Playoffs a long shot but in Sight for Pesky Dolphins

This time last year, the Miami Dolphins were well on their way to a historically miserable season. A winless team that couldn't score and couldn't defend (a typical recipe for disaster for any football squad). However, somehow, some way, the Dolphins started collecting wins and the respect of all teams in the NFL. They would finish the season being the league consensus losing-record team that no team wanted to play. This was no more evident than on the final game of the season. The New York Jets faced a must-win situation to have a chance at the post-season. They walked into Miami with playoff hopes and walked out eliminated from the playoffs. The second half 2011 Miami Dolphins were the pesky team no one wanted to play.

Flash forward to 2012, with the Miami Dolphins coming off their bye week, they still stand as the team no one wants to play. However, there are noticeable differences with this year's squad opposed to last year's 6-10 roster. The most notable differences are at the most important positions.

Rookie Quarterback Ryan Tannehill ahas rejuvenated a franchise and city that has wallowed in misery since the retirement of Hall-of-Fame Quarterback Dan Marino. Legitimate hope for a bright future of play-off appearances flickers in the distance. For the first time since the Dolphins gun-slinging legend rode off into the sunset, the Dolphins look to have a franchise Quarterback they can look to lead them into battle for the next 10-15 years.

Ryan Tannehill is ahead of schedule in his maturation as the Dolphins Franchise Quarterback

The fact is, Ryan Tannehill has already exceeded expectations for the 2012 season. Tannehill was a consensus "reach" by draft experts across the board. A converted WR, The former Texas A&M Aggie was a raw QB prospect that would need AT LEAST one season to get acclimated to the speed of the pro game. When his first NFL start resulted in a disastrous three-interception game, many questioned whether the Dolphins made the right decision in starting the rookie QB, especially over veteran Matt Moore, who helped the Dolphins gain credibility in the latter stages of the 2011 season.

However, with each passing start, the rook improved. He displayed incredible traits that only the all-time great QBs show. Most notably, the poise he has shown in his last five starts is off the charts. Nothing is too big for him. In Week 4, he threw for 306 yards against the blitz, the most by any passer since 2008. Tannehill seems to be light years ahead of schedule.

The 2012 Dolphins are playing hard for their rookie Head Coach Joe Philbin but they won't be mistaken for the first-class teams of the AFC. Despite the respectable 3-3 start, they will not be grouped among the Texans, Patriots and Ravens this season. Despite the continually-improving and impressive play from Tannehill, he won't yet be grouped among the elite Quarterbacks of the league. That said, as of today, the Dolphins still have a shot at the post-season, a situation not even the Dolphins players and staff could have imagined after the Week 1 debacle in Houston.

While the future for the Aqua & Orange certainly looks bright, the Dolphins still have a small glimmer of hope to make a run in 2012. In most years, the Dolphins simply would not have enough talent to compete in the vaunted AFC, but the conference is up for grabs with only ONE elite team. They will need a lot of help but if the Dolphins are to make the play-offs they need to continue to shine in the areas they succeed and improve on those areas where they struggle.

Where They Succeed:

Run the ball: Despite recent struggles, the Dolphins are still one of the best running teams in the league. Before injuring his knee in Week 3 against the Jets, Reggie Bush was a leading rusher in the NFL. The Dolphins offense will continue to focus on a heavy workload for Bush and Daniel Thomas. If he can improve in pass protection, look for rookie Lamar Miller to see more carries as he was extremely impressive with the carries he's received so far in the season.

Quarterback: As mentioned above, Ryan Tannehill has been better than advertised and is a revelation to the most important position. He continues to improve every single game.

Stop the run: The key to success for the Dolphins really lies in the trenches. They want to run the ball effectively and stop the run just as well. The Dolphins front 7 are an elite group led by Cameron Wake, Randy Starks, Paul Soliai and Karlos Dansby.

In order to continue success the Dolphins need to mirror the 49ers or Texans model, which is to control the game on the ground, play with the lead (or keep it close), don't ask too much of your Quarterback, win the turnover battle and capitalize on opponents' turnovers. They will not win, if they continue to:

Where They Need Iimprovement:

big plays: Although the Dolphins secondary has played well at times (better than many have thought, especially Safeties Reshad Jones & Chris Clemons), they still have a penchant for giving up the big play way too often. Defensive Coordinator Kevin Coyle needs to stress keeping the plays in front of them. While an opponent dinking and dunking all the way down the field to score is maybe the most demoralizing drive to a defending unit, to me it's a simple philosophy; the more plays an offence has to run, the more likely they are to make a mistake and turn the ball over.

turnovers: This one is simple, in the 3 Dolphins losses, they've accumulated 9 turnovers. In their 3 wins, they have 2 turnovers. The 2012 Dolphins do not have the luxury of losing the turnover battle, it's a recipe for a loss.

lack of weapons: Brian Hartline is having a career season and Davone Bess continues to be one of the best undrafted free-agent signings of the last 10 years, but after that, the Dolphins lack the explosion from their receivers to make enough big plays. Marlon Moore had a nice game last week against the Rams and Anthony Fasano will make key grabs when called upon, but the Dolphins definitely need another playmaker on the perimeter. If they are to look internally for this playmaker, they will continue to rely on Moore to see if he can continue to produce. It looks like 2011 late-season revelation Charles Clay may get a little more work in the second half of the season. Finally, Jabar Gaffney should finally be acclimated with the playbook to see action going into week 7.

If Jeff Ireland the Dolphins Front Office was to explore the option of a trade, they would probably look at pending free-agent Dwayne Bowe. In my opinion, Bowe wouldn't be worth trading the draft picks for what could be a 10 week rental. Packers receiver is a Joe Philbin known commodity and offers the big play potential the Dolphins could use, however, I think the Dolphins will sit on their ample draft picks and address the playmaking positions in the draft.

Yes, the 3-3 Dolphins have a shot at the post-season but I wouldn't rush to Vegas to drop money on it. A lot of things have gone right for the Dolphins through the first six games, including not having any key injuries. That said, the injury bug will bite every team and the Dolphins lack depth at most positions to survive any serious injuries. Also, as I laid out before, the Dolphins have to play with the lead, they aren't built to come back from 10 to 14 points.

My final prediction the Dolphins will fall short of making the play-offs and end the season with a highly respectable 8-8 record.

Are The Miami Dolphins the Houston Texans-Lite?

Yes, the Miami Dolphins have been dreadful for the last decade. One of the biggest blunders in this decade span has been their inability to beat the Houston Texans. This includes a pitiful loss in 2003 to a then practically-expansion Texans. Despite these woes to the Texans, the one positive correlation to the Superbowl-contending Texans lies within the structure of personnel. The AFC South front-runners have a simple philosophy to winning; run the ball well, limit mistakes by the QB, stop the run and get after the kicker.

If you look at the structure of the Dolphins team, this is exactly how they're built. Give a ton of work to Bush, Miller & Thomas, take the ball out of Tannehill's hands until needed and stop the run. No, they haven't been able to get to the passer on a consistent basis, but that's an issue they can address in the offseason. What I'm saying is, if Ryan Tannehill matures into a game-managing NFL Quarterback, in the same vein as Houston's Matt Schaub, then the Dolphins will have built a team to win for many years in this league. Of course, I recognize the maturation of Tannehill is a GIANT if.

Am I advocating for the great work Jeff Ireland has done assembling this team? Not entirely. However, I'm one of few Dolphins fans that does recognize some of the great finds he's signed or drafted in his 5-year tenure as Dolphins GM. I fully believe that great teams are built well along the trenches, and the Dolphins fit that mold. I also believe Tannehill can mature into more than just a game-managing QB but a big-time playmaking QB as well. The kid has a bright future. All that said, if the Dolphins go 5-11 or worse, I'd show Jeff Ireland the door. For all the good he's done, he hasn't brought any stability to the receiving and secondary positions. Plus, it will be his fourth consecutive losing season as the head of Dolphins personnel operations.

NFL Game Pass - All 22 aka Coaches Film

The NFL has amped up their digital efforts for this 2012 season and part of these efforts include giving fans access to the once elusive "coaches tape". All 22 allows you to look at every single play from the camera angle that allows you to see all 22 players on the field, hence where the name comes from. If you have NFL online Game Pass, All 22 is a must! Why? Now everyone can be a scouting expert! Of course I'm being facetious but it does allow you to look at games in a whole different light and it's definitely worth a look!

WWE Tidbits

-CM Punk & Cena continue to carry the company - they are slowly building one of the best rivalries in the promotion's history! It's the most compelling rivalry since Steve Austin v. The Rock

-Punk & Cena are the only legitimate Superstars in the WWE right now, but Wade Barrett will be the next to join that rank. He's an absolute star in the making and I think it's time they start the push of the Barrett Barrage.

-I'm not the biggest "Cole Miner" but to back up Jim Ross's sentiment, I thought he did a great job at Night of Champions.

Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup Champs - A New Monarchy Reigns in the City of Angels

A few months ago, as the Los Angeles Kings were spiralling towards a season of epic underachieving proportions, I questioned whether my two favorite teams (LA Kings & Miami Dolphins) would EVER win a championship while I was alive.

Only in my wildest dreams would I have believed an L.A. Kings squad that could not score in the finals months of the season about go on one of the epic Stanley Cup Playoff runs of all-time! On June 11, 2012, that wild dream became a joyous reality. The Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 to capture the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 45-year history of the hockey organization!

A View of The Sea of Humanity Who Took in the LA Kings Stanley Cup Parade

As the clock ticked down to zero and the Kings rushed the ice in a triumphant glory, my thoughts darted back to 1993, the one and only Stanley Cup appearance of the Kings before 2012. I couldn't believe it was nearly 20 years ago! That '93 squad was the team of my youth and one of my fanatical sports memories. Being a life-long fan of 'Lucky' Luc Robitaille, I was thrilled that he would have the opportunity to raise Lord Stanley's grail as a member of the Kings organization, albeit not as a player. Robitaille won the cup as a player, as part of the 2002 Detroit Red Wings but his career regret was not hoisting the cup in L.A., his rightful home. After the cup made the rounds through all players and front office personnel, it was finally Luc's turn to hoist the cup as an L.A. King! It's a moment I will never EVER forget!

The story of the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions, Los Angeles Kings will focus on the total team effort it took to win the coveted hardware. Coach Darryl Sutter received contributions throughout all four lines he put on the ice. However, the premier all-stars on the team shined the brightest lustre. Their final line of defense, the man that carried the Kings to a playoff spot, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for M.V.P. of the playoffs, Jon Quick carried over his dominance from the regular season to have an outstanding playoffs and Stanley Cup Final. The playoffs saw the maturation of two elite players in Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Quiet guys off the ice, these two studs really became leaders on the ice by blending grit with their exceptional skills as they were the Kings most productive players in scoring and ice-time.

All-star cast-offs and best friends, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter got redemption and showed they have the determination and perseverance to win a Stanley Cup. This time last year, Carter & Richards were perceived "locker room cancers" and "team killers". That's why Philadelphia Flyers GM, Paul Holmgren shipped Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Richards to the Kings despite both being signed to multi-year, long-term contracts. Despite those perceptions, when Carter was dealt to L.A. in February to be reacquainted with Richards, the two re-ignited their chemistry and put together a great playoff run. Carter especially found his scoring touch in the Stanley Cup Final, scoring two goals in the clinching game 6, including the game winner.

Then their is the captain of the Los Angeles Kings, Dustin Brown. Trade rumours swirled around Brown near the deadline after the Kings acquired Carter from the Blue Jackets. What Brown did to squash those rumours and make them retrospectively look incredibly silly was show his worth as the Kings captain and lead the Kings to the franchise's first Stanley Cup. He was a true leader in all facets of the game. He was the man counted on to rile the team with a big hit and when a goal was needed, he was the guy to come through in the clutch. That was never more evident than in the deciding game of Stanley Cup Final when Brown opened the scoring and the proverbial floodgates, as the Kings rode the momentum to winning the game and the series. UPS famously asks...

"What can Brown do for you?"

In Dustin's case, he can a city's first Stanley Cup! Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings, 2012 Stanley Cup Champions! 

A Photo Kings Fans Will Never Forget

The LA Kings are in the Stanley Cup Finals - I've never been so happy to be wrong!

As the title indicates, I've truly never been so happy to be completely wrong in my entire life. Here is what I wrote on March 15th...

2011-2012 was supposed to be the year the L.A. Kings made the "big jump" into the elite of Western Conference teams of the NHL. Suffice to say, that hasn't happened, AT ALL! If it wasn't for the over-hyped Washington Capitals and the all-of-a-sudden stumbling San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings would be the NHL's most disappointing team.

If the Kings can't scramble to make the playoffs, I don't see how they retain Sutter as Head Coach. Subsequently, that would end the Lombardi experiment. For your sake Dean, I hope the Kings can turn it around. However, you may want to peak at the schedule, it doesn't look likely.

In my defence, at that time, the Kings WERE miserable. They COULDN'T score! I suppose the switch turned on after the playoffs officially began. Two months later, they are the favourites to win the Stanley Cup! If the Kings, beating the #1, #2 and #3 seeds consecutively wasn't a surprise enough, the upstart New Jersey Devils also found their way to Lord Stanley's Dance. Few had the Devils making the playoffs in 2012 let alone the Cup Finals. Yet, tonight starts what should be a physical and exciting series; even if it's one that doesn't meet the NHL's "sexy series" quota, blame the Devils for that!

While the NHL would have preferred having their two biggest markets in Los Angeles and New York face off to hoist the Stanley Cup, the New York Rangers couldn't make it happen. However, despite the "unsexiness" of the match up, there are intriguing storylines to be discussed.

Despite Their Party Animal Ways, Jeff Carter & Mike Richards May Soon Party with Lord Stanley

1. Martin Brodeur's Final Cup appearance - Theoretically, this may not be true, he may come back for one more season and the Devils MAY make the Cup Finals again, just don't bet money on that. This will be Brodeur's fifth appearance in the Stanley Cup and if the Devils win it, all Patrick Roy advocates may have to concede that Martin is the greatest of all-time.
2. Redemption for Jeff Carter & Mike Richards - Nearly a year to the date the two cornerstones of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise were exiled from Philly, Jeff Carter & Mike Richards will vie to lift Lord Stanley's grail; a feat they could not accomplish two years earlier with the Flyers. The two party animals were shipped from Philadelphia because they were thought to be toxic in that Flyers dressing room. Richards was dealt to the Kings in July and Carter made his way to the Kings in February after a brief layover in Columbus. Richards has been fantastic these playoffs and Carter has had his moments. However, if Carter displays a little more consistency in his scoring, the Kings could sweep the series.
3. Vindication for Iyla Kovalchuk - Despite being an automatic 40-goal scorer throughout his 12 year career, the script written on Kovalchuk centres around his willingness to play defence (or lack thereof) and his hot dog and selfish behaviour. Well, Kovalchuk has been exceptional for majority of these playoffs and that includes in the defensive zone. He's done whatever Coach DeBoer has asked of him and he's shown that uncanny ability to score. If the Devils win the cup, there will be some serious rewrites done to Iyla's career script.
4. Oh Captain my Captain! - Dustin Brown has been a throwback to some of the great captains of a previous generation. As usual, he's thrown his body around with reckless abandon and has scored some significantly timely goals. While no one in the world could question the value of Jonathan Quick to the LA Kings run to the Stanley Cup, Los Angeles Kings's captain, Dustin Brown, would be my vote for the Conn Smythe winner.

LA Kings Captain Dustin Brown Refusing To Touch the Clarence Campbell Trophy

Not so much a storyline, but Anze Kopitar continues to show he's one of the top 5-10 players in the league and maybe the most underrated player in the league. If it ended today, I'd have Brown slightly over Kopitar for the Conn Smythe trophy but the way Kopitar finished the Coyotes series, I wouldn't be surprised if Kopitar ended up as Conn Smythe winner, if the Kings are to win it of course!


Since my last blog, the Miami Dolphins did select Texas A&M Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill in the first round of the NFL Draft. That was the right decision. Anytime you can draft a potential franchise QB, you go ahead and do it. If the Dolphins front office believes he can mature into said franchise QB, then it's a great pick. What makes the pick better is that the Tannehill family was drafted into the Dolphins franchise and that includes his lovely wife Laura!

The Lovely Lauren Tannehill

The Dolphins are going to be part of HBO's Hard Knocks series in August. Hard Knocks is a program that takes an inside look into the Training Camp of one NFL franchise. Why the Dolphins?

I have a feeling Owner Stephen Ross jumped all over the opportunity to have his team finally receive some national attention. To be honest, football operations in South Beach have been stale and boring for the last six years. This opportunity presents a chance for hoopla and grandeur to come back to Miami Dolphins football. I believe Jeff Ireland can't be thrilled with this decision however. It should be a fun program to watch regardless and it may present the only thing to look forward to with the Miami Dolphins in all of 2012!

Opposition to Salguero's thoughts on the Fish

I first want to comment that I have a lot of respect for Miami Herald, Miami Dolphins columnist, Armando Salguero. I believe he has a great grasp of the Miami Dolphins organization and unlike me, he shares a professional view of the Dolphins.

However... I have philosophical differences in how I view the Miami Dolphins, in particular to two of his recent 'Miami Dolphins in Depth' blog posts. In these posts he shared his thoughts on GM Jeff Ireland and the search for a franchise QB.

First, in a post titled, 'Jeff Ireland is not the Devil', Salguero shared his sentiments that despite the desired replacement of Ireland from all of "Phins Nation", Salguero feels Ireland hasn't done as bad as a job as many Dolphin fans believe. In the post, he states that Ireland made wise choices in not signing Flynn, resigning Soliai, signing Garrard and trading Brandon Marshall.

He also defended Ireland against onslaughts from Ryan Clark and Joey Porter who claim free agents are avoiding playing for Miami because of Ireland. This could be a hangover from 2010, when during the draft process, when interviewing WR prospect Dez Bryant, Ireland asked Bryant about his Mom's past of prostitution. Salguero's defense of Ireland was that Porter specifically has a history of ripping front office personnel that has either cut or traded him (Porter was cut from the Dolphins after the 2009 season).

I agree with Salguero with all accounts. Garrard can provide QB stability throughout the 2012 and maybe 2013 season. They did resign Soliai for a bargain and trading Marshall alleviates any future headaches when he inevitably gets into trouble again. I'll go one further, Ireland has DRAFTED considerably well. After years of other Dolphins GMs missing on first round draft picks, Ireland has hit on every single first rounder he's selected in Jake Long, Vontae Davis, Jared Odrick and Mike Pouncey. He's also found undrafted free agents in Davone Bess and former CFL standout, Cameron Wake.

However, Ireland has just as many misses in the draft and in free agency. Here's a list of misses:

• Justin Smiley (free agent Left Guard in '08)
• Ernest Wilford (free agent Wideout in '08)
• Jake Grove (free agent Centre in '09)
• Pat White (Drafted Quarterback in '09)
• Patrick Turner (Drafted Wideout in '09)

Is he the only GM in the league that has missed in the draft and free agency? HELL NO. But, despite any spitefulness from Joey Porter, his comments shared by Ryan Clark show, "where there's smoke, there's fire".

I ask Salguero, why should the Dolphins retain his services? He's been an average GM, AT BEST!

Salguero's other post, titled, 'Dolphins don't seem done at Quarterback' goes into detail a draft strategy for QBs going into the 2012 draft. Salguero states that while he likes Texas A&M prospect, Ryan Tannehill, he would not reach to draft him in the first round. The earliest Salguero would select Tannehill is in the 2nd round.

My dispute to Salguero is that if the Dolphins think he can be a franchise QB, you can't reach for him at any position. So Armando can put whatever grade on him, but if Jeff Ireland, Head Coach Joe Philbin and Offensive Coordinator (also former coach and mentor of Tannehill at Texas A&M) believe he's a legitimate franchise QB, you draft him if he's available at 8, 40 or 268.

I believe while still VERY raw, Tannehill possesses all the physical skills and QB accumen to be a franchise QB. If he's available at #8 when the Dolphins are on the clock, they should sprint to Commish Godell to make that selection.

Ideally, going into the 2013 season, I'd love to see the Dolphins have a new GM and Ryan Tannehill as their starting QB. I guess Armando has different opinions. Either way, I feel bad for both of us as fan and columnist, 2012 will be UGLY!

A Week's Worth of What I love - WWE, Dolphins, Kings, more

Upadate***Thursday, March 15th

It's a great time of year to love the things I love. The NHL is wrapping up its regular season and heading into the playoffs, the NFL free agency, draft and MLB season are just around the corner and most importantly Wrestlemania 28, "the Grand-Daddy of them all" is mere days away. Here's a look into a week's worth of happenings.

WWE: The Road to Wrestlemania

- The Rock v. John Cena is heating up on our television screens and on our social platforms. Bringing their feud into the social space has added an entirely new dimension to their program. While Cena has got the "one-up" on The Rock on back to back episodes of Monday Night Raw Supershow, I expect the Rock to "bring it" for tonight's Rock Concert v. Cena's Battle Rap. As far as the in-ring product is concerned, from what we saw of  "The Great One" back at the Survivor Series, I feel they will deliver a Wrestlemania Moment. 


***Aside from the "We Will Rock You" finale of the Rock Concert, I was thoroughly amused from both Cena & Rock's outings. I'm under the impression, the Rock won't be on Raw this coming week, so we'll see where the war of words leads us on the go home episode of Raw leading into 'Mania.

Many are getting after the Rock, most notably Arda Ocal of Aftermath on The Score, for reading lyric sheets on paper and on the TitanTron. Ocal has mentioned how the Rock is "phoning it in". I don't think that's the case at all. Although I do concede the "We Will Rock You" finale was awfully cheesy and unnecessary, I would say whether he's reading lyrics on a music sheet and potentially not even writing his own material, it doesn't matter. The Rock's performance on Monday was fantastic and the delivery of the "Cleveland Rocks" song was indication why the WWE has lacked the type of performer The Rock is. Cena is a legit star but no one on the current roster can have fans eating out of their palms like "Dwayne" can. 

- Speaking of the Rock and John Cena. Who could have ever imagined when the Rock called Cena "Fruity Pebbles" last year, that it would lead to a cereal endorsement for Cena. I doubt it would have ever happened if they didn't integrate social media into the drawn out program of two wrestling mega-stars. Engaging the fans into their program on the social space certainly was a big factor in getting Cena that endorsement; it's a really cool story.

- Looking elsewhere into the Wrestlemania 28 card, while nothing will receive the hype as the year-long program between the Rock v. John Cena, CM Punk and Chris Jericho will be escalating their war of words in the go-home episodes of the Raw Supershow. While I think and hope the Rock v. John Cena will translate into a great match at the "showcase of the immortals", I know Punk and Jericho will deliver a 5-star classic if given a good amount of time, which I think it will. Jericho's return shows his presence isn't replaceable. He's been a breath of fresh air onto the Raw Supershow over the last eight weeks. He's a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer

Miami Dolphins: Live and Die by Peyton Manning

- A few weeks back, I wrote about a growing optimism for Miami Dolphins fans. With the hiring of Packers offensive guru, Joe Philbin, as the team's new Head Coach and the search for a true franchise Quarterback, things were looking sunny for the team from the, "Sunshine State".

Particular to the QB search, I detailed three viable solutions to the decade-long plague that has tortured Dolphins fans alike. Whether it be the newly-minted free-agent, Peyton Manning the jaw-dropping and Heisman-winning prospect, Robert Griffin III or the up-and-comer, Matt Flynn, the Dolphins had several options to solve their QB problem. In a span of three days, all three options may have vanished.

On Saturday, March 10, the Washington Redskins traded a boat-load of draft picks to the St. Louis Rams to move up two spots and secure the ability to land Griffin III. A day later, despite being heavy favourites by many analysts and fans, the Miami Dolphins seemed to have fallen out of the Manning sweepstakes.

So what about Flynn? While as of writing free-agency has yet to start and Flynn is still available, I just don't see how they can sell fans on Flynn after a public pursuit of Manning. Holy consolation prize Batman! I was a Flynn booster; despite his low ceiling for potential, I really thought Philbin and staff could mold him to be this decade's Matt Hasselbeck (also a former Packer and West Coast Offense disciple). However, if the Dolphins do swing and miss the home-run  opportunity to sign one of the greatest QBs of all-time, I cannot fathom how Dolphins front-office turn around and try to sell to Dolphin fans the "seeing-eye single" that is Matt Flynn.

Dolphins will do anything they can to "bring his talents to South Beach"

I'm a solutions guy though and have come up with a FOURTH solution to the QB conundrum. Ryan Tannehill. The Texas A & M product is bolting up draft boards and has the potential to be a true franchise QB in the league. His ceiling is higher than Flynn's. He is a raw QB product, a converted wide-receiver with only 30 starts on his belt. I'd advise the Dolphins live with incumbant Matt Moore for another season and groom Tannehill to take over in 2013. Certainly not what Fin fans want to hear, but it's a better solution than the band-aid option of Matt Flynn.

 ***It looks like the Miami Dolphins are a dead horse in the Manning sweepstakes. That leaves two pivotal pieces and three teams in the QB carousel. The Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins will be jockeying for the rights to sign Matt Flynn or draft Ryan Tannehill. Dolphins fans, be prepared to enter the 2012 with Matt Moore as the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins. 2013 may end up being the year they make a legitimate push to land their franchise QB. With that said, I'm absolutely shocked GM Jeff Ireland has been rewarded the opportunity to rebuild the Dolphins. He's had 4 years at his first attempt and failed completely. Ireland should have been shown the door with Coach Sparano.

L.A. Kings: Disappointment is only the start

2011-2012 was supposed to be the year the L.A. Kings made the "big jump" into the elite of Western Conference teams of the NHL. Suffice to say, that hasn't happened, AT ALL! If it wasn't for the over-hyped Washington Capitals and the all-of-a-sudden stumbling San Jose Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings would be the NHL's most disappointing team.

The Kings currently sit tied for 8th place in the Western Conference; if the playoffs were to start today, The Kings would be hitting the golf courses early. Scoring has plagued the team all year; they currently sit 29th in the league in goals for. If the Kings can't pull it together over the last 13 games, it may and SHOULD spell the end of GM Dean Lombardi's impressive run with the franchise.

Despite the MVP season Quick is having, the Kings are a  massive disappointment

Lombardi is one of the reason's why this franchise has rebounded to respectability after a decade of bottom-feeding. The drafting of Drew Doughty and the trade for Mike Richards are at the hands of Lombardi. However, when the team struggled to score goals early in the season and went on a hideous losing streak, he fired former Head Coach Terry Murray. Who did he hire as Murray's successor? Darryl Sutter. Those of you in the NHL circles would know that explosive and high-scoring offenses aren't the first things to come to mind when you think of Darryl Sutter. Suffice to say, the team has yet to find any scoring touch. That is on Lombardi. He HAS to live and die with Sutter.

If the Kings can't scramble to make the playoffs, I don't see how they retain Sutter as Head Coach. Subsequently, that would end the Lombardi experiment. For your sake Dean, I hope the Kings can turn it around. However, you may want to peak at the schedule, it doesn't look likely.

The NHL Superstar Conundrum

NHL aficionados, for a second, if you could please remove those rose-covered glasses, with NHL logo on each lense. Let's face facts, with Sidney Crosby still sidelined, the NHL doesn't have a legit cross-over Superstar to hang their hat on as Posterchild for the league. If you think otherwise, let me ask you, who is, "that guy"? You know, the player the NHL embraces as a face of the league, in the mold of Tim Tebow from this past NFL season.

Oh sure, Ovi will tease us for a few stretches but is he a legit superstar? Maybe three years ago, Ovechkin was that guy. Three years ago he scored 60 goals and entertained us with hysterical quotes or dangerous hijinx. Now, with his scoring at a career low and a growing frustrated demeanour, how recognized is Ovechkin outside the NHL fraternity?

Before you start shouting at your computer monitors yelling, "what about Stamkos, Malkin or Claude Giroux?". Remember, Superstar isn't defned merely by their ability to put the, "biscuit in the basket", rather a true Superstar will have star power that carries over into mainstream pop culture and a recognizable face by non-hockey enthusiasts. For instance, we know Johnathan Toews is a wonderful player, one of the best in the league, but is he a Superstar?

Do you recognize this NHL "Superstar"?  Didn't think so. It's Claude Giroux

Why doesn't the NHL have "that guy"? Let's take a look at a few reasons. And because I'm a solutions-oriented guy, I provide a solution to each of these obstacles.

Language Barriers
In no other of the big 4 North American pro sports leagues are language barriers more prevalent than in the NHL. Because of the heavy European influence in the NHL, 20% (or more) of the league speaks severely broken English or none at all. During a stretch, not only was Alexander Ovechkin a productive scorer but also displayed a charismatic personality. However, It's hard to ask Ovi to be your product's spokesperson when he can barely string together three sentences in English. There may be several other charasmatic players like Ovechkin but their personalities are submerged under their inability to communicate these personalities to an English audience.
Solution - Provide visual platforms for these players who don't speak fluent English. For example...

Bland Personalities
I'm as proud of a Canadian as you'll find but Canadians don't usually exude a ton of personality; the NHL has a massive Canadian contingency. I hate to harp on poor Johnny Toews but he is the best example. He should be a legitimate star in the world of sports. He's an extremely productive kid who led the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup after a 50-year drought. He plays in the big hockey market of Chicago and when he's clean-shaven, he's an attractive guy. So what are the missing ingredients? Well, He's not usually clean-shaven and often sports these hideous patches on the side of his face. But most importantly, he has the personality of a bottle of mustard

Who is the NHL's version of Brian Wilson? They haven't found him

The sad fact is that many players DO have extremely engaging, charismatic and larger-than-life personalities. However, many of these players are fourth-liners or healthy scratches that play in non-hockey markets like Phoenix. Paul Bissonnette aka @BizNasty2point0 is a perfect example of this. He's a wildly entertaining character but he's lucky to get a shift in any given game let alone goals to rise to Superstar level.
Solution - Dig deep and scour the league to find a productive player that has a similar character to San Francisco Reliever Brian Wilson or when all else fails, date a Kardashian (Isn't Kim available?).

Lack of Exposure:
I've come to the realization that hockey in the United States will most likely always be a niche sport. Hockey is a predominantly cold-weather sport, which doesn't suit the twenty-something warm-weather States. Plus, if Frankfurt Kentucky parents are deciding what sport little Jimmy will be participating in for the coming year, they could opt to pay $1000 on hockey registration and equipment or they could pay a fraction of that price and buy their kid a ball glove or baskeball and register them in one of those sports. From a minor sports perspective, hockey and the NHL are already behind the eight ball in terms of popularity.

With Crosby on the shelf, Stamkos is the most prolific scorer in the league. Why don't we see more of him? Oh right, he plays in Tampa. Not exactly the hot-bed of hockey in North America. Also, like Toews, Stamkos isn't a real intriguing character. I'm sure there is a small part of Gary Bettman that would love to see Stamkos embrace the inner "bad boy" inside or declare he's, "taking his talents to 'The Big Apple'" in a similar setting to, 'The Decision' circa Lebron James 2010.
Solution: Give a greater effort in cultivating minor hockey programs across the United States

15 years ago, the NHL didn't need to cultivate Superstars; Superstars were born from their torrid scoring paces. Gretzky, Jagr, Hull and Lemieux were breaking records with each shift. Also, tough and blue-collar players like Mark Messier and Eric Lindros embodied what it meant to be a leader in professional sports. The game has changed dramatically to the point where most records will never be broken and quiet leaders like Nik Lidstrom have replaced the brash leaders of the Messier ilk. Marketing from the NHL needs to create Superstars in their league if they want the league to rise in popularity.

I mean, can the NHL ever cultivate an NHL Superstar that can repeat this brilliance?(#2 on the Top 10)