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In terms of a pure passing competition, it was a mismatch on the scale of the Heat-Bucks NBA playoff series.
Ryan Tannehill, the kid with the golden arm, against John Denney — the Dolphins’ long snapper.
“I hope Tannehill is beating him,” a chuckling Joe Philbin said from the background.
The real winners: The high-achieving elementary school kids who got the bounty of prize tickets earned from the game room duel.
Tannehill, Denney and nearly all of their Dolphins teammates were at the Hollywood Dave & Buster’s on Tuesday, schooling youngsters on how to live a healthy, fit life.
The party was source of pride for Philbin, who has made giving back to the community a point of emphasis.
“I think everything starts at the top,” Philbin said. “I know [team owner Stephen] Ross wants to have a first-class organization in every respect, and I know part of that is winning games on the field.
“But a big part of it is making a difference off the field, in the community, with young children. It’s a great event; I don’t know who’s having more fun, the players or the young kids.”
Roughly 100 students from Orchard Villa and Kelsey L. Pharr elementary schools were picked to participate based on academic excellence, showing improvement, good citizenship, good attendance and good behavior.
After hearing presentations on eating right and working out regularly, they went through a series of exercises with Dolphins players that left nearly all involved sweaty.
Then it was off to the game room, where everybody was given free plays. Naturally, when you get a bunch of pro athletes together, it turned competitive quickly.
And it wasn’t limited to the players. Philbin challenged receiver Rishard Matthews to a shooting contest — “I know I can beat him,” Philbin boasted beforehand — and took the first game before dropping the last two.
“He got lucky,” Philbin said.
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