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State of the Miami Dolphins, and NFL for that matter...

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by The_Dark_Knight, Nov 10, 2017.

  1. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    I'm not one of these younger posters and my early memories of the Dolphins glory days aren't limited only to the Marino era. I've watched this team, and the NFL for 45 years and while there is no doubt whatsoever the league has changed over that time, there has been one change that warrants criticism and is never discussed...rules governing organized team events. Confused? Yea, I may not have eloquently expressed the issue but allow me to expand upon it.

    Once upon a time, players, staff and coaches in the NFL were always together in one way shape or fashion. Not only during the actual season, but during the off-season as well. These guys ate, slept and breathed football together. Coaches had year round access to players; players had year round access to coaches, support staff and training facilities year round and as a result, the quality of play seen on the field was fantastic! Sure, you had POOR teams with losing records but the overall level of play was incredible. Well somewhere along the way, the players themselves (in my opinion) shot themselves in the foot where the almighty dollar became the driving factor and not the cohesiveness of the team. Hence, rules were established limiting off season team activities, limiting coach's access to players during the off season and player access to coaches and team facilities during the off season...rules governing the level and amount of contact during OTA's. All of these rules that limit coaches and teams as well as players and as a result, the level of quality we now see in the NFL, as a whole is down from what it was even 20 years ago.

    This has a particularly negative effect on free agents that are signed. Sign a big play player from another team from another team, to bring his talents to your team BUT...don't you dare have any contact with him until mini-camps in July. That can be up to 6 months with ZERO team contact with a player to assimilate him and his talents into your team. Free agents are just expected to show up and ultimately perform. Well it doesn't work like that.

    Many of the great players TODAY take the time to study film and dedicate themselves to physical conditioning during the off season but for every great player, there is the average NFL player who lacks that self discipline and self motivation and as a result we are seeing sloppy play.

    Now I'm not calling for a return to the heyday of football when there was once upon a time virtually year round OTA's with guys out there practicing, but if some of these rules were loosened up a bit where coaches had access to the players and vice versa, you might see more fottball intelligent players on the field and a much better product overall.

    Just a thought that occurred to me after listening to Steve Young on PTI yesterday afternoon and after listening to him...giving it some consideration, he's absolutely right.
     
  2. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I think that almost all coaches and owners, and many players, would totally agree with you. The problem is that getting the concessions for fewer practices and less time spent at the facility was one of the NFLPA's biggest issues during the last labor dispute. In order to swing the pendulum back the other way whatsoever, the owners will have to cave to the players on some other issue.

    Now to me, the easy thing would be to take pot off of the banned substance list. Let the players smoke to their hearts content as long as they don't get arrested, since many of them do it already anyways, and get them back in the facility and working together.
     
  3. dirtylandry

    dirtylandry Well-Known Member

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    I also think injuries and the league trying to play judge and jury is ruining the league. As for injuries, I just don't know how to prevent the ACL's of this world. When you have stars done for the season, you lose fan interest because teams depended on that player.
     
  4. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I'm fine with the quality of play in the NFL today. It's the non-football off field distractions I don't like.. that, and the length of commercials!
     
    Irishman and djphinfan like this.
  5. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I disagree on the Judge and Jury part. I want the league to be a hammer, and to have the power to suspend players for whatever reason they see fit, for however long they choose, as long as those reasons are equally enforced to all 32 teams.
     
    Irishman likes this.
  6. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    That's also been a big part of why Miami has struggled this season- the hurricane and all the resulting travel cost them at least 6-7 practice days that they'll never get back. In the 80's, if you lost a day of practice, then you'd just practice extra the rest of the week...no big deal. You can't do that in today's NFL though since everything is highly regulated.

    I grew up watching the Dolphins in the 70's and 80's with Manny Fernandez as a neighbor, so my loyalty to the team was kind of corrupted through neighborhood block parties. But the stories he'd tell of practice, travel and teamwork to our parents just doesn't seem to exist anymore in the current league...they literally lived football 24/7 back then. I was too young to tell who was who, but I probably met at least a third of the Fins roster as a kid in the late 70's/early 80's. Heck, I've played catch with Duper, Clayton and Strock- they'd see us kids playing and just gravitate towards us.

    You're 100% right, they were like a family and I only had a very limited view through Manny's world. But it was obviously there for anyone to see.
     
  7. jdallen1222

    jdallen1222 Well-Known Member

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    Thank the NFLPA for limits on training requirements. The ones doing the work voted it out.
     
  8. djphinfan

    djphinfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I love football..dont mind any of the changes..game hasn't changed that much..

    the helmet and hitting defenseless players stuff was a must.
     
    texanphinatic likes this.
  9. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

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    Slightly left of center
    The players, coaches and I all agree for the most part.

    What needs to happen? One of two or perhaps both of these:

    1) Extend the season by 4-6 weeks. 2-3 bye weeks, Expand the rosters to 65. No preseason. Longer Training Camp and OTA's. In return give the players injury guarantees in their contracts.

    2) Stop using NCAA and create an NFL "minor league" with each team having one, or two, regional AA or AAA developmental teams. NFL farm league, especially off season would be huge I think.

    I would like to see both. Spring Summer minor league and a 20 game season with 2 bye weeks
     
    SocaCasualuk and Irishman like this.
  10. RGF

    RGF THE FINSTER Club Member

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    I love the game also, but the NFL is somewhat hypocritical.They claim player safety is a major concern , i.e. late hits, defensless player penalties, helmet to helmet tackles, CTE research, and I agree all that SHOULD be a major concern . But then the NFL will continue to have Thursday night games when they know damn well an NFL football players body and mind didnt fully recover from the previous Sundays game. Why you ask ? MONEY ! The players hate it and they know they're more prone to suffer an injury playing two games in four days but the league refuses to lose the revenue the games generate. They should quit the Thursday games altogether, but will they ?
     
  11. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

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    That is so cool!
     
  12. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I think the scariest moment from my entire childhood- I was walking down the street with Christina (Manny's daughter) when we were about 7-8 years old and out of nowhere, she says, "I have to pee." So she ran over to some tall grass, hiked up her dress and did her business. Of course, I wasn't old enough to be impressed with the situation, but I watched anyway like any dumb little kid would do.

    The next thing I know, I hear a car horn honk...there's Manny in his car looking like he wants to rip me to pieces. I'll never forget that look, it scared the crap out of me for several days. He never said a word though and he was nice to me the next time I saw him. I don't think I've ever told anyone that story before.

    Manny used to throw massive parties though and he'd invite the whole neighborhood- I remember Halloween was always a big one with all sorts of stuff set up for the neighborhood kids. We were just playing and having fun, but the dads in the neighborhood got the real treat drinking with current/former Dolphins players and just having a good time. On average, he'd have a few hundred people at those parties easy.

    People get mad whenever the last undefeated team loses each season and the media talks about the "Champagne Toast" with former players....for all I know I could have been at the first one as a baby...I have no idea. But every time the last undefeated team loses, I think about Manny and just smile...I hope he is somewhere celebrating with his teammates. He was an awesome neighbor and he really looked out for all the kids in the neighborhood. He was a big, scary dude with the fuzzy beard and all, but the guy was nice as can be off the field. I just wish I was a little older at the time to appreciate it more....they moved out when I was around 10 or 12 (between 1983 & 1985).
     
    Puka-head and Unlucky 13 like this.
  13. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    Post of the Day!!!!
     
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