The Dolphin Pod

Off-Season Conditioning Preparing Fins For Camp

With 3 OTA’s completed this off-season, the Dolphins are feeling more and more confident that 2009 will be a very productive and successful year.  Having brought in a new defensive line coach, Dave DeGuglielmo, the O-line is getting beefed up.  DeGuglielmo came from the New York Giants, and now the Fins will need to adapt to his style of play.  OTA’s are a great time to develop that comfort level and, with 100% participation in the offseason conditioning program, the O-line is looking solid.

Quarterback Chad Henne is also developing, according to Head Coach, Tony Sparano.  Henne arrived to camp 6 weeks early to begin working out and studying.  Sparano has noted that Henne is much quicker with his decision making and is making progress in identifiying different defenses and coverage schemes.  Henne will need to step up this year and make his mark as the QB of the future.

Another standout in camp so far has been Ted Ginn Jr. who is in his 3rd year since topping the Dolphins draft list in 2006.  The first round pick is hitting his stride, running better patterns and building his confidence.  Hoping to help him out at wide receiver is Greg Camarillo, who is working his way back after a torn ACL.  He is participating in drills and showing steady progress.

On the injury front, tight end David Martin is still down with a hernia; offensive guard Donald Thomas has a pectoral injury; and center / guard Andy Alleman is still struggling with back pain.

Next week, the Dolphins will hold a three-day mini-camp and then one more OTA before they take their last break of the summer.  X’s and O’s will be dancing in their heads as they ready for Training Camp.

Jason Taylor Returns

The Dolphins announced yesterday that six-time Pro-Bowl outside linebacker, Jason Taylor is a Dolphin once again!  Taylor left the team for the 2008 season, after a much-publicized spat with Bill Parcells over his Dancing With The Stars appearances interfered with non-mandatory training camps.  Taylor spent the year with the Redskins, where injuries held him back most of the year; the Skins released him this past March when he chose spending time with his family in Miami over taking part in at least 75% of the Redskins off-season workouts.

Taylor signed a one-year, $1.1 million dollar deal with the Fins which will allow him to spend time at home with his wife and 3 children while reuniting with his home team.  Taylor spent his first 11 years with the Dolphins, one with the Redskins and now, is happy to be back.

In a statement, Taylor said, "My heart has always been in Miami and so I'm truly excited to call myself a Dolphin once again; I was presented with a number of different opportunities, but in the end the combination of this being the best situation for my family, my love for this community and my tremendous loyalty to a great organization made this an easy decision."  And I for one am also thrilled to see him back where he belongs!  Welcome back Jason!

Pre-Season

The final decisions have been made on the Fins pre-season schedule.  Here are the dates, times and locations:

Mon, Aug. 17 - 7:30 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
LAND SHARK STADIUM
WFOR    
              
Sat, Aug. 22 - 7:30 p.m.
CAROLINA PANTHERS        
LAND SHARK STADIUM   
WFOR
                
Thurs., Aug. 27 - 8:00 p.m. 
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers         
Raymond James Stadium     
FOX^   
                  
Thurs., Sept. 3 - 8:00 p.m.    
at New Orleans Saints                
Louisiana Superdome        
WFOR 

Photo by Jenn

Rookie Mini-Camps

The Dolphins newest editions have completed four sessions of mini-camps.  Some of those rookies include the Fins draft picks, as well as the following nine undrafted college free agents:

DE Ryan Baker (6-5, 295, 11/25/84, Purdue)

TE Jared Bronson (6-4, 255, 12/24/84, Central Washington)

NT Louis Ellis (NT, 6-2, 320, 10/7/85, Shaw)

RB Anthony Kimble (6-0, 215, 4/9/86, Stanford)

G Mark Lewis (6-3, 305, 7/17/85, Oregon)

WR Brennan Marion (5-11, 190, 8/25/87, Tulsa)

DE Orion Martin (6-2, 260, 9/2/85, Virginia Tech)

TE Sir Vincent Rogers (6-4, 310, 5/9/86, Houston)

WR Chris Williams (5-8, 175, 9/16/87, New Mexico State)

Do any of these players have a shot at making the roster?  Stranger things have happened. 

Here is a brief synopsis of each day of camp:

Day One (May 1) - Vernon Davis, the Dolphins number one draft pick, was reprimanded on his first day for knocking a player to the ground during non-contact drills.  Head Coach Tony Sparano gave him the spanking, but also said he admired his competitive spirit. 

Sparano also spoke to reporters about new quarterback, Pat White.  It had been rumored that White may be used in another position due to his variety of athletic skills, knowledge of the Wildcat offense and amazing running ability.  However, Sparano insists that White will be used only as a QB and that they will not be looking at him for any other position.  For now, this puts him in direct competition with back-up Chad Henne.  3rd stringer, John Beck, was released last week so that leaves the Fins with 3 QB’s, including starter Chad Pennington. 

White’s first pass of the day was picked-off by Davis, but he did ok after that, despite not being able to take snaps; White has a jammed pinky.  While his passing needs some work, many believe that with his advanced skills, especially as a runner, White will not be sidelined for long once the season begins.

Day Two – Coach Sparano says wide receiver Brian Hartline is smart and compared him to Greg Camarillo.  The team also thinks that Hartline may be very useful on Special Teams, especially for blocking on kick-off returns.

Pat Turner has looked good in camp; he has great hands and is able to stop & turn quickly, which has impressed the coaching staff.

Hall of Fame QB, Bob Griese was on hand for Day Two of camp and watched the morning practice alongside Bill Parcells in the comfort of a golf cart parked off to the side of the practice field.

Day Three - Undrafted free agent nose tackle Lewis Ellis and offensive tackle Andrew Gardner noted that the Miami heat was more brutal than they expected.  Both players are fine, although still adjusting to the local temperatures.  Coach Sparano indicated concern with Ellis’ weight though; at 6’2” and 320 lbs., Sparano says he be watched to make sure he does not gain more weight.

Five veteran Dolphins players volunteered to attend camp on day three and each spoke to the rookies before practice and answered questions in order to help them better acclimate to life in the NFL.  Those who participated were Cornerback Will Allen, wide receivers Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo and linebackers Reggie Torbor and Matt Roth.

Safety Chris Clemons, a fifth-round pick out of Clemson, seemed to be a quick learner and stood out to Coach Sparano.  Clemons is able to identify the offensive play before the snap, which is a real asset to the team, and he also has the ability to get players lined up in the secondary.  In addition, Clemons showed off his take-away skills with two interceptions on the day. 

Management Change

 

Dolphins Owner and Managing General Partner, Stephen M. Ross, announced this week that Michael Dee has been named as Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium.  Dee is the former Chief Operating Officer for the Boston Red Sox; he spent 14 years overall in Major League Baseball, including the last five with the Sox.  With the Dolphins, his new responsibilities will include the business development and growth of both the team and the stadium.  He will also be tasked with positioning both in the forefront of the sports and entertainment field.  Basically, this means Dee will be the official “cheerleader” in the sales and marketing directive, trying to increase the popularity of the team, draw in more business and work on scheduling events.

 

The popularity of the Red Sox has certainly blossomed under his management, so we shall see what he can do for the Dolphins.  Hey, how about moving the stadium to an area where people can drive to it without getting trapped on I-95 for 3 hours?  That might help.  Just a suggestion… :O)

Dolphins 2009 Draft Results

Round 1 (25) - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois– 5’11”, 203 lbs., born May 27, 1988

This was the first player I listed as a possibility for the Dolphins; Davis is said to have quick feet and is an excellent cover corner with a variety of tools.  He should fit into the Fins secondary right away.  In 36 games at Illinois, Davis was responsible for the opposition turning the ball over 12 times and has also delivered 13.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.  Sounds like a solid pick.

Round 2 (44) - Pat White, QB, West Virginia– 6’0”, 197 lbs., born Feb. 25, 1986

Picking a QB here makes me really wonder if the Dolphins see Chad Henne in their future.  Obviously, they are not that impressed with Henne yet, since they have gone this route.  I gather the 2 QB’s will battle for playing time.  White is said to have a lot of experience with the “Wildcat” offense and closed out his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in rushing yardage by a quarterback, registering 4,480 yards.  Or, maybe the Fins are thinking he could transition to WR, a’la Hines Ward (Steelers, QB in college)?  We shall see.

Round 2 (56) – TO INDIANAPOLIS in draft trade-down

Round 2 (61) - Sean Smith, CB, Utah– 6’4”, 214 lbs., born July 17, 1987

Big guy, finesse player, but may be lacking on the hit and tackle end of things.  May need some work before he is ready.  In his last two seasons, he totaled nine interceptions and 15 pass breakups.

Round 3 (87) - Patrick Turner, WR, USC – 6’5”, 223 lbs., born May 19, 1987

Another big dude, his height will be advantageous as well as his good hands.  Caught 49 passes for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008 and performed very well in the Senior Bowl.

Round 4 (108) - Brian Hartline, WR, Ohio St. – 6’2”, 195 lbs., born Nov. 22, 1986

Hartline tested very well, but may be lacking in experience.  He is quick and a good size; said to be smart on the field.  Only had 21 catches in 2008 after 52 catches for 694 yards and six scores in 2007.

 

Round 4 (126) - TO OAKLAND in C Samson Satele trade

Round 5 (161) - John Nalbone, TE, Monmouth – 6’4”, 251 lbs., born May 14, 1986

Well rounded TE; should work well as both blocker and receiver.

Round 5 (165) - Chris Clemons, S, Clemson – 6’0”, 208 lbs., born Sept. 15, 1985

Clemons from Clemson; very cute.  Aside from that, don’t know a lot about him, but many say he is underrated.  In 2008, he started all 13 games and collected 92 tackles.

Round 6 (181) - Andrew Gardner, OT, Ga.Tech – 6’7”, 304 lbs., April 4, 1986

BIG guy: Fins hope to turn his size into a real threat; said to have some speed and good feet.  He had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder on Nov. 6 after playing all year with a torn labrum, so that may factor in.

Round 6 (197) - TO DALLAS in DT Jason Ferguson trade

Round 7 (214) - J.D. Folsom, LB, WeberState– 6’3”, 230 lbs., born August 19, 1984

As with many 7th round picks, this one is a toss up.  I can tell you he did skip two years of school (2004-2005) to go on a church mission.  QB John Beck did the same thing and he wound up as a 3rd string QB for the Fins.  Hope it work out better for Folsom.

 

Round 7 (232) - TO JACKSONVILE for DE Tony McDaniel

 

Round 7 (237) - TO KANSAS CITY for 7th round draft choice in 2010

 

Reactions to the draft have been varied.  Overall, I am puzzled by a few of these picks, but happy with the pick up of Davis and Turner.  Some of these are very big gambles, but aren’t they all?  It’s just that some of the bigger gambles came earlier in the draft than expected, like White (44th) and Hartline (108th).  So, what are your thoughts on the draft?  Feel free to comment below.  Also, check out Miami Dolphins Draft Central for more information.

Dolphins Draft Preview

The NFL draft will take place this weekend.  The Dolphins enter the 2009 draft with a total of 9 picks, the first one being #25 in the first round.  What the Fins should be looking for this year is a Cornerback or Saftey, Wide Receiver, Defensive End/Linebacker and an Offensive Lineman.  With Head Coach Tony Sparano and the rest of the Fins new staff entering at least their 2nd year together, this should be an easier road to making some key decisions.  The staff, including Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland, know how to work together and everyone is hoping to see some big improvements to this team as a result.

Here is the draft pick breakdown as it currently stands:

1st Round - Pick 25
2nd Round - Pick 12 (44th overall)
2nd Round - Pick 24 (56th overall)
3rd Round - Pick 23 (87th overall)
4th Round - Pick 8 (108th overall)
5th Round - Pick 25 (161st overall)
6th Round - Pick 8 (181st overall)
7th Round - Pick 5 (214th overall)
7th Round - Pick 28 (237th overall)

Here is a breakdown of the a few top prospects by position, based on the needs of the Dolphins:

Cornerback

Vontae Davis, Illinois
Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
D. J. Moore, Vanderbilt
Darius Butler, Connecticut

Saftey

Patrick Chung, Oregon
Louis Delmas, Western Michigan
Emanuel Cook, South Carolina
Kevin Ellison, USC
Clarence "Chip" Vaughn

Wide Receiver

Kenny Britt, Rutgers
Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
Percy Harvin, Florida
Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
Darrius Heyward-Bey

DE / OLB

Everette Brown, DE Florida State
Aaron Maybin, Penn State
Brian Orakpo, Texas
Larry English, Northern Illinois
Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech

Offensive Line

Eben Britton, Arizona
Alex Mack, California
Eugene Monroe, Virginia
Jason Smith, Baylor
Andre Smith Alabama
Michael Oher, Mississippi
William Beatty, Connecticut

 

My thought is that the Fins should use their first pick on a wide receiver; if they do not, the picking’s will be slim later on.  But I would also not be shocked to see the Dolphins trade in this pick.  Also, with cornerback Andre' Goodman and safety Renaldo Hill having left to join the Broncos, these positions may take priority.

As usual, get out your crystal ball.  Your guess is as good as mine!  Stay tuned for the results…

2009 Schedule / Saying Goodbye To Harry

The Dolphins have released their 2009 schedule, and according to some experts on ESPN, it is one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL.  Here’s what we have:

Ignoring the pre-season, the Fins do appear to have a rough ride, based on last years results.  Miami is pitted against the AFC South and the NFC South for 2009.  In 2008, those teams had a combined record of 78-50 and 7 of the 8 teams had a record of .500 or better.  The combined winning percentage of all teams on the Fins schedule is .594 which gives them the 3rd toughest schedule since 2003.  Plus, they have to end the season with the Texans and Steelers, making a last minute play-off run very difficult.

The good news is, the Fins have 2 Monday night games, 1 Sunday night and 1 Thursday night game; thus, more TV coverage.  However, we all still have to put up with seeing the horrible Detroit Lions (vs. Green Bay) and the Cowboys vs. the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day.  Ooohhh…what a treat for our holiday!  A bunch of teams that suck and that we do NOT care about!  But hey, why should that ever change?  Stupidity still seems to be the rule of the day with the NFL scheduling.  God forbid we should break tradition and see an actual competition that day…  Sorry, had to rant :O)

Saying Goodbye To The Voice of NFL Films

Harry Kalas passed away on Monday from heart disease, leaving us all without the strong, passionate voice of NFL Films.  And as a lifelong Phillies fan and someone who knew Harry, this passing has been especially difficult for me and everyone in the Philly area. 

I was at Nationals Park when Harry collapsed in the broadcast booth, unaware of the events going on above me.  When I saw the tribute photo on the scoreboard right before the game and realized what had happened, my heart sunk.  Looking quickly at my cell phone which I had apparently left the ringer off, I saw the 8 missed calls from people trying to reach me so I would not be shocked by the news.  But I had been wandering around the ballpark for 2 ½ hours at that point, and since I never looked at the phone, I had no idea.  I sat down in my chair and cried, and much to my own surprise, I was not able to stop.  By the 4th inning, the Nationals fan next to me finally decided to try cracking a few jokes to see if I would snap out of it.  I tried to distract myself by taking photos like I usually do during games, but I just couldn't shake it.

The Phillies won the game, but I do not remember most of what happened.  Harry had been with the team since 1971 and with NFL Films since 1975; I just kept thinking, I was born in 1972 and had been listening to this man literally my entire life.  To me, he was baseball and he was THE voice of the NFL.  Not only that, but I have had the great privilege over the last four years or so to have occasionally spent time with Harry, talking about baseball and listening to his stories.  I keep thinking about the last time we spoke this past January after an award dinner, when I teased him about his terrible smoking habit again; and again, he smiled and told me , "I know, I know."  I keep thinking about all the stories I am never going to hear again; I'll never hear his signature, "It's outta here!" or his famous rendition of "High Hopes."  And who will carry on at NFL Films?  It is hard to image anyone filling that void.  I thought of Harry as a friend, as did nearly anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him.  But that was just Harry; he made even the most casual fan feel like you had known him forever.  The man had a big heart and you could feel it when he entered a room.

I spoke with many friends this week about Harry and they all feel the same loss, even those who knew little about him.  I told one friend a story about how Harry let me keep one of his name tags from an event we attended and then even signed it for me as a keepsake.  She then told me that she had a relative who was one of Harry's doctors and she had him sign a latex-free medical exam glove for her step-father.  Just more proof that Harry would sign or do absolutely anything for a fan.

Harry touched the lives of everyone he met and anyone who ever heard his voice; the world will never be the same without him.  My heart goes out to Harry's family and friends.  The Phillies will hold a special tribute to Harry before Friday night’s baseball game in Philadelphia and I will be there to pay my respects.  And so we will grieve for now, and tomorrow, celebrate a life that will never be forgotten.  We will miss you, Harry.

(Photos by Jenn)

 

April Fools Day

Here is a series of True and False statements for you on this most ridiculous of semi-holidays; you decide which is real and which is the April Fools joke!

A – The Dolphins have released their 2009 pre-season schedule.

B – The NFL has done away with pre-season games as they are meaningless, uneventful and unnecessarily torture our delicate players.

 

A – Bill Parcels eats football players for breakfast.

B – Bill Parcels eats small children for breakfast.

 

A – Jenn will be named quarterback of the Dolphins thus being the first ever female to play in the NFL.

B – Oh, sorry, the first ever female to play in the NFL is Jay Cutler.

 

A – Channing Crowder will celebrate his new contract by getting another tattoo.

B – The new tattoo will have to be placed on the bottom of his foot as he has run out of room everywhere else.

 

A – Terrell Owens wants to play for the Dolphins as he is already unhappy in Buffalo after learning that just because he was a Cowboy, he is really not allowed to ride a Buffalo and shout “Yee Haw!”

B – T.O. changed his mind about coming to Miami because former Cowboys cannot swim.

 

So I’ll give you a hint on which ones are April Fools jokes…uh, everything except the first line; although, some may argue that Parcells really does eat football players for breakfast.

As for that first line, here is the Dolphins pre-season schedule:

Aug. 14-18
Jacksonville Jaguars
Dolphin Stadium

Aug. 22-23
Carolina Panthers
Dolphin Stadium

Thu., Aug. 27
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raymond James Stadium
8:00 p.m. - Fox

Sept. 3-4
at New Orleans Saints
Louisiana Superdome

In other news, Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland will be holding a live video chat on Friday, April 3, at 10:45 a.m.  You can begin submitting your questions now by going to MiamiDolphins.com/AskJeffIreland

If I were you, I’d ask about that T.O. rumor… ;O)

Coming and Going

Hello’s

Miami signed free agent, Eric Green, a 4-year veteran cornerback from the Arizona Cardinals.  His numbers with the Cardinals are as follows: 169 tackles, 2 interceptions, 31 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries; he has played in 51 regular season games, having started 33 of them.

The Fins have also picked up defensive tackle, Tony McDaniel from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for an undisclosed 2009 draft choice.  McDaniel has been in the league for 3 years and here are his numbers: 38 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four passes defensed;  he has played in 25 regular season games, having started three of them.

Goodbye’s

Center Samson Satele has been traded to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice.  Satele had surgery after the season ended to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder; a piece of bone had actually broken off as a result of him playing through the injury during the 2008 season.  Satele started 32 games for the Fins, and the trade was surprising to most as Satele had a solid 2008 run, despite the injury.  Then again, perhaps the surgery played into the decision?  Jake Grove, acquired from the Raiders earlier, will take over at center.

Be All You Can Be

No, you do not have to join the Army.  But how about trying out for the Fins Cheerleading squad?  All you have to do is starve yourself for many months, dye your hair blonde and lower your IQ a few points; then show up for the April 4th open audition!  Ok, I kid, of course.  Many NFL Cheerleaders are actually doctors, lawyers and other professional-types in their other lives.  This is a unique opportunity to literally cheer on your team and get paid for it!  Nice :O)

Own A Smelly Shoe

You too can be the proud owner of a used and, no doubt, effervescent cleat, once owned and worn by an actual Miami Dolphins player!  Just visit the Miami Dolphins Foundation Auction site.  Items up for auction include game worn jerseys, cleats and helmets as well as autographed footballs and many other items.  All money raised is donated to the Miami Dolphins Foundation which benefits South Florida youth programs.

Off-Season Updates

I’m back!  In case anyone missed me, I have been on vacation for several weeks; sorry about the lag in posting!  Let me get everyone caught up on the happenings in Dolphin Land:

- Channing Crowder, the most entertaining Dolphin, has been signed to a multi-year contract extension.  Good news for Fin Fans!

- Safety Yeremiah Bell was also given a contract extension and safety Gibril Wilson was signed to a multi-year contract as a free agent.

- Free-agent offensive lineman Joe Berger was signed to a multi-year contract; Berger had previously spent time with Dallas, Miami and Carolina.  Welcome back!

- 11-year veteran defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday had his contract terminated; so sad to see him go!  He was a big part of the Dolphins-D.

- 6-year NFL veteran free agent center Jake Grove was signed to a multi-year contract.  Grove spent 5 season with the Raiders.

- Bill Parcels has not yet run screaming from Miami :O)  He continues to pull the strings…

Rods, Reels & Clubs for Charity

The off-season is a time for charity events, and this year is no different.  If anyone is interested in supporting the Miami Dolphins Foundation by joining the Celebrity Fishing or Golf trip, call 954-452-7171 for details or to sign up.  The web site information is HERE; the events will be held June 5th (Golf) & 6th (Fishing).  No word yet on exactly who will attend, but Dolphins players, coaches and cheerleads are expected to attend.  And if anyone wants to bring me along, please let me know :O)

The History of Lucky #13

The number 13 has been dragged through the mud of history as an unlucky number.  Hotels skip floor #13 so as not to offend or frighten its’ guests; people go out of their way to avoid it altogether.  But, #13 belongs to my hero, Dan Marino, the greatest passer ever in the game of football.  Don’t argue – he just is.  And one of the nicest people I have ever met.  This is my hair with Dan Marino (the photographer was shot later)…he is cracking up because I made a total ass out of myself the first time we met.  Rambled on and on about how much I loved him…he pat me on head afterwards and said, “It’s ok…”  Yes, he took pity on me.  What a nice man! 

The next time we met, we actually spoke on a semi-normal, adult-like basis.  We chatted about his charity work, his restaurants, his very strange limo driver who would not stop talking to me and some CBS camera guy who kept following me around.  The camera guy later tried to hunt me down after Dan left and I actually ran into Central Park (yes, in NYC) to hide from him.  There are very few things in Central Park you can hide from, but as it turns out, CBS camera men are one of those things.  But I digress…

Marino is a Hall of Famer, a world-class guy and held 22 major NFL records, until Brett Favre decided to break 7 of them.  Would he PLEASE retire already?  Geez!  And did you know that Dan Marino actually designed the suit that Charlie Manuel wore at the 2008 Phillies World Series parade?  And when he gave it to Charlie, he predicted the Phillies would win the Championship!  That was in 2007, so he was 1 year off; but Manuel did get to wear the suit this year!  Anyway, I am proud to share the #13 with Marino!  Let’s see what else we know about #13…

·         The age at which you are considered a teenager.

·         A bakers’ dozen.

·         Fear of the #13 is called Triskaidekaphobia.

·         Wilt Chamberlain and Shaq have each worn #13.

·         Then again, so have Billy Wagner and Turk Wendell.

·         There are 13 players on a rugby team.

·         The number of original US colonies.

·         The seal of the US has 13 olive leaves, 13 arrows, and 13 stars. These form a triangle over the eagle with the number 13 on each point. On the back, the pyramid has 13 levels.

·         PG-13 = when kids can legally hear people cuss.

I therefore declare that #13 is a LUCKY number!

Entertainment You Can Put Money On

There certainly are few constants in life, but here are at least a few things in the world of sports and entertainment that we can all count on:

- Brett Favre will retire: over and over and over again.

- Bill Parcels will always be scary.

- Angelina Jolie will keep adopting and popping out babies until someone makes her stop.

- John Madden will never, ever say anything that truly makes sense.

- Chad Pennington is a full-on, broken down truck in the yard, 3-legged dog-Redneck – but we love him anyway.

- Joey Porter will never miss an opportunity to speak his mind.

- Alec Baldwin will always be creepy.

- Christian Bale is still hot, regardless of how many obscenities fly out of his mouth.  He can cuss at me all he wants. :O)

- Joe Buck is incapable of having a good hair day.

    

 

 

 

- Ricky Williams is funnier on drugs…

- …But he plays better football while straight.

- Jets fans will always practice their spelling, even when they are getting their butts kicked…J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets Jets!  Oh please, make it stop!

- Paris Hilton will never have any real talent; she is totally plastic.

- New Jersey will NOT sink into the Atlantic Ocean, never to be seen again, no matter how hard you wish for it. (I grew up there; I am allowed to say it)

- Monty Python’s dead parrot sketch is still the funniest thing ever shown on TV.

- Tony Sparano is a big teddy bear.

And in the “other” category; we will never have enough money, rainbows will always be awesome, you can’t make everyone happy, your health is the most significant thing you own, dreams were made to be realized and finally, the most important things in all our lives are Peace, Love and Football :O)

Pro Bowl Results

	NFC Pro Bowl Team		0	10	7	13		30
	AFC Pro Bowl Team	Has the Ball	7	7	0	7		21

The final score is in and the NFC took the crown this year by a score of 30-21.  Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, linebacker Joey Porter and rookie lineman Jake Long all participated in the event which may have taken place in Hawaii for the last time.  With ticket sales declining due to the far off location, the Pro Bowl will be moved to none other than Miami, Florida next year.

As for this year, Brown came out of the game with the 2nd most ground yards behind Marshawn Lynch (48 yards); Brown racked up 41 yards on 7 attempts.  Brown was also called upon early in the game to lead the “Wildcat” play where he took the snap from center in place of the quarterback, but leave it to a New York Jet to screw things up; Leon Washington became confused about the play and ran the wrong way, leaving Brown to scramble while 4 defenders descended down upon him.  Brown had a nice laugh over it and everyone at home just shook their heads.  Oops.

Joey Porter had 2 solo tackles in the game and also gave an interview on the sidelines during the game.  He expressed that he was happy for his ex-Steelers teammates in winning the Super Bowl last week; Porter also talked about giving Coach Sparano the credit for the stunning turnaround of the Dolphins after a bleak 1-15 season in 2007. 

Jake Long, excited about his first trip to Hawaii, posted “Post Cards”online so fans could read about his trip.  Long enjoyed relaxing on the beach, visiting with US soldiers and seemed very taken with the Hawaiian culture in general.  Long really deserved to be in this game and it was nice to see him get the honor. 

As he did for the Dolphins all year, Long was steady at his position in the O-line, but ultimately, this Pro Bowl game came down to badly timed turnovers.  Kerry Collins and Jay Cutler each tossed untimely interceptions, giving an edge to the NFC.   Even the AFC’s Tony Gonzalez’s offensive dominance, with 98 yards and a TD, was no match for the 81 yards and 2 TD’s of the NFC’s Larry Fitzgerald, fresh off a Super Bowl loss and eager to make his mark on this game.  Add a rushing TD by Adrian Peterson, and the AFC was sunk.  Better luck next year!

NFL Off-season Boredom

1.  With football season over, and the only thing left to look forward to is the Pro Bowl, boredom has set in.  The more bored I become, the stranger the things are that pop into my mind.  I spend hours contemplating life's mysteries.  See for yourself; Here is Jenn's 25 Things To Ponder:

1.     Why are brown Labrador retrievers called "Chocolate Labs"?  Is this like Easter bunnies?  Are you going to eat them?

2.     Why do commercials and other advertising media portray penguins and polar bears in the same setting?  They live on totally opposite poles of the earth and in real life, would NEVER come in contact.

3.     Also in real life, if penguins did encounter polar bears, the polar bears would eat them, not pass them a Coke.

4.     Will there be a “Soprano’s” spin-off, entitled, “The Sparano’s” where Head Coach Tony Sparano uses hired hit men to take out Dolphins opponents?

5.     Why is every public restroom out of toilet paper?  Have we not cut down thousands of acres of rainforest each year?  Perhaps I should wipe with a chinchilla; they are endangered also.  And soft as well...

6.     Why does the phone only ring when I am in the bathroom?

7.     If the plural of goose is geese, then why isn't the plural of moose, meese?

8.     If I walk and chew gum at the same time, am I some kind of genius?

        9.    I wonder if all those tattoos on Channing Crowder are to blame for his educational inadequacies.  Last year, before the first NFL overseas game, he did not know that people in London, England spoke English.  Has the ink gone to his brain?

10.  Why are farts funny?

11.   If the "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you" thing is correct, then why, after numerous relationships, am I still flat broke?

- PS:  In case you were wondering, the bank is closed.

12.  If you are playing charades and you have a real heart attack, how long will it take for someone to dial 911?

13.  The odds of catching a baseball at a Major League Baseball game are 776 to 1.  The odds that your child will be a genius are 265 to 1.  Odds that you will marry a millionaire are 200 to 1.  I have caught many baseballs; this is good news for my kids, but where is my millionaire???

14.  Why does it only rain when you have forgotten an umbrella?

15.   And snow, when you do not have a shovel?

16.  Am I the only person on the planet who wants to smack Miley Cyrus?

17.   Why does this photo make me laugh until I cry?

18.  Why does alcohol make everything happy?  Or is it just me?

19.   What exactly are the "Natural Flavors" in my Snapple Peach Iced Tea?  If they didn't just call it "peach," it has to make you wonder...

20.  Why is there a warning on a can of Lysol that says "Don not spray in eyes"??  Duh.

21.    Why do packages of peanuts say "Warning: May contain nuts"?  Well, if it doesn't contain nuts, I'd like my money back.

22.    How is it possible that I have 600 channels on TV and can't find anything to watch?

23.   Why does my cat think that my feet, while moving, would be a suitable place for a nap?  And why is it, after hundreds of times nearly killing myself, that I never see this coming?  Is my cat a criminal master-mind?

24.   Why do celebrities spend thousands of dollars on a single suit or dress and then talk about starving kids in Africa, while wearing the expensive outfit?  Guess how many kids you could feed with 1 dress?  Hmmm....

25.    If you scream in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, perhaps you should have stopped to ask for directions?

Parcell’s Update

As many of you may be aware, Bill Parcells has a clause in his 3-year Miami Dolphins contract that allows him to leave the team if the ownership were to change.  It was announced on January 20th that Steven Ross would take over ownership of the team by purchasing 45% of Wayne Huizenga’s 50% share.  Since then, many have speculated on the future of Parcell’s with the Dolphins.

On February 1st, Parcell’s gave an interview with NLF Network during which he was asked whether or not he would opt out of his contract in Miami.  Parcells responded with, “It would be fair to say that (that he would stay in Miami)” and followed it up with, “I hope they don’t throw me out.”  Humor aside, Parcell’s seems like he wants to stay, but he has said the same to other teams in the past and then pulled a Nick Saban and disappeared.  What do you think will happen?  Feel free to comment below.

And congrats to the Steelers for becoming the 1st team in the NFL to win 6 Super Bowls.  We wish it was the Dolphins, but hey, there is always next year! :O)

A New Era

Ownership Change:

Long time owner Wayne Huizenga has officially sold ownership of the Miami Dolphins football team to Stephen M. Ross.  Huizenga’s 50% of the shares added to Ross’s previous 45% share gives him 95% ownership.  Huizenga decided to keep 5% which will include the team and the land-ownership of the stadium.  I for one am sad to see Wayne go…he was a nice guy :O(  Hope he’ll still be hanging around to watch his 5%!  (Photo:  Jenn & Mr. H)

Nothing yet has been said about whether Bill Parcells will stay with the Dolphins as a result.  His contract indicates that he can leave the team if ownership was to change, which has now happened.  We will have to wait and see.

Pro Bowl News:

Rookie tackle Jake Long was named to the Pro Bowl team to replace the Bills’ Jason Peters who is unable to attend.  Long, who should have been named to begin with, will join teammates Joey Porter and Ronnie Brown at what may be the last Hawaii-based Pro Bowl.  Next year, it will move to Miami, FL.  Watch the Pro Bowl on 2/8/09.

Signings:

The Dolphins have gone Canadian!  Ok, well they signed one player from the CFL; linebacker Cameron Wake, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player of 2007 and 2008, has been penciled into the Fins roster.  Safety Ethan Kilmer, formerly of the Bengals, has also been signed.  Both were free agents.

End of Year Awards, Signings and Coaching Changes

Awards:

- Multiple Dolphins have scooped up awards this past week for their outstanding play in 2008.  Head Coach Tony Sparano has been named the 2008 Coach of the Year by the NFL Alumni.  In his first year with the Dolphins, Sparano took a 1-15 team and turned it into a winner with an 11-5 record and a short appearance in the first round of the playoffs.  This is the best mark in the NFL for a turnaround of a 1-15 in NFL history and the only team to make the playoffs after such a down year.

 - After a career-high 17.5 sacks this year, linebacker Joey Porter has been named second team All-Pro by The Associated Press.  Porter finished third with 13 votes behind Steelers linebacker James Harrison (38 votes) and the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware (45 votes).  It is Porter’s 4th time being named an All-Pro.  Other Dolphins who received votes were QB Chad Pennington (2 votes), guard Justin Smiley (1 vote) and cornerback Will Allen (1 vote) from the panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters.

- 3 Dolphins rookies were named to the Pro Football Writers All-Rookie team; offensive tackle Jake Long, placekicker Dan Carpenter and defensive end Kendall Langford all made the list.  Long was our 1st round draft pick this past year and started all 16 games in 2008.  Carpenter was an undrafted free-agent who went 21 of 25 on field goal attempts and hit all 40 extra points.  He set a Dolphin’s rookie record with 14 consecutive field goals.  Langford started 14 games this year, but played in all 16, and had 31 tackles and 2 sacks.

It is nice to see awards being thrown at our team instead of rotten eggs for a change :O)  Coach Sparano should be canonized and dubbed a Saint for putting Dolphins fans around the world out of their 2007 misery.  Thanks!

Signings:

7 players who finished the 2008 season on the Fins practice squad have been signed for the 2009 season.  They are as follows:

WR     Anthony Armstrong
CB       Scorpio Babers
CB       Will Billingsley
FB       Chris Brown
DT       Joe Cohen
RB       Lex Hilliard
WR     Todd Lowber

Congrats to all!

Coaching Change:

Dave DeGuglielmo (pronounced Day-Ghoul-Yell-Mo; say that 5 times fast!) has been named the Dolphins offensive line coach (replacing Mike Masser).  And if the players do not do exactly what he says, they will be swimming with the fish :O)  I am Italian – therefore, I am allowed to make that joke…thank you.  Anyway, DeGuglielmo has been with the New York Giants since 2004 and served as their assistant offensive line coach since 2005.  He won a Super Bowl with the Eli Manning and the Giants last year in the 2007 season and prior to his NFL experience, spent 13 years at the collegiate level.  If he can bring to the Dolphins what he brought to the 2007 Champion Giants, I am all for it!  Besides, this team was clearly lacking in ethnic jokes… :O)

Vote For Your Dolphins

The end of the season results are in and both Head Coach Tony Sparano and linebacker Joey Porter have been nominated for awards.  Sparano is up for the Motorola Coach of the Year and Porter for the GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Year.  Both certainly are deserving. 

Sparano took a 1-15 team to an 11-5 record and to the playoffs.  We love this guy.  VOTE for Sparano HERE.  Voting is open until 1/21 at 6pm.  And Porter was the rock in our defense all year, sacking QB’s left and right and breathing life into a fading Dolphins defensive era.  VOTE for Porter HERE.  Voting is open until 1/29 at 3pm.

Turnovers Sink The Fins

The very things that helped the Dolphins get to the playoffs this year is what killed them against the Ravens on Sunday.  Chad Pennington, Mr. Reliable for the 2008 regular season, threw FOUR interceptions, setting a record for picks in a playoff game by a Dolphin.  There was also another turnover as a result of a lost fumble by Patrick Cobbs.  So, the Fins who led the league this year in fewest turnovers, pulled a 360 for the playoffs and just kept on handing the ball over. 

Davone Bess was injured early on and the lack of receivers seemed to limit their play options and slow down the offense.  He came back into the game later, but appeared to be limited.  Pennington got little protection from the offensive line, which was the polar opposite of the previous 16 games and thus, he returned to Jets form.  Add this all up, and the game was a total slaughter.

The Ravens defense is tough, but the Fins made it look even easier for them.  Everything that could have gone wrong did.  Even a missed extra point by Dan Carpenter, who had also been stellar all year, echoed of another missed opportunity (although it had no effect on the outcome, as it turned out).  The Dolphins had a shot at a comeback in the 4th quarter, but with the ball deep in Ravens territory, Pennington and Ted Ginn Jr. did not connect on the hand-off and Ginn would up recovering the fumble way back at the 50 yard line.  That was the final nail in the coffin.

I knew it was not going to be an easy game for the Fins, but I had really hoped they’d at least put up a decent fight.  That, more than the loss, is the biggest disappointment.  But then again, they were 1-15 last year and absolutely NO ONE thought they would go this far.  In all, a good season with a bummer of an ending.  Guess I have to cheer for the Giants to repeat now…. :O)

Pennington Ties For 2nd Place in MVP Voting

Chad Pennington, who was more than deserving of the NFL’s MVP Award this year, lost out to Peyton Manning who won it…AGAIN.  With 32 votes, Manning took home the award for the third time.  And honestly, I do not believe he deserved it this time.  He and the Colts got off to an awful start this year and choked in their playoff appearance in OT yesterday. 

Now, I do love Peyton Manning and have been a big fan of his for years.  He has also been my fantasy team QB for as long as I can remember.  So I know he had an off year, because my team suffered with his unusually low production this year.  Pennington, who tied for 2nd place with Michael Turner of the Falcons (each getting only 4 votes), was consistent all year and had fewer turnovers (7 vs. 12) and a higher passer rating:  Pennington, 97.4 – Manning, 95.0.  The Dolphins won the AFC East; the Colts came in 2nd in their division.

Sure, Manning turned it on at the end, but I think the Fins had an overall better QB for the year.  Oh well!  At least we will be entertained by a few more Manning commercials on TV :O)

 

Player	Team	Votes
Peyton Manning	Colts	32
Chad Pennington	Dolphins	4
Michael Turner	Falcons	4
Adrian Peterson	Vikings	3
James Harrison	Steelers	3
Philip Rivers	Chargers	2
Chris Johnson	Titans	1
Kurt Warner	Cardinals	1

Musical Chairs Playoff Prep

Coach Tony Sparano is a creative guy.  He decided to rally the troops with a short game of musical chairs during his pre-practice meeting.  He had all the veteran players stand and then told the 43 guys to sit if they had never been in a playoff game.  With 18 players left, he asked those who had never started a playoff game to sit as well.  11 remained standing and the music stopped :O)  Sparano wanted to point out to the team how difficult it is to get into the playoffs.  Next week, if they make it to the next round, Sparano plans on playing Duck, Duck, Goose with the team…

And in injury news, the neck / head contusion that David Martin suffered in the 1st quarter of Sunday’s Jets game seems to be healing.  He did practice some but is still not working at full capacity.  Still good news though, as the injury could have been much more serious.  Martin will not play the toddler games with the rest of the team; he will be limited to bedtime stories only. :O)

So the playoff game preview looks like this:  Every “expert” expects the Ravens to kill the Fins on Sunday.  Even some idiot I ran into at the local mall decided to scream at me, “Ravens are going to kick your ass on Sunday!” when he saw my Dolphins hat.  Yes, complete strangers cussing in the middle of a mall full of families and children.  Ravens fans are SOOOOO classy.  They should all be proud.

Anyhow, it has been my experience that “experts” and drunken losers are NOT in fact a good source of genuine sports information.  Win or lose, the Fins will put up a much bigger fight than anyone anticipates.  They beat the Ravens last year in their 1-15 season so this is not impossible.  Yes, they have a very tough defense, but so do the Fins.  The Ravens are also weakened by injuries: 12 in all including kicker Matt Stover, WR Derrick Mason, safety Ed Reed and WR Mark Clayton. University of Delaware product, rookie Joe Flacco, has improved as the season has progressed but, he is still inexperienced.  Now we always have Ray Lewis to fear, but one man does not a team make.

In my non-expert, educationally informed opinion, I think the Dolphins have a great shot at winning this.  They will need to be consistent in the running game, avoid turnovers and stop making dumb penalties.  And if Pennington is his usual 2008-self and Joey Porter comes up with some big plays, we are all set.  Ray Lewis and all the idiot, low-class Ravens fans can go home and cry in their corn flakes on Monday morning.

Go Dolphins!

Dolphin Stadium Will Host The Pro-Bowl in 2010

The first Pro-Bowl in recent years to be held outside of Hawaii will be moved to the equally tropical Miami, Florida for 2010 :O)  Mark that date:  January 31, 2010 at 8:00pm on ESPN.  You will get to see all the depressed announcers, TV people and other media cry as they wish they were in Hawaii… Hee!  Super Bowl XLIV will also be held in Miami, only 1 week later on Sunday, February 7, 2010.  This marks the very first time the Pro-Bowl will be played before the Super Bowl!  I am betting we will see a lot of players bow out of the Pro Bowl because of this.  Anyone who will be playing in the big game will not want to risk injury before hand.  Also, no week-long celebration in the most gorgeous and amazing state in the US will also be a bummer to some. 

Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE Miami.  But I have also been to Hawaii and it is no contest.  Then again, travelling to Miami is WAY cheaper and there is still plenty to do.  This is a HUGE coo for the city of Miami and also for Dolphin’s season ticket holders, who will get dibs on Pro-Bowl tickets, as well as the Pro-Bowl annual subscribers and then lastly, other fans around the world.  The only other Pro-Bowl ever to be played outside Hawaii was way back in 1967 when the very first Pro-Bowl was held at the LA Colliseum a week after the first Super Bowl.  So, HAPPY NEW YEAR MIAMI!!  Whoo Hooo!

Chad Pennington Is The Comeback Player Of The Year!

Becoming the first NFL player ever to win the award twice (2006 & 2008), Chad Pennington was named the NFL Comeback Player Of The Year Award today.  After being thrown out with the Jets’ garbage upon the signing of Brett Favre, Pennington came to a Dolphins team with a 2007 record of 1-15 and led them to the playoffs in 2008!

Pennington finished the regular season with the second highest passer rating in the NFL with 97.4% and had the leagues’ highest completion percentage, 67.4% (321 of 476 passes).  He also threw for a career high 3,653 yards, 19 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

And as if that honor were not enough, Pennington was also voted the AFC Offensive player of the Week for week 16, having beat the Jets 24-17 and capturing the AFC East title.  His passer rating in the Jets game was 113.2 and that marked the 8th time this season his rating topped 100 points.  Pennington has been like a gift from above to this team.  We all hope he is the gift that keeps on giving…. Happy New Year!

Photos From AFC East Win

As promised, here is the Photo Album from Sunday’s game.  Just click on the link in the first sentence.  And yes, I took all of these from the stands.  Imagine what I could do with a real camera and an on-field press pass!  :O)  Hee!  Anyway, hope you like them!

You can also find this link in the "Dolphins Photo Albums" list to the left of the page. :O)

Dolphins Win The AFC East!

DOLPHINS vs. JETS

Giants Stadium

12/28/08	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	0	14	7	3	0	24
JETS	0	9	8	0	0	17

 

…And I was there to see it!  I was in East Rutherford, NJ amongst many, many angry Jets fans who spent half the game calling for the firing of Jets head coach Eric Mangini and today, they got their wish.  If even Brett Favre could not save the Jets season, then someone had to pay and Mangini is out.

But the real story is this Dolphins team who went 1-15 last year and set an NFL record with their amazing 2008 comeback, going 11-5 in the regular season.  Because of the tie-breaker being on the side of the Fins, they shut out the New England Patriots from the playoffs, even though the Pats carried an 11-5 record as well.  The Jets were sent down to 3rd place with the loss and the only coach in the NFL who is a lock for next season may be Fins head coach, Tony Sparano.  Sparano, with the help of Bill Parcells, has turned this franchise back into a winner.  Regardless of how far they get in the playoffs, this has been a miracle of a season for the Fins.

The game started a bit shaky for the Fins yesterday who dropped several easy passes and looked like they may penalize themselves right out of the Division title.  But Chad Pennington, who should be the 2008 MVP, kept them on track.  Pennington went 22 for 30 attempts with 200 yards and 2 touchdown passes against his old team.  The Jets, who threw him out with the trash, are left wondering what might have been.  Like the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Put a real offensive line in front of Pennington, and it turns out, the man can actually play!  On the other side of the field, Favre threw 3 picks to the Fins, one of which went straight in for a touchdown.  Rookie Phillip Merling caught that one for his first pick and first TD of his career.  Andre Goodman snagged the other two picks, giving him 5 total on the season.

The Wildcat was let loose again yesterday, with Ronnie Brown taking the ball from the snap at center almost as many times as Pennington.  Brown had 57 yards rushing, 15 yards receiving and he handed off the ball multiple times in the Wildcat formation, took it himself a few times and had one incomplete pass attempt that probably should have been caught.  He was all over the field.  Ted Ginn Jr., who before the game strutted around for the Jets fans with his hands in the air and index finger on each up (as in #1), trying to incite the crowd, had 1 TD catch and a game leading 71 yards on the day.  Anthony Fasano caught the other TD…here are a few shots of that as it played out…

Channing Crowder was also all over the field on defense.  He led the team with 9 tackles and nearly sacked Favre a few times.  Here is one shot of a very close attempt; note where the ball is as he takes Favre out:

The main keys to this game were defense, with 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and a whole lot of tackling and also, the running game.  The Fins outran the Jets 126 yards to the Jets 80 yards and controlled time of possession with 33:48.  This is the first AFC East title for the Fins since 2000 and their 11 wins ties the 1999 Colts (3-13 to 13-3) for the biggest turnaround in NFL history.  They also set a record for the fewest turnovers in a 16 game season with only 13; the previous record was 14 held by the 1990 Giants.  Here is a nice shot of Davone Bess, in mid-air, trying to avert a turnover yesterday:

And this was the final punt of the game by Brandon Fields which pinned the Jets back at their own 1 yard line with only 17 seconds left:

So now the Fins will move on to face the Baltimore Ravens at 1pm EST in Miami next Sunday, 1/4/09.  The Ravens have a tough defense and this will be no easy task, but it can be done.  We’ll chat more about that later.  For now, I am going to upload more photos and hopefully, have a whole album put together for you by the end of the day or tomorrow at the latest.  Stayed tuned for more!  Go Dolphins!

Dolphins - Jets Game Moved To 4:15pm

For those of you who will NOT be attending this game on Sunday, congrats!  It will probably be shown on TV in your area.  For those going to sit with me, in the freezing cold as the sun starts to go down at oh, about 4:45 or so, please say it with me…”UGHHH!”  Ok, so I’ll get like ½ an hour of sun before the stadium turns into a solid block of ice.  Should be fine :O)

So, yes, the powers that be have decided that while not worthy of the 8pm National slot, the Dolphins – Jets game is worth a later 4:15pm slot so more people can see the Fins kick the crap out of the Jets and watch Brett Favre cry again and decide to retire, then not to retire, then to retire, etc…  And the debate goes on!  If anyone has some kind of Eskimo gear and maybe a portable heater they’d like to donate to me, feel free to let me know.  Look for me on TV…I’ll be the one with icicles for hair instead of curls.

One More Win And We’re In!

DOLPHINS vs. CHIEFS

Arrowhead Stadium

12/21/08	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	10	14	7	7	0	38
CHIEFS	7	21	3	0	0	31

Today’s win over the Chiefs gives the Dolphins a 10-5 record on the season and they continue to control their own destiny.  Win over the Jets next week, and they win the division, clinching a playoff spot.  Lose, and they are done for the season.

The defense had a rough time in Kansas City without Channing Crowder and an unproductive Joey Porter.  No doubt the 10 degree weather with a -12 degree wind chill was not helping either.  It seemed like every time the Chiefs got the ball, they went straight down field and scored; they punted only once in the game.

However, the Dolphins offense kept pace, only punting twice and gaining 403 yards total on the day.  Chad Pennington had 235 of those yards plus 3 touchdowns, for only the 2nd time this season.  He completed 26 of 34 passes and had one fairly meaningless interception right at the end of the half.  Tight end Anthony Fasano caught 2 of the TD passes and wound up with 47 total yards on 3 catches.  Davone Bess continued his receiving domination, leading the Fins with 57 yards and 6 catches.  In all, 7 different players were used in the air game and 6 in the running game, giving the Fins a definite advantage; the opposition never knows who might get the ball.  Running back Ricky Williams caught 6 passes and had 50 yards through the air.  Most RB’s do not see this kind of action.

The game was off to a flaming start when running back / special team player Patrick Cobbs ran back the opening kickoff 60 yards to the KC 31 yard line!  Ted Ginn Jr. then ran the ball 31 yards into the end zone.  Then with about 6 minutes left in the half, DB Joey Thomas recovered a Chiefs fumble to give the Dolphins the ball on the KC 32 yard line.  The Fins ran the drive down to 4th and 1 on the 5 yard line and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I saw Coach Tony Sparano had decided to go for it rather than take the 3 points on a field goal.  One incomplete pass later, and the drive ended scoreless.  The score was 24-21 Dolphins at that point and their inability to score there led to another Chiefs TD to give them the lead going into halftime.

All Dolphins fans were ready to be sick at this point, watching a 2-12 team run all over our defense.  It improved after the half, but the Chiefs gave us some help.  In the middle of the 3rd quarter, the Chiefs kicked the ball off which landed out of bounds, giving the Fins the ball at their own 40 yard line.  All it took then was a 12 yard pass to Bess and a HUGE 44 yard from Cobbs.  Ronnie Brown in the Wildcat position then handed the ball off to Williams who ran in for the TD.

The see-saw battle continued as the Chiefs charged all the way down to the Miami 6 yard line, but QB Tyler Thigpen was intercepted by DB Nate Jones to stop the drive.  Whew!  The defense held them again with 3:41 left in the game as the Chiefs went for it on 4th and 1 and Thigpen was sacked for a loss, giving the ball back to the Fins.

And then the referee highlight / low light of the game:  With 1:45 left in the game, the officials made the worst call ever on poor Ricky Williams, calling a fumble on him which was recovered by KC.  Replay showed his elbow, and possibly other body parts were on the ground before the ball came out.  Still, the replay official said the call would stand and with just a 7 point lead, we all held our breath again.  This blown call seems to be a direct result of the spanking officials got after a blown call in the Steelers-Ravens game last week; Pittsburgh had the ball and the runner got his feet in the end zone, but the ball never crossed the plane of the goal line.  Call on the field was NO TD, but despite the evidence, the replay official gave them the TD sighting that the feet were in, totally ignoring where the ball was.  So, the Dolphins today were the recipient of a call made in fear of consequences.

Luckily, the call did not affect the outcome of the game.  With the clock running down the Chiefs had a 4th down and 10 to go when Thigpen was intercepted for the 3rd time in the game.  Reynaldo Hill snagged the pass and the Fins took a knee to run out the clock.  Game over.

Next week is the biggest game of the year for a Dolphins team that at the beginning of the year, figured to have NO shot at the playoffs, let alone the Division title.  Pennington faces his old team who threw him out with the trash and I am sure he would love to smack the hell out of them!  I’ll be there to see it unfold and if conditions are not horrible, I will back with photos!  Yes, I will be walking into the Meadowlands in full Dolphin gear.  No, I am not insane.  I have done it every year and usually, people are amused by it, assuming I must be brain-damaged.  Here I am before one of the Jets games a few years ago…made the shorts myself J  I also have a pair of long pants with the aqua background that I made and will wear those next week, along with the Fins socks, sneakers, jewelry, hair ties, jacket, etc…  I even have temporary tattoos.  My uncle is a Jets fan and he tailgates before each game…every year I go to his parking spot, hang out, steal some barbeque and harass his buddies.  Secretly, I think they enjoy it :O)

If there is an injury or other news during the week, I will keep you posted!  Also, they have not made the game time final yet.  Currently it is a 1pm game, but could get moved to the 8pm game of the week spot.  Me?  Praying for 1pm!  MUCH warmer when the sun is out.  :o)  Go Dolphins!

Pro Bowl Roster Released: Porter & Brown Are In

The Pro Bowl roster was announced today and two Dolphins made the team.  Joey Porter will be going to the 4th Pro Bowl of his career, the first 3 being with the Steelers.  Ronnie Brown will be going for the 1st time.  Both are well deserving!  The Pro Bowl will be held in Honolulu Hawaii on February 8, 2009.  If anyone is going, please pack me in your suitcase! :O)

There were a few disappointments this year.  Despite garnering 1st place in fan voting, both place kicker Dan Carpenter and offensive lineman Jake Long were left off the Pro Bowl Roster.  Both rookies were well deserving and it is a shame they were not chosen.  Steven Gostkowki of the Patriots will start as place kicker and the starting offensive tackles are Joe Thomas of Cleveland (what???) and Jason Peters of Buffalo.  A few strange picks for this game overall…here is the full AFC Roster:

Offense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Quarterback	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis	Brett Favre, New York Jets Jay Cutler, Denver
Running back	Thomas Jones, New York Jets	Chris Johnson, Tennessee Ronnie Brown, Miami
Fullback	Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore
Wide receiver	Andre Johnson, Houston Brandon Marshall, Denver	Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Wes Welker, New England
Tight end	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City	Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tackle	Joe Thomas, Cleveland Jason Peters, Buffalo	Michael Roos, Tennessee
Guard	Alan Faneca, New York Jets Kris Dielman, San Diego	Brian Waters, Kansas City
Center	Kevin Mawae, Tennessee	Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Defense
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Defensive end	Mario Williams, Houston Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis	Robert Mathis, Indianapolis
Defensive tackle	Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Kris Jenkins, New York Jets	Shaun Rogers, Cleveland
Outside linebacker	James Harrison, Pittsburgh Joey Porter, Miami	Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
Inside linebacker	Ray Lewis, Baltimore	James Farrior, Pittsburgh
Cornerback	Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee	Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Free safety	Ed Reed, Baltimore
Strong safety	Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh	Chris Hope, Tennessee
Special teams
Pos.	Starter(s)	Reserves
Punter	Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker	Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Kick returner	Leon Washington, New York Jets
Special teamer	Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore

 

See the NFC roster as well HERE.  Congrats to those who made the cut!  So, who do you think was jilted?  Feel free to comment below :o)

Joey Porter Getting It Done!

After this week’s 14-9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Miami’s Joey Porter has been recognized for his efforts.  Porter is nominated for the GMC Sierra Defensive Player of the Week for Week 15.  Poter had three tackles in the game and one sack with 1:07 left in the game to stop a 49ers comeback drive and ensure the win for the Dolphins.  Click HERE to vote for Porter!  You have until Thursday at 4pm.

Also, the Pro-Bowl Balloting is in and THREE Dolphins finished in the TOP spot in fan voting, including Porter!  Rookie placekicker Dan Carpenter (171,312 votes), rookie offensive tackle Jake Long (207,114 votes) and, of course, outside linebacker Joey Porter (328,619 votes) each finished in first place at their positions!  Running backs Ronnie Brown and Patrick Cobbs also did well; Brown got 2nd place with 481,293 votes and Cobbs was 3rd in Special Teams Players with 85,821 votes.  Strong Saftey Yeremiah Bell finished 4th at his position with 36,021 votes.  The final Pro-Bowl starting line-ups should be announced sometime later today.

Joey Porter has really taken over where Jason Taylor left off for this team.  He is leading the AFC in sacks, with 17.5 for 96 yards lost, and is in 2nd place in the entire NFL.  Porter has also forced four fumbles and is 7th on the team in tackles with 46.  Having emerged as the veteran leader in this defense, he is a big reason why the Dolphins find themselves in contention for a playoff spot.  If he stays healthy, Porter will continue to be a one-man wrecking crew and hopefully, lead this team to the playoffs!

Still Hanging On In A 3-Way Tie For First Place

DOLPHINS vs. 49ers

Dolphin Stadium

12/14/08	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	7	7	0	0	0	14
49ers	3	0	3	3	0	9

 

This afternoon, the 3 leaders in the AFC East race all battled for the top spot after being tied for first place this week.  The Jets beat the Bills, sending them to the basement of the AFC East for good and if the Patriots beat the Raiders, it will remain a 3-way tie.  Score right now is 42-14 Pats – so, it is looking good for New England.  With the Dolphins win over the Niners today, they are in control of their own destiny.  Win the last 2 games and they are going to the playoffs!

Today, Chad Pennington had a productive 1st half, throwing 2 touchdowns to tight ends Davis Martin and Joey Haynos.   He went 12 for 19 with 156 yards as well.  And as for Haynos, his very first NFL reception went 19 yards for that second touchdown.  A very happy debut for the rookie!  Martin was the leading receiver on the day with the first TD and 66 total yards; Davone Bess had 3 catches for 25 yards.

The running game was a bit anemic with only 98 yards total, but then again, the Dolphins only controlled the ball today for less than 22 minutes.  So the real story here was the defense, which extended their streak of not allowing a touchdown to 3 straight games.  The Niners came away with only 3 field goals and their quarterback, Shaun Hill, was sacked 5 times.  Joey Porter has one of those sacks and increased his total for the year to 17.5. 

The Dolphins team as a whole still needs to clean up in several areas, despite today’s win.  They were only 14% on 3rd down conversions and again, had a ton of penalties.  Eight penalties for a loss of 66 yards is still not acceptable for a team that plans on contending for a playoff spot.  Dan Carpenter missed a 49 yard field goal attempt, which was another bummer on the day, but Carpenter has been stellar this season and 49 yards is a lot to ask of the rookie.

So enough of my griping…I still can’t believe this team is tied for first place and may actually go to the playoffs!  After a 1-15 season, this is just unreal.  It is as if aliens came down from the planet Awesome Football and injected all our players with Super-Alien Mega-Football DNA!  I totally made that planet up, but if it is really out there, I’d like to visit someday J  If the Fins pull this off, Coach Tony Sparano will go down in Dolphins history as a football God! …Or a very weird alien leader who hides his magical spaceship somewhere beneath the stadium where we can’t see it.  Hmmmmm…….

The Truth Is Out There – tune in for the last 2 games to find out!  Go Dolphins!

Carpenter Building An Impressive Resume

Miami’s place kicker, Dan Carpenter is carving out quite a rookie season.  After having been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November, Carpenter followed it up today with the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award for games the week of December 4th.  He is the first Dolphin to win the weekly award since Week 5 of 2004 when Wes Welker picked it up; he is also the first kicker to win since Olindo Mare in Week 15 of 1999.

In Sunday’s game, Carpenter made 3 of 4 attempts, with a 50 yarder in the 2nd quarter.  His total for the season is 19 out of 22 attempts; 9 of those have come from 40 yards or longer.  Carpenter is now tied for the 3rd highest single-season record by any Dolphins rookie.  Carpenter was signed by the Fins in May 2008 for a mere $302,500 in an attempt to save some money on the payroll.  Not only did the salary cut do its job, but Carpenter has more than effectively performed his.

Holy Crap! The Dolphins Are In First Place!

DOLPHINS vs. BILLS

Rogers Centre

12/7/08	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	F
DOLPHINS	7	6	0	3	0	16
BILLS	3	0	0	0	0	3

Stop rubbing your eyes…you read it right.  The Dolphins, after beating the Bills 16-3 in Canada today, have miraculously stumbled into a 3 way tie for 1st place in the AFC East!  They join the Pats (won today) and Jets (lost) with a record of 8-5 and only THREE games to go!  Don’t count your chicken before they hatch though…this team has a LONG history of disappointing the fans. L  On the other hand, holy crap!  We are in a tie for 1st place!

I am totally sold on Coach Sparano now.  The man has balls of steel.  At the end of the 1st quarter, he challenged a bad call by the officials that Buffalo had fumbled the ball and recovered, changing what was a 4th down to 1st & 10 on the Fins 22 yard line!  After the challenge, the call was overturned and declared it was an incomplete pass.  The Bills had to settle for a field goal.

Then in the 2nd quarter with about 5 minutes left, Sparano kept the pressure on the Bills by choosing to go for it on 4th and 1 on the Bills 34 instead of trying a long field goal.  The Fins converted and continued on down the field.  Sadly, a Ricky Williams TD run was negated by a really pointless offensive holding penalty.  They did wind up with 3 points though on a much shorter field goal attempt. 

A few other highlights on the day:  Will Allen intercepted Bills QB, JP Losman with 2:54 to go in the 3rd quarter; Allen wound up with a touchback, giving the Fins the ball back on the 20 and taking the wind out of the Bill’s sails, who were poised for a TD prior to the interception.  Later, with only 1:06 left in the game, Joey Porter forced a fumble which was recovered by Vonnie Holliday on the Miami 48 yard line.  The Fins ran out the clock and voile!  1st place.

Dan Carpenter, who had 3 field goals and one PAT today, remains perfect in connecting on at least one attempt in consecutive games, and even kicked a career-long 50-yarder.  And Davone Bess has clearly taken over as the lead receiver; he had 9 carries for 74 yards.  Anthony Fasano caught the only TD pass of the game and was 2nd in receptions with 3 for 36 yards.  As a whole, the Dolphins offense out did the Bills in total yards, 295 to 163.  And thanks to a stellar defensive performance, the Fins dominated time of possession; they controlled the ball for 37:31 vs. 22:29 for the Bills.  That is just over an entire quarter.  The defense sacked Losman four times for a total loss of 44 yards on the day.  Add in the Allen interception and 3 forced fumbles and our defense had a very good game. 

However, the Dolphins still have work to do.  The offense was only 30% in 3rd down conversions and the team committed FIVE penalties for a loss of 28 yards and one touchdown.  This was the second week in a row that a Ricky Williams TD was called back due to offensive holding.  That just cannot continue to happen.  If they can fix these issues, this team has a REAL shot at not just making the playoffs, but actually winning a few games in the post-season.  Hard to imagine after a season with only one win, but they have the talent and now have the coaching to get it done.

Next up:  The 49ers, the Chiefs and finally, the Jets at the Meadowlands.  I have tickets to the Jets game and it looks like this may actually be an important game J  The Dolphins are certainly making a case.  Anyway, here are the official standings:

	2008 Regular Season Division Standings
	Miami	8	5	0
	New England	8	5	0
	N.Y. Jets	8	5	0
	Buffalo	6	7	0

Only one thing left to say really….Whooo Hooo!

Dan Marino’s Father Passes Away

Dan Marino Sr. passed away last night at the age of 71 in his Florida home after a long battle with cancer.  The funeral arrangements have not yet been announced except that it will be held in Pittsburgh, PA where the Marino’s lived for most of their lives.  Marino Sr. was a driver for the Pittsburgh Press for 14 years. 

In Dan Marino’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech, he spoke about his relationship with his father:  “My dad, you're my hero. You're my role model, you're the best coach I've ever had. You taught me how to throw a football, you taught me about hard work, how to be positive…Thank you, dad. My dad would always tell me that no one does it better. Well, let me say that no one is better than you.”

This is very sad news and my heart goes out to the entire Marino family.  Having also lost a parent to cancer, I understand the pain of watching a loved one suffer and ultimately, lose the battle.  The Marino’s will be in my prayers.  You have my sympathy as you try to move through this very difficult time.  

Photo:  Dan Marino stands next to his father, mother and the rest of the Marino family.

Awards, Sibling Rivalry and Foreigners

And The Winner Is:

On Thursday, Fins kicker Dan Carpenter was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for the month of November.  Carpenter went 8 for 8 in field goals that month with 5 of those being from longer than 40 yards out.  His current streak of 11 straight without a blunder set a Dolphins rookie record.  He also made all 12 PAT’s for the month.  This guy has been well worth the money…oh wait a minute, he’s really not costing the Fins much… Talk about a bargain! 

Injury Corner:

Guard Justin Smiley was placed on the Injured Reserve list (ankle) and Will Allen is listed as probable for Sunday’s game with a hand injury.

Roster Changes:

The Dolphins were awarded wide receiver Chris Hannon off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers. Hannon will replace guard Justin Smiley on the roster.  The 24-year-old Hannon is 6’3” and weighs in at 205 pounds.  His pro football career has been little to no experience thus far, having bounced around from the Chiefs to the Panthers and then the 49ers.  He has spent more of his time on practice squads.  It remains to be seen how his addition will impact the air game in Miami. 

Veteran center Al Johnson, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, was signed last Saturday to fill Greg Camarillo's spot on the roster.  Johnson suffered a knee injury while with the Cards that kept him on the IR for a long stretch.  He practiced behind Samson Satele this week and reports are that he is doing well.

Getting To Know…

Coach Sparano!  The Dolphins posted a fan Q&A with Coach Tony Sparano this week.  Here is my favorite segment:

Q. Coach, we don't know much about your background as a player. Did you play football, and what kind of player were you?

TS: (Long laugh) Yes, I did play football at the University of New Haven. Somebody said I was 5 foot nothing. I was a center, so I had to be a little bit smart, I guess. It was a small school. I enjoyed every single minute of it. Never got any tryouts in the pros. I knew at that point I wasn't genetically gifted enough to play at the next level, so my best chance was to go into coaching.

Read the rest at the Miami Dolphins web site.

Family Matters:

Reunions will abound at this weeks’ Miami-Buffalo match-up.  Dolphins cornerback Courtney Bryan will literally be going to head-to-head with his brother, Copeland, a defensive end / special teamer for the Bills.  Bryan, who also plays special teams, will now have the opportunity to totally kick the crap out of his brother and not feel too bad about it.  Ahhhh, love is in the air J

But that is not all the brotherly love we will be dealing with…oh yes, another pair of siblings will be matched up on opposite sides this week:  Miami’s long snapper, John Denney, has an older brother on the Bills; Ryan Denney is a defensive end in Buffalo.  It would be rare, but the two also could connect on field.  Let the sibling rivalry begin!

Cross-Country:

And so the Dolphins are off to….Canada????  Seriously?  What a re