(If you lack a sense of humor, and get overly defensive over this post, then it is directed squarely at you. If you can't take a joke, take your ball and go home. This is just to lighten the mood)

So after another loss, the search is on to find out what the heck the problem is with this team. There are issues everywhere.

The coach gets overly excited about mediocrity.

The assistant lacks pizazz and creativity.

The team looks tough, but doesn't seem to be as physical as appearance would make you believe.

The fans are overly emotional, yet don't show up and seem largely indifferent on game day.

The owner seems more interested in gimmicks to get people in the door, than the product being displayed.

Therefore, I submit to you, one simple thing that will fix all of the Dolphins' ills. In 2011, the Dolphins should.....

via www.mkrob.com

...join the WNBA.

Am I right, or am I right?

(There. I said it. Now laugh, because that's funny, take a Prozac, wash it down with some bourbon, and let's start looking forward to seeing Mark Sanchez' demoralized face after another blowout loss on Sunday.)

Hey guys, I just moved up to Orlando this summer, and I've heard that this area is in the Jacksonville Jaguars market. I've always lived in Ft. Myers, so this has never been an issue for me. 

So I'm trying to figure out what to expect this season. Are Dolphins games regularly on CBS here, or will I need to find a place to go to watch the games.

If I need to go out, any Dolphin-friendly bars I should check out?

Thanks in advance!

I'll admit, I was hoping to see Sergio Kindle in Miami, and I know everyone was kind of baffled when he fell like he did.

However, after reading this: it's pretty obvious why Parcells & Co. didn't take him:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Sergio-Kindle-falls-due-to-medical-concerns.html

Obviously there were the other issues that would shy GMs away: narcolepsy, ADD, character issues. But microfracture is a pretty big deal.

So I wouldn't expect to see him at #40. Maybe someone will take a chance on him, but it's not gonna be the Dolphins.

Life in an Uncapped World
How no salary cap in 2010 will affect free agency, the draft, and the league as we know it

One of the biggest questions that has been swirling around the league as the 2009 season comes toward a close, and with no new Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) in place, is what will happen in 2010. As everyone is aware, when the owners opted out of the CBA in 2011, it meant that 2010 would be an "uncapped year." The thought of no salary cap brings images of George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees, and stirs fear in the hearts of fans everywhere that a Jerry Jones or a Daniel Snyder would go gangbusters on the free agent market and out-bully and out-spend their way into a Super Bowl.

However, the player's union and the owners had the foresight to anticipate such an event, and as such, there are safeguards in place to keep things from getting too out of control in the NFL world should the time occur that a season would go by without a salary cap. So, for all who are wondering, and to quell the fears of those who break into cold sweats that the NFL will see parity disappear and go the way of Major League Baseball, worry not. This is what life will be like in the brave new uncapped world of 2010.

Continue reading this post »

So tonight, I was bored and started watching NFL game highlights from the Fins games this season. I noticed a lot of interesting things that made me wonder "What-If?"

Yes, I know "What-If" doesn't change anything, but still, it's fun to wonder.

Week 2 -- Indianapolis vs. Miami

What if...

...the Gibril Wilson catch was called an interception?

The infamous "What can happen in :08?" play. If Wilson hangs on to the ball all the way to the ground, Indy doesn't kick a field-goal at the end of the half to tie the game at 13. Indy only possesses the ball three times in the second half, they score two touchdowns. Miami's final drive has them only trailing 24-23. Instead of desperation heaves, the offense needs only work the Wildcat into position for a game-winning field goal.

...the Ted Ginn drop in the endzone.

An interesting point on this play, even if Ginn catches that pass, I don't think it would hold up. After watching the replays, it looks to me that Pennington was across the line of scrimmage as he released the ball. It seems that since it was incomplete, they didn't take a second look at it, but if this pass is caught, they'll review it to be sure. Would the play stand?

Week 4 -- New Orleans vs. Miami

What if...

...instant replay was working?

Early in the game on a 3rd-and-4, Henne completed an 8-yard pass to Davone Bess for a first down...or did he? The replays showed the ball clearly hitting the ground. However, only after the allotted maximum replay time had passed were the teams informed that the replay booth had a malfunction, and as a result, the play would stand as called. If Miami doesn't get that first down, they don't jump out to a 7-0 early lead. Do they ever get the momentum that led to a 24-3 lead? Does New Orleans blow the game wide open right off the bat?

...Colston's completion was ruled correctly on the field?

Late in the first half trailing 24-3, Drew Brees hits Marques Colston for what is ruled a touchdown with five seconds left. After a booth review, the play is overturned, and the ball placed at the one-half yard line. The second part of this "What-if" involves Sparano's inexplicable timeout call. No timeout, and perhaps it's 24-6 at the half. But here's the real key to this moment. If the call was made on the field, the Saints, with no timeouts, cannot stop the clock. The stop is made in the field of play, and time runs out. 24-3, halftime. Instead, the replay stops the clock, allowing New Orleans the opportunity to set up for a field goal, and eventually, a game-changing touchdown.

...Sharper's fumble is correctly ruled?

Early in the third quarter, Miami leading 24-10, Henne directs a pass to Ginn that is tipped twice and caught by Darren Sharper. Sharper appeared to fumble before returning the ball to the endzone for a touchdown. The play stood as called and New Orleans was suddenly within 24-17. However, photo evidence proves that this was a fumble. A photo in the following week's Sports Illustrated shows Sharper losing control of the ball inside the two-yard line. The ball went out of the endzone, and by rule, should have been a touchback. Miami maintains its two-touchdown lead, and gets effectively, a fresh set of downs.

via blogs.palmbeachpost.com

Week 10: Tampa Bay vs. Miami

What if...

...the Jason Taylor interception was never overturned?

Inside of two-minutes to go in the half, Josh Freeman throws a pass to Michael Clayton. Clayton caught the ball, and so it looked, was down by contact. Yeremiah Bell rips the ball free and it goes into the arms of Jason Taylor. If Miami doesn't get the ball deep in the Bucs territory, Tampa either runs out the clock, or punts it away where Miami lacks the firepower to score the touchdown that makes the score 16-6, or possibly Carpenter's field goal. The score stays 9-6 at the half. Does Miami still win?

Week 12: Miami vs. Buffalo

What if...

...Ricky doesn't pass.

On Miami's opening drive, Ricky Williams is called upon to pass from the 3-yard line. The pass is intercepted. If the pass isn't called, and Miami instead runs in for a score, it's a 14-0 lead. The fourth quarter drive on which Lindell kicks a go-ahead 56-yard field goal, the score would be 21-14. Does Buffalo go for it on fourth-down instead? Henne isn't forced to pass late in the game, do the turnovers still happen?

I know, I know, wondering what if doesn't change a thing, but still, it's interesting to think about. Would Miami's 7-6 be 10-3 right now? It's just a few plays away from it. Of course...it's a few plays away from being 3-10 too....

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE – WEEK 14

With the completion of the 4:00 PM games all AFC teams have played their games for the week. With this in mind, we now have an accurate view into the standings for the final three weeks of the season.

AFC CONFERENCE STANDINGS

(Overall Record, Conference Record, Division Record)

INDIANAPOLIS (13-0 overall, 9-0 AFC, 5-0 South)
--Indianapolis has clinched the AFC South
--Indianapolis has clinched the #1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs

SAN DIEGO (10-3 overall, 7-3 AFC, 5-1 West)
--San Diego leads Denver by two games in the AFC West
--San Diego is currently the #2 seed

CINCINNATI (9-4 overall, 6-3 AFC, 6-0 North)
--Cincinnati leads Baltimore by two games in the AFC North
--Cincinnati is current the #3 seed

NEW ENGLAND (8-5 overall, 5-4 AFC, 3-2 East)
--New England leads Miami by one game in the AFC East
--New England is currently the #4 seed

DENVER (8-5 overall, 6-4 AFC, 3-1 West)
--Denver trails San Diego by two games in the AFC West
--Denver is currently the #5 seed

So who is the #6 seed?

JACKSONVILLE (7-6 overall, 6-3 AFC, 3-2 South)

BALTIMORE (7-6 overall, 6-4 AFC, 3-2 North)

MIAMI (7-6 overall, 5-4 AFC, 4-2 East)

NEW YORK (7-6 overall, 5-5 AFC, 2-4 East)

First, we must resolve all ties among teams in the same division. Thus, the New York Jets are in the #9 position due to a 0-2 head-to-head record against Miami. Now that we have a three way tie among teams in different division, we can move on resolve the tie. The next tie-breaker would be a head-to-head sweep, however, this only applies if one team has beaten all others, or one team has lost to all others. As none of the three remaining teams have done so, this tie-breaker is thrown out. The next tie-breaking criterion is conference record. Miami, with a record of 5-4 in the AFC, is in the #8 position; Baltimore, with a 6-4 AFC record, is in the #7 position, and Jacksonville, with a 6-3 AFC record, will retain the #6 position.

So why the heck is Jacksonville still the #6 seed?

It’s simple. Because of the fact that Jacksonville, Miami, and Baltimore have not all played each other, the head-to-head record is irrelevant. So even though Miami beat Jacksonville, Jacksonville’s 6-3 AFC record compared to Miami’s 5-4 gives Jacksonville the edge. The reason that all of this occurs is that if Miami was given the position ahead of Jacksonville, they would either jump Baltimore, who has a better conference record, or Jacksonville would have to be placed behind Baltimore, despite Jacksonville having a better record. Simply put no one team can be penalized because of a team that it did not play. Now, if Baltimore was not 7-6, say they lost today and were 6-7; only then Miami would be placed ahead of Jacksonville as it would revert to a two team tie-breaker and thus head-to-head would matter again.

PITTSBURGH (6-7 overall, 4-6 AFC, 1-4 North)
--Pittsburgh holds head-to-head advantage over Tennessee

TENNESSEE (6-7 overall, 4-7 AFC, 2-4 South)
--Tennessee holds division record advantage over Houston

HOUSTON (6-7 overall, 4-6 AFC, 1-5 South)

BUFFALO (5-8 overall, 3-7 AFC, 2-3 East)

OAKLAND (4-9 overall, 3-6 AFC, 1-4 West)
--Believe it or not, they’ve still got a prayer.

MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED (But both are still alive and well in the $70 million draft pick sweepstakes)

KANSAS CITY (3-10 overall, 2-7 AFC, 1-4 West)

CLEVELAND (2-11 overall, 2-7 AFC, 1-5 North)

AFC EAST STANDINGS

NEW ENGLAND (8-5 overall, 5-4 AFC, 3-2 East)

MIAMI (7-6 overall, 5-4 AFC, 4-2 East)

NEW YORK (7-6 overall, 5-5 AFC, 2-4 East)

BUFFALO (5-8 overall, 3-7 AFC, 2-3 East)

New England currently holds the edge in common games at 7-4, to Miami’s 7-5. New England and Miami both have yet to play Houston, while Miami also needs to play Tennessee. New England needs to play Jacksonville and Buffalo in common games. Any New England loss would, obviously, come to a common opponent, so with a loss, both teams would hold a 9-5 common record. However, the next tie-breaker would come down to conference record, and since all opponents for New England are still in the AFC, a loss would give Miami the tie-breaker. A loss to Buffalo means a 3-3 record in the East to Miami’s 4-2; while a loss to Houston or Jacksonville would make the best possible AFC record they could earn 7-5, while Miami would be at 8-4. Either way, if Miami keeps winning, New England has zero room for error. They are effectively playing single-elimination ball the rest of the way as well. Obviously, if Miami loses any of their remaining games; it would make all of this conversation moot…unless New England loses twice.

BIG WEEK 15 GAMES

IND (13-0) @ JAC (7-6) (Thursday 12/17)
Just after a tough loss to Miami, Jacksonville gets to face an Indianapolis team that’s 13-0. Indianapolis has already clinched the #1 seed, and thus has nothing left to play for but perfection, but will they risk playing Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, or any of their other star players all game? Jacksonville may have a chance to steal this game just for that reason alone. A Jacksonville win keeps them in control...as long at Baltimore wins too.

NE (8-5) @ BUF (5-8)
A New England loss has them scoreboard watching the rest of the season, as their division hopes will be at the mercy of Miami, and their Wild Card hopes will be at the mercy of Baltimore. The Bills were one fumble away from winning this matchup Week 1, they’ve proven that they can play with them; this will be one game that about a half dozen teams will be watching.

ATL (6-7) @ NYJ (7-6)
The Jets don’t have much hope of a playoff spot, thanks to a poor conference record and a sweep to division rival Miami, however, the door will shut completely with a loss to Atlanta. Atlanta is fighting for a Wild Card spot over in the NFC, and pushed New Orleans to the near limit in a loss Sunday. Rex Ryan and company may need more than a Christmas miracle.

MIA (7-6) @ TEN (6-7)
Tennessee is playing for pride, as their playoff hopes are slim to none at this point. They have established themselves as “That Team You Don’t Want to Play” nonetheless. Miami is in must-win mode, needing three wins and some help to make the postseason. A win keeps them in the conversation, and they can thankfully head home for their final two games.

OAK (4-9) @ DEN (8-5)
Now two games behind in the West, Denver is going to need some help if they’re going to win the division from San Diego. However, they hold a slim one-game lead over the pack for the Wild Card, and the best way to keep them out of the mess of 6-loss teams is to just keep winning.

CIN (9-4) @ SD (10-3)
A win for San Diego not only clinches the West, but a first-round bye as well. A win for Cincinnati will clinch them the North, and give them control of the #2 seed.

After the 4:00 PM games, only one AFC team has yet to play this week (Baltimore). As it stands, here are the relevant standings for both the division and conference

Division Leaders (Overall, Division, Conference)

*INDIANAPOLIS (12-0, 5-0, 8-0) (Indianapolis has clinched the AFC South)

SAN DIEGO (9-3, 5-1, 7-3) (San Diego wins #2 seed tie-breaker by virtue of conference record) (San Diego leads Denver in AFC West by one game)

CINCINNATI (9-3, 6-0, 6-3) (Cincinnati loses #2 seed tie-breaker by virtue of conference record) (Cincinnati leads Baltimore in AFC North by 2.5 games)

NEW ENGLAND (7-5, 3-2, 5-4) (New England leads Miami in AFC East by one game)

Wild Card (Overall, Division, Conference)

DENVER (8-4, 3-1, 6-3) (Denver would be #5 seed)

JACKSONVILLE (7-5, 3-2, 6-2) (Jacksonville would be #6 seed) (If Baltimore wins on Monday Night, Jacksonville will win #6 seed tie-breaker by virtue of conference record)

BALTIMORE (6-6, 3-2, 6-4) (Baltimore loses #6 seed tie-breaker by virtue of conference record) (Baltimore holds tie-breaker over Miami by virtue of conference record)

MIAMI (6-6, 4-2, 4-4) (Miami holds tie-breaker over Pittsburgh by virtue of conference record) (Miami holds tie-breaker over New York by virtue of head-to-head matchup)

NEW YORK (6-6, 2-4, 5-5) (Miami holds tie-breaker over New York by virtue of head-to-head matchup) (New York holds tie-breaker over Pittsburgh by virtue of conference record)

PITTSBURGH (6-6, 1-3, 4-5) (Miami holds tie-breaker over Pittsburgh by virtue of conference record) (New York holds tie-breaker over Pittsburgh by virtue of conference record)

TENNESSEE (5-7, 2-4, 3-7) (Tennessee holds tie-breaker over Houston by virtue of division record)

HOUSTON (5-7, 1-5, 4-6) (Tennessee holds tie-breaker over Houston by virtue of division record)

OAKLAND (4-8, 1-4, 3-6)

BUFFALO (4-8, 2-3, 2-7)

MATHEMATICALLY ELIMINATED

KANSAS CITY (3-9, 1-4, 2-6) (Relevant games: @ CIN 12/27, @ DEN 1/03)

CLEVELAND (1-11, 0-5, 1-7) (Relevant games: vs. PIT 12/10, vs. JAC 1/03)

AFC EAST STANDINGS

NEW ENGLAND (7-5, 3-2, 5-4) (New England leads Miami in AFC East by one game)

MIAMI (6-6, 4-2, 4-4) (Miami holds tie-breaker over New York by virtue of head-to-head matchup)

NEW YORK (6-6, 2-4, 5-5) (Miami holds tie-breaker over New York by virtue of head-to-head matchup)

BUFFALO (4-8, 2-3, 2-7)

If....

If New England loses to ANY AFC team, Miami would hold tie-breaker for division provided they win out.

Comment and discuss potential scenarios here.

I know what you're thinking, "they have fans?"

Seriously though, I thought it might be interesting for all of you to learn a little about your early season sacrificial lamb, so if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

To preempt your first question: No, I don't think we have a chance in Hell. Staying within 30 points is a moral victory.

Roster here: http://www.fgcuathletics.com/mbasketball/roster/

Living in Ft. Myers, and going to the game in question, I found this story especially hilarious.

(From ESPN.com)

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A minor league baseball team changed a Tim Tebow promotion after receiving a cease and desist e-mail from the University of Florida.

Fort Myers Miracle fans expected "What Would Tim Tebow Do?" night Wednesday, but the theme was changed to "What Would T.T. Do?"<!-- INLINE QUOTE-BOX MODULE -->

<!-- END INLINE QUOTE-BOX MODULE -->

 

The Naples Daily News reported that senior associate athletic director Jamie McCloskey told the team NCAA rules prohibit the names or pictures of its athletes from being used in commercial promotions.

Miracle director of media relations Gary Sharp told the newspaper that the team was a little upset but tried not to let it ruin the night.

"We kind of feel special," Sharp told the newspaper. "The University of Florida knows who we are now. [Athletic director] Jeremy Foley and [coach] Urban Meyer were copied on the e-mail. But we plan on following their request."

However, a funnel cloud was spotted as fans were entering the stadium, leading some to wonder if it was a sign sent to warn the Miracle not to mock Tebow.

"I think Tim Tebow is a fan of anything related to getting his name out there," Florida fan Andrew Wynot, who attended his first Miracle game, told the Naples Daily News. "I don't think Tim Tebow would send destruction on us."

Wynot also said that he thought the cease and desist order was harsh.

"I think it's kind of ridiculous," he told the newspaper. "I can see where UF is coming from but the Miracle are just doing it for fun. They're not trying to profit off of Tebow, they're just trying to get their team out in the public and get some attention."

A ceremonial jump-pass started Wednesday's game against the St. Lucie Mets. Fans received promise rings and watched a character called "T.T." try to walk on water.

The team also thought about including a mock circumcision among the activities but decided against it.

"We bounced all kinds of ideas around when we thought of the promotion," Sharp told the newspaper. "But we wanted to keep it tasteful."

Tebow has led Florida to two national titles and is known for his charitable work.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

<!-- end story body -->

The last time we all saw our favorite team on the field was about a month ago. That loss bugged me in two ways, the first was because, well, they lost. The second, however, is the reason I'm sitting in front of my computer on YouTube watching highlight videos: we won't see them again until August. I know a lot of people love to follow free agency and the draft, I like to do so also. However, there's no amount of speculation and talk that can replace seeing the game being played.

Anyway, as I was watching these highlights, I realized there was just one game that I couldn't get out of my head. There are some wins that just feel better than others, and I felt that this one took the cake.

That game for me, was that lone win in the Lost Season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVWYVfcys5Y

Of course, there are better moments in Dolphins history. The Perfect Season, Dan Marino(no need to speak further), this year in general, but I feel like this game just meant more. It had been so long since we as fans felt good on a Sunday. It was one of those games where, for one sunny afternoon, everything was right, in a year where everything went wrong.

I can watch the highlights, even now, over one year, eleven wins, and a division championship later, and no game gives me the goosebumps like this one. It had been a depressing season, and it looked like another game that was going to be choked away.

Then, it happened. The missed field goal. The catch and run to the endzone. The game winning, season saving score.

I was visiting my parents' house the day of this game. My dad has been a fan his entire life, and like him, I bleed aqua and coral. When Camarillo caught the pass, we both jumped up from our seats, and when he reached the endzone, we started yelling and cheering like madmen, singing the Miami Dolphins Fight Song, I think I might have shed a tear.

I'm 20 years old, I wasn't alive the last time the Dolphins went to the Super Bowl, but I felt like they had just won it. I grew up with Dan Marino posters on my bedroom walls, but on that day my hero was Greg Camarillo.

I tell people that I wouldn't wish a season like that on anyone(one of my co-workers is a Lions fan), but I feel like every fan should experience it. When times are lean, and there hasn't been much to cheer about, when things finally go right for a change, it's that much sweeter. It makes you savor a win, because you've been waiting so long to see it happen.

I think that the only thing that will top that moment for me would be a Super Bowl win.

Your Turn: What is your favorite Dolphins' moment, and why?