Fwd: Doh!

The Dolphins Ranter sent me this comment (about my laziness when I didn't re-watch the game).....its better this way.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

My original comment was what is shown below. I didn't know the page would strip my XML tags! Doh!

 

Slacker!

<sarcasm>
Sorry, I'm too lazy to do more of a rant!

</sarcasm>

 

Ho hum

Normally, in this space, I break down a play from the previous game and show you what went right or wrong within....but I just can't bring myself to sit through this game again to find a play....there just weren't that many of them.  And the game was soooooo boring.

 

So, there will be no description of such a play this week.

 

Believe me.  We're all better off as a result.

Little Nick...

I love this picture

Lest we forget

Denver sits in the #5 playoff position right now. Only one game better than Miami.

Could be that any of the 7-6 teams might catch them.

But the only thing that's important is that Miami go 3-0 and control what they can.

Nate Garner

The game started with Garner starting at RG in place of Donald Thomas; with Justin Smiley at LG, and Joe Berger at C, and Vernon Carey at RT.

 

By the end of the game, Garner once again subbed into all those slots, but this time not because of injury.

 

Garner is playing good football, and the coaches want to figure out how to get him on the field, and whether he can replace someone fulltime.  Its really a question of where.

Vontae

When the game started, I noticed Jason Allen was starting for Vontae.  I said aloud "I didn't know Vontae was injured." And then on the second series, Vontae came in.  He had been 'suspended' for one series as a "Coach's decision"....neither wouldn't elaborate, but Vontae did say he learned a lesson.

A thorn in their side

There remains a distinct possibility Miami could find themselves 10-6 and on the outside looking in.  Based on all the tiebreakers, Jacksonville could still edge out Miami, or so could Baltimore....and the Jets could keep it interesting by forcing the tiebreaker.

 

Here's who Jax has left: Indy, at New England, and Cleveland

Baltimore: vs Chicago, at Pitt, at Oakland

 

And of course Miami has: at Tennessee, Houston, and Pittsburgh

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Baltimore probably will win all 3.  I'm going to root for Jacksonville to beat Indy (sentimental reasons) and also New England, since that could Miami the division crown and eliminate the need for the tiebreakers (or at least I think it would?)

Oh, now I get it...I think...

The "problem" for Miami is Baltimore.  While Miami does indeed own the head-to-head against Jacksonville, Baltimore is in the way.

 

If it were just Miami, it would be easy:

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

But its not, so we have to use this one:

Three or More Clubs

(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)

1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

And that means we have to go to #3.

Jacksonville is 6-3 in the conference, Baltimore 6-4, Miami 5-4.

 

So right now, Jacksonville has the lead.

 

Miami just needs to keep winning.

That figures....

Miami beat Jacksonville, and now they are both 7-6.

 

But, during the late game, CBS kept flashing up the AFC playoff picture with Jacksonville in the 6th spot. 

 

Miami would clearly beat them out, based on the head-to-head competition.  The "wild card" is still the Ravens, who are also 7-6, and might stand ahead of Miami *right now* but probably won't at season's end if they have the same record.

A wins a win....

Miami played a pretty poor game overall.  They had all the desire, and really all of the momentum....and yet they only managed 14 points.  It was *kind of* like the Beefalo game two weeks ago, except the wheels didn't come off at the end.

 

But believe you me, I was waiting for it to happen at any moment.  Disaster appeared in the offing.  Except that Jacksonville wanted to win less than Miami did.

 

It wasn't the greatest game I ever saw, but Miami does move to 7-6.

Ping Pong Smash!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Seth Levit

December 7, 2009

PHONE: (954) 424-0799

JASON TAYLOR FOUNDATION TO HOST

SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA

JT'S PING-PONG SMASH 6 – PRESENTED BY PUBLIX

FT. LAUDERDALE

–Miami Dolphins All-Pro Jason Taylor and the Jason Taylor Foundation will host

the

Seminole Tribe of Florida JT's Ping-Pong Smash 6 – Presented by Publix on Monday, December 14th at

Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Jason Taylor Foundation, whose

mission is to support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida's

children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.

This one-of-a-kind event will once again pair community members with some of the Sunshine State's most

recognizable personalities from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including Taylor, the 2007 NFL Man of the

Year, and many current and former Miami Dolphins players. The duos will compete in a round-robin style pingpong

tournament while raising money for local children's charities. The fun-filled, electric atmosphere will also

feature

DJ Laz of Power 96, filling the arena with today's hottest music, in addition to interactive games for

children in attendance.

Prior to the action that evening, Taylor will host the second-annual

Ping-Pong Smash Kids Clinic -

Presented by Stop Burgers

. Nearly 100 deserving children will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of

the world's fastest sport from former Puerto Rican Junior National Table Tennis Champion and two-time JT's Ping-

Pong Smash Champion, Juan Ly. The Kids Clinic will take place from 3:30 – 5:00 PM, also at Hard Rock Live.

Following the event, participants will attend the

Hooters Champions' Celebration to take part in the

awards ceremony, a silent auction and loads of fun!

In addition to the

Seminole Tribe of Florida, Publix, Hooters and Stop Burgers, other supporters include

3Cinteractive, Air Around the Clock, Best Buy, Big Dick's Muscle Cars, BMW Tennis Championship,

Bokamper's Sports Bar & Grill, Cambridge Schools, Duane Morris, Flamingo Commons Dental, Flanigan's

Seafood Bar & Grill, Gerlinde & Michael Photography, Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust, Improv Comedy

Club of Ft. Lauderdale, Inko Dada, Joe Rose, Killerspin, Kimbo Productions, The Law Offices of Lawrence

Zieper, Levinson Jewelers, Macken Realty, Miami Dolphins, Office Depot Foundation, Pepsi,

PopGraphicsUSA.com, Pro Tennis World, Richard Epstein, Steven Douglas Associates, Walter H. Messick

and

Weston Lifestyle Magazine.

Doors open for the Seminole Tribe of Florida JT's Ping-Pong Smash 6 – Presented by Publix at 5:30 p.m. on

Monday, December 14

th. Admission to the event is a $5.00 donation to the Jason Taylor Foundation. For more

information, please call (954) 424-0799 or visit

www.jasontaylorfoundation.org.

-JTF

playoffs?

There's a shot Miami could make the playoffs.  If they win all 4 games, they are in a good position to get in.  They would be 10-6, and would own the tiebreaker against all the other teams - except Baltimore.  In that case, it would go to tiebreakers, and the relevant one would be "strength of schedule" which likely would make Miami the #6 seed. 

 

If New England were to lose any game, Miami would contend for the division crown, and it would also come down to tiebreakers there, too.  Then, who got the #6 seed would also come down to tiebreakers.

 

So, in the scenario that Miami makes it as the #6, they would go on the road and face (probably) the Bengals, though it could be the Patriots or Chargers.

 

I'm not loving that situation.

 

If they somehow manage to squeak past the Pats, Miami would have and face Baltimore, the Jets, maybe the Patriots, or about 4 other teams.  At least they'd be home, but I don't like that scenario, either.

 

Imagine if somehow Miami won the crown again, and had to face the Ravens at home again. 

 

I don't think the result would be different.

 

I think - in all seriousness - I'm more satisfied with Miami finishing 9-7 or 10-6 and just missing the playoffs; rather than having them have another playoff game like last year.

 

 

Vote for Dave!

I got this email from the Marlins, and my first reaction was "Vote for me!!!"

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From: marlins.com <feedback@mail.mlblists.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Subject: Vote for Dave!

Having trouble reading this message? View as a webpage. |  View as plain text »  |  Visit marlins.com »  Vote for Dave! Fans, nominate the Voice of the Marlins, Dave Van Horne, for the Hall of Fame's 2010 Ford C. Frick Award! Van Horne, who has 41 years experience broadcasting Major League Baseball, has been the lead play-by-play voice of the Marlins for the past nine seasons.   More info »   More Headlines from marlins.com: Rivals won't dictate Marlins' plans » Bonifacio's talent can address a need » Marlins News 2010 Season Tickets With your 2010 Marlins Season Tickets, you get seating priority for the New Marlins Ballpark, opening in 2012! Buy Tickets Now » Marlins Holiday Mall Tour Join us for appearances throughout South Florida to make this holiday season a memorable one for all fans. More Info » More from the Marlins 2010 Auditions! Come out and audition for the Mermaids and Manatees! Mermaids Info » Manatees Info » Annual Fund Donors can make a contribution to FMCF. Donate Now » Marlins FanFest The 2010 Jiffy Lube Marlins FanFest will be at Land Shark Stadium on February 13. More Info »  Share This with a Friend  E-mail       Facebook       Twitter Marlins Holiday Deal Includes 26 games for just 150 dollars! That's $5.77 a game!   Buy Tickets Now »   Celebrity Golf Classic Join the FMCF and Tee it Up Thursday, February 11, 2010.   Buy Tickets Now »   2010 Group Deposits Get seating priority for the New Marlins Ballpark, opening in 2012!   Place Deposit Now »   New Marlins Ballpark All the latest progress on the Marlins New Ballpark.   More Info »   New Ballpark Webcam Watch the Marlins New Ballpark being built live on your computer. View Now » STATS  |  SCHEDULE  |  NEWS  |  ROSTER  |  BALLPARK  |  FAN FORUM  |  COMMUNITY  |  FANTASY  |  MOBILE  |  SHOP  |  TICKETS  |  MULTIMEDIA © 2009 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All Major League Baseball trademarks, service marks and copyrights used herein are the property of the applicable MLB entity. All rights reserved. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. Please review our privacy policy » You received this message because you registered to receive commercial e-mail messages from marlins.com. If you no longer wish to receive commercial e-mail messages e-mail messages from marlins.com, please unsubscribe. Postal Address: marlins.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011.

A statement from Granny

I have decided to come forward and tell the truth.  I was Tiger's first affair after his marriage.  As others have said, he was quite the tiger in the boudoir, and I knew that I was never going to be able to satisfy him fully.  So one night, as we lay awake having "pillow talk,"  I suggested he not limit himself to just his wife and me, and that he should sow all those oats.  Not surprisingly, he went ahead with the idea, and we soon stopped seeing each other.

 

I feel terrible, because I (usually) make it a policy not to get involved with married men.  Unless they're quite good looking - and Tiger is. 

 

I wanted to set the record straight.  Thank you,

 

Granny.

 

 

From the world of sport

I had the radio on 560, and Sid was on.  I'll be honest and say I'm not a fan of Sid Rosenberg.  Sure, he and I were at UM at the same time, and I recall our paths crossing, but I didn't know the guy really, and I recall that I thought he was arrogant and self-absorbed.  And that's kind of what I don't like about him.

 

But I digress.  I don't usually listen to his show, but today he had Tim Donaghy on.  He's the ref who bet on NBA games.  And I would have to say that it was very interesting, and a pretty good interview.  He and Sid connected because Sid, too, had/s s gambling problem; and that's pretty much what happened with Donaghy - he had a gambling problem that became much more complicated.

 

The story goes that Tim was betting on NBA games (even one's he was ref'ing) based on what he knew about certain refs and their interactions with players and coaches.  And he was hitting about 80% in those bets.  Because he was working through a bookie, this kind of success does not go unnoticed.  A mobster approached him and basically convinced him to give up information on all the games for their personal use....and he did, and the mobsters reportedly made millions.

 

Eventually, the FBI found out about the NBA ref connection, and it all came crashing down - and essentially freed him from this situation.  He lost his job and did time...

 

He claims he was working alone, and he doesn't know of any other people who were gambling or helping gamblers.  But he could see the allure in all professional sports, for the referees, and even the players to try and manipulate the outcomes to some degree.

 

Very interesting stuff. 

 

And of course, Donaghy is working the circuit to promote his book, which is reviewed here: http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read

 

I had amusing thought

Wouldn't it be funny (I mean freakin' hysterical) if Notre Dame made a run at Nick Saban?  He just signed a new deal, he's having some success, and he's been there for 3 years now.

 

The timing would be about right.

 

...and by the way, I'm waiting for some sort of a scandal to come out of the Alabama program.  Its been quiet for too long.

That's odd...

Charlie Crist (Florida's lame [duck] governor) met with the ownership group for the Jacksonville Jaguars and made a plea for them to draft Tim Tebow.  He believes that would re-invigorate that franchise and keep it from moving in the future.

 

Yeah, Chuck, you really get how this draft thing works, don't you?  And who knows if Tebow will be any good in the pros anyway?

 

Meanwhile ticket sales are down this year, owing to thousands who opted not to renew, and there is strong talk about the possibility of the team bolting for LA.

 

And by the way, that would be good for the Dolphins.  They used to be *Florida's* AFC team, and that pretty much extended up into Georgia and The Carolinas.

 

Then, along came the Jags, and they claimed most of Florida as their market, and most of the rest of the south as their secondary market, meaning that's the AFC team that's always on TV when its a choice between them and the Dolphins.