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Shula Flip Flops on Asterisk Claims

Dolphins Hall of Fame coach Don Shula has now backed off statements that if the Patriots go undefeated in 2007 there should be an asterisk next to their accomplishments because of the spygate scandal. He also told the New York Post that the record should be held in the same regard as Barry Bonds’ home run record.

Today on Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio, Shula backed off those statements. From ESPN.com

Shula told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on Thursday that if the Patriots finish with a perfect record to match that of his 1972 Dolphins, then there “shouldn’t be any attachment to it,” referring to a possible asterisk next to New England’s name in the record books.

“If they run the table, and they win all the games, then they are doing it within the rules of the National Football League,” Shula said. “And there shouldn’t be any asterisk to it. That would be the accomplishment that they made. It would be the best in all of sports.”

In Shula’s defense, he was contacted by the newspaper and didn’t speak out on his own. Yet many in the Boston sports community and national sports media have disagreed with his original statements.

Tags: Don Shula, Patriots, perfection