Well they say the lockout may end soon.  It  hasn’t yet and we are all starved for Dolphin news.  I don’t have any, but just as I did in my last post(hopefully) maybe I can entertain you for a few minutes.  I am going to throw some dates out there, see if you can guess why that date is significant.  Of course you can cheat and scroll down for the answers.

1) December 25 1971

2) December 31 1972

3) December 21 1974

4) January 2 1982

5) September 19 1983

6) December 22 1986

7) January 7 1990

8) December 30 1995

9) November 18 2006

10) December 16 2007

Bonus Round   September 21 2008

                And now for the answers:

1) The longest game in NFL history, Christmas Day in Kansas City.  Miami wins in 82:40 on a field goal by Yepremian,  final score 27-24.  KC missed a field foal at the end of regulation and had one blocked in the 1st OT before Miami could pull it out at 7:40 of the 2nd OT.

2) In a playoff game against the Steelers, Miami is behind and Greise comes off the bench to lead Miami to the win.  But, the defining play in this game was a fake punt by Larry Seiple who ran it for 37 yards to spark the win.

3)  This is a "date that will live in infamy"  some will have guessed, this is the "sea of hands" game.  I hated this one so much, I don’t even want to talk about it.

4) This of course is the playoff  game against San Diego that many consider the best game ever played by a tight end(was this a precursor to our tight end problems).  Kellen Winslow caught 13 passes for 186 yards and blocked a field goal that would have given Miami the win.  This game also had the "hook and  lateral" play, a 15 yard reception from Don Strock to Duriel Harris and an ensuing lateral to Tony Nathan to end in a 40 yard TD.  Final score  41-38 SD wins in OT.

5) Marino’s 1st completed pass, a 9 yarder to Mark Duper in the 4th quarter of a 27-14 loss to the LA Raiders.  He also threw 2 TD in this game,  the 1st  to Rose and a 2nd one to Duper.

6)  The last Dolphins game in the Orange Bowl, a loss to the NE Patriots 34-27.

7)  Long time Owner Joe Robbie Dies, I will always think of the new stadium as Joe Robbie Stadium.

8) Shula coaches his last game , a playoff loss to Buffalo,  his last home game was a win against KC.

9) The Phinsider begins, nuff said.

10) Camarillo’s catch against the Ravens. Nothing else needs to be said about this.

Bonus)   Miami unleashes the Wildcat against the Patriots.

Bored? Maybe this will entertain you for 5 minutes or so.  How much do you know about your team?

     The player who caught the most TD passes from Bob Greise was Nat Moore.  He caught 33.

     Don Shula was drafted as a defensive back by the Browns in 1951.

     Through 2010 the Dolphins have scored just 2 overtime TD's.  1986 Dan Marino to Mark Duper and 2007 Cleo Lemon  to Greg Camarillo.

     The famous Hook and Lateral play in 1981 was a pass from Don Strock to Duriel Haris and a pitch to Tony Nathan for the TD.

     The Dolphin Cheerleaders were founded in 1978 and known as the Dolphin Starbrites sponsored by Starbrite car polish.

     The only two players to play in the World Football League and make it to the Hall of Fame are Csonka and Warfield.

     The 2010 Dolphins are one of only five teams to never have drafted a Heisman winner.

     When the Dolphins held their 1st training camp in 1966, it was in a facility next to Sea World.

     The Dolphins were the ninth AFL franchise.

    The Dolphins had the fewest 300 yard passing games in the AFL.  Only 1.

     The 1st AP Comeback Player of the Year award went to Earl Morrall in 1972.  They were also the 1st team to have 2 players win the award, Csonka won it in 1979.

    In the 1999 movie "Any Given Sunday" The scenes showing Dennis Quaide inside his home were actually filmed in Dan Marino's living room.

     Don Strock led the nation in total passing and total offense in the 1972 college football season.

     In 1982 David Woodley had a TD running, passing and receiving.

     Don Strock's 1st head coaching job was with the Miami Hooters in the Arena Football League.

     The Dolphins were the 1st NFL team to lose a game outside the US in 2007 against the Giants in London. In that game Cleo Lemon threw the 1st TD pass outside the US and Ted Ginn caught the 1st TD pass.

     in 1977 Bob Greise was the 1st QB to wear glasses in a game.

     David Woodley had the distinction of succeeding 2 Hall of Fame QB's, Bob Greise and Terry Bradshaw.

     In 1965 a contest was held to name the new team. the finalists were Dolphins, Marauders, Mustangs,Mariners, Missiles, Moons, Sharks and Suns.

     When Miami hired Don Shula away from the Colts, it cost them a 1970 1st round draft pick as a violation of the tampering rules.

     Dan Marino was drafted by the Kansas City royals in 1979.

     Dan Marino was the 1st rookie QB to start the Pro bowl.

     Dan Marino last playoff win was against the Seahawks in 2000 playoffs, it was also his first playoff win on the road.

     The official Dolphin team colors are Aqua, Coral, White and Navy.

     Dan Marino was the 1st overall selection by the USFL in 1983. Selected by the Los Angeles Express.

    Well I hope you enjoyed cramming your head with more useless info.

It looks as though Carolina will draft Luck(if he comes out) this would be a no brainer.  So, what about a trade.  Our 3rd and one of our QB's for Jimmy Claussen.  If we could somehow lure Jim Harbaugh, He might be able to bring out the best in Claussen.  QB problem potentially solved, we retain our 1st round pick.  If not Harbaugh, then bring in an Offensive and or QB coach.  I don't have the knowledge of some of you guys but I think this at least deserves some thought. Just throwing it out to see what you think.

First off, I will willingly admit that I have worked long and hard to get the way I am. So I aint changin now to please anyone else. That's not to say I will not see a different view or change my opinion, but as the old saying goes "Trust is Earned not Given", I think it is the same with opinions. You have to show me a good reason and/or prove me wrong over a period of time. Parcells put it another way, "you are what your record says you are".
I will bring up two cases. The first is Ricky Williams. The first interview I can remember seeing was when he played for the Saints and he would not take his helmet off. I was not sure what to think. Is he that shy...is he that arrogant...does he hate the press? Anyone that has had any dealings with the press knows how they can twist a story. I was not really concerned with him though, he did not play for the Dolphins, so why should I care. Then he gets traded to the Dolphins and my radar immediately went up. He showed what he could do in a big way and won me over. Then came "the retirement". In retrospect I think I understand what he did, but at the time I was disappointed and angry. Of course the media was all over it, wherever he went we all heard about it. Then he wants to come back, but has to serve a suspension for a year, then he comes back and gets suspended again, and then gets injured. I could not help but think this guy just was not worth it. He has proven me wrong. We all know the story, so I won't rehash it, but Ricky has won me over. The next time he leaves the team, he just might leave a bigger hole than the last time. I believe he means that much to his fans and teammates.
The other example is Brandon Marshall. When we first started hearing about him wanting to be traded and the Dolphins possible interest, I was dead set against it. Other than his play on the field, everything I heard and read from the press was negative. Why would you want a cancer like that on your team? I am from Orlando, where he played his college ball, and even here, all you heard was negative. Strangely, the local paper never talked about anything he did when playing for UCF, neither positive or negative and the athletic department at UCF had undergone a huge turnover, so no one there now, was with the university when he played . Thus, no feedback from them. Then came the trade. I am still not sold on him, but, he has made me listen and watch. What I have seen so far, has made me start to rethink my opinion of him. The jury is still out, but is swaying to his side.
So, what is the point of all this? Well, everyone is entitled to an opinion (though if yours is different than mine, you are wrong!! LOL) If an old fart like me can change his opinion, so can you. Argue all you want, but listen to the other side, there may be some merit in what they say.... or maybe not, but how will you know if you don't listen and accept the fact that there might be some merit to what the other guy says. Unless they are a Jest fan of course.

Following up on the previous posts for UF and UM, here is an all time NFL squad for FSU.  I am sure there will be many varied opinions on this. I just did the best I could. Here are the links for the 2 previous posts

http://www.thephinsider.com/2010/4/3/1403689/florida-schools-influence-on-the

http://www.thephinsider.com/2010/3/31/1398672/part-1-of-4-florida-schools

Offense

QB - Brad Johnson -  2 time Pro Bowl..1 time SB champ..14 year career with 4 different teams.  Not spectacular, although with a 14 year career you can not avoid some spectacular moments when playing QB. He had over 29,000 yds and 166 TD passes.  Biggest moment in the sun of course was the Tampa Bay SB win over Oakland.

RB – Warwick Dunn – All round good guy, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 for Tampa Bay- 3 time Pro Bowl-Walter Payton Man of the Year(2004)over 10,000 rushing yards-4.1 yard average-49 TD’s

FB – William Floyd – as a rookie with the 49’ers scored 3 td’s – 25 career td’s(5 passing and 20 rushing) but was really known for his blocking ability

WR – Fred Biletnikoff – one of my favorite players , 2nd round pick in 1965 by the Oakland Raiders of the AFL(also a 3rd round pick By Detroit) he went on to a 13 year HOF career.  A 6 time All Pro, Super Bowl XI MVP, he was thought to be too small and too slow.  All he ever did was catch the ball.

WR -  Anqauan Boldin – 2nd round pick in 2003 by the Arizona Cardinals, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, 3 time Pro Bowl and recently signed With the Ravens. 

WR – Lavernius Coles – 3rd round pick by the Jests in 2000, Pro Bowl selection in 2003, ED Block Courage award in 2007.  He caught the last TD pass on Monday Night Football on ABC, thrown by Chad Pennington.  He also was considered “the other “ receiver on FSU’s team playing second fiddle to Peter Warwick.

TE – Orson Mobley – 1986 6th round pick by the Denver Broncos.  He played in 3 Superbowls(started in 2)

OT – Walter Jones – 1st round Draft pick by the Seahawks in 1997, played 12 years for them.  9 time Pro Bowl, 7 time All Pro(4 time 1st team), member of the 2000’s All Decade team and widely recognized as one of the best left tackles to play the game, his #71 is retired by the Seahawks.

OT – Alex Barron – 2005 1st round pick for St Louis, currently with Dallas

OG – Montrae Holland – 2003 4th round pick for New Orleans, currently with Dallas

OG – Todd Fordham – 9 year career with Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers

C – Jamie Dukes – 9 year career with Falcon, Packers and Cardinals.  Currently on NFL Network

Punter -  Rhon Stark – 2nd round pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1982.  He had a 15 year career and played in 4 Pro Bowls.

Kicker – Sebastion Janikowski – 1st round pick by Oakland in 2000.  Still with Oakland, 2 time Lou Groza award winner, Raiders franchise leading scorer, 57 yard FG in the playoffs is a playoff record.

DL – Darnell Dockett – 3rd round pick for the Cardinals in 2004. 2 time Pro Bowl, 1 time All Pro

DL – Corey Simon – 1st round pick for the Eagles in 2000. He played in 4 NFC Chapionship games and 1 Superbowl.  His career was cut short  by arthritis.

DL – Everette Brown – 2nd round pick by the Panthers in 2009. 

LB – Peter Boulware – 1st round pick by the Ravens in 1997.  In his 8 year career with the Ravens he was a 4 time Pro Bowl, 1 time All Pro,1997 defensive ROY, played in 1 Superbowl and is in the Ravens Ring of Honor.

LB -  Derrick Brooks – 1st round pick for the Bucs in 1995.  In his 13 year career, all with the Bucs, 11 time Pro Bowl, 6 time 1st team All Pro, AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, NFL 2000’s All Decade Team.

LB – Marvin Jones – 1st round pick by the Jests in 1993. He was 1st team All Pro in 2000.

LB – Sam Cowart – 1st round pick in 1998 by the Bills.  He was an All Pro selection in 2000.

DB – Dion Sanders – 1st round pick by the falcons in 1989.  8 time Pro Bowl, 6 time 1st team All Pro, played in 2 Superbowls, 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, NFL 1990’s All Decade Team and all round blowhard.

DB – Terrell Buckley – 1992 1st round pick by the Packers.  I’m pretty sure he was the originator of the “Lambeau Leap”.

DB – Leroy Butler – 1990 2nd round pick by the Packers.4 time All Pro, played in 1 Superbowl, NFL 1990’s All Decade Team.

DB – Samari Rolle – 2nd round pick by the titans in 1998.  He was an All Pro in 2000.

Looks like a heel of a good defense to me.  I welcome all criticisms and comments.

I was lurking this morning and followed with interest the banter between people on how pissed one of us got over not signing Marshall right out of the block.  I laughed .....I cried.....I generally had a wonderful time watching the fight.

Thats what makes this sight what it is......we can argue and fight and still laugh about it, and most of the time end up still freinds.  We have a wide variety of opinions, and boy do we voice them. We have people that can throw stats and highlights at you from every direction, but when I look at stats and highlights to long, I go cross eyed trying to read and watch them all and get very confused as to who can do what better than next guy.  I usually have to go with my gut, because my brain sometimes just shuts down.  My gut feeling in this draft is for a couple of guys. W/R Benn from Illinios and Graham from Michigan.  Don't kill me, like I said its a no brainer.

                Yes you read it right; this is an admission of guilt.  You guys are being stalked.  On a normal day   (whatever normal is) the stalknaculars come out at least once and most of the time 2 or 3 times.  My wife once told me she wished I spent as much time with her as I do with you guys.  You may not know me; but I know you.  I read your work every day.  I have seen pictures of your fantasy girls, I have heard you rant and rave about things you hate and things you love.  Every now and then I will share some of my thoughts with you in a post or comment, but, believe me when I tell you; I know a lot more about you than you do me.   I have laughed with you, sometimes so hard I had to stop and catch my breath.  I have shared with you the pain and the joy of being a Dolphins fan.  I have seen how, with calculating coldness, you plan revenge on someone you believe have dissed this community or the Dolphin community in general, and believe me when I tell you, sometimes It aint pretty.

                I suspect there are many out here like me that read the Phinsider on a regular basis, but don't post very often.  Most of the time whatever I want to say, you guys express much better and before I even think of it.  So be wary; be very wary.   You are under surveillance every day!

I don't post much for one simple reason.  Everything I would say has already been said, usually many times and almost always with much more eloquence than I could ever hope to have.That being said here goes.

Ive been around as a fan for a while. Over the years there have been many ups and downs.  Thankfully, more ups than downs.  There have always been fair weather fans, hard core fans and everything in between.  Even in the best of times there are fans that think they know better and want more.  There were fans that jumped ship in the middle of the undefeated season because Don Shula decided to go with Bob Greise in the playoffs instead of staying with Earl Morrall who had started most of the regular season games because of an injury to Bob Greise.  There were fans that dissed Dan Marino, saying he was not a complete quarterback, did not know how to operate a running game or do play action, all he wanted was to throw the ball. While they would acknowledge him as a great passer, they would say he was not a good quarterback.  My point here is that no matter how well things are going, there will always be some negative you can find. 

Right now it is very easy to find those(ya think).  I would have a very difficult time right now saying very many good things about our pass coverage in the middle of the field, and how many times are we going to see a quarterback drop back to pass near the goal line, only to see the middle of the defense come wide open and he will stroll in to the end zone.

O.K. so here is my question for all that have gotten this far.  What do want from this team? 

What I want is for every individual from Bill Parcells down to the last person on the roster and every member of the coaching and support staff including the waterboy(and especially the cheerleaders) to be able to say in the end "I gave it 100%"!!!!  If I feel at the end of a game or season that we got that, I can live with the results.  There have been times when I don't think it has happened. Those are the times I am most dissatisfied.  Like any other fan I get angry and let my emotions fly while watching a game.  "That was stupid" and "what the hell were they thinking" are examples of  some of the less colorful language I might use.  In the end, I still love the Dolphins, and they have filled many hours with entertainment.  What else can you ask?

I'm curious to know.  I found the Phinsider on my Kindle, read it there for a couple of months, actually paid to read it.  I thought the articles were great and it really helped me through the offseason last year.  Then, a little light went on, I thought "I wonder if I can find it on my computer"?????  I found a whole lot more than I ever knew was there.  You see, on the Kindle there are no fanposts,fanshots or comments.  Imagine my surprise to see what I was missing...all the great input from people just like me that love the Dolphins.  so I ask, how did you find the Phinsider?

We have so many new people here,I think it's time to revisit an old idea first brought to us by Husker(we really miss you big guy). Basically , what we want to know is what category you fall into.

Dolphin Elite:(Dolphinspawnazoic Period)  You've been a fan since the mid-60's.  Excited that Miami was getting a team, ready to cut old ties to other teams and 100% ready to support the Aqua and Coral.  Maybe you were just a Danny Thomas fan and the team stuck even after he was bought out.  This time period is from 1965-1969

  Old Guard:(Shulassic Period)   You started being a fan in the Fintastic 70's.  Memories of Hall of Fame greats and Super Bowl wins and a Perfect Season warm your Dolphin-beating heart to this day.  The Golden Age of a Dolphin fan.  This time period is from 1970-1979.

  Seasoned Vet: (PreMarinolithic and Marinolithic Periods)  You started being a fan in the 80's.  Either it was 2 more Super Bowl appearances, or a certain late draft QB out of Pittsburgh that made your Dolphin heart start to beat.  This time period is from 1980-1989.

  Veteran: (Marinolithic Period cont')  You become a fan in the 90's.  Maybe you're a second generation fan, growing up in a Dolphin loving household.   Watching the Great Dan Marino and others light up the scoreboards and record books.  A great time as well for your Dolphin heart to be filled.  This time period is from 1990-1999

 New Recruit:(PostMarinolithic or ModernMiami Period)  You were either 2nd or even 3rd generation Dolphin fan hearing stories of a classy, historical NFL team known as the Miami Dolphins.  Maybe you just like the colors.  Regardless, you're here and see like all fans before you, that great things are on the horizon.  This time period is from 2000-now.

I fall into the Old Guard, I was a Shula fan, followed him to the Dolphins, and have been here ever since.  Please let us know where and how your love affair started.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the AFL, I would like to give all of you that were not fortunate enough to witness it, a little info about the revolution of football that the AFL brought to us.  It was a very exciting time and, for me, it cemented my love for football. 

I liked the NFL and watched a lot of there games on tv, the area I lived in usually got either a Redskins game or a Giants game. There were no local teams, in fact there were no teams in the south at all.  The NFL was a very vanilla game unless you were fortunate enough to get a Baltimore Colts game which featured a quarterback by the name of Johnny Unitas(you may recognize that name ..LOL) who at times would just take over a game and throw it all over the field.  But mostly, as I remember it, it was "3 yards and a cloud of dust" mentality.  Now don't get me wrong, I can appreciate PTR as much as any fan.  Our own great Dolphin teams of the 70's were built that way and I would not be bothered at all if our current team played games that way.  But the AFL brought us a completely different way of enjoying the game.  Watching an AFL game, you just could never tell what might happen next.  On a 3rd and 1, they might go for a bomb or an end around.  On first down they would actually pass.  It was a very "wild west" atmosphere.

The new league gave us more innovations than just the play on the field.  Players names were on the back of the jerseys, official time was kept on the stadium clock(not by an official with a stop watch), there was a 14 game schedule(the NFL had a 12 game schedule) there was the 2 point PAT and revenue sharing.  Pete Rozelle gets credit for this innovation but it actually started in the AFL.  Probably most important of all was the chance it gave so many good football players and coaches.  Many of the players in the new league were castoffs that had given up or gone to Canada to play, when given a second chance, or in many cases a first chance, they flourished.  Guys like Len Dawson, George Blanda, Babe Parrilli were some that were castoff,  coaches like Hank Stram, Sid Gillman, Lou Saban and yes, even Al Davis got there chance here and made the best of it.   By actively recruiting black and small college players, they tapped a pool of talent previously pretty much ignored.   

These are some of the things that I remember. There are books and web sites galore that you can get much more information from if you are interested.  I just wanted to put in my two cents worth and maybe whet someones appetite.

I don't know how to make the link thing work.  I just read Armando's column, and as happens every now and then, it was a great one.  Straight answers from a coach thats only interest is to make the Dolphins a better team. 

I know the subject of "trust the FO" has been debated back and forth between the fans of this team for almost the entire offseason.  I have enjoyed reading both sides of the argument. 

It was hard, at first to trust any front office after so much disapointment the last several years. And then along comes Parcells, whom I had some dislike for.  After all, he had been associated with some of my least favorite teams, and his demeanor seemed like just a real hardass.  I have worked for some of them, as I suspect many of us have, and I could not help but have some questions about him being the one to call the shots for my team.

A funny thing happened, once he became our SOB and I started to see the product  that was put on the feild was a team that I could be proud of, and I began to like him better.  Every time I see or read an interview with any of the three from our triad, I come away impressed.  As far as I can remember(and I'll be the first to admit that my memory just aint that good anymore) we have not been BS'd! As much as I may not have liked BP, I just can't remember him "mincing" his words. 

Anyway, the point of all this rambling is that I have come to  love the direction of this team. Do I question them sometimes?  Yes!  This interview with Tony just gave me good "vibes".  I think I could really work for this man, and I think the players feel the same way about him.  That in itself really gives our team an edge.  Have you ever had a boss that you would "run through a wall" for.  I have, and it makes a huge difference in how you feel about your job and going to work.

Lydon Murtha from Nebraska

6'7"  307 Lbs  he played in 40 games   started in 23  also played on the FG and PAT teams   Rival.com gave him a 4 star ranking and placed him as th 4th best tackle in the draft   does have some injury issues, missing 4 games in his Jr and Sr years....I think he may be worth a look in the later rounds.....first team all academic Big 12.....got some attention at the combine for his performance......sounds like he is big/fast/intelligent....what do ya think

For all that care and were not around or just don't know.  The way a team is built is different now than it was when the Dolphins were building the "perfect team".   Or was it?  O.K. ----players were not allowed to move around like they are now, but, there were still plenty of free agents around.  You still had the draft, but it was a lot longer(12 or 13 rounds I think)  So the bottom line is, you still had to scout college and pro players, and even "minor league" players.  With that in mind, I'd like to give you a little info on how the "perfect team" was built and show that it is really not so different now than it was 30 or 40 years ago.  The biggest difference being that the team got to keep the players they developed.  Anyway here goes.

                Keep in mind, I am an amateur and there could be errors.  I did this strictly for fun and in the hope of sparking some interest.

                On the 72 team there were 21 players drafted, some as early as the 1st round, some as late as the 12th round. Here is a partial list of some of the more crucial players

1966 draft            Howard Twilley  12th round  #101

Also in 1966 Norm Evans in the expansion draft

1967 draft            Bob Greise          1st round  #4

                                Larry Seiple         7th round #113

1968 draft

                                Larry Csonka      1st round #9

                                Dick Anderson   3rd round #73

                                Jim Kiick               5th round #118

Also in 1968 Manny Fernandez  a free agent

!969 draft

                                Bill Stanfill            1st round #11

                                Bob Heinz            2nd round #37

                                Mercury Morris 3rd round #63

Also in 1969 there was a trade for Nick Buoniconti and Larry Little

1970 draft

                                Jim Mandich       2nd round#29

                                Tim Foley             3rd round #55

                                Curtis Johnson  4th round #81

                                Jake Scott 7th round #159

                                Mike Kolen 12th round #289

The Dolphins had to give up their 1st draft pick for Don Shula(a pretty good trade)

Also in 1970

                                Marv Fleming   trade from Green Bay

                                Bob Kuchenburg  free agent

                                Jim Langer  free agent

                                Wayne Moore  free agent

                                Garo Yepremian  free agent

                                Paul Warfield in a trade wit Cleveland

1971 draft

                                Vern DenHerder 9th round #230

As you can see there was a lot work over a number of years to put this team together.

I have been a Dolphin fan for a long time.  Having been a big fan of Don Shula when he was with Baltimore, I just naturally followed him to Miami.  Yes, there was a good base for him to work with.  He came in,put his stamp on it, and the rest is history.  We had a long run of being a fun team to watch and a hard team to play.  Then came 1995.  I'm no insider so I don't know all that goes on.  From my perspective when Huzenga bought the team and decided to force Shula out and bring in Mr Ego(Jimmy Johnson) things started going south...Mr Ego quits and leaves us with a Wanny...who I think could have been a good coach, but lacked personell evaluation skills....now Huzenga is on the way out...and voila...we now have a football person running the team again and they are definitly fun to watch again.