Interview with Miami GM Mike Morton by Dorian Gray

Howdy y'all! I bet you can't guess I just came back from vacationing at Hilton Head. Now I am the picture of good health and ready for more interviews! Speaking of traveling down south, this month we have another one of the long time GMs in the USAFL. You may know him as the GM of the team located at the home of beaches, cool cops and Dan Marino, in other words, the Miami Dolphins. That's right, our subject this month is none other than the two time Sundby Cup winner, Mike Morton! The following are excerpts from our interview.

How did you get interested in football?

Growing up in my neighborhood, everyone was into sports. We played all sports seasonal, Football (fall), street hockey(winter) Basketball (Spring) Baseball (wiffleball) (Summer). Out of the four, I was best at football and it was the most fun to play. Later on I played soccer and got into that.

How did you get into FBPro?

I used to play all the PC games back in college, early Madden (x's and o's), joe montana football were some I vaguely remember. FB pro came along and just blew my mind. Was into creating plays and playing each game invidually. Played in online leagues, but it was dragged out slow. And if you had a bad team, could take a decade (literally) to rebuild. Then I came across the USAFL and it was perfect for what I wanted to do.

What was your greatest thrill(s) as a GM?

Winning my first Sundby Cup in 2109 with Miami. I did some digging and can't find it, but I remember being GM of San Francisco and dipping into Free Agency and bought one of the top RBs in the league from Andrew's Eagles. I made a deep run that season, but it is foggy and can't remember his name.

Why did you pick this team as your USAFL team?

Well, I always wanted to live somewhere warm. Miami was one of the places I wanted to live. The Dolphins became available by chance and I took them. Now I live not far from Miami.

Who are some of your favorite players in the history of your team?

That one halfback I bought in Free Agency from Andrew. Can not remember his name and it is so far back, couldn't find him in the archives. In recent times, with Cleveland, I franchised a tackle, James Jackson and all was good. The next season after just 6 seasons, he decides to retire. So I bring him back and he only plays one more season. My luck. He didn't play for me, but Bing Bennett was a monster that I remember.

What keeps you so interested in the USAFL after all these years?

The people for the most part and the fact it is setup as a GM only league. Met a lot of great friends here and it is really special how it has been going on since the 90's.

Who is your favorite NFL team? (It's not always the one you have....lol)

Don't really watch the NFL anymore. Came a point in life where I didn't want to spend 3.5 hours (or more if multiple games) on a Sunday. I think when Free agency went crazy, it kind of lost its charm to me. Growing up I liked the Denver Broncos though.

Do you have any other interests you'd like to tell us about?

Most of you know I am also big into soccer. Play hours of Football Manager, it is very addictive for me. Like football, I don't watch as much soccer as I used too. After the US failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, it became apparent like all the other sports, it is about money, not winning. I like being outdoors, going to the beach, walking paths in the parks and everglades. Visiting the Florida Keys. I also love cruising. My 7 yr old is about to go on his 5th cruise already. Spoiled brat.

 

We hope you have enjoyed the conversation with Mike. Stay tuned for other interviews as our interview series of USAFL GMs continues.