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Nothing Cowboys related, just a humorous, well written piece about a bad team's training camp.
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Dolphins fight lacks a little punch
By Armando Salguero
Miami Herald
Thursday August 14 2008
Midway through Thursday's morning practice, two hours for which the Dolphins get paid to be violent and physical, cornerback Will Allen took his job to the next logical step and unleashed all his pent-up frustration by beating on a teammate's helmet.
Receiver David Kircus had his head in the helmet while Allen swung away, but not to worry -- because at some point in this episode, Allen realized that Kircus, curled into a fetal position and not fighting back, was actually laughing as the cornerback was pounding on the helmet.
So Allen eventually stopped the minor fracas just about the time he realized the only bruise suffered in the exchange was to his own hand.
Once again, Dolphins fans need not worry. Allen would need that hand only if he ever actually came up with an interception, which he has accomplished only three times in the past three years.
So no biggie.
Allen and Kircus declined to give details about the cause of their chemistry-building moment. But an uninformed source said Allen was, in fact, doing Kircus and his offensive teammates a favor.
Seems the Miami offense has been so inept at throwing the football this training camp that receivers and quarterbacks got together to request Allen intentionally start a fight once the incompletion rate reached embarrassing proportions.
That moment came during this practice. Sure enough, a willing Allen began to pummel Kircus so as to distract the attention of Miami coaches from the fact that the passing game stinks.
It did not work.
''A receiver and a DB fighting,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said, dripping with disgust. ``I don't think that's much of a fight.''
That is true, but the fight escalated to a full-blown melee when tight end Sean Ryan tackled Allen after the cornerback got bored with beating on Kircus' helmet.
It is unknown if Ryan's motivation for jumping into the fray was actually to defend his teammate or to somehow get his name in the newspaper for doing something other than dropping a pass, which Ryan has done a lot this training camp.
Anyway, Ryan beat on Allen for a few moments. Then, Allen's defensive teammates decided to intervene. In jumped Matt Roth, who once beat up an entire bar in Iowa. In jumped Quentin Moses, which confirms he is on the team. And in jumped Joey Porter's Las Vegas posse.
Offensive players, not to be outdone, also entered the fray. Vernon Carey, the team's largest player at 350 pounds, swallowed an unsuspecting defender. Fullback Boomer Grigsby dove onto the top of the scrum.
Quarterback John Beck intended to throw himself into the pile but, feeling uncertain, checked down to an angry yell. And Chad Pennington, a former Rhodes scholarship finalist, showed exactly how bright he is by getting a beverage.
In contrast to Pennington, cornerback Michael Lehan showed questionable understanding of the situation by trying to grab offensive guard Donald Thomas from behind and pulling him off a defender. The injured Lehan hasn't practiced this entire training camp. He wasn't wearing any football gear. And at an alleged 6 feet and 200 pounds, he decided to grab an angry dude who is four inches taller and 110 pounds heavier.
Thomas turned around and told Lehan, ``Don't do that.''
Lehan complied.
The army of Dolphins security that lines the practice field, protecting players and coaches from terrorists and aggressive streakers, was nowhere to be found -- doughnut break.
Sparano, who would be accused of losing total control of his team if his name were Cam Cameron, blew his whistle in vain while younger, dumber assistants physically attempted to break up the fight.
Sparano learned not to get involved in such confrontations when he jumped into a similar brawl as a young assistant coach in Cleveland almost a decade ago.
''I thought it was college, and I kind of dove in the middle of it, and I think I caught a right hand to the face,'' Sparano said. ``The next thing you know, I came out of there like I was shot out of a cannon, and the players are all laughing at me.
'I remember turning around, and at the time Ray Perkins was working for us, and he was coaching the tight ends, and he looked at me and said, `Well, son, did you learn something?' ''
Former Dolphins kicker Jay Feely was available to discuss the Dolphins' lack of discipline since his departure, but no one cared.
-----
link
Dolphins fight lacks a little punch
By Armando Salguero
Miami Herald
Thursday August 14 2008
Midway through Thursday's morning practice, two hours for which the Dolphins get paid to be violent and physical, cornerback Will Allen took his job to the next logical step and unleashed all his pent-up frustration by beating on a teammate's helmet.
Receiver David Kircus had his head in the helmet while Allen swung away, but not to worry -- because at some point in this episode, Allen realized that Kircus, curled into a fetal position and not fighting back, was actually laughing as the cornerback was pounding on the helmet.
So Allen eventually stopped the minor fracas just about the time he realized the only bruise suffered in the exchange was to his own hand.
Once again, Dolphins fans need not worry. Allen would need that hand only if he ever actually came up with an interception, which he has accomplished only three times in the past three years.
So no biggie.
Allen and Kircus declined to give details about the cause of their chemistry-building moment. But an uninformed source said Allen was, in fact, doing Kircus and his offensive teammates a favor.
Seems the Miami offense has been so inept at throwing the football this training camp that receivers and quarterbacks got together to request Allen intentionally start a fight once the incompletion rate reached embarrassing proportions.
That moment came during this practice. Sure enough, a willing Allen began to pummel Kircus so as to distract the attention of Miami coaches from the fact that the passing game stinks.
It did not work.
''A receiver and a DB fighting,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said, dripping with disgust. ``I don't think that's much of a fight.''
That is true, but the fight escalated to a full-blown melee when tight end Sean Ryan tackled Allen after the cornerback got bored with beating on Kircus' helmet.
It is unknown if Ryan's motivation for jumping into the fray was actually to defend his teammate or to somehow get his name in the newspaper for doing something other than dropping a pass, which Ryan has done a lot this training camp.
Anyway, Ryan beat on Allen for a few moments. Then, Allen's defensive teammates decided to intervene. In jumped Matt Roth, who once beat up an entire bar in Iowa. In jumped Quentin Moses, which confirms he is on the team. And in jumped Joey Porter's Las Vegas posse.
Offensive players, not to be outdone, also entered the fray. Vernon Carey, the team's largest player at 350 pounds, swallowed an unsuspecting defender. Fullback Boomer Grigsby dove onto the top of the scrum.
Quarterback John Beck intended to throw himself into the pile but, feeling uncertain, checked down to an angry yell. And Chad Pennington, a former Rhodes scholarship finalist, showed exactly how bright he is by getting a beverage.
In contrast to Pennington, cornerback Michael Lehan showed questionable understanding of the situation by trying to grab offensive guard Donald Thomas from behind and pulling him off a defender. The injured Lehan hasn't practiced this entire training camp. He wasn't wearing any football gear. And at an alleged 6 feet and 200 pounds, he decided to grab an angry dude who is four inches taller and 110 pounds heavier.
Thomas turned around and told Lehan, ``Don't do that.''
Lehan complied.
The army of Dolphins security that lines the practice field, protecting players and coaches from terrorists and aggressive streakers, was nowhere to be found -- doughnut break.
Sparano, who would be accused of losing total control of his team if his name were Cam Cameron, blew his whistle in vain while younger, dumber assistants physically attempted to break up the fight.
Sparano learned not to get involved in such confrontations when he jumped into a similar brawl as a young assistant coach in Cleveland almost a decade ago.
''I thought it was college, and I kind of dove in the middle of it, and I think I caught a right hand to the face,'' Sparano said. ``The next thing you know, I came out of there like I was shot out of a cannon, and the players are all laughing at me.
'I remember turning around, and at the time Ray Perkins was working for us, and he was coaching the tight ends, and he looked at me and said, `Well, son, did you learn something?' ''
Former Dolphins kicker Jay Feely was available to discuss the Dolphins' lack of discipline since his departure, but no one cared.
