The Goat Rant - October 23, 2014

[The Goat]

First in a series. Hopefully.

So what's the deal with "the Tannehill issue?" Why are there such visceral reactions to this guy? Why is it that when he has a bad week, one group of posters rolls through the Finheaven boards like a pack of wild dogs? And then when he has a good week, a different group of posters reclaims the boards like a crazed mob with pitchforks and torches?

WHAT THE HELL IS IT ABOUT THIS GUY THAT MAKES US WANT TO TEAR EACH OTHER APART?

I think it comes down to two points. Bear with me, if you'd be so kind.

Point 1:Everyone since Marino has sucked, and Tannehill is supposed to end the suckage. This is totally understandable, and it generally has nothing at all to do with Tannehill. We're tired of it. I have distinct memories of cringing every time Fiedler rolled out of the pocket, waiting for the inevitable subsequent Pick-6. I remember getting a haircut while it was announced that The Dolphins gave up a second round pick for AJ Feeley, and yelling "WHAT THE ####?" I probably shouldn't have done that in the barber shop. I remember Ray Lucas, unfortunately. I remember John Beck.

We all remember them. Well, at least the ones that didn't make us drink ourselves into oblivion. And we've become accustomed to sucky QBs since Marino retired...and we're ready to keep churning through them like an assembly line, yelling "NEXT!" when the new guy isn't "the next Marino." Is that fair? Probably not. But it's understandable. We've waited a long damn time, and we deserve another really good QB after 15 years. Maybe Tannehill isn't that guy. Maybe he is.

Point 2: Tannehill seems like a REALLY GOOD GUY. He's doing everything right (except throw the deep ball accurately. I'm sorry. I had to.) And by this, I mean the way he conducts himself. He's intelligent. He's nice. He says all the right things for a QB. He's squeaky freaking clean. He doesn't blame his teammates when things go wrong. For God's sake, he's got a smoking hot wife who likes semi-automatic rifles. He's the kind of guy who's incredibly likable, and people WANT to stick up for him. And when the wild dogs come rolling in, a lot of people grab their pitchforks.

So here's hoping that the "tired of mediocre QB play" and "give the kid a chance" crowds can meet somewhere in the middle. At least for a little while.

Go Fins.

 

[GoonBoss]

He's a QB.

He is a lightning rod. That's the reality of every QBs life. Don't like it?
Stay at WR or play on the Oline.

 

[doughbraz54]

 

[The Goat]

He's a QB.

He is a lightning rod. That's the reality of every QBs life. Don't like it?
Stay at WR or play on the Oline.

But...this isn't about Tannehill not liking scrutiny, or even if he's good or not. This is about how everyone just shreds each other over him. It's like every time someone even says the word "Tannehill," someone else automatically jumps to a conclusion about something that might not have anything to do with the topic at hand.

For example. someone might make a completely off-the-wall comment like, "Oh yeah? Maybe he should have stayed a WR or something!"

 

[Mudder1310]

The QB gets too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. As the person who touches the ball the most it's expected. Miami fans had it good for 20 years with the best pure passer of all time. We didn't go from Marino to another great QB (like Indy), it's been hard to accept mediocrity.

 

[GoonBoss]

But...this isn't about Tannehill not liking scrutiny, or even if he's good or not. This is about how everyone just shreds each other over him. It's like every time someone even says the word "Tannehill," someone else automatically jumps to a conclusion about something that might not have anything to do with the topic at hand.

For example. someone might make a completely off-the-wall comment like, "Oh yeah? Maybe he should have stayed a WR or something!"

Trolling attempt is excellent.

 

[The Goat]

The QB gets too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses. As the person who touches the ball the most it's expected. Miami fans had it good for 20 years with the best pure passer of all time. We didn't go from Marino to another great QB (like Indy), it's been hard to accept mediocrity.

Fair point. Do you think we've gotten to the point where we expect mediocrity, and are getting used to the worst-case scenario from our QB?

 

[Despacio]

The sting of suckage for 15 years would be a little less if Dan won a Super Bowl. We have to defend that caveat while also trying to keep faith in an organization that hasn't found a replacement in 15 FRICKIN YEARS!!!

By taking Tanne in the first round, he's the first legitimate shot we've taken at a real franchise guy. So to succeed or fail rides higher with him than anyone before.

 

[The Goat]

Trolling attempt is excellent.

Genuinely not my intent. Read my OP again, then read your response, and explain how the two correlate.

 

[KTOWNFINFAN]

I think it comes down too many times to how hard it is to judge the QB position, and so most fans just judge in by the win loss record. If he wins he played great if not he is a bum. Other positions are different. You can watch Wake for a quarter and see right quick that he is a great player. You can watch Alberts for a quarter and see he takes care of his man. You can watch Wheeler for just a bit and see he is clueless, and you can watch Shelley Smith pass block and question why he is on the team, much less on the field. Most are going to see the same things when they stop and look. But not the QB. The QB is different and it is often hard to tell exactly what it is he us doing wrong, or how to fix it.

 

[The Goat]

I think it comes down too many times to how hard it is to judge the QB position, and so most fans just judge in by the win loss record. If he wins he played great if not he is a bum. Other positions are different. You can watch Wake for a quarter and see right quick that he is a great player. You can watch Alberts for a quarter and see he takes care of his man. You can watch Wheeler for just a bit and see he is clueless, and you can watch Shelley Smith pass block and question why he is on the team, much less on the field. Most are going to see the same things when they stop and look. But not the QB. The QB is different and it is often hard to tell exactly what it is he us doing wrong, or how to fix it.

Thank you for this.

 

[zach attach]

With Tannehill, to me, it's that he is in his 3rd year and should be better than his first and second year, especially with a bolstered line. It's the same things he is still struggling with, and like you said, the deep ball.
I have been one of the guys who jump on him after he makes bad throws, takes an unneccesary sack, or doesnt run when it very clear he could.
BUT, I have backed off because I understand that a new ofense doesnt click immediately. I'm backing off because it's "Only" year 3 and maybe it has just taken this long to because of his speed of executing what he's learning.
This last game he has taken off when he sees an opening to get first downs.
I want to win like every other fan here does.
Like Tannehill, it seems everyone is playing harder. Wallace and Miller leading that belief. We can be really relevant, so please Miami do not lose to Jax and ruin it. We need a streak.
Go Fins, go Tannehill.

 

[artdnj]

You live or die by the sword and in the NFL it's carried by the QB...like it or not. You have an electrifying one like P Manning and you have others like Dilfer or R Wilson who may be electric or may be a game manager. Either way, the QB takes you to the Lombardi or makes you watch it at home.

Dolphin fans want Marino or someone like Chad Pennington but we want a winner. It's been a long time so love or hate on Tannehill is fluid because as long lost fans we want a winner whether we win by running attack and no picks or we win on Tanny's arm. This is why we hold him accountable, it's not personal, it's the weight of the team and success of the season lies with his play.

 

[Mudder1310]

Fair point. Do you think we've gotten to the point where we expect mediocrity, and are getting used to the worst-case scenario from our QB?

I think the biggest problem is that mediocre is as good as the team has been able to get. After enough time fans start to see a decent game as a good one, a good game as a great one. Back in the day 275 and 2 tds would get a 'ho hum' from Marino fans, but Tannehill just had his best game of the year and we're all happy. Is that RTs fault? Nope, but it's what this franchise has delivered to us for the last decade. A string of Feidlers and Becks and Lemons and Culpeppers and whatever other hand me down/has been/never was QB the team could sign, and that has not only stunted this teams rate of success but blunted the fans appetite for excellence; we will accept decent and say "at least we aren't Raider fan".

 

[Penthos]

1. Tannehill picks his nose. No great QBs have ever picked their nose. ... Ever.
2. Tannehill is not Matty Ice. Nevermind that now that Atlanta's O'line sux balls, Matty looks a lot more average. Not unlike Tannehill looked last year with the worst O'line in the league.
3. Tannehill doesn't always hit receivers exactly on the numbers. NO RECEIVER should EVER be expected to reach for a ball or extend their arms in any way, ever. If it doesn't hit them in the chest, it's a horrible throw.

How anyone can be expected to tolerate the above transgressions is beyond me.