MIAMI -- In response to the Dec. 12 'snowplow caper' at Foxboro, Mass., the Miami Dolphins made a mock presentation of a small tractor to the New England Patriots Saturday before their AFC playoff game.
The tractor, driven by a man in a striped prison suit, circled the field behind a sign reading, 'Patriots' Secret Weapon,' and then began plowing a 'snow' drift that had been dumped behind the east end zone.
The Dolphins lost to New England 3-0 in the snowplow game after tractor driver Mark Henderson, a prison inmate on a work release program, had cleared a spot on the snowy field for John Smith to kick the game-winning field goal. The incident resulted in a wave of controversy and new NFL guidelines to prevent such an incident in the future.
Public address announcer Bob Kaufman said, 'This special acknowledgment is being made in recognition of the Patriots' invention of a brand new play in the history of the NFL... the snowplow sneak.'
Trailing the snowplow out to the field was a similar tractor geared with lawn mowing equipment, which Kaufman joked would be used to mow a spot on the field for Miami kicker Uwe von Schamann to use.
A Dolphins spokesman said the stunt was the work of the Dolphins' front office and Coach Don Shula had nothing to do with it.
