Live blog Q&A No. 1; next one on Sept. 24

LIVE BLOG Q&A IN COMMENTS SECTION BELOW: Hello dear readers. On Monday, Sept. 17 we debuted a weekly Q&A in the blog, every Monday from 1-2 p.m. I have the time if you have the interest. Let's see how it goes. Talking Dolphins, Canes, Heat, Marlins, me, this blog, The Herald, national sports, politics, whatever you wish.

Click into the Comments section below for the first chat. See you next Monday.

Comments

[Greg Cote]

Hello all. Starting in a few minutes. Think this may take a while to catch on us so we'll see...

[Tim]

Good afternoon, Greg! It's great to have a Q&A back. I live out of state and was unable to watch the game yesterday. I was wondering how many dropped passes there were by our stellar, Hall-of-Fame receiving corps? I don't know what Tannehill did in a previous life to deserve this receiving corps and this offensive line. And speaking of the offensive line, based on his injury history, do you think we have already seen the best we'll see from Jake Long?

[Greg Cote]

Tim, honestly I think your tone is bit more negative than yesterday's performance merits. Only one or two drops that I can think of, and Hartline had a very nice game. I agree Long is not 100 percent (Pouncey has played better so far), but still think Long has some Pro Bowl seasons left in him.

[FZB]

senor Cote,

I challenge you to do a little investigating and dig out the truth and of course write about it of what really went on between the Dolphins and Parcells and bring to light all his mistakes and how the Tuna basically stole money from the Dolphins...

[Greg Cote]

FZB, to mind comes the phrase "beating a dead horse." I mean, the litany of Tuna's failed draft picks and his walking out on the team with the job far from done seems like a story that's been pretty well told, by me and others.

[Tim]

Well, I am a negative person by nature, and being a Dolfan the last goodness knows how many years will do that to just about anyone, but I didn't mean that in a raining-on-the-parade way as much as I meant it in a naturally inquisitive way. At least in regards to the dropped passes. If Tannehill can physically and mentally survive this season and notch up 6 wins, I may have to revise my opinion on him.

I also think I'm the only person who checked Twitter today. I think a lot of people don't bother checking the blogs on Mondays after the 'Canes and Dolphins both win.

Let's switch to politics for a second while I think of another sports question. I must admit to being rather ignorant regarding politics. Fiscally, I'm conservative. Socially, I'm liberal. I don't give a damn who gets married, and I don't give a damn what religion (if any) you practice or God (if any) you believe in, so long as you don't let the Holy Book of your choice interfere with the Constitution. I honestly don't know who the hell I want to be president. Obama frightens me from an economic standpoint. Romney frightens me from every other standpoint. We're struggling to make ends meet, but we're also in disbelief at the number of people who think that Neil Armstrong's moon landing was faked, but Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt is an irrefutable fact because it's in the Bible. I don't know where we're going, and I don't know what the heck to do. I don't think there's a person in this country qualified to lead us.

[Greg Cote]

Tim, nothing wrong with skeptical tendencies. I cannot disagree that both presidential candidates seem flawed. I thought months ago that Obama was vulnerable on the economy alone but did not feel Romney was the guy to beat him. Have not changed my mind. And Paul Ryan isn't helping. But that's just me. I may be wrong.

[uglyaqua]

"I don't think there's a person in this country qualified to lead us"

I am sure there are countless people in the Country who are qualified, however, they will never be given the chance unless they succumb to Corporations and special interest groups. Just my 2 cents.

[Tim]

Do you remember off the top of your head who the Marlins received in the Josh Willingham trade? Josh Willingham is among the AL leaders in home runs and RBIs. How in the world did that happen?

[Greg Cote]

Uglyaqua, I can't disagree with the broadest nature of your point. In my mind, for example, I hate that SuperPACs can spend untold millions on negative ads that allow candidates to both distance themselves from the tone while benefiting from the message. We have become too coarse, too divisive. Everything has become polarized.

[Greg Cote]

Tim, I know for sure Emilio Bonifacio came in the Willingham trade along with, I think, a couple of minor leaguers. Would not have guessed Willingham had this much life in him. Trade looks like a loser in retrospect, although Bonifacio adds enough (when healthy) to not make it a total bust.

[uglyaqua]

Cote, actually our 2 party political system is broken and has been for sometime. Until the people in this Country demand drastic changes then I am afraid that "voting for the lesser of two evils" will continue.

[Tim]

John Buck is untradeable. Rob Brantly is young, well-regarded, and hitting quite well for his first sting in the major leagues. Do you think that the Marlins will have the guts to eat Buck's gargantuan contract and give Brantly a fair chance to win the full-time job next season?

[Greg Cote]

Uglyaqua, yeah but the thing is we are so polarized now ideologically that no matter who the two candidates are or how qualified, 40 percent of the country will think one of them is the devil on Earth.

[Tim]

In all the time you've spent watching soccer, have you ever seen anything like this before?

http://deadspin.com/5943861/?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[Greg Cote]

Tim, that's a great question. Agreed Buck is tough to unload unless they agree to eat much of his salary (as the Dodgers agreed to do to get Hanley Ramirez). they need to make a baseball decision not a $$$ decision and go with Brantly if they think he's fully ready.

[uglyaqua]

Cote, yes I agree with your statement. Maybe if our Country continues to "circle the drain" only then will the necessary changes be mandated by the citizens of this Country. I only hope that it would not be to late.

[Greg Cote]

Tim, must admit that may be the worst own-goal I've seen because the goalie seemed to have firm possession of the ball. I played that possession up to the college club level and one of first a GK is taught is to keep his body between the goal line and the ball at all times, to never be facing the goal net.

[Greg Cote]

Uglyaqua, yeah I think that only changes fundamentally when America at large understands that extreme partisanship is the death of progress.

[Tim]

Speaking of soccer, what's your opinion of Jurgen Klinsmann bringing in player after player from Germany whose fathers were American servicemen but who have never lived in the United States (or, in some cases, had never even visited the United States)? Personally, I don't have an issue with it. If you meet the citizenship requirements, that should be all there is to it. Every country (including Argentina and Italy) not named Brazil does this. We're already up against it with a terrible infrastructure and a deeply-flawed youth system. You look at the future of the the USMNT, and, apart from Michael Bradley, there really isn't anyone under the age of 30 whom I trust. You do whatever it takes, especially in this country where all it will take is missing qualifying for the World Cup one time, and it'll heavily set interest in the sport back. In my opinion, anyway.

[uglyaqua]

Cote, Ok, a sports question: What do you suppose the Marlins future in Miami may be?

[Greg Cote]

(Meant in a prior post that I played that position, not that possession. Sorry...)

[Greg Cote]

Tim, it's within the rules so I don't object from that standpoint, but I just don't think it's right. I think U.S. players (all national-team players) should have been born and substantially raised in that country. i don't want eventual U.S. prominence in World Cup soccer to come with an asterisk on it.

[Tim]

And to close things out today, I think I just found an own goal that was even worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubuytNCrp0E

And remember, you promised LeBatard a new song for tomorrow's appearance. We will not let you forget!

[Greg Cote]

Uglyaqua, the new stadium and deal with Miami makes the Marlins future here secure for, I think, at least around the next 30 years. That doesn't mean there might not be ownership changes or mean the team will be adequately supported. But there will be Miami Marlins here for decades.

[Greg Cote]

Tim, yeah that own goal WAS worse but it looked like a kid-goalie so I give him special exoneration. Completely forgot about that Le Batard song promise. Thanks for the reminder!

[Greg Cote]

All, this ends this week's Q&A/chat. Slow start but got going pretty good. We'll do it again right back here next Monday 1-2. Thanks again.