A s early impressions form, here's what Dolphins people are saying about their draft class as we head into camp Aug. 1: With veteran Eric Green beaten deep several times in May and June practices, rookies Sean Smith and Vontae Davis have every chance to win the starting job opposite Will Allen, though coach Tony Sparano has said none of the three contenders did enough so far to rise above the others.
With training camp opening Aug. 1, ESPN stats guru KC Joyner, whose analysis we often share here, gave us insight into the Dolphins' additions, plus an alarming Joey Porter statistic:
The last time The Miami Herald conducted a sportscaster poll, Tony Segreto was anchoring local sports, Pat Summerall was calling NFL games with John Madden, and Hank Goldberg was venting on talk radio. So we figured it was time for another poll!
The slumping economy continues to affect the local sports media landscape, wiping out high-profile jobs and popular programming. At Channel 10, Will Manso this week became a Lone Ranger of sorts, one man doing a job handled by three full-time sportscasters at Channel 7.
Mostly basketball talk today: It isn't just impatience that makes Dwyane Wade want to fast track the Heat's master plan. Though 2010 free agency is Miami's best chance to acquire another all-star, Wade cautions that placing all of its hopes in that is risky.
Among the most intriguing sights of the Dolphins' offseason work was watching 6-4 Ernest Wilford confuse the defense and create mismatches as a tight end. The question is, can he make the team in his new jack-of-all-trades role? Wilford, who had just three receptions for Miami last year after catching 45 passes for Jacksonville in 2007, is excited about his reincarnation.
After buying out the contract of longtime midday host Neil Rogers last week, WQAM-560 is targeting Sid Rosenberg to replace him. And the interest is mutual.
As Randy Shannon looks ahead to the start of practice on Aug. 7, the University of Miami football coach sees much reason for optimism.
The Heat's interest in Chris Bosh apparently is mutual. A friend of the Toronto power forward said Bosh has interest in playing for Miami, which would love to add him via trade this summer or free agency in 2010.
ESPN celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and we will report this summer on programming to commemorate the occasion. But for all that ESPN does well, there's still room for improvement. Here are eight places to start:
Dolphins management doesn't do many interviews, but general manager Jeff Ireland assessed his team during a conversation: On the roster: ``I feel really good about it. You feel good about the depth. The strength of this team is there's competition at most every position. Receiver, outside linebacker, offensive line -- there will be tough decisions. This time last year, we knew what the roster makeup would be, with a couple surprises. This year, it's hard to determine what a couple spots will be...
Dolphins players have been struck by the skepticism about their team after an 11-5 season. Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which sets odds for most Nevada casinos, has Miami's over/under for victories at eight -- 19th-best and lowest of the 2008 playoff teams.
With news that Comcast (South Florida's dominant cable provider) will move NFL Network and NBA TV from its sports tier to its more widely distributed digital classic tier in the next few months -- joining MLB Network -- it now is a good time to assess the three league-owned channels:
With Vonnie Holliday gone, there's pressure on the Dolphins' young defensive ends, including three 2008 draft picks. Some buzz: Phillip Merling, drafted 32nd overall, showed glimpses as a rookie (including his 25-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Jets) and said he has been running with the first team all offseason. But ''there is some good competition with Randy Starks and Tony McDaniel,'' coach Tony Sparano said Tuesday, adding the Dolphins want consistency from Merling and want...
This upcoming football recruiting class is so good that Rivals has 25 South Florida seniors-to-be in its top 200, and analyst Charles Fishbein calls it ``one of the best ever in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, as far as the number of kids who will go Division I-A.''
Tired of the Brett Favre story? Football fans aren't the only ones. For reporters on the beat, few stories have been trickier or more frustrating to cover than Favre's on-again, off-again retirement. And the public is left wondering what to believe because several of the recent reports have conflicted.
Randy Starks' attorney on Tuesday vehemently denied allegations against the Dolphins defensive end, and said the team has not disciplined him since his arrest.
Lots of TV football talk: ESPN made the right call by deciding not to allow Tony Kornheiser to work a partial schedule of Monday night games, which he reportedly prefered because he doesn't like flying and had tired of the heavy travel schedule.
For all the talk of the Dolphins needing a top receiver, they didn't pursue Terrell Owens, T.J. Houshmandzadeh or any veteran; passed on Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt to draft cornerback Vontae Davis; and didn't offer Arizona a first-round pick for Anquan Boldin.
While Jason Taylor addressed a crowd of reporters Tuesday, the Dolphins' other current link to their past, Ricky Williams, stood off to the side, discussing his new retirement plan and his latest self-revelations.
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