With all the talk of Tony Sparano on the hot seat and possible imminent firing, I know the thought of who next year’s coach would be has been on all of our minds. The other day, I discussed it with a good friend of mine who is a Charger fan and something interesting came of it. He asked would I be happy with Rob Ryan, the new defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and brother of the hated Rex Ryan. I instantly threw out my disgust yet had no reasons to back it up. I hate, as many of you, Rex Ryan and always have. I never have found him funny, hate the way he banters on the sideline, and really feel he doesn't know how to coach. However, no one can deny that he has led the Jets to the AFC Championship game in back to back years with a team that I can argue is not much better than our very own. My friend even pointed out that Sparano is similar in his sideline antics, celebrating like we won the super bowl after mere field goals. It got me thinking, if Rex Ryan was our coach and we had similar success, would we still not like him? Are we biased in our hate for him or is he truly trash? Would we be able to embrace a Rob Ryan if he ends up being our next coach? Thanks for your reply and go Phins! 

Was looking at my fantasy lineups and came across this little nugget:

Offensive coordinator Dan Henning said that Brown has been "nicked," revealing Thursday that the running back dealt with a hamstring issue in Sunday's game against the Jets, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/fantasy/player_news/nfl/index.html#198212#ixzz113ARr9im

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I just started to discuss this with my body and we are sitting here, scratching our heads, and we honestly cannot see anyone getting in. Ronnie would definitely be in if he wasn't hurt. I don't think Ricky will make it because I am pretty sure Ronnie was active when voting closed. None of our receivers have any name recognition. They are more developed QBs in the AFC. And no one on our defense is recognizable on the outside besides JT and J Peezy but neither have the numbers to get in. This really sucks since this probably will be the only pro bowl ever in Miami and I was considering going. Gah, what a disappointment this will be.

Just fyi, rosters released tomorrow at 7:30PM!

EDIT: Corrected release time.

I live in Orlando and really dying to see this weekend's game. Will it be blacked out at local bars? Would the ticket still get the game? LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! LETS GO PHINS! 

I am sorry but I just finished crying laughing for the last few minutes and felt I had to share it with everyone here. Before everyone gets on my back, I understand that the ads are random and done by SB Nation as a whole. However, it is crazy ironic and, at least I think, hilarious. Before I ramble on, here is the picture. ENJOY!

How random is that? Have any of you guys seen this? AWESOME!

Just saw this while browsing a few sites and it almost made me puke. It appears that Zach Thomas and Mike Vrabel are becoming quite the pair over in Kansas City. I knew they would be playing together but FRIEND!?!?!?! Jokingly aside though, it is nice that Zach said this:

“I’ve always hated that guy,” Thomas said with a laugh. “He was in New England, and I was in Miami every year. I always thought he was a real jerk. But I’ll tell you what: I really like playing beside him. Being veterans, our communication clicks.” - Zach Thomas

Here is the full read: http://chiefsblog.kansascity.com/?q=node/879

And I know it isn't much news but it passes the time on a slow day.

So I have a big group of family and friends who are down to go to the first training camp, this Sunday at 2pm. Anyone else here plan on going? I have been to many training camp practices but never the first one. Is it more packed then the rest? How early should I get there? I am so hyped and going to finally showcase my authentic Ronnie Brown jersey so be on the look out. I think the biggest moment will be when JT comes out, the crowd should go nuts as I know I will. See you all there!

As training camp is only two weeks away, I was wondering if there was a full schedule out. The main Dolphins site seems to have dates but you have to click each day on that little, stupid calendar. Anyone have a list of date and times? Are they all open to the public? I should be down there on the 1st of August so can't wait to go to a few of them.

Another question is are they doing one practice at Dolphin Stadium again? I don't think they did it last year and that really sucked because I enjoyed those. It really was a rare day where the players and coaches really said a big thank you to the die hard fans. Any info on this is appreciated.

As far as I know, this is Ronnie's last season under contract. Does anyone know if there has been any extension talks whatsoever? I absolutely love the kid (actually have a $300 replica jersey of him) and think his performance shows he is a must keep. Two years ago, he was on pace for the best rb season ever before the ACL tear. Last year, he showed he can come back from an injury because of his hardwork and determination. I feel that he is constantly overlooked around the league and it would be devastating to see him go. Are Parcell's and company holding off to try and get him for less money? Is there any chance they don't even offer him an extension?

They just showed a preview of what is to come and they talked about Chad Henne possible taking over the realms and if Pennington is bothered by it. I think they may even be intereviewing Chad Pennington so be sure not to miss it. Right now it is 11:24am Eastern Time and it should be coming right after the break. There are a few reruns though so you might be able to catch it later too!

I am watching Fox NFL Sunday, getting ready for the big games and this one commercial came on and had me rolling. It is a must see. Yes, it is kind of disrespectful to the Phins but I loved it, especially when he packs the field goal. Enjoy!

Lebron a Brown???

PS, I decided to also link the old Budweiser commercial about "Saving the Dolphins". It truly is a classic that every phin fan needs to see.It is on the sarcastic side but still makes me laugh every time.

Save The Dolphins!

I just got a call from my boss that I am due at work at 8am and working the entire day. He said there was no way out of it and it was mandatory for my employment. He knows that I am a diehard Phin fan so faking a sickness is out of the question. I am truely at the verge of tears right now. My whole life, I have been a diehard and this is the biggest Dolphin game in my lifetime. It sucks that I am going to miss it. I am thinking of sneaking in a small radio with one ear headphone but my job consists of meetings so I will only be able to put it on when there are small breaks. Anyone else have any ideas? Anyone else in the same boat? This sucks. =(

The AP just named Chad Pennington the Comeback Player of the Year - and boy does he deserve it! Kind of funny that it's his second one - since he just won it in 2006. The comeback from the comeback! I hope he also gets honorable mention for the MVP award but it feels like everyone is coming around saying Peyton Manning will win it. As far as coach, it looks like the Falcons coach might win it. Still hell of a year, everyone!

Link: Associated Press

And of course, go phins!

[Editor's Note by Matty I] Pennington received 19 of the 50 votes - but was 13 votes of the next highest vote getter.  And fyi, Joey Porter received 3 votes and Ronnie Brown received 1.

I tried asking in the celebration thread but that place is nuts. I would love to go and cheer them when they land, they most certainly deserve it. Anyone know the info of where and when? Thanks and go Phins!

P.S. - Does everyone love all these "fans" celebrating now? On facebook alone, I see many celebration statuses from people I know for a fact made fun of me last year. Idiots! What makes me even more mad is these are the same people who will probably fill the stadium up next week.

I been going nuts all day trying to find an update on Will Allen and Channing Crowder. I really think that without them, the game sunday is near impossible. With Thomas Jones leading the AFC in rushing, we need Crowder in the middle. Also, with miracle Favre, I feel a lot better with Will Allen in coverage. Today they both participated in practice fully and looked great. AHHH, I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Source: Palm Beach Post

First, I have a few questions. Yeah, there are tons of fanposts about our standings but I just wanted to get a few things clear:

1) Does the Jets game next week really matter? I kept hearing on the radio today that the Jets are 0-3 on the west coast. They are facings a decent Seattle team but I do not see what a Jets loss would really do. They would be one done and we would be division winner for the moment but if we still lose to the Jets, we end up losing it, right? Thanks for whoever clears that up.

2) How would we get the wild card? I see that the Ravens are tied with us now but have the conference record. They have a few tough games against the Cowboys and the Jags. If they lose 1 of them and we lose 1, they would still be up because of the conference record, right? Is it just us and the Pats inching for it?

3) Finally, I have a question about flex scheduling. I have been begging all year for a Jets Phins showdown at the end of the year where winner goes on and loser goes home. It would be awesome for it to be a Sunday night game. However, after looking on NFL.com, there is no primetime game for week 17. Is that true, is there really no sunday night football that week? I would be pretty pissed.

Now to the word of warning. Driving home today, I listened to a ton of Phin fans calling in and being on top of the world, looking forward to the Jets game. This worries the hell out of me. I think I may be alone in looking ahead to this Chiefs game. I am TERRIFIED of this game, as much as the Jets game. Their defense causes tons of turnovers and if we keep playing the way we have the past few weeks on offense, we are in trouble. I think our defense will compete since KC also causes a ton of turnovers but Thigpen has been fire and I think Gonzalez really can tear up our LB corp. You add in the weather and probably the loudest stadium in the NFL, you have me panicing. Please do not assume a win. This will be a dog fight and one that I am not confident in.

Now to the funnies. Listening to the radio also caused me to laugh a lot. Jets fans kept calling in talking crap. One said that Pennington sucks in cold weather...even though he played in NY for so long and did pretty well. The funniest part was when the Jets fan kept pushing the issue and the host simply said, "Do you remember what happened last time Favre played in the cold?" I almost crashed laughing. The last funny was when a Latino called in asking who would the Phins face if we won the divison. The host pretty much said hte standerd answer "It isn't for sure but it looks like it will be the Colts or the Ravens" there was a pause and the Latino responed "HOLY CRAPPPPPPPPPPPP!" It was hilarious.

Take care all and rep your Phins. I haven't had such a large, stupid grin in my face in a real long time. Enjoy it and go Phins!

Looking around various sites and talking to Phin fans, I realized that many people had this week's game written off as a lost due to the cold weather. We always die in December when playing up North so going even more North would kill us, right? Wrong because we are playing in a dome stadium that has already confirmed will be kept close for this weekend's game. A bunch of Bill fans are super pissed because of this, I think rightfully so, that they started petitions. However, it was reiterated that the dome will be closed:

A spokesman for Rogers Communications, host of the Bills' home game against the Dolphins in Toronto on Dec. 7, said the Rogers Centre's retractable roof will be closed for the game, despite a petition from Bills fans to have it open.

One problem in the event of snow or rain is the field's lack of a proper drainage system, Adrian Montgomery said. Another factor: the roof is locked in place after baseball season ends.

Source

So that ends that. I really think we can keep rolling, especially with Edwards down. Go Phins!

I really have been freaking out all week. Every time I think about this Sunday, I am borderline about to lose it. I am so scared of this game. If we win, we get the tie for first and pretty much can have control of our own destiny. If we lose, it will be tough to come back. This is the biggest game for the Dolphins for as long as I can remember. Yes we are at home and yes we wrecked them last time but that team has really improved and it is hard to sweep the Pats. How do you keep your mind off it all!?!?

I was looking at the upcoming schedule and was wondering who we all should root for this Thursday night game between the Jets and the Pats. Both are tied for first with 6-3 records and 2-1 within the division. So by the numbers, there is no clear cut way to pick our favorite. Schedule wise, we still have a game left between both of them but the Pats game would be at home while the Jets would be the last game of the season at their house. I am rambling so I will end with my opinion. I think we root Jets because the Pats seem to be heating up and were the favorites all year to take the division. I also think we have more of a chance of beating them coming up. Post your thoughts!

One thing that I have seen over the last few games that not many are talking about is Sparno is simply not giving the ball to the playmakers on a consistent basis. At first, it was just a thought in my hand but after reading Matty's latest entry, it really started to brew. Just like he said, Ted had a huge game. However, he wasn't on the field for even half the game. Why would he let this happen? Another example is Ronnie Brown. Yes, he is in the game much more but the ball is not going to him at a consistent basis. We even have word that they are trying to give the ball to Ricky more and we all have seen Cobbs also added into the mix a lot. I just feel that good teams give the ball to their playmakers. Especially for a position like running back and a player like Ronnie, where you proggressively gain steam as the game progresses, it is so important to keep giving it to him. I feel like as soon as they get going, they are yanked for another player. It is almost like we are still watching preseason games or even still in the Saban era (still evaluating players during regular season). Let me know what you all think.

Don't get me wrong though, I love my Dolphins and glad to be seeing them do well. I just feel like we can be so much better. We have a nice schedule coming up (excluding Denver this week) and I really think we can put on a run. Go Phins!

I just heard this for the the first time at this moment on ESPN. It looks like the real estate owner who got 50% share just before the season started will now be the owner of the Dolphins. I really want to know if this will change anything in the near future. It saddens me though because even though Huizenga was very hands off, he still was a great guy and I know it is sad he is finally letting go of his team. Hopefully it is for the best. Thanks Obama...

I know it may not be a big deal but this is ridiculous. Yeah, it is better then him just going and doing it, but the fact that the urge is still there is really scary. Here is  the link and quote:

Miami Herald

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano told his players to ''stay home'' and keep out of trouble during their three days away from the NFL grind last weekend. But he could never demand each player not be tempted by trouble. And that's what running back Ricky Williams admitted happened to him, if only for a few moments. Williams, in the NFL's substance-abuse program since 2002 and having tested positive four times, said Monday he was briefly tempted to smoke marijuana while the Dolphins had their bye weekend. Williams said the extra free time was the primary reason for the temptation. ''Most definitely,'' Williams said. 'It's greater because, like, Thursday, coach told us we had Friday off, so automatically your mind, which is so constrained since training camp began -- every day is a grind, it's a grind, it's a grind -- and then Coach says `you're free.' And the mind says, `I'm free, what can I do?' ``So there was definitely an urge. But I just thought about what I have to lose and it was easy. The urge didn't last very long.'' Williams said he successfully combated the urge to smoke by meditating instead.

Just read this and it made me chuckle. As big of a believer that I am of Beck, I think asking for a 4th is just plain ridiculous. He was horrid last year and there is no basis to say he will ever even develop. Plus, he is turning 27 in a few days. I really think we should try to trade McCown and let Beck/Henne continue to battle it out. I like Henne backing up Pennington anyway.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/648874.html

Just got home from watching the 5pm practice. It was really hard to see with them practicing mostly on the far field though so bare with me. I usually am good at this but it was tough to really come to full conclusions today.

Off the bat, let me just say that Ronnie looks great. Every time he touched the ball, he bursted through the tackles. At one point, he got laid out by a linebacker (didn't catch number) and the whole crowd grimmaced. Ronnie jumped right back up as if nothing happened. He really looked as if nothing ever happened to him last year. Ricky also looked like the beast he has always been.

WRs looked good. I was blown away with Ernest Wilford's athletic abilities. I have followed him for a while now (fantasy) so really knew him. However, I really was shocked seeing him. He looks like the most athletic person on the field with his tall body and muscles. Was really quick too and used his length to make some nice grabs. Definitely will be our biggest red zone threat. Ginn looked quick and Bess surprised like everyone is saying. However, the most impressive out of them all was Hagan to me. Really made the extra effort to make the catches.

QBs, on the other hand, were really horrid. I am leader of the Beck fan club but I won't lie, he looked really bad. One play he would under throw the receiver and the next he would overthrow him. He looked the most lost out there, even looking bad compared to Henne. McCown definitely was the best out there as he always looked like he knew what he was doing. Even under pressure, he would throw a shuffle or squeeze it into an open receiver. Beck seemed to force everything. At this point, I just will pray that we have a decent qb back there and right now it looks like its McCown's job to lose.

Other then that, nothing much to say. Fans really only got to see Fields who really let a lot of punts sore. He definitely is improving. I will try to go to as many as I can before I go back up to college.

As you all know, training camp starts tomorrow. I will definately be there. It has been a rough week so I may miss the 9am one due to sleeping in but I will definately be there at the 5pm one. Who else is going?

BTW, for those who do not know, to go is free but it will close after 2,000 fans enter (very doubtful, never happened to me before). Also, parking is not free anymore. It looks like they are charging $1 an hour.

Isn't much of a fan post but today I finally sat down and soaked up everything that has happened this offseason. I noticed three pretty cool things that I don't think many people have thought of.

1) Zach and JT are both playing with number 55.

2) Zach and JT will be facing each other twice a year since they are in the same division.

3) And last, but definitely the most emotional for me, there will be another Taylor making plays on the Redskins defense.

Not much but I thought it was pretty interesting!

I think it is easily apparent that one of our worst, if not our worst, hole on this team is the lack of depth in the secondary. We simply did not have the corners and especially safeties to even put in the game. We really needed to address it and I have yet to see it done all off season and especially not so far in this draft. It seems we are just stocking up on big guys up front. Anyone know what we going to do?

As many of you may know, I have been lobbying for Kevin Smith to the Dolphins for some time now. However, I feel like Kevin is very overshadowed and not known by many of you. As a UCF student, it is imperative that I know everything about him as he basically put us back on the map. The kid is simply an amazing workhorse who has the speed and vision to become a stud in the NFL. Many sites I visit have compared him to Frank Gore and I have to agree. He is a little guy that really can lay out defenders and has the speed to break away. I really urge everyone to just take a look at a few clips I posted below. He almost broke Barry Sanders single season rushing record, being only 61 yards short. He also is very resilient as he put our team on his back, never going down with a major injury. And to those who think he did not have tough competition, he had one of his best games against the Texas Longhorns, North Carolina State, and Mississippi State, who are all known for their defenses. Against Texas, he had 149 yards and 2 touchdowns as he almost gave us the biggest win in our school's history (it still is a win in my book).

Now, the Dolphins will take him because it is one of the few teams to have been leaked that he worked out for more then a few times. Rumor has it that Bill is in love with the guy and really taking a good look at him. With Ronnie trying to come back from a horrific injury and Ricky a joint away from being gone for good, I really think Smith is a steal. I cannot find the quote but after the Miami work out, Smith said that a team has promised him if he is availble in the 3rd round, they will definately get him. Here is a few clips I found:

This is by far my most favorite clip. Begining of this season, I really was excited to see what the Knights could do. I found out with the very first play from scrimmage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exyZ12hGTk0&feature=related

Proday workout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlmkKNWk2EU

College Football Live highlights and interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFS-ApvyVa8&feature=related

And this is his website, a really great guy all around: http://www.imkevinsmith.com/

And I do not take credit for this picture (found it on finheaven) but it looks exactly like a vision I had last night.

via www.chrismesa.com

I was sitting in class, listening to the teacher ramble on. All of a sudden, I get flooded with texts from my friend. At first, they were all unclear with "OMG" and "You are going to be pissed". Eventually one told me in simple words: "Zach Cut".

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Dolphins | Pasqualoni accepts offer to become defensive coordinator

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