1) It is MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. Click on Random Evidence for our latest Sunday notes-column package, leading with Dolphins. 2) In The Previous Blogpost (ITPB): Canes-Duke and CSM poll, other state collball, Philbin walloped in poll & more. 3) Follow us on Twitter @gregcote. Also Facebook, Instagram and Vine.
Marlins get no-hit: Marlins get zero hits yesterday on road vs. Washington's Jordan Zimmerman in season finale. Despite that, club extends manager Mike Redmond's contract through 2017. Smart. Right.
CSM bounces to season high: See the previous blogpost for results of the latest Canesfan Satisfaction Meter poll. Oh, and erase the phrase "it was only Duke" from your mind and click on Appreciation for my column off last night's win.
Live game blog and postgame analysis directly below new DSM. Also, for what it's worth, CBS Sports' Jason LaCanfora reports a "fraying relationship" between Dolphins executive Dawn Aponte and coach Joe Philbin continues to have Philbin's future in doubt. Click here for the story.
DOLFAN SATISFACTION METER: G4: Results are in on the latest Dolfan Satisfaction Meter postgame poll, and they show a leap to 62.3 percent overall satisfaction in the wake of Sunday's 38-14 victory over Oakland at Wembley Stadium in London putting Miami's season record at 2-2. The DSM, in its seventh season, is a continuous weekly gauge of how fans are feeling about the Dolphins and their direction. Right after each game I invite you to share your overall degree of satisfaction. Criteria for voting is your own, but I suggest fans consider the most recent game's performance and caliber of opponent, season as a whole, direction the club is heading and your overall degree of optimism -- all in the context of reasonable expectations. Results are certified official the morning after one full day of voting. In this case that will be around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
2014 DSM results
G1: 96.4% (following 33-20 victory vs. New England)
G2: 12.2% (following 29-10 loss at Buffalo)
G3: 2.0% (following 34-15 loss vs. Kansas City)
G4: 62.3% (following 38-14 victory vs. Oakland in London)
Next poll: Oct. 12 (following game vs. Green Bay, after bye)
G4: DOLPHINS VS. OAKLAND IN LONDON: TANNEHILL, PHILBIN ANSWER THE PRESSURE: Final: Bulletin! Pretty sure Ryan Tannehill will start next week. Remember how great Miami looked in the second half of the opener vs Patriots? They were that team most of today in London. Tannehill had his breakout game of the season -- answering all of the week's turmoil and distraction. Defense was big, too, with four takeaways. Also should probably mention that the Raiders smell like roadkill rotting in the sun. coach Dennis Allen will be fired on the flight home, if not pushed from the plane. ..... Fourth quarter: Walt Aikens INT for Fins defense. Raiders truly do stink. ... Matt Moore subs in at QB mid-quarter. No controversy!! Tanny's final numbers: 23-31, 278 yards, two TDs and his only pick off a deflection. Rating 109.3. Excellent!. ... OAK within 38-14 on mid-quarter TD pass. ..... Third quarter: Tannehill suffers first INT off a deflection. Unlucky. ... Jimmy Wilson INT for Miami and return to Raiders 16. Dream game. ... Now 38-7 after Cortland Finnegan 50-yard fumble return. Wow. Seriously. ... MIA 31-7 on Miller 1-yard TD run set up by Brent Grimes interception and lovely, weaving return to OAK 3. Are these the Dolphins!? ... Looking like 31-7 but Lamar Miller coughs up a fumble near OAK goalline and Blackshirts recover in the e-zone. ..... Halftime report: "Massive" show by Tannehill, as the Brits might say. At 24-7 he is 17-for-19 for 204 yards and two TDs, with a near-perfect 146.5 passer rating. Philbin should piss him off more often! Thorough performance so far by Miami. Cheerio! ..... Second quarter: MIA now 24-7 on Tanny's 18-yard TD pass to Dion Sims -- Tanny's 14th straight completion. Career day so far for the embattled young QB. ... Rookie Jarvis Landry fumbles away a punt return. ... MIA up 17-7 on Lamar Miller 8-yard scoring run on 4th-and-1. Good gamble by Philbin. Tannehill now 9 straight completions. ... Ryan Tannehill 13-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace thanks to great effort and reach by Wallace has Fins up 10-7 early in second. Tanny 6-for-6 for 86 yards on drive. ..... First quarter: Brian Hartline 35-yard catch has Fins on move as quarter ends. ... MIA within 7-3 on Caleb Sturgis 41-yard FG. ... OAK 7-0 fast on 74-yard opening drive ended by Derek Carr 3Y TD pass to Brian Leonhardt. Bad start for MIA. Gave up a 32-yard kick return, 30-yard completion. ... You know you're an off-the-grid game when Ian Eagle is the announcer. ... Pre-game booing of Dolphins? I'm impressed Londoners care enough to hate. A non-reaction would have been worse. ..... Original post: No, the 1-2 Dolphins have not been deported to a foreign country in a banishment owing to consecutive 19-point losses followed by
Joe Philbin's hell-week distraction with botched handling of who'll start at quarterback. Although a loss here -- to the 0-3 Raiders -- and the Fins won't exactly be welcomed back to Miami. There isn't a coach/QB combo in the NFL that needs a positive result today more than Philbin and Ryan Tannehill. Philbin committed the sin of creating a needless
distraction for his own team, a coaching felony, while Tannehill is looking for his first big game of the season to help reestablish himself as a solid No. 1 with a bright future. I don't think Dolfans have much faith in either guy at the moment, to say the least. With a bye week following this game, it is conceivable that Philbin could be fired if Miami loses. Not predicting it; don't think it would happen. But the idea of it hardly is an impossibility. A win would chase those darkest, most desperate thoughts from owner Stephen Ross' mind, and I think Miami will get that at London's famed Wembley Stadium. The Dolphins defense making it tough on Raiders rookie QB Derek Carr is what I'm most sure of in this game. That is adversary is a rookie -- yet one more reason why Tannehill must perform well and win today. Oakland has lost nine straight dating to last season and 10 of past 11 in this series. You thought getting smothered at Buffalo was bad? You thought a home loss to Kansas City was worse? A loss today would be a miserable new low. My pick: Dolphins, 23-10.
HOT BUTTON: TOP 10 THINGS SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS FANS ARE TALKING ABOUT: Our Random Evidence Sunday notes-column package has returned in print from summer hiatus (click HERE for today's latest edition), but due to semi-popular demand an updated, expanded Hot Button continues as an exclusive Sunday feature of the blog. Hot Button means what's on our minds as the sports week just past pivots to the week ahead:
1. Dolphins: Pressure on Fins, Tannehill in London: As Fins face Oakland at Wembley Stadium today there is media speculation the rift between Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill could grow worse. There is also media speculation winning will cure all. In other words, there is too much media specualtion.
2. Hurricanes: UM defense stars in win. No, seriously!: Miami's 22-10 win over visiting Duke last night was marked by excellent defense that forced nine Blue Devils punts. For a change, D-coordinator Mark D'Onofrio can turn on local sports-radio this week and not feel he's opened a blast furnace.
3. Heat: Life After LeBron as Heat begin training camp: What's-his-name is back in Cleveland and diminished Heat are six days from first preseason game without him. At Friday's media day, oh how I wished Dwyane Wade had answered the first question about LeBron with a deadpan, "LeWho?"
4. Marlins: Fish wrap season today: No playoffs (again) as Miami concludes season today at Washington, but much improvement from last year's 100 losses despite injuries to stars Jose Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton. Mike Redmond should get manager of the year votes. Might not. But should.
5. Derek Jeter: Yankees great goes out in style: Did that actually happen? It was supposed to rain, but didn't. Then Jeter in his final home game gets the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Seriously? I guess what they've been saying for years in New York is true: God is a Yankee.
6. MLB playoffs: Hunt for October begins: Last day of regular season today will set the postseason field, with the wild-card round to start Tuesday. Betting odds still favor an Angels-Dodgers, all-Los Angeles World Series. Laid-back L.A. has made a mental note to start paying attention.
7. College football: FSU leads big day for rallies: No. 1 Florida State rallied for a big win and so did FIU and FAU. Jameis Winston was back from suspension for Noles. Allegations against him have gone from rape to theft to shouting profanity, so at least he’s trending from felony to misdemeanor.
8. Panthers: NHL unfurls with preseason play: Hockey is here, eh? Unfortunately the Florida Panthers already are 0-3 in the preseason. Owners say they expect decreased attendance this season. There is a remedy for that. Cats ought to try it for a change. It's called "winning."
9. Ryder Cup: U.S. vs. Europe wraps today in Scotland: Looking bad for the Americans as golf's premier international event ends overseas. There are few greater competitions in all of sports than the Ryder Cup, according to analysts for the broadcasting network.
10. NASCAR: Chase for the Cup underway: As the November finale at Homestead awaits, NASCAR’s new Chase rules call for a reduction from 16 drivers to 12 after third of 10 races, to eight after sixth race and to four after ninth race. If the formula were any more confusing, it would be the NFL passer rating.
Bonus: Capital One is the new title sponsor of Miami's venerable annual college football bowl, the Orange Bowl Classic. What's in your -- hey! SOMEBODY STOLE MY WALLET!
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