Dan Vs. Fran Fran’s The Man, But It’s Soon To Be Dan Who Will Be No. 1

As elusive as Fran Tarkenton was, he can’t escape the relentless pursuit of Dan Marino.

Sometime early in the Dolphins game against the Colts today, Marino will complete his fourth pass to break Tarkenton’s NFL career record for completions. Marino has 3,683; Tarkenton, who played five more seasons, finished with 3,686.

The game will be stopped briefly and an announcement made on the P.A. system and the scoreboard, giving the crowd at Joe Robbie Stadium a chance to pay tribute. Marino will be given the ball.

“Obviously, I’m going to be very proud,” Marino said after practice Friday. “In the 75-year history of the league, I’ll be the guy with the most completions. That will be special, just as it will be when I break the records for touchdowns and yardage. I’m going to enjoy the moment.”

Tarkenton is also the record holder for attempts (6,467), touchdown passes (342) and yardage (47,003), but not for long if Marino remains healthy. He’s 298 attempts, eight TD passes and 755 yards short, respectively. If Marino plays the four or five more seasons he says he would like to and remains productive, he’ll push those records so far out of sight they may never be broken.

The most meaningful of the four endangered Tarkenton records to Marino?

He answers before you can complete the question.

“Touchdowns. They directly relate to points and points directly relate to helping your team win.”

Acknowledging Marino’s feelings, the Dolphins will stop play for an on-field presentation when Marino throws his 343rd TD pass, assuming, of course, it occurs at home.

“He needs eight?” fullback Keith Byars said. “He can do that Sunday.”

Even Marino at his most miraculous hasn’t yet thrown an eight spot, but the completions record is a foregone conclusion today.

Dolphin publicist Harvey Greene, relentless in his documentation of Marino’s accomplishments (34 pages in the media guide) has compiled a list of everyone who has caught a Marino pass. There are 54, from Mark Clayton (538) down to Robert Wilson, Nuu Faaola and Keith Sims, each with one.

That’s right, 305-pound guard Keith Sims.

“I was in the clear, wide open when … no, actually, it was a tipped ball,” Sims said. “Ever since then, I’ve been begging Dan to throw to me again. In the huddle, I’m calling for the ball as much as Fryar.”

No chance, Keith.

But the guys who catch the football for a living would enjoy grabbing the record-breaker Sunday.

“I’d love to,” Byars said. “Of course, I love to catch any ball.”

O.J. McDuffie, who beat the Bengals with a 16-yard TD catch from Marino in the closing minutes last Sunday, put in a bid for historic No. 3,687.

“No doubt about it. Who wouldn’t want to be an answer on ‘Jeopardy’ one day?”

Gary Clark wants to collaborate on the record but chose a strange sales pitch to try on Marino.

“I’d love to be part of history - all of us would,” Clark said. “I told Dan I’d keep the ball if I caught it.”

The one receiver who didn’t nominate himself as a target for the fateful throw was Irving Fryar.

“It’s good enough to say I was there. I just want to win.”

Over the years, the tributes paid to Marino may outnumber his completions. Here’s one from quarterback-turned-broadcaster Phil Simms, who was at practice Friday.

“I think what separates Marino from everybody else is his confidence,” Simms said. “He has never lacked it and he never loses it. It translates to the other players and they feed off it. There’s no question he’s the most confident player I’ve ever seen in the game at any position, bar none.”