Category: Miami Dolphins

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Miami Dolphins

Daunte Culpepper’s Madden cover curse will not take no for an answer


Most Madden cover lasts a year or so. Daunte Culpepper’s strain (2002 cover) is the first to make a reappearance after a few years off. For someone that arguably was the league MVP in 2004 if not for Peyton Manning, Culpepper’s career has just absolutely deteriorated in the past couple of years.

It wasn’t bad enough that he lost his starting job to Joey Harrington last year, this year he just might lose his job entirely — to Trent Green of all people. Rumors are swirling that the Dolphins will try to trade Culpepper but in all likelihood will release him to save $5.5M in base salary and cap money.

The Dolphins surely regret taking a chance on his surgically repaired knee last year (over Drew Brees and costing a 2nd round draft pick) and won’t take the chance that he’s not healthy going into training camp.

Don’t feel too bad for Daunte though, there’s always someone willing to take a chance on a veteran QB and we suspect that someone might be Al Davis.

Links:
[Miami Herald]: Another QB scramble for Dolphins

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Miami Dolphins

Joey Porter punches Levi Jones in the face


A football player got arrested in an incident with a Cincinnati Bengal and it wasn’t a Bengal! Marvin Lewis certainly is turning that team around. Hell, the Bengal was even the victim.

Joey Porter, perhaps feeling disrespected, punched Levi Jones in the face at the Palms in Las Vegas yesterday. Police said that Porter was cited for battery and Levi Jones was treated at the scene. Said Las Vegas police Lt. Kevin McMahill:


Apparently these two have a history with each other, a history of trash talking on the field.

Doesn’t Joey Porter have a history with everyone? If you don’t want to get punched in the face, avoid Joey Porter like the plague. We imagine he’s like Rick James (insanity not coke) and forgets he punches people five minutes later.

Things ought to get interesting on the field this year as the Dolphins play the Bengals in Porter’s new house.

Links:
[Las Vegas Review Journal]: NFL’s Porter accused of punching rival at Palms

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Miami Dolphins

Nick Saban likes money



How can you tell Saban is lying?

Are we insane or did Nick Saban not stand up at recent press conferences and tell us that he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and that he was committed to the franchise? Something along the lines of “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach”. Well, $4M a year is a big incentive to go against your word. Saban was set to take the offer until he met with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga and started wavering. However, this morning, Saban officially accepted the Alabama offer — believed to be from 8 to 10 years and worth $35M to $40M. All that cash makes being labeled an NFL failure easier to stomach.

By the way, what does Alabama have against Don Shula. First they fire his son and then they steal the head coach away from the franchise he’s the face of.

In other news, Matt Millen, who nobody wants in college or in the pros, said that he would never quit. Despite a 24-72 record, Millen said that he would never consider quitting.

If it’s not working, you keep on working at it until you get the freaking thing done. That’s just what you do. You don’t ever quit.

That kind of attitude is admirable… unless you’re Matt Millen and the entire Detroit Lions fanbase wants you gone. Well, at least FireMillen.com has a reason for being around another year. It’s always fun to read someone else’s angst.

Links:
[Miami.com]: Saban expected to make decision today
[San Jose Mercury News]: Nick Saban forever a coach on the make
[Detroit News]: Lions’ Millen: ‘I’ll never quit’

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Miami Dolphins

Dec 18 in Sports History: Dolphins go undefeated


In 1972: With a 16-0 shutout of the Baltimore Colts, the Miami Dolphins (14-0) clinched the first-ever undefeated, untied regular season in NFL history. The ’72 Dolphins are not considered by many to be the most dominant team in history, although they did lead the league in scoring (385 pts) and gave up the fewest (171) behind the “No-Name Defense.” They won despite the fact that starting quarterback Bob Griese went down in the fifth game with an injury and did not return until the AFC Championship game. Earl Morrall, who was 38 years old by then, quietly took the reins and led the league in passing efficiency. Running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first teammates to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Of course, the Dolphins won three straight in the postseason to finish 17-0; and now it’s just annoying when they annually pop the champagne when the last undefeated team in the NFL loses a game.

In 1973: Exactly 21 years, six months and 12 days before his ex-wife and her friend were found murdered, OJ Simpson ran a sweep left against the New York Jets for a short gain. That run on the cold, muddy Shea Stadium turf helped Simpson become the first ever NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. He finished with 2,003 yards, won the league MVP and led the usually moribund Buffalo Bills to a winning record and almost a playoff berth. Other than that, nothing else ever happened in Simpson’s life and he plays golf all the time now.

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Miami Dolphins

Marcus Vick sued for sexual battery

…but I LOVE you

A 17-year-old is suing Marcus Vick for $6.3 million accusing him of sexual battery upon a minor, fraud, and other chargers (too slow in the 40?).  According to the lawsuit, the girl started a two year sexual relationship with Vick when she was only 15 and he was at Va Tech.   Does she (and her grandma) want Marcus thrown in jail for statutory rape?  Nope, they want cash for “psychological trauma associated with the child sexual abuse perpetrated by defendant Marcus Vick.”

First off, while it’s illegal and reprehensible for Vick to take advantage of a high school girl, this lawsuit smells of a  shakedown.  Second, why does this surprise anyone?  Remember, before the 2004 season, Vick was arrested for providing underaged girls with marijuana, liquor,  and pornography.  You gotta figure he got around to nailing them.  It’s a simple  equation folks, marijuana + underaged girls + pornography = sex.  Or at least that’s what R. Kelly says.  The girl filing the lawsuit is one of the girls in the 2004 incident.  At the time, she invoked the 5th Amendment Rights at the trial  Now, she just understands it’s time to get paid.

She also accuses Vick of fraud because he told her her loved her to get her to have sex with him.  Holy Christ!  If she wins that argument, any man who’s lied to get laid (and that’s just about every man who’s gotten laid) is in serious trouble.

Links:
[Yahoo]: Girl suing former Virginia Tech QB for $6.3 million

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Miami Dolphins

Odds and Ends for Mon May 29 2006: Ricky joins the Argos

Continuing with our Canadian and Miami theme today, Ricky Williams practiced with his new CFL team, the Toronto Argonauts today. It might be a holiday for those of us in the States but they’re working hard in Canada and so is Ricky Williams. The Canadian Press is reporting that Ricky is in great shape and showed excellent speed. The Argos are only paying him $240,000 CDN… The minimum rookie salary in the NFL is $275,00 US. Poor Ricky. Literally.

In other news…

[ESPN]: RIP Craig “Ironhead” Heyward

[Yahoo]: Radio mic goes dead exactly when Bonds hits 715

[MSNBC]: Beer is good! Fan waiting in line has Bonds #715 ball drop into his hands

[Sports Hooligan]: Iraqi Tennis Coach and Players Killed for Wearing Shorts

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Miami Dolphins

Lookout underaged girls… Dolphins sign Marcus Vick

Proving once again that with enough talent, somebody is going to take a shot at a reclamation project, the Dolphins signed Marcus Vick as a “slash”. He’s listed as quarterback/wide receiver/specialist but the Dolphins didn’t even work him out at the QB position on the last day of the three day mini-camp so any playing time he gets will be at the WR or kick return position. That is, if he even makes the team.

Nick Saban issued a CYA statement:

I want to make it very clear that we will not condone any behavior issues in the future relative to Marcus Vick. Marcus acknowledges that he has made some mistakes, all of which have resulted in severe consequences for him. They have helped him learn that he will need to make much better choices and decisions in the future or risk similar consequences that could jeopardize his career as a professional.

As an organization, we did an enormous amount of research, including consulting with professionals in detailed, in-depth analysis to feel comfortable that giving Marcus an opportunity as a free agent is a risk worth taking. Marcus has made a commitment to this organization and our fans to represent the Miami Dolphins in a first-class manner.

We think first class means only brandishing firearms outside 4 star restaurants, not McDonalds. Somehow we don’t think Marcus Vick is going to be able to stay on the straight and narrow but if he’s able to have half the career that Antwaan Randle El has had, he’ll be lucky.

Links:
[Miami Herald]: Younger Vick joins Dolphins

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Miami Dolphins

Jason Taylor gets Paul Pierced


What exactly is going on in Florida and professional athletes? Last year, Jerome McDougal of the Eagles was shot in the stomach in Miami. Now, Jason Taylor gets stabbed in the arm in a road rage incident on his way home from church in Davie with his wife Katina. (Does anyone else thinks it’s weird that Jason Taylor married Zach Thomas’ sister and even though she’s really hot, she kinda looks like Zach Thomas?)

Luckily, Taylor was was only clipped in the arm and was fine enough to go ahead and play in Derrick Brooks’ charity golf game. Who the hell decides it’s a good idea to stab a 6’6″ 250 lb guy in the arm? We’d think that would only make him angrier. Good thing Jason has a cool head or the Dolphins would be looking at a manslaughter charge.

Links:
[Sun Sentinel]: Dolphins’ Taylor stabbed in road-rage incident

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Miami Dolphins

Could Ricky end up in the CFL

If, as widely suspected, Ricky Williams didn’t actually fail his drug test on purpose, then his best bet might be to join the Toronto Argonauts. (Around these parts, the Argos are most known for giving Rockey Ismail the biggest salary in the history of football to lure him away from the NFL in 1991.) The Argos have put Ricky on their “negotiation list” which basically means they call dibs on the running back.

The NFL substance abuse policy has a loophole that allows suspended players to play in another league so the road is wide open for Ricky to join the Argos. And since the CFL doesn’t have a policy at all, Ricky can enjoy all the fine BC Bud he wants with the $200,000 to $300,000 (Canadian!) he could make in the CFL.

If Ricky is sincere about going back to the Dolphins in 2007, he almost certainly has to accept the offer and play for the CFL. Ricky will be 30 years old when he’s eligible to play again and not many teams will be willing to take a chance on a player out of the league for 2 (non-consecutive) seasons and has questions about his desire to play the game. Canadian winters are a far cry from South Beach but he’d be a god in Toronto.

Links:

[Winnipeg Sun]: CFL might be Ricky Williams’ best option

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Miami Dolphins

Ricky Williams loses drug test appeal

So Ricky has lost his appeal… and nobody really cares. Dolphins fans are sick of the soap opera, Nick Saban has Ronnie Brown, and the other players won’t have to answer any questions about Ricky after training camp. Hell, not even Ricky cares. In what is apparent to almost everyone, this is how Ricky wanted it. He got the $8.6M monkey off his back, played the full 2005 season and now can be free to smoke all the pot and practice all the yoga he wants.

In every interview since he left the team in 2004, it was evident that Ricky Williams didn’t like football and didn’t want to be a football player. Sure, he said all the right things about bring re-energized and enjoying his time with Nick Saban and the Dolphins, but in between the lines, you could read his desire to just get back to Australia or India or Marin County. He says he’ll be back in 2007 but the odds on that are about the same as Vince Young joining Mensa.

So this is the end of the Ricky Williams saga. A can’t miss athlete whose legacy will be more for pot smoking and posing on the cover of ESPN in a bridal dress with Mike Ditka than anything he did on the field. But it’s not a tale of wasted talent. Ricky just did what he wanted to do. Who are we to judge?

Links:
[Miami Herald]: Dolphins must run without Ricky
[Miami Herald]: Now Ricky has time to find himself
[Miami Sports Dudes]: Debating the effect of Ricky’s suspension