Apologies: I'm Back

Off Season

First off, I'd like to apologize for being away for as long as I have been. Distracted pretty much sums it up. To get my feet wet, I'm just going to touch on some random things over the off-season in the NFL.

Starting with my Miami Dolphins, I absolutely love the new logo and the new the uniforms. Our free agent signings will go a long way to moving in the right direction. I'm not here to say we are a lock for the Super Bowl, but I am confident we have improved. Mike Wallace will be adding a much needed dynamic to our offense that has been missing for as long as I can remember: Speed and the ability to strike some fear in a defense. Brent Grimes, when he returns healthy, which I feel he will, is going to add a consistent veteran to bring up Jamar Taylor and Will Davis (Our Rookie Corners). Which brings me to the draft. I am ecstatic about the drafting of Dion Jordan with the 3rd overall pick. Yes we gave up our first second round pick, but to move up to 3rd from 12th is worth it, especially for a player with Dion's Potential. Side Note: His lack of sacks in college is not due to lack of talent, it is due to the defensive scheme. I am very tired of hearing this. I'm excited to see the Phins play, and am even more excited for future years.

The following are my random thoughts on the off season. They are in no particular order.

1. In a previous post, I mentioned that I would like to see Alex Smith go to the Kansas City Chiefs. I love that he did. I wish both him and Andy Reid the best of luck.

2. Seeing Marcus Lattimore get drafted to the 49ers was amazing. It's the perfect situation for him. No pressure, simply get healthy and learn under an amazing back in Frank Gore.

3. The Jets are in utter chaos. I enjoy every second of it.

4. The NFC West has simply become the scariest division in my eyes. The 49ers acquisition of Anquan Boldin alone improves their teem greatly. The Seahawks seem to have made a habit of gutting the Vikings roster, and it has made them as deadly as the 49ers if not more so.

5. If our plans for Sun Life Stadium go through, we deserve to get the 50th Super Bowl down in MIA.

6. Tampa Bay's ability to turn their biggest weakness into its biggest strength with the signing of Revis and Goldson should be commended. Its all on you Josh Freeman.

7. Tim Tebow's release, as terrible as it may make him feel, is a godsend for the young man. Its better to be a free agent with possibilities, even as small as they are, then to be stuck as a 3rd string QB on franchise that that is on the downward spiral. I do believe he will be picked up. Not as a starter.

8. Justin Blackmon is disappointing.

9. The 2013 Draft was one of the most exciting drafts that I've watched in recent memory. I enjoyed the depth as opposed to the top end talent. For rebuilding teams, I feel this draft couldn't have come at a better time.

10. So happy that the Miami Dolphins are in the Hall of Fame Game this year.

I apologize for the randomness, this is simply a few thoughts of mine. Looking forward to this year.

Hope all of you enjoyed the off-season as much as I did.

Phins up,

Kyle

Updated Week 17 Key Match-Ups With Results

NFL Key Games To Watch For: Week 17 Edition

*Updated with Results 10:34pm MT 12/30/12*

Well I went 6-1 in picking these games with my only miss being in the +Houston Texans at +Indianapolis Colts game. This means Houson slides down to the 3rd seed for the playoffs, Denver takes the #1 seed and New England takes the #2 seed. This will force Houston to play in the Wild Card round next Saturday against the +Cincinnati Bengals. Wild Card round coverage will follow later this week!

Houston at Indianapolis- 1:00pm ET

This game features two teams that have already locked up playoff births, but for Houston this is a very important game. A win means they lock up home field advantage on their path to the Super Bowl. For Indianapolis, this is more of a tune-up game on their way to the playoffs. But the last thing Indianapolis wants to do is to give their division rivals take the #1 AFC seed. For me, this is time for Houston to prove that they are the best team in the AFC and put a beating on Indy on their own field. If not, people are going to continue to question them as the best in the AFC. I still have my questions about this team because they have been wildly inconsistent and have beat some bad teams by narrow margins, and have allowed many teams that shouldn't measure up to them stick around. If Houston can go out and handle Indy, I think they have to be a favorite to reach at least the AFC Championship game.

Prediction: 28-17 Houston Wins. Maintain #1 Seed

Actual: 28-16 Indianapolis Wins. Houston slides to #3 Seed, Indy maintains #5 seed.

Kansas City (2-13) at Denver (12-3)- 4:25pm ET

On paper this game should be a huge blow-out in Denver's favor, and I think it will be. Many things are on the line for Denver though, and that is why it is a key game to watch. With a win for Denver they lock up a first round bye, and if Houston loses in addition to Denver's win the Broncos will be the #1 seed and secure home field advantage through the AFC Championship game. If the Broncos lose, they can still be the #2 seed with a Patriots loss, but if the Patriots win with a Broncos loss, Denver slips to the #3 seed. This could be very bad for them because then they lose the first round bye. If they do win in the first round as the #3 seed, they must be on the road for their next game.

Although I think this will be an easy win for Denver, division games are sometimes very tough to pick. Kansas City has nothing to lose and should be willing to take risks they normally wouldn't. A Peyton Manning led team shouldn't overlook an opponent, but there is also that risk for Denver. Being a Raiders fan, I really want to see Kansas City pull this one off, but I'm not holding my breath.

Prediction: 34-10 Denver Wins. Maintain #2 Seed

Actual: 38-3 Denver Wins. Obtains #1 Seed and home field advantage throughout AFC playoffs

Miami (7-8) at New England(11-4)- 4:25pm ET

This is another game that should be a forgone conclusion, but the NFL has done a good job of scheduling division rivals towards the end of the year so that teams will play for pride. Miami has been surprisingly good at times this year and they should have a shot if they play their game and run the ball well. Especially with the performances that the Patriots have been throwing out there lately. Last week was an embarrassment for the Patriots, as they almost lost to a 2 win team in Jacksonville. The performance sparked Tom Brady, and afterwords he and other veteran leaders scolded the team for the poor performances in the past few weeks.

I think the Patriots will rebound with all that is on the line. With a win they could be anywhere from the #1-3 seed depending on what Houston and Denver do. New England will play motivated and barring a huge performance from Miami I think they will sneak away with a win, especially at home in front of their fans.

Prediction: 24-20 New England Wins. Maintain #3 Seed

Actual: 28-0 New England Wins. Secure #2 seed & 1st round bye.

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (9-6)- 4:25pm ET

Although Green Bay has secured the NFC North, they still have one more thing to accomplish, a first round bye. With a win, they will obtain that as well as home field till the NFC title game. Teams that still remain in the mix for the #2 seed are San Francisco (10-4-1) and Seattle (10-5). Minnesota needs a win or an array of losses coupled with their own to maintain the #6 seed. The easiest way for them to ensure that they remain in it is win. The Bears, Giants, and Cowboys are looking to swoop up that final spot if Minnesota lets it slip through their grasp. 

This game is usually a close one, with many lead changes. Both teams feature high power threats on offense. For Green Bay, they feature one of the top passing attacks in the league. Featuring Aaron Rodgers and his cast of above average receivers, they are very difficult for even the most stout defense to stop. 

For Minnesota, they face a man on a mission to break a record against a bitter rival. Adrian Peterson is 208 yards short of Eric Dickerson's all time record. The Vikings will look to ride him to victory, and give him a chance to make history on the last game of the regular season. Buckle up folks, this one is going to be a fun game to watch. I think Adrian will get the record and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field enough to lead the Vikings to an upset win, and keep Green Bay from getting the first round bye.

Prediction: 24-21 Minnesota Wins. Become #6 Seed Green Bay Becomes #3 Seed

Actual: 37-34 Minnesota Wins. Seeding as above

St. Louis (7-7-1) at Seattle (10-5)- 4:25pm ET

This is a story of two teams heading in very different directions. St. Louis has been somewhat surprising to me that they have won 7 games this season, as they have looked far from a 7 win team at times. While Seattle looks primed to make a run at history this year, simply dismantling the last three teams they have played (including division leading San Francisco.)

This game to me shouldn't even be competitive, but because it has playoff implications it must be included. If Seattle takes care of business and San Francisco loses, Seattle will be crowned NFC West champions. Couple that with a Green Bay loss, and Seattle will be the #2 seed heading into the playoffs. More about that below. 

Prediction: 42-7 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Actual: 20-13 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Arizona (5-10) at San Francisco (10-4-1)- 4:25pm ET

Another matchup featuring a heavy favorite in San Francisco. This is another game that I think will just purely be one-sided. Arizona has looked pathetic after winning their first 4 to start the season. Besides one good showing against Detroit, this team has been dead on arrival for most of their 11 contests after that 4-0 start. 

San Francisco has looked anything from awful to unbeatable since making the move at QB to put in rookie Colin Kaepernick after Alex Smith sustained a concussion. They have been wildly inconsistent under the rookie signal caller, but it shouldn't be much of a stretch to think that they can handle this visiting Cardinals team. I won't spend much time here because I don't believe that this should be much of a game. 

Prediction: 35-10 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Actual: 27-13 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Dallas (8-7) at Washington (9-6)- 8:20pm ET

Dallas at Washington could be a game that we talk about for years if the winner does anything special in the playoffs, and I would call this the Game of the Week. It's going to be on prime time television for Sunday Night Football, and they couldn't have picked a better match-up to feature. 

These two teams have been bitter rivals for what seems like ages, and this game should come down to the wire. During their last meeting on Thanksgiving, Washington ran away with the game until the very end when Dallas made a desperate comeback that fell short. Robert Griffin III will be healthy and it should be another high scoring shootout. This is a winner-takes-all game, as the winner will advance to the playoffs and the loser goes home for the long offseason. 

As a fan, I would love to see Washington win this game and head to the playoffs. They have a solid young core of exciting players in RGIII and Alfred Morris, I don't think they have a good enough team to make a solid playoff run, but they are exciting and stay in most games. I also like seeing new blood in the playoffs, and the Skins haven't gone in a while. Plus, it's never bad seeing the Dallas Cowboys lose. 

Prediction: 27-21 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

Actual: 28-18 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

NFL Week 17 Key Matchups & Results

NFL Key Games To Watch For: Week 17 Edition

*Updated with Results 10:34pm MT 12/30/12*

Well I went 6-1 in picking these games with my only miss being in the +Houston Texans at +Indianapolis Colts game. This means Houson slides down to the 3rd seed for the playoffs, Denver takes the #1 seed and New England takes the #2 seed. This will force Houston to play in the Wild Card round next Saturday against the +Cincinnati Bengals. Wild Card round coverage will follow later this week!

Houston at Indianapolis- 1:00pm ET

This game features two teams that have already locked up playoff births, but for Houston this is a very important game. A win means they lock up home field advantage on their path to the Super Bowl. For Indianapolis, this is more of a tune-up game on their way to the playoffs. But the last thing Indianapolis wants to do is to give their division rivals take the #1 AFC seed. For me, this is time for Houston to prove that they are the best team in the AFC and put a beating on Indy on their own field. If not, people are going to continue to question them as the best in the AFC. I still have my questions about this team because they have been wildly inconsistent and have beat some bad teams by narrow margins, and have allowed many teams that shouldn't measure up to them stick around. If Houston can go out and handle Indy, I think they have to be a favorite to reach at least the AFC Championship game.

Prediction: 28-17 Houston Wins. Maintain #1 Seed

Actual: 28-16 Indianapolis Wins. Houston slides to #3 Seed, Indy maintains #5 seed.

Kansas City (2-13) at Denver (12-3)- 4:25pm ET

On paper this game should be a huge blow-out in Denver's favor, and I think it will be. Many things are on the line for Denver though, and that is why it is a key game to watch. With a win for Denver they lock up a first round bye, and if Houston loses in addition to Denver's win the Broncos will be the #1 seed and secure home field advantage through the AFC Championship game. If the Broncos lose, they can still be the #2 seed with a Patriots loss, but if the Patriots win with a Broncos loss, Denver slips to the #3 seed. This could be very bad for them because then they lose the first round bye. If they do win in the first round as the #3 seed, they must be on the road for their next game.

Although I think this will be an easy win for Denver, division games are sometimes very tough to pick. Kansas City has nothing to lose and should be willing to take risks they normally wouldn't. A Peyton Manning led team shouldn't overlook an opponent, but there is also that risk for Denver. Being a Raiders fan, I really want to see Kansas City pull this one off, but I'm not holding my breath.

Prediction: 34-10 Denver Wins. Maintain #2 Seed

Actual: 38-3 Denver Wins. Obtains #1 Seed and home field advantage throughout AFC playoffs

Miami (7-8) at New England(11-4)- 4:25pm ET

This is another game that should be a forgone conclusion, but the NFL has done a good job of scheduling division rivals towards the end of the year so that teams will play for pride. Miami has been surprisingly good at times this year and they should have a shot if they play their game and run the ball well. Especially with the performances that the Patriots have been throwing out there lately. Last week was an embarrassment for the Patriots, as they almost lost to a 2 win team in Jacksonville. The performance sparked Tom Brady, and afterwords he and other veteran leaders scolded the team for the poor performances in the past few weeks.

I think the Patriots will rebound with all that is on the line. With a win they could be anywhere from the #1-3 seed depending on what Houston and Denver do. New England will play motivated and barring a huge performance from Miami I think they will sneak away with a win, especially at home in front of their fans.

Prediction: 24-20 New England Wins. Maintain #3 Seed

Actual: 28-0 New England Wins. Secure #2 seed & 1st round bye.

Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (9-6)- 4:25pm ET

Although Green Bay has secured the NFC North, they still have one more thing to accomplish, a first round bye. With a win, they will obtain that as well as home field till the NFC title game. Teams that still remain in the mix for the #2 seed are San Francisco (10-4-1) and Seattle (10-5). Minnesota needs a win or an array of losses coupled with their own to maintain the #6 seed. The easiest way for them to ensure that they remain in it is win. The Bears, Giants, and Cowboys are looking to swoop up that final spot if Minnesota lets it slip through their grasp. 

This game is usually a close one, with many lead changes. Both teams feature high power threats on offense. For Green Bay, they feature one of the top passing attacks in the league. Featuring Aaron Rodgers and his cast of above average receivers, they are very difficult for even the most stout defense to stop. 

For Minnesota, they face a man on a mission to break a record against a bitter rival. Adrian Peterson is 208 yards short of Eric Dickerson's all time record. The Vikings will look to ride him to victory, and give him a chance to make history on the last game of the regular season. Buckle up folks, this one is going to be a fun game to watch. I think Adrian will get the record and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field enough to lead the Vikings to an upset win, and keep Green Bay from getting the first round bye.

Prediction: 24-21 Minnesota Wins. Become #6 Seed Green Bay Becomes #3 Seed

Actual: 37-34 Minnesota Wins. Seeding as above

St. Louis (7-7-1) at Seattle (10-5)- 4:25pm ET

This is a story of two teams heading in very different directions. St. Louis has been somewhat surprising to me that they have won 7 games this season, as they have looked far from a 7 win team at times. While Seattle looks primed to make a run at history this year, simply dismantling the last three teams they have played (including division leading San Francisco.)

This game to me shouldn't even be competitive, but because it has playoff implications it must be included. If Seattle takes care of business and San Francisco loses, Seattle will be crowned NFC West champions. Couple that with a Green Bay loss, and Seattle will be the #2 seed heading into the playoffs. More about that below. 

Prediction: 42-7 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Actual: 20-13 Seattle Wins. Become #5 Seed

Arizona (5-10) at San Francisco (10-4-1)- 4:25pm ET

Another matchup featuring a heavy favorite in San Francisco. This is another game that I think will just purely be one-sided. Arizona has looked pathetic after winning their first 4 to start the season. Besides one good showing against Detroit, this team has been dead on arrival for most of their 11 contests after that 4-0 start. 

San Francisco has looked anything from awful to unbeatable since making the move at QB to put in rookie Colin Kaepernick after Alex Smith sustained a concussion. They have been wildly inconsistent under the rookie signal caller, but it shouldn't be much of a stretch to think that they can handle this visiting Cardinals team. I won't spend much time here because I don't believe that this should be much of a game. 

Prediction: 35-10 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Actual: 27-13 San Francisco Wins. Become #2 Seed

Dallas (8-7) at Washington (9-6)- 8:20pm ET

Dallas at Washington could be a game that we talk about for years if the winner does anything special in the playoffs, and I would call this the Game of the Week. It's going to be on prime time television for Sunday Night Football, and they couldn't have picked a better match-up to feature. 

These two teams have been bitter rivals for what seems like ages, and this game should come down to the wire. During their last meeting on Thanksgiving, Washington ran away with the game until the very end when Dallas made a desperate comeback that fell short. Robert Griffin III will be healthy and it should be another high scoring shootout. This is a winner-takes-all game, as the winner will advance to the playoffs and the loser goes home for the long offseason. 

As a fan, I would love to see Washington win this game and head to the playoffs. They have a solid young core of exciting players in RGIII and Alfred Morris, I don't think they have a good enough team to make a solid playoff run, but they are exciting and stay in most games. I also like seeing new blood in the playoffs, and the Skins haven't gone in a while. Plus, it's never bad seeing the Dallas Cowboys lose. 

Prediction: 27-21 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

Actual: 28-18 Washington Wins. Secures #4 Seed

Favortie Memory in Sports

I have had many memorable times involving sports, whether that be playing or as a spectator. However, nothing can compare to the first time I was able to watch a Miami Dolphins home game. When you add the fact we were playing our bitter rivals, the JETS!!!

Oct. 12, 2009-
1st Quarter- We started the game in terrific fashion. We came out and on our opening drive scored on a Ronnie Brown touchdown. However the Jets were able to answer back with, as much as I hate to admit, a very nice touchdown catch by Braylon Edwards. After the ensuing kickoff we were able to drive the field and set up a 35 yard field goal from Dan Carpenter, making the score 10-7 with 1:00 left in the first quarter.

2nd Quarter- The second quarter was very slow and became a battle of field position. Throughout the entire quarter the only points scored were a pair of Jay Feely field goals to put the Jets up 13-10 at the half.

3rd Quarter- After 3 punts in a row, Miami was able to finally get into the red zone as the 3rd quarter ended. Both defenses played tremendous football in the 3rd quarter.

4th Quarter- In the fourth quarter, the game really began to heat up. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Chad Henne was able to hit Anthony Fasano for short yard touchdown putting the Dolphins up 17-13. The Jets were far from finished. With two 30+ yard completions by Mark Sanchez, they were already knocking on the door after a handful of plays. This set up a Thomas Jones 1 yard touchdown to give them back the lead, 20-17. The following drive was extremely uncharacteristic of the Dolphins. We rarely had success with the deep ball. However Chad Henne dropped back and let fly a beautiful 53 yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr., beating Darrele Revis on the play. At this point I was screaming so loud that I lost my voice within moments. Up 24-20 we had stolen the momentum. After a lackluster drive by both teams the Jets were put into scoring position by an ill timed pass interference call. Thomas Jones would walk into the endzone putting the Jets back up 27-24 after the extra point. With 5 minutes left in the game, Miami turned to its Wildcat formation. While Henne dipped and dunked passes for short yardage in our conventional offense, Ronnie Brown executed the wildcat to perfection. 1st down after 1st down began to pile up until in one last triumphant moment, Ronnie Brown ran a wildcat keeper up the middle to score the final touchdown with 6 seconds remaining. 31-27 would be the ending score of this remarkable Monday Night showdown between two bitter AFC East Rivals. I had been to one NFL game prior to that game, and to many more since. None of them are as vivid in my mind as this win against the Jets.

I would love to hear about your favorite Sports moments. Please Share in the comments section.

Logo changes coming for the Miami Dolphins

 
                                                                 Possible Logo Leaked



Current Logo
Photo Courtesy of www.yourlogoresources.com



As a Dolphins fan, I have been impatiently waiting for any news on the logo change since before the 2012 season, when I had first heard of the possibility. Well now there has been a leaked photo. It comes from two sources, The New York City Fan Club, and Paul Lukas'(An apparent athletic aesthetics guru) twitter feed. Mike Dee, CEO of our beloved Dolphins, is reportedly updating us very soon according to his tweet from Monday. Until then all we can do is speculate as to the validity of this logo.




Possible New Logo
Photo Courtesy of the MIAMI HERALD



I personally have never had a problem with our log, however I have always been more partial to our 70's era logo. A great deal of that could be because it will always represent the time frame when the Dolphin's reined supreme. Due to the fact the first news I had heard, was that it would be a mixture of new and old. That just so happens to be something we could use, on more than our logo.

Now if this happens to be the final logo that we move forward with, it will have mixed reviews from the fans.

I have heard everything from joyous comments to complete roasts of the idea of even changing the logo. I personally feel that this truly does incorporate our vintage look with a modern twist. I enjoy the subtle change to the sun. Adding the smaller radiations creates an edgier look. When it comes to the dolphins design itself, I like the direction they have chosen to take. It would move away from the cartoon, helmet wearing imagery of my childhood, and go back to simpler design much like the original logo. All that, while still making a much sleeker and modern version. For this Dolphins fan the logo change only fits the theme of our organization. We are rebuilding, admittedly or not, and like our franchise, our logo needs something new. We have made strides in the right direction as a franchise and perhaps we need a new "symbol" to raise on our flags to represent the "Philbin era". Or maybe this is just the writings of a fan trying to forget the Wannstedt, Saban, Cameron, and Sparano years.

Photo Courtesy of www.Skinit.com





As Always, PHINS UP,

Kyle Gilmore