now a senior advisor to Vice Chairman/President/CEO Tom Garfinkel, should volunteer the number unretirement to, among other things, generate a feel-good moment.

After all, who better to honor the legacy of Marino than the superstar college quarterback who has worn that number since he was in high school?

Well, here's the thing: Why is it such a hardship to ask Tua to switch numbers?

It's not like he'd be the first college superstar to have to switch numbers as a pro.

Here's another factor to consider: If Marino's number goes back into circulation, then why should there be any retired Dolphins number?

So then what happens with the number 12 (retired for Bob Griese) and the number 39 (retired for Larry Csonka).

If any one number in the Dolphins organization should be retired, it's 13.

Now, getting into the debate of retiring numbers in the first place is another story. But for example, why Griese and Csonka but not the other Dolphins Hall of Famers like Larry Little, Nick Buoniconti, Jim Langer, Dwight Stephenson, Jason Taylor and even Paul Warfield (though he had a lot of his success with the Cleveland Browns)?

The idea of unretiring a number isn't unprecedented in the NFL because it happened in Seattle when Jerry Rice was given Steve Largent's old number 80 after signing with the Seahawks in 2004, 12 years after it was retired.

That was wrong.

And even then Rice already had put together Hall of Fame credentials in the NFL.

Tua hasn't played a down as a pro.

Based on what he told the South Florida media after he was drafted last week, Tagovailoa wants no part of this discussion.

“For me, I’m not too worried about what number I have," Tua said. "I understand number 13 is retired and it should be. Dan Marino, he’s the GOAT. He’s like the mayor out there, and I have much respect for him. Whatever number I’m given by that organization, if it’s 78 or 99, I’ll wear it. It doesn’t matter."

He's right. It doesn't matter.

If Tua becomes as successful an NFL quarterback as the Dolphins fan base hope, he'll make whatever number he wears his own.

Just like Marino did.