[Have you heard? President Obama says the best way a small, private individual like yourself can help boost the economy is to sign up to follow along at Twitter.com/gregcote]
OK. So who IS the Dolphins' biggest rival?: Loving this offseason smack-chattin' among the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots, especially this latest volley between Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and Jets coach Rex Ryan as detailed in this story by our own Jeff Darlington. Close call whether Crowder or Joey Porter will lead the team in tackles and strong quotations this year. Keep yappin', fellas. Ryan acted like he wasn't even aware of Crowder and said, "All I now is he's all tatted up, so I guess I ought to be nervous." Dear Rex: Most players in the NFL and even more in the NBA, particularly the black guys, have tattoos. Welcome to today, Whitey! Crowder responded by admonishing Ryan for not knowing a starting LB in his own division and instructing him, "Learn who your rival is." So that got me thinking: Hey, an easy idea for a blog poll! Take a dip in our poll. By the way, I included the Bills just to be polite, although the additon of Terrell Owens can't but help ramp up that series back closer to Shula-era intensity as well.
I WENT TO ORLANDO AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY COLUMN: Here it is, off last night's game. Sort of. Because of deadlines I had to file at 10 p.m. (mid-second quarter), with scant time to rewrite upon the result. The Magic had it easier than I did, and they barely escaped. I still think Lakers win in 6 games, but at least it's a series now.
Tom Brady gets all wet without meaning to: Patriots QB Tom Brady flipped his rented kayak and had to be fished out of the Charles River, according to this report in the Boston Herald. Either that, or he was intentionally provided a faulty vessel by Sparano Kayak Rentals.
It's axiomatic...: You know how they say you wash your car and it's guaranteed to rain? Here's a new one. I bench somebody from my fantasy team and he's guaranteed to perform. Latest example: Jeremy "Walkoff Homer" Hermida.
Barry Bonds' marital news: Barry Bonds' wife has filed for a legal separation after 10 years' marriage. Geez, and things had been going so well for Barry.
The return (eventually) of Hialeah Park: South Florida's historic horseracing plant, closed since 2001, plots its comeback. It will reopen, no date or even year yet, with quarterhorse racing but in time get back to the full thoroughbreds. The now-requisite casino also is envisioned. I cheer these plans. In its day Hialeah Park was a gorgeous place to visit and its absence has left a void.
The Sports Authority. But not the number authority: Saw an advertisement by The Sports Authority pushing replica Dan Uggla jerseys, with the ad picturing Uggla's No. 8 jersey. Minor problem: Uggla wears No. 6. I think while I'm in there I'll also pick up a vintage Dan Marino No. 17 jersey.
Nod to North Miami Beach High: The NFL has announced that NMB was one of only 12 high schools, and the only local one, with two players drafted recently. They were defensive backs Louis Delmas (Lions, 22nd round) and E.J. Biggers (Bucs, 7r).
Jimmy Johnson update: Nothing new to report, although we're pretty sure laid-back Jimmy continues today to again live life to the fullest and be much happier than the rest of us.
Check back. Adding more stuff here later.
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Cote, one of the funniest i have ever read. Good work today
Posted by: K-Man | June 10, 2009 at 01:18 PM
The Patriots are a bigger threat and a better team, but I will always loathe the Jets with a passion.
Posted by: Yitz | June 10, 2009 at 07:52 PM
JJ's happiness is all that really matters to me...
Posted by: r. duke | June 10, 2009 at 08:25 PM
Dolphins biggest traditional rival is the Jets of course. Occasionally you can argue either of the two other division foes depending on the yr, decade, trend.
Channing Crowder isn't good entertainment. He's an idiot. Ravens consistently ran right at him for chunks of yards. He needs more weight and to study film more than talk into the mic. Didn't he wreck and run last yr at sunrise or something, coming from the club? To his credit, he is a loyal Dolphin that plays all out. Crowder also has had a tough hill to climb with the knee problems in college.
Dolphins R A more physical and competitive team with stability. Thanks to Wayne quit listening to JJ (refrain from negative) and hired Bill "this old team(like this old house) Parcells. Even if The Tuna does leave before his contract is fulfilled, you got GM Ireland and HC Sparano standing on their own 2 feet. I'd say the team would be fine if he walked exactly a yr from now. Give these guys Bills expertise this season and next off-season.
Posted by: Jimbo | June 10, 2009 at 11:09 PM
I'm thrilled the team didn't trade away future stars in the form of draft pics or big $$ on WR (Mainly Boldin). Don't mold a team for the present and the future by overpaying. There has been some encouraging sports chatter about Bess and Ginn this off-season progress.
Posted by: Jimbo | June 10, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Jimbo,
what is the good news about my favorite player, #15? did he get any faster? i agree about channing crowder- undersized for a guy with his limited speed- jonathan vilma he ain't. the guy on foxsports included jake long in his best 99 players, a nice compliment for a rookie lineman who played hurt a part of the season and still made the pro bowl.
Posted by: the shadow knows | June 11, 2009 at 10:22 AM
fellers,
quarter horse racing at hialeah!!!where i got my start (los alamitos) at becoming a racetrack degenerate/ticketcasher.my analysis of the sport- since if your horse doesn't break from the gate your money is history, "you have a 50% chance of having a 100% chance of having no chance"!!
Posted by: the shadow knows | June 11, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Two questions. Is JJ still happy? Who in the heck pulled Tom Brady out of the drink? Kurt was it you...
Posted by: r. duke | June 11, 2009 at 08:17 PM
Jimbo
I read your post where you wrote, "There has been some encouraging sports chatter about Bess and Ginn this off-season progress." Just wondering did Ginn get cut? That would certainly be encouraging.
On other news, I read that Chastity Bono is changing gender. I wonder what she'll be like as a woman.
Talk about bad luck. An Italian woman who arrived late for the Air France plane flight that crashed in the Atlantic last week has been killed in a car accident.
Tami Farrell, the newly crowned beauty queen who is replacing the ousted Carrie Prejean as Miss California, apparently holds the same view as her predecessor, Carrie Prejean, that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Gays gotta be going nuts. No I didn't mean it that way, I mean they must be taking it hard. OMG I didn't mean that. I meant they must feel like they're getting the shaft. What the hell...well you know what I mean.
and from page 3 a little treat.
http://www.page3.com/index2.shtml#main-image
Posted by: Tom | June 11, 2009 at 09:18 PM
No Tom, Ginn didn't get cut.
Shadow.
I read a piece from Ireland that they are happy about the offseason progress of both Bess and Ginn. They seem to be working out hard and taking advantage of the available coaches and trainers this summer.
Tom, I want these young guys to succeed. Cam had a bad draft, granted but JJ, Wanny, Saban et al didn't do so well either. JJ brought in Zach and Jason but he also drafted Yatil Green and John Avery,,,, in the 1st rd.
Posted by: Jimbo | June 11, 2009 at 11:03 PM
Please start the season a.s.a.p
Posted by: anti christ | June 12, 2009 at 07:15 AM
anti,, i hear that.
Sports page has Crowder showing his intellect... or lack of.
Magic blew any chance at winning title last night.
Baseball is unusually quiet and less interesting than normal yrs.
Come on, Barry Bonds marital problems?
JJohnson's personal life? I believe that this guy did more to drag Fins toward that 1-15 season than anyone outside of Cam Cam the Dumb Dumb. How? glad you axed me dat!
Owner gets snake charmed into firing HOF Coach Don Shula,, Hires JJ, team changes look but isn't any more successful than with The Don's later yrs. He leaves and recommends Wanny,, we all know that story. Wanny gets fired AND Fin's owner gets JJ advice again on the Saban hiring.
Guess we all should be flat out astonished that Norv Turner wasn't hired in that decade of futility too. The more JJ is exposed, the less I care for the self serving man. He isn't even interesting on Fox pregame & halftime.
Currently the Fins biggest rivals are Patriots. Bet if you asked the Pats or their fans right now who their biggest rivals are they wouldn't even mention someone in their own division. Indy or Pitt would be my gut feeling on that. Jets and Bills are stuck in the mud going nowhere fast,, possibly in the future but they always seem to finish below .500. Miami has to win the AFC EAST again to be legit in a lot of peoples minds. Some people see Fins winning Div as a fluke, especially with Brady out. Winning it again will change their minds. Forget about and don't cry about the up and coming schedule. Miami's division plays almost the same schedule. Last yr the Steeler has a difficult schedule and won the Super Bowl. Dolphins are being molded into a tough, physical, win in the trenches, good weather or bad , home or away team. Teams like that win on the road in January when it counts.
Posted by: Jimbo | June 12, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Jimbo- I would say the fins biggest rival is them fucking ASSHOLES!!!!!, from New York. Have to agree, Pats biggest rivals are colts, then pitts.
Posted by: naplesjackpatsfan | June 12, 2009 at 04:22 PM
Flipper72- Where are you? I have to ask you, have you been posting on the NY Daily News as,2009 AFC Champs?
Posted by: naplesjackpatsfan | June 12, 2009 at 04:26 PM
Rex Ryan is an idiot for fueling the fire with Crowder. I am so sick and tired of all these so called experts labeling the cheatin' Pats as the team to beat in the AFC East. Gimme a break..!!
I hope that Monday Night game on Oct.12 in Miami turns out to be a WAR that we win convincingly. The Jets have always been a thorn in our side and it's time we put an end to this ridiculous "trash talking" by Rex Ryan- who has not even won his first game yet. Crowder has a right to pop off
because the Fins are the defending AFC East Champs and until someone knocks them off, they are going to remain there.
You have to earn everything in the NFL and the Fins have a right to be proud of their accomplishments. The psychological bull shit that Rex Ryan is trying to promote is sheer stupidity on his part.
I cannot wait till we pulverize the lame ass Jets and their loud mouthed, slimey, low life, dirt bag fans..!!
The Road to the AFC East Crown goes through Miami and until someone knocks us off- we have the right to be proud and be brewing with confidence.
We will win our division and the Super Bowl.
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 12, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Naples Jack,
I think maybe I should pay a visit to the New York Daily blog and start a WAR of words with those slime green Jet pukes??
I have to agree that they are our biggest rival in the Division followed by the Pats and then Bills.
The whole Division is going to be a dog fight from start to finish. The Bills with
loud mouthed T.O. will be a formidable opponent this year and the Pats with Brady will be another Fins-Pats slug-fest..!!
I want a sweep of the Jets so we can put Rex Ryan in his place for trash talking in June. What dumb ass..!!
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 12, 2009 at 04:47 PM
Hey Jimbo,
Knock it off regarding Crwoder being an idiot..!! Let him defend his honor and the honor of the team. They had a great season and are legitimate AFC East Cahmps..!!
Rex Ryan is in the wrong here and he's looking like a major jack ass for getting in a war of words with a division foe's starting LB. WTF..!!???
I can't wait till Oct.12th in Miami on Monday Night Football. It's time to get your brooms out boys....can you say
S-W-E-E-P...!!! Oh YHea!!
THE JETS ARE GOING DOWN..!!!
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 12, 2009 at 04:53 PM
I meant legitimate AFC East Champs..!!
Fins Are Super Bowl Bound and bringing home the Lombardi Trophy back to South Florida!!
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 12, 2009 at 04:55 PM
I say we sign Vick the same day we give JJ a "Couldn't Be Happier You're So Rich And Happy Party!!!"
Posted by: r. duke | June 12, 2009 at 07:30 PM
Flipper,
No argument here regarding defending divisional champs. I think they will win the division again, ending up with 10-6 record.
But,,, regarding Crowder, backtrack to when Fins were preparing for Giants game in London. Read Crowders interview. Case closed dude.
The problem I GOT is that the team settled for less with him because he volunteered to play for less $$$. The Ravens repeatedly ran over him in the playoffs.
Just because an athlete invested 4 yrs in college doesn't mean he actually got an education.
Posted by: Jimbo | June 14, 2009 at 06:24 PM
Jimbo,
I know the IQ level with this guy is not comparable to Einstein but what the hell,
he does have a point.
The London incident was a complete embarrassment to the entire organization.
They should have let JT and Zach do most of the talking or made sure that the person being targeted for interviews- was literate enough to hold an intelligent conversation.
I know the guy is sort of a ghetto-thug type but he can be lights out when he wants. He has a lot to prove this year because of his mouth and he better produce or else..he's gone!!
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 14, 2009 at 10:22 PM
Duke,
Mike Vick should party with Jimmy Johnson in the Keys and talk about how they should revive the World Football League that enticed Czonka, Kiick and Warfield, so they can make some legitimate money by crippling the NFL.
The WFL was responsible for destroying our dynasty. Jimmy was responsible for the worst play-off defeat in Miami history and the reason why Dan retired. Michael Vick
will always be linked more to dog fighting than the Atlanta Falcons QB.
The Fins tried out his brother and cut him. I seriously doubt that they try him out just because of the media hype that it will cause in South Florida.
Vick is screwed for life..!!
Time for a reality show or audition for Survivor. Maybe the Vikes will pick him up?
Posted by: Flipper72 | June 14, 2009 at 10:35 PM
I'm with ya Flipper.
The guy (Crowder) is a Miami Dolphin and I want him to be the best MLB in the league.
Ryan is a Head Coach and should show some intellect and class by avoiding trash talking with foes players.
Agreed, Vick's best shot is with the Vikings.
I respect your faith, loyalty and enthusiasm for you team also.
Go Dolphins!
Posted by: Jimbo | June 14, 2009 at 10:52 PM