Check out the buzz UM's freshmen receivers are generating: Longtime recruiting guru Tom Lemming asserted this class ''might be one of the best of all-time, certainly one of the best in the last 30 years'' in college football. In 33 years of coaching, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said he cannot remember a more impressive group of freshmen wide receivers.
Fifteen football-themed TV issues that are irking us: Distribution issues with NFL Network and ESPNU. NFL Network, whose eight-game package began Thursday, is seen in only 42 million of the nation's 114 million TV households. And there is little reason to think that will change unless the courts or Congress force the issue, or unless NFL Network surprisingly budges on its insistence not to be placed on a pay-extra tier.
Halfway through the season, NFL people are buzzing about the Dolphins. ''It's surprising -- you just don't see this happen this quickly,'' NBC's Cris Collinsworth said off-air of a turnaround from 1-15. ``They've settled their offensive line issues, quarterback issues, head coach and general manager issues. [Ted Ginn Jr.] is making plays, their defense looks better. It feels amazingly settled. You're thinking playoffs and that's remarkable.''
With unrestricted free agency looming for linebacker Channing Crowder and right tackle Vernon Carey, both are receiving positive feedback. The Dolphins recently had preliminary talks with Crowder's agent about a new contract, but the sides aren't close on money.
It's bad enough when technical problems prevent transmission of a game. But on opening night, no less? Sun Sports general manager Cathy Weeden was in her Orlando office Wednesday night as she watched the disaster unfold.
What's the buzz on the Heat from NBA people? We solicited views from three scouts who watched Miami in the preseason, two executives with other teams and two coaches-turned-TV analysts. Some feedback:
The Marlins have decided to raise their payroll to the $30-$35 million range and have been in serious talks to trade Mike Jacobs, officials in contact with the team's front office said. They're also expected to deal Scott Olsen (to make room for Andrew Miller in the rotation) and Kevin Gregg. But there is internal support for keeping Dan Uggla.
F ueled by strong numbers from Dan Le Batard's show and Marlins baseball, 790 The Ticket beat WQAM-560 in the recently released ratings book, meaning the radio stations have gone 2-2 against each other in the past four Arbitron books.
It will be fascinating to see how UM coach Randy Shannon manages this quarterback situation over time -- a challenge reinforced this week when Jacory Harris' father said both players eventually ``need to be starters whether it's [here or elsewhere].''
One of the Dolphins' most improbable starters thought he would spend his life in math or science, perhaps be an engineer. Instead, Greg Camarillo's career took such an unexpected twist that now "old friends are e-mailing saying they picked me up on their fantasy teams. That's crazy to me. I'm thinking, 'Damn - they passed up another good receiver to pick me up!' ''
Asking and answering: Having been granted a 24-hour extension, the Dolphins must sell ''a few thousand'' tickets by 1 p.m. Friday for Sunday's game against San Diego to be televised locally. Under either scenario, what games will we see on TV on Sunday?
Chatter on Canes issues: The struggling secondary: Coach Randy Shannon said Tuesday he's considering changes for Saturday's FSU game, and cornerbacks Bruce Johnson (ranked the nation's 32nd-best senior by Scouts Inc.), Chavez Grant and DeMarcus Van Dyke are ``not doing what we want them to do, but we only have five corners. We can't pull rabbits out of a hat.''
Heat camp chatter: Dwyane Wade disputed a report in Newsday (N.Y.) that he would love to play for the Knicks and said he has a hunch he will remain with the Heat after he can opt out of his contract in summer 2010. ''That's my goal,'' Wade said, indicating he would love to retire as a Heat player.
In its first year of postseason baseball, Turner Sports couldn't approach the excellence of its NBA coverage. And so TBS is tinkering as it prepares to air four first-round series next week and the American League Championship Series in two weeks.
Now that he's wreaking havoc and sacking quarterbacks, Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, at least so far, has made his case: He says he's back to being the disruptive force he was in Pittsburgh and attributes it to these coaches using him correctly.
Chatter on three units the Dolphins expect more from: offensive line, secondary and receiver: Offensive line: Miami's 3-yard rushing average ranks third-worst, and ''it's nobody's fault but our own,'' left guard Justin Smiley said of the underachieving line. ``Enough is enough. Offensive lines take time, but we don't have time.''
A year after replacing Joe Theismann with Ron Jaworski in the Monday Night Football booth, ESPN craved viewer feedback on its $1.1 billion-a-year property. And so the network assembled focus groups in three cities this past off-season and determined that viewers want the announcers to talk more about football (shocking!) and aren't fond of distracting graphics (you don't say?).
With Heat camp opening late next week, new coach Erik Spoelstra admits ''there is an element of fear of the unknown. But the overriding emotion is excitement about leading this team.'' Spoelstra, mulling lineups, addressed several issues:
Besides the young starting pitching, here's another reason the Marlins should be encouraged, even with changes looming. Jim Fleming, Florida's vice president/scouting, said last week the Marlins have the highest number of promising position player prospects ``in the seven years I've been here. Our system is as full as I can remember.''
Mostly positive reviews for NFL analysts in Week 1 Views from an opening NFL weekend on the couch: Among the positives: Dan Patrick's flawless and witty narration of highlights on NBC and Michael Strahan's promising debut in Fox's studio.
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