Bill Parcells is the Most Over Rated HC of All Time!

 

Ever smelled old tuna?

 



This will be a rather short post, more of a rant really. I know many Giants fans worship Bill Parcells, but I'm going on record, saying that he is the most OVERRATED head coach of all time. Sure, he deserves a place in the Hall of Fame for his time with the Giants, but that's about it. Hear me out, please.

 

Parcells won 2 Super Bowls with the Giants in the 80's. He also took the Patriots to the Super Bowl, only to be beaten soundly by the Packers. But, ever since, there have been people who swear that he's one of the greatest of all time. I beg to differ. He isn't even the greatest Giants coach of all time. That honor should go to Tom Coughlin.

 

So, why am I dissing the Tuna? Well, after he left the Giants, he decided to take on the AFC East, coaching the Patriots, Jets, and being a GM for the Dolphins. He also coached the Cowboys for a while, all on the scraps of what was left of his NY Giants coaching staff. He did take the Patriots to the Super Bowl, and the Jets to the AFC Championship. But, with each of his new jobs, his available staff of 'Parcells Guys' was getting thinner and thinner. And, it wasn't just coaches. It was players too. After the Patriots ditched Drew Bledsoe for Tom Brady, he brought Bledsoe to Dallas, only for him to lose his starting job to Tony Romo. In Miami, rather than bring in some fresh talent, he brought in his offensive line coach from Dallas as the head coach, Tony Sparano. And, when Chad Pennington got released from the Jets, guess who he called to be Miami's QB? And, he got hurt.

 

Meanwhile, the only head coach to come from Parcell's camp to ever come close to Parcell's accomplishments was none other than the GOAT, Bill Belichick. And, no it wasn't due to what he learned under Parcells. It was because of what Belichick had in his brain. There's no comparison to the coaching style between the two. Belichick would cut Tom Brady if he felt it necessary. Parcells would reassemble his Super Bowl teams if it was possible. Remember when I said that Coughlin is the best Giant's coach? Its because he won 2 Super Bowls against the Patriots, the GOAT team, with the GOAT coach, and the GOAT quarterback.

 

I didn't know this, but in doing some research, I learned that Parcells is in the front office of the Cleveland Browns currently. That explains a lot.

 

All that needs to be said of 'Parcells Guys' is simply this: Look at last year's Super Bowl. The Falcons blew their 28-3 lead, and lost to (Bill Belichick's) New England Patriots. The Falcons only blitzed Tom Brady FIVE TIMES in the second half, and when it came down to the last play of regulation, the Falcon's defense had to stop the EASIEST play in football. A 2 point conversion. They stop that, and the game doesn't go to overtime, and the Falcons hold on to win. But, they didn't, and the rest is history. So, I rest my case. Bill Parcells is the most overrated head coach of all time. What does Atlanta's performance in the Super Bowl have to do with anything? The Falcons defensive coordinator is none other than Romeo Crenell, a "Parcells guy."

 

Mic drop.

 

 

 



Sitting During the National Anthem: My Take

 

Idiot.

Ok, I had to weigh in on this Colin Kaepernick story, not because every other blogger on the planet has. It just became personal. And, obviously your first reaction would be to assume that I am going to post about the flag waving U-S-A patriotism. You'd be wrong. But while I do agree that you should stand and show respect during the song, this post isn't necessarily about patriotism.

Before I get to how this became personal, I just want to say that any multi millionaire who is bitching about oppression needs his head examined. He says black people are being oppressed, cops suck, black lives matter, etc. But, I guarantee he voted for 0bama twice, and plans on voting for Killary. Two of the most corrupt pieces of crap to ever be voted into office. Two of the people who champion policies that have done more harm to the black community than any slave owner could have ever done. Two people who want to disarm law abiding citizens and rob them of their GOD GIVEN rights to protect themselves, while the places that have the toughest gun laws also have the highest murder rates. (Chicago, Washington DC, Detroit, Baltimore, St Louis, etc) Kaepernick is so stupid that he doesn't even realize that the overwhelming majority of black people who are murdered are killed BY OTHER BLACK PEOPLE.  

The people these idiots are protesting gave up a lot more for a hell of a lot less than these spoiled brats.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's move on. Linebacker, Brandon Marshall of Denver sat out the National Anthem, and he got hurt during the first quarter of their first game. He also lost a major sponsor because of it. There was also a rookie in Philadelphia that was planning on doing it, but realized he could have been killing his career before it even got started. Not to mention the fact that Kaepernick lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert of all people. In a classy move by the NY Giants, during a preseason game, they all stood side by side at the sideline during the anthem. 

Thank you, Giants

Now, here is my take on the whole situation: This is all for attention and nothing else. It takes the focus off of the team as a whole, and makes it all about themselves. Can any non 49er fan tell me one single preseason move that the team made? (other than benching that worthless Kap...) I can't. And, the reason is because all the sports media talked about was what Kap was doing. He should have gotten cut from the team.

Now before you go off telling me that its his right to do this because its America, let me stop you right there. No, he does NOT. He has the right to do his job. He is NOT paid to be a political activist. If he wants to be an activist, why doesn't he do it on his OWN time? You know, on social media, or even  by organizing a rally. They won't. Its much easier to just sit down, and not say anything. He, and any other player who does this are not doing their job. They are doing this to piss off the fans (customers) and you know damn well that if you or I went on political rants at our jobs in front of customers, we would be fired, and rightfully so. Why should these spoiled brats be any different?

So, how did this become personal? There are rumors that the Miami Dolphins, the team that I've put 30+ years into, suffering through mediocrity and failure, is planning a protest today. If they do this, they will lose not just me, but MANY fans. Stephen Ross and Adam Gase could put a stop to this. They had better. So, what will I do then? Its simple. My #2 team, the Carolina Panthers will become my #1, and the Dolphins will be down there with the Jets and Patriots. The Panther's owner, Jerry Richardson would not allow this to happen. Neither would coach, Ron Rivera or Cam Newton.

I've always been one of the biggest subscribers to the philosophy that once you pick a team, you stick with them no matter what, but this isn't about the team. Its about respect, and the lack thereof that these jerks have for their fans.

Douchebags.

EDIT: Arian Foster, Jelani Jenkins, Kenny Stills, and Michael Thomas all took a knee. It wasn't the entire team. I'm going to stay with them, but it makes it hard to deal with.

Its up to you, Phins.

Dolphins fan? Here's a Reality Check!

 

"But there's nothing I can do...

...I only want A FREAKING GOOD TEAM!

Is THAT too much to ask?? 

 

Apparently so. I'm a Miami Dolphins fan. Everyone knows that. In fact, its pretty easy to figure out since I put it in the header of this blog. Usually, when I post things about the Phins, its positive. Not this time. Yes, this time, I'm going to be real. The reality is that with these coaching hires that the Dolphins are randomly putting into place, I have ZERO expectations for them next season. Maybe that's a good thing, but that's another story. 

Today, we're going to talk about history. More specifically, the history of the team since the AFC Championship game in the 1992-1993 season. Miami vs Buffalo. Buffalo won, and that's the closest Miami has come to the Super Bowl since.

So, let's take a look at what the league has done since then, shall we? Grab a tissue. You might need it.

We'll start with the new Super Bowl Champs, the Denver Broncos. They won 2 Super Bowls in the 90's, rebuilt several times, went to another Super Bowl, lost, went again, and won. 

The Baltimore Ravens aka the original Cleveland Browns have won 2 Super Bowls, and been to the Playoffs multiple times. At least the expansion Browns haven't been to a Super Bowl. I'm not sure if I could take that.

In 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers became teams. In 1996, both teams were in their conference championship games. The Jaguars were back in the AFC Championship once (At Miami's expense. Remember 62-7?) then took a direction similar to Miami's, but albeit a little worse for them. The Panthers have made the Playoffs multiple times, including the NFC Championship, and several division titles, not to mention 2 Super Bowl appearances. 

Scores more points vs Miami than Brunell, then becomes Miami's QB

The New Orleans Saints, dubbed the Aints for many years built a team around Drew Brees, and won a Super Bowl. Plus multiple playoff appearances. Miami 'aint' done nothing.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers built a dominant defense, and won the Super Bowl, also with multiple division titles.

The expansion Houston Texans have been to the Playoffs several times, including an AFC Championship.

The St Louis Rams, another team that was a perennial loser went 1-1 in two Super Bowls.

The Arizona Cardinals even made it to a Super Bowl, with several Playoff appearances.

The Seattle Seahawks, who for years were a bottom feeder have been to 3 Super Bowls, and won one. 

You also can't leave out the dynasties of the 90's, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers even rebuilt and went back to a Super Bowl. 

The Green Bay Packers were an average team before Miami's last AFC Championship game, but went to 3 Super Bowls and won 2 since, and are a constant threat in the Playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts! They were a constant disappointment, and turned into another constant Playoff threat, and won a Super Bowl against a Chicago Bears team that came out of obscurity for one season, then fell back into obscurity.

Even the stinking NY Jets have been to the AFC Championship a couple times!

 The New York Giants are 2-1 in Super Bowls, including knocking off our final team's hopes for a perfect season. I appreciate that, Giants! Thank you!

And, of course, who can forget the freaking the New England Patriots. An impressive 4-3 in Super Bowls, and constant threat to go all the way. And, they will continue to be as long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are with them. Before the early 90's, they were also a constant loser, with the exception of one Super Bowl appearance. Since 2001, they have won the AFC East every year except for two. In 2008, Miami won the division because Tom Brady got hurt, and the stupid wildcat play that got exposed by the Ravens in the Playoffs. 

And, let's also not forget about all the players who were mediocre to good with Miami, then went on to dominate with another team. Wes Welker for example. Half the current Buffalo Bills roster, for another example. Ted Ginn and his family have played in TWO Super Bowls!

We're not letting the coaches off the hook either. Since 2004, Miami has had THREE interim head coaches because a coach got fired during the season. THREE!!!! If that doesn't tell you something, nothing will.

The fault is with owner, Steven Ross. I really wish he would sell the team to someone who knows how to hire front office personnel, but it didn't start with Ross. It started with Wayne Huizenga. In the early 2000's, Miami had a very good team. But, the bottom fell out of it, and it was downhill from there. 

 

Currently, the Dolphins have lots of extremely talented players. There is no reason why they should not dominate, but we've hit the coaching reset button yet again. By the time we know if this coaching staff is any good, they will likely have traded our good players away for draft picks who may or may not be good, but we won't know. Why? Because they won't get the chance to gel, and the coaching staff will be fired yet again. Its a vicious cycle of toilet spins, and the only form of Rid-X that will help would be Ross selling the team. But, he won't. But hell, at least we'll have the most up to date and state of the art stadium!

Buckle up, Dolphins faithful. This pain isn't going to end anytime soon. In fact, its going to be like riding a bike down a bumpy road, with a severe case of hemorrhoids.

RGIII Leaves Redskins...But The Story Isn't Over

If you are successful, you will win 

some unfaithful friends, and 

some genuine enemies.

SUCCEED ANYWAY!

-Mother Teresa

Shots fired in Washington DC! Well, not in the sense you might be thinking. The Washington Redskins have had quarterback issues, although as far as the team and fans are concerned, there is no issue. Kirk Cousins is the Redskins quarterback. Quarterback, Robert Griffin III as we all know was drafted by the Skins with the second overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. A quarterback class destined to rival the famed 1983 class, consisting of Dan Marino, John Elway, and Jim Kelly. This class of course consisted of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, and Russell Wilson. But, also later in the draft, the Redskins drafted a second QB, Kirk Cousins. Insurance? Maybe. But, you can't deny the end result.

Following his amazing 2012 rookie season, Robert Griffin III had injury issues, and didn't click with the offense. In the 2015 season, he was benched in favor of Kirk Cousins. Cousins had problems at first, but by the end of the season, he had one of the highest QB percentages in the NFL. He led the team into the playoffs, only to lose in the Wild Card round to Green Bay. No problem, the Redskins will be back and better next year, considering they are in the second weakest division in football with the Cowboys in a rebuild mode, and the Giants and Eagles with new coaching staffs coming on board. The Redskins will win the NFC East next year. Bet on it. 

So, where am I going with this? Let me get started. RGIII cleaned out his locker, and left the Redskins facility, leaving a poem by Mother Teresa in his locker. Basically, he was quoting the Terminator, saying "I'll be back!" but doing it more politely. And, he will get picked up by another team, and eventually, he will be back to face his former team. Redskins fans aren't worried, but maybe they should be. As a Miami Dolphins fan, I have seen this movie far too many times. The Dolphins seem to have more former players on other teams than any other team, and they are all doing well. 

Right now, WR, Ted Ginn is with the Carolina Panthers, and playing the best football of his life after stinking up the joint in Miami. DB, Vontae Davis is now with the Indianapolis Colts, and has been in the playoffs most of the years since he's been there. Wes Welker left Miami to go to the Patriots, and became a premier player in the league. QB Daunte Culpper left Miami and went to the Raiders. Not to mention half the current Buffalo Bills roster. The list goes on and on. What do all these players have in common? 

They all came back to Miami and had career games in wins against the Dolphins!!!

I am calling it right now. Whatever team Robert Griffin III goes to, whether its the Cowboys, Cleveland, San Francisco, or any other team will beat the Redskins, and RGIII will have a career game. I don't care how bad the team is. It will happen. There was too much vitriol surrounding that situation. Too many negative emotions. When Coach, Jay Gruden trashed Griffin after a 2014 loss to Tampa that Griffin struggled in, that was the end, and everybody knew it. But, Griffin wasn't released after that game. Instead, they made him the third string QB throughout the entire 2015 season. 

Kirk Cousins and a benched RGIII

So, like I said...The story isn't over. RGIII will get some revenge. The Redskins could win the Super Bowl in coming years, with only one loss on their record. That loss will be to the team that Robert Griffin III is playing for.

I Get It. You Don't Like The Team...

If anything happens that

doesn't directly benefit MY team...

SUSPEND SOMEBODY!!!

You know, I've been wanting to write about this for a while. It never ceases to amaze me the depths that people will go to in order to hate on any team that isn't their own. For example, we've been seeing it whenever the New England Patriots win a game. You will see fans of the team that the Pats beat 38-3 claiming that the only reason New England won was because they cheated. The fact that their team only had 3 first downs and 107 yards of total offense, combined with 12 minutes time of possession had NOTHING to do with the loss. The Patriots cheated, and should be fined, and stripped of every win in the team's history! Okay, I'm exaggerating...a little bit.

But in week 17 of the 2015 NFL season, there were 2 glaring examples of this idiotic Haterade that I noticed. Both of my teams were involved. In the New England Patriots game at the Miami Dolphins, the Dolphins beat the Patriots 20-10. During the game, Dolphins defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh was trying to sack Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady. Suh hit Brady low, and Brady was injured slightly. Turned out to be a sprain. It was a clean hit, and there were no flags thrown, but within minutes, all the bloggers were posting about how dirty it was, and how dirty of a player Suh is. To be fair, Suh does have a history of dirty hits, and he's been fined heavily in the past. BUT, he did not commit one single dirty play this entire season. This happened literally every time Suh got a sack or a big hit. You'd better believe that the NFL had the refs watching Suh like a hawk, ready to flag him for a dirty hit that would have him suspended for the year. It never happened, to the dismay of all the Suh haters. But, on every single one of these blogs, you'll find comments like "Dirty POS needs to be kicked out of the league!" How about their teams try something like maybe STOPPING Suh? But they would rather have the refs make a bad call and eject him for no reason. To be fair to Patriots fans, I saw lots of comments from them saying "I'm a Patriots fan, and as scary as it was, that was a clean hit." These comments are from "fans" who just like to bitch and whine about anything. In fact, every time it happened this year, there were comments from the fans of the team Miami was playing saying that the hit was clean. But, like the Patriots haters, the Suh haters are going to pounce every time he breathes. Its ridiculous.

What the haters forgot to mention in their blogs
was the Patriots player grabbing Suh's face mask
that pulled him into Brady.

Next up, the Carolina Panthers game vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bucs fullback, Jovorskie Lane suffered the worst injury I've seen since Joe Theismann. His ankle was flopping around. It was painful to see. It was so bad, the TV network even refused to show it a second time. You know its bad when the opposing team's players are in tears, and standing with the team's players in solidarity and respect for the fallen player. 

Yeah, it was terrible.

As Lane was carried off the field, Panthers players were encouraging their fans to get LOUD in respect for him. And, they did. Lane later tweeted that he was going to be okay. Nobody; not bloggers, not Bucs fans, not announcers even suggested that this injury was intentional until......

The sad part? This guy is a Panthers fan. I was watching the game, and saw the hit. I saw it several times online afterward. You can't plan to do that to someone unless you have them strapped down, and smash them with a sledgehammer. In fact, nobody even hit Lane in a one on one collision. It was a pile up. Come on, man! Did he think that the Panthers huddled up and said "Ok, guys, lets take Lane out. When we pile up, let's just make sure that in a fraction of a second, someone snap his ankle!" Some people need to get a clue. It was an accident. A horrible accident. Nothing more. And, Thomas Davis, the player who made first contact with Lane and rolled over his ankle was destroyed emotionally about it.

Does this look like the reaction
of someone who intentionally
hurt someone?

I get it. People are always going to have teams that they hate. I hate the Patriots. I hate the Jets. But when they beat Miami, I blame Miami for crappy play. I don't blame refs, or accuse someone of cheating. Its called MANNING UP. Its ridiculous everyone wants to blame someone else when they screw up or their team lays out a stinker of a performance. Its also ridiculous that people think that you can have a violent game like football and be injury free. The idea that whenever an injury happens, someone is to blame is stupid. Its thinking like that which is responsible for all these rule changes that are slowly changing football into flag football. 

When a person signs up for the military, there is an accepted fact that they may be in harm's way, and could be killed. These people make significantly LESS than an NFL player, but still enlist. In football, you know there is a chance that you could hurt. Like the military, the risk goes with the territory. The players do understand that. The fans should too. If all the fans who are blaming everyone but their team for a loss or injury would just man up, that would go a long way towards reversing the trend of pussification in this country.

So, if your team loses, its because your team didn't play as well as the other team. If a guy gets hurt, it is RARELY intentional. And, the NFL is NOT rigged in favor of specific teams or players. This is a fact. Deal with it.

Packer Fan Calls Police Over $500 Banner

Go Panthers!

I've been very open about the fact that I am a life long, diehard Miami Dolphins fan. (Yes, I know we suck.) But, one thing that you might not know about me is that I like the Carolina Panthers almost as much. I moved to the Carolinas in 2002, and I was in Charlotte the night before the Super Bowl featuring the Panthers and Patriots. Leading up to the game, I was amazed at the brotherhood of the Panthers fans. The night before the game, you saw strangers running up to each other on the streets hugging, yelling "GO PANTHERS!!!" The city was alive with electric excitement, and it was a very special feeling...One that I am wondering if I will EVER get to experience from my beloved Dolphins. I rooted for the Panthers against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and was heartbroken along with all the other Panthers fans when they lost due to a last minute Patriots field goal. I've rooted for the Panthers ever since, and they have become my number 2 team, meaning that I will root for them against ANY team, unless they are playing my Dolphins.

So, that being said, you can imagine I'm pretty excited about their season this year. But, there are always poor sports in the crowd wherever you go. For example, when a team loses to the Patriots, there are fans who automatically accuse them of cheating...despite the fact that the team only had 2 wins to speak of, and were blown out. This time, we have a Panthers team that going into the game yesterday was 7-0. And, we have a Green Bay Packers team that was 6-1. The Packers were actually favored to beat Carolina. And, despite an incredible Green Bay showing in the 4th quarter, the Packer's comeback was stifled by an interception on 4th down. The Panthers held on to win 37-29.

But, we aren't talking about the actual game. We're talking about a group of Cheeseheads who brought a banner into the Panthers stadium that said "North Carolina Cheesehead" on it. Before the game, Panthers QB, Cam Newton noticed it, went up, and snatched it away from them. The fan, a disabled veteran (I bring that up because every article I've read about it mentioned that fact at least 3 times.) called the police on Newton, and is pressing charges. He also claims that the banner cost $500 to make. Yes, I said FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. 

This is the ($500) banner in question

Now, I've had banners made several times, and I know how much they cost. Judging by the picture, this one appears to be 4'x8' with brass grommets in the corners. I was thinking around $50 to make that banner. Since its been several years since I've had one made, I went to buildasign.com where I've had banners made in the past. Using Photoshop, I recreated the banner as closely as I could, (With one minor exception) including the grommets. See below:

So, I took a little creative license

It came out to $56.96. Pretty good guess on my part, huh? So my guess is this Packer fan was simply angry about losing to the Panthers, and if Green Bay had won, he wouldn't have cared. And since whenever someone gets pissed off about something, they always multiply any monetary value by a factor of 10. At least I'm hoping that's the case. If he paid $500 for that banner, he got ripped off. Plain and simple. 

$500...NOT!
Click pic to enlarge.

Now that this story has gone viral, Panther haters all over the internet have been chiming in with their brand of justice, saying that Cam Newton should be kicked off the team, thrown in jail, forced to pay back the $500 with a couple million in punitive damages, drawn and quartered, hung, shot, decapitated by guillotine, and many other punishments. The fact that this guy is a veteran isn't lost on the haters either. I've seen comments accusing Cam of being disrespectful to the troops, and nothing could be farther from the truth. He supports the troops and veterans immensely. As do I. If there's ANYONE who should be accused of disrespect for the troops or veterans, its whatever company charged him $500 for a $50 banner. And, he is also to blame for not shopping around if he actually paid that much for the damn thing. (Maybe its a local guy who charged him that much because he's a Packers fan?)

The fact of the matter is that Cam should do the right thing and either have another banner made (He can use my design if he wants) or return the banner. Nothing more. I've gone to Dolphins games in away stadiums before including in Charlotte, and I have done my fair share of trash talking. I saw the Panthers in Atlanta once too. Smack talking all comes with the territory, and I've done it, and I've never had a problem with any of the home team fans. But, I've never brought a banner into the stadium either. That's asking for trouble. Not to mention the fact that its a pain to lug a big banner around, and probably against stadium policy.

So, wrapping this up, Cam probably shouldn't have snatched the banner, and but this guy shouldn't have have gone to the media, claiming that it cost $500. That's insulting the intelligence of everyone who has ever bought one. If he did pay that much, I want to see a receipt. Personally, I don't believe it. So, Cam, just give the banner back or give him $60 and be done with it. In the end, that's what will happen in the very unlikely event this case goes to court, but you'll also be out court costs and time. It really isn't worth it. And my word to the guy...You really made yourself look silly by claiming that the banner cost $500. Not to mention how you looked when you called Cam Newton an evil asshole caveman. Not very becoming of a decent person if you ask me.

Cam Newton is a class act, and GO PANTHERS! (unless they're playing Miami)

#bannergate

Miami Dolphins: New Coach + Winning Attitude= WINS!

My coach can beat

up your coach!

When the 2015 football season started, Miami Dolphins fans had extremely high hopes. Many sportswriters were picking them to go deep in the playoffs after off season acquisitions of skill players like Cameron Jordan, Greg Jennings, and Ndamukong Suh. With all the talent already on the team, with players like Jarvis Landry, and Ryan Tannehill ready to make the step from good players into gamebreakers, the stage seemed to be set for a dream season that Phins fans had been waiting for years to witness. 

Then, reality set in after an extremely lackluster showing in a win over the Washington Redskins. Fans were disappointed, but gave them a pass, assuming that the team just started slow, and they would come in and dominate the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week. That didn't happen. The Dolphins lost to Jacksonville. Then, for the home opener, they lost badly to the Buffalo Bills, and lost again in an even more abysmal performance against the New York Jets. The Miami Dolphins were 1-3, and would have been 0-4 had it not been for a lucky punt return against the Redskins courtesy of Jarvis Landry. To make matters worse, they were 0-2 in the AFC East, and the fans were demanding answers. And action.

Head Coach, Joe Philbin entered the season on the hot seat. This was a do or die season for him, and he certainly wasn't doing it. Neither was defensive coordinator, Kevin Coyle. Both were fired following the debacle against the Jets, and rightfully so. There was NO excuse for the pathetic look that the team was showing with all the talent on the roster.

So, Tight End Coach, Dan Campbell was named interim head coach. He immediately started talking about a change in attitude. High intensity practices with competition. He was saying all the right things, and Dolphins fans were cautiously optimistic once again. 

The Dolphins had a much needed bye week after the Jets loss, and the next opponent up was the Tennessee Titans. Everyone knew that the Titans were not a good team, and if Miami played a decent game, they should win. And, if the Dolphins players bought into Campbell's ideas, this should be a lopsided blowout win for the Dolphins. It was. 38-10. The Titans never knew what hit them. Cameron Wake had 4 sacks, and Dan Campbell got a Gatorade bath at the end of the game. The team looked energized, and were definitely playing with passion. 

The following week, the Houston Texans came to town. Another sub 500 team, but this was a team had a history with Miami. The Miami Dolphins had NEVER beaten the Texans. But, another dominant performance ensued. Going into halftime, the score was 41-0, a franchise record. Jarvis Landry and Lamar Miller both had two long touchdowns. Reshad Jones had a second pick six in 2 weeks. Ndamukong Suh came alive with 2 sacks, and Cameron Wake got 2 more. Ryan Tannehill set an NFL record for most consecutive completed passes, with 25. Not to mention finishing with a perfect passer rating. During the second half, Campbell rested starters due to the upcoming Thursday night game against the Patriots, and the Texans put 26 points on the board. The final score was 44-26.

So, under Coach Campbell, the Miami Dolphins are 2-0 and are back in the post season hunt with a record of 3-3. They are re-energized, and playing with passion. In 2 games, they have scored 82 points. In the first 4 games, they only scored 65 points. Let that sink in a bit. Under Philbin, they looked lazy and clueless. Under Campbell, they are focused, intense, fast, accurate, and powerful.

So, here we are. The Dolphins are the most improved team in the NFL, and while they have everyone's attention, they still have a long way to go. But, its one step at a time. Sure, the Titans and Texans aren't powerhouse teams, the Dolphins beat them the way any elite team would have. In fact, none of the elite teams have put up 41 points in a half this year. The next step comes this Thursday when they go to Foxboro to play the Patriots. You could say that is a first real test, but in my opinion, every game from here on out is a test. Sure, they might lose Thursday, but they might win too. Miami has won 2 of the last 3 games vs the Patriots, and the 2 teams usually split. So as much as I would love to see a win Thursday, I'm not going to get my heart broken if they don't win. Personally, I think they will win. They are firing on all cylinders and playing they way they were supposed to be playing. If Campbell had been the coach from week one, the Dolphins would be 6-0 right now. Also, if Philbin had been the coach, Miami likely would have lost the last 2 games. That's all the difference. The players are buying into what Campbell is preaching, and it shows. They trust him, and are willing to do whatever is needed because they believe in him. Campbell believes in the players too. 

Its a special time to be a Miami Dolphins fan. While Dan Campbell is the interim head coach, he has the rest of the season to use as an audition to be the actual head coach. The fans love him too, and it was evident at the Texans game which Campbell dubbed 'The real home opener.' As backup QB Matt Moore ran the Victory Formation, the fans were voicing their opinion of the coach. Deafening chants "CAMPBELL! CAMPBELL! CAMPBELL!" filled the stadium, and you could definitely tell that he has won the hearts of not only the players, but the fans too. Great things are coming for this team, and I am looking forward to a long and successful tenure of Dan Campbell as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. 

Welcome to the team, Coach!

PS: My coach can not only beat up your coach, he can probably beat up some of your LINEBACKERS!

PPS: Yeah, I know. I spoke too soon. Welcome to a day in the life of a Dolphins fan. #$%^&*%$!!!

FIRE EVERYBODY!!! State of the Dolphins and Their Fans

Fire everyone! Time to move on! The quarterback sucks! Fire Wallace! Fire Tannehill! Fire Jeff Ireland! Sell the team to Chuck Norris! Fire Coach Philbin! Fire Mike Sherman! Get rid of Wake and Wallace for some cap room! The logo sucks!

(I'm not going to bring up the logo again. This post is not about the logo. I only added that comment about the logo to show that some fans still can't get over it. Want to gripe about the logo? Read this post, and gripe there.)

All of those were comments I've seen on the Miami Dolphins Facebook page. I have never seen such a group of uninformed wannabe team owners in my life. Let's revisit some Dolphins history shall we?

Since the last time they were in the AFC Championship, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers have both become teams, and both have been to the conference championships TWICE. Carolina has even been to a Super Bowl, and currently, they are the number 2 seed in the NFC. The Houston Texans have become a team, and have been to the AFC Championship.

Also since the last time the Dolphins were in the AFC Championship, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints (2 long time bottom feeder teams) have both won Super Bowls. The San Francisco 49ers have won a Super Bowl, lost the players on that team, went through a stagnant phase, rebuilt, and have been to another Super Bowl, and are looking to go again. The Seattle Seahawks (another long time bottom feeder) have been to a Super Bowl, and are a favorite to be in the next one, and are well on their way, being the current #1 seed in the NFC.. The Rams were in 2 Super Bowls. Won one, lost one. Not to mention the Patriots becoming the latest dynasty. The Baltimore Ravens, formerly the Cleveland Browns go from decades of being horrible to winning 2 Super Bowl championships. Even the Arizona Freaking Cardinals made it to a Super Bowl, and almost won it!

Believe it or not, there are fans of other teams who have had it worse. MUCH worse than Dolphins fans.

By the way, the last time the Dolphins were in the AFC Championship was 1993.

Yep. Yous guys did SO well once
ya got ridda me.

Don Shula retired in in 1996. Since then, Miami has had Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wannstedt, Nick (Prick)
Saban, Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, and now Joe Philbin. Plus, 2 interim coaches who stepped in when Dave Wannstedt and Tony Sparano ran for the hills. For those of you scoring at home, that's 6 coaches (8 if you count the interim coaches) in 17 years. That's horrible.

So, I have a question. What has the revolving door of coaches gotten the Dolphins since 1996? SEVEN LOSING SEASONS SINCE 2002. Dave Wannstedt had only ONE losing season in 5 years. 11-5 twice and 10-6 once, and fans (including me) were demanding his head. Looking back, I wonder why we were giving him so much grief when the last time the Dolphins were in the Super Bowl was 1984! I would much rather see those numbers than the pathetic seasons Miami has had since Wanny was run out of town.

A QB with the last name 'Lemon'
probably wasn't a good idea.

And let's look at quarterbacks shall we? Since Dan Marino retired in 1999, SEVENTEEN quarterbacks have started for the Dolphins. Damon Huard, Jay Fiedler, Ray Lucas, Brian Griese, AJ Feeley, Sage Rosenfels, Gus Frerotte, Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green, John Beck, Chad Pennington, Chad Henne, Tyler Thigpen, Matt Moore, and Ryan Tannehill.

So, are we noticing a pattern here? Basically, inconsistency=LOSING! So, to all the fans who are suggesting yet another turnover, let me just ask one question...What do you think that will accomplish? It will accomplish NOTHING, other than putting the Dolphins back in loserville for another 5 years. And what happens if the Dolphins hire Bill Cowher, or one of the other retread retired legends of years past, and they can't do it either? Jimmy Johnson ring a bell? I'll tell you what will happen. Lets say the

You fans DID demand this guy, and
you all know it.

7-8-1 in his first year,
7-9 in his second year???
OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!

Dolphins hire Cowher, and he goes 6-10 in his first season. Some of the fans will be demanding his head right then. Others will wait until they go 7-9 the following season, then most will be on the 'Fire Bill Cowher' bandwagon. And 90% of the people calling for his head will be the people clamoring for Cowher in the first place. How do I know? Because that is EXACTLY what is happening now with Philbin. Lots of you were clamoring for Jeff Fisher. Well, in his first season with the Rams, he went 7-8-1, and 7-9 in his second. Should the Rams fire him? If not, then why not? Why does he get a pass but Philbin doesn't? Philbin at least has a winning season under his belt.  And, these same people are the first to throw owner Stephen Ross under the bus. Don't you remember how everyone was demanding Wayne Huizenga hire an offensive minded head coach? He went out and got the one who was considered the best available. Cam Cameron. Sure, he was a dud, but those same fans who were demanding Cameron were ready to crucify Huizenga for hiring him after they went 1-15. Should Cameron have been fired? Absolutely, but you can't blast Huizenga for hiring him when you were demanding that he be hired in the first place. You can't have it both ways, people.

Damn dude, your offensive line REALLY sucks!
They didn't even TRY to block me!

Now, the Dolphins do have problems that need to be addressed, and I'm going to get into those right now.
Coach Philbin, sit down. You aren't going anywhere. That's right. Philbin is the best coach we have had in a long time. In fact all of the coaches need to stay except offensive coordinator, Mike Sherman, and offensive line coach, Jim Turner. The offensive plays this year were reminiscent of the conservative and predictable play calling by Tony Sparano. And the offensive line? Ryan Tannehill was sacked almost 60 times this year. So, bring in another offensive coordinator, and another offensive line coach.

The other problems Miami has are the deep ball, and running game. Both in my opinion would be corrected if Tannehill had faith in his offensive line. He and Mike Wallace did find some chemistry later in the season. The running game showed signs of life too. But, did you notice something? The offensive tightened up in the later part of the season. Not enough for Sherman and Turner to keep their jobs, but enough to show that the talent is there.

The main whipping boy for these fans is GM, Jeff Ireland. He is another person who is being unfairly thrown under the bus. Honestly, did ANY of you think that all those free agents he brought in would click and gel

overnight? I remember alot of you saying that you didn't have the highest of expectations for this season, but the expectations were for the 2014 season. So, what changed? Nothing changed. Only the direction that the wind was blowing in your heads. So why not give Ireland the time you so graciously allowed him during the 2013 offseason? If next season doesn't end with a playoff berth, then it will be time for Ireland to pack his bags.

The bottom line here is that the Dolphins have the best team they have had in a very long time. Ryan Tannehill is going to be a top NFL QB for a long time. Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace are going to be the best WR tandem since Duper and Clayton. Want to free up some cap space? Don't resign Dustin Keller at tight end. We don't need him. Charles Clay has emerged to be the best tight end the Phins have had in a very long time. The defense is set, although they could use some depth in the secondary.

No, ref..YOU are wrong. 8 of 9 on challenges confirms that I
am RIGHT. (Not part of the post, but I had to add it because
I am sure the refs hate Philbin because of that record.)

It isn't all gloom and doom, fellow Dolfans. The problems Miami has are so manageable it isn't even funny. New offensive coordinator, new offensive line coach, some new offensive linemen, and MAYBE a runningback. We are the closest we've been to a championship in a very VERY long time, and we will get there, but hitting the reset button yet again is NOT the way to do it. Like I said...The deep ball and the running game would fix themselves with a better offensive line. Other than that, the only other problem I see is finishing games. They need to not be afraid to run the score up on an opponent. They need to put their opponent away, and not let up on them. How many blown leads did Miami have this year? Do you see Peyton Manning and the Broncos easing up once they are up 10 points? No. And the reason why is because you don't win games that way. You need to put your foot on your opponent's throat, and keep it there until the clock reads all zeros.

Have faith, Dolfan Faithful. We are almost there! We are closer than we were in 2002-2003 when only a crappy backup QB ruined it for us. Keep your chin up, and we will get there. Once we do, there will be a dynasty in South Florida!

Here's some food for thought...Wouldn't you like to see an all Florida Super Bowl between the Bucs and Dolphins? It could happen.

One last thing before I end this...At least we aren't Jaguars fans. 

And Russell Wilson thanks you from the bottom of his heart.

The Opposite of Incognito Is...

....Apparently the Miami Dolphins front office, and PR department. Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, whether you are a football fan or not, you've heard of the so called 'bullying' story in the Miami Dolphins locker room, involving 2 offensive linemen. Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. Its ridiculous.

If you listened to the Will and Thunder Show two  weeks ago, you heard Thunder and I calling Richie Incognito a bully and a jerk. Since then, we both have have agreed that we were on the wrong side of that issue. So, here I am on the record, issuing Richie Incognito an apology. This is something that everyone else in the media, as well as the Miami Dolphins front office needs to do.

Shame to lose one of your best players because
of a gutless coward.

On the surface, the text messages that Incognito sent to Martin seem out of line. However, once the players started talking, the real story began to emerge. Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill said "Richie said, 'Jonathan is like my little brother.' I think that's an accurate depiction. He gave him a hard time. He messed with him. But he was the first one there to have his back in any situation."

Wide receiver, Brian Hartline who was the most vocal among the players said "If I'm not mistaken, this is the same guy [Martin] who was laughing about this voice mail at one point and time, first of all," receiver Brian Hartline said. "Second of all, I believe that, if you go through the whole voice mail, there's some things said that you probably shouldn't say in general, friends or not friends. But I know for a fact that I've said things to my friends that I kind of wish I never said, either. "With that being said, I never thought it was a death threat. I never thought he was actually going to do the things he said. If you can't take validity from one part of the voice mail, how do you take validity from the whole voice mail? You can't pick and choose what parts count and which parts don't count."

Incognito's text of course said this: “Hey, wassup, you half n—– piece of [expletive] . . . I saw you on Twitter, you been training ten weeks. [I want to] [expletive] in your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face (laughter). [Expletive] you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.”

Sure, its abrasive, and even rude, but these guys were friends. In fact, Jonathan Martin replied BACK to Incognito, saying that he would kill Incognito's whole family. NOT the other way around, as it was originally reported. 

So, here we have two buddies who talk to each other in the same way that most people in the hip hop culture talk to each other. Right or wrong, that's the way it is. Neither were offended by it initially. 

So, what went wrong?

Before I answer that, let's take a look at the texts FROM Martin TO Incognito after the Dolphins win over the Cincinnati Bengals:

That doesn't sound like someone who suffers from PTSD as was reported yesterday. 

Now, on the PTSD issue, its a slap in the face to veterans who have seen combat, and all the horrors that go along with it. 

This brings me to what I think went wrong. Here we go: Jonathan Martin obviously is not a 'man's man.' He is one of these weak minded men who cry and talk about their feelings on 0prah and the Dr Phil show. Society has been trying to soften men up for a couple decades now. It all started with 'My Buddy,' the baby doll for boys back in 1985. Things like that become accepted, which makes even more crazy and unmanly things to be accepted, and pretty soon, you have a generation of men who can't handle pressure, and run crying rather than facing adversity head on...like a MAN!! 

Dolls are for GIRLS.
Not boys.

Now, my theory about Martin is this. He got through football in high school and college, but once he got to the NFL, he couldn't handle the pressure of the locker room, and the added pressure of playing and practicing football full time. So, he decided that he couldn't handle it, and rather than just own up to it...LIKE A MAN...and go to the team, and say "Look guys, this isn't for me, and I've gotta go." He decided to play the victim card, and smear his best friend in the process, which will likely wind up costing Incognito his job in Miami. Since he's the victim, everyone will feel sorry for him, and he will be able to leave the team, and still keep his money. This isn't the first time Miami has had a situation like this. 

This story is NOT about bullying. It never was. I am in no way downplaying bullying at all. Like I said before, on the radio show, I called Incognito a bully and a jerk. But that was before I had all the facts. This story isn't even about hazing. Neither hazing or bullying took place here.

In summary, Jonathan Martin is a greedy gutless coward who wants the NFL money, but doesn't want to play in the NFL. So, basically, Martin has cost Miami their best offensive lineman. And, he will get exactly what he wanted from Miami's front office, and Incognito will get screwed. Oh, he will get paid, and rightfully so. He's filed a grievance against the Dolphins for his being wrongfully suspended.

Richie Incognito in the Pro Bowl

Its such a shame that so many men have become such wussies. Even if Martin was angered or offended by Incognito's texts, Martin should have handled it himself. He should have put his foot down, and told Incognito to knock it off. And you know what? He probably would have, but like I said...This isn't about Incognito. This is all about wanting money for nothing.

My advice for Jonathan Martin if he wants NFL money, but doesn't want to be in the NFL? Try the lottery.

It is getting so VERY hard to be a Dolphins fan these days.

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WILL AND THUNDER SHOW! Listen to the archived show on this topic!

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