Throughout our lives, fans will come and go. Some we meet in person, others we only know from social media. Most of them leave an impact.
Curt Fennell was more than just a Miami Dolphins fan. He was a mentor, friend, and someone we called The Godfather to all of us "web-heads." Curt passed away in March after fighting a battle against cancer.
Fennell wasn't some random fan, and even if you didn't know him or speak to him, you knew his body of work. Curt started the website Phins.com nearly 25 years ago. His site was the first to bring Dolphins and even NFL news to the internet. He made getting news easier. Curt was around doing his Dolphins thing before the Dolphins had MiamiDolphins.com.
Dolfans, I have some very sad news to share... 💔 pic.twitter.com/urHZoRoiVT
— Chris at Phins.com (@PhinsChris) April 2, 2025
Some would argue the Dolphins saw the value in what Curt was doing, and that was a catalyst for them to follow suit. Indeed, he had an impact. Curt won multiple "Webbie" awards, a peer-voted award handed out each year by the Dolphins organization. More often than not, he would receive the Tom Eddy Award for Best Overall Site.
Curt wasn't selfish. For years he racked up several awards, but when this site took home the top award, breaking his streak, Curt was the first one there to congratulate us.
Curt Fennell was more than website pioneer. He was a mentor and friend.
In the early days of blogging, it was cutthroat. Website owners bickered and fought and pointed fingers at others, saying they stole their ideas. The Dolphins, through Scott Stone, brought the websites to Miami and gave them unprecedented access to the team. Fennell embraced the opportunity by bringing the sites together all year.
On Phins.com, even to this day, you will find links to articles posted and written by other websites. You will find links to the three major news sources in Miami, and you will find Curt Fennell's fingerprint everywhere.
Curt was a friend. On many occasions, he took me aside and offered guidance. He helped me become a writer, but more importantly, he showed me the value of other sites and their opinions. The Web Weekend events have now long gone, but they are easily remembered. I will never forget the first year I attended a Web Weekend event, and it was Curt who was searching for me and not the other way around, as it had been for so many years prior. It was then that he stopped offering advice and instead gave me his friendship unconditionally.
I have been doing this, on this site, for 19 years, and I will greatly miss my friend and mentor. Curt, thank you. I hope you find the same peace now that you brought to us all.