NFL's 18 Game Season: More $$$ for owners and league, problematic for players

An 18 game regular season. It makes sense for the owners. It makes sense for the league. The NFL has proven that it never really leaves the spot light, as more people watched last year's NFL Draft than they did the NBA Playoffs. (Check the ratings). It is getting to the point where there is never a time period throughout the year where there is not a story related to football. In the off-season, all we hear about is the NFL Combine, the players who are entering the draft, what position does your home team need to improve in order to be competitive, etc. ESPN offers us analyst after analyst, expert after expert, to discuss football all year long. We read about  voluntary workouts, we are concerned about who is showing up to the team facility and who isn't. Is player "x" going to hold out? Even when there seems to be a lag in information, we scour the internet searching for trade rumors and scandals. Bottom line is it makes perfect sense for the league and the owners to want to expand the regular season. People will show up to the games. They will buy hats. They will buy jerseys. They will buy over-priced beer and hot dogs. The television contracts will continue to provide a constant stream of revenue.

Let's look at the flip side though. The players are not excited about this. Look no further than Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Fame linebacker, and see what his opinion is concerning the 18 game season. Lewis was quoted as saying: "If fans want to show their love, they should let everyone know that we are not machines. I've been blessed to play this game for so long, but it's time to start thinking about what legacy and impact changes like this will leave for the players of tomorrow, and us after we retire. I know our fans may not like preseason games, and I don't like all of them, but swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games — when players already play hurt — comes at a huge cost for the player and the team. I know our union is on top of it, and players need to stay in touch with the union and our Executive Director to stay informed."

Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots and currently the NFL's highest paid player had this to add: "I've taken part in several postseason runs where we have played 20 games. The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented. Look no further than the players that came before we did. Each player today has to play three years in order to earn five years of post-career health care. Our Union has done a great job of raising the awareness on these issues and will make the right decision for us players, the game and the fans."

Analyze this logically. Aside from the wear and tear on their bodies, the players have another reason not to expand the regular season. That reason? The same reason the owners want to expand. Money. Let's look at the trend at the running back position. In the 80's and 90's most teams had a clear number one running back, their "horse." Names like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, Emmitt Smith come to mind. Now fast forward to today. We have multiple teams utilizing a two back system, alternating their backs throughout the game in order to maintain their bodies fresh. The Miami Dolphins are an easy example because I live in Miami. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are one of the best running back duos in football. How did we get here though? Well Ricky Williams had a few great years when he first arrived to Miami and as I have mentioned many times before, he bolted to smoke marijuana. But Ricky has stated several times his body needed a rest. He felt the Dolphins were over-using him. Then you have Ronnie Brown, who is talented but injury prone. Hence, we need a two back system here in Miami. The New York Jets have Ladainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. The Kansas City Chiefs use Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. The list goes on and on. Teams do this because they fear losing their number one backs to injury, so they "stash" two legit starting running backs on their teams as an insurance. Moving to 18 game season will only cause this trend to become the norm for every single team in the league. This will translate into star running backs getting paid less money. It should be no surprise then that running backs like Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams is not fascinated with the idea of a two back system, or players with specific packages. Read Steven Jackson's thoughts on two-back system

More games is going to lead to an expansion of the roster size. Anyone who knows anything about sports knows that expansion always leads to a worst product. Some may argue it leads to parity, but in reality it means we will see a lot of athletes wearing uniforms on Sundays who really have no business being there. Additionally, an athlete's career will most likely be shortened due to the new 18 game schedule. I've heard people say it isn't going to be much of a difference, that in reality all the league is doing is making some of the pre-season games actually matter. I feel this argument is ignorant in the sense that most teams don't play their starters full time during the pre-season (actually all teams) and teams are very careful in how they utilize their star players. If I was a player, I wouldn't be happy about the NFL moving towards an 18 game schedule.

NFL's 18 Game Season: More $$$ for owners and league, problematic for players

ESPN's John Clayton: "For those judging QB development, Mark Sanchez has a slight lead over Chad Henne."

ESPN's John Clayton

ESPN's John Clayton has been an NFL analyst for quite a while. He's old. Nerdy looking. He wears glasses. Honestly, he looks more like a tax lawyer than an NFL analyst. In this week's NFL Power Rankings, he made a comment on why the Jets are ranked ahead of the Dolphins. The reason? He claims Mark Sanchez is ahead of Chad Henne in terms of quarterback development.

I'm confused. I consider myself an avid football fan. I played the sport, albeit in high school and I never really had a shot in hell of advancing to the next level (although if you would have asked me when I was 15 years old, I was ready for the NFL). After I realized I had no future as a player, I decided to coach football. None of this makes me an expert, and I am in no way trying to say that I know more than John Clayton, but I am having trouble with the fact that he can so nonchalantly say that Mark Sanchez is ahead of Chad Henne.

Let's look at the numbers before I start going over personnel. Last year, Mark Sanchez had a whopping QB rating of 63.0. He threw 12 touchdowns compared with 20 interceptions. Yards? 2,444. Completion percentage? Are you on the edge of your seat? 53.8%. I did an entire post on how Chad Henne just played his 16th game last week, the equivalent of a full NFL season. In that post I went over Henne's numbers, and although the numbers are not Pro Bowl level, they are better than Mark Sanchez's numbers. Over 16 games Chad Henne threw 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, passed for over 3,500 yards, and his completion percentage was almost 10 percentage points higher than Sanchez's. What does this show? Simple. Chad Henne over a full NFL season is the more efficient quarterback. Less interceptions and completes the ball more often.

Then again, the media may have something to do with ESPN's enamoration with Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is the one posing for GQ Magazine. Sanchez was also a big part of the Ines Sainz scandal up in New York a few weeks ago when the Mexican reporter was attempting to interview him in the Jets locker room (for more details see my prior post on Ines Sainz). Sanchez was a higher pick, going 9th overall out of USC. It's not like he plays for the Cleveland Browns either, he's on the New York Jets who were just featured on HBO's Hardknocks, a show that goes behind the scenes of an NFL team during the offseason. They have a loud mouth coach in Rex Ryan who is in the spotlight every other week for some absurd reason. Mark Sanchez plays in New York City, the largest sports market in the United States of America, if not in the entire world. Of course Mark Sanchez is going to garner more of the media spotlight in comparison to country boy Chad Henne. You also need to consider that the Miami Dolphins are not exactly known for being media friendly ever since Bill Parcells rode into town. But when we look at the numbers, Henne has outperformed him over the course of a full NFL season.

The next Broadway Joe?

Let's look at head to head matchups:

November 1st, 2009: Miami Dolphins 30-New York Jets 25.

Mark Sanchez- 20-35, 265 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 100.3
Chad Henne- 12-21, 112 yards, 1 touchdown, QB rating 87.8

October 12, 2009: Miami Dolphins 31-New York Jets 27

Mark Sanchez- 12-24, 172 yards, 1 touchdown, QB rating 87.5
Chad Henne- 20-26, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 130.4

September 26, 2010: New York Jets 31-Miami Dolphins 23

Mark Sanchez- 15-28, 256 yards, 3 touchdowns, QB rating 120.5
Chad Henne- 26-44, 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, QB rating 91.4

In three head to head matchups, Chad Henne has won two out of three games. Look at the numbers and you'll see both quarterbacks have played fairy well against each other, however it looks like Chad Henne might have a slighter edge in the last two games they played. Henne came out on the losing end last Sunday, but anyone watching the game would tell you Henne was the better quarterback. Mark Sanchez was the beneficiary of a few botched plays by Jason Allen and a few dropped interceptions. Henne was shredding apart what has been called the NFL's best defense by many of the so called experts.

Next, let's take a look at the personnel on both teams dating back to last season and the beginning of this one. Mark Sanchez had a better supporting cast last year. Not only does he have what many believe to be the best offensive line in the league, he also benefits from something that Henne doesn't have--an athletic tight end in Dustin Keller that creates mismatches against opposing defenses. That was highlighted against the Dolphins last week as the Jets proved yet again that the middle of the field is the Achilles heel of the Dolphins' defense. Also, Jerricho Cotchery was a better receiver than anything the Miami Dolphins had on their roster last season. Throw in the Braylon Edwards trade towards the end of the season and it is clear the Jets had a better receiving corp then the Dolphins did at any point last year. The same can't be said this season, as Brandon Marshall is clearly the best receiver if not player on any of the Dolphins' or Jets' rosters. Sanchez also had the league's best rushing attack last season. While the Dolphins didn't have a shabby running game, Ronnie Brown was injured and we relied on Ricky Williams most of the second half. Although he filled in admirably and rushed for over 1,000 yards, the element of the wildcat was gone.

It is easy to see these two quarterbacks have a bright future ahead of them. To say Mark Sanchez is slightly ahead of Henne is not a fair statement though. If anything, I believe Chad Henne is ahead at this point in their careers.

ESPN's John Clayton: "For those judging QB development, Mark Sanchez has a slight lead over Chad Henne."

Men lie, women lie, numbers don't

Chad Henne has started 16 NFL games going back to last season when he took over for Chad Pennington. Technically, he just finished his first NFL season. When we look at the numbers he has compiled, Henne seems to be off to a good start.

In his first 16 games Chad Henne has thrown for 3,604 yards and completed 60.6% of his passes. He has thrown 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His quarterback rating is 77.4. The numbers don't necessarily make your jaw drop, but let's compare the numbers to the player most consider to be the best quarterback of this generation--Peyton Manning. In Manning's first NFL season he threw for 3,739 yards and completed only 56% of his passes. Manning tossed 26 touchdowns, but threw 28 interceptions. His quarterback rating was 71.2.

Steve Mitchell/US Presswire

Keep in mind that Manning started off his career with Marvin Harrison as his number one receiver, whereas Henne didn't have a star receiver on his roster until the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall. It was not until Peyton Manning's second NFL season that his numbers really improved and he began turning into one of the most talented quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.

This is not to say that I believe Chad Henne will be the next Peyton Manning or that his career will resemble Manning's in any way. All I am saying is maybe we should keep things in perspective as Dolphin fans.

Men lie, women lie, numbers don't

Chad Henne and what could have been...

Athletes become legends right before our eyes. Sometimes we are aware of the moment we are observing, sometimes we are ignorant of it. I knew I was watching greatness back in the 2006 NBA Finals when Dwyane Wade did his best Michael Jordan impersonation. I also saw it when Josh Beckett shut down the Yankees back in 2003. Last night as I watched the Miami Dolphins play against the New York Jets, I was watching carefully in anticipation as the game went on thinking to myself, "Am I watching Chad Henne turn into the leader of this Miami Dolphins team right now?"

As the clock ticked down in the 4th quarter with the Dolphins in possession, I was sure of at least one thing: Chad Henne had an opportunity to win over his entire team, fan base, critics, and take his first step into what could become a great career. This one drive could be the beginning of the Chad Henne legend, after all it is The Drive that makes John Elway such a big part of NFL lore. Here was Chad Henne, having what many would say is the best game of his career, about to lead his team down the field to victory. He completes a pass to Brandon Marshall, who turns it into a 30 yard gain. With the Dolphins on the 11 yard line and 52 seconds left in the game, the scene was set. Chad Henne was about to win our hearts.

Sunday Night Football, national audience, sold out stadium, the orange jerseys the team has only worn on four occasions, the star power in attendance (Lebron James was at the game), all made for great dramatic effect. I wish I could tell you the game ended in fairy tale fashion. For my sake, and for yours. On 4th down, Henne drops back to throw and fires a pass to Anthony Fasano on a tight end dump. The ball is deflected and inevitably ends up in the hands of a Jet defender. Game over. Moment vanished. We are left questioning what could have been.

What can we take from this game? Chad Henne sure as hell deserves a chance to prove he can be an elite quarterback in this league. The Dolphins coaching staff, whether it is Head Coach Tony Sparano or offensive coordinator Dan Henning, need to let this guy throw the ball. With Brandon Marshall at your disposal, why not throw the ball more? He had 10 catches for 166 yards last night and made it look easy. This is the same man who owns the NFL record for most catches in a football game! Not Jerry Rice, not Randy Moss. Brandon Marshall!

AP Images.

 There are plenty of people saying that this air it out style the Dolphins displayed last night doesn't win football games. Instead, we should stick to the style that got us two wins to start the season. Hand the ball off to Ricky and Ronnie, score 15 points and let the defense do the rest. Granted, the Dolphins need to mix it up a little more and there were several moments in last night's game where they should have stuck to the running game. However, you can't continue to handcuff Chad Henne and expect for him to blossom into a star. You have to let him loose, especially if he's capable of doing what he did last night.  

Potential star in the making?

Chad Henne and what could have been...

Thoughts on Canes win over Pitt

There has been a lot of drama for the Canes since their loss at Ohio State. Randy Shannon banned Twitter. Some fans made racist comments on Jacory Harris' twitter page, saying Miami didn't want a black quarterback. Randy Shannon allegedly ripped into the team according to the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro, rightfully so as I stated in an earlier blog. I was anxious to see how the team would come out against Pitt. After watching the game I'm left feeling confused. I'm not sure if I am happy. I am not angry either, but not happy. We won 31-3 and made Dave Wannstedt look horrible on ESPN. Yet I feel so unimpressed. Jacory Harris threw two more interceptions and had a very mediocre first half. At times I wanted to reach through the screen and slap him.

Eric Winston, a former UM player who now plays in the NFL, tweeted this:

"@ericwinston: Dear jacory, There is nothing wrong with dumping the ball in the flat. Even Babe Ruth didn't hit a homerun every at bat. Sincerely, Alumni."

At one point I told my brother I thought Jacory should be benched. The only problem with that is who would you play in his place? Then immediately after I say something like that Jacory makes a beautiful pass to Travis Benjamin. Moments like this frustrate me. I have seen Jacory Harris make big plays. I have seen him make gorgeous throws with such touch it looks like the ball floats into the receiver's hands. But then I am reminded of Ohio State and that four interception game. Then I remember that last year he threw 17 interceptions. I am not sure if Jacory Harris can lead this team to wins against big time teams.

Anyway, I'd like to talk about something positive I saw in this game. Damien Berry is a good running back. He kind of reminds me of Willis Mcgahee. He had 21 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. The numbers don't sound too shocking, but there was one play I was particularly impressed with. In the second half, Berry took a handoff for 27 yards around the corner. I have always thought of him as a physical, powerful runner, but on this play he showed some elusiveness and speed. If Berry has a breakout game at some point this year he could experience something similar to what happened with Edgerrin James before he was drafted. Edgerrin James climbed rapidly up the draft charts after he had a 299 yard rushing day against UCLA in 1998. Damien Berry was also a bright spot against Ohio State. In that game he rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries. If we had run the ball a bit more perhaps we would have had a better chance to win. With a little luck I can see Damien Berry getting drafted on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

I'll finish by completely contradicting myself. I wish the Hurricanes would watch the Miami Dolphins and use some of their philosophy. Run the ball. Control the clock. Play good, solid defense. Don't let Jacory lose the game for you by trying to do too much. These are the exact same things I criticize about the Miami Dolphins' offense, but right now I trust Damien Berry and the rest of the Hurricanes' stable of running backs in comparison to Jacory Harris' arm. 

AP photo/ Wilfredo Lee

Thoughts on Canes win over Pitt

Redemption

A second chance. All of us know what that feels like. We all know what it's like to make a mistake, regret it, and wish we could somehow fix what we did. Some of us get lucky and find a way to get that second chance. Others are not as blessed. I think there is one thing we can all agree on though. There is no better feeling than seeing someone be at their lowest, and watch them climb back up to the top. A redemption story. America loves redemption stories.

Why? Perhaps it is because of this nation's history. We went from being a blip on the world's radar screen to being a world power in 250 years. We experienced the Great Depression, arguably this nation's lowest point, and fought back to become even stronger. We experienced 9/11. Look no further than the famous words of Vince Lombardi: "It isn't about whether you got knocked down, it's about whether you get back up."

Some of the movies we love, movies that have become ingrained in our minds, deal with that simple theme. Look at Rocky. Have you ever met someone that doesn't like Rocky? Rocky is about a guy who comes from nothing and all of a sudden becomes a champion boxer. To continue with Sylvester Stallone movies, another example is Rambo. John Rambo is a Vietnam vet who comes back to America to realize he is an outcast. He essentially is a "bad guy" who blows up a whole town because they arrested him for being a drifter. It's odd, but you are rooting for Rambo the entire time. There are more examples of movies like this. You've got Scarface, where the main character is a coke snorting crazy Cuban drug lord, yet at the end of the movie when his house is infiltrated by Colombians who have been hired to kill him you are cheering for him to somehow survive the ambush.

It should be no surprise that we do the same exact thing with athletes. Most of America believes Pete Rose should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He gambled on baseball and denied it for years, was banned from the game, and for a long time we were angry with him. But America has moved on. The same goes for Ron Artest, who in 2004 during a basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons went into the crowd and started a brawl between the fans and the teams. Now he is a Laker and is fresh off a championship. America has moved on. Miami Dolphin fans were enraged when Ricky Williams quit the team to smoke dope, but now he is a fan favorite. He has been forgiven.

It happens over and over again. A player hits rock bottom, but over time you want to see him succeed again. Most recently we have dealt with athletes like Tiger Woods, who we thought was squeaky clean for all these years and now we see he has been having extra-marital affairs for years with several women. Tiger Woods will eventually win a major tournament and be back in America's good graces in no time.

This brings me to Michael Vick. In 2005, Michael Vick was the NFL's highest paid player. He was 24 years old at that point and had just signed a 10 year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. We all know what happened next. The dog fighting scandal. The gambling. The tax evasion. Michael Vick went from being one of the NFL's most popular players to a convict. Fast forward to September 2010. Michael Vick is now the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He gets his shot at redemption.

Redemption

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

We know the saying. We know what it's like to be let down, year after year. We've been fooled before. Some of us are being fooled right now. Me? I'm trying my very best to not fall for this trap the Dolphins have laid before us after week 2. Our record says we are undefeated right now. Two wins. Zero losses. The bandwagon is driving around the neighborhood. Better jump on now. Not me. I'm not that naiive anymore. I'm a wise man when it comes to this. Don't get me wrong. The feeling is there. The pull, the twinge in your heart when you read 2-0, it's there. Hope. Just a glimmer. But I'm stomping it down. I am doing everything I can to keep it locked away in a box deep down inside my soul.


Why you ask? Why so jaded? Why so determined to stop myself from celebrating a victory, especially one on the road against a team many consider Super Bowl caliber with a Hall of Fame quarterback and a Pro Bowl running back? Why not, for just a second, admit that it feels good to pull off this victory and be atop the AFC East Division? I've been down this road before. Since the very beginning of my Dolphin fandom I have been a hopeless romantic. Always believing the Dolphins will give me what my heart desires--a championship.


At first, it was because Dan Marino needed one. It would be the one thing that would cement him in the minds of many as the top quarterback of all time. Year after year I would feel pain when the Dolphins would lose in the playoffs. Not just my pain, I would feel Dan's pain. I would see him on the sideline or in the locker room, head hung, looking older each passing season. His arm was not failing him, but his legs and hips surely were. Time was running out on Dan.


In 1995, the Dolphins seemed set to make a run at the Super Bowl. We started off the year 4-0 and expectations were through the roof. Then we lost three in a row. The rest of the season was up and down, but even so we believed that come playoff time, Marino would get us to the Super Bowl. First round playoff exit. The Buffalo Bills rushed for over 300 yards and we got destroyed even though Marino threw for over 400 yards. That's when everyone started saying it was time for a change. Don Shula had to go.


Bring on the Jimmy Johnson era. More promises being made. Jimmy promised he would win us a championship by his third year. That didn't workout the way he planned, so he quit, leaving us in the hands of Dave Wannstedt. During all those years we had a few nice seasons. But we never made it to the promised land. Wannstedt quit the same year Ricky Williams left the team and then we started playing what seemed to be musical chairs with our coaching staff. Jim Bates was the head coach for some time, then there was Nick Saban. Saban seemed promising. I wanted to believe in him so much because I had read his book and he was part of the Parcells/Belichik coaching tree. Sports Illustrated predicted the Dolphins would win the Super Bowl. We signed Daunte Culpepper instead of Drew Brees. Culpepper played a few games before he was back on the injured list, and Nick bailed on us when he saw we were much further from a Super Bowl than what he had envisioned. He lied to all of us, packed his bags and went to Alabama.


Bring on Cam Cameron and the worst season in Miami Dolphins history. This was definitely the most painful season of football I have ever had to endure. I watched the games only because I was hoping we could win at least ONE. We did, against the Baltimore Ravens on a catch over the middle by Greg Camarillo. Then we got Parcells, Sparano, and Ireland. This is where we are at. Years and years of first round playoff exits, watching legends get tossed to the curb, stars simply walk away from the game for reasons I yet don't fully comprehend (Ricky Williams), draft day screw ups, free agency miscues, career ending injuries, have all left me in a fetal position on the floor sucking my thumb. The Super Bowl has become something of a myth around Miami. It's like the Holy Grail. Is it even real? Again, the Dolphins may be 2-0, and we may have beaten Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, but I refuse to allow myself to fall into the same traps I've fallen into since I was a kid.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

Dolphins-Vikings: What to look for...

In an about an hour the Miami Dolphins will be taking on the Minnesota Vikings on the road. While most of the national attention will revolve around Brett Favre, I'll be keeping a close eye on Chad Henne. Last week Henne averaged somewhere around 5.6 yards per completion, most of those dump offs to his running backs or check downs underneath. Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning claims the team called for at least two or three deep passes but on one of them the ball was under-thrown (to Brandon Marshall), another Henne was sacked, and the third he checked down.

I made the assertion in an earlier blog that the Dolphins will have to be able to sling the ball down field in order to have a realistic shot of competing when it comes to the playoffs. Henne technically has not yet played a full season, having only become the starter after Chad Pennington went down with a shoulder injury last season. Last week I jumped all over him and started to doubt whether he could be the guy to lead this team to the Super Bowl. A week has passed and although I have many of the same concerns, I am willing to let Henne evolve before my eyes (hopefully he does).

That being said, here are some of the problems I see with Henne so far. I think he holds the ball way too long and at times doesn't look too confident about where to throw the ball. Against the Vikings he will have to get rid of the ball early because Jared Allen is lining up on the other side of the ball and will be looking to wreak havoc on him. But the main thing I want to see from Henne is a little of the stuff that makes Brett Favre one of the all time greats--Henne needs to trust himself and trust his instincts. He can't be worried about making mistakes. I know the Dolphins preach no interceptions, no fumbles, and no penalties. All of that is beautiful, but if Henne is worried about making mistakes, he'll never be the playmaker we need him to be.

Henne has a strong arm and is capable of hitting the deep pass (he made Ten Ginn look great against the New York Jets). We need him to become the leader of this offense, and he will never gain that position by being the guy who makes the safe passes. He needs to be the guy who takes some risks, makes some big plays. The quarterback needs to live and die on his arm, a la Brett Favre. The Dolphins need look no further than their own past. Dan Marino trusted his arm more than anything else. He had the utmost confidence in himself. Take a look at this play just to see exactly what I mean. In this game against the New England Patriots, coming from behind and on 4th down and 5, instead of going for the safe play Marino slung the ball down field to Irving Fryar. What happens next is a thing of beauty (fast forward to the 3:43 mark to see the play I am referring to).

Dolphins-Vikings: What to look for...

LET LBJ PLAY PG

The Miami Heat have a situation at point guard. Who to start? Mario Chalmers? A guy who showed talent his rookie year but then had a huge drop-off his second year in the league? Or Carlos Arroyo, an NBA journeyman who doesn't really do anything spectacularly? Mario Chalmers is most famous for making a last second shot in the NCAA tournament a few years ago. "Super" Mario is his nickname, but he has done close to nothing in the NBA so far to be considered starter caliber. He's an average on the ball defender who likes to gamble. He might get a few steals, but more likely than not he is getting beat by most point guards in the league. What is most shocking to me is that he appeared slower his second season. I don't know how it's possible to lose speed at his age (second year player) but that's how it seemed to me. Carlos Arroyo on the other hand has never been known to be a great defensive player. The upside for Arroyo is that he doesn't turn the ball over much, but that is countered by the fact he's not a great playmaker either. Aside from that, his range is not as good as Chalmers' (although I wouldn't call Chalmers a lethal threat from beyond three point range either).


Many people around the league, the so called experts, have made much of the fact we don't have a true starting caliber point guard on the Miami Heat roster. I disagree. Ever since Lebron James came into the NBA I thought to myself Lebron should be playing point guard. At his size, speed, and athletic ability, it would create a mismatch against any team in the NBA. Many have touted his passing ability as his best attribute. I know in Cleveland he needed to carry the team and score a whole lot of points in order to win ball games, but now that he's in Miami, he has Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to feed the ball to. Adding to that, he is going to have Mike Miller, one of the best three point shooters in the league, out on the wing by himself when opposing teams send a double team to make up for the size mismatch Lebron has over "x" point guard. Obviously Erik Spoelstra needs to clear it with Lebron and make sure he would be willing to play point guard, but I really don't see any reason why he wouldn't.


It would benefit the team greatly and he has made it clear he wants to try and average a triple double next year. What better way for him to reach those numbers than to play point guard? Lebron would be this generation's Magic Johnson, if not even better (I still give Magic the advantage when it comes to intangibles such as leadership skills). It's not like this is a new idea either. The Chicago Bulls used Scottie Pippen as a point forward who would handle the ball for a large part of the game, especially towards the end of the Bulls dynasty when Michael Jordan needed someone to carry some of the ball handling load. The second wave of Bulls' championships featured Ron Harper as the starting point guard, and he was brought on more for his defense than his playmaking or ball handling ability. The backup point guard was Steve Kerr, another player who was really a specialist type and not starting caliber (Kerr retired with the highest three point shooting percentage in league history). Scottie Pippen's numbers reflect more of what Lebron's numbers should be if he played point guard (Pippen was really a triple threat player in that he could score, rebound, and distribute the ball as well as any point guard in the league). In today's league, players like the Lakers' Lamar Odom are used as point forwards as well.


Everyone has expected Lebron to be the next Michael Jordan. To me, he is more of a blend of Magic Johnson and Scottie Pippen. Sure he can score tons of points. He proved that in Cleveland. But in order for him to win championships here in Miami and for the Heat to become the dynasty he and the rest of the Heat stars envisioned when they all agreed to take less money and come to South Beach, scoring can't be his main focus. 

With this much talent around him, Lebron doesn't need to carry the scoring load.

LET LBJ PLAY PG

It's about time!

According to Manny Navarro from the Miami Herald, Randy Shannon lit into his players. (Eye on the U). I have been complaining about Randy Shannon's sideline demeanor since he was hired. Honestly, I have been complaining about Randy Shannon for many other reasons as well and have at times flip-flopped when it comes to any discussion dealing with him. I applauded Shannon when he first became the head coach for making discipline a priority. He made sure his players were going to class, he banned guns on campus, he told them that their main focus should be on getting a solid education. I read about these stories in the paper and thought to myself it was about time someone stepped up and helped mold these kids into men, not just athletes hoping to make it to the NFL.

Many of my friends, most of them varsity coaches in Dade County, told me they felt Randy Shannon was the wrong guy for the job. Some of them even stopped being Hurricane fans when he was hired because they felt the program was heading in the wrong direction. Randy Shannon was a good defensive coordinator, they'd say, but not head coach material. Year in and year out, I would find myself wondering if they were correct when I would notice several blunders that even a casual fan could see. To begin with, I felt Shannon handled the Robert Marve/Jacory Harris quarterback competition the wrong way. Reading between the lines, and I could be wrong, I felt Shannon had made promises to both players. After Randy brought in the entire Northwestern team, I thought the writing was already on the wall--Jacory would become the starter.

Then there were the clock management issues. Shannon seemed to use his time-outs at the most inopportune times, leaving the team vulnerable in the last few minutes of games. Why was he taking so many time-outs? Too many men on the field, the wrong personnel on the field, not knowing how to line up against certain offenses, etc. These are things that an organized coach takes care of way before the game on the practice field. As a guy who was a high school coach for a few years, I understand that these things happen. In my first year I found myself calling time-outs all the time. Difference is I was 23 and had no experience in managing a team. Shannon has been around football his whole life and is getting paid a hell of a whole lot more than I was.

Another thing that bothered me about Randy was he always seemed to be so calm on the sidelines. I know ranting and raving during games isn't for everyone (personally, I don't know any other way to behave. I am naturally a loud guy, so as a coach, I stormed up and down the sideline the entire game. Especially when a player would jump offsides or forget their blocking assignment). So when I read this story that Randy Shannon lit into his players after losing to Ohio State, I felt this was something long overdue. He should have done this a very long time ago. He should have done it last year when we lost to Virginia Tech.

People have been making excuses for this team for far too long. I have heard it all from blaming Larry Coker for his poor recruiting to Randy just needs more time to get his guys in place. I am sorry to say this is the Northwestern class' third year and I have seen very little improvement from most of their players. I am not at practice every day but I do watch the games. Where the hell is Tommy Streeter? Why is Aldarius Johnson playing so poorly? We were told these guys would be the next wave of great receivers at the U and we have barely seen anything from either of them. Jacory Harris has been nothing but mediocre at best!

I know it is a sports cliche, but I firmly believe it to be true...a team takes on the personality of their head coach. Attitude is contagious. I am not friends with Randy Shannon, nor am I with the team when they are behind closed doors. Judging from what I see during games, there does not seem to be much urgency from this team. The Miami fans are getting tired of being told to wait. They are tired of being told that this team is too young. Watch the Ohio State game again. We should have won that game.

It's about time!

Black Eyed Peas to perform in next Super Bowl

The NFL has had a problem with their halftime show in the past few years ever since Janet Jackson's boob popped out on stage (Thank Justin Timberlake). In order to try and remain "family" friendly, the league has had rock bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Who perform during halftime. The problem with this? The stats show most people under the age of 30 are tuning out. While I personally have no problem watching Mick Jagger decompose on stage, most people I know disagree with me. This was made clear to me last year via my facebook account. Every other status update was some form of complaint about The Who being selected for the halftime show. When I defended the NFL's choice I was surprised to find out most people on my friends list had never even heard of The Who. I assume the NFL's choice this year will appeal to a more general mass of people. The Black Eyed Peas have a variety of songs that appeal to a younger crowd while not offending the "family" group out there. Songs such as "I got a feeling", "Let's get it started",  or "Where is the love" are sure to be neutral and vanilla. However, there are certain songs I am sure the NFL won't let them play on stage such as "My Humps" and "Boom Boom Pow" which both revolve around certain female body parts.

I am decomposing.

Black Eyed Peas to perform in next Super Bowl

The female reporter everyone is talking about...

Ines Sainz. By now you know who this woman is unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few days. Well, in case you didn't already know (Seriously, where have you been?) she is the Mexican female reporter who has been at the center of some recent controversy regarding female reporters in NFL locker rooms. Sainz attended a New York Jets practice last week with the hopes of interviewing Mark Sanchez, one of the few Hispanic players in the NFL and the Jets current quarterback. Sainz allegedly was harrassed by Jets players while she waited in the locker room. It has also been alleged that Rex Ryan and the defensive backs moved their drill period closer to Sainz in order to try and bump into her. Now while this may seem childish, I will defend the Jets players on this.

I was a high school football player. I remember what it was like when the cheerleaders or track girls would be running around the track during our practices. Some of us would intentionally throw the ball towards them in order to try and show off. No player can say they were not aware the girls were watching. Some of us would get reprimanded by our coaches for turning around to watch them do their cheers. While it is true that the Jets players are adults and professionals, at the end of the day they are football players who behave like children for the most part. They are being paid to play a game. It's not like they were in a corporate office discussing company assets and mergers.

All of this has spurred some heated debate about whether female reporters should be allowed in NFL locker rooms period. Let's use some common sense here. There are 53 men on an NFL team. That's 53 men with raging hormones. That's 53 men playing the most violent sport on this planet who are full of nothing but testosterone. They are in their locker room, their safe haven. They are showering, eating, watching television, listening to music, etc. Some of them are walking around naked, some of them are wearing close to nothing. Enter this woman:



You're a football player in a locker room full of dudes. This walks in. What are you going to do?

Is it realistic to expect 53 men to all be on their best behavior? Think of the atmosphere you are in. These guys are pulling pranks on one another, every other word out of their mouth starts with an F and ends with a K. They are basically in a frat house. How are they not going to whistle and make comments? Especially when she is dressed like this!

Call me a misogynist if you'd like. Call me a pig. I don't see how the Jets players are to blame for what happened to Ines Sainz. She very well knows what she looks like and she very well knows she's entering a locker room full of sweaty pigs. Anyone who will try to tell you these 53 men are supposed to be gentlemen with manners don't know much about football players. 

By the way, now that we're on the topic...Is Ines Sainz hotter than  Erin Andrews?

The female reporter everyone is talking about...

Jacory Harris' last tweet...

Jacory Harris has a history of responding to fans in a fashion that doesn't make much sense to me. Last year he told fans he didn't want them on the UM bandwagon when they had "disappeared" over the last few years. I have no problem with him talking like that except for the fact he has done nothing in his three years at the U to earn this right. If Willis McGahee says something like that, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, or any other UM great says that, it has a little more meaning. Jacory Harris says it and I scratch my head. Especially after he threw 17 interceptions last season and especially after his poor showing against Ohio State last week. Yesterday it was announced Head Coach Randy Shannon banned Twitter. (For full story click UM bans Twitter).

Jacory's comments before deactivating his Twitter account are more alarming:

"To the fans that's here only when things go right. Thank you. We loved you while you were here. Just know if everything goes as planned, don't come back. With that being said....God bless you! Negative or positive. I'm out!!"

Now here's my issue. When Jacory was first recruited out of Northwestern, I was a firm supporter. I believed Jacory would eventually beat out Robert Marve just because it appeared the writing was on the wall. After all, Jacory was part of the #1 rated recruiting class that came out of Northwestern. The fact Jacory split time his first year with Marve was done purposefully to force out Marve in my opinion. Whether that was Randy Shannon's intent or not, Marve left the U after a falling out with the coaching staff. Jacory has shown flashes of greatness during the last few years. Sometimes he hits Travis Benjamin on a deep pass and you can't help but feel, "Finally! We're back! The U is back!" The problem is he follows up a beautiful deep pass with an untimely interception and the occasional four pick game like the one he had against Ohio State.

Until Jacory Harris wins something significant I don't think he has earned any right to tell fans to jump off the UM bandwagon. Leave that to the players who have actually brought respect and honor to the football program. Leave that to Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Just because you play for the U doesn't mean you are part of that circle. You have to earn that. So far Jacory has been nothing but inconsistent. I hope Randy Shannon keeps the Twitter ban all year long and that he bans their facebook accounts as well. All of the current
players should keep their mouths shut until they win something.

Jacory Harris playing for the Northwestern Bulls.

Jacory Harris' last tweet...

Twitter Ban at the U

Randy Shannon has banned his players from using Twitter. He says the team needs to regain focus. Is this shocking? Most coaches are control freaks. They have meticulous practice plans that are planned out to the minute. At 3:00 PM you have group drills. At 3:15, you break into individual drills. At 3:30, you work on a passing skeleton. The whistle blows and the players are expected to move around the practice field as quickly as possible. No time is wasted. A friend of mine who played college football told me he couldn't stand to have his whole life planned out for him. His class schedule was selected for him and he was expected to be in study hall while not in practice or lifting weights in the gym. Everything was pre-packaged. For some, this is a small sacrifice to pay in order to play college football. After all, only a very small percentage of us who play high school football make it to the next level.

Which brings me to my point. If it is well understood by anyone who follows college football that the coach is usually akin to a dictator, why is the media making such a big deal out of the fact that Randy Shannon banned Twitter? (Take this Quiz: Who said it? NFL Coach or Dictator?) C'mon. The Miami Dolphins run their organization like the Pentagon. The New England Patriots don't even tell the media when their players are injured, or when they do, they only vaguely describe the injury. The year the Patriots almost went undefeated (Thank you David Tyree and Eli Manning), Tom Brady was listed as having a shoulder injury the entire season. The only thing Twitter does is give the players more control over how they are perceived by their fans and media. However, the social networking site can cause distractions.

All it takes is for one player to post an inappropriate picture (Former Miami Heat player Michael Beasley accidentally posting pictures of his weed) and all of a sudden you have a public relations disaster on your hands that could lead to an NCAA investigation, more media pressure, and a giant headache for the University of Miami Athletics Department. What is shocking to me is how Shannon has not banned other social networking sites such as Facebook. Facebook is just as dangerous if not more dangerous than twitter because of the fact people post photo albums of virtually every social event they partake in.

 You went to a party this weekend? Someone took a picture. Were you drinking a beer? You better believe there is a picture somewhere out there. I'll give you a perfect example. Just last year I was at Chili's in Coconut Grove when I realized sitting right behind me was Graig Cooper, a running back who plays for the Hurricanes. I try as much as possible to not be "that annoying fan" who is always asking for autographs and pictures, but I figured he was sitting right behind me and I was really the only one who had noticed he was there. I approached him and asked if it was ok if I took a picture with him. He seemed very shy to be honest, but he took the picture with me (of course he threw up the "U" sign with his hands). Now what would have happened if Graig Cooper was out with a bunch of his friends drinking beers (nothing illegal about that by the way) and I secretly took a bunch of pictures from the corner and later posted them on my Twitter or Facebook account? Would people have made an issue out of it? Maybe, maybe not. What if he was at a strip club? What if he was smoking weed? Players need to be very careful what they do in public. This has always been an issue for all athletes, but even more so in this generation of camera phones.

Twitter Ban at the U

UF the new convicts?

Chris Rainey told his ex-girlfriend it was "time to die, bitch." He was arrested. That brings the total of Gators arrested over the last few years to a whopping 27. The media has yet to put the University of Florida under the microscope the way they did when the University of Miami was dominating college football. In 1995, Sports Illustrated called for the banning of the University of Miami football program after the Pell Grant scandal.

Sports Illustrated called for the end of the University of Miami football program. Why not do the same for the University of Florida?

While it is true the Miami program was in disarray at the time, it faced an unprecedented amount of media attention and scrutiny. Why is that no one criticizes the Gators now? Tim Tebow served as a distraction while he was playing at the University of Florida, his off field philanthropic efforts and his religious fervor being as much a part of his image as his talent as a football player. Now that he plays for the Denver Broncos, Urban Meyer might be in trouble. The Gators don't have a media darling to shield them from criticism any longer.

UF the new convicts?

Heat-Magic: The start of a new rivalry?

Stan Van Gundy. You either love him or you hate him. It seems Stan is in the news every few months verbally sparring with someone. He called out Shaquille O’neal for flopping in a game against Dwight Howard when Shaq was on the Suns back in March of 2009. When Dwight Howard was criticized for not winning in the post-season, he took the opportunity to take shots at Kevin Garnett, saying Garnett hadn’t won much in the NBA before he got to the Celtics. Some members of the media like him because they think he is refreshing (Dan Le Batard for one has him on his radio show frequently and has said Stan Van Gundy is one of his favorite guests). Then there are those who believe the Ron Jeremy look alike should shut his mouth.

According to Shaq, Van Gundy is the "Master of Panic." How's that for a porn name?

Pat Riley is one of them. After months of silence from the Godfather of basketball, Riley spoke about the comments Stan Van Gundy made after the Miami Heat signed Lebron James and Chris Bosh this off-season. Van Gundy called Bosh a “lap dog” for following Dwyane Wade around and the Orlando Magic’s general manager, Otis Smith, questioned Lebron James for not wanting to win on his own. Riles pretty much called Van Gundy and Smith’s comments “stupid” and mentioned how Otis Smith had signed Rashard Lewis from Seattle for $128 million dollars. Note to Stan: Riley has championship rings. Plural. You have none. Until then, maybe you should keep your mouth shut.

This is not unfamiliar territory for Miami fans. We have been hated before. Just look back to the things people were saying about the Miami Hurricanes in the late 80’s and 90’s. Hell, the Miami-Notre Dame rivalry was known as the Catholics vs. Convicts. Lebron James has called this Heat team “Team Dillinger” after John Dillinger, a Depression era gangster who was so dangerous the federal government changed the way the FBI operated just to attempt to catch him. This following year, and for the next decade or so if this team sticks together, the NBA will have to come up with new ways to defend the trio of Wade, Bosh, and Lebron.

I can’t wait to see the fireworks that Heat-Magic will bring this upcoming season. There’s already tons of bulletin board material and this drama already has back story to it—Stan Van Gundy was a Heat assistant for almost 12 years and his brother Jeff was the coach of the New York Knicks after Riley ditched them to come coach the Heat. It’s been a long time since the Miami Heat had a real rivalry, dating back to the Heat-Knicks wars of the late 90’s. The Knicks haven’t been relevant in quite some time thanks to Isaiah Thomas and his scouting ability, so that rivalry has pretty much deflated (although if the Knicks pull of a trade for Carmelo Anthony or sign him in the off-season the Heat-Knicks rivalry will be hotter than ever). Stan Van Gundy. You either love him or you hate him. As a Heat fan, I want Stan to keep talking as much as possible. The more he speaks negatively about the Heat, the more drama he adds to the regular season and playoff matchups.

Jeff Van Gundy holding on for dear life

Heat-Magic: The start of a new rivalry?

Miami Dolphins look mediocre in win...

You will hear from several NFL analysts and experts that in the NFL, a win is a win. Although this is true, especially when the Dolphins haven’t won in Buffalo in God knows how long, this win should be a cause for some alarm. In today’s NFL, teams who score 15 points on the Buffalo Bills aren’t going to win the Super Bowl. Teams who pass for less than 200 yards aren’t going to be part of any parades. Although the Dolphins did in fact win, at the end the Bills still had a chance with 2 minutes left in large part due to the fact the Dolphins could not run out the clock. By the way, that is the same Dolphins who so heavily emphasize the running game and have spent an inordinate amount of money on their offensive line. The Dolphins' offensive line is like Tori Spelling—tons of expensive plastic surgery, same result.

Same result- Ugly

The only real bright spot on that line is Jake Long. The Dolphins' defense had to save the team much like it did back in the Jimmy Johnson/Dave Wannstedt era. Although this is an encouraging sign, it is not what you expect from a team who just picked up Brandon Marshall in the off-season. You would figure that our offense would be more explosive now with the addition of Marshall. You would expect that with the running back duo of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, the addition of a Pro Bowl receiver, and an extra off-season working with the first team, Chad Henne would look impressive in a regular season debut against the lowly Buffalo Bills. However, here was Henne looking very Jay Fiedler-ish when we have been told over and over again he is the future of this team.

"I hope this is not picked off."

Maybe I am jumping the gun on this, and I could be very wrong, but Chad Henne doesn’t seem to be the answer. We were told by the media and the coaching staff that Chad Henne would allow this offense to be able to throw the ball deep and get what they call “chunk” yardage. Yet, against the Bills, there was Henne doing a lot of dinking and dunking. Maybe being a Chad Pennington understudy rubbed off on him a little too much, but if our offense is going to continue dinking and dunking all the way down field, we are going to have the same struggles we had with Pennington as the starter. (By the way, I am going to go out on a limb here and tell you that Chad Pennington is by far the best dinker and dunker on this team).

By now you might be thinking that I am doing an awful lot of complaining. The truth? Yes I am. And here is why. As a life time Dolphin fan, I am sick and tired of seeing mediocre offensive play. I have seen the Dolphins' defense dominate at times over the last 15 years and I have seen them have a good, maybe even great running game at times (and then Ricky Williams took off to Australia to live in a tent and smoke a lot of pot). But what I have not seen is the Dolphins win in the playoffs.

"I don't remember the last time my ass felt clean."

I remember when Jimmy Johnson was still coaching and then even into the Wannstedt years how people would bash Jay Fiedler. I defended him. My friends and family would argue with me, “How can you defend Fiedler? Every time he throws a deep out it’s pick six the other way!” I defended Fiedler because we were winning. I had seen the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Baltimore Ravens win with good defense, good running game, and mediocre quarterback play. We had a few 11-5 years there with Jay Fiedler and that Zach Thomas/Jason Taylor/Sam Madison/Pat Surtain led defense. Those teams were fun to watch and gave you a false sense of hope come playoff time. We were always a good team, right on the brink of being very good. In the end though, Fiedler would throw the interceptions we all knew he would and the running game would fail because no one feared the threat of the pass, and somehow the defense that had held it all together for a whole season would unravel.

Then we all got slapped in the face with a brick and were welcomed to the “this is what the Detroit Lions have experienced for their entire existence” era which culminated with a 1-15 season. Cue the Bill Parcells regime walking in and immediately becoming the opiate of the Miami Dolphins’ fan base. Here we are in the third year of the Parcells era (even though he stepped down, this is still the coach and general manager he handpicked and he had substantial say in the current personnel of this team), and we still have a million questions left unanswered.

I am tired of watching 15-10 games. If we win the Super Bowl, I’ll take it without a problem. However, I have been a Dolphin fan long enough to not be misled by these types of games. I know that if Chad Henne doesn’t start looking like a star, no amount of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown is going to win the Super Bowl in this modernized NFL. No passing game in today’s league equals early playoff exits. It’s been a long time since 1972 and I am pretty tired of investing so much of my time and energy in watching a team that is going to leave me feeling disappointed each and every week for half of the year.

Comments and debate are welcome.

Miami Dolphins look mediocre in win...