dolfan19
Starter
I've been a Dolphins fan since the day Dan played in our last Super Bowl. Nowadays, it seems like the Golden Age of football for me. Admittedly, I wasn't around for the success of the 70's, so watching Marino fling it around the field was as good as it got for me. In those days, we were always in the game, always in it with a few minutes left, because you just KNEW that Dan had another TD drive in him. It didn't matter that our defense was horrible, or that we would have been just as successful running the ball with a RB on the field as we would have without one. It didn't matter because we had THE Quarterback.
I know Marino was a once in a lifetime player. I don't expect us to find the second coming of Dan, or "the next Tom Brady." But undoubtedly, the NFL is a QB driven league, and Miami has a QB identity problem.
Today, i read reports that we have "low-balled" Matt Flynn, met with Alex Smith, and invited in David Garrard.
Stop and re-read that last line.
That's right. The Miami Dolphins, who claim that they are doing everything they can to get fans back, to make the Dolphins the "must-see" team of Miami, and restore the HONOR back in our beloved team, just met with Alex Smith, and asked David Garrard - the same guy that shot us down last year - to give us another chance.
Pathetic.
I watched this week as the Patriots signed Brandon Lloyd, and Anthony Gonzalez. I watched Buffalo handcuff Mario Williams into a chair until he signed his contract to help them back into contention. Hell, I even saw the Jets make a statement by signing Sanchez to a contract extension. It seems that the other AFC East teams are not satisfied with standing pat, or allowing the national media to question everyting they are doing. They have made their statements, and look to improve.
Miami, on the other hand, continues to lead the league in national embarrassment. If it isn't our bumbling owner, it's our less-than-personable GM, or the perception that we won't pony up for the most important position on the field. We will dish out the money for WR, LB, or Head Coach, but if it's a QB...well, we just can't seal the deal. And that is the most frustrating part of all of it. Matt Flynn, who in my mind, is the best option to run Philbin's offense from Day 1, is still sitting out there, waiting for us to make a real offer. The one guy who knows this offense as well as Philbin and Aaron Rodgers, is waiting for a fax, instead of moving into his new Miami condo. But hey, lets give David Garrard a chance. He was so quick to give a shot last year, that he wouldn't even give us a sniff unless we handed him the starting job. I doubt Shula would have placed a second call the next offseason.
I am flat out tired of watching my team be the butt of jokes on ESPN, NFL Network, PFT, etc. It's disgusting. This is the MIAMI DOLPHINS, a team that was once one of the winningest teams in the league. The team that people WANTED to play for, Free Agents came to because we were a contender. Because we had Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Dan Marino, etc. The team that was going to score all over you when you came to town, and had A HISTORY.
Now, it just feels like we ARE history.
Forever a bridesmaid, never a bride. I've heard that a few times lately, too. It seems that teams like Tennessee, KC, and the Rams - teams with far less historical success, and also with recent coaching changes - are becoming better options than us. Teams with worse records than Miami JUST LAST YEAR are signing guys that we can't get ahold of. Every guy we seem to have interest in, well, they appear to be prone to visiting other teams, instead of giving us a chance.
Manning - out.
Manningham - out.
Winston - out.
Flynn - well, maybe out, maybe not.
Is it our owner? The GM? The Head Coach? The City?
Or is that we have been so embarrassing for so long, that players just don't think there is any way out of it? And what player would truly want to be a part of this embarrasment? Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas - those guys played nearly their whole careers during the beginning of this trend, and I always felt for them. I felt like maybe other players would see them, and watch them play HOF careers without any REAL team success. I felt like one day, that might keep us from getting the top-flight guys in FA. Now, it seems it has. Mediocrity breeds more mediocrity. And that is the only reason I ever wanted Manning. I though maybe, if people saw him give us a chance, maybe they would, too. But in the end, Peyton didn't serously consider us, either. There truly appears no end in sight.
This wan't meant to be a "sky is falling' thread. Just a forum for me to vent. The Peyton thing has been frustrating, but not like the last 48 hours. I just pray that we can finally move in the right direction, once and for all. Maybe we'll see the light, and soon. Maybe we'll sign Flynn, or draft Tannehill. Anything that might signify a fresh start.
But I hope it happens soon....Before we become history, instead of making it.
I know Marino was a once in a lifetime player. I don't expect us to find the second coming of Dan, or "the next Tom Brady." But undoubtedly, the NFL is a QB driven league, and Miami has a QB identity problem.
Today, i read reports that we have "low-balled" Matt Flynn, met with Alex Smith, and invited in David Garrard.
Stop and re-read that last line.
That's right. The Miami Dolphins, who claim that they are doing everything they can to get fans back, to make the Dolphins the "must-see" team of Miami, and restore the HONOR back in our beloved team, just met with Alex Smith, and asked David Garrard - the same guy that shot us down last year - to give us another chance.
Pathetic.
I watched this week as the Patriots signed Brandon Lloyd, and Anthony Gonzalez. I watched Buffalo handcuff Mario Williams into a chair until he signed his contract to help them back into contention. Hell, I even saw the Jets make a statement by signing Sanchez to a contract extension. It seems that the other AFC East teams are not satisfied with standing pat, or allowing the national media to question everyting they are doing. They have made their statements, and look to improve.
Miami, on the other hand, continues to lead the league in national embarrassment. If it isn't our bumbling owner, it's our less-than-personable GM, or the perception that we won't pony up for the most important position on the field. We will dish out the money for WR, LB, or Head Coach, but if it's a QB...well, we just can't seal the deal. And that is the most frustrating part of all of it. Matt Flynn, who in my mind, is the best option to run Philbin's offense from Day 1, is still sitting out there, waiting for us to make a real offer. The one guy who knows this offense as well as Philbin and Aaron Rodgers, is waiting for a fax, instead of moving into his new Miami condo. But hey, lets give David Garrard a chance. He was so quick to give a shot last year, that he wouldn't even give us a sniff unless we handed him the starting job. I doubt Shula would have placed a second call the next offseason.
I am flat out tired of watching my team be the butt of jokes on ESPN, NFL Network, PFT, etc. It's disgusting. This is the MIAMI DOLPHINS, a team that was once one of the winningest teams in the league. The team that people WANTED to play for, Free Agents came to because we were a contender. Because we had Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Dan Marino, etc. The team that was going to score all over you when you came to town, and had A HISTORY.
Now, it just feels like we ARE history.
Forever a bridesmaid, never a bride. I've heard that a few times lately, too. It seems that teams like Tennessee, KC, and the Rams - teams with far less historical success, and also with recent coaching changes - are becoming better options than us. Teams with worse records than Miami JUST LAST YEAR are signing guys that we can't get ahold of. Every guy we seem to have interest in, well, they appear to be prone to visiting other teams, instead of giving us a chance.
Manning - out.
Manningham - out.
Winston - out.
Flynn - well, maybe out, maybe not.
Is it our owner? The GM? The Head Coach? The City?
Or is that we have been so embarrassing for so long, that players just don't think there is any way out of it? And what player would truly want to be a part of this embarrasment? Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas - those guys played nearly their whole careers during the beginning of this trend, and I always felt for them. I felt like maybe other players would see them, and watch them play HOF careers without any REAL team success. I felt like one day, that might keep us from getting the top-flight guys in FA. Now, it seems it has. Mediocrity breeds more mediocrity. And that is the only reason I ever wanted Manning. I though maybe, if people saw him give us a chance, maybe they would, too. But in the end, Peyton didn't serously consider us, either. There truly appears no end in sight.
This wan't meant to be a "sky is falling' thread. Just a forum for me to vent. The Peyton thing has been frustrating, but not like the last 48 hours. I just pray that we can finally move in the right direction, once and for all. Maybe we'll see the light, and soon. Maybe we'll sign Flynn, or draft Tannehill. Anything that might signify a fresh start.
But I hope it happens soon....Before we become history, instead of making it.