I know this is a little off topic, but a kid i played ball with in high school was picked up by you guys this offseason, much to my dismay, but i was glad to see he made it to the NFL in the first place. Anyway, What have you all been hearing about Emanuel Cook?
I sp[eak the truth. Most people there act like the dolphins are the Yankees of the NFL b/c you have a great reg season win % which is meaningless when you have only 2 SB titles which is one more than the lowly Jets. I don't discredit I just speak the truth and try to bring some reality to certain homer fans that think: -Zach Thomas is better than Ray lewis -jason Taylor the best defensive player of his generation and a lock HOFer despite better pass rushers that actually came through in big games aren't in the Hall -Chad henne is the next Dan Marino(post Fiedler I have heard how 4-5 QBs are the next big thing for Miami- Daunte, Green, Lemon, Felley, Beck and now Henne) -how you guys are going to the SB this year -how you are the favorites over NE -how we won by a fluke in week 1 but you guys thrashed us by 7 pts in week 17 -how you guys now own us based on that one game win streak -how we wre playing for the div title and you prevented us from winning it even though had we won that game we still wouldn't have made the playoffs. -how the '72 team was the greatest ever b/c they went undefeated despite playing the weakest sched of any SB Champ which include zero games against playoff teams and only 2 games against teams above .500(both were 8-6) and despite winning their 3 playoff games by an average of 5.6 per game. etc... I apologize if you cannot handle the truth but whether here, there or anywhere else I like to speak the truth.
Not much has been heard about EC. On tape he looked like a decent replacement for Abram Elam. Hard-hitting Safety. During the combine, he dropped a lot of passes thrown his way and he was still struggling with that at OTA's. Rex Ryan referred to it as mental lapses that could be fixed. But I tend to think Ryan is being patient with the kid because he's a gamer.
junc i think you are the only person ever to compare the Dolphins to the yankees. And you act like your not a homer. We all are, thats what makes us fans, especially the die hard ones. I just try and present as much of an unbiased opinion as i can with the info that i have. I wont get every one of them right, nobody will. But when you come on our site talkin shit, do you seriously expect us not to retaliate? Thats just stupid. Oh and... Zach Thomas has more solo tackles, more assisted tackles, and twice as many pick 6's as Ray Lewis. Now I am not saying he is better, but its not like they arent in the same league. Its a matter of style of play. Jason Taylor was voted best at his position this decade and has more sacks than any active player. Maybe not the best Defensive player of his generation, but without a doubt a Hall of Famer. Chad Henne is NOT the next Dan Marino, nobody is. But whats wrong with being optimistic? I have seen you all talk about how Mark Sanchez is the next big thing for you guys. We'll let the play on the field decide this one. Its not like its impossible for us to make it to the Super Bowl this year. We are not the favorites over the Pats, but we did win the division last year. So in our eyes, until some team takes it away from us, the crown is still rightfully ours. You guys won by 6 and we won by 7. There is no need for argument there. We won the season outright. just sayin. If what the '72 Dolphins accomplished wasn't a big deal, than it would have been repeated by now. There are plenty of other teams throughout the years that played worse schedules than them and have nothing to show for it. The Perfect Season is a big deal, the schedule is just an excuse. That is why it is THE Perfect Season and not A Perfect season. Because everyone knows what The Perfect Season referrers to. Got anything else?
Don't get me wrong, you have moments where you present a balanced argument, but you never have anything positive to say about the Dolphins - and you've always had plenty to say. Your version of the truth is exactly that, yours. I've chosen to steer clear of your opinions because the conversation goes forever with you never aknowledging the other side of the argument, and firmly believing that your opinions are "truth." I'm not completely knocking you because you always do your homework, I just stopped respecting your "truth" a long time ago.
We are all homers to some degree but I think I do a good job of being as objective as possible. I mention the Yankees b/c that is what dolphins think their team is. They act like they are an all-time great franchise like they are up there w/ Dallas, Pitt and GB b/c they have a great reg season win %. Tackle stats are overrated, we once had a mediocre LB named Kyle Clifton who averaged around 200 tackles a year. He wasn't great b/c of the tackle #s. Tackles are subjective. I always go back to the 2005 Jets-Dolphins week 2 game. Zach did nothing in that game, yet the next day dolphin fans were telling me how great he was b/c he had 10 or so tackles. Zach Thomas is not even in the discussion w/ Ray Lewis. Jason Taylor was voted best at his position this decade by who? This is another overrated player. he and Zach were leaders of a legendary choking Miami defense. This is a guy w/ ZERO career playoff sacks in 6 playoff games, he never shows up in big games. I hope Sanchez will be great, I haven't proclaimed he will be and having watched both in college I think sanchez is a much better prospect. What the '72 dolphins did was a big deal BUT they weren't the best team of all time. You guys earned the div title last year, you did a tremendous job but NE w/ Brady is at another level and winning last year doesn't help you this year.
You guys take bits and pieces out. It's just like the Jet fans on here w/ my Chad and Herm arguments, they never see any of the begative comments I post and they think I think Herm is a great coach and Chad a HOFer. I praise when it's warranted, I have showered Miami w/ praise for winning the div title last year. You guys did a great job but I'm not going to act like you were better than you were. I praised the Porter signing 2 years ago when everyone else was knocking it, I praised the taylor trade last year, I think Marino is a top 5 QB but I happene to disagree w/ dolphin fans who act like the dolphins are an elite franchise and I disagree w/ the '72 team being the best, I don't think Shula is the best coach of all time and I can back up all of my opinions.
You would have to be a complete homer not to recognize that Taylor is a HOF player, Thomas has been as solid as a rock and the 72 Dolphins were a great team with an outstanding D, outstanding running game and one of the great deep threat HOF WR in pro football history. That said the Dolphins have been an underachieving, over hyped team dressed as a creamcycle for most of their history.
Taylor is NOT a HOF player, there are better pass rushers than Taylor not in the Hall, players that actually showed up in big games too. The '72 team was great w/o a doubt but it's not the greatest.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcwest/0-9-301/Best-of-the-best--Top-25-players-this-decade.html Taylor was actually voted the best defensive player of this decade. I take it with alot of salt, but he sure looks to be surrouned with a bunch of HOF's. You know what it is Junc - these guys just don't know the "truth."
Nobody said the 72 team was the greatest ever but they certainly were a great balanced team. Taylor is going to the HOF get over it. 6 time pro bowl player 3 time first team and NFL defensive player of the year and man of the year. The guy has the numbers and is well liked by the media. He has been consistently at the top for a decade. He's going in. He is the Curtis Martin of edge rushers.
By a couple of bloggers at ESPN. This isn't exactly a major award. I'm not sure those guys have reviewed his performances in postseason or big late season games. There are better pass rushers not in the hall, if he was a leader of some real great D's or teams that did anything in postseason besides get embarrassed he'd have a better shot but he's no shoo in for the hall.
-ZERO sacks in 6 postseason games -leader of D's that lost 38-3, 62-7, 27-0, blew 11 pt lead in final mins to blw div title in 2002 -only has 6 double digit sack seasons There are better pass rushers not in the hall now, one is a SB MVP.
Wow, what a great thread! We're actually having a civil discussion about stuff! Nyjunc, I agree 100% with you that tackles are an extremely overrated stat. Here's one example: Channing Crowder had about 120 tackles last year which made him the leading Dolphin in tackles. Well, here's the problem: he made most of those tackles 5 or more yards down from the line of scrimmage. So it didn't really help (much.) This is a fact that most level-headed Dolphins fans I've talked to would agree with. Yet, if all you look at are the numbers, then he's looking pretty damn good. The one question I have for you is this: Why don't you think Shula was the best coach ever? He sure as hell have the numbers...
There was actually an argument on a Dolphins board recently about whether Taylor is a HOFer and the consensus seemed to be that he'd probably need at least another 1-2 great seasons to make it. Personally I don't think he'll play more than one more season so.. I'm not sure if I can really see him in the HOF.
Shula w/o question is an all-time great HC BUT he didn't win enough Championships. He was a HC for 33 years and won just 2 Championships, he also lost a SB he was heavily favored in and couldn't find a way to win a Championship w/ Dan Marino. He deserves a ton of credit for taking 2 different teams to SBs and for having really good teams just about every year but stack him up to someone like halas, Paul Brown, or Lombardi and he just doesn't compare. Shula: 33 years, 2 Championships Halas: 40 years, 6 Championships Brown: 25 years, 7 Championships Lombardi: 10 years, 5 Championships(it's amazing tha lombardi only coached 10 years) The fact that there are so many great pass rushers not in the hall doesn't help him. many people think Strahan is a lock and again there are better apss rushers than him that aren't in. He is helped by the Giants SB run b/c before that he had a jason Taylor like reputation in big games and he was a leader of D's that often choked in big games but that SB should be enough to eventually get him in but it still may take him a while. If Taylor has another couple of good years he'll enhance his chances. I don't think he has no chance but I do think if he gets in it will be many years down the road.
Don't forget Bill Walsh 3 Championships in 10 years Chuck Noll 4 Championships in 23 years Tom Landry 2 Championships in 29 years Shula brought 6 teams to the Super Bowl, survived the loss of his starting QB and still went undefeated in 1972, went to 3 straight Super Bowls and changed his coaching philosophy to adapt to Marino, all the while still putting competitive teams on the field each and every year. Taking 6 teams to the Championship game in the playoff era is impressive including 3 in a row. He may have had a 4th straight Super Bowl appearance if not for a fluke play in the 1974 Divisional round against the Raiders (aka The Sea of Hands). He does belongs in the conversation with Brown, Lombardi, Halas, Lambeau, Walsh, Noll and Landry however. I don't think he was the best, but he certainly compares imo.
Great arguments, although there IS that all-time win record; you can't overlook that. But, I think I'll have to agree with you. There have certainly been better HCs. You're so right about Lombardi. 5 championships in 10 years!?!? That's just unreal. Your point about not being able to win a championship with Marino is a good one too; for whatever reason, he just never was able to put together a good enough defense, forcing Marino to try to put up 30-40 points every game. (See SB 2007 for an example of how that SHOULD be done) Personally I think if he has one or most likely two GREAT years, (and Miami would probably have to make a deep playoff run as well,) then he might have a chance. I can't really see it happening though. (Either of those conditions)
