Dolphins camp toughest in memory to embrace heat advantage. But it’s a two-edged sword | Opinion

These are not the old days. Today’s Miami Dolphins begin their workout in the morning and they’re usually done with the day’s single practice before that South Florida sun — capable of frying eggs on a sidewalk — is directly overhead.

Yes, there is often another late afternoon workout on the field but that’s always a walk-through session and sometimes it happens in the air-conditioned bubble.

So, this isn’t exactly Don Shula’s first training camp in 1970.

This isn’t three-a-day practices with an evening walk-through thrown in for good measure — Shula’s famous four-a-days.

And this isn’t the stone ages when players were told not to drink fluids during practice. But it’s all relative.

Because this Dolphins training camp has so far been the most demanding in recent memory.

This camp has featured:

Gassers and other conditioning runs after the two-hour practices.

No managed days off for veterans to keep them fresh.

“Days off? They just had a day off the other day,” coach Brian Flores said, laughing.

And no days in the air-conditioned Nick Saban Memorial Bubble (NSMB). Yes, the Dolphins reserve the right to go in there if lightning strikes the in the area, but otherwise, they stay outside come rain or shine.

Add to that the promise of occasional live-tackle drills, including the one at the goal line last weekend, and you’ve got a tough, hard-nosed training camp.

Makes you wonder if the team at some point will break into a random 12-minute run out of sheer nostalgia.

And all of this, by the way, is done with a purpose.

“I think that’s something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about,” Flores said Wednesday. “[I’ve spent] a lot of time talking to different coaches, trainers, medical staff about what’s the best way for us.

“We have a plan in place; but part of that plan is practicing in this weather. I think it’s something that we’ve got to get acclimated to. I think it’s an advantage for us. I think it’s a disadvantage for teams that come here.

“At the end of games, if we can go in this weather and they can’t, I think everybody will be happy. I think that’s part of training camp. It’s hard. Training camp is hard. It’s been that way since football began. I think the players need to understand that. Everyone needs to understand that. It’s not going to be easy.

“You go through the hard times so you can see the fruits of that labor, hopefully. I think most successful teams and most successful seasons start with a good training camp. They start with hard training camps where you find out what your limits are. I think that’s something that we have to do. I think every team has to do it.

“These guys are working, I’ll tell you that much. You guys see it. It’s hot, it’s humid, we’re in pads, we’re hitting, we’re running.”

(We pause this column for a moment while old-days-loving Mando wipes a tear of joy from his cheek.)

This is impressive because Flores, a newcomer to South Florida, a rookie head coach, has already gotten the memo that one way the Dolphins can get off to a good start in just about every season is being in great shape and playing home games at 1 p.m. on Sundays when it is predictably hot (not warm, but hot) all the way through September and into October.

It’s Miami’s hot-weather advantage. Teams come to South Florida and wilt as the humidity sucks the life out of them.

It typically happens in the second half even after the halftime IVs have been used up. And if the Dolphins are prepared and in shape, they can take advantage.

The fact Flores, who has coached in New England all his adult life, understands Miami’s unique hot-weather advantage is, very cool. When Stephen Ross, who was reared in South Florida, became owner, he didn’t get it at first. He asked the NFL to schedule the Dolphins on the road early in seasons. He asked for 4 p.m. kickoffs because it’s cooler than 1 p.m.

Flores, meanwhile, is embracing Miami’s built-in advantage.

But that advantage can come at a price if mismanaged. It requires a tough training camp in which players acclimate as well as they can to playing football on a field that reminds them of life on the sun. So that’s what’s happening now.

And players are trying to adjust.

Linebacker Kiko Alonso basically cut his hair to look like a marine to try to stay cool. He said he sheds about 10 pounds every practice. Offensive linemen come off the field dripping wet in their own sweat. Some players are wearing specialized head coverings under their helmets that keep their heads cooler.

It is all quite interesting to watch (from the shade) and, obviously, the Dolphins expect it to pay dividends. But they must also know this work is a two-edged sword.

Because just as trainers and doctors have advised Flores how to work exclusively in the heat, other trainers and doctors have warned past Dolphins coaches about the cumulative effects of the heat on a football team. And that story ends differently.

The truth is past coaches gave vets extra days off and made extensive use of the NSMB because they didn’t want the team to basically fall of the table in late November and December. There were studies done that postulated athletes had only so many plays in them in this draining weather before it exacted a price, so that number was limited by the coaches.

Such thinking was popular later in Dave Wannstedt’s days after the Dolphins often finished seasons poorly. Saban requested the bubble be built for the dual purpose of keeping his team fresh and on schedule when the weather threatened practice outdoors. And the advent of sports sciences led former coaches Adam Gase and Joe Philbin to give veterans days off to limit the likelihood of injuries and keep them fresh for the season.

So, all respect for the current bravado aside, it wasn’t wrong to be wary of the heat, either.

“You’re right, there’s nothing more important than the health of this team,” Flores said. “I know that; but I also know that we need to push the limits and see how far we can go. That’s the game and that’s how you get better. To me, that’s teaching, that’s coaching.

“How do you know how much you can do if you don’t try to go beyond it? I guess that’s a core principle of mine. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Dolphins roster is working in Flores’ favor. It’s a young roster compared with the past few years. And younger players can be stretched to physical limits older players typically cannot be asked to reach.

Unless, of course, the older player being asked to work to the extreme is Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins quarterback is going to be 37 years old in November. He has taken every snap he has been asked to during this training camp. And he’s loved it.

“I love being out here every single day,” he said. “I try not to say that too loud in front of the linemen at the lunch table, because I know I’m not the one banging heads and hitting every day and all that. But I love being out here.

“I love throwing the ball. My arm feels fresh and I can — if there is a problem that arises, we’ll talk about it; but I don’t foresee it happening, because I haven’t really had any arm issues my whole career.”

This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 8:43 PM.