Around the Dolphins' Rumor Mill

Fresh into the NFL offseason we've already begun to hear rumblings of the Miami Dolphins' potential moves. Sweeping changes have already taken over the organization with a completely new coaching staff grabbing the reigns. Now the focus shifts to the team's roster and depth chart.

Most notably, the Dolphins are making quarterback their top priority this offseason with Peyton Manning, Robert Griffin III, and Matt Flynn dominating the candidate field. Assuming that Manning and the Indianapolis Colts part ways, Miami will make a strong push for the future Hall of Famer. However, analysts believe Manning would prefer playing in a dome if he does leave Indy. If that's true, Miami's tropical weather will actually work against them for once. This is all speculation of course and it ultimately goes down to Manning's decision and his ability to play at a high level.

As for RG3 and the NFL draft, that's another uphill battle for the Fins, who'll likely need to cough up quite a bit to move up in the first round. We're talking multiple picks and/or players. The Dolphins brass will need to evaluate Griffin to the utmost extent and unanimously feel that he's The One before pulling the trigger. Lastly, we have the enticing, yet unproven, Matt Flynn waiting to be snatched out of Green Bay's grasp. The Philbin-Packers connection could make this a very likely possibility but it will be contingent of his asking price and whether Miami can secure any of the previously mentioned options. Flynn's basically a third option here.

Moving on to other positions in need of addressing, Miami will be looking to fill the vacuum that is the right tackle position. Marc Colombo didn't cut it last season and it's doubtful that he'll return in 2012. That leaves the door open to possibly using an early round draft pick on a RT. The infamous Mel Kiper Jr. suggests that Miami take Reilly Reiff - an offensive tackle of out Iowa - in the first round. Fans might not be too fond of such a pick but it might serve Miami best in the long run (especially if they can't draft a franchise-caliber QB in the first round).

On the defensive end, the Fins will need to deal with nose tackle Paul Soliai and his expiring contract. The prevailing opinion is that Soliai will be asking for a long-term contract worth big bucks. This coming after he was franchise tagged last season, which earned him roughly $15 million. If Miami were to franchise tag him again, that amount would be even steeper. That's why many believe the two sides will be parting ways this offseason, leaving the NT position vacant. Here's an unofficial list of free agent defensive linemen.

Another intriguing story comes out of Houston and their cash-strapped salary cap situation. Many believe that the Texans will be unable to re-sign defensive end Mario Williams. If so, plenty of teams will be knocking on the door of the Williams' residence, Miami being one of them. The cost of adding Williams would undoubtedly be hefty but understandable, given he's an elite talent in the NFL. To put this in perspective, Miami's chances are probably in the long shot status. But the Fins have been able to pull off surprising acquisitions in recent years, with Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush as living proof. Just keep a watchful eye on this situation.

Expect these stories to escalate in the coming weeks and months. As always, there's never a dull moment when you're a Dol-Fan.  

Cats Shootout Struggles Continue

Written by Julia Chongarlides

The Florida Panthers were last in the Eastern Division last season, but this year seems to be the year for Hockey fans in South Florida. The Cats are 22-15-11 and have plenty to be pleased about heading into the All-Star break.

However, they're still struggling in shootouts. Once again, the Panthers failed to execute in last night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Florida has now lost six shootouts and 11 overtime games this season. Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux scored the lone goal in the shootout, catapulting the Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Cats.

Florida took the lead early when Mikael Samuelsson hit a slap shot from 50 feet out. Later in the first period, the Flyers were called for interference and a bizarre bounce off Scott Clemmensen’s back slipped into the net to tie up the game at 1-1. The Flyers didn’t hold back, finishing off the first period in the lead with a goal by Jakub Voracek, 2-1.

In the second period, Versteeg broke free on a breakaway and backhanded a pass to Tomas Fleischmann, who flipped the puck into the net to tie it up at 2-2.

The Cats had plenty of opportunities in the remainder of the game, but couldn’t capitalize in the end.

Florida is tied with Washington Capitals in the Southeast Division, but is officially 7th in the Eastern Division with 34 games left. The Cats play at home next Wednesday, February 1st, against the rival Capitals. The puck drops at 8:00pm.

Hot Points: Miami's Statistical Advantage

January 6, 2011

Chris Bosh drains a three-pointer with 0.6 left to tie the game.

• The NBA season is still young but the Miami Heat are burning up the stat charts already, leading the league in points per game (ppg), point differential, and field goal percentage thus far. 

• LeBron James is currently the NBA's top scorer with 29.9 PPG and is shooting a stellar 59% from the field. His high percentage is due in part to his improved post game and reduction of three point shots (he's only attempted two shots from behind the arc this season). 

• Chris Bosh is averaging over 20 PPG with almost nine rebounds and one block a night. These numbers can be attributed to Miami increasing the touches Bosh receives in the post, which has allowed the big man to become more comfortable and aggressive. 

• Despite Dwyane Wade's recent foot injury, he's been able to contribute with over 18 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Not to mention, Wade is ranked 7th in league in blocks with 12 so far, that's better than any other guard in the NBA. And his game will only get better once he heals up. 

• Mario Chalmers is off to the best start in his career and has provided the Heat with great perimeter defense (two steals per game) and perimeter shooting (50% three-point percentage). Chalmers' 29-point performance versus the Atlanta Hawks marked a season-high for him in scoring. 

• Miami is also receiving considerable support off the bench with Udonis Haslem posting 10 rebounds a nights, Norris Cole scoring 11 PPG, and James Jones shooting 50% from three-point land.

• While numbers can be skewed to paint various pictures, these are stats that are difficult to dismiss. As the cliche goes, these numbers don't lie. 

Establishing a Championship Pedigree

January 5, 2012

Seven games into the NBA's 2011-12 season and the Miami Heat have already begun establishing their dominance in the league. Miami is building upon last season's success with a quick 6-1 start, mostly overwhelming their opponents on their journey toward the promised land. However, it took a season's worth of grueling criticism, an agonizing Finals loss, and a long offseason of reflection to push the Heat to this point. Fortunately for Miami these are just the stages of building a championship pedigree.

Can the Heat finish close games? How will they manage three superstar egos? Is Erik Spoelstra fit to coach this team? These are just some of the tough questions Miami faced last season, all while making an impressive playoff run that ended just two games short of a title victory. This season the expectations are greater but the team's growth is equally great. They come in with one year of chemistry under their belt, a better understanding of their offensive potential and a tremendous thirst for redemption. That sounds like a solid recipe for success to me.

What the Heat endured last season can't be compared to anything else in NBA history, perhaps even all of sports history for that matter. They were thrown "Into the Fire" and are emerging with muscles flexing (a la Alonzo Mourning).

LeBron James is averaging almost 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists to start off the season, which rivals his numbers from the good ole' Cleveland days. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have also elevated their games; Wade on defense (averaging two blocks per game), Bosh on offense (averaging about 19 points a night). And the rest of the squad is pitching in nicely in their respective roles, with Udonis Haslem, Norris Cole, James Jones, and Shane Battier providing the bulk of reserve support.

What it adds up to is the Heat averaging 108 points per game while they hold opponents to 95 points per game. That's about a 13-point margin of victory each game. The season may be young but those stats speak volumes about Miami, especially when compared to last year's 9-8 start. Not only are they closing out close games but they're also pressing the gas when taking large leads. They've come a long way.

All in all, Miami is looking good, damn good. What remains in question is whether they can keep it up throughout the regular season and carry it over into the playoffs, ultimately landing them back in the Finals. Ah, but this is the beauty of sports and the reason why we watch.

Dolphins Send Sparano Packing

December 13, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

One day after the Miami Dolphins' 26-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Head Coach Tony Sparano joined the already-crowded unemployment line. Many thought that after back-to-back 7-9 seasons he would be gone by the beginning of the 2011 season, but he lasted 13 games, only four of which were wins.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross had this to say regarding his decision to fire Sparano:

“As you know when I purchased the team I told you there is nothing more important to me at all than being a winning team and bringing back the glory to Miami that it had in the past. There has been a lot of distractions and speculation in regard to if Tony would stay or Tony would go and I think in the interest of the football team and the development of this team that this is the time we need to make a change.”

Todd Bowles will take over as the Dolphins interim head coach for the last three games of the season. “I love Todd Bowles,” said Jason Taylor. “He’s a great football coach and it’s a tough situation to get your chance but we’ll be behind him.” Miami heads into back-to-back road games. First, heading to Buffalo this Sunday and then to New England for a Christmas Eve match-up. Then bringing it home for the last game of season against the Jets at Sun Life Stadium.

The Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland can’t afford any more losing seasons with his job on the line as well. So, he will be looking for someone with experience entering next year. Someone like a Jon Gruden, Jeff Fisher, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, Bill Cowher or Joe Philbin. All have their pros and cons but Ireland really wants someone who has the pedigree to lead the Dolphins to winning seasons. If that doesn't happen, Ireland may suffer the same fate as Sparano.

Cats Claw Their Way to First Place

December 7, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

The first place Florida Panthers showed the Washington Capitals why they deserve to be atop the Southeast Division. The Panthers have a seven-point lead over the Caps in the division, which is the largest division lead in the NHL.

Dmitry Kulikov scored a career-high three points (1-2-3) and a season-high five shots, while Steven Weiss notched two goals to lead the Cats to their 5-4 win over the Capitals on Monday night. For the first time in 12 years the Florida Panthers are 15-8-4 on the season.

The Cats travel to Boston on Thursday night to face off with the defending Stanley Cup Champs. The Bruins are first in the Northeast Division and have a one-point lead over the Panthers in the East. The puck drops at 7:00 PM ET.

Dolphins Thankful for Turnaround

November 23, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

The Miami Dolphins have surely mounted an impressive turnaround despite their atrocious 0-7 start. Fate seems to have turned in their favor with Matt Moore stepping in as the starting QB. For the second time this season, Moore has been named as a finalist for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week. He threw for 3 TDs in last Sunday’s win against the Bills and has totaled 622 yards in the past three games.
 
Miami approaches its Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys on a three game winning streak. In that span, the team has averaged over 28 points per game and haven't allowed a single touchdown. They're clicking on all cylinders in every dimension of the game, as clearly displayed during Sunday’s 35-8 win.
 
According to the books, the Fins have a pretty good track record on Thanksgiving. They have won 5 out of 6 games on Turkey Day. “The pageantry and build up to the game in Dallas is really big and they do a great job with it. It’s an honor, privilege to play on Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to represent South Florida,” said Coach Tony Sarpano.
 
The Cowboys are coming into this game 6-4, obviously a better record than Miami. However, 4 out of those 5 Miami victories on Thanksgiving were against teams with winning records.
 
The Fins look to continue that trend in Big D. Kick off beings at 4:15PM on CBS.

Almost Doesn't Count, Fins Falter Again

November 1, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

Seven games in and the Miami Dolphins are seven games down in the loss column, still seeking that ever-so-elusive win. Sunday afternoon Miami took the field against a vulnerable New York Giants team, hoping they'd upset the G-Men just like the Seattle Seahawks did a couple weeks back. Needless to say, the Fins played three solid quarters of football but faltered in the fourth, which ended up costing them the game.

Miami QB Matt Moore performed fairly well as he completed 13 of 22 attempts for 101 yards and ran for a touchdown. However, the Dolphins offense only mustered 17 points (just two points above their season average of 15 points per game). The defense gave up 10 points in the fourth quarter and allowed Giants WR Victor Cruz to snag 7 passes for 99 yards. It's safe to say that Miami missed CB Vontae Davis, who was out with a hamstring injury.

Although the game ended in another disappointment, there were some positives. RB Reggie Bush completed his second career 100-yard rushing performance. Even though Moore was intercepted twice at the end of the fourth quarter, he was accurate for the most of the game and made plenty of smart plays both inside and outside the pocket.

Miami continues its search for win number one next Sunday, November 6th, as they head to Kansas City. Kick off begins at 1:00pm on CBS.

Panthers Pounce Lightning for 2nd Win

October 17, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

The Florida Panthers secured their second victory of the season by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night. Panthers' Goaltender Jose Theodore shined as he made 28 saves and denied three Lightning players during the shootout.

Let’s not forget about Jovo, who scored the opening goal of the gas and his for Florida in 13 years. Kris Versteeg chalked Florida's next goal during a power play with 2:55 left in regulation, which gave the Cats a 2-1 lead. But it didn’t take long for Tampa’s Marc-Andre Bergeron to tie it up 39 seconds later.

Marcel Goc came through for the Panthers by scoring the lone goal of the shootout to clinch the win for Florida. The Cats head to Tampa for a rematch tonight at 7:30 PM. The Lightning will seek revenge at home while the Panthers look to build on their success.

The Cat Fight Begins

October 11, 2011
Written by Julia Chongarlides

There is a win in South Florida! Yup…that’s right, a win! And it didn’t come from the Miami Hurricanes or the Miami Dolphins, who was on their bye week, this weekend.

The Florida Panthers shut out the Islanders 2-0. Stephen Weiss and Jason Garrison each scored and Goaltender, Jose Theodore made 27 saves for Kevin Dineen’s first win as the Panthers head coach.

With the Cats winning their first game, We See Red is becoming a household name. The Panther’s president and CEO, Michael Yormark took to twitter before the game on Saturday stating:

@PantherYormark At the bankatlantic center and standing in the bowl. It’s a sea of red with red seats, red scoreboard, and 3 rings of digital signage.

Although the Panthers don’t play at home until October 15, fans await to see the revamped rink. But first the Cats head to Pittsburgh to face off with the Penguins tonight.