Q & A Forum
This is where I respond to your questions and comments. I've set it up in a Q & A format even though most of these are not questions. Some of these are taken from the Myspace page. Some are edited to remove personal info. If you have any questions or comments for me, I'd love to hear them.
1/17/07 Who would be the best offseason signees and draft picks?
Q.First of all, let me introduce My name is Joao Carlos Martin Jr, i'm 22, From Sao Paulo Brazil , Dolphin Fan since 1993. Second, congratulations for the web site, well humored fan is way better then some idiots that just curse the franchise haha now, some questions. Who, in your opinion, gonna be the "WILLY"(the big name) to be drafted or signed by Dolphins? Were´re in a lack of players in most of positions, our DL is "old" , we lose 2 RB , and for Chatman do the running plays only if Moses open the sea for him... What Parcell can change for now on ? Thanks for your time, and it´s time to rescue the Frozen Dolphin in NE Take care !
A. Nice to hear from Dolphin fans in Brazil. There are a lot of people out there in free agency who would fill needs. We have needs at almost every position. The OL and DL both need to be restocked and the secondary is completely depleted. As far as big free agents, I'd say the biggest would be Derek Anderson and Asante Samuel, but I'm not sure how well either would fit our team. Anderson had a great season, but he also had an amazing OL and great targets. Who they sign at QB will be largely determined by what they think of Beck. Samuel is a great shutdown corner which we badly need, but his price tag is going to be huge and we have a lot of holes to fill. Chad Johnson has been brought up, but given how much Parcells loved T.O., it seems like a long shot. As far as the draft, Ireland and Parcells have talked nonstop about how they want size, so if they can't trade down, they'll probably pass on McFadden and go with Glen Dorsey or Jake Long with the top pick. We got low on RBs at the end of last season, but given our other problems. Overall I trust their judgement not to sign any more Joey Porters.
12/16/07
After our only win this season, I got bombarded with emails about people relating their feelings and experiences about it. I had a really great time reading all the emails and comments and it reminded me how important this team is to all of us. It also reminded me of the alarmingly high number of grown men who can be brought to tears by one great game. Here are some of them.
"I couldn't help it. I had tears after this one. It was awesome! I've never screamed at my tv as much as I was on that last play. I wonder if Camarillo could hear me telling him to run? I was hollering loud enough for him to, even if I do live in south Louisiana."
"i had to listen to the whole game on the radio cuz i was drivin home from palm beach. on the missed field goal and the last play i nearly ran off the highway haha"
"Being in "Buccaneerland", the closest I got to seeing the game was watching the scores on the bottom of the screen. In a house full of non-Dolphins fans, I jumped up, threw my hands up and screamed "WE ARE NO LONGER WINLESS!!!"
"I had to go to a bar with the NFL TICKET yesterday cause we don't get PHIN games in Orlando...Anyways I had to beg the bartender to put the game on, and Dolphin fans sometimes get heckled in this bar.But by the end of game the game was on the 3 screens behind the bar and everyone was on the edge of their seats, and man when Cleo aired it up.Everyone was screaming and clapping.Awesome!"
"I was screaming and jumping up and down while Camarillo ran down the field. I was going nuts. Even my husband and our neighbor (a Jets Fan and Raiders Fan) were excited for them!! WAHOO!!!"
"I didn't yell that loud since i dropped a 45 pound dumbell on my foot. i was sooooooooo loud.
haha IT was soooooooooo sweet. Never thought i wuld be so happy that were one and thirteen."
"Yep...Awesome finish!!! All I wanted was to win 1 game now LOL Now that we did it...Do I get a date with one of the Miami Cheerleaders of my choice???"
"I am the happiest gal on earth! You should have seen the stadium, it was like we DID win the superbowl!"
"1-13 never felt so GOOOD!"
"dudeeeeee. 1-13!!!!! if i was a girl id ask jason taylor to get me pregnant"
"Thank god we got the "W". So happy I got to catch the end of the game out here on the Big Island (Hawaii). Whew...I was getting worried."
"I smell a comeback, i think if we keep this winning streak going (yes, it counts as a streak), and if we pay the right people, or do what the pats do... i can see us make it to this year's superbowl...
just maybe..."
"WE WON I ALMOST CRIED !"
12/12/07 "...I don't agree with blaming Cam."
Q.While I agree that this has been one horrible season I don't agree with blaming Cam. He simply walked in on a situation that has been brewing for several years. Every time the team starts making strides and getting better the people that are improving get hurt. Look at all the safeties we have on IR. Our offense starts to get better and look, Ronnie is lost on IR. Chatman comes in and is starting to look good and now, while not on IR yet, is still hurt. Ricky came back and had 5 carries and on IR. Worell(sorry about the spelling) finally starts to play decent and he ends up on IR. Trent is brought in to hold down the fort until Beck is ready, he's on IR. Zach gets into a car accident and never recovers, he's on IR. Combine that with the past few coaches horrible draft history and Cam is simply a victim here as much as we are. Give him a few years to get players in place that can be good. Right now this team is in a shambles. You can't fire a coach for things that aren't his fault. Let him grow with Beck. Beck was thrown in to soon. He wasn't ready. Let him be the man next year and play him in spot duty this year. Who knows what'll happen but let's give Cam a chance. At least he hasn't abandoned us like our last coach or that sad coach in Atlanta. They are the sorry coaches.
A. I have been avoiding jumping on the "Fire Cam" bandwagon all year long. Given the hand he has been dealt, I don't believe there is a head coach in NFL history, including Shula, that could have made this a playoff team. The Dolphins winless season is not all his fault or even mostly his fault. If anything, I have had the feeling all year long that he is a good OC, but a mediocre HC. He was 18-37 at Indiana and is 0-13 with the Dolphins. This is not to say he can't become a good HC, it simply shows that he has not been a good one so far. Cam seems like a nice guy, but if there is one reservation I have with him it's that he does not seem to inspire his players to play better. I have always believed that a good coach makes adjustments at half-time and says the right things to make his team improve in the second half. In almost every single game this season, the Dolphins have played worse in the second half; played a competitive first half, only to crumble in the second. There is no doubt Cameron was dealt a crappy hand, but at 0-13, it would hard to make the case that the way he is playing that hand is improving matters. After all, a hamster can coach team to 0-13.
11/19/07
Q. How is it that we get a handful of INT'S against the Eagles and still manage to lose? Did we hire an "offensive mastermind" for us to score only once or am I just overreacting for the past 10 games??? Any thoughts??
A. There is no doubt the offense has been on the wane the last 3 games, averaging just 9 points per game. Cam got a lot of critisism for going for that 4th and goal in the 4th quarter. I agree with the decision to go for it. I don't agree with wasting a timeout to make the decision, but it was the right call. What bothers me is we always get worse in the second half. Great coaches improve in the second half by making adjustments, but our team always seems to get worse. You could argue it's because they're old, but it just feels like every game, the other team seems to have our number in the second half, if they didn't already have it in the first. Saban and Jimmy Johnson were decent coaches for us, but the one thing you saw relatively consistantly was second-half improvement. If Cam is going to be considered a "Mastermind" he needs to get better at making adjustments during the game.
10/30/07
Q. Love the site. If the Dolphins continue with this downslide especially if they don't win one game if you're Wayne, do you fire Cam and go after maybe Bill C or Marty S? Marty got such a bad wrap in Charger land for a man of his experiance and we all know the kind of coach Bill is, he would not put up with this lackluster effort.
A. Thanks man. Good question. I think if I was Wayne, first I would enjoy my unlimited video rental privileges, but then I would have to take a long look at Cam and Mueller. Both Cowher and Marty are going to demand GM control so we would have to be confident that Mueller and Cameron are incapable of getting the job done to make the move. In a perfect world, I would want Cam Cameron as my offensive coordinator for a team head coached by Cowher or Marty, but that is impossible as they typically have to just fire head coaches instead of reassigning them. Cam has never succeeded as a head coach. He was 18-37 at Indiana and is 0-8 in Miami. I want him to be a great coach because this team has had 4 head coaches since 2004 and it would be nice to see the Dolphins go one off-season without having to learn all new terminology. Before I demand their jobs, I want to see the second half of the season. They have patched up a leaky O-Line and put together an offense good enough to make Cleo Lemon and Jesse Chatman look decent, and a lot of the personnel mess was inherited from Saban's team. Overall though, if the second half of the season goes like this first half has, with no sign of development, we have to give Cowher a serious look.
10/29/07
Q. I am from Indiana. I watched Cam Cameron further ruin the Indiana Hoosiers (thus far his only other head coaching experience). Why is the Dolphins front office so inept? And why the hell doesn't Jason Taylor demand to be traded?
A. I felt the same way when I saw his record at Indiana. I guess the thought was our offense was awful and our defense was great so get a guy who knows his way around an offense. To his credit, the offense has gotten better, he just doesn't seem like a head coach to me, and it's not just because we haven't won. I'm sure Jason Taylor was on the trading block before the deadline. I wouldn't be surprised if Roger Goodell talked to Wayne and said "Umm... You know we have a 30 foot robot of JT we just built to show around London. It's not like we can just draw a mustache on him and call him Cleo Lemon." JT is definitely getting traded in the off-season, though. Based on the last few years, he'll probably end up on the Patriots.
10/25/07
Q. so when do you think the Pats are gonna clinch that playoff berth? week 9?....whats the combined wins of the bills, jets, and dolphins? 3???? lets see if London can get them doing anything right this week
A. Hehe. You are correct that the Patriots have 7 wins and the rest of the AFC East has 3 wins combined. The Bills just upset the Ravens, but unless that is a sign that they have completely turned things around, which I doubt, I still see them as a sub-.500 team. Assuming things stay the way they are, it could be one of the earliest clinches ever. The good news for the Dolphins is we get to play the Bills twice and the Jets one more time. When two losers compete, someone has to win.
10/17/07
Q. Thanks for the birthday wish...but if Joey Porter actually delivered me balloons..Id have to punch him in the face....oh yeah lets hear it for another great trade by the Dolphins...Goodbye Chris Chambers!..ughhhhhhhhh
A. Probably not wise to punch Joey Porter. He would probably walk away and then come back with 3 thugs while you and your friends are playing poker. It's good to see Cameron is at least consistant in making character a top priority.
10/16/07 Would you fire the Secondary and Special teams coaches?
Q. i'll tell you something if it were me as coach i would first fire the special teams coach we don't even get down the field fast because were lined up in bad postions when feely kicks off next fire the secondary coach because for the past couple years that has been a team weekness dom capers is a defensive mastermind and everyone was all over his nuts last year now we have a couple bad games and hes to blame no the players also must be held acountable as for the draft lets get glen dorsey the man is an animal and a cornerback or ballhawking safety in the 2nd round give me your thoughts
A. I mostly agree with your ideas. There is no question that the special teams are a mess. The coaching needs to improve, but we also traded a lot of special team standouts, (Bowens, Welker, etc) and we are learning how important they were. The secondary is awful, but when Nick Saban was with the team, the secondary was where he spent all his time during practice. Saban is obviously a lying douchebag, but he had a lot to do with keeping the defense strong. I'm not even sure coaching is the problem. Besides an injured Yeremiah Bell, can you name one proven playmaker in our secondary? Me either. Which brings us to the draft. Glen Dorsey is a beast no doubt. It's not our #1 need, but with a pick as high as we're going to have, we should go with value over need. A great ball hawking safety would be a dream, but they don't come around often. After Dawkins, Reed and Sean Taylor, there's a pretty big drop-off in talent if you look around the league. Our secondary scouting (Jason Allen) has been less than amazing in the last few years. But maybe that will all change this April. Maybe the Cowboys softened up the Patriots to pave the way for an easy first victory this week. You can always hope. Keep hope alive
10/15/07
Q. I HAVE BEEN A DOLFAN SINCE THE EARLY 80'S....I REALLY THINK WE SHOULD GIVE UP AND PLAY FOR THE 1ST PICK...LOL......SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING FOR RICKY AS WELL...HE STILL HAS A FEW GOOD YEARS LEFT
A. I'm not sure how many teams are looking for a stoned yoga teacher. Looking to the draft already...I wish I could say I hadn't already checked Mel Kiper's board. I don't even know who we'll go with. We have needs at almost every position starting with the secondary and the top prospects seem to be DE's and QB's. Based on recent history, we'll probably draft an injured special teams guy with a great family. Keep hope alive, man
10/13/07 "...are you one of those knee jerk guys who expects turnaround immediately"
Q. OK, I got your add request and I have been a fins fan since I was 4 (that was 1972, go figure) before I accept your add, are you one of those knee jerk guys that expects turnaround immediately or do understand that this will take time and that there are people that know more about football than you and I? I was willing to give Wanny a couple years to prove himself, (for the record I now think he sucked) and am also willing to give Cameron a coupe years. Just because they suck now does not mean cameron is a bad coach,right? JJ went 1-15 in Dallas before he won a superbowl. My position is that the fins have do ride out the bad Karma of firing Shula, who knows how long that will take? I also have a theory that the undefeated seaon was followed by a curse that Marino had to edure which is that he is the best passing/thinking QB ever and he suffered because of the Griese years. (more Karma) Anyway I will always love the fins but won't stand for any whiners. I will join you in the suffering if you aren't a dick about it. Let me know if you make it to Omaha on your comedy tour.
-Tom
A. I feel very much like you do. I don't think Cameron knows more about football than me, I KNOW he does. It's easy to make jokes at the expense of a team that can't seem to win a game and that's not really my intent. I don't hate the Dolphins, I love them and want them to succeed, even if that success would make my site irrelevant. I have been a fan for a while. I was at a game in 2004 and they were already 0-6, playing against the Rams. They won that game in a huge upset with trick plays including a fake punt and Marty Booker throwing a huge 60 yard pass to Chris Chambers. It was great to be in the stadium with all these fans who hadn't given up hope. People were walking out at the end saying "Ok, if we just win the last 9 games straight...". If you read my blogs, most are filled with a cautious optimism. My draft blog isn't livid, it's more like "I hope you guys know what you're doing." I'm mad that Jason Allen can't seem to learn any position. I'm mad that Joey Porter seems to be a total waste of money, whether it's his fault or Dom Capers. I'm mad that our defense goes home before the fourth quarter starts. I don't hate Cam Cameron. I think he's a great offensive coordinator who needs to become a great head coach. I'm not calling for his head, but I am hoping he irons out these rookie coach kinks. I see good things too, such as Samson Satele and Ronnie Brown's development which I plan to expanding on in later posts. My site and blogs are comedy in nature, so they are going to be poking fun at people, but I have no intention of whining. My goal, after all, is to Save the Dolphins, not merely to bitch about them.
Dave