Tales From London

[Daytona Fin]

From Hal Habib

Just spent the final few hours of Friday evening in Piccadilly, learning about what the world thinks about our issues … and how at least for some now in London, everything comes back to wondering what the heck the deal is with the Miami Dolphins.
San Cicchetti Piccadilly, a popular Italian restaurant, was my final stop — nothing like “breakfast” at 11 p.m. — when I glanced over to the couple next to me and saw the guy was wearing a University of Miami shirt. Sure enough, they’re Dolphins fans here for Sunday’s game, but the curveballs were 1) They have Dolphins season tickets even though 2) They live in Toronto.
But the clincher was that earlier in the day, Casey Trigiani ran into Dan Marino at a pub, took a photo, but did not bite his tongue regarding the state of his favorite team.
“Danny, you’re the reason I’m a Dolphins fan,” Trigiani began, “but it’s been a hard stretch since you’ve been gone.”
And then: “We just deserve better than mediocre.”
According to Trigiani, Marino, a special adviser to owner Steve Ross, replied, “I know, I know. We’re working on it.”
Trigiani also chatted with Jimmy Cefalo, the voice of the Dolphins, “And I told Cefalo the same thing.”

I came to Cicchetti from the Whistleblower pub a couple of blocks away, where I’d been curious about the wacky report circulating that the New York Jets brought 350 rolls of toilet paper with them out of concerns that British toilet paper did not meet their standards.
This set off a goofy, worldwide frenzy of sorts, with The Telegraph going so far as to run an online poll: “Is British toilet paper too thin? (Vote) Yes, the New York Jets are right to bring their own (or) No, what’s wrong with Andrex?”
Players and coaches for both teams fielded questions on this hot topic, with Dolphins coach Joe Philbin reporting the British variety appears to work just fine and running back Jay Ajayi, a London native, informing everybody that he has never had a problem with it.
The Trigianis might be upset to learn that back home, The Toronto Sun was running a headline: “New York Jets ready to wipe some butt this weekend in London.”
(This, of course, was brought to us by the folks kind enough to give us possibly the greatest blooper in NFL history, Mark Sanchez’s butt fumble.)

Anyway, I ran into Englishman Reginald Perrin at the Whistleblower, where he blew a whistle on the whole affair.
“It’s a notch above sandpaper,” he deadpanned about Andrex before getting to, well, the bottom of things.
“It’s as luxurious as any in the world,” he confirmed.

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...-marino-says-we-deserve-better-than-mediocre/

 

[Daytona Fin]

From Chris perkins

Dolphins have a 1-2 record and they've suffered back-to-back disappointing losses to Jacksonville and Buffalo. But they aren't mad right now, not while they're in jolly old England preparing to play the New York Jets on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

"I don't know about angry," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said after Friday's practice at Allianz Park. "Not happy, I would say. There's intensity, there's urgency. We're not happy about how we've played. We understand we have to play better.

"But I don't think that throwing things or saying outlandish things is going to change anything. It's a matter of how we handle ourselves day to day, how we prepare. That's what's ultimately going to win us games."

Overall, morale seems high among the Dolphins.

"It's no need to hang our heads right now," strong safety Reshad Jones said. "We're still up, we're still in good spirits, and things like that. I just think we need to start fast and continue to play tough and together, and we'll be fine."

The Dolphins tried as much as possible to keep their Friday and Saturday schedule the same as it would be in South Florida or any other NFL locale.

Players have Friday night in London to themselves.

The coach and quarterback are both planning low-key evenings.

"I don't have anything planned," Tannehill said. "Maybe go grab some dinner somewhere, but nothing crazy planned."

Philbin, never known as a night-lifer, said he'll keep things close to his home base.

"Probably hang back to at hotel," he said. "I didn't sleep a whole lot on the plane."

Still, Philbin wants his players to enjoy the experience of being in London. They have a NFL-organized pep rally at Trafalgar Square on Saturday and then their usual walk-through practice.

So Friday is the night to cut loose and be happy, not angry about back-to-back losses.

"It's a world-class city," Philbin said. "And how many times are they going to be able to get back here and put their feet on the soil of London? Who knows?

"So we want them to be able to use their time wisely, but enjoy the city."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-london-main-1003-20151002-story.html

 

[Daytona Fin]

From Jeff Darlington

The New York Jets began their trip to London with a surprise Friday after discovering fascinating amenities at their temporary training facility: modern plumbing, electric and hot water! Oh my!

What a treat it must have been, given all of the team's preparations that went into this expansive three-day trip, to learn there are more similarities between the United States and England than the players might have thought -- even if the language sounds a bit funny.

But hey, better safe than sorry, apparently.

In a New York Times article published Thursday, the Jets explained the planning that went into this trip to London to play the Miami Dolphins in the first of three International Series games this season. The most sensational part of the plan included bringing 350 rolls of toilet paper "to replace the thinner version used in England."

One Londoner has since explained during an exclusive interview with NFL.com, "Good news, we actually have double-ply." But does England have aloe-infused toilet paper? "But of course!" the local exclaimed. Ah, the excitement of an English accent!

The Jets also packed extra clothes and shipped over "condiment staples that could be difficult to procure, like hot sauce and barbecue sauce." After all, how could an American football team possibly be expected to succeed without the home comforts of barbecue sauce on a trip that includes a whopping three days of meals?

OK, so maybe we're just having a little fun at the expense of the Jets right now, given how they treated their quick hop across the pond more like a one-month trip to the North Pole. And no, there is no harm in packing some extra goods if they've got the resources to pull it off.

But this hilariously over-planned trip speaks to more than a lighthearted level of American arrogance and naivety about traveling to a country that was established nearly 800 years before the U.S. It expresses the need for NFL teams to start realizing this trip to Europe isn't all that much more daunting than, say, the Seattle Seahawks flying to the East Coast for a game

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ard-teams-must-approach-london-with-normality

 

[Daytona Fin]

 

[Daytona Fin]

As part of the NFL’s involvement in the Wounded’s Walk of Britain charity event, NFL representative Dan Marino spent a few moments playing catch with Prince Harry.

It seemed to go quite well. Harry caught the ball and threw it back, and Dan Marino called the Prince a “good guy.”

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/prince-harry-played-catch-with-dan-marino-while-quoting-ace-ventura

By the looks of it, Prince Harry has decent form when it comes to throwing the pigskin. In fact, Marino called him "fairly athletic" and complimented him for catching the ball with his hands.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/miami-dolphins-dan-marino-prince-harry-catch-london-093015

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[Daytona Fin]

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[Daytona Fin]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/multim...1046db36#71d09612-6fa1-4458-9496-25e7ba3a0da6

 

[Daytona Fin]

It recorded 350 rolls of toilet paper along with other items such as cereal.
Mr Shpigel told the BBC the toilet rolls were ordered for the players' use in the hotel and at Wembley Stadium.
'Creatures of habit'
He said the order had been included on the recommendation of an intern.
Mr Shpigel said this was how it was explained to him by the Jets' senior manager of team operations Aaron Degerness: "There was an intern who had been over to London numerous times.
"He noticed when he was there that - and I quote - 'the toilet paper was very thin because their plumbing isn't as good'.
"So, the intern informed the operations staff, and the Jets ordered 350 rolls of toilet paper for the hotel and the stadium."
Mr Shpigel said the players and coaches were "such creatures of habit" and the Jets' had wanted to replicate as best they could their operation in the US.
"More than anything I think it speaks to the level of detail to which the Jets approached the planning.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-34430305

That meant reminding players to call their cellphone providers and credit card companies before taking off and to plug in electrical adapters, lest the higher voltage fry their Xboxes or favorite hair clippers. It meant shipping over condiment staples that could be difficult to procure, like hot sauce and barbecue sauce. It also meant considering whether to distribute the per diem in pounds or dollars (the Jets stuck with dollars).

Bowles ultimately favored a brief stay so he could hold the week’s most critical workouts, on Wednesday and Thursday, at the Jets’ practice center here.

Any supplies that contain alcohol or are considered combustible (like batteries) are not permitted to be stowed as plane cargo. They were sent on the ocean freighter, which left the New York area in August.

Accounting for cooler weather, Granneman packed sideline coats and hand warmers — things he said he had never considered, and never would again, for a road game against Miami.

“It’s almost like a winter game,” Granneman said. “It’s like going to Buffalo this time of year. You probably take the same stuff.”

All that stuff, though, cannot be cleaned the same way. At the equipment managers’ meetings in March, Granneman spoke with colleagues from the Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons, both of whom played in London last year, and asked for their advice. Laundry was, and remains, his primary concern.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/s...an-and-thats-just-for-their-laundry.html?_r=1

 

[Daytona Fin]

For local fans, that means a 9:30 a.m. kickoff. And those looking to get out of the house early and share the experience of Sunday-morning football viewing have plenty of choices as restaurants and sports bars will be opening early to show the game on their big-screen, high-definition televisions – and serve up food and refreshing beverages of the non- and alcoholic variety.


Area bars opening up early Sunday to show Dolphins game in London

A sampling of some of the area sports bars and restaurants that will be open for business at kickoff include:

All area Duffy’s locations
Buffalo Wild Wings
Brass Ring Pub
Boston’s on the Beach (normally open for breakfast on weekends)
Carolina Ale House and Miller’s Ale House in Boynton Beach
Bru’s Rooms in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach
The Sports Page Bar and Grill in West Palm Beach
Pirate’s Well Restaurant and Bar in Lake Park.
All of the restaurants will open between 9 a.m. and 9:30.

One of the reasons the NFL has long wished to put a franchise in Europe is to have the ability to turn Sundays into a

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news...ening-up-early-sunday-to-show-dolphins/nnsqX/

LONDON —
Nat Coombs will anchor live coverage of Sunday’s Dolphins-Jets game at Wembley Stadium for the BBC. Coombs first covered the NFL in 2007, but has followed the sport for decades. As the Dolphins practiced in London on Friday, The Post spoke with Coombs on the state of American football abroad, if the British are as baffled by the Dolphins, too, and the nightmare that would ensue if the New England Patriots brought their footballs to England.

Question: Describe the popularity of the NFL now compared to when it first started coming here.

Answer: I fell in love with the game when it had its first spike in popularity in the ’80s. So the Miami Dolphins are my team because as a kid I watched Dan Marino and the Marks Brothers. … It then dipped in popularity, probably because of access, really. You couldn’t watch it for a long time but now you can again. The coverage over here is remarkable. The International Series games have played a significant part in the increase in popularity because like anything, you want to see the A game, up close and in person. Something like NFL Europe was very effective for the league and important, but it really wasn’t what the fans wanted. They want to see players like Brandon Marshall and Ryan Tannehill up front.

Q: People in Florida are wondering “what the heck?” about the Dolphins since the Marino era. What about in the UK?

A: Definitely. My football team — my soccer team over here — is West Ham United, which any of your soccer fans will know, there’s quite a lot of parallels in that great history and attractive style of play rarely win anything. So I’m kind of used to it, really. The Dolphins are valiant losers a lot of the time. Marino’s a hard act to follow, that’s all I can say.

Q: When the season began, what did you expect from the Dolphins?

A: A lot better than we’ve seen right now. Everybody’s a bit jaded about the indifferent — the lack of energy, really. I thought that was really apparent on a few occasions against the Bills. That’s harsh, I know, but it seems to come across. Many people attribute that to coaching and has (Joe) Philbin lost the locker room? I think it’s a bit early to say that and I still think it’s easy in our generation to get carried away and to overreact. They’re 1-2. They’re still very much in it. I think with Sunday, they’ll be .500 and anything’s possible. … I’m quietly, maybe naively, optimistic.

Q: Are the Dolphins the most popular team here?

A: Amongst them. The Patriots are very popular as well.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news...r-says-british-are-scratching-heads-ov/nns5p/

 

[Daytona Fin]

Miko Grimes appears in court as her attorney asked a judge for permission to travel to London for this weekend's Miami Dolphins game.

The wife of a Miami Dolphins player who was arrested outside Sun Life Stadium last weekend appeared in court Thursday morning and asked a judge for permission to leave the country.

An attorney for Miko Grimes, who is married to Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes, asked a Miami-Dade County judge if she could travel to London to watch her husband play Sunday against the New York Jets. The judge granted her request.

https://trove.com/a/Miami-Dolphins-...witter&ts=1443783032&utm_source=sns&nocrawl=1

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[Daytona Fin]

The NFL is back for Week 4 and once again the OddsShark Computer is picking more underdogs than favorites – including four underdogs to win outright.

Three of the four underdogs are home teams, with one neutral site game. The Miami Dolphins are 1-point underdogs to the New York Jets, but the game is taking place at Wembley Stadium in London. The computer predicts a Dolphins win, 25.6-19.6.

http://www.oddsshark.com/nfl/computer-picks

 

[Fins1971]

Thx for keeping us updated Daytona. You are one of the main reasons I come here daily.

 

[LennyV]

Saw that pic on twitter (referencing the one Daytona posted ), everytime I see it I expect to see the original logo, not the current one.
Maybe its time to return to basics and go back to the original.

 

[Daytona Fin]

WalterFootball.com would like to thank Redskins president Bruce Allen and senior vice president/executive producer of media Larry Michael for connecting us to Fugett. Now, let's let Jean take over.

Offensive Player of the Week: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Defensive Players of the Week: Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams and Preston Brown, LB, Buffalo Bills

Goat of the Week: Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins

Coach of the Week: Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals

I think it was Vince Lombardi who was quoted as saying, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." I would be remiss if I didn't start this week by talking about all the injuries that occurred again last week. Many people writing are asking: Will teams be able to overcome their injuries? In the old days, most injuries occurred when players got tired.

I believe that was the reason for Lombardi's quote because in the second half of games, players start to get tired, they become a step slow and end up out of position. They don't get in the proper hitting position. Offensive linemen get tired and defensive linemen blow through and hurt quarterbacks. The breakdown starts with fatigue.

I think that leads to the question: Are the NFL players of today really in good condition? I wonder that looking at how many players come out of the game looking fatigued. Many will ask if the CBA arrangement where there is no hitting during the week and the hitting in pads has been reduced dramatically in training camp. What effect does that have on the overall condition of the team?

Also, flying to London to play games does not help, and I think the NFL is ridiculous for implementing these games. It won't help the Miami team to be on a plane that long with a coach who nobody likes.

I know it is not fair in Week 4 to begin our elimination list, but at 0-3, the odds are so far against those teams. Right now, I have to say the Saints, Lions, Bears, and Ravens will not make the playoffs.

Miami is beset with problems. Now flying to London, who knows how the players will feel when they get back on the plane.

Read more at http://www.walterfootball.com/jeanfugett.php#ogOjx46GKLBM6QwX.99

 

[Daytona Fin]

Saw that pic on twitter (referencing the one Daytona posted ), everytime I see it I expect to see the original logo, not the current one.
Maybe its time to return to basics and go back to the original.

Which pic bro, the cheerleaders?