Saturday, July 31, 2010

Notes on the First Day of Training Camp

It was close to a hundred degrees Friday afternoon in Davie, FL as the Dolphins took the field on the first day of training camp. Davone Bess was first to come out, thus bringing an end to what seemed like an infinite number of months waiting for football season to come back around. Last out was Brandon Marshall who received a warm welcome from the fans and generated more than his fair share of screams during practice.
Also present on the field was Ronnie Brown, despite not having a contract signed as of yet; a pleasant contrast to other players around the league who despite having a contract are not happy with their situation and have announced they will sit out of camp. Brown seemed pretty comfortable out on the field and there was no evidence of any problems with his foot, so hopefully we will see him on the field for every game this upcoming season. Ricky Williams was also out there and he looked pretty solid, but the RB who impressed me the most was Patrick Cobbs, he was running drills pretty smoothly and looked really confident when running the ball.
Notably absent from training camp was Pat White, who according to a report in the Sun Sentinel, seems to be dealing with issues of a personal nature that are set to keep him of the field at least in the short term. Chad Henne on the other hand was out there and seemed to be comfortable in his starting role. He exuded a confidence which I had never seen before and seems to be doing great in his leading role which might have been what was lacking a bit from him last season. Now when all the guys are huddled up and ready to line up his presence seems to command attention and everyone is waiting to listen and ready to follow, which is a clear sign of a team who is ready to play together and do whatever it takes to win, with Chad at the head.
The most closely followed and intense part of training camp though was clearly that of the WRs. Fans came in ready to see Marshall in action and he delivered, twice he managed to burn CB Sean Smith and the whole crowd erupted into cheers. For the first time in a long time we are seeing the posibility to get that chunk yardage and it is very exciting. As for Smith, I wouldn't be too worried, even as a rookie he showed to be pretty solid at the position when he got thrown into it and playing alongside Marshall will only help him get better, he seems to be a quick learner too because although Marshall left him completely in the dust in that first burn, he managed to stay close by during the second and the catch that Marshall made is something that only a hand full of WRs can make.
That wasn't the only action we saw from the WRs though, it is clear that Hartline, Camarillo and Bess are all competing for the starting spot opposite Marshall, and the competition in intense. Hartline seems at the moment to be edging out the others, running and catching with the confidence of someone who's been out there playing for years, but the other two don't need to worry because Camarillo is still delivering and will surely make his way to the roster and Bess seems to have done all he needs to secure his spot as the slot receiver.
Our newly drafted players were also out on the field and looked to fit in quite comfortably alongside the starting lineup. There was no easing into the teams for the rookies as all of them went out into practice and assumed starting roles. Jared Odrick, the first round pick lined up at right defensive end, and is expected to stay in that role after Philip Merling got sidelined due to an injury; while Koa Misi took his spot as OLB and John Jerry lined up at RG.
All in all, the first day of training camp was very successful. Fans got to get a little taste of what's to come and it looks as promising on the field as it looks on paper, now we just have to wait for the season to start to prove to everyone out there just how good we really are.
Sunday, July 18, 2010

Egos a problem for the Heat but not for the Jets???

A week and a half has passed since LeBron James announced he would be joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and immediately this new Miami Heat roster became one of the most talked about topics in the sports world. It is obvious that the Heat organization had one clear goal when headed into this offseason, and that goal was to win championships; not one, not two, not three… not eight as LeBron himself said. Yet, although there is no denying that these are three of the best players in the league, the general consensus among NBA analysts and fans alike seems to be that this team won’t win a championship during their first year.

I would consider this to be a valid argument if it was based on the fact that bringing superstars together is not enough to get you there, they need time to get to know each other, develop chemistry and become a team, but once they get to that point the championships will come. This could indeed be said about any team in a similar situation. The problem with making that argument about the Heat roster is that these guys have played together before, and it seems the argument is mostly being made based on the presumption that these superstars egos will get in the way of them ever becoming a team; Miami is after all Wade’s house, LeBron is the King and needs to have the spotlight, and Bossh will clearly get tired of living in their shadow.

There’s no point denying that some, if not most athletes do indeed have big egos, and I have argued many times before that having so many big egos in a locker room can be problematic for a team, it has been observed many times, in many teams, at different levels and across all sports. Most recently in basketball we saw it with Kobe and Shaq who were unable to work together in the Lakers, and in football we saw it with McNabb and TO in the Eagles. So it isn’t the argument itself that I have a problem with per say, it is when it is being used.

Ever since the NFL free agency period started Rex Ryan and the New York Jets started collecting big name players and talks of the Jets being a powerhouse in the NFL this season, and the team to beat in the AFC East haven’t stopped. The Jets seem to be among all the NFL analyst’s top teams, and many believe they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They even came in at number four on Sports Center’s Ultimate NFL Team Rankings list, ahead of current Super Bowl Champions, the New Orleans Saints who were ranked at number five; and the only criticism I’ve heard mentioned to be working against them is the fact that they are still counting on second year quarterback Mark Sanchez who is still unproven. No mention has been made of the fact that the only reason they ever made it to the AFC Championship game was that the Colts handed them a playoff berth and then came back and crushed them the next time around and even more disconcerting for me, not one person has stood to question whether or not they can actually perform as a team, which is insane considering that this new team has not taken to the field together as of yet and there’s so many egos in that team right now, it is hard to imagine them fitting in one locker room.

So, can someone explain to me the discrepancy when it comes to talking about egos and how they’ll play a part in the performance of these two teams? Because in my opinion they got this completely backwards!

On one side you have Wade, LeBron and Bosh; three guys who have a great friendship off the court, a relationship that developed as a result of the chemistry they found on the court while playing on the US Olympic basketball team in 2008. Yet, for some reason 2 years later, their egos seem to have grown so much that they won’t be able to work together and share the spotlight? And yes, the spotlight can indeed be shared, as they proved with that Olympic team were Wade averaged more PPG, while LeBron averaged more minutes on the court and Bosh averaged more RPG.

These three guys who have already proved they are great players on their own right and have built an empire for themselves all gave up a lot of money to play together because they want to build a legacy and win championships are going to have a problem with their egos getting in the way? I just don’t see it.

And then on the other side you have Antonio Cromartie, LT, Santonio Holmes, Darrell Revis, Rex Ryan you can even throw Jason Taylor in there. No doubt these players want to win championships, all athletes do, but they also have something to prove individually. Cromartie had a breakout season in 2007, but hasn’t done much of anything the past two seasons, some people attributed this to the fact that maybe QBs avoided throwing down his side of the field, but now that he is coupled with Revis that won’t be an excuse anymore so he will be forced to step up his game and prove that he still has it; and is he really going to want to play second to Revis, or will he want to have the island renamed to Cromartie Island? LT is facing the same dilemma as he also has something to prove himself; ever since his injury he hasn’t been able to perform at the level expected and for a guy who is nearing the end of his career making it this season has to be a top priority for him. Santonio Holmes has a history of getting into trouble, not only is he facing a five game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he is also facing a lawsuit in Florida; this could all be attributed to immaturity or it could be a result of him thinking he is above authority, either way it could represent big issues when dealing with his persona. Even Taylor who is one of my favorite players has something to prove, I’m sure he’ll want to show the Dolphins’ front office that they made a big mistake by letting him go, and as good as he was to the Dolphins during all those years, he was somewhat of a nightmare for the Redskins when he was there, refusing to participate in training camp in Washington and wanting to bend the rules to favor him.

So now you have all these big name players, with their big egos and each with their own personal agenda if you will, coming in to a young team all at once and no one thinks there might be a problem? Training camp hasn’t even started and we already see the cracks with Revis sitting out until a new contract gets worked out because he is worth more! You signed a contract and you expected to get paid whatever amount of money you agreed to because that’s what you thought you were worth at that point, if it had turned out that you couldn’t play at that level you still would’ve gotten paid, but now you believe you are the best corner in the NFL, which you very well may be so your ego says you will get more money or screw the team? I guess that’s the way it works.

It is difficult to say what will happen until both teams take to the court and field respectively but I will say, if any team is going to crumble due to egos in the locker room this season it will definitely be the Jets, YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.
Saturday, July 10, 2010

There's Never Been a Better Time To Be a Miami Fan

Being a Miami fan in general is a tough thing, there are a lot of up and downs and generally a lot of heartbreak involved, but over the last couple of months being a Miami fan has been good, great actually.


Three days ago I woke up to some great news, not only would Dwayne Wade be returning to play in his house, but he was also bringing Chris Bosh with him. All day I kept telling people in Orlando that LeBron James would be next, yet 36 hours later, as I was driving through Fort Lauderdale on my way to Miami listening to ‘The Decision” special I can honestly say I was genuinely surprised to hear him say he “would be bringing his talent to South Beach to join the Miami Heat.”

Wade, LeBron and Bosh are already considered a dream team despite the fact that basketball is a game played with five players and the Heat roster currently consists of only four players (Mario Chalmers is the fourth guy in the roster). There is no denying that a trio of players of that caliber all playing in the same team will make an immediate impact in the NBA. It is something that has never been done before, and it is something that Pat Riley found a way to do because he had one specific goal in mind, and that goal is to win championships; not one but many. Pat Riley wanted to give Miami a team that would be not only a championship caliber team, but a dynasty and that is what I am the most excited about.

Making the same kind of immediate impact in a football team is a lot harder, yet I believe Bill Parcels approached this offseason with the same winning mentality that Pat Riley dd. For the first time in a long time the Miami Dolphins went out there and put down the money they needed to get the big name key players needed to build a winning team. Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby are the Dolphins equivalent of the Heat’s LeBron and Bosh and although you could argue that it is a lot more difficult for two players to make an impact in a football team than it is in a basketball team, you also have to remember that the Dolphins were not a four man roster, they actually have more than one “Wade.” The Dolphins also have a great group of young players that will only continue to get better by virtue of playing with the best and knowing who they are playing against in the division. But more importantly, both, the Dolphins and the Heat’s front offices have send their players and their fans one clear message during their offseasons and that message is that they are looking forward to not only competing but to winning, and that is the one thing we have all been anxious to see.

Miami is not the first city that comes to mind when talking about sports, and that’s because Miami has never been close hosting teams of the caliber of the teams in cities like Boston or New York in any sport other than football. Out of our three main local teams, the Dolphins are the only team to ever have reached a dynasty status. They had their first great run from 1971 through 1974. Not only did they win the division four consecutive times, but they also became AFC Champions three consecutive years and one back to back Super Bowls; the first of which came as the perfect conclusion to an undefeated season, a feat which was never been achieved before then and has never been achieved since.

The second great run for the Dolphins came in the 80s during the Marino years. Although not as successful as the first run since it didn’t produce any Super Bowls, the team still nominated the league for most of the decade, winning the division five times, playing in the AFC Championship game three times and enjoying back to back Super Bowl appearances. There’s no denying the Dolphins are Miami’s greatest franchise, however, the last time the Dolphins made it to the Championship game I was 10 years old, and the last time they made it to the Super Bowl I was 2 so needless to say, their success seems like a distant memory at times.

On the other side, we have two teams who have enjoyed success more recently, but whose success has been followed by unprecedented failure. The Miami Heat are Miami’s most recent champions, bringing home the title in 2006 (first and only in franchise history) and although the title was preceded by a Conference Championship appearance in 2005, it was followed by disaster. In 2007, the Heat struggled to make the playoffs; once there the suffered the franchise’s first and only sweep in a playoff series when they faced the Bulls in the first round. Things didn’t get any better the following season; the Heat ended their 2008 season with a 15-67 record, the worst record in the history of the NBA.

The Florida Marlins, Miami’s youngest team, has also enjoyed success, twice they have won the World Series and both times the wins have been followed by disappointment. The Marlins were established in 1993 and won their first World Series in 1997, establishing a record for the fastest franchise to win a World Series (this record would later be beat by the Arizona Diamondbacks who won the World Series in 2001 after only four seasons). During the offseason following that win the team got dismantled and in 1998 the Marlins became the only team ever to lose 100 games after the World Series.

History would repeat itself after their second World Series win in 2003, although not in such dramatic fashion. After the win, the fans biggest worry was that they would see their team dismantled again, and this time, although it didn’t all happen during that first offseason, it did happen again eventually. Since winning their last World Series, the Marlins have only made it to the playoffs twice.

This disappointment is something that all Miami fans have come to know and accept. Yet, now, for the first time ever, Miami fans are watching two of their teams make a legitimate push to win. The Dolphins and the Heat have both bet it all with big time moves this offseason in an attempt to bring home the ultimate prize, a Championship win and a Super Bowl, and I can’t help but think that the Marlins will probably make a similar push in the next two offseasons as well, they do, after all, have to be looking forward to building a stronger team to kick off their 2012 season in their brand new stadium.

So move over Boston and New York, Miami is now looking to make their impression in the sports world and I love the attitude change. Let’s build teams that are strong enough not only to win one title but multiple titles. Miami fans are among the most loyal fans out there and now the time has finally come when being a Miami fan is better than ever.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Super Fan Series: Phinvaders



I think all football fans will agree with me when I say there is no better day than game day, and the one thing that makes any game day better is having the chance to experience the game right in the stadium surrounded by fans. During those Sundays (or sometimes Mondays or even Thursdays) it is more than just the game that we look forward to, it’s the whole experience. You get up early in the morning, put on your Dolphins’ gear and drive down to the stadium ready for some action. The action is not limited to what goes down on the field though, there is the tailgating, trying to catch a glimpse of the players as they arrive at the stadium and getting to meet some amazing fans; all that before you have even had a chance to walk through the stadium gates. Once inside, you quickly become acquainted with all the people sitting near you and join the crowd in the chants all in an effort to get your team going, to let them know you are behind them and doing everything you can to help them earn that win.

Writing that just made me realize that if I could be anywhere right now there is nowhere else I’d rather be. If you have had the opportunity to go to a game, I’m sure you will agree, and any Dolphins’ fan who hasn’t had a chance to go definitely should. For those that don’t live in South Florida, making the trip down south is probably difficult, yet I am sure they would love to get a chance to get that Dolphins’ game day experience. Bringing that experience to fans in different cities is what Bill has been doing with his Phinvaders Project.

The idea for Phinvaders came about when after moving to Chattanooga in October 2008, Bill noticed just how many Dolphins’ fans there were, so he decided to start a club. By the end of the 2008 season, they had their own location and were 40 strong. Club members started asking about getting a group together for the Falcons’ game, he was expecting to get a group of 25-30 club members to go, yet wound up with only 20… plus another 85 thanks to some internet promoting. After that, what started out as the ‘Chattanooga Dolfans Club’ became the ‘Phinvaders’.

Getting the Phinvaders name out there and being able to promote the events has definitely been easier now that it would’ve been a few years ago thanks to the internet, mainly Facebook. Being able to reach out to so many fans is what made that first Phinvader event in Atlanta “legendary” as Bill puts it. And this season, although he is looking forward to both planned Phinvaders’ events, he is especially looking forward to the one in Cincinnati where they have planned a Halloween party for the night before the game, in which they’ll even have a costume contest, which is sure to add to all the excitement.

Getting these Phinvasions organized is not easy; it can be very stressful and takes a lot of time to plan but getting the opportunity to meet other Dolfans and to share that Dolphins game day experience make it not only worth organizing but also worth attending. What started out as a plan to get 25-30 Dolfans to go to an away game together has turned into a dream of filling out an entire section in an away game, with the ultimate dream being to be able to do so in a Jets game; and although that particular Phinvasion is not on the books for this upcoming season, there are two others planned. Tickets are on sale for the Raiders and Bengals Phinvasions and they can be found, along with additional information under the upcoming events tab at http://www.phinvaders.com. So if you’re a Dolfan who lives anywhere near Oakland or Cincinnati get your tickets soon, as I expect to see you make your presence known in those stands. And like Bill I am especially looking forward to that Cincinnati game, but in my case it is for selfish reasons, I want to get a super special Dolphins’ win for my birthday, and I’m sure your presence will help get the team there.

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