The NFA Commissioner's Blog

No, No, No

2006-10-23T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well, since it's obviously not worth my time to rant about the Dolphins at this time, let me send over an article that should surprise all of you. Let me preface this by saying that current starting Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal serves in some law enforcement capacity, having been given some police "powers" (for lack of a better word). Well, here you go. Read this article:

http://www.theagitator.com/archives/027150.php#027150

Now just imagine that scene. It's a wrong-door raid in the first place, so the people involved in this are innocent. So you're already wetting / soiling your pants because of this, but then you have the STARTING MIAMI HEAT CENTER with a sidearm involved in the wrong-door raid. Talk about crazy scene! What's next?!?!?!?

Weird end to the first

2006-10-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

Weird end to the first half here in Miami. But Dolphins are up, 10-6.

Classic JH interception.

2006-10-22T13:48:00.000-04:00

Classic JH interception.

7-0 Dolphins on a pass

2006-10-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

7-0 Dolphins on a pass from Harrington to Booker. Maybe today...

Here @ Packers/Dolphins. A lot

2006-10-22T12:48:00.000-04:00

Here @ Packers/Dolphins. A lot more exuberance than I thought possible for a 1-5 team.

Watching Week 4 - 2006, Fourth Post

2006-10-01T22:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, let's talk about this Briscoe High School football commercial. This team is coached by Don Shula and Urban Meyer. It has Michael Vick as its starting QB, Matt Leinart as its backup QB, LaDainian Tomlinson as its starting RB, Brian Urlacher as its starting MLB and Troy Palumalu as its starting safety. And it needs a trick play of a HB pass option to win a game? I'd have to say that the Briscoe High School football program is underachieving, and that's putting it mildly.

Watching Week 4 - 2006, Third Post

2006-10-01T20:26:00.000-04:00

Every time I hear the Sunday Night Football theme song, I expect Hayden Christiansen and a battalion of clone troopers to appear.

It's too bad that RB Shaun Alexander won't be playing tonight. It would have been nice to see a full Seattle offense go up against this great Chicago Bears defense. Anyways, game is on. By the way, what do you think of the Madden Football cover curse? Is it real?

Watching Week 4 - 2006, Second Post

2006-10-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

The Dolphins lost. This is just not a good team right now. To lose to the Texans and allow DE Mario Williams to get his first career sack just doesn't bode well heading to next week's game with the New England Patriots. The combined records of the teams the Dolphins have played so far - 4-11. This was the "easy" part of the schedule. Not good. Not good at all.

Watching Week 4 - 2006, First Post

2006-10-01T13:24:00.000-04:00

How is it possible in this day and age, with the NFL trying to lead all American professional sports in technology, that there are still non-HDTV games being broadcast? And no, I'm not complaining about this simply because the Dolphins game is not being broadcast in HD. I'd complain if it were some god-awful matchup.

I don't know if I want Bad Gumbel to be associated with the NFL Network broadcasts. Good Gumbel, fine. But Bad Gumbel is just too much. Is he actually going to call the games? That's not something I'll be able to deal with. I may just have to listen to the local broadcast of the game on Sirius.

Anyways, I'm home all day, watching the games. I should be able to post some thoughts throughout the day. Hope your teams do well.

Atlanta / New Orleans Game Wrapup

2006-09-26T00:04:00.000-04:00

Definitely not a good game to watch. And Saints owner Tom Benson! What a wacko! Well, it's time to wait for the NFL to publish the gamebook from tonight's game. Have a good one.

Saints History

2006-09-25T23:56:00.000-04:00

A Bobby Hebert mention! No. 3 in the program, but no. 1 in your Cajun heart. That was a fun Saints team, with Dalton Hilliard as the RB. And that linebacking corps, whoa! But why no mention of that other great Saints QB - John Fourcade? He of the Arena Football League, when it was such an oddity to even talk about that league. Ah, the good old days!

Avery Johnson

2006-09-25T23:32:00.000-04:00

The Saints brought in Avery Johnson as a motivational speaker? What did he say to the Saints? "Don't let D-Wade beat you!" And that voice! Enough said.

Atlanta / New Orleans Pregame

2006-09-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Has U2 supplanted the likes of the Rolling Stones or the Beatles as the greatest band ever? And how about Bono? Has he become a transcendent cultural figure? What are your thoughts?

As for the game, definitely this should be something to watch on so many levels. I'm hoping the Saints are able to pull out a win. Sure, it'll be emotional, and the Saints will probably lose focus throughout the game, but it'd be a heartwarming result if the Saints were able to earn a victory. So far the crowd has been electric. This is going to be an event tonight. Sure, it's a football game on the literal level. But it can mean so much more. It's about putting New Orleans back on the map, front and center for everyone to see on national TV. To remind everyone the Crescent City is slowly but surely on its way back.

More later...

Miami Dolphins - Week 3

2006-09-25T20:22:00.000-04:00

Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Dolphins got a victory yesterday against a rather game Tennessee Titan squad. It took way too much effort for the Dolphins to beat the Titans, who are in the bottom 1/4 of the NFL in defensive statistics. The O-line play was serviceable at best, still allowing 5 sacks. All of 2005 the Dolphins allowed only 27 sacks. They're more than halfway there through three games! This is Texanesque! Sure, not all of the fault is with the O-line. Culpepper and the receivers have their share in the blame.

All in all, this is a good team. That's it. And even that's a stretch. If this team can't score more points against the supposedly lower-tier teams, how do they expect to compete against the so-called elite teams?

One thing for sure - there definitely was a lot of support and passion from the Dolphin fans yesterday at TSFKAJR. It's a fanbase that wants to believe, believe in the process of building a winner here in south Florida. Can it finally happen? Will it happen?

Here @ game. More Bills

2006-09-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

Here @ game. More Bills fans than I expected. But Miami enthusiasm abounds. We'll see in 6 hours.

NFL Week 1 Wrapup

2006-09-12T23:54:00.000-04:00

I'm still to wake up from the god-awful Chargers / Raiders game last night. Man, that game was dreadful, and that was the late game! To have to stay up and watch that was utterly painful. Not that hitching your wagon to Aaron Brooks is going to take anyone far, but I really felt bad for him behind that simulation of an offensive line. A line that is coached by Jackie Slater! I mean, come on!

But at least the first Monday night game on ESPN was good. I have to agree with Steve Young in his assessment that the Redskins, with all of that talent on both sides of the ball, are really underachieving. I really expected the Skins defense to shut down that popgun offense the Vikings were throwing out there for the whole country to watch. Please, Chester Taylor, Travis Taylor? Brad Johnson one day younger than God. But, it was that Viking offensive line. Man, did they play well. That was one of the big reasons, in my opinion, the newly-clad Vikings won that game.

So what's the over / under on Terrell Owens' first not-so-subtle remark about the inadequacy of Drew Bledsoe as the starting Cowboys' quarterback? 1 week? Bledsoe's one of those QBs you really have to protect with solid O-line play, and that's something that didn't happen on Sunday. And it's too bad because that WR corps for the Cowboys is really good, at least on paper.

I'm so glad that the next Manning Bowl can only happen either of two ways: in a Super Bowl or four years from now. The hype of the NFL's version of the Kennedys playing in this game was to the point it was sugary sickening. It turned out to be a decent enough game. Clearly the Colts need to find the replacement for the recently departed Edgerrin James. That running game powers the Colts' offense, and not having one could severely hamper what the Horsies can do in 2006. As for the G-Men, maybe it's just me, but I don't see Eli reaching the same quarterback level as his older brother. I don't know, but there just seems to be something missing. I'll keep an eye on this one...

Well, those are my thoughts on Week 1. Yes, I know one of the big headlines this week is the Patsies trading one of their Super Bowl MVPs away for a first-round draft pick next year. I have to think that at some point this team will have a drop-off after enduring these free agent departures and more, right? That's yet another key player from the Super Bowl years that's left the organization. All good things (and this is, of course, a relative term) must end...

I'll be at the Dolphins home opener on Sunday. So I may not get to blog until I get back home. Until then, as the famous radio philosopher once said, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars...(oh, that just sounds so bad and tacky!)...

Life, The Universe, and Everything Since the Last Post...Maybe

2006-09-10T15:59:00.000-04:00

Well, wow, it's been a long time. Maybe the best thing is to not delve into a massive recap of what's happened since that last post. It probably makes more sense to stay current...

So the Dolphins lost this past Thursday night to the defending NFL champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The game highlighted what I thought would be the major questions for the Dolphins in 2006 - the play of a refurbished offensive line, the play of an all-new secondary, and the play of newly acquired QB Daunte Culpepper. Sure, the Dolphins were playing the world champions, but if they want to be an elite team, they have to perform well and even beat the elite teams. I thought that at times each of them (O-line, secondary and Culpepper) played reasonably well, but at key times they broke down. Sure, they're all new pieces to the Dolphins puzzle But they all have to perform for this team to make it back to the playoffs, a place they haven't been to in years.

Here now, after having reset / reinstalled my wireless network, I'm watching the Falcons / Panthers game. Or what used to be a game. Man, the acquisition of John Abraham by the Falcons is paying HUGE dividends. He has completely wreaked havoc on the Panther offense, or what you could call an offense today. If Atlanta can play even a little bit of defense this year to complement that running attack, the Falcons just might be force to contend with in the NFC.

I watched all of about 10 minutes of the Jets / Titans game so far. Saw Vince Young's first series. Man, he looks like a young Steve McNair. This game just did not interest me one bit, even with them both being Dolphin opponents in the near future.

I plan to be blogging a little more consistently throughout the season, time and weather and infrastructure permitting. Don't hesitate in leaving comments.

The 2005 NFL Draft, Post #1

2005-04-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since I made an entry on this blog. It's the offseason, but I keep forgetting that the NFL has no offseason nowadays. A lot has happened for the Dolphins since they lost to Baltimore in the season-ending game. Change in head coach. House-cleaning of entire assistant coaches. Acquisition of key assistant coaches, including Scott Linehan and Hudson Houck. Even more stories about Ricky Williams.

But it's time for probably the most important draft for the Miami Dolphins in quite some time. The Phins haven't picked this high in 38 years. Yes, folks, 38 years. And the year that the Dolphins finish with their worst record in years, there's no clear-cut superstar to choose out of the college pool. I remember hearing people when I first moved down here, saying that the Dolphins needed to tank a season to finally get a high draft pick. It's happened finally, and now the talk about town has been that the Dolphins have to trade out of the No. 2 pick. Funny how circumstances dictate actions.

My thought on the No. 2 pick? I think the Dolphins should trade out of the position. It's true that the team has so many needs (RB, QB, OL, LB, and possibly CB and DL). So in a draft that has a lot of good to great players, this would be the perfect time to pick up as many of those players as possible. The only way to do that would be to have as many picks as possible. So, loathe though I am to write it, it was time for CB Patrick Surtain to go. His cap number was going to be too prohibitive. And the need to reacquire a pick in the second round was too great to pass up. It'll be very weird not seeing No. 28 in the defensive backfield, but one cannot get emotionally tied to players nowadays.

It's amazing how General Von Saban has stirred up so much interest in the Dolphins this offseason, especially as we head into the Draft. Who's he going to pick - RB, WR, QB or possibly CB? Will he trade out of the pick, and get more picks? Saban's following the trade value chart to a T from what's been reported. Want to see the trade chart, to see how it works. Here's the link to the chart: http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Insider/2004/TradeValue.htm#Chart

Saban's been leaking information, basically contradicting himself in the news. Trying to garner interest from one of the teams wanting to move up, Saban has really targeted QB Alex Smith and WR Braylon Edwards, two players that a few teams below the Dolphins covet. But I don't think Saban wants to pay those players No. 1 or 2 kind of money. Sure, the two players may be the best of the bunch, but the bunch isn't as good as drafts past. Economics play such a part of the draft, and I think even more so with the Dolphins this year.

If he trades out of the No. 2 pick, I believe Saban ends up picking a running back in the first round. If that's the case, I think Ronnie Brown won't be available at that time. It'll probably be the Cadillac and NOT Ricky Williams Jr. If the Dolphins stay put at No. 2, depending on what the 49ers do with the No. 1 pick, I think the Dolphins pick either QB Smith or WR Edwards, with the possibility of trading the player to another team. I wouldn't discount that possibility.

No, the Ricker (i.e., Rick Spielman) has not been let go as of yet. I think the car to the train station along with a one-way ticket is ready for him after the draft is over tomorrow. It took until the last minute yesterday for the Dolphins to reacquire a second round draft pick that the Ricker gave away on a silver platter last year for A.J. Feeley.

Well, it's 11:18 AM right now. About an hour away from the Dolphins being on the clock...

Shock and Awe, Part 3

2004-12-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

Now I know why the New England Patriots lost Monday night. They must have left their team mom at home this past weekend.

Shock and Awe, Part 2

2004-12-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

Within a couple of plays, the Dolphins are faced with a 4th and 10 from the NE 21. It is at this point that the Phins have normally turned the ball over or taken the unnecessary sack this season. But not this night. This team was fired up, playing its Super Bowl. Feeley completes a 21-yard pass to WR Derrius Thompson (a bust of a WR since he's been with the Dolphins) over WR / CB Troy Brown (thank god; expose this weakness!) for a touchdown!

Dolphins lead now, 29-28, with barely 77 seconds on the clock. Now, the Patriots fans are besides themselves, wondering how they've traveled from Worcester and Hull and Stow and Maynard and the like, all to watch their unbeatable, invincible team lose to a 2-11 team. The few Dolphins fans who have stayed are also in disbelief, wondering how this team even stayed in the game, much less be winning it.

But there's still time. 77 seconds is a lifetime in football, and Football Jesus has already won two Super Bowls by leading his team to winning field goals by putting together great ending drives. And that's all that's needed now, against a 2-11 team. A 41-yard drive would put the ball on the 35-yard line, giving Patriots K Adam Vinatieri a chance at the game-winning field goal. But Football Jesus commits a cardinal sin again, throwing his fourth interception of the game, and sealing the victory for the Dolphins.

Patriots fans streaming from TSFKAJR, in horror, disbelief, and anger at having lost to a 2-11, no a 3-11 team. Home field advantage slipping away. Weaknesses exposed, and execution at the most critical part of the season (the end of the regular season heading into the playoffs) faltering. And then the most surreal moment - Dolphins fans taunting the Patriots fans with a "Patriots suck!" chant as we're all leaving the stadium. Nothing like fans of a 3-11 team taunting a 12-2 team possibly bound to another Super Bowl.

More stories to follow, as I will write about my experiences traveling up to Boston, still in game gear (orange jersey and hat) because my flight was at 6:45 AM Tuesday out of Ft. Lauderdale and I didn't have time to get changed into flight clothes. Let's just say that many Pats fans were scornful, disgusted, and rather aggressively annoying as I walked through the Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Boston airports. One of the worst was a Pats fan saying, "The Dolphins should have laid down last night, and given the Patriots the win. The Dolphins are going nowhere, and a win does absolutely nothing for the franchise except lower the high draft pick in 2005." Incredulous, I after a few moments, responded "If I remember well, the Dolphins are professional football players, paid to play football and try to win football games. If you need teams to just mail in games, then maybe your team isn't as good as its record."

More to come later today...

Shock and Awe, Part 1

2004-12-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

It has taken a couple of days to recuperate from the overwhelming shock and awe that my Miami Dolphins provided for me on Monday night. If you don't remember, the Dolphins, left for dead with about 4 minutes left in the game versus the then 12-1 New England Patriots, overcame an 11-point deficit to win the battle, 29-28.

Setting: The Stadium Formerly Known as Joe Robbie (TSFKAJR). The place is about 3/4 full, with at least half of that place filled with New England fans. They're ecstatic that their team has just barely beaten a game 2-11 Dolphins squad that could've mailed in the remainder of the season. But somehow, all three phases of the Dolphins team come together, contribute, and get the next touchdown after a senseless pass interference by Patriots S Rodney Harrison (who always seems to do this but never gets flagged for it). This makes the game 28-23, and all of a sudden the Patriots fans, who were just screaming at the remaining hardcore Dolphins fans about how even Notre Dame could beat the Phins, get quiet, a bit uneasy but still somewhat cocky.

Then Football Jesus did the unexplainable. While getting sacked and taken to the ground by All-World DE Jason Taylor, Football Jesus threw the ill-advised duck pass:

And thankfully, there was a Dolphins defender there to pick that baby off. I can admire Football Jesus for wanting to make a play, but in that play he needed to just take the sack and "live for another day", but thankfully he didn't. Now, the Patriots fans are feeling that much more uneasy, not believing that Football Jesus had just committed a cardinal sin. Not too much talk now.

Part 2 of Shock and Awe coming now...

Live from Logan International Airport

2004-12-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

Sentiment about the Pats' loss still boiling as I'm here at Logan Airport. Lots of negative looks and comments. Too bad for them.

Watching Week 15, Fifth Post

2004-12-19T18:19:00.000-05:00

This Jacksonville / Green Bay game is great! You've got to love a winter game, lots of hard hitting, and two gunslingers playing hurt. Jacksonville is definitely playing well, representing the Florida teams admirably. And what can you say about RB Fred Taylor? He hasn't pulled his own groin yet this season. It's surprising to see him still playing, and not on the sidelines hurt.

The score in the 4 PM set you have to be wondering about is that St. Louis / Arizona game. St. Louis is playing for a division title, and it still can't right the ship. Is that NFC West division awful or what? Even Miami has two wins against that division (St. Louis and San Francisco), and the Dolphins could have had two other wins (Arizona and Seattle). That's how bad that division is.

Watching Week 15, Fourth Post

2004-12-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, in Miami we had the Seattle / New York game for the 1 PM slot. That game turned out to be a rout by the Jets versus the Seabags. But does FOX switch to the Dallas / Philadelphia game, which at this time is 7-6???? NO! Or how about the Minnesota / Detroit game, which at this time is 21-21???? NO! I don't get the zoning rules for the NFL. When I get the chance, when I move to my new home (can't happen soon enough!), I am getting DirecTV so I can get the NFL Sunday Ticket. No more of this being enslaved to archaic zoning regulations.

Watching Week 15, Third Post

2004-12-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

I thought CB Champ Bailey was a shutdown corner in this league. So far I've seen him in a number of games this season (Monday nite vs Cincinnati, Sunday nite vs Oakland, and today), and I don't see it. He's getting lit up, even by "quitters" like WR Eddie Kennison. The Chiefs can't win by enough today. Spoil those playoff hopes for the Broncos.

Saw WR Terrell Owens get hurt on a tackle by Cowboys S Roy Williams. If Owens is seriously hurt, the Eagles' championship hopes may have just taken a huge hit. Sure, there may be little competition in the NFC this season, outside of Atlanta and Green Bay, but Owens has been a godsend (even he thinks so) for the Eagles. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with him.

Seattle is just an underachieving team. This team was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender in 2004? They just don't like like a playoff team at all. Come on, the 2-11 Dolphins could have and should have beaten them a few weeks ago!

Watching Week 15, Second Post

2004-12-19T13:52:00.000-05:00

Why does Kevin Harlan have to scream when he's doing a broadcast? Isn't he working with a microphone in the broadcast booth, or does he think he has to scream to be able to be heard across the country? One thing for sure - Harlan went to MU for college for his broadcasting degree. MU being Musberger University because everything is of biblical proportions or the greatest of all time.

Watching Week 15, First Post

2004-12-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the blog lately. Too much stuff going on heading into the holidays, but luckily I've got today off from all errands, work, etc. So let me tell you that one of the teams that I despise is the Denver Broncos. So here I am, watching the Denver / Kansas City game today on CBS, and Chiefs KR Dante Hall has already returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown! Go CHIEFS! Don't be the Chefs today. Be the Chiefs!.

The other game on TV down here in the Miami area is Seattle at New York (Jets). Definitely will be flipping back and forth between CBS and FOX. More to come later.

Watching Week 12, Third Post

2004-11-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's time for the Stupor Bowl. Comments on the early games shortly.

Watching Week 12, Second Post

2004-11-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've decided to focus on the Philadelphia / NY Giants game. Wanted to see how the new Manning would do against the vaunted Philadelphia blitz package. He's not doing too badly, but the injury to RB Tiki Barber could be costly (and hazardous to Manning's health). The real surprise is how ordinary the NY Giants are making the Eagles look today. Sure it's a divisional game, and the Giants are playing for their postseason lives, but the Eagles are supposed to be the cream of the NFC crop this year (at 9-1), but it sure doesn't look that way right now.

Watching Week 12, First Post

2004-11-28T13:03:00.000-05:00

Missed me? Sorry about the lack of blogging lately. Lots of stuff going on now, especially with the holidays already here. Well, I've got two games at the 1 PM slot: Jacksonville at Minnesota on CBS and Philadelphia at NY Giants on FOX. Don't know which one I'll be focused on, but will definitely be switching between the two. Both are great matchups. Thoughts on today's games coming up shortly. Cooking lunch right now...

It's Happened

2004-11-09T00:10:00.000-05:00

It's been too much now. Coach Dave Wannstedt will reportedly resign today (Tuesday), and defensive coordinator Jim Bates will be named interim head coach. The worst season in Dolphins history now claims its first victim. This is all a move to appease the Dolphin fan base, who have been rabid about getting Wannstedt removed as coach. Being at the game on Sunday, it wasn't even 1/2 full at TSFKAJR. And with the team having lost to both the Arizona Cardinals and the Cincinnati Bengals, doormat teams in the NFL for years, in the same season only incensed the fans that much more. Be on the lookout for others to be axed, particularly GM Rick Spielman, through the remainder of the season.

Watching Week 8, Fourth Post

2004-10-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

Wow, this San Francisco / Chicago game has been a bore. It's been more entertaining watching the fans in the stands of the weird looking stadium known as Soldier Field. This 49er team is really bad, and I'm a fan of a 1-6 team. The two QBs (Dorsey for San Francisco and Krenzel for Chicago) are both weak-armed, and it's showing on national TV tonight. But at least the Bears are playing some good defense. Less words about this game, the better.

Watching Week 8, Third Post

2004-10-31T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here are some thoughts from the afternoon games of Week 8:

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
Talk about needing this game. The Seahawks are playing one game at home over a five-game span, and being on a three-game losing streak, the Seahawks could not afford to lose this one at home. Well, the Seahawks come out ahead of the reeling NFC champions, but barely.

Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos
Pre-game analysis: this was all about running. The former No. 1 run defense in the NFL was going up against the vaunted Denver run offense, one coming off the Monday night debacle in Cincinnati. And what happened? Denver gets spanked at home. What a wacky league this is.

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
Who woke up Boltergeist? What is San Diego going to do at the end of the year, having both a franchise QB in Philip Rivers sitting on the bench and Drew Brees playing as well as he has in 2004? And all of this being done by a Chargers team that has a hurting franchise RB in Tomlinson. And, man do the Raiders look bad!

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
Well, the streak is over. Now the only team Dolphin Nation has to worry about testing that undefeated season is Philadelphia. Football Jesus has looked somewhat out of sorts the last couple of weeks, and it really showed today. Though he had some good numbers in the second half, not having RB Dillon back there really hurt that play-action part of the Pats' offensive attack. But what can you say about the Steelers? 6-1 now, and the Steelers have beaten the Patriots. If the Steelers continue to play this well, this win could mean a lot come playoff seeding in December. Last note, obviously Patriots fan Mark Foster didn't do his pre-game ritual of forest football this week, else the Patriots would have won.

Miscellaneous
There's a MasterCard commercial about how much Red Sox fans would pay for World Series tickets (a commercial that's a bit outdated now that the Sox have won). I'm curious to see if any of them actually paid what they said they would for tickets. I want to know.

Still one more game today. 1-5 San Francisco at 1-5 Chicago. It looks like it's going to be QB Ken Dorsey (U) vs QB Craig Krenzel (Ohio State). Interesting...

Watching Week 8, Second Post

2004-10-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

Here are some thoughts about Week 8 so far:

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans
High one week to low the following week. Cincinnati looked like it had started to turn the corner, but Tennessee played with some pride, and now the Titans have played themselves back into the AFC South division race. QB Palmer's got to remember that he can't hold the ball that long while he's down in positive territory.

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
Is it time for the Vikings to go into their patented tailspin? As was heard throughout the pregame shows, it was New York that started that tailspin last year for the Vikings. And who knew Coach Fear would be able to scare up 34 points from his normally Frankenstein offense. Huge win for the G-Men. Now the Vikings have to be somewhat concerned with WR Moss' injury and its possible lasting effects for that offense.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
What a shootout! Talk about playing little to no defense played between these two teams, again. The Colts must be scared now that they've lost these last two games, one vs Jacksonville and one today vs Kansas City. These are AFC losses that will hurt during playoff seeding. And how about the Chiefs starting to wake up? Scoring 45 points? Have they rediscovered their vaunted red "Super Bowl Blueprint", as maintained by Jaws? They're 3-4 now, and that division, with Denver's surprising loss last Monday, is far from sewn up by any team.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
That was an impressive win by the Texans against a really tough Jaguars team. That INT by DB Faggins (HOU) at the end of the game sealed the victory, preventing the Jaguars from executing their patented fourth quarter comeback plan. The AFC South may be the toughest division in the NFL right now. May be.

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys
How would this game have ended up had WR Williams played for the Lions today? Don't have much to say on this one.

Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills
Here's another one I don't have much to say about here. Just that the Cardinals are the Dolphins' next opponents. Hopefully the Dolphins are watching all of these tapes, figuring out ways to get points on this up-and-coming team.

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
Was a defensive struggle, as it should be. But then WR Owens get his TD pass from his buddy QB McNabb, and he scoots into the endzone, where he does yet another different type of celebration. What was it this time? No, not situps. No, not the Sharpie. No, it was a mockery of LB Ray Lewis' dance during the pre-game intros. Now, if there is any question as to whether or not Owens plans his celebrations, maybe even practices them in front of his mirror at home.

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins
So Kerry should be stoked right now. With the Packers winning, it means, if you believe in this kind of stuff, that he should win the presidential election on Tuesday. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde teams - the Packers are the epitome of that. Blown out on Monday night a couple of weeks ago, now the Packers destroy the Lions and hand the Redskins yet another loss. I was there in the DC area when it was announced that Gibbs was returning to the Redskins. Now it may take some time, but those rabid fans up there in DC may not be so forgiving.

Watching Week 8, First Post

2004-10-31T13:06:00.000-05:00

With the Dolphins playing on Monday night (scary, a 1-6 team on MNF), I get to watch two early games: 5-2 Jacksonville Jaguars at 3-3 Houston Texans and 4-2 NY Giants at 5-1 Minnesota Vikings. How surprised are you that the Jags are in first place in the AFC South, in the same division as Indianapolis and Tennessee? Tennessee tanking this season hasn't helped, but with Houston playing much better, this may be the toughest division in the AFC. You can definitely tell that CBS doesn't consider the Jags / Texans game to a big draw because it's not even being shown in high def. I cannot wait for the time when all network broadcast TV, specifically sports broadcasting, will be in high def. Guys - it makes a difference.

Congratulations, Red Sox Nation and Sports Friends of Mine

2004-10-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

Though this blog is meant primarily for football talk, I just want to congratulate the Boston Red Sox on their accomplishment. 86 years is a long time between titles. So much has happened. So much tragedy has occured. Now there can be no more talk of 1918. Erased from the books and minds of baseball fans. But oddly enough, along with that comes the loss of the romance of the Boston Red Sox as lovable losers that has built up since that historic year. No longer can a BoSox fan cry about lack of titles in his / her lifetime. It's happened.

I salute the fans that have waited so long for this title to happen. Now I can truly write that all of my friends who watch sports in some capacity have now watched, lived and savored the moment where their favorite sports team has won a title. Cherish that moment because they don't come too often.

I'm 33 years old, and in less than 6 weeks I'll be 34, and I'm still waiting for my chance to see my team win a championship.

Dolphins Win! Dolphins Win!

2004-10-25T09:59:00.000-04:00

The goose egg in the loss column is cracked. What was expected to be a massacre of semi-biblical proportions yesterday at TSFKAJR turned out to be a semi-rout the other way. The favorable way, for this fan. Is it always the case that the playbook suddenly becomes fully available when a team is winless? Trick plays galore yesterday. And what was great was the fact that the Rams tried the WR pass to a WR first with no success, and then the Dolphins (yes, for this week the "o" is back) tried it on their possession with overwhelming success. And then the fake punt. And then the reverse.

But what got everyone stoked, aside from the surprising offensive output yesterday, was the special teams hit by LB Tony Bua to set up KR Wes Welker on his return. Bua's hit took out not one but two Rams special teamers, and one of them was on the ground in shame (he got up later, a bit woozy). If this play doesn't get nominated for Jacked Up tonight, it would be a travesty.

Overall, the mood in Miami is a lot lighter today. It's amazing how much the Dolphins are a barometer for the mood of the town. Finally it's good to be on the winning side of things this year.

Review of yesterday's results may come later today.

Previewing Week 7

2004-10-24T03:36:00.000-04:00

Since I will be watching the massacre of the Dlphins by the Rams in live format at TSFKAJR, you will be spared my rants and opinions and criticisms during the Week 7 games. Unless I'm able to figure out how to text-message the blog editor...hmmmm....

Anyways, here are some random thoughts that have jumped into my brain as I flip through the Week 7 matchups:

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs
I used to remember when it was almost impossible to play as a visitor to Kansas City. Have you noticed how some of the more difficult places in the NFL have become visitor-friendly this year? Green Bay, Kansas City, Tennessee - just to name a few. Of course, these teams are also surprisingly bad, but has home field advantage taken such a hit in the NFL that it has been relegated to accounting for nothing?

Does Vick break all of the rules being implemented by the Falcon coaching staff this week, and go hog-wild running around the field this week? But maybe the more interesting aspect to this game will be how Atlanta's suddenly improved rush defense handles RB Priest Holmes at home. Kansas City needs this game badly, in order to keep any playoff hopes alive. Otherwise, Vermeil may be crying on the sideline...well, may be crying more so.

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
God, Baltimore's offense is awful (and this is coming from a Dlphins fan). And it just got worse with Jamal Lewis' suspension. The Raven defense may just have to do what it did in 2000 and score points. The points will be there, with the Buffalo offense not hitting on all cylinders. The Statue just sits back there, holding the ball, holding the ball, holding the ball, until he is sacked. Baltimore must be licking its chops at being able to play against Buffalo this week.

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay shot itself in the foot Monday night. That game was theirs for the taking, but those turnovers! Costly. Deadly. I completely agree with the "you are what your record says you are" theory, but Tampa Bay has the potential to be a better team. And playing against the Not-So-Mighty (Jonathan) Quinn should give the Bucs plenty of opportunity to score on defense or get the short field on offense.

Detroit Lions at New York Giants
The bubble for Detroit may be popping now. Will it happen for the G-men? Who knew that the G-men would be sporting the NFL's top runner? This is a game that I don't have too much info on, other than the fact that Detroit has no run game. Artose Pinner? Please. Is this becoming the curse of Barry Sanders in Detroit?

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
If Jacksonville barely lost the last time to the Colts, and that game was in Jacksonville, how do the Jags stand to steal a victory in Indy, where the Colts tend to look and play much faster? RB Fred Taylor is the key. Unfortunately QB Leftwich is more comfortable in the shotgun, which reduces Taylor's effectiveness, but Leftwich may have to sacrifice for this game. The Jags have to keep that Indy offense on the sideline as much as possible. And when that Indy offense is on the field, the Jags are going to have to chip and hit and bump and play physically, much like the Patriots' strategy in the Super Bowl vs the Rams. Slow the game down. If not, Manning may have a field day. But, just a thought - where has WR Marvin Harrison disappeared to? And what about the first-round pick of TE Dallas Clark last year? What has he done?

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns
The Battle of Owens vs Garcia. Do you think these two guys have spoken with their teams, pleading them to not do anything to lose this game? Especially Owens. Though on paper, Philadelphia should walk all over Cleveland, don't discount the Brownies in an emotionally charged game. This one will be closer than most think.

San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers
SD Staff: "Ok, Drew. We've got this guy on the bench. You may know his name, Rivers. Well, you see, if you keep playing as you've been playing, he can't get out on the field, and become our quarterback."
Drew: "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm just doing what I can to help the team. Then, when the end of the season comes around, I may just be looking elsewhere for a starting job, or be the successor to someone who could be retiring soon."

Talk about just more drama that the Chargers did not need for this season. But, upper management should be able to get a lot of value for Brees when the franchise trades him for draft picks. The real question right now is whether or not the Chargers are a viable playoff team in the AFC. Management has shown some commitment to this season by acquiring WR Methuselah McCardell.

But are the Panthers a flash in the pan team? The injuries have definitely devastated the team, and I think it may take the Panthers some time to recover. I see QB Delhomme regressing because of the fact that he has no run game behind him, and every defense he faces is teeing off to get him. As has been noted by a number of experts, his fundamentals, once his strength, have been declining all season. Not good.

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings
This has the chance to be a lopsided victory for Minnesota. But just when you think you can count on the Vikings, they dump you like a bad girlfriend. Case in point - the second half of the 2003 season. Remember when you could count on RB Robert Smith getting hurt at some point of the Vikings' season? Now it's the date on the calendar when the Vikings' season goes south. We're getting dangerously close to that date...the real Culpepper, the one that fumbles every other snap or every other dropback, may be standing up shortly. And wasn't this supposed to be a deep playoff year for the Titans? Some of the offseason defections can be discounted (i.e., RB George and DE Kearse), but the one that might have hurt more than anyone will let on is the loss of DL Robaire Smith. He was an anchor on the D-line against the run.

New York Jets at New England Patriots
Probably the highlight game of the week. 5-0 versus 5-0. This is going to be a real barometer game for the NY Jets, to see how much they've really progressed as a team. One thing in the Jets favor - New England is in the middle of the pack in the NFL in rush defense. The J-E-T-S should be able to exploit this, given their great running attack, if they're able to overcome some injuries along the O-line. If the Jets are able to run the ball CONSISTENTLY and for effective yards, the Jets should be able to keep the game close enough to be able to steal one in Foxborough. Keep Football Jesus on the sidelines.

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
How about them Cowboys? Sliding rather quickly now, and there are rumors that Tuna may be benching the ancient Vinny Testaverde in favor of Tony Romo (who?) or Drew Henson. The problem with the Boys - no running. Eddie George, tragically, is just a shadow of his former self. He may be able to do something against the Packers this week. And how two-faced are the Packers? They can look like world-beaters some weeks (e.g., Carolina, Detroit) and then they can just stink it up other weeks (e.g., Tennessee, Indianapolis). It's the defense. And to think that the defensive coordinator from last year's Packers team is now the defensive coordinator in Atlanta, after being run out of town after the 4th and 25 play versus Philly in last year's playoffs. Maybe the defensive coordinator in 2003 wasn't the problem...

New Orleans Saints at Oakland Raiders
Is this going to be a shootout or what? Both teams are playing awful defense (32nd and 26th in points allowed, respectively). A battle of non-playoff teams here. Should be fun to watch, unless you're a fan of the losing team in this one.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Folks, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I think Arizona is going to give Seattle fits on Sunday, at least the Cardinal defense will. The Cardinals sport the 11th ranked defense, based on points allowed. That's saying a lot! If the Cardinal offense would just be more consistent, that defense could be even better. That said, Seattle should win this game, but it's going to be more of a slugfest than some people think.

Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals
This could be a slaughter. Cincinnati has a very bad rush defense, and Denver will just ram the ball down the Bengals' throats. The only thing that could hold Denver back from scoring, outside of the refs and the clock, is Jake Plummer. If he reverts back to Jake "The Mistake", things could get a little (not too much, but just a little) dicey for the Horsies. But this should be a cakewalk.

Finally Some Good News

2004-10-24T02:19:00.000-04:00

Well, it's happened. Five years have passed, and what a time those five years have been for the Dlphins. But the good news is out - Son of Zeus has been nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame. It would be a travesty of biblical proportions if the Selection Committee did not select the Man as an inductee for the NFL Hall of Fame. The propaganda for him will begin shortly.

But looking over the list of 85 preliminaries for nomination, there are some impressive names. In no particular order: QB Ken Anderson, S Steve Atwater, LB Harry Carson (or Shaft as some of us call him), WR Mark Clayton (of the Marks Bros. fame), Don Coryell, DE Richard Dent, Mark Duper (of the Marks Bros. fame), WR Henry Ellard, DE Mark Gastineau (of the New York Sack Exchange), LB / DE Kevin Greene, P Ray Guy, DE Charles Haley (the man with 6 SB rings), WR Michael Irvin (the Playmaker, from the U), Jimmy Johnson, DE / DT / NT Joe Klecko (of the New York Sack Exchange), G Bob Kuechenberg ('72 Dolphins), WR Louis Lipps, K Nick "The Kick" Lowery, LB Clay Matthews, Art Modell (won't be getting any votes from Cleveland), RB Gerald Riggs (?!?!?), QB Phil Simms, NT / DT Fred Smerlas (?!?!?), LB Chris Spielman (that's because his brother Rick won't be getting in any time soon, him being the current GM of the Dlphins), LB Darryl "Spiderman" Talley, ST / WR Steve Tasker, LB Derrick Thomas, LB Andre Tippett, RB Herschel Walker (does the nomination take into account his bobsledding days?), and QB Steve Young. And those are just a few of the names...

Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 candidates who will advances as semi-finalist nominees. Then that list will be reduced to 13, plus 2 previously announced Senior Committee nominees. Afterwards, the Class of 2005 will be selected, the day before Super Bowl XXXIX. The rules provide that there are between 3 and 6 new members selected each year.

Well, count one of those spots as taken and commission the sculptor to start making the statue, because Son of Zeus is making his way to Canton...

Watching Week 6, Third Post

2004-10-17T15:59:00.000-04:00

As has happened five times before, the Dlphins have lost, dropping the team to an uncharted 0-6 record. Without the weekly INT returned for a TD, the Miami Dlphins still would have lost, but that play set the team back, forcing the team to play uphill the rest of the game. The bothersome part about this game is the cracking of the Miami defense, which was about the only part of this team that had been playing well. But Buffalo in the second half played a decently productive game, especially going into the wind. Now where do the lone winless team in the NFL go from here? Yes, Miami, you're on the clock.

Watching Week 6, Second Post

2004-10-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Dlphins score! They have the lead!

Watching Week 6, First Post

2004-10-17T13:40:00.000-04:00

It's the Toilet Bowl. A matchup of winless teams. 0-5 Miami at 0-4 Buffalo. And already Miami has thrown an INT that has been returned for a TD. That means that Miami has thrown more INTs returned for a TD than it has caught TD receptions in 2004 (4 to 3). If that's not a sign of bad football, I don't know what is. Yes, I could be watching the Seahawks / Patriots game on Fox HD, but I guess I like to torture myself. Mark of a true fan. Deal with the highs, and deal with the lows. End of the first quarter, and now I can switch over to the other game and see how things are going.

Wow, Seattle is already down 10-0. And this is supposed to be a Super Bowl preview? This much improved Seahawk defense isn't showing me much right now. It's 13:00 in the second quarter and the Patriots are marching once again, already in the red zone.

Can you believe that there are 10 early games today, and only 2 at 4:00 PM? Weird scheduling today.

Ok, time to switch back to CBS HD. Getting to see this inept Miami team in all its high def glory.

Watching Week 5, Tenth Post

2004-10-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the New England Patriots for winning 19 straight games. It is a streak to respect, especially in this era of free agency and salary cap management. But, as written before, this record, great though it may be, pales (yes, pales) in comparison to that of the Perfect Season. If the Patriots win 19 straight to clinch a perfect season, then I will be there to buy my friends who are Patriots fans, even if most of them are fair-weather, recently converted Patriots fans, a drink. Maybe. Depends on if my business is making money. Sorry, have to take care of me first.

Anyways. Someone mentioned down here the hypothetical situation of pulling all of the Miami Hurricane players in the NFL as a team and letting them play against the other teams in the NFL. So, some research was done, and here is what the team could possibly look like:

Offense
WR Andre Johnson
TE Jeremy Shockey
T Carlos Joseph
G Martin Bibla
C Brett Romberg
G Vernon Carey
T Bryant McKinnie
QB Vinny Testaverde
RB Edgerrin James
RB Najeh Davenport
WR Reggie Wayne

That's leaving off the starting roster QB Ken Dorsey, RB Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, TE Kellen Winslow, TE Bubba Franks and WR Andre King. Pretty good substitutes though.

Defense
DE Warren Sapp
DT Vince Wilfork
DT William Joseph
DE Jerome McDougle
OLB Jonathan Vilma
MLB Ray Lewis
OLB D.J. Williams
CB Philip Buchanon
SS Ed Reed
FS Sean Taylor
CB Duane Starks

That's leaving off DE Kenard Lang, DT Damione Lewis, LB Dan Morgan, Jessie Armstead, LB Mike Barrow, LB Nate Webster, and CB Mike Rumph. Again, pretty good substitutes.

Special Teams
WR/KR/PR Santana Moss
P Jeff Feagles

No place-kicker right now, but I'm sure one could be acquired from the bus station. Maybe the only weakness on this U of M collection would be the offensive line. But that's a rather dangerous team right there.

Did you know that Earnest Byner is the running backs coach in Washington? Now I understand why RB Clinton Portis is fumbling so much. Definitely something Byner can teach him, seeing that he cost the former Browns a trip to the Super Bowl back in the day (1988, I believe, in the AFC Championship Game in Denver).

Ok, back to the game.

Watching Week 5, Ninth Post

2004-10-10T15:27:00.000-04:00

Review of the games so far, as I'm looking at the scores on NFL.com:

If not for Edgerrin James fumbling twice as he going in to the end zone in Week 1, the Colts could be undefeated right now. That team is just an offensive juggernaut, and they're putting a licking on the Oakland Raiders. Can Manning challenge Son of Zeus (QB Dan Marino, said in reverence) for most touchdown passes in a season? Well, if you listened to Patriot fans, he would have already passed that mark, if you counted last season.

Are the NY Giants for real? Folks, they may be 4-1 after today, with a win in Big D. Could Coughlin be what the G-men actually needed, with the discipline?

The Lions are in Atlanta and have shut down the mighty Falcon offense. Ok, maybe that doesn't take that much, but still, the Lions are still keeping the Dirty Birds down. Anxious to see those highlights to see how the Lions are doing it.

And what about the Buccaneers beating up on the New Orleans Saints? Who would have thought that? The Saints have had the Bucs number over the last few years, especially during the Bucs' Super Bowl season, but how bad are the Saints nowadays?

Ok back to the game...

Watching Week 5, Eighth Post

2004-10-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

I remember when the Dlphins used to be among the least penalized teams in the NFL. Accusations and conspiracy theories abounded, mainly focused around the fact that Coach Don Shula was on the NFL Competition Committee. Don't want to upset the coach, huh? But these Dlphins, ever since Shula left, have been Raider-like in the sheer number of penalties. Today the penalties have been atrocious. Just giving gifts to the world champions, and you can't do that. It's like giving extra outs in baseball. Never a good thing.

Watching Week 5, Seventh Post

2004-10-10T14:22:00.000-04:00

Patriots RB Kevin Faulk got jacked up!

Watching Week 5, Sixth Post

2004-10-10T14:19:00.000-04:00

How is it that the Patriots aren't called on the unnecessary roughness as well? The refs are looking straight at the brawl, and only call the Dlphins on it? The Dlphins are just going to have to overcome the refs and just play their game because it's obvious the refs are not going to call this game evenly.

Watching Week 5, Fifth Post

2004-10-10T14:07:00.000-04:00

It's finally happened! The Dlphins have scored a touchdown in the first half for the first time this season!!!! Who is this Brock Forsey? Boise State? They play on a blue field for god's sake! Check this out: http://www.broncosports.com/brstadium.asp. I'm really concerned though that K Olindo Mare is hurt with a pulled muscle in his kicking leg. What more can go wrong for this team this year?

Watching Week 5, Fourth Post

2004-10-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

I hear that Dlphins GM Rick Spielman is looking to sign "Footsteps" Falco as the new quarterback of the Dlphins. With his experience behind a porous offensive line, Falco can only be better than both Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley. Plus he's got a gun of an arm. But Spielman is trying to assess how many future draft picks to give up and to whom in order to acquire the rights for Falco.

Watching Week 5, Third Post

2004-10-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

Officiating is at an all-time low right now. It's been god-awful this season. You're going to tell me that a guy with momentum heading towards the ground and runs into Football Jesus at his legs is roughing the passer? How was the defender supposed to prevent that? It's not like he's Andre "Muddy" Waters from the 90s Philadelphia Eagles.

It's like the movie "Groundhog Day" for the Dlphins this season. Just the same bad thing happening every week. But at least the defense is still playing outstanding football, despite the gift of 7 points, which the refs put a bow on with the roughing the passer penalty. I just hope that if something similar happens the other way, the refs call it consistently.

Watching Week 5, Second Post

2004-10-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Already with bad penalties and we're only 2 minutes into the game. And Miami has intercepted Football Jesus!!! But now the bad part of the Miami Dlphins comes onto the field. Here we go.

Watching Week 5, First Post

2004-10-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday afternoon, and the NFL is on the air. In just a few minutes the 3-0 New England Patriots will be looking to beat the 0-4 Miami Dlphins and in the process set the NFL record for consecutive wins at 19. And here we go, KR Wes Welker is going to kick off for the Miami Dlphins. Already not a good scene.

Blog postings throughout the day. To everyone, good luck with your NFA and NFL teams.

Frankenstein Offense Vs Frankenstein Defense

2004-10-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

You can't be watching this game and seriously have thought that the game would have played out this way. The Ravens score on a pseudo-flea flicker? The Chiefs ran a double-digit drive that takes up more than 8 minutes of the second quarter, against the vaunted Raven defense? The Ravens special teams unit gets the punt return for a TD, not the Chiefs? Very strange game indeed.

But one can't be anything but impressed and awed by Ray Lewis the player (not the acquitted). He's amazing as a motivator, as a pursuer, as an pure athlete. Plus he's from the U. Of Miami, that is. If I had to choose players, even for dodgeball, I'd make him the first pick overall. Just the intensity he brings on every play. And I'd imagine he does the same during practice. He probably gets all fired up taking the trash out.

This Kansas City team doesn't look like an 0-3 team, does it? Sure, the defense is not that great, but it looks like it's getting slowly better. Slowly. But what I can't still get over is the fact that Priest Holmes sat on that Raven bench for so long. A back that has run for over 4,600 yards and 56 TDs in the last three seasons. Sure, it may be the system, but I thought Billick was supposed to be an offensive genius. But, as Coach Shula once said, there are no geniuses in football.

More to come later...

What Next?

2004-10-04T22:29:00.000-04:00

Lost. This is how many Dol-fans feel after the latest loss, a disheartening 17-9 loss to the New York Jets. 0-4 for the first time since the pre-Shula days of the organization. Folks, that's prehistoric times for this team. After the game, TE Randy McMichael (pictured) sat by the Dlphins bench, for about 10-15 minutes, mulling the state of the team and a season slipping away.

Team security had to semi-forcefully remove the photographer who was taking pictures of McMichael, but as you can see, McMichael didn't even care. He's no Sean Penn, that's for sure. So what now for the Dlphins? Only an early-season trip up to New England to battle the Patriots and, hopefully, play with some sense of pride for what may be a lost season.

Q1-2004 = Failure

2004-10-04T01:14:00.000-04:00

That's the quarterly report on the Dlphins right now. It continues to amaze me that the Dlphin defense has allowed three touchdowns all season (four games), and the Dlphin offense has had three INTs returned for touchdowns and only two offensive TDs in those four games. Let me throw out another factoid: in 240 minutes of game time this season, the Dlphins have had a lead (not shared, but outright owned the lead) for a shade over 15 minutes. That was back in Week 2 versus the Cincinnati Bengals, when the Phins held a tenuous 3-0 lead for most of the second quarter and into the second half, until the Bengals intercepted A.J. Fiedler or whatever the name is now and returned that INT for a score. Folks, that's 6.25% of the season that the Dlphins have had the lead! At their current rate, they will have held a lead for the 2004-2005 campaign for 60 minutes, or one full game! More on the futility of the Marine Mammals later today...

Some general thoughts about Week 4, so far:

1. What's happened to the mystique of Lambeau Field? The Packers have lost three games in a row up there, and the team almost lost QB Favre today to a concussion???? Not like he won't be starting next week, but I remember when teams used to hate playing up there. But now the G-Men, with their Frankenstein offense (hey, at least they have an offense) go up there and RB Tiki Barber puts up 180+ yards rushing???? Scary.

2. Some may marvel at what the New England Patriots have done, winning 18 games in a row. Yeah, it's a nice accomplishment, and, loathe though I am to admit it, I like the team's (public) attitude about the record, that it really isn't a big deal. And yes, the team hasn't lost in over a year. But if some crazy Patriots fan is going to tell me that this record (tied right now, and could be broken next week) is more impressive than the Perfect Season (shhh, moment of silence as point of reverence), I may just have to go postal. Seasons have a start and an end. You want to start shifting that so that it can be measured across any 17-week span or what not, fine do so, but you will never convince me that that shift is valid. What happens within one season is a self-contained acomplishment. In 2004 the Patriots went 14-2 (yes, folks, they did lose) and ultimately 17-2 on their way to a second title. That's a nice accomplishment, as stated before. Now try to go undefeated in one season, as it's recorded in official books, records, etc. Then maybe we can talk...

3. Though the Colts lost to the aforementioned Patriots in Week 1, the Horsies may just be the Number 1A team in the AFC. Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was another real test for the team, and the Colts passed that one in amazing style. That Jag defense (and I'm not talking the one on CBS with Catherine Bell) is reminding everyone of the 2000 Baltimore Raven defense. It's that good. But the Colt offense is even better.

4. The Arizona Cardinals are not playing like an 1-3 team. He's insane, but coach Dennis Green really has this team starting to believe in itself. The New Orleans Saints are no slouch offensively, but the Cardinals took it to the Saints on Sunday. The Cards may no longer be in the cellar of the NFL.

5. Maybe Joe Gibbs isn't Football Coach Jesus. I was up in the DC area when the announcement regarding the return of Gibbs was made, and that area was ecstatic to say the least. Maybe the luster is coming off the team a bit now. The romance and honeymoon are over, and now the Skins are going to have to earn everyone's trust and respect. Can't go into Cleveland and lose the way they did and still think you're going to be respected.

6. I hear told that Tom Brady can turn water into wine. More on this in another post.

7. We are definitely witnessing a changing of the guard in the NFL with Green Bay, San Francisco, Miami, and Tennessee all not performing up to expectations. The two on that list that should be very concerned are Green Bay and Tennessee, two teams that had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations coming into the season, but now are both 1-3. San Francisco and Miami may be battling for the higher draft pick in the 2005 Draft.

8. Does Terrell Owens have to do some wacky celebration after every touchdown? Today he did a situp routine in the end zone, one situp for each TD he's had so far. Does he actually sit at home at night, planning his celebrations? Does he write a script and practice in front of the mirror? Or does he follow Patriots superfan Mark Foster (from the Visa commercial) and go out into the forest?

Well, it's time to call it a night. There may be a posting later today, but definitely one during the Monday night game. Who is it tonight? Oh, yeah, it's the 0-3 Kansas City Chiefs at the 2-1 Baltimore Ravens. To make the game interesting, the Ravens should have RB Jamal Lewis dress up in a striped jump suit and play the Keystone Cops music over the PA system as the Chiefs are trying to chase Lewis across the field. Hey, maybe Lewis breaks his own single-game rushing record if he's dressed like a convict. Oh, I forgot, Lewis doesn't have to pretend. He is a convict. Anyways, good night, and good luck.

There Is No Sanctuary Anymore...

2004-10-03T03:40:00.001-04:00

I've learned a cold, hard lesson Saturday night. There is no sanctuary anymore, once you're on your own. I thought I'd be the good son, and call my parents to see how they were doing. After talking at length with my dad about the wonders and stupidities of Microsoft FrontPage 2003 (that easily could have been a week-long seminar, but I didn't really have the mind or desire to carry that topic for too long; why keep repeating the obvious about Microsoft?), I talked with my mom. She wondered how things were going, and what I had planned for the rest of the weekend. After telling her about my search for a new car (yes, it's time for the 1994 Sentra LE to fade away), I reminded her that I was taking a friend of mine from the Arthur Andersen days to the New York Jets / Miami Dlphins game on Sunday (today). And what does she offer in response?

"Good luck. You're going to need it luck tomorrow. Otherwise, you'll lose."

After picking up my jaw from the floor and recovering from the shock, I could only babble a few prideless laughs and a "good night". This is my mom! And now she's trash-talking! Sure, it's not the worst thing I've ever heard. I've heard worse at post-church sessions with the neighborhood kids, but the simple fact is that my MOTHER should not be engaging in such behaviors. I should be able to call up and get some empathy and sympathy for my plight, the hardship of being a Dlphins fan this year. But, no, being a New England Patriots fan allows her to trash-talk her own son. As if I didn't want so before, I'm hoping that the Buffalo Bills somehow find some offense of their own, remember the 31-0 drubbing they laid on the Patriots in Week 1 of the 2003 season, and simple demolish the visitors.

All right...time for bed. Enough of Saturday already. Another posting may occur before I head off to the game today. And, if the weather cooperates, I may even be able to take some pictures while at the game. If you want to see pictures from previous games and events, go to www.danieljyip.com. Good night, and as Mom says, "good luck tomorrow".

Head Hanging Low

2004-09-28T16:02:00.000-04:00

It’s time for the rant (or rants) about the Dlphins right now. I just got word from Dlphins camp that QB Jay Fiedler will be starting on Sunday versus the New York Jets. Excuse me, what? On Sunday after the game and Monday in the next-day press conference, Wannstedt stated that QB A.J. Feeley needed to work through his on-field mistakes. How is he going to do that if he’s not on the field? And if this is the decision now, why wasn’t this decision made Sunday night, in as close to a must-win game as a professional football team can get to in the early part of the season, with the way Feeley had indicated he was going to play after three offensive series? There’s no direction offensively for this team. And it’s rearing its ugly head now. The Dlphins might as well switch quarterbacks every play. That would throw the opposing defense for a loop.
Embarrassing Dlphins fact: I heard this the other day and cringed. We all know that each team has its fan base and its detractors, and the Internet is but one tool used as a community-building medium. Apparently, in the past few weeks, the Dlphins invited webmasters and site owners for the major Dlphin fan sites to the Davie facility and team headquarters. Team officials showed their guests around the facility, introducing them to players, cheerleaders, etc. It was a great day. Until the officials ended the day by impressing upon the guests the request to have these sites put more of a positive spin on how things are going with the Dlphins. It was a propaganda blitz. And then, supposedly the visit was over, or so the guests thought. But then the team lawyers arrived like men in black. Why? To basically browbeat the webmasters and site owners, letting them know that potential litigation could be forthcoming, over issues like unauthorized logo use, libel, slander, etc, if the guests did not comply with the “request”.

Is this organization so paranoid, so hypersensitive, as to actually do this? I’m trying to corroborate the story through personal contacts and sources. But if this is even remotely true, what does this say about the franchise’s upper management? Coming from the northeast, I can tell you, assuming this story is true, that this management team would not be able to survive a week in a sports city like Boston or Philadelphia, let alone New York.

I sit here, embarrassed and ashamed. Yes, one ticket please, window seat for a trip down memory lane…

Watching Week 3, Monday Night Football, Part 3

2004-09-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

Damn! Off by one damn point, with 4:30 left in the game. Actually, this is better. I didn't want to get too interrupted by visitors. And plus, who wants to live on a mountaintop anyways? But, really, how is it possible that Steve Young made it so quickly from Bristol, Connecticut, to throw those two passes for the Redskins?

And look at those fans. Those are college-football type fans! And can you imagine there are over 90,000 fans there at that game? That stadium originally opened with just over an 80,000 seat capacity, but Snyder being who he is (he's the devil!), somehow was able to tack on another 10,000-plus seats to the stadium. For those of you that have not been to that stadium, the angle of the stairwell in that upper bowl section is between 45 and 60 degrees. It's dangerous up there!

Here are the last two minutes of the game. Luckily, Vinc-INT will not have to show up for the Cowboys. By the way, I just saw Sean Payton on the Cowboys sideline. Remember him when he last appeared as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, before Jim Fassel usurped the position? I know he was there with the Boys last year, but what can he be doing now? Maurice Carthon is the offensive coordinator for Ole Tuna. This may require research.

I'm going to have to agree with Michaels and Madden on the Horse Trailer player of the week. Richie Anderson made some big plays tonight, apart from the HB pass for a touchdown.

Eight seconds to run a 9-1/2 yard play???? And what a way to have the game end. WR Gardner can't get out of bounds. That's too bad. I would have liked to have seen former Jet kicker John Hall (and his weirdly placed helmet - check that out next time) try a pressure kick. Oh well, next time.

It's time to work on the stats and final results of Week 3 of the NFA. Though two games have already been decided prior to tonight's game, I'm interested to see how the other games end up. Results to be posted shortly. On to Week 4...

Watching Week 3, Monday Night Football, Part 2

2004-09-28T01:07:00.000-04:00

With less than 6 minutes left in the game, it's almost time for Vinc-INT Testaverde to show up for a patented Testaverde interception. We'll see in time...

Watching Week 3, Monday Night Football

2004-09-27T23:34:00.000-04:00

It's the third game of MNF, and it's a classic NFC East matchup. Dallas at Washington. I can write from experience about that rivalry because I was there on the first Monday night game at FedEx Field, or Jack Kent Cooke Stadium when I went back in 1997. The Cowboys / Redskins rivalry is one of the best and fiercest in the NFL, and it's only enhanced now with the return of coach Joe Gibbs. Let me say that it's an amazing atmosphere there in DC, watching a Redskins game. No longer is there that image of the fans jumping up and down in the extended sections, bouncing those sections by double-digit inches. No, that didn't make the trip to the new stadium, but the marching band did, blaring the "Hail To The Redskins" fight song. Did you know that the band is comprised of all volunteers? And that the fight song was written by the wife of the founder of the Redskins? Little known stuff, huh?

Back to the football...Testaverde may be 90 years old (god how long has it been since the Fatigue Bowl, where he threw 30 interceptions vs Penn State?), but he can still throw that deep pass with such a tight spiral. And who would have thought Parcells would have called a HB pass, and it goes for a touchdown! I thought these guys would have kept it close to the vest, especially with some of the injuries that have happened in the game, but no no no. Nice gadget play by the Boys. How about them Cowboys?

Is it because Parcells AND Gibbs are both on the sidelines that Al Michaels and John Madden have to do the Nostalgia Trip? Now, given the state of the Dlphins (I didn't put the "o" on purpose there because the Dolphins have no offense), I am definitely one wanting to remember the good ole days. But man, it's like they've painted these guys to such mythical proportions. Love the two coaches, but they each put their pants on one leg at a time, like the rest of us.

In our biweekly chat session, Adam Schneider, Scott Rosenburg and I all chose Dallas to win this game, and Adam and I picked the same score, 21-17. It's looking really good that we might actually predict a final result. If so, and you're seeking worldly advice, now that I can predict final scores, you may visit me at the mountaintop closest to Miami; I'll be sitting there, in lotus position, meditating the nuances of the known universe.

More analysis to come, after the game.

Watching Week 3, Post-Dolphins Report

2004-09-27T03:00:00.000-04:00

It's early Monday morning. I've finished compiling the stats for the NFA for Week 3, after getting back from the Sunday night game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins. It looks like a lot of games in the NFA have a stake in the Monday night matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Should be a good game to watch, with both coaches stressing fundamentals.

But, I sit here now, wondering what I should be doing, as a fan of an 0-3 Miami Dolphins team. I am in a sheer daze that a franchise and organization as the Miami Dolphins have fallen as far and as quickly as it has in mere months. But maybe this demise has been just masked over the last few years, with the salve of victories. Maybe this team has been a whitened cemetary, and no one wanted to see past the paint job that's been applied.

What I saw tonight at TSFKAJR (that's "The Stadium Formerly Known As Joe Robbie" for you non-Miamians) was an abysmal performance by my favorite sports team. It's rather tragic. I feel for the Dolphin defense, which has been playing stellar football for 99.44% of the season so far. To have allowed only two touchdowns in three weeks is an amazing feat. And last week's defensive effort against the Cincinnati Bengals on national TV was just something beautiful to behold. LB Zach Thomas stuffing a screen in the backfield. DE Jason Taylor with a interception, and with all of his backfield disruption. And so on, and so on. But then that 0.56% of the season where the Dolphin defense wilts is when it matters most - right at the end. The team can't close teams out, and it's because of the inept and incompetent offense it has to call part of the team.

In my years of watching football (and I can't believe it's now over 20 years) I can honestly write here that I have never seen as inept an offense for my beloved team as what I've seen in three weeks. Tonight's game was being served up by the Miami defense to its offensive teammates as a game those offensive players could win for Miami. 6-3 at one point, and 3-0 for a large portion of the game. As an offense, you've got to man up and say "It's time to score some points". That just hasn't happened, and I'm not sure it can with the players the team has on that side of the ball.

Let me start off by writing that I was thoroughly entertained with the 4:00 PM game between Green Bay and Indianapolis before heading to TSFKAJR for what I thought could have been somewhat entertaining. Somewhat. But, as in life, there must be balance. Little did I know that the Dolphins would respond in kind and provide that balance.

Ok, now for some numbers, and some of these numbers might surprise you:

1. The Miami first-team offense on Week 2's depth chart is taking up $10.7 million of the team's 2004 cap space, compared to $30.6 million for the defense.
2. Five of the six players with the highest cap numbers for the 2004 season come from the defensive side, with the only exception being - yes, the now second string quarterback, Jay Fiedler.
3. The Dolphins' starting secondary (CB Patrick Surtain, CB Sam Madison, S Sammy Knight and S Antuan Edwards) count more against the 2004 cap than the entire starting offense. By the numbers, that's $15.3 million compared to $10.7 million.
4. The average cap hit for the starting offensive line is $708,600, while the same for the starting defensive line is almost $2 million.

This team is in a free-fall (more on this today). I feel bad for the defense (not monetarily speaking of course) because they bring their A-game every week, leaving their hearts out on the field. I liken this to that month in the 2000 season where the Baltimore Ravens couldn't score an offensive TD, but somehow that Raven defense took it upon itself to take it up a notch and dominate that much more, all the way to a Super Bowl championship. It may come down to the Dolphin defense having to make some defensive scores to keep this team in any kind of postseason hunt.

One thing I read a few years ago that has always stuck in my mind is the point threshold in the NFL when it comes to victories. Jimmy Johnson said once, after having statistically analyzed wins and losses in the NFL, that the first team to score 17 points, in whatever manner, will win its game over 90% of the time (I can't remember the exact percentage, but it was definitely a statistically high number, but for some reason, 90% seems to stick in my mind). Re-read that last statement, and really think about what that means and all of its implications.

Anyways, back to the Dolphins. I don't know what I'm going to do. Since I've been watching football, I've never encountered a season like this. This team hasn't been 0-3 since 1969. And in that offseason, the Dolphins took the corrective initiative to acquire a coach, in the process trading a first round pick in the 1971 draft to the Baltimore Colts for a guy by the name of Shula. You may have heard of him. Since that abysmal 1969 season, the Dolphins have had two (2) losing seasons. Two.

Since the NFL / AFL merger in 1970, the Miami Dolphins are the winningest team in professional football. The Dolphins own a regular season record of 334-184-2 (0.642) and an overall mark of 356-206-2 (0.631), the best in both categories in that timeframe. Let me put it in another way. The Dolphins, since 1970, have the second-best regular-season winning percentage (0.642) of any team in the four major professional sports, minimum ten seasons played. That's second only to the hated Los Angeles Lakers (0.654). That's better than the New York Yankees (0.558), the Boston Celtics (0.589) and the Montreal Canadiens (0.602).

To write that this is uncharted territory for the Dolphins would be stating the obvious. After this loss on Sunday, the callers into the talk shows have been in shock and dismay, grabbing at straws in an attempt to find a solution. It's not going to be easy. We'll see what happens now.

Well, enough about that for now. This blog isn't going to become my rant board about my favorite sports team. For that, I'll just set up another blog. No, this is supposed to be about the NFL and the NFA. But I had to write something in this blog after what I had seen on Sunday night. At least there's one more game this week. Hopefully it'll be a good game. Analysis of that game and the Sunday results coming later today.

Watching Week 3, Third Post

2004-09-26T16:39:00.000-04:00

Getting the stats now for the early games, but it's tough because the FOX game is Green Bay at Indianapolis, and Green Bay just went almost 70 yards in one play with a Favre touchdown to WR Javon Walker, for their second touchdown of the day. This reminds me of the old Marino / O'Brien shootouts of the late 80s. Manning and the Colts have passed the ball 11 times in a row to start the game. I may have to put the NFA work aside and watch what will be an amazing game. Isn't it funny? Able to watch this game, and then I have to head out to Pro Player Stadium to possibly watch a low-scoring, titanic battle of defenses tonight (Pittsburgh at Miami). It's all about balance.

Watching Week 3, Second Post

2004-09-26T13:04:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how much influence fantasy sports have had on professional sports, especially the broadcasting of professional sports. Just look at how CBS and FOX have included graphics throughout their telecasts, geared towards providing immediate statistical information to the general viewer. It used to be rotisserie baseball as the front-runner in fantasy sports, but with the advent of the Internet, fantasy sports have really skyrocketed to the sports forefront, and it may be that football has taken over the top sport.

Now for some commentary on the games so far:

Cleveland is a pretty bad team. Not that the G-Men are much better, but the Giants defense is really taking it to the Brownies. At one point late in the 2nd quarter, the Browns had -9 yards passing. That was before their last drive of the first half. As for the Giants, QB Warner looks somewhat rejuvenated. The throws he's made to WR Amani Toomer were amazing. Putting the ball in the only spot where Toomer could catch it and no one else.

Kansas City fans have to be very concerned that their high-powered offense has been sputtering this season. I thought I heard someone say that QB Trent Green ranks 31st in quarterback rating. If that's true, that doesn't bode well for the Chiefs. Right now, the Chiefs are at home, barely holding the Texans back. At HOME! Leading, 7-6. That's just pitiful.

Can the Jacksonville Jaguars actually be for real? There's been talk about them, comparing them to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. I don't know about that. The Jaguar defense is really good, not as good though as that Raven defense of four years ago. But one thing the Ravens did not have was a quarterback with so much upside potential. But potential is such a dangerous term for a player. Byron Leftwich needs to start making strides now in his second season. It's not like he doesn't have offensive talent around him (i.e., RB Fred Taylor and WR Jimmy Smith). This could be a team that will be contending in the AFC for years to come.

After seeing the Philadelphia Eagles for the last two weeks, I think I can say with some conviction that they are the best team in the NFC so far this year. The offense looks like it's taken a major step forward, with the addition of WR Terrell Owens. Owens provides so much as an offensive player because the defense has to respect him so much. But the other skill players need to step up (which they have over the last two weeks) in order to create havoc on those defensive schemes. Speaking of defenses, the only concern right now is that Philadelphia defense. Very young corners, and that may pose a problem later in the season. And the run defense is questionable. That definitely will come back to bite them this year. If those two aspects can be dealt with, watch out for the Eagles.

The Arizona Cardinals may not win many games, but there's definitely been a tangible turnaround down in the desert. So far this year the Cardinals have not been blown out of any games, and that includes a game versus the New England Patriots. That's saying a lot. Some may question Dennis Green's sanity at times (e.g., his plan to take over the Minnesota Vikings), but he can definitely coach, and his young Arizona team is starting to respond.

Watching Week 3, First Post

2004-09-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

This is going to be painful. Not only has the Pittsburgh / Miami game been postponed until 8:30 tonight, but I have to actually watch the Cleveland / NY Giants game at 1. I just can't understand the whole NFL zoning notion when it comes to televising games. How is it that the CLE / NYG game is what south Florida gets as its early game? At least I'll be able to watch this game in HD. That way, I can watch a 13-10 game in full detail. More to come.

And So It Begins...

2004-09-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

This is the first official posting on the NFA Commissioner's Blog. It's late Saturday afternoon, and the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Miami Dolphins are in a summit, negotiating the game time for their Week 3 matchup. It may not be that much of a matchup, given the anemic state of the Dolphins this season.

Ever since they wrapped up a 10-6 season in 2003-2004, it's been a rather precipitous slide to the depths of the NFL for the Marine Mammals:

1. Missing the playoffs for the second year in a row
2. The mishandled search for a Vice President of Football Operations
3. The promotion of Joel Collier to offensive coordinator, only to have him resign due to health issues
4. The Ricky Williams situation (drugs, potential suspensions, and sudden retirement)
5. Randy McMichael's emotional urge to battle his pregnant wife on his birthday
6. The signing of muscle-bound WR David Boston, only to have him go down once again with injury
7. The mishandling of the DE Adewale Ogunleye situation

It's like the Dolphins somehow got replaced by the mid-80s Jets or Patriots. And these problems only serve to highlight the fact that the organization has taken a rather bold stance on mortgaging the team's future by giving away draft picks for middle to marginal players. I actually don't fault the offensive line for being offensive in 2004, and the line is really really bad this season. The people I do fault are those in a position to select players to put on that line. Everything starts and ends with the lines in football. And the Dolphins have done a rather poor job of building a line for the last decade.

Ok, it's time for me to watch some college football today. Look at some players that the Dolphins may not be drafting next season.