Football is the greatest TEAM game… or so we’ve heard
Phins 2018 Season is a test of which is more valuable: chemistry or talent
Every since pee-wee football, two things have always been drilled into me: Football is the ultimate team game and every coach scratches and claws to have the most talent he can.
The Miami Dolphins 2018 Season has plenty of reasons why it’s a pivotal one and must-see for Phins Fans. But as a football fan, beyond my love of aqua, there’s another reason why I’ll be riveted to watching and analyzing this season: Miami has chosen ‘team concept’ at the expense of its elite players.
Of course, the best circumstance is having both chemistry and talent in spades. This is obvious. But the vast gray area in question is, which is more beneficial if one has to be sacrificed? In this gray area, there are many smaller questions that will lead up to a great truth about both this regime and modern team construction.
Did Gase and Co. make the correct evaluation that certain star players were bad for team chemistry? Is it even the right move philosophically, outside of this specific instance? What’s the truth in the balance of character and talent to form a locker room?
To sum it all up: Is football first and foremost a game of unity or thoroughbreds?
This plotline will be some weird football psychoanalytical / science experiment with the Phins as the guinea pig. I’m waiting with bated breath to see the outcome. This anticipation goes far beyond my usual neurotic counting the days for the Dolphins season to ‘Hurry the hell up and get here’.
The Dolphins 2018 Season can’t get here quick enough!!!
The very heart of the modern team, as well as this regime, is being tested in Miami’s 2018 Season. Exciting stuff.
Now, Mike Pouncey, Jarvis Landry, Jay Ajayi, and Ndamukong Suh are without a doubt huge names in the NFL. They’ve all been purged… and that’s a ton of talent to get ejected. Has too much talent been lost? Even if their departure does bring about better unity, can they overcome this many lost stars?
Here’s’ the company line:
Ajayi is selfish, one dimensional, and didn’t work to improve.
Suh rubs many the wrong way, isn’t a leader, and is too expensive.
Landry misses small details, is undisciplined, and wanted too much money
Pouncey had too high a salary for his injury history and need for a limited practice schedule.
Miami replaced them with these ‘team guys’ to provide leadership:
Frank Gore is an elite veteran known for his consistency and work ethic.
Josh Sitton is an elite veteran known for intelligence, consistency, and work ethic.
Frank Kilgore who is known as a vocal locker room leader with outstanding work ethic.
Danny Amendola is a detail oriented, clutch player who goes about his business the ‘right way’.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is Nick Saban Jr. — ‘Nuff said.
Robert Quinn is a highly talented, lunch pail player.
The 2018 Season could be a very forgettable or memorable moment in Phins history
There are plenty of variables not mentioned about all these players, both pro, and con, but this is the essence of the Dolphins decision. What will the end result be?
Whatever it is, many careers and, if it goes south hard enough, this entire regime will be on the hook. Talk about big stakes.
Devil be damned, I’m going Full Monti here: The human and cerebral side will trump the talent lost in 2018 (but don’t worry, I won’t post pics of me in the buff).
There’s no doubt I’m emotionally investing in rooting for chemistry to overcome disunified stars. I want it to be true in the worst way. So has my logic has been lost? Will this romantic notion end up the truth or crash and burn? We are only months away from finding out.
Everyone from ESPN to Vegas is predicting the Dolphins are doomed and chemistry is just a silly ole’ cliche’. Even the pay per head reviews like AcePerHead.com are saying I’m a jackass. Maybe I am… but then again, maybe they’ve got it wrong. I’m ready and itching for this epic ‘Ok Corral’ fight in 2018 Season. I think Gase and Co. made the right moves. So to those major institutions: I’m your huckleberry. Go Fins!!!
Well said… this vein of thought is why I have much hope for the season… the template if dramatically different… 13 mental mistake… man! I was just post the golden years… so, I missed out on them too! Got two SB loses and Marino and Shula though… better than a lot of fans, sadly.
So true, Paul. Great point. I’m not going to say 10 out of 10 for every game that ununified talent will lose to a ‘team’ team, but over the long haul of a season and many seasons, it is a consistent trend it is. I love the philosophy of most this offseason’s decisions. Will they play out as well in practicality? We’ll see. As Harold said above in the FB comments, I do think there was a dropoff in the top end of the talent pool, but the depth of the talent has been raised and the floor overall is much higher.
Yes! I was not old enough to appreciate A Perfect Dolphins Team back then. I did not know much about them.
But here’s is what has not happen with these Guru Dolphins Coaches and Quarterbacks/linebackers Corp. Since that era.
13 mental mistake were made by that Dolphins Defensive unit that season.
Did not accept excuses for not doing thier jobs per Don Shula.
The line backer Nick Buoniconti per Shula stated that by any computer stats. He would have not been drafted, because he was to small, slow, etc. But what the computer cannot measure is the heart of a man.
So that being said where has the Miami Dolphins Heart been since that era?
Well said… this vein of thought is why I have much hope for the season… the template if dramatically different… 13 mental mistake… man! I was just post the golden years… so, I missed out on them too! Got two SB loses and Marino and Shula though… better than a lot of fans, sadly.
Remember the “No Name Defense”? Team will Always win vs. “Stars”, especially in today’s Free Agency NFL
So true, Paul. Great point. I’m not going to say 10 out of 10 for every game that ununified talent will lose to a ‘team’ team, but over the long haul of a season and many seasons, it is a consistent trend it is. I love the philosophy of most this offseason’s decisions. Will they play out as well in practicality? We’ll see. As Harold said above in the FB comments, I do think there was a dropoff in the top end of the talent pool, but the depth of the talent has been raised and the floor overall is much higher.
Hello Admin & Fans
Yes! I was not old enough to appreciate A Perfect Dolphins Team back then. I did not know much about them.
But here’s is what has not happen with these Guru Dolphins Coaches and Quarterbacks/linebackers Corp. Since that era.
13 mental mistake were made by that Dolphins Defensive unit that season.
Did not accept excuses for not doing thier jobs per Don Shula.
The line backer Nick Buoniconti per Shula stated that by any computer stats. He would have not been drafted, because he was to small, slow, etc. But what the computer cannot measure is the heart of a man.
So that being said where has the Miami Dolphins Heart been since that era?