The Panthers have never been known to dominate a stat sheet, but they currently have 3 forwards in the top 25 in scoring (Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann, and Stephen Weiss), as well as 2 of the leagues top scoring defenseman (Brian Campbell, and Dmitry Kulikov). Also, Jason Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with 9 goals to date. In just 2 seasons, GM Dale Tallon has turned over 75% of the roster and it has yielded immediate results. A perfect mix of what many consider the best young crop of talent, and championship level experience from it’s veteran free agent additions. Even in games they have lost they are hardly ever out of a game, and they are not just about the finesse either. They have the toughness to grind it out with anyone as well. Perhaps the biggest question mark coming in to the season was goaltending, and the combination of Jose Theodore, Scott Clemmensen, and Jacob Markstrom has been outstanding so far. Theodore specifically is having a a comeback kind of season late in his career, after years of bouncing around to a few teams. People forget that in 2002 he won the Vezina Trophy as the leagues top net-minder, and the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. All of these reasons above have culminated in some of the finest hockey that we have ever seen down here.

I realize that ice is still a foreign substance to a lot of us here in the tropics, but if you can’t enjoy watching this team you simply lack a pulse. For all of the front-running that happens in the South Florida sports scene, it amazes me that this team isn’t generating more buzz. Trust me I know that years of mediocrity can make you jaded, but this is why we as a fan base are continually the subject of countless remarks from other fans. Just listen to sports radio down here, with all the transplanted residents (not just from NY) constantly calling in, and correctly calling out our fan base. It infuriates me to no end that we really have no rebuttal, because we have proven time and time again to be incapable of unwavering support. I say “we” because no matter how much of us that consider ourselves to be die-hard fans there are, the perception is ruined by those who show up halfway through the 1st quarter, and leave halfway through the 4th quarter (or 1st & 3rd period if you wanna stick with the hockey theme here). All I’m saying is that we have a great team in town, we should be proud to have them, and should start showing the Panthers some love. If we consistently rank in the bottom 3rd of the league in attendance,  it stands to reason that eventually they will lose money, and we could see them relocate. There were already rumors of this circulating 2 years ago. If we want to consider ourselves one of the big boys in the sports world,  than we as fans owe it to our teams to start to do our part. Especially in the case of these Florida Panthers.

I’m laughing to myself right now, because I’m sure some of you that have made it this far in to the post are thinking; “hockey is boring”, or “who does this dude think he is?”. I am a fan, and I will be the one standing next to you on W 49th street in Hialeah, banging our pots and pans in unison, celebrating our victorious season. So at the end of the day, we will enjoy the victory together, so why not enjoy the ride together.

I have been a Miami Dolphins fan since I was wearing little O.P. shorts, and playing with my Silver Hawks toys. And I must say, I have never been so confused by the behavior of this franchise until these last couple of years. Why would any coach in their right mind want to come and work for this team right now? The screw job that you put on Tony Sparano is one for the record books. I am all for trying to find the best people to run the football team, but you may be sending the wrong message to potential candidates for the job, when you’re looking for a replacement while you still have a coach under contract. You essentially made Sparano a dead man walking in January, and further embarrassed this proud franchise when you offered him a contract extension when you failed to land your desired coach (this was the equivalent of pity-coitis). You made him sit through a god awful press conference exclaiming; “Tony is our guy, he’s always been our guy”. So this is really what you were thinking when you threw yourself and Jeff Ireland on a private jet and flew out to California to talk to Jim Harbaugh? Please! Did you really think we were crazy enough to drink that kool-aid? I usually try to refrain from attacking a person’s character in any of my writing, but to call the way you handled that situation questionable would be an understatement. Then, to put a nice big bow on the end of his Dolphins tenure, you trot him out for his day after (the game) press conference only to fire him hours later. If you had made up your mind, that should not have happened. One of the statements you made was, and I’m paraphrasing, “the constant questions about Tony’s job were a distraction”. So….. they weren’t as distracting when we were 0-5, 0-6, or 0-7? Look, I think all of us fans recognized the need for a change and would even welcome it, but with the current state of the team how does it make any sense to do this now? Why not wait until the end of the season? There are those that say it’s so we can get a jump start on looking for a replacement, but I don’t buy that crap. Let’s not be delusional, our season would have been over in January and with the playoffs continuing without us, there likely would not be a whole lot of interviewing to be done with top shelf coordinators until after their teams were done with the post-season. Could it be there is a hot college coach you have your eye on? Perhaps, but again college bowl season extends in to January so we were good there as well. So this only leaves those that are “retired” or unemployed. Just a thought, but if a coach thinks our situation is desirable than I’m sure they would hold out to listen when the season is over. Tony Sparano is a well respected coach who had the full support of that locker room despite all of the negativity surrounding this situation. Says a lot about a person’s ability to command respect from a team in the midst of all that adversity. Cam Cameron lost his team after just a few losses, if he ever even had it. The Dolphins played hard everyday for their coach, and he deserved to leave with at least the small bit of dignity that finishing this season would have afforded him. Understand that I am not naive to the cold, cruel business side of professional sports, but in no way does this make any sense to me.

Anyhow, like I stated earlier I understand the need for a change, but if your going to make a change EVERYONE needs to go. Basically this sends a message of “this was all Tony’s fault” (scapegoat much?). Where’s the accountability for Ireland? Furthermore, would any coach want to work with Ireland after he jumped on that plane with not even a whisper to his “friend”, Tony Sparano? Sorry, but anyone with any shred of integrity would have told a true friend no matter what. Now there is the theory floating around that you may have instructed Ireland to keep quiet, but really in today’s information age does anything stay quiet? Sparano found out just like the rest of us did. To be fair to Ireland, he is a family man with kids, one or more (not sure) of which are special needs children. So naturally he has a need for job security like anyone, and self preservation is as powerful as any human trait. So it is also possible that he is simply in a no win situation and destroyed a friendship in the process, for you. Loyalty is a frail thing in the professional sports world today, and you are turning us in to the epitome of how not to handle our personnel. You are making it very difficult for even long time fans such as myself to have any kind of faith in anything you do or say. So can you imagine how someone with no emotional attachment to this franchise feel about our recent dealings? A lot of this just may be gossip, or go in one ear and out of the other, but perception goes a long way today in a society where no one reads past the headlines of an article anymore. You only get one brief moment to make your first lasting impression, and right now everyone is laughing at the Miami Dolphins.

Sincerely,

Dolphins Nation

P.S. We are STILL ready and willing to cheer on our team, because our love for our team is greater than even you.

The Bills started with the first three points of the game, then got blitzkrieged by Miami for 28 straight. The Dolphins marched right down the field for an 87-yard td drive on its first possession, then scored touchdowns on the next two drives as well. It ended up being 28-6 at the half and for once I was not worried about they will blow it, because Miami is playing with a new passion.

The 35-8 Miami victory was a physical, ferocious release of energy and frustration. The “Happy ending” of football. Buffalo helmets got knocked all over the place, while two Williams players got carted off the field. At one point I thought CBS would leave the blowout for bonus coverage of a more competitive game.

Buffalo actually outgained Miami in total yards, but had no chance. The Dolphins got timely pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick, and benefitted from some bad snaps to give themselves good field position all day. Timely offense was all they needed from there. Quarterback Matt Moore hit rookie back Charles Clay, Davone Bess, and tight end Anthony Fasano (Team leading 4th) for his three touchdowns. Rookie Daniel Thomas got 15 carries out of the backfield as well after a hamstring problem earlier in the year. Our usually stone-handed secondary even came up with a few interceptions in the victory, which of course came on shattering hits that popped the ball up into the air.

There was worry about our field goal-heavy team playing without injured kicker Dan Carpenter, so Miami decided to do what every other NFL team usually tries to do. Score touchdowns. Five of them to be exact. The fifth one coming on a Chris Clemons blocked punt for a td which Miami had not done since 1990! Miami’s defense had a big goal-line stand for a unit that has now gone three games in a row without allowing a touchdown, while the team has won three in a row for first time in three years. They also forced Buffalo into an uncomfortable 0-14 on third downs.

Sunday also marked the return of Jared Odrick’s Pee-Wee Herman dance after a monstrous sack of Fitzpatrick. Stop the hate. I know it is ugly, but the classicness trumps that. Plus the sack/dance occured on cue right after the t.v. guys talked about it.

Speaking of which, Marv Albert was struggling on the telecast. He had multiple mispronounciations (His name is Incognito, not Incognato) and during a flashback video of an old Miami victory over the Pats, he called it a good win for Buffalo. Sorry, I only mention it out of bitterness when I feel I am better than someone at their possibly more enviable job.

This was another refreshing win and second in a row at home for Dolphins fans who may have forgotten what a winner feels like. Meanwhile…MATT FREAKING MOORE! Dude’s looked increasingly confident as he’s getting more starts under his belt, something Chad Henne never really seemed to accomplish as his career went on. Miami scored 35 points despite its best offensive player Brandon Marshall being limited to one catch. Moore has been precise, elusive, opportunistic and has spread the ball. Also non-Henne traits. He is making a solid case to show he can be a productive NFL starter.

Miami now has a short week to practice for a Thanksgiving thrusday showdown with its Buffalo beatdown brothers the Dallas Cowboys.

Just so Antisteez.com can be your one-stop shop for NFL and you don’t have to go elsewhere for your offensive stats, here they are-

Passing- Mia. Moore- 14-20  160 yds  3 td  0 int.    Buf. Fitzpatrick- 20-39 209 yds 0 td 2 int.   Buf. Thigpen- 1-5 6 yds 0 td 0 int

Rushing- Mia. Thomas- 15 carries 50 yards.  Bush- 15 carries 32 yards 1 td.  Hartline- 1 carry 9 yards.  Moore- 3 carries 2 yards.  Hilliard- 1 carry 2 yards.      Buf. Jackson- 7 carries 17 yards. Fitzpatrick- 7 carries 16 yards. White- 2 carries 6 yards. Spiller- 3 carries 2 yards

Receiving- Mia. Clay- 4 receptions 69 yards td. Bush- 4 / 34 yds, Bess- 2 / 25 yds td, Fasano- 2 / 8 yds td, Hartline- 1 / 19 yds, Marshall- 1 / 5 yds

Buf. Chandler- 5 receptions 71 yards, Jackson- 5/50 yds. Smith- 3/35 yds. Roosevelt 2/28 yds. Spiller- 2/18 yds. Johnson- 2/16 yds. Nelson- 1/0 yds. White- 1/-3 yds.

After blown leads and questionable decisions plagued them during their 0-7 start, the winless, seemingly finless Miami Dolphins end the first half of their season with a 31-3 victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. It had almost become laughable, in a sort of pyschotic way, how our Dolphins had blown six leads this year in a kaleidoscope of fashions. I think Miami won because we ran out of ways to lose.

I keed. In fact it was the opposite. The Fins corrected a few problems and opened up the playbook a bit, while a few trends were reversed. Also, they just straight did not fuck up. Check out some of these usually negative positives…

-After local media had been on the team about not using their tight ends enough, Anthony Fasano (Just 10 catches coming in) caught two touchdowns.

-Kansas City had only allowed 13 sacks all year. The Dolphins defense sacked quarterback Matt Cassel five times and made him scramble all day.

-Miami had allowed the second most sacks in the league. Naturally Matt Moore stayed upright on Sunday. You could say Miami won the battle of the Matt’s by keeping Cassel on the mat all day. You could if you were as corny as I am.

-The Dolphins have one of the weaker pass rushes in the league. This game? Five sacks and constant quarterback pressure.

-Channing Crowder replacement linebacker Kevin Burnett, so far subpar, had ten tackles and two of those sacks.

-Karlos Dansby who had been having a down year (For him anyway), punished with 11 tackles and seemed to be everywhere.

-Coach Tony Sparano, who leads the league in fist pumps and “Let’s go baby’s” after hitting field goals, got to show how happy he can look after scoring a touchdown. Four times to be exact, with only one three point kick off of the golden leg of Dan Carpenter.

-Brandon Marshall caught a touchdown (2nd of the year) after he had dropped four touchdown passes coming in, five if you count when he fell out of bounds while running down the sideline against the Jets…I do.

-Matt Moore had thrown just one touchdown pass on the season. He threw three against K.C.

-Miami did not blow basic football gameplans, such as clock and time-out management.

The ten-game losing streak is over as everything went right for a team that usually scores 13 points, not 31. Reggie Bush was a force catching passes and running all over the field with 142 total yards and a touchdown. Rookie Daniel Thomas returned from injury. There were some creative play calls, including timely blitzes and reverses.  Zero turnovers. They not only held their lead, but increased it against a division-leading team. There’s also a good chance to win next week vs. the Washington Redskins, which brings up another issue I want to address.

I do not care much for the “Suck for Luck campaign”. For anybody reading this that is not a big football fan, the team with the worst record in the NFL gets the first pick in the NFL draft after the season. The best collegiate player available is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, so some Miami fans are rooting for Miami to lose so they can get Luck. I will never, ever root for any of my favorite teams to lose. The Miami Dolphins are nowhere near as bad as the still winless Indianapolis Colts, so you fans rooting for us to lose are out of luck. Ha! The Dolphins will still have a high draft pick, with two other great quarterbacks available not named Andrew Luck in Matt Barkley and Landry Jones. So perhaps the more appropriate slogans should be “Blow it for Barkley” or “Let’s lose for Landry”.

Design by Eyekon

There was a time in Miami when we knew what to expect from our sports franchises. In a sense we were spoiled by various levels of success, it wasn’t always pretty but it was success nonetheless. In the 1990′s, you could count on the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins (most of the time), and even the Panthers to be competitive, if not contend for at least their respective division titles.  With the exception of the 2003 Marlins, the 2006 Heat, and a playoff run by the Dolphins in 2008, this past decade has brought us fans down to our knees, with plenty of facepalming and WTF’s along the way.

If you are wondering why I did not include the 2010-2011 Miami Heat, it’s simply because that “team” is a sham. Before you break out the pitchforks and come looking for me, consider that unless you’re Michael Jordan, you need more than 3 pieces to win in the NBA. Kobe Bryant needed the help, Dwayne Wade needed the help, heck even Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn’t do it on their own. They got as far as they did on the greatness of the big 3 and were beaten by a superior TEAM, and if you wanna argue the Jordan point, think about it – ::the first 3-peat – Jordan retires for 2 years – no title with the same team minus Jordan – Jordan comes back – another 3-peat:: – Enough said.  If the Heat wish to even come close to sniffing that championship again, they need more from the rest of the guys, or just better guys around the big 3. There’s not a whole lot to say or do with the NBA right now since they’re in the middle of a lockout, and we will likely only get half a season if anything at all.

The Florida Marlins are selling hope in the form of a new ballpark, and an increased payroll. I’ll believe it when I see it in terms of the payroll, but I will admit that I am super stoked about checking out the new home of the now Miami Marlins. We’re paying for it, may as well enjoy it, right? There is still a ton of young talent on this team, and a veteran presence in the locker room would be a great benefit as long as it’s the right fit. Logan Morrison would get my vote for someone who could develop in to a clubhouse leader, but he is still very young. The addition of Ozzie Guillen as manager I think was the right move for this team, and this city. It just makes too much sense. A nuclear Hispanic personality, with a winning pedigree and an ability to garner interest. However, that new stadium and new manger smell will wear off real quick if the team can’t deliver. Much like what we’ve seen with the football team, losing amplifies everything, and with the aforementioned nuclear personality in the clubhouse, it will either make or break this team in times of trouble. Only time will tell, so we’re left with this uncertainty surrounding the Marlins.

There is no uncertainty surrounding the Miami Dolphins, they are simply terrible. If you need an example of how to mismanage a franchise, look  no further. What if I told you right now, I’ll give you 9-11 wins a year, playoffs, and division title contention for the next 5-6 years? You’ll take it right? Do you know what you just got? The Dave Wannstedt/Jay Fiedler Miami Dolphins. You all bitched at the time (YOU all, I always loved those teams, in fact I still have a Fiedler jersey), but you dream of it now don’t you? So we chased Dave out and got our wish with Nick Saban, who bolted back to college in a cloud of lies after 2 seasons, and finally Cam Cameron barley avoided the history books if not for Greg Camarillo‘s catch in overtime for their only win in 2007′s 1-15 fiasco.  Now here we sit on the heels of the greatest highway robbery in the history of Miami sports thanks to Bill Parcells.  ”The Big Tuna” (I will refer to him as Flounder for the remainder of this post), came here in 2008 with all the fanfare he deserved for what he had done previously. If not for Chad Pennington falling on Flounder’s face, and giving us 1 of only 2 full seasons he made it through in 11 years, that worst to first season would have never happened. So is it coincidence that as soon as it’s apparent that Pennington was done so was Flounder? He left town, leaving behind his “boys” Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland to take the fall (though they are not without fault on their own, but that deserves it’s own post). Let’s not forget about the guarantee that Parcells got in his contract before Stephen Ross took over ownership, assuring him his salary for the remainder of his contract even if he quit. So as we sit here at 0-6, we are right back to square one and Flounder still gets paid. Goodbye Sparano/Ireland, we hardly knew ya!

I want to touch on the Suck for Luck movement around the Dolphins right now. I would love, LOVE for this to work out right, but there a few things at play here that could throw a huge monkey wrench in to those plans. I wrote this on my Facebook page earlier; Caution everyone on the Suck for Luck train. First, he’s a redshirt junior, he could stay in school.  Second, he could outright refuse to play for whoever picks him. Remember the Phillip Rivers/Eli Manning draft? Or that John Elway was actually drafted by the Colts and refused to play for them? I would love for this to pan out, just don’t be shocked if it doesn’t. There is a very real possibility that unless the right coach is in place, even if we draft him he could look at Miami and say, “I want NO part of that mess”.  So as good as it sounds, don’t get your hopes too high. Andrew Luck didn’t get to where he is by making poor decisions. You may not like this, but antisteez.com only offers the truth, and this is the harsh truth.

Now this is where I offer you hope in the strangest place, the Florida Panthers. If somebody told you that today our football team would be the worst, and our hockey team would be widely considered one of the best collections of young talent in the league back in the 90′s, you would’ve tried to slap the idiocy from their mouth. Well, this is where we are people. The architect of the champion Chicago Blackhawks, Dale Tallon has come in to town and quite literally cleaned out a cupboard that was already almost bare, and had infused this team with a nice mix of excellent prospects, and veteran championship caliber leadership. Florida had been considered a mostly underachieving franchise for the last decade, a decade of which includes the longest current playoff drought in the NHL. Tallon brought in first time NHL coach Kevin Dineen to revitalize a team that struggled with special teams play the last couple of seasons, and so far in this young season the Panthers are 5th in power play goals, a far cry from last year’s dead last 30th ranking. The list of prospects on this roster are too long to name in this already long post, but trust me when I tell you that this team has a top 3 prospect at about every position on the ice, some of which got the call to the NHL roster to start this season. One welcome sight is the recent emergence of young goalie Jacob Markstrom, who turned in a great 40 save effort against the Montreal Canadians the other night. Markstrom is a perfect example of the future of this team. They are in the best position to give South Florida fans a winning product for the foreseeable future. I have said more than once that hockey is the best ticket in town. Take even a casual fan who has never been to a game, it will push them over the edge. There isn’t much else that feels as good as when that puck hits the net and the building erupts in to a frenzy, and the Panthers look poised for a nice long run. So dust of the old John Vanbiesbrouck sweater and get ready for some good times.

In closing, professional sports are a fickle thing. All of this could be proven untrue just as easily as I typed it up. Things can and have changed quickly in the past, but as we’ve seen before (2007-2008-2009 Dolphins), quick change does not always last. As hard as it is for a fan, you have to be willing to stay the course through the lean years to enjoy an extended run of success, and we had been spoiled for far too long. We will not like it, but a little perspective can go a long way.

P.S. Want to make Dolphins games interesting? How about a Sparano drinking game? Every time he fist pumps take a shot. Or, DVR the game, play it back in fast forward, and play the theme from Benny Hill in the background. Just a thought.

Follow me on twitter, or hit me up on facebook if you would like to add your thoughts, or simply tell me that you think I’m wrong. I’ve been told worse I assure you.

(AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

I could not have been any more wrong in my prediction. Yes, I said the Dolphins would win because of the defensive front seven, and our improved team speed. I also thought that we may have had a certain level of surprise with our new offense. Then Tom Brady reminded us all why we love to hate him with a performance usually reserved for a not so friendly game of Madden football, throwing for 517 yards and 4 touchdown passes. On a night when Chad Henne became only the fourth QB in NFL history to throw for more than 400 yards and run for more than 50, Brady put on a clinic. I think Benny Sapp is still chasing Wes Welker, too.  Good thing seeing as the Dolphins let him go the next day. This was just one of those days when greatness was on display and there was nothing we could do about it. Remember what it felt like to be on the good side of that one? To watch Dan Marino march the team down the field time after time and the defense had no answer for it? Well, now we know how much it hurts to be on the other side.

We got enough out of our offense to win that game. The running game was not as good as it should be, but Henne and his receiving corps delivered time, and time again. Were there some throws Henne could have made better? Of course, but every QB has those kinds of throws every game. If Miami gets that kind of efficiency from it’s QB all year, they win that game 9 out of 10 times. However, if the defensive unit that was supposed to be the strong point of this team lets you down against a team like that your doomed. Also, who would’ve thought that a rookie right tackle would manhandle Cameron Wake the way that he did? Wake was the invisible man most of the night, and just didn’t seem able to get away from Nate Solder all night. Then to make matters even worse, Vontae Davis AND Sean Smith went down with….. cramps?!?! In our own home town, WE were the ones that were cramping in the South Florida heat? Maybe it’s time to blow up the Nick Saban memorial bubble, and make our guys man up and practice outside 100% of the time. The Patriots kept the Dolphins defense on what appeared to be roller skates, and just pushed them back all night. They forced the pace with a semi-no huddle approach that had the defense gassed by the second quarter. Not helping matters was the one thing that the Dolphins’ offense couldn’t do, which was convert 3rd downs consistently. They were 2 for 14 on 3rd downs, 7 of which were 7 yards or more (which could be attributed to penalties, and a sub-par running game). Subsequently they were 4 out of 5 on 4th down, but you really shouldn’t be in a position to try that many 4th downs to begin with. Even with all that working against them, the offense still performed well enough to give you a chance to win. An encouraging sign if you really think about it.

To say the defense resembled that of Swiss cheese, would be an insult to the Swiss, and cheese. Actually, it was more reminiscent of my high school JV team scrimmaging against the Varsity squad. They simply looked like they had no place on that field Monday night. There was not any point during that game that I felt like they could stop the Patriots offense. Now, they are not going to look this bad every game, the unit is still intact from last year’s squad and Mike Nolan is to good of a coach to let that happen again. At least until we travel to New England for the rematch. There is no excuse, or nothing more that can be said for this defensive performance. Except for maybe that it can’t get any worse… hopefully.

Brady and Henne combined for an NFL record 906 passing yards between them, and Henne set the single game rushing record for a Miami QB with 59 yards and a touchdown. My favorite moment of the game was after Henne scored on his 9 yard draw play, and spiked the ball in a manor that seemed to say…. hey Miami, F*<k YOU! You had to feel good for him right there no matter much you may root against him. In order for Miami to win from here out they need more of that command from Henne, some kind of running game to materialize (why no carries for Larry Johnson?), and the defense to try to keep opposing offenses from scoring 20 points. With the kind of punch this offense could potentially possess, that should be plenty from here on out. Up next for Miami is another formidable offense in the Houston Texans, we’ll just have to hope that the defense can hold up better in this contest.

The defense is the obvious strength of this team, ranking at one point as the best in the NFL before they gave up a ton of yardage to the Patriots in last season’s finale. It could be argued that on paper they got even better. Kevin Burnett is stepping in the place of the released Channing Crowder who let’s face it, is a good guy and a solid NFL linebacker, but how often do you remember him more for a play on the field rather than his quotes after the game. Burnett has already shown in the preseason that he has the ability to make things happen. Other than that, last year’s unit is intact. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith stand poised to give us our best one-two punch at defensive back since the early 2000′s, and could blossom in to one of the top tandems in the league. The always reliable Yeremiah Bell and Karlos Dansby are the anchors and veteran leaders on this side, and you can bank on both of them getting around 100 tackles if healthy. The deepest position on defense is the line, it seems that they are two deep at each spot, which will make it very easy for Miami to rotate and keep fresh legs in the game. Jared Odrick is essentially playing his rookie season after coming back from injury last year, and has already shown the high motor and knack for being in the backfield that got him drafted in the first round in 2010. Sack master Cameron Wake appears ready to duplicate his performance from last year, and if Koa Misi can develop in to a six to ten sack player we’ll have a very formidable pass rush on the edges, not to mention Jason Taylor’s second return home. Also, if Paul Soliai can continue his surge from the last part of 2010, that’s a pretty big body to contend with for any offensive lineman. The only deficiency would be at free safety, but as long as the front seven can hold down the fort, the rotation of Chris Clemons and Reshad Jones shouldn’t make too many bad headlines. Overall this will be a top five defense again, if they can generate more turnovers they’ll be sniffing around record breaking territory. Take that to the bank.

Now we get to the part that everybody wants to talk about, the offense. Gone is the archaic offense of Dan Henning, here is the new look, more aggressive Brian Daboll. It was scoffed at when Daboll was first announced, seeing as he came from one of the few places that had a worse offense than Miami, the Cleveland Browns. However, if the preseason was any indication this will be an offense on the attack for sure. It seemed as though there was a new attitude on the field from the play calling, right down to the huddle. Much of this can be attributed to a sudden humanization of the “robotic” Chad Henne. It was Henne who got his hands on the playbook and installed the offense in the absence of a full offseason. There is so much of a difference that even Sparano says when the offensive players have questions, the first place they are going is to Henne. A welcome sign for anyone who questioned if the team would rally behind him. It has also been said that last year the quarterbacks were not allowed to audible but to one predetermined play, whereas this year they have free reign to make adjustments as they see fit. This creates trust that has not been there for Henne since the beginning. Maybe we’ll see what he can really do with the training wheels off now, but only time will tell. He did appear to throw with more confidence in the preseason, throwing in perfect timing with his dropback as soon as his last step hits the floor. When he couldn’t do so, he was stepping up in the pocket and finding his second and third options. A marked improvement over what we’ve seen so far. Let’s see if it carries over. Henne’s number one target, Brandon Marshall is coming in with a new attitude it seems as well, and the communication between the two (which was nonexistent last year), is much improved. He has said that he worked in the offseason to try and regain some of the speed they said he “lost”, and it showed on a couple of occasions. He is the alpha dog on the most talented position on the offense. Together with Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, rookie speedster Clyde Gates, nice role players Roberto Wallace and Marlon Moore, this will be an effective receiving corps with each one bringing something different to the table. I would watch for a breakout year from Hartline, who was on his way to an almost 70 catch 800 yard season before he was injured last year. He is our best deep threat at this point. At tight end, for all of the heat Anthony Fasano takes, he is an excellent blocking TE and most times has reliable hands. The depth behind him has some questions though, so let’s pray for a healthy Fasano. The addition of Reggie Bush emphasizes the focus on adding speed in the offseason, and he could turn “Checkdown Chad” in to some big time gains. The only question is if he can handle being a feature back in this offense. Which is why they drafted Daniel Thomas, and brought back preseason signee Larry Johnson. Johnson is a low risk high reward kind of signing, and if he gets enough carries, look for him to win NFL Comeback player of the Year. Remember not too long ago Johnson was on a record breaking pace before attitude, and minor injuries set him back. How good this offense is remains to be seen, and with some concerns on the offensive line the improved timing of Henne will be paramount. I do think we will be better than last year though.  A lot of times I believe it was more play calling than anything. How many times did the offense get going only to be replaced with an ill timed wildcat formation, taking all the momentum out of the drive, and putting Henne and Co. in third down and real long on multiple occasions.

Bold prediction time. The Dolphins win tonight. Miami’s front seven will give Brady fits, and the Patriots pass defense (30th last year) has not improved enough to keep up with Miami’s team speed. Reggie Bush is going to carve up New England out of the backfield, and Henne takes the next step towards being the leader he can be. Optimistic? Maybe so, but I am not the type just to say my team will win because they’re my team, in fact I still believe New England will win the division because hey, it’s freakin’ Tom Brady. Unless his arm falls off, they’re always just that much better on MOST nights. Just not tonight. As for the season, I feel like the Dolphins will win 10-11 games, and grab the wild card spot in the playoffs. Of course, if we get the same type of execution of the offense from last year I’ll be sitting here looking foolish, but I believe this is the year we start to see things go our way.

Agree or disagree? Let me know, look me up on  twitter @Luke_Hooper, I’ll be on and off pretty much all day. Keep in mind I am a fan just like you, and do not claim to be an expert. Healthy debate is always welcome, and ignorance will be handled as such.

By now, we are all familiar with this Nevin Shapiro troll who not only swindled over 900 million dollars from people, but took jock sniffing to a whole new level. Stories of paying for recruits, strippers, prostitutes, night club outings, yachts, and on, and on… and on. Funny thing is, by his own admission he didn’t have the money to compete with the SEC, so when does that hammer fall? Urban Meyer, Nick (Osaban Bin Lyin) Saban, I’m looking at you crooks. It’s easy to sympathize with the kids in this case, seeing as most go to certain schools to enhance their status as an athlete, not necessarily a scholar. So you take some of these kids from poor families and dangle even a couple hundred dollars in front of them, and you’ve got them following you like a puppy waiting for a treat. I understand that in some cases these kids come here with kids of their own, and may take the handouts to support themselves. So the line does get blurred in some cases. Furthermore, this notion that Donna Shikaka (yes I know it’s Shalala, but she has about as much sense as a fictional bat if this is true), had no idea about any of this is absurd. A person with any business sense accepting donations that large from a 30 something year old dude on multiple occasions has to wonder where it comes from, but this is one drawback from being a private university. The athletic program depends largely on it’s boosters to provide funding for improvements, and in a case such as this is blinded by the zeroes on the check. In other words don’t ask don’t tell, but then look where it gets you. They say that fish rots from the head down, right?

So now, eight players including QB Jacory Harris are declared ineligible, and may miss the first game, or even part of the season. Former players may be court ordered to pay damages to the Ponzi scheme victims, and new head Al Golden comes in with one hand tied behind is back. The only people I feel bad for are Golden, and the new recruits that will suffer through NCAA sanctions for something that they did not participate in. What those sanctions are is yet to be determined, but rest assured it will not be the “Death Penalty” for the football program. As much hate as there is for UM, they generate revenue streams and ratings for TV that even they can’t buy. It’s like tuning in to wrestling because of the heel characters.

All of the details have been out for a while and discussed ad nauseam for the last couple of weeks. If you ask me, there is no innocence in this whole situation. No matter how desperate, you are always aware of the consequences. I know this personally (no time to explain). The administrators, the boosters, the coaches, and the athletes all deserve equal shame for this. You will never hear about kid “a” who was just as desperate as kid “b” but didn’t take the handout because that’s not where the story is. Randy Shannon deserves some credit for chasing this guy off, but even he waited until 2010 to do so. All involved need to be held accountable, and all this did was expose the dirty laundry that has been sitting in the corner stinking up the room for way too long now. Miami is not the only place where this happens, and one can hope that this will bring about some kind of change to the system. Amateur athletics, particularly college football and basketball are a very dirty business. High school coaches go to Optimist games to recruit for their school, even if the kid is out of their district. Anyone who has played high school football in South Florida for the last couple of decades can attest to that (myself included). So the shady tactics have stretched all the way down to the young kids, and some of the parents are to blame for this as well. Pushing their kids toward one school because they can’t just appreciate their children giving their best and losing. Heaven forbid their kids learn how to lose gracefully, they may be looked at as a failure since daddy was a bench warmer and is chasing his pipe dream through his own offspring. You know who they are, you see them on the sidelines at the park taking things way too seriously.

Bottom line, as I said there are no clean hands in this. Everyone deserves to share the blame, and it is an interesting commentary on society in general. The sacrifice of long term happiness for a boom of short term success. It is the saddest thing that has crept it’s way in to the human condition. For now, all we can do is wait. As a fan I think that Golden is the right coach to get them through this, and I pray that some other troll or greedy administrator doesn’t tarnish what I believe will be a rise back to prominence for the Hurricanes football program. It was almost over before it began.

The “June Swoon” is now over at the season’s halfway point and has left the marlins at 36-46, while costing the jobs of former manager Edwin Rodriguez and respected hitting coach John Mallee. Florida ended up going 5-23 in June…their worst month ever.

You may remember the first time “Trader Jack” took over the Marlins in 2003. The team was 16-22 and had no spark or drive when the fiery, young 72-year old took over as manager. The team finished 91-71 and won the World Series. He encore’d that by leading the Marlins to winning records in the ’04 and ’05 seasons. He retired after winning the last game of the 2005 season amid speculation that he would be replaced for, ironically, being too abrasive. Owner Jeffrey Loria, possibly the least liked in the league, has since clashed with former fish skippers Joe Girardi, and Fredi Gonzalez…both great managers. Edwin Rodriguez? He was known as a “Players coach”, aka too soft.

The 2011 Marlins are harder to get a read on. Are they victims of bad luck or do they just rack disciprine? Earlier in the year, Hanley Ramirez couldn’t hit a Todd Van Poppel pitch with Wade Boggs’ bat, but the Marlins were still winning so I didn’t think much of it. Josh Johnson’s first nine starts of the year were phenomenal, but he hasn’t pitched since.

Let us take a look at some high and low points of the year so far.

What Went Right-

–The bullpen. Florida re-tooled their bullpen to great results as Brian Sanches (2.23 E.R.A.), Eddie Mujica (Only five walks allowed in 38 innings), Randy Choate (10 holds) and Leo Nunez (22 saves) lead the way.

–The trade. I told everybody that trading Dan Uggla to Atlanta was a great move. I have not met a bigger Marlins fan than myself, so I understood the sentimental value of your franchise home run leader, apparently the Marlins did too by offering him $48 million over four years, unheard of for them. When Uggla turned it down, I knew bad energy was coming his way at least for a season or two. Uggla’s numbers are drastically down all the way across the board including a .178 batting average. Omar Infante, playing Uggla’s old position for the fish, has driven in about the same amount of runs while only commiting two errors all year. Marlins also use “Uggla money” to sign veteran catcher John Buck, who is helping to replace some pop at the plate.

–The Defense. The Marlins rank 12th in baseball with a .985 fielding percentage. Infante was an upgrade at second base over Uggla. 1st baseman Gaby Sanchez has been consistent (Just three errors), and center fielder Chris Coghlan was handling his new position brilliantly with spectacular catches and zero errors all year before being recently demoted due to hitting struggles.

What Went Wrong-

–The bats. The overall numbers look bad due to an abysmal june where it seemed every game had the Marlins at one or zero runs. They are one of the worst clutch hitting teams in the league as well.

–The see-saw. Early in the year, this seemed like a grown up Marlins team that was 14-4 in one-run games. Florida now has lost 14 straight one-run games and seem like they are wondering how they can blow the game next.

–The stopper. Josh Johnson was not only pitching better than anybody on the planet when he got hurt, but he has been the Marlins “Stopper” for a a few years now. Meaning when he pitches, he usually stops a losing streak. They say he will pitch again in August.

–The momentum. The Marlins started hot and interest seemed pretty high as I hoped it would carry into the new ballpark for the 2012 season. The epic fail that was june for the Marlins quelled some of it.

There have been some positive signs since Mckeon took over. He began whipping the team into shape by benching Hanley Ramirez for loafing on his first day in charge, then put Hanley to bat in the clean-up spot where he had never hit before. Han-Ram has responded with his best baseball of the year since. Trader Jack removes pitchers in the middle of at-bats, is sometimes unorthodox, but will never tolerate slacking.

The man known for mixing up his players names and being the butt of technology jokes (After Logan Morrison said he was going home to play with Twitter, Mckeon inquired about what kind of dog he was), has been brought in to lead the Marlins to a strong finish. Jack Mckeon knows he will not be coaching next season. The Marlins brass has made it clear they want to hire a big-name coach such as Bobby Valentine or Ozzie Guillen to lead the Marlins into their new era, but I am enjoying every minute of his guidance and there is a noticeable difference in the way the Marlins carry themselves. Mckeon is a proven winner of over 1,000 MLB games, a 2-time N.L. manager of the year award winner, a champion, and maybe just the spark the Marlins need.

GUIRI REYES

When an 11 year old tells his parents he wants to grow up and be a rock star they hope he grows out of it and chooses Veterinary School instead. For Guiri Reyes, who had admired skateboarding since he was 7, the quest for becoming a professional skater was no passing phase. Growing up in Brasil, skating proved to be anything but passing, the sport snowballed into a phenomenon which produced many talented skaters. Guiri’s parents were extremely supportive of their son’s dream and encouraged him to explore it further, so at the tender age of 20 he left his hometown of Santa Catarina to discover another tourist beach- Miami. He traveled there with his sister who would be furthering her education while he “expanded his horizons” in the US.

Having traveled across Brasil and Argentina skating Guiri wanted to discover what the US offered on that front. He lost no time meeting and become a part of the South Florida skate community, while never forgetting where he left his heart. The siblings spent a lot of their time “home” in Brasil and living in Miami part time. The search for the next big thrill, however, led Guiri to spend six months in California checking out the skate scene and meeting up with friends he’d made while skating in Brasil. “I’m always open for opportunities” he says. He’s currently planning a trip to Barcelona and possibly Madrid as result of contacts he’s made.

Guiri’s interests aren’t limited to the four wheels of a skateboard. He found a hidden talent behind the lens of a camera; a hobby which quickly integrated into his everyday life. From the time he got his first camera at 14 years old he easily adapted to the developing technology and always wanted the latest gadget. This is where his dad taught him a valuable lesson, if he was going to be serious about photography he needed to buy his own gear. With cameras offering video options the skating photographer found a love for creating videos of his adventures. Skateboarding, photography and video making are art to Guiri. For him photography shows skating from a different point. And as he mastered cameras his dad encouraged him to take computer and web design classes, which taught him to be comfortable around computers.

Skating and photography are one in the same to the 22 year old who has had photos published in some of Brasil most prestigious sports magazines. He brings his photographer’s eye to his skating, a new place to skate isn’t just a “cool curb” Guiri sees the lighting of the street and the frame of the shot. He understands the logics of the tricks and how the angles will create the perfect picture.

His photography reaches beyond skating at times, “I like pictures so much, I want to do every kind of picture” he explains. While working in Miami it was inevitable he’d meet a fashion photographer. This gave him the opportunity to assist the photographer in New York during fashion shoots and help retouch photos. At times when recovering from a skating fall, for months at a time even, he’d take advantage to take more pictures (luckily or maybe strategically he’s never been injured when he needed to compete). He explains that his “style is very open”; he takes pictures because he loves it. His concern isn’t about having someone buy his pictures or having a better picture than the next, because regardless he’ll keep shooting. Click here to see more of Guiri’s photographic work.

Even though his life has moved swiftly he hasn’t forgotten the reasons he’s been able to achieve so much. His family forms the foundation of everything he’s built; especially his dad who was always a big part of his business negotiations. Of course his sister, who he moved to Miami with when she chose to study in the US, has always been very close to him. Growing up they shared everything and still do. His parents might be miles away in Brasil, but never distant. They speak often always keeping up to date and offering advice. The togetherness he shares with his family has roots in India where his parents lived for many years. They treasure their family and support one another in all endeavors.

Guiri is currently working alongside Joel Garcia aka MiamiFilmerGuy, a local skater and film maker. Usually he’s editing, conceptualizing and starring in his own videos, but this time around Guiri takes center stage in the MiamiFilmGuy project. The video is all about Guiri coming back to Miami and just… skating. The video is somewhat of a coming out for the skater as he joins Out of Hand as one of their featured skaters- a premiere of what’s to come for Guiri and the rest of the Out of Hand family.

Guiri met Out of Hand while skating in Miami and was drawn to their skate movement; he describes their joining forces as “natural.” Even Guiri’s dad signed off on the collaboration, because he saw something in Out of Hand that he didn’t see in other companies. He’s been sponsored before where the skater had been a component in a marketing plan, a product with relentless pressure to win. Most companies wanted to exploit his talents for profit and Out of Hand offered a different philosophy, which probably has a lot to do with Out of Hand’s “HipHop & Roll” movement, always focused on positivity.

The movement is about pushing unity without regard to race, age, gender or such. Skating encourages a positive state of mind where there are no problems only solutions and frontiers to conquer. Guiri fits right in since he’s in a league all his own. HipHop & Roll encourages everyone to be who they want to be without being categorized and Out of Hand allows him to be an artist as well as an athlete. The Brasilian is more than just awesome skating.

Not to mention the gear! Guiri was introduced to Out of Hand by way of their skateboards. He chose them because they’re quality boards, he describes how well made they are, highlighting their impeccable finish and makes sure to press the importance of why quality wood makes a different, 100% maple, making it hard to break. While the skater has never broken a board in half (to date) he has damaged some and it seems as his chance may never come with the line he’s chosen.

Guiri has been invited and accepted into the Out of Hand family as the two continue to grow professionally. Their alliance signifies setting wheels in motion for many future projects. They share passions and interests not to mention complimentary skills. With Guiri’s help Out of Hand is growing outside of their national market first bringing their signature boards to Brasil. Today they’re slowly moving into other parts of the Latin American market. On the flip side Out of Hand welcomes a talent heavy skater who they can encourage and nurture with endless possibilities for additonal sponsorships and who knows what more they have in store…

Keep up to date with Guiri’s latest expedition which takes him on a vacation across Barcelona with a chance to hang out with other skaters and see where new opportunities might pop up. He’ll be updating his blog with pictures, videos and anecdotes of his adventure (click here). Try and keep up!

Check out the MiamiFilmerGuy video featuring Guiri Reyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lq3th0ayuk

AP/staff photo

This will be a short post. We all saw the same games. We all saw the Miami Heat’s front court get outmatched all series long, and the deficiencies of the Miami bench were severely outweighed by the consistency of the Dallas bench. Everybody will talk about LeBron James and his so called disappearing act, but can we stop putting the focus so much on one player and just give credit where credit is due? The Dallas Mavericks BEAT the Miami Heat. The Heat didn’t beat themselves, we didn’t hand them the trophy, and we certainly didn’t lose because of Erik Spoelstra. So everybody please stop whining, stop pointing fingers, and please PLEASE stop complaining about the officiating. Are you ready for this…

WE WERE BEAT BY A BETTER TEAM!

There it is. The quicker you accept it the quicker it will stop hurting, and the quicker I don’t have to listen to you all cry on all the radio shows for the next few months. Just like 2006 was Dwayne Wade’s time, this was Dirk Nowitzki’s time, and I would be a damn liar and a sore loser if I didn’t admit that I was actually happy for Nowitzki and Jason Kidd (happy for them, not happy that my team lost so don’t get it twisted). It’s always frustrating to me to see great players have their legacies diminished because they couldn’t win the big games, all because people tend to forget that as much as talent rules the NBA, it’s still a team game.

But I don’t expect a lot of those asses that were firmly planted in their seats with the season on the line to understand any of that. That crowd at the game last night was an embarrassment to me as a fan. The only thing that mattered to them was the status or false sense of entitlement that those pricey seats gave them. There are fans that can’t even afford to pay the price of parking that would have rocked that building. But there you were, with a chance to prove all the critics of our fans wrong, SITTING ON YOUR ASS IN THE THIRD QUARTER! Way to go. I guess the bandwagon was leaving after the third quarter started. I have refrained from calling out these “fans” all season, but that display just made me sick. It gives credence to the haters, and when someone like myself tries to stand up for our fans, it doesn’t give me a leg to stand on. I will not let you ruin my passion for my team, I have hope that this finals defeat will cleanse the Heat of the stench of the bandwagoneers, leaving those with real love to remain. This is year one of a long term plan, and if you think this year was a failure there are 28 other teams and cities that would beg to differ. I’d say get your head out of your ass but it’s hard to do while your sitting on it.

Thanks to the Miami Heat for an exciting season, and to those bandwagoneers; I hope the trip out of the arena was a one way ticket.

P.S. There is a difference between bandwagon, and casual fans. Even a casual fan would have shown more excitement if they were at that game, and at least would have stayed till the end.

(Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat have taken a very strong 2-1 series lead over the Chicago Bulls, thanks to Chris Bosh’s 34 points, and a defensive performance that borders on just plain absurd. Chicago shot 41.6% from the field, while Miami shot 50.7%, and though the Bulls had a 9 rebound advantage (41-32) Miami nullified that with efficient offense. Bosh (34 points, 5 rebounds), LeBron James’ double-double (22 points, 10 assist, 6 rebounds), and Dwayne Wade’s near double-double (17 points, 9 rebounds) played high a percentage offensive game, but they played just as intense on the defensive side which was the most impressive aspect of this game. At times it seemed that there were bodies just flying all over the place. One of those bodies being Joel Anthony, turning away 5 shots in his 29 minutes of work. Joakim Noah was once again invisible only scoring 1 point, but the big surprise was Derrick Rose being held in check for a second game in a row. Rose had 20 points,  but he needed 19 shots to get them. Miami’s defense has kept him from getting too many clear drives to the basket in this series, and if the Heat continue to turn up the, um, well… heat, it could spell big trouble for the Bulls. Udonis Haslem (8 points) didn’t’ repeat gamed two’s performance, but still looked comfortable sinking his jump shot, and grabbed some very key rebounds even though he only had 4 total.

The biggest individual impact was Bosh who shot 13 for 18 from the field, and was sinking that 15 foot jumper with ease all night. He even admitted to being motivated by Carlos Boozer’s pre-series comments, that Miami had 2 stars, a little jab at Bosh. He has owned Boozer for most of this series, and his sudden rise when the bright lights are on is one of the most welcome sights a Heat fan could ask for. Most “experts” never really give him any kind of credit even when he really deserves it. His skills at that position are pretty unique, and he’s more athletic than most guys his size. Bosh’s emergence coupled with Haslem’s comeback have greatly altered the attitude of this series in the Heat’s favor, if they remain consistent. That would give them 4 legitimate scoring threats (Wade, James, Bosh, Haslem), and make an already stellar defensive team better. I think Chicago can (emphasis on “can”) win another game, but Miami will win this series. I was hesitant to go that far before, but Miami seems like they’re getting better with each game of the series. What Chicago has on defense is vastly offset by the inefficiency of the offense, and Miami has simply outplayed them on both ends in the last 2 games.

One person who still doesn’t smell what the Heat are cooking, is Charles Barkley. Miami fans had no problem letting him know how they felt, chanting “nor rings!”, and even throwing some shirts or towels at him. To which he responded with a double dirty birdie salute, and now TNT is considering moving Sir Charles away from the Miami crowd. He also did say “if only they were this loud for the game”, this is where I call malarkey, last night’s crowd was on it, and it may even be the best crowd I’ve noticed there in a while. Another side note was Joakim Noah’s slur thrown in response to a fan during the game, you know the same one Kobe Bryant unleashed earlier in the playoffs. He has issued an immediate apology for the comment, and though it may not reflect his true feelings there is no place for that kind of ignorance, especially when you know how many eyes and ears are on you.

Okay… back to the games. Miami appears to have become the more physical team thus far, and if they’re diligent with their game plan and execution they’ll be in great shape. Chicago has kept it close at times and still poses a threat. But the truth is on the court, and Miami is the truth right now. They are taking their game to another level just in time. My feeling is now is that Miami will take a 3-1 series lead in to Chicago for game 5, and while not impossible could possibly seal the Bulls’ fate. So I’ll put myself out there again and say Miami win’s game 4, I picked the last 2 right, and their making me look good so far. Miami just seems like they’re feeling it right now and it’s hard to pick against them. Dare I say they sweep the series from here?

With the recent passing of Jim Mandich, and the news of Macho Man’s passing little bits and pieces of my younger days are being chipped away. Times like this always make me feel lucky to have grown up when I did, and the reflection that follows always conjures up great memories. Though I have no real personal connection to these people, they’re larger than life personalities transcended the airwaves and found their way in to my pop culture heart. I know for a fact that there are many that feel the same way. It’s always sad to see a titan fall.

Thanks for giving me the inspiration to jump off of anything I could climb, elbow dropping inanimate objects and the occasional surprised friend. Rest in power, Randy.

NBA – Staff Photo

You see what I did there? I know you saw what Udonis Haslem did there! Haslem came off the bench for 23 minutes, scoring 13 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. On the surface, for those who may have not watched the game, those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. But for those who did watch, we got exactly what we needed and have been sorely lacking in these playoffs, a consistent post presence on both ends of the floor. What Haslem brings in the way of toughness, heart, energy, and a general willingness  to get dirty can’t be measured on any stat sheet. In a hard fought defensive game such as last night, his contribution was exactly what the doctor ordered. To see Haslem making his jumper, grabbing rebounds in traffic, and straight throwing it down on fools was such a welcome sight and an inspiration to the Heat nation.

The Miami Heat flipped the script on the Chicago Bulls with a smothering defensive effort and a relentless pursuit on the boards. Miami had the rebounding advantage, and took their offense right in to the heart of the Bulls’ defense, outscoring them 50-34 in the paint. LeBron James added 29 points and 10 rebounds, Dwayne Wade contributed 24 points and 9 boards, and Mike Miller played some solid minutes grabbing 7 boards coming off the bench. If Miami can get more of the same from Miller and Haslem it will make a series victory much more tangible. Whether or not Haslem can keep up that pace is the real question, considering the length of his absence. If last night was any indication then it appears he’s almost at full strength. As a team Miami played much tighter on defense and appeared to have better rotation to the ball, doing away with most of those uncontested shots that were dropping for Chicago in game 1. Subsequently, the Bulls 3 point shooting was vastly impacted by Miami’s stinginess, dropping from 10 for 21 in game 1, to 3 for 20 in last night’s contest. There weren’t any lanes for Derrick Rose to run free, and Joakim Noah was pretty much invisible after the first half.  Miami pretty much chewed up Chicago’s game, and spit it right back in their faces. If the first game was meant to put fear in to the Heat (as if losing 4 in a row to the same team didn’t raise a flag), this game should put Chicago on notice. Forgotten during the media firestorm after game 1 was the fact that the Heat are a pretty good defensive team in their own right, as well as having some of the best rebounders at typically non-rebounding positions. Oh and then there’s the whole 2 of the top 5 players in the world thing.

Mad respect for LeBron’s performance, he sounded like he couldn’t even breathe after the game (he came in fighting a cold), and appears to be silencing those who think he can’t close a game in the big moments. This is at least the third time in these playoffs that he has almost exclusively put the nail in the opponent’s coffin in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter. On another note, does anyone else think Dwayne Wade makes it look almost effortless? This dude might not be the fastest in the NBA anymore, but he’s certainly the smoothest. It’s still amazing to watch when he’s on his game.

For me, the best part of this game is that the Heat played Chicago’s game, and beat them at it. Not an easy task by any means. The Heat were able to play effective half court basketball, facilitated by great ball movement on the offensive end. Something they seemed not to remember how to do in game 1. They were able to contain the athleticism of the Bulls  front-court, held Rose to about 33% shooting, and the injection of Haslem in to the lineup changed everything. Haslem has been playing in this system, and with Wade since day 1. An intangible not to be overlooked because we all saw the difference  throughout the regular season of not having that consistent 6th man. He knows the schemes and more importantly his teammates tendencies better than anyone else we have. There is a reason why Wade talked his new “superfriends” in to taking less money to keep Haslem on the roster. Not only are Wade and Haslem great friends, but Wade understood how important Udonis would be to the success of this team the way it’s built. What this means going forward in this championship run depends upon his durability, and we need what he brings to finish this off with a ring. Luckily game 3 isn’t until Sunday so there’s plenty of time for rest.

As for game 3, I do think the Heat will win but I will not make prediction beyond that. I think the carry over from last night, the home crowd, and Haslem’s continued resurgence will play a huge factor in game 3. We’ll just take that one game at a time. Chicago is still an incredibly dangerous opponent, and are still built perfectly to defeat Miami. So get your popcorn ready, we’ve got a hell of a series ahead of us.

If Miami is to have a chance in this series, they need to stop giving the Bulls second chances on the boards, offensively and defensively. They were out rebounded on the offensive glass 19 to 6 (45-33 total). This one stat line completely nullified what the Heat do best, execute the fast break. That’s 19 second chances the Bulls had to reset, and slow the game down in the half court, and at least 38 more points if converted. On the other side of the floor, it seemed like when Miami was forced to go half court, there were way too many isolation plays with either LeBron James, or Dwayne Wade trying to take guys one on one of the dribble. Normally this would not be a problem , but the the Bulls are arguably the best defensive team in the NBA and can close the door on just about anybody when they’re on their game. This can be circumvented by a strong inside-out type of game (kicking it in and out of the low post), the kind we used to see when we had a better offensive post presence. If executed properly this type of game will force the defense to rotate, and eventually WILL open up a shot or drive opportunity, and at the same time make the defense think. Sound familiar? It’s what the Bulls did to us on more than one occasion, and Miami is also arguably one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. The Heat are perfectly capable of running a half court offense, but what they showed last night resembled more of a playground offense, with the self proclaimed best man trying to do it all on his own.

Props have to go to Chris Bosh even in a losing effort to silencing all those who said he would be a non-factor. He was the Heat’s most efficiently productive player last night, and if he contributes those numbers (30 points, 9 rebounds) all series we will always have a chance. Granted, James and Wade need to step back up, but imagine if we had even an average game from either one of them last night, this could be a different article all together. That’s not what happened though. What happened was that Derrick Rose took advantage of our most glaring weakness, what happened was the Bulls sank ten three point shots, what happened was the Heat were dominated on the boards, and ::in my best ghettofied voice :: wha had happen was… the Heat were flat out beaten. The Bulls executed their gameplan to a dangerous level of perfection, and the Heat were forced to play that game.

The Heat finished the regular season, and the first two rounds of the playoffs by playing great “team” basketball. What they did in game one, resembled more of what they looked like in the beginning of the season, a team full of individuals trying to find their place. It’s much to late for that, but a great opponent will make you do that. They’ll frustrate you to the point where you revert to bad habits. I still have faith in my Heat, but it is not blind faith. I have no problem admitting that we are outmatched in a lot of ways by this team if you look at the roster up and down. In many ways, this series will go a long way towards a blueprint for the Heat’s future. Win or lose this series Chicago is built for years of success, and with Boston on the decline, this is the team that will be our greatest rival in years to come.

The Heat must respond in game two even if it’s a loss. They need to keep the game tight, and make the Bulls feel their presence. Crash the defensive boards, and preach ball movement on the half court offense. They definitely need better games from James and Wade, but they shouldn’t be left to do it all on their own. If just one role player can step up and contribute, that could be the “X” factor to give us an edge, but as this season has proven it’s hard to say who that could be. My prediction for game two is a much closer game, to steal one from them at home would go a long way in this series, but they need to at least stay in it. Okay enough avoiding it….. HEAT WIN GAME TWO!! PERIOD!!

I actually do think that they will, they have proven to be a resilient team, and usually respond well after games like last night. Look for James and Wade to control their pace, and Bosh to build his confidence after his game one performance. The Heat know how bad going down 0-2 can be against this team. This will be the biggest statement game of this season to date.

So let’s prove me right, Miami.