MANILA – It was a 40-year wait for the 1972 Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, whose record of 17 wins and 0 losses is unequaled in NFL history. Today, the Miami Dolphins finally got their White House welcome. Forty years ago, invitations to the White House were infrequent, and the president at the time was Richard Nixon, who was embroiled in the Watergate scandal. Decades after the 1972 season, eight players have died, and their head coach, the legendary Don Shula, is 83 and cannot walk without the assistance of a cane or a motorized scooters. This left the team with the perfect season without an invite to the White House, until today, when President Barack Obama honored the veterans for their singular achievement. -- Mornings @ ANC, August 21, 2013