For those of you who have seen my profile, you'll note that alongside studying the Civil War (and I'll write about the dearth of recent ACW writings here tomorrow), inventing cocktails, and roasting coffee, I am an ardent Miami Dolphins fan. It's a tough road, being a Fins fan in California; there just aren't that many of us, and the last few years have been pretty gruesome.
Until this season. Until Sparano, the Wildcat, the Brown-Williams freight train, and (gasp) Pennington under center. Until the Miami Dolphins executed the greatest turnaround in NFL history to snatch the division title and send the hated Jets spinning into a dark offseason.
I intentionally didn't blog about the Dolphins after a post about Jason Taylor in the preseason. I wanted to see what happened and just try to be above it all. Now, after going 11-5, winning the division, and seizing a playoff berth on the last day of the season, I can let out my breath and say simply...
WOW!
I don't care what happens on Sunday against Baltimore, this is the most memorable Dolphins season for me since 1984, when I was eight years old and was a brand new football fan watching Dan The Man slinging passes all over the field and right into the Super Bowl (the result of which we won't cover here, suffice it to say it's the reason that I dislike the 49ers more than any other professional sports franchise).
This is a team playing sports the way we're taught when we're kids: selfless, focused, energetic, committed. When you can do any activity where those tenets are paramount, great things can happen. When your team applies them week in and week out, you get to watch them go from 1-15 to the playoffs.
Well done Miami! This season will join the pantheon of great Dolphins teams, and regardless of this postseason, there is great hope for the future!
Showing posts with label Miami Dolphins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami Dolphins. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What A Weekend!
I can't remember the last time I've had such an exciting 48 hours as a sports fan! It started yesterday when my UCLA Bruins put a 28-3 beating on Washington State, which was promptly followed by my long-beleaguered Dodgers (yes, I've been living on Hershiser, Gibson, Guerrero, and Valenzuela memories for quite some time) steamroll the Cubs to advance to the NLCS. If that wasn't enough, this morning my resurgent Dolphins played a near-perfect game, including a 4th-and-goal-from-the-one-yard-line-stand to beat the San Diego Chargers. Viva the Tony Sparano era!
Now imagine all that, AND having The Jess sitting next to me, smiling and holding my hand, with my folks in town as well. I am one happy and lucky man! Oh, and the sports stuff was cool, too.
Now imagine all that, AND having The Jess sitting next to me, smiling and holding my hand, with my folks in town as well. I am one happy and lucky man! Oh, and the sports stuff was cool, too.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Whither Jason Taylor?
Thus far, the overhauling of the Miami Dolphins has been comprehensive in both philosophy and personnel. Gone is the old team leadership from the field (Zach Thomas), to the sideline (Cam Cameron) to the front office (just about everyone with a suit on). The Parcells/Ireland/Sparano era has arrived to fill the void with vigor and a clear plan. The first draft since 1983 when Dan Marino came to the franchise was just completed, and clearly holds the keys to the Fins resuscitation. There's a new candor in press conferences, and clearly a new level of accountability on and off the field. All the fundamentals for a successful turnaround.
Except for one thing: Jason Taylor.
The All-Pro, game-changing, face-of-the-franchise defensive end just announced, after a failed trade attempt during the draft, a snub by his new team VP, and his turn in the limelight on Dancing With The Stars, that he has no intention of attending any required team activities including training camp.
Ugh!
Now the Dolphins find themselves in an impossible position at the worst possible time: they must cut bait with a player who, though likely to enter the Hall of Fame as a Dolphin, clearly wants nothing to do with the franchise, and they must find a way to get some sort of value for him. This is a team trying to build some forward momentum, and can't afford to get bogged down in this sort of drama. However, they can't just cut the guy or sue him when he doesn't fulfill his contract, or else they risk looking like the days of gratuitous personnel mismanagement have not stopped, but have carried on in lock-step with the past.
I've always been a big Jason Taylor fan, he's always been a class act on and off the field; however, I can't support the way he's pushing the franchise. Clearly there has been some sort of communication breakdown between player and team, no one wants to explain what happened, and now no one wants to take responsibility.
In the eyes of the Tipsy Historian, Taylor's integrity as an athlete is hanging in the balance; if he wants to pursue a career in Hollywood, as he stated this week, he should retire and move on. If he wants to play football, he should shut up and commit to playing, thus giving the Fins some wiggle room to trade him to a contender, which no fan, including me, would begrudge him.
The Dolphins have got to continue to build on the positive energy that's building in Miami, and they've got to close the book on the Taylor era, and do it quickly. Stay magnanimous, stay focused, be up front with both Taylor and the public, then move on. The future is waiting.
Except for one thing: Jason Taylor.
The All-Pro, game-changing, face-of-the-franchise defensive end just announced, after a failed trade attempt during the draft, a snub by his new team VP, and his turn in the limelight on Dancing With The Stars, that he has no intention of attending any required team activities including training camp.
Ugh!
Now the Dolphins find themselves in an impossible position at the worst possible time: they must cut bait with a player who, though likely to enter the Hall of Fame as a Dolphin, clearly wants nothing to do with the franchise, and they must find a way to get some sort of value for him. This is a team trying to build some forward momentum, and can't afford to get bogged down in this sort of drama. However, they can't just cut the guy or sue him when he doesn't fulfill his contract, or else they risk looking like the days of gratuitous personnel mismanagement have not stopped, but have carried on in lock-step with the past.
I've always been a big Jason Taylor fan, he's always been a class act on and off the field; however, I can't support the way he's pushing the franchise. Clearly there has been some sort of communication breakdown between player and team, no one wants to explain what happened, and now no one wants to take responsibility.
In the eyes of the Tipsy Historian, Taylor's integrity as an athlete is hanging in the balance; if he wants to pursue a career in Hollywood, as he stated this week, he should retire and move on. If he wants to play football, he should shut up and commit to playing, thus giving the Fins some wiggle room to trade him to a contender, which no fan, including me, would begrudge him.
The Dolphins have got to continue to build on the positive energy that's building in Miami, and they've got to close the book on the Taylor era, and do it quickly. Stay magnanimous, stay focused, be up front with both Taylor and the public, then move on. The future is waiting.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Dolphins on the Right Track!
I am thrilled with the Dolphins' hiring of Tony Sparano, who was the Cowboys' assistant head coach, and longtime Bill Parcells prodigy. This move closes the leadership loop for the Fins with Sparano on the field, Jeff Ireland as GM, and Parcells running the whole show. Now, for the first time since I became a Dolphins fan. there is a united approach and philosophy to building a team. Parcells, who begat a laundry list of successful coaches (Bill Belichick), gave Ireland and Sparano their breaks, and they have been molded according to his philosophy. Say what you will about this philosophy; the bottom line is it is a winning one.
For twenty years the Fins have flailed around trying to put a product on the field. They have the greatest pure passer ever to play the game and an unyielding offensive line, but put yokel running backs like Audra Franklin, Woody Bennett, and Sammie Smith just to name a few, behind it. Marino also made it easy to ignore the defense because the 35 points the offense put up was usually enough. Until they reached the playoffs, of course. As the offense and Marino began to fade in the late 90s, the defense pulled itself together and became one of the league's premier units. However, no efforts were made to bring a revitalized and retooled offense to the field.
Underlying this failure was the single-worst front office in professional football for the past 20 years. Yup, the worst. No team has had more ineffectual drafting and more foolhardy trades, not even close. The Dolphins have also gotten the worst production out of their free agent signing, and that takes also takes a toll. In 2004, the death rattle for any team started; a coaching carousel. Dave Wannstedt left, Jim Bates took over. Bates left, Nick Saban (spit on the ground) took over. Next, Saban (spit on the ground) in all his gutless, traitorous splendor, left and Cam Cameron took over. Ugh!
So there is the perfect storm that gave us the 2007 season, where the once-mightly Fins went 1-15. You have a coaching staff in tumult and no clear cut vision for the program's direction. You have an aging defense that has not been retooled. You've got an offense with no leader at the helm and it's best weapon, Wes Welker, traded to divisional rival New England for a second round pick and 12 pack of Diet Slice! You've got a draft that brings, instead of a pedigreed quarterback like Brady Quinn, an injured, undersized punt returner and a butterfingered QB. Throw in a slew of injuries with no depth of talent ready to step in, and you've got a disaster of a season.
Now, in just one month, the Dolphins have gotten back on the right track. Owner Wayne Huizenga finally spent some cash and brought Parcells in as the Vice President of Football Operations, also known as the man behind the curtain. Randy Mueller was thrown out of the GM's office, and Ireland came in. Finally Cameron was sacked, and Sparano brought in. I absolutely agree with firing Cameron, there needs to be unity in this team, and like Ireland said, they weren't sure that Cameron could get on board.
There is going to be stability in the front office and in the coaching staff, and an effective talent evaluation and selection system in place. Next, and you can bet money on this, there are going to be major personnel shakeups: dropping of dead weight, movement with the #1 pick in the draft, and work in the free agent market. Don't get me wrong, this is not going to be a fast cure, because there is a long way to go, but the sun is definitely starting to shine in South Florida!
For twenty years the Fins have flailed around trying to put a product on the field. They have the greatest pure passer ever to play the game and an unyielding offensive line, but put yokel running backs like Audra Franklin, Woody Bennett, and Sammie Smith just to name a few, behind it. Marino also made it easy to ignore the defense because the 35 points the offense put up was usually enough. Until they reached the playoffs, of course. As the offense and Marino began to fade in the late 90s, the defense pulled itself together and became one of the league's premier units. However, no efforts were made to bring a revitalized and retooled offense to the field.
Underlying this failure was the single-worst front office in professional football for the past 20 years. Yup, the worst. No team has had more ineffectual drafting and more foolhardy trades, not even close. The Dolphins have also gotten the worst production out of their free agent signing, and that takes also takes a toll. In 2004, the death rattle for any team started; a coaching carousel. Dave Wannstedt left, Jim Bates took over. Bates left, Nick Saban (spit on the ground) took over. Next, Saban (spit on the ground) in all his gutless, traitorous splendor, left and Cam Cameron took over. Ugh!
So there is the perfect storm that gave us the 2007 season, where the once-mightly Fins went 1-15. You have a coaching staff in tumult and no clear cut vision for the program's direction. You have an aging defense that has not been retooled. You've got an offense with no leader at the helm and it's best weapon, Wes Welker, traded to divisional rival New England for a second round pick and 12 pack of Diet Slice! You've got a draft that brings, instead of a pedigreed quarterback like Brady Quinn, an injured, undersized punt returner and a butterfingered QB. Throw in a slew of injuries with no depth of talent ready to step in, and you've got a disaster of a season.
Now, in just one month, the Dolphins have gotten back on the right track. Owner Wayne Huizenga finally spent some cash and brought Parcells in as the Vice President of Football Operations, also known as the man behind the curtain. Randy Mueller was thrown out of the GM's office, and Ireland came in. Finally Cameron was sacked, and Sparano brought in. I absolutely agree with firing Cameron, there needs to be unity in this team, and like Ireland said, they weren't sure that Cameron could get on board.
There is going to be stability in the front office and in the coaching staff, and an effective talent evaluation and selection system in place. Next, and you can bet money on this, there are going to be major personnel shakeups: dropping of dead weight, movement with the #1 pick in the draft, and work in the free agent market. Don't get me wrong, this is not going to be a fast cure, because there is a long way to go, but the sun is definitely starting to shine in South Florida!
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