Seattle Seahawks Fans: Butthurt Dynasty

"The World Is Yours!"

(That quote was for Cam Newton... 

Not Seattle)

When Pete Carroll took over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, everyone wondered if he could be successful. He had lackluster stints as the Patriots and Jets coach, (Although most Seahawks fans probably don't even know this) and a great stint at USC. But, was he good enough to build an NFL team from the ground up, and take them to the top? Obviously, yes. They destroyed the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, and went to a second one. They were actually favored to beat the Carolina Panthers in the regular season meeting this year. But, the Panthers after a 14 point comeback in the 4th quarter showed that they were the better team. They met again in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, and although the Seahawks did make a game out of it, the Panthers had the game too far out of reach at halftime. For you Seahawks fans, thats not one, but TWO losses to the Panthers this year, one in your impenetrable Century Link Field.

Every team loses. This is a fact. Just ask the loyal fans of teams like the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and even my beloved Miami Dolphins. We lose all the damn time. But when we lose, we don't throw hissy fits and blame everyone not wearing a Dolphins jersey. We blame the Dolphins because they suck. Plain and simple. But, Dolphins fans, and fans of every other bad team still support the teams 100%. 

But, the Seahawks fans don't see it that way. Most don't even remember when the Seahawks were a bad team because they either weren't born yet, or they were Cowboys or Patriots fans at the time. Most don't even know that the Seahawks were once an AFC team. I once got into an argument with one of the 12th man's finest because I made the comment that Dan Marino's last playoff win was against Seattle in the Wild Card Playoff game in 2000. He called me a complete idiot, saying that the Seahawks could never play the Dolphins in the playoffs because the Seahawks are NFC, and Miami is AFC. They get downright hostile when things don't go their way. 

All that was just an introduction into what this post is all about. Seahawks fans have raised the bar for stupidity this year, and their irrational hatred is centered around one person. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. It all began in week 6 of the 2015 season, when the Panthers came to Seattle, and stunned the 12th man in an amazing comeback win. This was the win that started convincing people that the Panthers were for real. There were grumblings from the fans after that loss, but nothing could have prepared us for their reactions after losing in the Playoffs. 

Not so loud now, are we?

Strangely enough, the butthurt began after a WIN! In the Wild Card game at Minnesota, the Seahawks beat the Vikings in a comeback win. It was cold, and the game was the early game that day. And, that's what the Seahwks fans had a problem with. The fact that it was the early game, and the Seahawks started playing at 10AM Seattle time. But, they WON! And, they had 6 days to get ready to play the Panthers in Carolina. But, once again, it was the early game. This time, of course, they lost. But, like I mentioned earlier, they made a game out of it in the second half. That doesn't exactly fit the fans narrative that they were messed up because of the time difference. I could see if the Panthers blew them out, which they did in the first half, but the Seahawks held the Panthers to ZERO points in the second half, and only lost by a touchdown. That doesn't sound like a worn out team to me. That sounds like a team that made adjustments in the second half and came out to win. But the Seahawks fans didn't take solace in that. They took to the internet, and blamed the NFL for rigging the game against them because of the time difference. Newsflash: MANY West Coast teams have played early and won. The 49ers have done it many times. The Raiders did it to Miami a while back. The Chargers, Broncos, all of them have done it. And, in the Playoffs, no less! And the times when they lost, I didn't hear one fan complaining about the early game time. And, another newsflash...The game times for each game were set prior to the Playoff teams being known.

Memes like this popped up all
over the internet after the loss

But, that wasn't all. Fans of teams that the Panthers beat have been crying foul all year. Some wrote letters to Cam Newton because they didn't like his antics. A Packer fan tried to tell the world that he paid $500 for a banner that Cam snatched from him, and threw it away. One fan got it right though. A Seahawks fan even got in on the letter writing campaign because Cam snatched a 12th Man flag and threw it away...A flag that had been left behind by a pissed off Seahawks fan, and was handed to Cam by a Panthers fan! But where is the hate for the 12'th Man member who abandoned the flag in the first place??? Hmmm.

As a result, haters have been taking to social media blasting Cam, and coming up with punishments that they feel are appropriate for him for his antics. Fines, suspensions, firing, waterboarding, decapitation, being forced to listen to Hillary Clinton speeches for 24 hours straight...anything you can think of. But, the Seahawks fans haters are the worst by far. Click here for another letter to Cam from a Seahawks fan. She calls him classless among other things. What I love especially from Seahawks fans is that they call him classless, but support the antics of Richard Sherman, and Marshawn Lynch. Apparently acting like an idiot and saying "I'm just here so I don't get fined." is okay, but dancing after a touchdown and giving TD balls to kids is not. And, you wouldn't believe some of the hate for the recipients of the TD balls. So called adults cussing out kids online. Its disgusting. But, Cam delivered the perfect response, saying if the fans of Panthers opponents don't like what he does, maybe their team should stop him from getting into the end zone! BOOM!

You mad Bro?

But this is the worst, and most pathetically hilarious. One of the 12th Man's finest, a fan named Andrew Tilton started a Change.org petition to have Cam banned from entering CenturyLink field when the Panthers come there to play next year. Below is the text from his petition:

As of now, it has 800 signatures. But, if you read the comments, most start with "I only signed this to tell you that you're an idiot." or something similar. The best quote from  it is: "You couldn't even keep Cam out of the End Zone. How are you going to keep him out of an entire stadium?" 

So, the Seahawks fans are so butthurt that they want to win at all costs, even if it means banning their opponent's players? Why stop there? Why not have the entire game scratched from the schedule, and just giving the Seahawks the win because Cam is so eeeeevil? Can you imagine if that actually happened? Some of these same people were bitching, saying the Patriots should have an asterisk by their record because of cheating. But, they want the NFL to basically HAND them a game because they don't like the quarterback?

This just goes to show what happens when you have a fanbase that hasn't cared for a long time, and when the team finally becomes relevant, they think they deserve to have the world handed to them on a silver platter. These people actually believe that the Seahawks are a dynasty that belongs in the same conversation with the 70's Steelers, 90's Cowboys, 80's 49ers, and the 2000's Patriots. They won ONE Super Bowl. ONE. They handed another to their opponent because of a bone headed play call by their coach. They were in a Super Bowl in 2005, but some of their fans don't even know about that one. That's not a dynasty. Are they a good team? Yes. But are they a dynasty? No, and it likely won't happen, as I expect them to have free agent departures next year. If that happens, and they go 6-10, will they still play to sold out stadiums? I seriously doubt it.

EDIT: And then there's this...This Seahawks fan is unbelievable 

The Seattle Seahawks 12'th Man fan base however IS a dynasty. A Butthurt Dynasty.

Go Panthers!

Did Steel Panther Drop a Rusty Hairball?

I've been very vocal about giving the great glam metal band, Steel Panther lots of credit for this 80's metal resurgence. They started out playing small clubs as a gimmick, and at first, people came out to laugh at them. Slowly, more and more people started to realize that while Steel Panther was a doing a parody of the 80's decadence, they were also very talented musicians who wrote good songs. Now, Steel Panther is playing arenas, and more than likely living the life they portray on their videos of sex, drugs, and rock and roll...although, maybe not because I just found a picture of them without makeup and wigs while looking for their album cover. (Not that there is anything wrong with that!)

So, as the title suggests, I am wondering if Steel Panther may have gotten a little bit too cocky for their own good. Their current album, All You Can Eat is a depiction of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper with the singer in the seat that is Jesus's in the painting. The other band members are seated at the table, along with scantily clad groupies ON the table.

Now, I am not going to preach here, although I do find this slightly offensive, and it takes a lot to offend me. And, I am not going to lead a movement to try to get the cover banned. I do not believe in censorship, even when there is something I don't like. I'm not even going to get into whether or not this cover was right or wrong. I am merely asking a the following question: Was this album cover a good idea from a marketing stand point?

In an original song from a band I was in back in the day, there was a bridge that went like this: The baby boomers are now old and gray, Generation X is well on its way. We look to the future, and let out a sigh, the next loser up is Generation WHY! Sure, the song is dated. It was written back in 1998. Generation X is mostly old and gray now, which is exactly my point. Most of Steel Panther's fans are 35 years old, and up. There is a large percentage of their fans who are 34 and younger, but most of their fans would have been rocking out at Steel Panther shows back in the 80's if they had been around then. I know I would have.

None of my album covers mocked God like that!

Now, I'm not talking about ALL of Steel Panther's fans, but I'm sure that a large percentage of them might have been a little ticked off about that album cover. Lots of them have families, and some sort of touch with a church, or belief in God, and are teaching their kids about it too. (Yes, they are also teaching their kids about the great and wonderful music that is heavy metal.) People tend to turn to God when they get older. Its a fact of life. So, right now, Steel Panther's music has never been more popular, and this was by far their most anticipated album to date. So, it doesn't make much sense to me to release an album cover that is so polarizing. I understand wanting shock value. There's nothing wrong with that, but even in the most decadent periods of the 80's you didn't have bands doing things like that unless they were Slayer, Venom, or a band like that. A glam band certainly wouldn't have released that album cover.

One of the more controversial glam bands of the 80's was W.A.S.P. With all the things they did that pissed off Al Gore's wife and the rest of the book burners in the PMRC, they would not have released an album cover that was THAT controversial. Ozzy and Black Sabbath didn't even release album covers that mocked God. (although they did release some that were borderline)

Was the cover as bad of a marketing idea as this?
Will Steel Panther's album crash and burn?
We shall see!

So, back to my question. Was this a good marketing decision? We'll see how the album sales are. Ultimately, its the consumers who will decide the answer to this question. And who knows? I may be completely wrong here. Personally, I don't think it was a good idea to release an album cover that would piss off even one of the fans you already have. Back in the 80's, the shock factor was for parents, pastors, and the anal retentive. The 80's bands certainly came out with lots of different ways to scare the uptight, but I can't think of one that went and did something like this.

Finally, my main point is this: Its one thing to piss off the uptight who isn't going to buy your album anyway. Its another to piss off the people who like you. I like Steel Panther a lot. In fact, Death To All But Metal is one of my favorite songs, and one of the greatest metal anthems of all time. But, as much as I like Steel Panther, I will not be buying All You Can Eat, and I will not be seeing them in concert on this tour.

We will see how many people agree with me. In the meantime, here is Death To All But Metal! CRANK IT UP!!!

Kiss: All Hell's Breaking Loose

Play the damn show!

I like Kiss as well as anybody. I saw them in concert once way back in the old days…You know, when they did not wear makeup? I saw them on the Hot in the Shade tour with Danger Danger and Slaughter opening up. But, that doesn’t make me a diehard fan. I know several diehard fans that have been to MANY Kiss concerts, own every album, and have spent thousands of dollars on merchandise. I am not knocking them at all. I’ve spent thousands on Miami Dolphins merchandise, and have been to many of their games. There is no difference here, other than one being a football team, the other being a legendary rock band.

"old school" when they didn't wear makeup

Legendary, and there is now a legendary feud going on. You would think that their induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame would be cause to celebrate right?  Kiss fans have been demanding the induction for decades, and now its happening. So, what is the feud about? Here it is in a nutshell:

The HOF is only honoring the original Kiss members, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley, so that would require Gene and Paul doing a brief reunion with Ace and Peter if they were going to play at their induction. Gene and Paul don’t want to do that, so there will be no performance. This has started all sorts of bickering between the original members of the band. Ace and Peter want to do it, (who wouldn't) and Gene and Paul will not allow it.

Simmons, Carr, Stanley, Vincent

You would think that that they would do it for their fans if for no other reason at all. You know, the fans who have made them multi millionaires? But rather than to do that, Gene Simmons would rather exclude the original members from any ceremony, and are throwing childish insults back and forth. For example, Gene recently said that Ace and Peter are no longer worthy of wearing the makeup. (Using that logic, Thayer and Singer must NOT be worthy of having their own makeup and costumes like Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr were.) He has also criticized Ace Frehley’s guitar playing, saying that it could have been much more. That’s funny, because speaking of Vinnie Vincent, he played very simple guitar riffs, and ultra basic solos while he was a member of Kiss…But after he left, he put together a band and 2 albums that established him as a guitar god, in every sense of the term. Things that make you go hmmmm…..

Eric Singer/ Tommy Thayer

Ace and Peter have fired back with comments and opinions, as well they should.  They are part of the lineup that founded Kiss, and are part of the lineup that is being inducted. Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are not. And while the feud is getting Simmons and Stanley free advertising, and Ace and Peter back to the spotlight, the only people who are being hurt by this are the diehard fans…The Kiss Army who love this band so much.

Sadly, this whole feud is nothing more than a slap in the face to the fans, and also a lesson in ‘Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it.’ Finally, the HOF is allowing rock bands to be inducted, which is a relatively new concept for them, and you have one of the (if not THE) most iconic rock band in history bickering back and forth like school kids. Rather than to set aside their personal feelings and just play ONE damn show with the original lineup, they are proving to the world that they are spoiled brats, who want their fans money and loyalty, and in return…more crap for the fans to buy!!!

Needs to mobilize!

I have a message for Kiss…Either do the show, or kiss my ass! If I were a diehard fan, that’s exactly what I would be saying to them. They may be one of the most iconic bands in Rock, but they got there because of the fans. The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is not just for the bands who are inducted. Its for the fans too, and Simmons/Stanley need to realize that. They may be the biggest band in the world, but they are NOT bigger than their amazing fans. If I were a diehard fan, I would refuse to spend one more dollar on them, unless they pull their heads out of their asses, and do the right thing. And, if they do, Ace and Peter need to  accept it, and do the show, and not make a spectacle of themselves.

Still, after saying all this, I can’t help but wonder whether this whole feud is nothing more than a publicity stunt that Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss are all in on.

Oh...In true Kiss fashion, let me take this opportunity to say that THIS IS MY 100'th BLOG POST!!! (actually, its about the 110'th. I lost 10 posts when the blog crashed last month) And, to do it on a post about Kiss? How fitting is that?

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.

Why Do I Love Football?

The Face of Boe is a Dolphins fan?

I was going to use this post as an entry into the NFL's contest to win tickets to the Super Bowl, but changed my mind after reading the contest rules. They state that I do not have permission to use my own writing for any purpose other than submitting it to the NFL. I intended to post it here, as well as submitting it to them. But, I don't want to get disqualified or sued for using my own intellectual property.

That would make me NOT love football anymore. Its sad too because this will be a great post. Its their loss though...I'd rather use this post to make my blog better than to have a one in a gazillion shot at Super Bowl tickets.

So, why do I love football? There are many reasons, but the most important reason is that I am a part of a huge family of like minded fans. Football transcends every man made barrier and prejudice.  For example, I am a metalhead, and many times, I have hung out with people who enjoy rap, country, or even Justin Beiber. I generally wouldn't be hanging out at a bar with these people or at a large event with them for the simple fact that the bars they go to would be playing music that I can't stand. But, I can go watch a game at a sports bar or in person with these same people, and have a great time. Regardless of who the other people are a fan of. Football brings people together like nothing else can.

35 years of waiting till next year

Another reason I love football is because unlike relationships with friends or girlfriends, etc, I can put 100% of my emotion into my team, and I know what the outcome will be. My team will either win, or lose. I'm going to be happy or bummed. In relationships, you never know what will happen. I've been a fan of the Miami Dolphins fan for 35 years. That's 29 years longer than my longest relationship with a woman, (my wife) and about 10 years longer than my relationship with my best friend...However, the 2 of us have lost contact for several years a couple times, so does that really count? And even though the Phins have disappointed, I stick with them. I stuck with them in 2007 when they went 1-15. I still wore my jersey with pride at sports bars, and other fans gave me major props for being the only person at the bar wearing Dolphins gear. Even though the last time they won a Super Bowl was the year I was born, I am still a fan. I know that once they do win another one, I will probably be sobbing like a baby. So, what other relationship can you give that much of yourself, and know exactly what you will be getting in return?

Another reason is because the game is more exciting than any other sport. Each play has 100 different possibilities and scenarios that could happen. Its like a chess match. Unlike baseball, where a player is either going to hit the ball or miss. Or basketball, soccer, and hockey where the rules are very similar. Just go up and down the court, and score. Nothing against the other sports at all. All I am saying is that football has much more strategy than the others.

In football, each move is carefully thought out by both teams, and the play is either successful, or it is stopped by the defense. To completely understand football is a feat that will never be accomplished by anyone, which is why the game will continue to get better and better as the years go by.

Bob Griese, Ryan Tannehill, Dan Marino.
3 generations of Dolphins Quarterbacks

Another reason I love football is that it transcends generations. The older players are still very much involved with the teams. They love their team for the most part, and will do anything for them, even if they have been retired for many years. And, the fans still remember and love the old players. Younger fans love hearing stories of great plays by the players of the past. I have told many stories of great shoot outs and comebacks byDan Marino or Joe Montana, John Elway, or punishing hits by Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Ronnie Lott and the late, great Derrick Thomas, the phenomenal running of Barry Sanders, and the 'sweetness' of Walter Payton. Great wide receivers like Jerry Rice and Chris Carter. The list goes on and on. The young fans I tell them to listen to me as they would their father telling them about 'back in the day.'

Still waiting for the next Barry

Yet another reason I love football is the camaraderie between players. Even the players in the most heated rivalries have a deep respect for each other. Players coming to each other's aid when they are down. If a player is badly hurt, the players from both teams will huddle up together to pray for their injured teammate/opponent. A very recent example of professional camaraderie happened today. We all know the story of Minnesota Vikings runningback, Adrian Peterson's son being tragically killed. The first game the Vikings played after this atrocity was vs the Carolina Panthers. Panthers QB, Cam Newton took a moment to console Peterson.

Cam Newton: Class act.

I could go on and on, but the last main reason I can think of about why I love football is the TAILGATE, and seeing a game live! There is no other experience like tailgating before going into a game. I have done it both in Miami, and in several other cities where I saw the Dolphins play the home team. There is also a camaraderie there with fans. Like I mentioned before, they are all there for the same reason. The tailgate in my opinion is more fun than a backyard cookout by a long shot. The smell of great food fills the air. Cheers of fans all over the place. Ice cold beer. Its a backyard cookout with 50,000 of your best friends and neighbors. Nothing beats it.

Why do I love football? Simply put, it is my passion. My blood craves it.

So, do you think I should send this to the NFL contest, and take my chances on being disqualified? Let me know. And....

8 Types of Football Fans That Suck!

In honor of FOOTBALL SEASON starting, I figured I'd do a write up on the people who go out of their way to make life more interesting in a bad way for the rest of us sports fans. Today's blog post is a list of fans that you do not want to be..or know for that matter. And if you are one or more of these people, please make a change. Your friends will be very grateful.

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The Fantasy Football Freak. He's the guy who goes to sports bars with NFL Sunday Ticket not to watch any one game in particular. He's there to watch the players on his fantasy football team. He will run from screen to screen, asking people about his fantasy players. Friend or stranger, he doesn't care. You can be minding your own business watching YOUR team, and this guy will run up to you, and demand to know how your team's QB, RB, WR, etc are doing. Or, he will tell you that he hopes your team loses because your team member is on his fantasy opponent's team. These idiots are easy to spot. They are in the sports bar with papers and pens...and of course, no girlfriend...or friends at all for that matter, unless its another Fantasy Freak. These pathetic football fans actually think that everyone around them cares about what their fantasy football team is doing. Its crazy! In fact, I would bet that alot of these freaks were Dungeons and Dragons freaks when they were younger. If you like fantasy football, but do NOT do this type of thing, than you are not a fantasy football freak.

The Upper Level Diehard. He's the guy sitting in the seats next to the roof who is painted, shirtless, drunk and loud, demanding that everyone around him get up. The team could be down 31-3, but he's still insisting that his crowd noise will help the team out. There is a place for this in the stadium. Usually the lower level end zone and corners, where the groups like The Black Hole in Oakland, The Dog Pound in Cleveland, or The Deep End in Miami are. But not in the top row of the stadium! This guy probably is not a season ticket holder. He probably doesn't get to go to games very often, so he is overly excited. You can almost give him a pass, but he still sucks.

Overly Sentimental Guy. He's the guy who at the sports bar/tailgate/or at the game will for no reason get emotional, saying things like "Guys, it means so much us all being here together like this. Good friends hanging out, drinking beer, and watching football!" Then, he will demand a toast and say "To good friends!"

The Wannabe Scholar. There are several types of these. The guy who is a new football fan but wants everyone to think he has been a fan for years, and he wants people to think he knows everything there is to know about football. Or, the guy who wants to impress a total stranger for no reason. For example, I have been in sports bars wearing my Miami Dolphins gear, and someone will come up to me and say something like "I used to be a big Miami fan when they had Dan Marino." But, they can't name another player from the Marino era. I hear that at least 5 times a season. I firmly believe that you pick a team and you stay with it regardless of how good/bad they are, or who is or isn't on the team. When someone tells me that they were a fan when Marino was there, I usually tell them that they were never a real fan to begin with.

An example of the other type of wannabe scholar is this: I lived in Clarksville, TN from 2000-2003. I would be in sports bars, and all these new Tennessee Titans fans wanted to impress everyone, and of course they all had been life long Houston Oilers fans. You ask them who their first black QB was, and they would always say Steve McNair. But they have NO idea who Warren Moon is.

 But the worst one of all talked to me during the week 1 game of the 2001 season. The Dolphins were playing the Titans in Nashville. Up until that point, the Baltimore Ravens were the only team who had ever beaten the Titans in that stadium. Miami was CRUSHING the Titans. Zach Thomas intercepted McNair, and ran it back for a touchdown, and did a flip into the end zone. One Titans fan tells me that the Titans would win because nobody wins in "The Delpher" (Adelphia Coliseum) except the Titans. I reminded him that the Ravens had done it twice. He then said that it was ok because the Super Bowl champions get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. I said "Number one, that isn't true. Number 2, the Titans are NOT the Super Bowl champs!" He backed off. Another one, a guy came up to me, saying that he had been a Dolphins fan all his life, and it broke his heart when Ray Finkle missed that field goal in the Super Bowl. I told him to get away from me. Just be yourselves, people! Seriously! Its ok if you are a new fan, or if you don't have alot of knowledge. Nobody is going to think you are stupid...unless you are a wannabee scholar.

But the last type of wannabe scholar can be summed up with a picture, and needs no explanation.

Personally, I like the guy, but not as a football commentator.

The Bandwagon Fan. This guy always has brand new gear from the previous Super Bowl winner. He knows nothing about the history of the team. All he cares about is looking like a winner. That guy is usually a loser. I'm glad I'm not a band wagon fan. It would get really expensive replacing your gear every year. But, you see more band wagon fans in Basketball than anything else. How else can you explain why there were suddenly Oklahoma City fans all over the country, and how many Miami Heat fans outside Florida even know the lineup before Lebron James got there? NOTE: This pic obviously was taken long after this blog post. I used this one after the site crashed because it was the best bandwagon pic I have ever seen.

The Jerk. This guy is the greatest fan in the world. Nobody knows more about the team than he does, and if you try to call him on it, he will try to pick a fight with you. Although he will get into fights with the opponent's fans, he more often gets into fights with fans of his own team.

The Eternal Pessimist. The way he talks about his team, you'd swear his team was a division rival. He downs them constantly, when they make a good play, he swears it was luck because the QB was trying to throw the ball to someone else. The kicker could hit a field goal, and he would whine because it wasn't straight down the middle. These people are ZERO fun to watch a game with. I have told people to get away from me if they were going to talk like that. They ruin the experience, and they are a total buzz kill. Here's a rl he'd be really happy with:

Bad Cliche Guy. He will be watching a game with you, and say the dumbest and most worn out, over used lines of all time, and he will say it like he really means it and thought it up on his own. Things like "I guess they just don't want to win!" Yeah. The team huddled up and said "You know what, I really don't feel like winning today. Lets let the other guys have it!" That, or "Best in the league!" when an average player makes an average play. "Wow! That second string offensive lineman made a huge block! He is the best in the league, and he really needs more playing time. You can't teach things like that!" Maybe we should rename this fan "Wannabe Commentator."

So, watch out for these types of people. And if you're guilty of any of it, just stop doing it. Nobody will notice it, and you won't get any compliments, but your friends will appreciate it, and you will find that you have a better time watching football.

All this being said, I hope your team has a GREAT football season (unless you are a NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, or New England Patriots fan.) ;)

GO PHINS!!!