A Team on the Rise as the Empire Falls

Well before I get to my actual subject here's a little recap since my last post:

Tiger stroked his ball(s) into the rough more than once. Who cares? (see my last post, Tiger's Wood)

Florida Panthers cannot seem to string together wins. Offense continues to be an issue, while the goaltenders are facing way too many shots.

The Heat, as with the Panthers continue to be a model of inconsistency, even with the improved play of Michael Beasley. They still need a true point guard.

And the Marlins continue to pocket the profit share money, while shopping Dan Uggla for a bunch of cheap players.

Now, to the point.

Sunday's game has shown some glaring trends between the Dolphins and the Patriots.

All season, the Dolphins have hung in every game, except the one against Atlanta, and the 4th quarter meltdown in Buffalo. Speaking of meltdowns, remember the Colts, and the Saints game? That's 2 of the NFL's premier franchises, that the Dolphins had on the ropes, and should have beat.

The Patriots, whose lengthy run at the top is quite impressive in the salary cap era, have lost all 5 of their road games this season, and except for Tennessee, have struggled against weaker competition all year. Now, the overall statistics would indicate that they are right on par with the past, but all of those close games that used to go their way are starting to get away from them. Much like their youth.

The Dolphins have one of the youngest rosters in the league, with an average age of 26.8. The Patriots average age is 29.7. Doesn't seem like that big of a difference, right? Consider that Miami only has 5 players that are 30 years old or older. New England has 16 such players.

Miami has many promising young players at important positions such as: QB Chad Henne(24), CB Sean Smith(22), CB Vontae Davis(21), S Chris Clemons (remember that name folks, 24), O-lineman Jake Long(24), Nate Garner(24), Donald Thomas(24), D-lineman Paul Solai(25), Tony McDaniel(24), Randy Starks(26), LB Cameron Wake(27), and on and on.

I'm especially impressed with Henne, who is becoming the leader of this team.

I left WR's off this list because, outside of Tedd Ginn(fail), it's too early to judge some of these players. But there is some promise with Devone Bess(24), and Brian Hartline(23). Don't forget the name Lex Hilliard(RB, 25) who looks like a hard nosed halfback chomping at the bit if Ronnie goes.

The Patriot's best players are: QB Tom Brady(32), WR Randy Moss(32), WR Wes Welker(only 28, but take away Moss and see what happens), Junior Seau(40), DT Vince Wilfork(maybe a Dolphin next year, 28) and most of the younger players don't exactly jump out at you. RB Laurence Maroney(24) is a bust, indicated by them signing often injured Fred Taylor(33), and keeping Sammy Morris(32).

This is not to say that the Dolphins are on that level yet, cause they're not. Also, some of new England's 30 something players are still playing good football. But, Miami's time is coming. The team is growing right before our eyes, with the right staff leading the way, and a team chemistry that we have not had for years.

New England on the other hand, is aging and not able to reload as quickly as before. I think some of the shine is wearing off the aura of Bill Belichick, and players are turning on him more. Notice that every coach that leaves his staff has nothing but bad things to say about the man when they leave. Do you honestly believe that the players who have to jump through hoops for this guy don't feel the same way? Let's face it, if Drew Bledsoe isn't almost killed on the field that day, you wouldn't even know who Tom Brady is, and without him, Belichick and all his smugness is most likely no longer coaching.

Bottom line is, just wait Dolphins fans, we got something going on here that we haven't had for years.................a reason to believe in the long term future of the franchise, not just next year.

IN HENNE WE TRUST

Tiger's Wood

WOW! I can't say I'm surprised about this. I think I'm more surprised it hasn't come out sooner. I mean, think about the money, traveling to all these exotic locations, and let's face it, compared to most pro golfers, this guy is a Greek God. This man probably has hoes in international area codes.

I do not condone what he has done. If you know you can't commit, don't get married. And guys, we know if we can't commit, I don't care what anybody tells you. But I always struggle with feeling some small amount of sympathy when peoples lives are played out for all to see. On the other hand, if you choose certain lifestyles, you must expect your life to be under the microscope. The sympathy is mostly for the family, but I'd be a damn liar if I said I didn't feel some for Tiger, that's just how I'm wired I guess. Mainly just because when you think of someone a certain way, you hate to see them fall from grace. I'm not one of these people that likes to see people fail.

I just think that it is none of our business, and the fact that it's the lead story everywhere you turn is making me sick. When a story about an adulterous golfer, leads ahead of the possibility of sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, something is seriously wrong.

His actions were unacceptable, yes. A portion of this was going to be public no matter what, given the person involved. However, the family (and yes, Tiger) should be left to handle this privately, without a bunch of bloodhounds sniffing their asses. It's a bad enough situation as it is.

Farewell Bobby Bowden

I need to start this off by saying that I am, and have always been a lifelong Canes fan. I am also a die-hard Dolphins fan, so I can sympathize with those that feel Bowden got the Don Shula treatment. As if we didn't already know, college football is dirty business. The boosters and alumni (with more clout that anyone should be allowed just because they went to the school, and donated some money to renovate a hallway or some B.S.), had more to do with this than his record of last year. It could be argued that the only reason that FSU matters today (on the national level it enjoys), is because of Bowden.

Wasn't it only a couple of years ago, that Joe Paterno and Penn State were losers for a few years? Look what a little patience can do, they currently stand at 10-2, and have put together a nice few years since then. So far Penn State has done right by Paterno, and Bowden deserved the same treatment. Was it time for him to go? We could argue all day, I'm just saying he earned the right to go out on is own. And don't tell me that "oh, he was barely involved anymore", so what. You are gonna tell me if you were a football player coming out of high school, just being part of a program with Bowden at the helm means nothing? If so, go get your head examined.

Here are some numbers to think about:

2 National Titles.

12 ACC Titles

388-129-4.

14 years in a row in the top 5 (no one will ever touch that).

50 years of coaching, only 2 losing seasons.

Those last 2 are astounding, and he could've had at least 2 more national championships, if not for some horrible kicking (thanks by the way).

The point I guess is that, whether it's the NCAA or the NFL, no one is safe. If Don Shula began his career today, would he still be here after 8-8, 8-8, 6-10, and 8-8? Because that's what his record was from 1986 to 1989. They would let him go on the spot today, no matter what his previous accomplishments were.

Maybe I'm sentimental, or a little naive, I just think that this was handled all wrong. The moment they brought Jimbo Fisher in as the "head coach in waiting", they divided the staff, and that locker room. Bowden never stood a chance.

So take off your face paint, put aside your allegiances, and raise a glass to Bobby Bowden, we may never see a run like that again.

This One Is On The Coaches

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I went 3-0 with my picks, thanks to Denver beating the Giants. Didn't pick the Sunday games cause i was out of town.

Anyhow.....

The Dolphins fell apart AGAIN in the 4th quarter, as Henne threw 3 interceptions, and the Bills outscored the Dolphins 24-0. I do not blame anybody but the coaches on this one. Henne should have never of had to win this game in the end. The blame starts with Offensive Coordinator, Dan Henning, and ends on the boss, Tony Sparano.

Why, with Ricky averaging 6.2 yards per carry on the opening drive, do you have him pass on the goal line? I'm pretty sure it's his first attempted pass of the decade. Result, was an interception in the end zone that immediately killed some great momentum to start the game. All throughout this game, it seemed as though they could not stop our running game, but they were so worried about only giving Ricky 25 carries, that once again, they roll out the Pat White experiment, instead of giving Lex Hilliard (who looks like a beast) some more carries.

Can we call the WildPat a bust already? It seems like every time the base offense gets some pep in their step, they roll this crap out, end up in 3rd and long, and ask Henne to bail them out. This Wildcat/Pat stuff is not working since Ronnie Brown went down. How valuable does Ronnie look now? The threat of the Wildcat worked because of 2 things, Ronnie knowing what to do with the ball, and having the R & R Express on the field (Ricky and Ronnie, get it?). Without the dual threat, it is just not that effective.

Now, where this stuff comes from about Ricky only getting 25 carries, I don't know. He seems fit to handle more. If it stems from his desire to share the load, as much as I love Ricky, SUCK IT UP! You chose to come back and play football, for which you get paid millions, so boo hoo. They should have crammed Ricky down their throats. If this was a coaches' decision, then they have failed even more than I think.

The reason why I blame the coaches is simple:
The play call comes from Dan Henning, which goes down through Sparano's head set. At some point, T. Spa (thanks David) needs to put his foot down and say "Dan, what the hell are you doing? Ricky throwing the ball, seriously? Run him in the 'A' gap and get me my 6." Not even to mention why they keep throwing crossing patterns to Tedd Ginn.

Enough already.

Henne has no help on the outside.

The Wildcat lives and dies with Ronnie Brown.

Ricky should never throw the ball.

Can O.J. Mcduffie still play?

Give Lex Hilliard more carries.

Um, hello, Pat White? PLEASE!

From now on, base offense, run Ricky run, and please, please, somebody step up and catch a pass.

Thanksgiving Day Football Preview

Well people it's that time of year already. Time to get fat, and watch football.

First game up is Green Bay at Detroit at 12:30. I don't understand why the NFL insist on shoving the Lions down our throat on Thanksgiving. They have been nothing short of embarassing for about a decade, maybe more. The first meeting this year resulted in a 26-0 victory for the Packers. Matt Stafford is coming off his best game as a pro, 26 of 43 for 422 yards with 5 TD's and 2 INT's, and his favorite target, Calvin Johnson came back from injury with a strong outing. Keep in mind that both have missed practice time this week. Green Bay has the 7th ranked offense in the NFL, and Aaron Rodgers, unless you've been under a rock, is the real deal. The matchup to watch here is the Packers' Charles Woodson vs. Detroit's Calvin Johnson on the outside. I think Johnson wins the matchup, but Green Bay wins fairly easily.

Next up is Oakland at Dallas at 4:15. What can I say about Oakland that hasn't been said about rotten eggs? This once proud franchise has been in decline for years. Al Davis needs to step aside and let someone else run the show. He owes it to those die hard Raiders fans. They rank last in just about every statistical category, and the Cowboys come in with a 5th ranked offense in yards gained. I would not be shocked to see Dallas lay an egg since they've been so inconsistent, but Cowboys stadium, Thanksgiving day, unless someone lets Leon Lett into the building, Cowboys win.

For those of you that don't know or remember the legend that is Leon Lett here's 2 examples:








Lastly, we have the NY Giants at Denver at 8:20. I would say this is the best match of the day, but the health of the Broncos' QB Kyle Orton is a concern. He paticipated in full practice, but I'd keep an eye on him, if he goes, as much as I root for Chris Simms, it's over. The Giants rank in the top 10 in every major category, and should handle the Broncos, as long as they're on their game. However, the Broncos can be a threat on offense, with Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall on the outside, anything can happen. I'm calling upset on this one, Broncos win (as long as Orton's on the field).

What do you think?

P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What I Think About Our Teams

Under the advisement of some friends recently, I have started this secondary (sports) blog, so I can put some of my useless information out for all to see. I mostly watch all of the major pro teams, there is just too much to keep up with on the college level, but I do enjoy college football.



For my first sports post, I will just give you a look into the side of my brain ruled by sports, so you can see where I'm coming from.



Florida Marlins:

This is typically the most underappretiated pro team in town, simply in terms of how they field a competitive team every year, with the lowest payroll. However, there is a catch. Major League Baseball does have a revenue share system in place, that distributes a certain amount of profit to smaller market teams throughout the league. This does not in any way constitute or operate as a salary cap. But, it means that even though we have the lowest payroll, we are the most profitable team in the league. So, there is around 45 million dollars of profit that went unspent last year, just to give an example. Some of that could've went to roster improvement, or to the new stadium that our tax dollars will pay for eventually, no matter how they sell it to you. I will give them credit for not having a fire sale, like after the 1997 Championship under the previous ownership. After the 2003 title, they put out big bucks for a couple more years to defend, but later traded it all away anyhow. I love the Marlins, but as long as they coninue to operate this way, they will not be here for long. People will not support a team that is not consistent. They've been lucky so far, but how long do you think they will last rotating these young players in and out all the time? Look at the players around MLB that were rising young stars as Marlins. Miguel Cabrera, A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett, Derrick Lee, Adrian Gonzalez, Brad Penny, and the list goes on. Look it up, imagine if we could've kept half these guys.





Miami Heat:

Really, what's not to love about this franchise? From Rony Seikaly to Dwayne Wade, they've always been a tough team. I really cannot complain about how Pat Riley runs this team. When they're down, it doesn't take them long to get back up. Riley and owner Mickey Arison just simply knows how to manage a team with that big picture in mind. Not to mention we get to watch Dwayne Wade play on a regular basis (at least for now, cross your fingers). Personally, I think Wade will ultimately stay, seeing as we can offer the most money, and still have enough to sign 2 premier running mates next season. Chris Bosh is a viable option. The Lebron James rumors, while nice, will NEVER happen. The NBA likes their stars all spread out to give the illusion of competition, when really every year you can narrow it down to 4 teams that are legitimate contenders. Bosh, and a true startinig point gaurd would be exactly what the doctor ordered.





Florida Panthers:

Hockey is my second favorite sport to football. South Florida is in real danger of losing the hockey team. The team just got 2 new majority owners this past month, but it was not a sale. They used to be minority owners, and basically, Andy Cohen bowed out, and left them with the debt. 80 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH! I must give Cliff Viner and Stuart Siegel credit, they have every intention of making it work, and keeping the team in South Florida knowing what they were taking on. Whether or not that works will be tough, as the team faces declining attendance after almost a decade of no playoff hockey, even though last year they had 93 points, their second highest total in franchise history. This after averaging near capacity (18,5oo) unitl about 1999-2000. It now stands at about 14,000. This is shear poor managment. Hockey, like football has a salary cap. Which means every team has the same amount of money to spend every year. The cap may rise and fall, but it's even across the league. We have watched players come and go like Pavel Bure, Jay Bouwmeester, Roberto Luongo, Ray Whitney, Ed Jovanovski, Craig Anderson, Radek Bonk, etc. There is a bright future in soome of the young players, like forwards David Booth, Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, and great goaltendnig from Tomas Vokoun. They need to improve their defense if they want to take the next step.



Miami Dolphins:

After years of Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban (a.k.a. Little Nicky, Osaban Bin Lyin), and Cam's Camerones, we seem to finally be building a team to compete for years. The afformentioned coaches tried to put band-aids on the situation, in order to win now and save their reputations. The caveat here being that it takes time. We were instantly spoiled by an 11-5 season, a division title, and the best string of luck I have ever seen. However, this year is showing us that we finally may have a quarterback, after years of searching. Look at this list of QB's that have started games each year since Marino in 1999:

2000 - Jay Fiedler, Damon Huard

2001 - Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas

2002 - Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, Sage Rosenfels

2003 - Jay Fiedler, Sage Rosenfels, Brian Griese

2004 - Jay Fiedler, A.J. Feeley, Sage Rosenfels

2005 - Gus Frerotte, Sage Rosenfels

2006 - Joey Harrington, Dante Culpepper, Cleo Lemon

2007 - Trent Green, John Beck, Cleo Lemon

2008 - Chad Pennington

2009 - Chad Pennington, Chad Henne

Out of this group, Jay Fiedler deserves credit. In his time with the Dolphins, he had a better winning percentage than ANY QB during his starting tenure (yes, I remember the defense and the running game), and Chad Pennengton etched himself into Dolphins lore for leading the team that had the best turnaround in NFL history, from 1-15 to 11-5.

Now comes Henne. He seems to have the tools, and he learned how to be a pro from the one of the most professional inividuals in sports, Pennington. Let's hope there's no changes to this list for a few years.

Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have built this team from the inside out. The offensive line looks solid with Jake Long and Vernon Carey as the bookends, and there are some promising young defensive lineman in Paul Solai, Randy Starks, and Cameron Wake. They also seemed to have knocked it out of the park, stealing Sean Smith and Vontae Davis in one draft.

What this team is sorely lacking is, guess what, PASS CATCHERS! I don't care if it's a receiver, or a tight end, we need someone who can catch consistently. I don't even need to explain this any further.

Other than solidifying the backfield after Ronnie Brown's injury and uncertain future with the team, we need some young depth at linebacker, but they should just focus on getting someone to help Henne out. A good offense will help to alleviate problems on defense by making your opponent one dimensional.

In short, we still need to be patient, but I love where the Dolphins are headed.

So there, that's how I see it, I will update this blog at least once a week, or more depending upon the week's events. Feel free to argue with me if you like, as I said I am not a sports writer, I'm just a fan who can just speak on what I see.