Hope Still Remains for a Dolphins Playoff Push

Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans was as upsetting a loss to the organization and its fans as anyone could imagine. They were dominated in all aspects of the game, from a far less superior team, as soon as Reggie Bush put the ball on the ground, during the Dolphins second drive of the afternoon. While they were punished and beaten down during a Week 1 road loss to the Houston Texans, that one is forgivable, as the Dolphins were still a team trying to gel and it was rookie Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill's first professional game. This loss to the Titans, on home soil, was much more upsetting.

Ryan Tannehill MUST rally the troops and escape Buffalo with a W

However, the Dolphins can't let that loss be debilitating or deflating as they head down the home stretch of their 2012 season. While more dim, there remains a flicker of light for the team's playoff aspirations. It all starts in Buffalo, tonight. 

Tannehill and the Dolphins have to put Sunday's loss to the Titans behind them and focus on finishing the season 5-2, as nine wins should get you into the AFC playoff picture this season. Here's how they can do it. 

The Fish have five winnable games left on their schedule, some may argue all seven are winnable. Beating the Bills twice and the Jaguars at home are absolute must wins. They will face more formidable foes when they host the upstart Seattle Seahawks a week from this Sunday. That said, if we know anything about this year's Seahawks, or any Seahawks team of the last decase for that matter, they are unbeatable at Qwest Field but often hapless when travelling outside of Washington State. 

If the Dolphins are able to win those four games, then a trip to Candlestick Park to play the 49ers and a home and home series against the rival Patriots are the games that remain. From a look at the math, they would need to win only one of those games to be primed for a playoff spot, which they are capable of doing. 

Tonight we'll get a great indication if the 2012 Miami Dolphins are a young team learning to win consistently under the helm of a rookie signal-caller in Ryan Tannehill or an ascending team ready to capitalize on a weaker schedule, similar to the schedule they had during their 2008 playoff push. Time will tell. 

Thoughts Around the League:

-Bill Belichek is the greatest Head Coach of my generation, perhaps the greatest coach of all-time. That said, can we remove the "genius" tag given to him? As a defensive coach, he's had four years to fix a defense that has sit near the cellar of the league, especially in the back-end. While he's acquired some great defenders in the past few seasons with guys like: Chandler Jones, Brandon Spikes, Jerod Mayo, etc, the pass defense remains one of the worst in the league. 

-Michael Vick's days in a Philadelphia Eagles jersey seem to be numbered. If the Eagles cut bait in the offseason, one of the more intriguing storylines is where Vick will land next. I still think Vick has good football left in him. Don't the New York Jets make the most sense?

-If the NFL trade deadline still laid ahead of us, do you think the Pittsburgh Steelers would be on the phone with Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland about the possibility of a trade involving Dolphins backup Quarterback, Matt Moore?

-Why do the New York Giants consistently go into hibernation in the month of November under the tutelage of Head Coach Tom Coughlin? 

-Are we really jumping off this Atlanta Falcons bandwagon already? One loss, to a divisional opponent, on the road, and we're abandoning ship like the Titanic. Despite only having a slightly above average defense, the Falcons are still the most formidable team in the league and should still be favourites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. Oh and, Matt Ryan is still the league's MVP and is knocking on the door of the "elite" class of Quarterbacks.

-We only may get to witness it two or three times, but how much fun will this Andrew Luck v. Tom Brady showdown be on Sunday? Luck is everything as advertised and more but Brady is still the King of the Jungle, something has got to give on Sunday. 

The 2012 Miami Dolphins: Where Have We Seen This Before?

Why does this 2012 Miami Dolphins story sound so familiar? For whatever reason, it feels like Dolphins fans have been down this path before.

Think back to the 2008 Miami Dolphins season. If you can't recall or you forced yourself to "misremember", let me remind you. This is the story of a rebuilding team starting from scratch, merely looking to improve upon on a highly forgettable and historically awful 1-15 2007 season. 2008 brought a new Head Coach and new Quarterback into the fold. A new culture was being created in Miami.

Is this starting to sound more familiar?

Fast-forward to 2012 - how does the 2012 team compare to the 2008 team? Let's go down the checklist:

• New game-managing Quarterback? Check
• New Head Coach? Check
• New culture? Check
• 4-4 start through 8 games? Check
• Played NFC West Division? Check
• Zero to few wins against teams with winning records? Check

These resemblances, these eerily resemblances are remarkable. That Miami Dolphins squad would end up winning 11 games on the back of discarded signal-caller Chad Pennington and the "revolutionary" Wildcat offence, earning their first playoff birth in 7 seasons. Despite, an early exit in the postseason  this new Dolphins regime led by Vice-President of Football Operations, Bill Parcells provided a small glimmer of hope of what would be a return to glory for the once-proud franchise. However, that small glimmer of hope would quickly darken with each fist-pumping Field Goal after fist-pumping Field Goal from Head Coach Tony Sparano. The 2008 season was the start of a giant step backward, rather than forward.

Field Goal Fist Pump!

Flash forward 3 seasons, Chad Pennington along with "future franchise QB" Chad Henne and said Head Coach Tony Sparano are all gone with only much-maligned General Manager Jeff Ireland remaining to direct personnel decisions.

I know history indicates that this optimistic Dolphins season is more of a mirage than the start of a successful run in South Beach, but wait Dolfans! Before you start to hit the panic button, or reserve that optimism you've built up for a surprising 4-4 start to the 2012 campaign, I'm hear to tell you, despite these similarities, the 2012 Dolphins, unlike the 2008 Dolphins, aren't a flash in the pan and will continue to build upon this success. Feel free to continue building that optimism. Here is where these two teams differ:

• Head Coach Joe Philbin is much more equipped to handle the responsibilities of being the main boss than Tony Sparano ever was. He already calls a better game than Sparano ever did.
• While it's preached for rookie QB Ryan Tannehill to limit his mistakes and manage the game, his skill-set is MUCH more diverse than what Chad Pennington could offer as signal caller. Both manage a game exceedingly well but unlike Pennington at the time, Tannehill's best years are ahead of him and he is able to sling the ball when needed.
• Ryan Tannehill is the first-round, franchise Quarterback of the future - Chad Pennington was a New York Jets cast-off.
• The NFC West provides much more competition to AFC East teams than it did 4 seasons ago, ergo the victories over these teams are more impressive than they were in 2008.
• The 2012 Dolphins are winning games through executing fundamentals like running the ball and stopping the run; they are not relying on gimmicks like the Wild Cat to spark an otherwise pedestrian offence.

I hope I talked you off that ledge. While scary similarities remain between the 2008 and 2012 Miami Dolphins, the 2012 team is ready to step ahead.

Dolphins Receiving Contributions From All Players - All Units of Team

Half way through the season, the Miami Dolphins are officially in the post-season hunt. Despite the emergence of rookie Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who they believe will be the franchise QB for 15 years, it hasn't been a Herculean effort from their gun-slinging passer that has allowed them to get to a 4-3 record.

Despite their stout run defense, this Dolphins defense won't at any time this season resemble the '85 Bears D or '00 Ravens D. 

For the 2012 Miami Dolphins, it isn't one player or one unit of the team that is guiding the team to a post-season push. They've had early season success because they've received significant contributions from all players and units of the team. The Dolphins are obviously buying into the Joe Philbin program.

Last Sunday, in their 30-9 victory over the Jets, it was the Special Teams unit that played a key role. Jimmy Wilson blocked a punt leading to an Olivier Vernon Touchdown. When the Jets finally had a decent offensive drive near the end of the first half, leading to a possible momentum-building Field Goal, it was Olivier Vernon that blocked said Field Goal, killing any chance of gaining momentum.

In their first win of the season, it was the running game led by Reggie Bush and the offensive line that propelled the Dolphins to an impressive victory. In other victories it was efficient play from Ryan Tannehill and overall stout defensive efforts that led them to victory. 

If the Dolphins were to make the playoffs in 2012, it would be because they continued to receive contributions from all players and units. These are the players and units I've been most impressed with:

Quarterbacks: You can't just point to Ryan Tannehill as the one to lead the team at the most-important position. Matt Moore was efficient and instrumental in the Dolphins victory over the Jets after Tannehill left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury. Both quarterbacks have played exceedingly well and have provided the Dolphins stability at a position that has been devoid of stability for over a decade.

Special Teams: Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi has done an incredible job with a unit that has converted a fake punt, blocked a punt for a TD and blocked an attempted Field Goal. 

Safeties: While there is still a lot of room for improvement both Reshad Jones & Chris Clemons, the much-maligned Safeties have been key contributors in the run defense and have contributed two turnovers a piece with key interceptions, one by Jones to end the game and one by Clemons near the goal line to stop a key drive by the Jets.

Jones & Clemons have improved their respective games immensely

Rookie Class: For all the flak Jeff Ireland receives, much of it is deserved, he's also acquired some great talent over his five-year tenure, this is no more evident than with his 2012 rookie class. Obviously, the gem of the class is Quarterback Ryan Tannehill but Oliver Vernon is starting to establish himself as a playmaking pass rusher and Special Teams player. Jonathan Martin has been solid on the right-side of the offensive line all season. Once Lamar Miller can fully absorb the playbook and learn to pass-protect, he'll be one of the real steals of the draft. He's shown flashes of playmaking ability, scoring a game-sealing Touchdown v. Oakland in Week 2.

This isn't a Peyton Manning-led Colts team where he practically carries the team to the playoffs, the Dolphins are playing like the cliched "well-oiled machine". If they continue to all contribute in the fashion they currently doing, the Dolphins have a great shot at the post-season!

Finally, for professional coverage of the Miami Dolphins there's no better writer than Ben Volin from the Palm Beach Post. His writing and knowledge of the team is excellent!

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!