Ramblings Of A Broken Hearted Marlins Fan

My love for baseball really started when my uncle gave me my first pack of baseball cards. I opened it, and right below that petrified piece of gum, was a Roger Clemens card (1986 Topps, I believe it was his second season). That's the moment I became a baseball fan. My father even kept me home from school during the playoffs in 1990, so I could watch Roger Clemens pitch, only for him to get tossed early in the game for mouthing off to an umpire. That was my first connection to a player. Of course, years later we would all find out Clemens was a douchebag. My first love for a team was the closest thing we would have to a home team at the time, the Atlanta Braves.

The Marlins would not exist until 1993. Even those first couple of years, I still pulled for the Braves a bit, but I'm a home town guy at heart. Eventually I was fully invested in the Marlins, and began to actually root against the Braves because they were in the same division. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that we finally had a baseball team. I still have (on VHS) the first Marlins game ever. A game in which a local Hialeah High grad, the knuckle baller Charlie Hough would be the opening day pitcher. It was love at first strikeout (which was the first batter BTW). I went to the second game the following night, which would be the first night game in club history. We sat in the outfield close enough for Darryl Strawberry (then of the LA Dodgers) to hear us chant, "DARRRRRYL! DARRRRRRYL! DARRRRRRYL!". This experience sealed the deal. The Marlins were my team, the home team.

In just 4 seasons, this young franchise was playing for it all against the Cleveland Indians in 1997. It became an instant classic, going 7 games, culminating in that final hit by a young Edgar Renteria, bringing Craig Counsell home for the series clinching run. What an outrageous night, with the sound of pots and pans ringing out through Hialeah, we had a team we could be proud of.

Than came the first heartbreak.

Former owner Wayne Huizenga had a fire sale the following year, dismantling the team with claims that he was losing millions with this franchise. Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Renteria, Bobby Bonilla, Devon White, Charles Johnson, Moises Alou, Livan Hernandez, and even Mr. Marlin Jeff Conine weren't safe the next year. All were gone either in the offseason, or by the trade deadline in 1998. The greatest fall from first to worst ever.

Since it's inception in 1993 to this point, they were consistently in the top 10 (in the NL) in attendance, but would fall to 13th and eventually 15th, which is where they've been ever since. Right at the bottom. Eventually Huizenga would sell the team to John Henry, who now owns the Boston Red Sox. Henry had really no success at all in Florida, failing to increase attendance, payroll, and losing his bid to get a stadium built. He had the club from 1998-2001, which is when Jeffery Loria, and David Samson would take over.

The Loria and Samson regime, with the baseball minds of Larry Beinfest and Mike Hill scouting for talent, quickly built a young contender. Behind great defense, stellar pitching, and discipline at the plate, they quickly rose toward the top 3 in the division. Once again in 2003, they were World Series Champions, beating the rich New York Yankees with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. They did try to keep this team together for a couple of years, only to be followed by another fire sale.

The second heartbreak.

During the fire sale, mainstays such as Mike Lowell (although his trade landed us Hanley Ramirez), Luis Castillo, an up and coming Miguel Cabrera, Juan Pierre, A.J. Burnett, Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, Josh Beckett, and on, and on, and on. Again crying broke, the names were different but it stung even more this time. There is a problem with both of these ownership groups crying broke. I've written about it previously that baseball, although it doesn't have a salary cap, does share revenue. It's a system that's meant to help the small market franchises benefit from the business of baseball in general. Now, in the case of Huizenga in 1998, I at least give him credit for selling as soon as it seemed he was going to "lose" money. Which I'm okay with in retrospect, at least he got out when he did. He claimed it was a bad deal, sold and got out of there. This team has benefited from revenue sharing to the tune of about $40 million dollars (average over the last few years), which hasn't reflected in the club's spending on players. Don't even get me started on how they got the stadium built. The only reason this group increased the payroll last season, was because Major League Baseball basically smacked them on the back of the head and said, "you better do what I tell you, or you won't be able to play anymore". And just when you think there's a glimmer of growth, with the long term signings of Josh Johnson, and Hanley Ramirez, something like this Dan Uggla situation happens.

At the beginning of the 2009 season, they had a chance to sign Uggla to a long term deal. They instead opted to let it go to arbitration, during which Uggla won his case and was awarded his market value at the time. As I said in a previous post, and arbitration hearing in baseball is usually the team saying they don't think you're worth as much as you think. In this case, the Marlins got it wrong, and it cost them. The story as I understand it is that, the Marlins offered him 4 years at $48 million dollars. Dan Uggla balked at the offer because he wanted a 5th year that the Marlins would not give. Uggla had made it publicly clear that he wanted to stay in Florida, when questioned on the subject of the 5th year, he said the Marlins simply stopped negotiating. What? That's right. They took their ball and went home. They had a chance with a perennial All-Star, an offensive juggernaut, and the fans favorite player since Conine, to show their new level of commitment to taking care of their own, and blew it. So we end up trading him to a division rival, for 5 cents and a can of beans. Oh but they solidified the bullpen? I'll take 30 home runs and 100 RBI's a year over a bullpen pitcher any day.

This was the move that could have cured a lot of ails, healed some old wounds, and gave the fans promise to the team that will open that shiny new ballpark in 2012. What does this mean for the young guys we have on this team now? My advice would be, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, Chris Coghlan, and Gaby Sanchez - RENT, DON'T BUY.

I want to cheer for my team, I really do. I just don't want to cheer for this front office. Maybe I need to apply my political view on this one, "it's okay to love your country, but not your government"?

Damn you Jeffery Loria, and David Samson for making me question my loyalty.

Dolphins vs. Titans Recap 11/14/2010

Who would have thought that, by the end of this game it would be Tyler Thigpen sealing the deal for Miami. In one of the most bizarre football games I can remember, Miami would use all 3 of there quarterbacks, en route to a 29-17 victory. The Chad Pennington comeback special was over after the first 2 plays, and it is safe to assume his career is likely over. This would be the 4th major injury to his throwing shoulder. I hate to see something like this happen to player like Pennington, a true professional , a great leader, and not to mention the most accurate QB in the history of the NFL. After Pennington went down, Henne reclaimed his job, and showed some flashes of fire he had yet to display on the field, but still showed some of his deficiencies with his decision making, and touch on the short throws. He did look like he was ready to lead this team though. Henne would eventually go down with a knee injury, and Thigpen would take his place. Pennington was never seen again, and Henne was seen wearing crutches after the game.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Sparano inserted Pennington claiming that this offense didn't have any spark. It seemed like there was a spark with Thigpen at the helm. He would lead them 85 yards down the field for the games final score. Thigpen really isn't as obscure as you may think. He started 11 games for Kansas City in 2008, and threw for 2,600 yards 18, touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also ran for over 300 yards, and scored 3 touchdowns with his legs.

Back to the game. If you would have said to me that , Ronnie Brown would only have 11 yards rushing, Anthony Fasano would be our leading receiver, Thigpen would be playing extensive time, and we would win the game, I would have said no way. But that's the way things are in the NFL, you never know. The Titans had QB troubles of their own, Kerry Collins went down with a calf injury at halftime, this after starting in place of the gimpy ankled Vince Young. Neither QB was very effective against the Dolphins' defense, throwing for a combined 18 of 38 for 143 yards with a touchdown, and a pick to match. All in all, 6 different players took snaps at QB in this game (Pennington, Henne, Thigpen, Brown, Young, and Collins). The real story of this game is all in the numbers. Miami out gained Tennessee 404, to 259 yards. Miami was also better on 3rd down, converting 52%, to the Titans 31%, had more time of possession by almost 10 minutes, had fewer turnovers, out tackled, and just plain beat up on the Titans for their first home win of the season.

Rarely does a victory leave a sour taste in your mouth, but after this game, this season is more up in the air than it was the previous week. The Possibility of losing your top 2 quarterbacks for a season is never good, no matter how well Thigpen plays. Also lost in the shuffle is Jake Long suffering a dislocated shoulder, it remains to be seen, but early reports are that it should not keep him from playing. This means the Dolphins will be have to pick up to more QB's from off the street to fill the roster spots. A couple of names that have surfaced already are Jamarcus Russell, Pat White (I just cringed a little), Daunte Culpepper (NO!), Jeff Garcia, and Patrick Ramsey. Russell and Ramsey are the most likely, but I have to admit I hope they sign Jeff Garcia. Ramsey, or Garcia provide the most veteran experience, which is what we need right now. I do feel like we are in capable hands with Thigpen right now. I think he is the best athlete of our current QB's, and will be able to extend some plays with his scrambling ability.

It was a bad day, but a good win. Let's see if Thigpen can be the spark this offense needs going forward.

Side notes:
Brian Hartline continued his improved play with a 5 catch, 98 yard performance.

Anthony Fasano had his best game as a pro, with 5 receptions for 107 yards and 1 touchdown.

Titans running back Chris Johnson became the fourth player to rush for 4,000 yards while averaging 5.0 yards per rush in his first 40 games.

Kerry Collins is now 0-5 against the Dolphins.

Vontae Davis has shut down Randy Moss again this year, yielding his first and only catch to him in this game.

Chad, Not Chad Named Dolphins Starting QB - UPDATED

In a move that's not shocking, but does come as a surprise, Chad Pennington will start against the Titans on Sunday. His first since going down with a shoulder injury, in week 3 last season against the Chargers. Since that game, Chad Henne has been entrenched as the starter. So much so that before the start of the season, coach Tony Sparano announced that Henne would be the starting quarterback, and made it sound non negotiable at that time. You couldn't really blame Sparano for this seeing as Pennington, would be 34 years old, and coming off a 3rd surgery to his throwing shoulder. Henne would go 11-10 as the starter, flashing signs of what talent he possesses, but hasn't really separated himself as the best quarterback on this team yet. Most fans' complaint would be; "Henne can throw the deep pass, Pennington doesn't have the arm. How are we gonna get the ball down field to Brandon Marshall?". Yes, Henne has a stronger arm, but how many times has he thrown down field this year? Bueller? Bueller? I don't remember many. In fact the only one I remember is the opening play against the Vikings.

In my last post, I mentioned that is was time to take the training wheels off of the offense. But the more I pay attention, it seems like they were trying to open it up. Hence, the run to pass ratio in the play calling. Henne appears to have plenty of time to make a throw, you can't tell me an NFL wide receiver can't make a play on the ball with that much time to work the defensive back. Maybe Henne is not pulling the trigger. See, some people think that what makes a good quarterback is a stronger arm. That's part of it, but most of it is timing, and trusting your accuracy. I also stated in my last post that this team does not have the personnel to stretch the field for 50 yard bombs. Brandon Marshall's big play from him catching 10 to 20 yards post patterns, in and out routes, and making a run after the catch. These kinds of throws are Pennington's specialty. Henne seems apprehensive to throw anything that is not obviously open, where Pennington will trust his accuracy, and is accurate enough to make throws that appear to be covered. That coupled with Brandon Marshall's ability to muscle catches away from a defensive back, could have big play potential. Henne never did show consistency with the short and medium range throws. So a big arm doesn't guarantee big plays.

I don't think that this is the end for Henne, maybe he needs some motivation, he hasn't been challenged as the starter, at least not publicly, since he's been awarded the job. Given the lack of a real deep threat, and Henne's reluctance to throw the ball deep and let his receiver make a play, this offense may be better suited for Pennington's type of game. The one good thing about this situation is that they are very close friends off the field, and seem to be willing to do whatever it takes to help the team. So we shouldn't have any disgruntled employees in the locker room. If there ever was a perfect example of how to be a pro it's Chad Pennington, and luckily Henne seems to be an enthusiastic student. In that sense, this could be a risky, but very rewarding move.

I actually think that Pennington can lead this team to wins, and that's where we come to the biggest difference between our quarterbacks. Leadership. Play close attention to the difference in the way the offense operates and responds to Pennington. He comes in a seasoned field general, a trait that Henne has yet to pick up in the NFL. Watch how he commands respect in the huddle, not to say they don't respect Henne, but there is a huge difference with Pennington on the field. Something else Henne could learn from the 11 year veteran. Hopefully, the student pays attention to the master.

UPDATE:
This is not an update of the news variety, but rather a response to a growing sentiment that this shows a lack of vision for the future of the Miami Dolphins. So which is it, do you want to win now? Or next year. You can't have it both ways. Also, this notion that they've given up on Henne is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. If he can't handle being sat for a game, than he doesn't have skin thick enough to be a starter in the NFL. Another thing at play here is that, Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland may be fearing for their jobs if they don't make the playoffs this year.

This move was necessary. For all of Henne's physical gifts, we have the least amount of touchdowns in the league this season. Ask yourself honestly, has Henne done anything to definitively earn the starting job? If you think so, post your reasons why in the comments below, I would love to hear what fantasy world you've been living in. Look, I do like Chad Henne, I think he can still be our QB, but Miami needs a spark this season. I support Henne as our QB, but I also support this decision to win now. This is the right move, at the right time.

Florida Panthers A Better Team Than Their Record Shows

Well it's only just begun, but I have to throw my second favorite sport in town some love. The Florida Panthers are sitting at 5-7 through the first 12 games of the season, and have played much more inspired (despite the record), during these first 12 games of the Dale Tallon era. The architect of the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup run has made his presence known like no one else in franchise history. All you have to do is look at how this team skates, and hustles. Gone are the days of the Nathan Hortons of the world, those players with a world of talent but less heart than chihuahua. With us are the junk yard dogs, David Booth, Stephen Weiss, Brian McCabe, Radek Dvorak, Bryan Allen, Cory Stillman, and even Rostislov Olesz, who could've been Horton's twin a couple years ago, has shown some heart most thought he never had. These guys play almost reckless, it's like a controlled train wreck, if that makes any sense. Not to mention the addition of Marty Reasoner, who along with Dvorak is the Panthers highest scoring line. David Booth is starting to get his legs under him, after sitting out last year with a concussion, and Tomas Vokoun is off to a hot start, posting 2 shoutouts already.

One glaring weakness is the power play. The Panthers are 28th in the NHL with a man advantage. Luckily, they are 4th in penalty killing, so at least their not giving it up, as poorly as they are scoring in that scenario. Speaking of scoring, it may surprise some fans to learn that they don't have a scorer in the top 40 (yes top40!), they are 7th in the league in goals scored. Which tells us that the scoring is coming from all over the place. Consider that the top scoring team in the league (Colorado Avalanche), have 9 of their 24 skaters that have not registered a goal. The Panthers on the other hand, have only 3 players that have not tallied a goal just yet. Don't hand me the "assist count as a score" line. You can accidentally touch the puck and get at least 1 assist. It remains to be seen if that trend will continue, but promising nonetheless. Also, Vokoun is not facing as many shots as he has in the past, with the much improved defensive play that they've shown thus far.

It seems as though for the first time ever, there is actually a change of attitude on this team. We can only hope now that this new found hustle and attitude will translate to future success. Speaking of the future, let us not forget that they had what many consider to be the strongest draft in years. None of which have made their NHL debut yet, but I think we'll see the young goaltender Jakob Markstrom before we'll see any of the skaters. With Vokoun getting up there in years, I'm sure they'll want to give him a look this year, so they can plan for the future.

The Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:30 tonight on FSN, channel 39.

Marlins' Second Baseman Dan Uggla Rejects $48 Million Dollar Deal

It's true, Dan Uggla rejected a 4 year, $48 million dollar deal, and I can't say that I blame him. This management group has had ample time to make this happen, and like most other times did nothing until it may be too late. He may be just an above average defender, but he makes up for it by being arguably the best power hitting second baseman in this generation, and perhaps all time. No second baseman before him has ever posted 4 consecutive home run seasons (33 in 2010). In addition, this past season was his best for driving home base runners, knocking in 105 RBI's, placing him in the top in the top 5 in baseball in both categories. It's nice to see the Marlins reach out to one of their own once again, but it may be too little too late. This could play out a couple of different ways.

1. He is eligible for one more year of arbitration, which he'll assuredly be awarded at least a $7.8 million dollar tender. Which would squash any hopes of a long term deal. An arbitration hearing is usually a team saying, "we don't think you're as good as your agent says, so we'll to this to a mediator, and have them decide your worth". In most cases the player wins, and the team could be left with a less than enthusiastic player. In this case they could trade him during spring training and cut their losses before he walks.

2. They could simply sign him to a one year contract, keep him for the season, and receive draft pick compensation when he departs as a free agent.

3. This is the feel good scenario. The Marlins are pursuing Uggla pretty intensely, and do want him to come back. Uggla's representatives are believed to be seeking a contract in the neighborhood of the Phillies' Jayson Werth, who is a comparable player, at 4 years $66 million.

I feel that Uggla deserves his contract, and the Werth deal is a fair barometer. You don't get this kind of offense from a second baseman on a consistent basis. It would go a long way in the eyes of the fans to heighten their efforts to keep Uggla. They've slowly been keeping the young talent around the last few years. Giving long term contracts to, Josh Johnson, and Hanley Ramirez. If they can retain Uggla, along with the others, continue to develop Gabby Sanchez, Chris Couhglin, Logan Morrison, and Mike Stanton, the future could be very bright for this team. The elder statesman of this group is Uggla, at 30 years old, and still in his prime. In addition to his on filed performance, he is a tremendous dugout leader. He is not afraid to call people out, and let them know when he feels they're not giving this team all they can. As evidenced by a dugout spat with superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez, in which Uggla called him out for tanking a ground ball during a game. A move that earned him his place as this team's leader.

I will never blame Dan Uggla if he decides to leave. His agent has been asking for this for a few years, and have been shot down every time. So you can see how they'd be a little jaded.

"HIS NAME IS DAN UGGLA!" (I love that call)

Dolphins vs. Ravens Recap 11/7/2010

Well, what can we say about this game. It was, quite simply, a clinic on how to lose in the NFL, with a trifecta of missed tackles, dropped passes, and turnovers. Miami started off going toe to toe with Baltimore, both teams starting with perfect scoring drives to start the game. The Ravens marched down to the 32 yard line, Willis McGahee took a simple screen pass for a ridiculous run after the catch, and just plain made everyone else look slower on his way to the end zone. The Dolphins answered with perhaps their strongest scoring drive of the season, going 3 for 3 on 3rd down, ripping off large chunks of yardage, and Ronnie Brown running untouched for a touchdown. A drive that featured huge catches by Brandon Marshall, and Brian Hartline to convert on those 3rd downs.

The Dolphins didn't look that good again for the rest of this game.

The rest of the 1st half lived up to the billing. A couple of physical knuckle dragging teams trading field goals, and playing to a 13-10 advantage for Baltimore at halftime. There were some nice defensive stops for Miami during the 1st half, particularly a 3rd and 1 stop by Karlos Dansby to hold them to 3 points on what was a strong drive by the Ravens. The next drive for Miami is moving along nicely until Chad Henne throws his first interception of the day. The defense held on after the interception and forced a field goal attempt, during which the snap was fumbled and Miami recovered. The Dolphins do nothing with the second chance, and punt it away. The next drive for the Ravens ends in a defensive stand punctuated by a sack from Cameron Wake. Dolphins get yet another field goal before halftime.

They would never score again.

In the second half, Baltimore pretty much had their way with Miami, and just were more physical today. Not to mention just an overall better team. The Dolphins were lucky the score was only 26-10 at the end of this one. Henne ended up with 3 interceptions on the day. One of which was his fault, another where Hartline slipped, and arguably could've at least broken it up. This brings us to the dubious 3rd interception. A pass across the middle was short-armed by Brandon Marshall, deflected off his hands, and was picked by Ed Reed. If you watch that replay, he was either scared, or just simply quit on the play. It didn't look like he even tried. Not saying that was the case, but hard to argue with the video tape. You're in the NFL, if the ball hits both of your hands, you should catch that ball every time. It doesn't help your quarterback, or the team if you're unwilling exert yourself, and take advantage of every chance to make a play.

What troubles me about this team is that they tend to be pass happy, and throw in situations when they shouldn't. Everyone saw Ronnie Brown movin' and shakin' in the first half, but only ended up with 9 carries. While Ricky Williams only touched the ball twice. I wrote in my last post that it was time to take the training wheels off the offense, but not at the expense of a balanced and effective game plan. Now, I'm not a coach but, the game was still within reach with enough time to stay balanced, and they seemed to drop back and throw on every play. Wouldn't you keep playing the hot hand? What happened to their "Feed the Wolf" (which makes me laugh every time I hear it), they talked about at the beginning of this season? They hardly threw him a bone in this game. The defense bent until they couldn't any more, and The Ravens just pounded them into submission. Missed tackles were the theme of the day today, together with the offensive turnovers, and dropped passes that doomed Miami throughout this game. Not to mention a Henne missing a wide open Anthony Fasano in the end zone, that looked more like a shot put toss than a NFL throw.

I'm not ready to blow up the roster yet, they're still 4-4 ( in a division with the Jets and Pats), and stranger things have happened, right? Right. This team still requires patience, but at the same time needs to show some kind of growth. There is still promise in a very young, and tough defense anchored by Karlos Dansby, and Cameron Wake. What this team lacks is an offensive identity. The Dolphins were billed as a run first team, as they should be, but seem way to quick to throw the ball. How you only give Ronnie and Ricky just 11 total touches is just beyond comprehension. Especially when it seems to be working. I'm glad I'm not the one that has to sort this offense out (you should be too), but whether it's a lack of creative game planning, personnel, or a young quarterback making poor decisions, these are the growing pains of a rebuilding franchise. Which they have proved so far this year, that they are indeed an unfinished product.

Sidenotes:
Brian Hartline had one of his best games today, 4 catches for 84 yards, and a couple of big third down conversions. His improved play on a consistent basis would be a huge help.

Dan Carpenter missed his first field goal in his last 14 tries.

Sean Smith started his second game in a row for Jason Allen.

The last time the Dolphins beat the Ravens was in 2007, on Greg Camarillo's overtime touchdown catch from the arm of Cleo Lemon. Their only win of the 2007 season (1-15).

Joe Flacco is now 3-0 against the Dolphins.

Dolphins Progress Report

This team can be as confusing as it's 4-3 record (4-0 on the road, 0-3 at home). This team should at least be 5-2, but we can thank the Pittsburgh Referees I mean Steelers for that. There are reasons for hope, and reasons for doubt. This team is tough, but still an unfinished product. Below I will break down (to the best of my limited knowledge) my views on the offense, defense, and special teams.

Offense:
Anyone who is rallying against Chad Henne, needs to be slapped in the back of the head, or maybe thumped on the forehead. No, he doesn't have flashy stats, but we have yet to lose a game because of him, or win a game in spite of him. They seemed to have pounded this idea of not turning the ball over into his head, which seems like it makes him apprehensive at times. But take an example of that last drive against the Bengals. In 2:49, he marched them 96 yards for the score by Ricky Williams. He ripped off big gains of 26, 30, and 22 yards with the efficiency of a sniper. Whenever they take the handcuffs off, and put the game in his hands, he more often than not has delivered. The shortcomings of the passing game are not Henne's fault. We don't have a receiver that can stretch the field. We have a top 3 wideout, Brandon Marshall, who was never known for streaking down the field, but rather creating after the catch, which he hasn't done so far this year. Davone Bess is beginning to get notice as the best slot receiver in the NFL, and Hartline is starting to show inconsistency. What we need, get ready to scream at your computer screen, is someone like Ted Ginn. I said it before, and I still believe it, trading Ginn was a mistake. Marshall and Ginn could've been a perfect combination. Offensive line is solid, the running game although not stellar this year, is always a threat. I think the lack of yards is due more to the play calling favoring the pass this year. In short, there is an explosive offense somewhere in there, they just need to turn Henne and the boys loose. Time to kick the training wheels off.

Defense:
Mike Nolan has taken a group that was near the bottom of the league, and brought them up to 8th overall at this point in the season. Cameron Wake has more sacks than the now departed Jason Taylor, and Joey Porter combined. They've got a scary group of young talent, that should keep us in games for the next 5 or 6 years at least. The only weak link is still the safety position, but it's not as dire as it was a year ago. Vontae Davis has earned respect league wide. So much so that when they asked Brett Favre how Jason Allen was able to intercept him twice, he responded, "I was trying to stay away from 21". That's the ultimate respect, and he's not the only QB to sing his praises. The addition of Karlos Dansby has lived up to the hype, some of you may remember him stopping Adrian Peterson on 4th and goal earlier this year, sealing up a victory. This side of the ball is the teams backbone right now, and it's definitely only going to get better.

Special Teams:
Well they certainly were "special" at the beginning weren't they? After the firing of Special Teams coach Joe Bonamengo, they've shown significant improvement. I think the opposing teams average starting field position has been diminished by about 8 yards. Which is huge in terms of field position. Punter Brandon Fields is like Johnny, dude could kick a hole in the sky it seems like. Placekicker Dan Carpenter just may be the best kicker in the NFL right now. All in all they went from bottom feeders. to an above average unit.

You have to like where this team is going. We finally have something that is built for the long haul. It's still in it's infancy, but with just a little more fine tuning, this team will be something to watch in the VERY near future. Perhaps even the second half of this season.

Oh, and everyone can stop crying over Randy Moss. He would have only been here for the rest of this year, and probably would not have been happy with the prospect of being a rent-a-player. He's not the kind of player at this point that gives out long term deals to players his age. If that was so, Jason Taylor wouldn't be a Jet. That being said, I would've done it, but I'm just a selfish fan.