Preseason game 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laibYouAcPI

I am nor a hater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaN5z1WZbBg

Here's my latest video

Two things that stick in my craw

1. The dolphins had a group of "a couple of hundred" season ticket holders who missed a payment deadline. So they turned them over to a collection agency. Only they tried to sell it as a relationship company. Right. I'm not saying fans shouldn't pay or own up to their obligations. It's just that it makes for a PR nightmare.

And 2. This mini spygate thing where fans took a video of practice and posted it online. The team is taking a stance that it's about maintaining a competitive advantage. At a practice that's open to the public. So they're stepping up enforcement. It's a stupid rule and makes no sense. Other than the fact the fins make no money on the deal.

Two things that stick in my craw

1. The dolphins had a group of "a couple of hundred" season ticket holders who missed a payment deadline. So they turned them over to a collection agency. Only they tried to sell it as a relationship company. Right. I'm not saying fans shouldn't pay or own up to their obligations. It's just that it makes for a PR nightmare.

And 2. This mini spygate thing where fans took a video of practice and posted it online. The team is taking a stance that it's about maintaining a competitive advantage. At a practice that's open to the public. So they're stepping up enforcement. It's a stupid rule and makes no sense. Other than the fact the fins make no money on the deal.

Billy Boy

Saw this on espn earlier:

The network on Wednesday announced the additions of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice and two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells.

Parcells, who returns to ESPN after most recently working in the Miami Dolphins' front office, will make his first appearance on "Monday Night Countdown" on Aug. 15 before the New York Jets-Houston Texans preseason game.

He will make his regular-season "Monday Night Countdown" debut Sept. 12 in Miami, at a game featuring two of his former teams -- the Dolphins against the New England Patriots.

To which I say "working" and "former team" as it relates to the dolphins is utter nonsense. And makes me chuckle. 

Frankly, he hasn't done jack since he was with the giants!!

BitchinDave just uploaded a video

MrBitchinDave just uploaded a video: Scrimmage and before preseason game #1 Some thoughts about the team, Channing Crowder, and videotaping practice More

Channing Crowder

I find his retirement intriguing.  See the thing is, he's a very smart guy who likes to toy with people, joke around, and play down his intelligence with stories that make him sound otherwise.

And here's what we know:

His loyalty runs deep, and he loves Miami.  

His dad played here.  

His mom lives here.  

He's married and has a little one on the way.  

He made more than 11 mil (by my guesstimate) in his few years here, and he doesn't need the money. (how long would it take you or I to make 11 mil doing our jobs? - at 50k a year, it would take 220 years!)

And its also possible the "nagging injury" that has sidelined him a few times in recent years is a concern.

So when he says he doesn't want to see himself in another uniform, I accept that.  He wants to turn to broadcasting.  He did a show on a local station last season and he was funny and knowledgeable.  That's a good combination, and I'd listen.

A freakin' disaster

Fans -myself included- are clamoring for something from this team.  The Dolphins haven't won a playoff game in this century.  They've been pretty awful most of the time.  They've been through 4 head coaches and 3 entirely renewed rosters in that time (essentially since Dave). And yet it feels like they're running in mud.

And that brings me back to Bill Parcells.  Kudos to H Wayne for getting him and making the effort.  Jeers to Stevie for letting him walk away without a word.

So, there a couple of thoughts I had on this topic.  As I've noted many times, the Falcons tried to lure Parcells there and he rebuffed them, to come here instead.  The Falcons are in much, much, MUCH better shape.  Some of you argued with me that the Falcons started off with a better roster.  But with 4 years worth of churn, I think that argument is pretty much moot now.  There has been enough time to "rebuild" but it never happened. 

And then there's the Carl Peterson factor.  Carl's a friend of Stevie's, and a lot of you were wary of him coming here and "ruining this franchise, like he did the Chiefs."  But I would argue that his time with the Chiefs wasn't that bad.  He was there for 20 years and (according to Wikipedia) "The Chiefs were the NFL's winningest team in the 1990s, won four AFC West championships, and played in the team's only AFC Championship Game in January 1994. Over Peterson's 20 years, the Chiefs' record was 176-141-1 and qualified for the NFL playoffs nine times."

Hmmmm. Sounds like (a) he was committed, and (b) he actually brought some winning attitude to the team.  Two things Parcells did not do.  In fact, I would argue that what Parcells did here was far worse than what Peterson did to the Chiefs. 

So we lost out there, too.  In retrospect, I would MUCH RATHER have had Carl Peterson running this franchise with a modicum of dignity!

But we are we is.  All I can hope for is something better.  Maybe it happens mysteriously with the team we have, and if not, we're years more away in rebuilding...

Oh how I long for the Don Shula days....

Odds on...

Miami has an over/under of 7.5 wins.

And that made me think: what would be considered a "successful" season? 8? 9? 10?

To me, anything less than 10 is a failure and ireland & Sparano should be shown the door.

But given the schedule, I don't see how 10 is possible. Last year Miami had some really unlucky bounces, like the td/fumble against Pittsburgh. But they wound up 1-7 at home.

I guess we will see...

Time to move on

I felt bad when channing crowder got cut. And I felt weird when I heard he worked out for the patriots. I kinda hope he doesn't play there, but if he does, for some reason I see it as forgiveable.

Then, yesterday I heard Rex Ryans comments about Shaun Ellis. Basically he said "you moved to a division opponent. I'm not wishing you well". I respected that.

And that got me to thinking about JT and his deal with the jets. I still think it was wrong for him to go there. But I'm going to let it go.

Instead, I turn my annoyance to the management and ownership of this team because they should have said "screw you. You go to a division opponent, you'll never be back!"

They need to stand up and be emotional. To tell us something as fans other than "we are pleased to draft only offensive lineman" and letting parcells back a brinks truck up to the training facility.

As fans we have to realize that players will be transient. We are going to have to alter our loyalties. I still love the dolphins, but I want to see crowder succeed wherever he goes. Or Ronnie in Philly. Or Ricky in Baltimore.

But the ownership and management shouldn't be so quick to forgive.

Wanker hall of fame? Naturally!

ESPN was talking about likely candidates for next year's hall of fame class.  Bill Parcells is eligible.  As they discussed him, they were saying "he won TWO superbowls while with Giants."

And that was quite the feat, and I would have agreed that *should have* put him in the hall.  Until he came to Miami and utterly destroyed his reputation, his legacy, and his credibility.  

The guy is nothing short of an, well, an ass hole.

But I have no doubt that the selection committee will conveniently forget about the few years he spent here.  After all, his tenure was forgettable!

It was a scrimmage after all...

There was that basketball player (whose name escapes me) who famously went on about missing a practice "Practice?!"

And that's kind of how I feel about intra-squad scrimmages.  They don't give you much, but they always give you a warm and fuzzy because pretty much everyone plays well.

And so it was with the Dolphins on Sunday.  All week, we heard about how this defense was top-notch.  Mike Nolan is a genius.  They're deep at every position.  Their aim is to be the #1 defense, and believe in themselves.

And on Sunday?  The offense "won," scoring a plethora of touchdowns, and Chad Henne looked great, and Marshall and Bush looked great. 

In three words: its all just talk.

Sure it amps up the crowd to see some scoring, and Henne looking good.  But it means ABSOLUTELY nothing.

Wait until you see (or in my case, hear about!) what they do in their first preseason game.  We'll know much more at that point.