1,866 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, 13 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 4 TD, 7 Pro Bowl selections, 5 AP First Team All-Pro selections.
That is what Bill Parcells or Jeff Ireland or Tony Sparano let loose from the Miami Dolphins today. The numbers, as great as they are, do not justify what a great player Zach Thomas was for the past twelve years. He was the heart and soul of the Dolphins and the defenses he led, save 2007 when he missed all but five games, were outstanding, finishing in the top-5 a number of times, and rarely outside the top-10. Similar to the way Dan Marino never won a championship because the defense could never stop anyone, Zach Thomas will leave Miami ringless because the offense often struggled to put up 17 point in a game. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, something that he often says probably hurt the team more then it helped, but that was how tough each loss was for him. One of my favorite Zach Thomas moments was after a loss to the Jets in October 2001, in which the team had a 17-0 haltime lead, he came out and said that the team was soft and "absolute garbage." That isn't something that most coaches would want their leaders saying to the media after a loss, but that is just the kind of player Zach was. The Dolphins responded by winning six of their final eight games after that and finishing atop the AFC East with New England.
Inspiring is a word that best defines Thomas. A late 5th round draft choice in 1996, few remember him being drafted at all and the ones who do probably didn't think he had a shot to make the roster. Turns out this 5-11, 228 pound, smaller-than-most-running backs-linebacker did make the roster. Then he won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after notching 180 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. The rest is history after that because those numbers became commonplace for Thomas over the next 11 seasons.
You want inspiring? Four of my most memorable moments watching Thomas could be labeled as just that. How about in the first half of his first career game he puts a hit on Patriots wide receiver Shawn Jefferson that left him motionless on the ground and ultimately knocked him out for the game? It was the hit heard 'round the league because from that point on, the NFL knew who Zach Thomas was. How about his 22 tackles in the 2002 Wild Card Playoff game against the Ravens? Doctors advised him to sit the game out because of fear that if he played he would sustain serious injuries to his already injured neck. The man's well-being was on the line and rather then sit and watch the fate of his team unfold before him, he went out and did everything he could to help them advance. How about the game clinching interception in the 2001 season opener in Tennessee? The Dolphins led the host Titans 24-16 with less than two minutes to play. Neil O'Donnell took over for an injured Steve McNair and tried to lead them to a last minute comeback. Thomas stepped into the flat, picked off O'Donnell's pass and ran it back for a touchdown, and even threw in a front flip as he crossed the goal-line. Lastly, how about the two stops he made on Falcons rookie phenom Michael Vick in the waning seconds in 2001? Thomas was underrated athletically, but there is no reason he should have been able to track down and stop Vick short of the goal line on consecutive plays from the one yard-line. But he did, preserving a 21-14 victory and clinching the final playoff spot he would have in his career as a Dolphin.
Zach Thomas will forever be a fan favorite in Miami and will have his jersey retired and name plastered in the Dolphins Ring of Fame at Dolphins Stadium as soon as he calls it a career. Thomas began his career as a long shot to make Jimmy Johnson's first Miami roster and finished it as the best linebacker in Dolphins history, and arguably a Hall of Fame linebacker. I'll never understand why he isn't a sure bet for Canton, but I hope to one day have a vote and I can assure you that Zach Thomas will get my vote every year until he is voted in. Name three linebackers who have been better then Thomas the past 12 years.. Tough isn't it? If you came up with any, how many of them led defenses that were constantly in the top-5 to 10 in the league? Ray Lewis. That's all I have. But wait... Zach has more tackles than anyone currently in the Hall of Fame. That has to count for something. The one thing writers say holds him back is his lack of playoff success, which again, has little to do with his play. If every player was as good and as dedicated and played with as much heart as Thomas did for Miami, he would've won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that, so please don't hold that against him.
I hope he does give it one more shot with a contender, as hard as it would be to see him in the middle of any defense other than Miami. In fact, sign with New England. Miami Herald's Dolphins beat writer Armando Sulguero wrote in his blog today that he hopes Thomas does anything but that. But why not? Junior Seau and Teddi Bruschi are unsigned and Thomas is better then both of them now and maybe ever, so there is room for him. And, while this past season showed nothing is guaranteed, the Patriots will be in the playoffs and will give him the best shot to win the ring he deserves. So you have my blessing Zach (I know how much that matters), and how could I not grant you that much after you granted me so many blessings on the field for the past 12 seasons? As usual, I am sad when another Dolphins legend leaves without the hardware because he was letdown by the other side of the ball and management in general. But unlike the other sports writers of the world, I won't hold that against you. Thanks for everything.
DTM
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Shaq Trade Puts Flame Out In Phoenix
If the Suns traded for Shaquille O'Neal to rid themselves of their unhappy star Shawn Marion then great, mission accomplished. But if new General Manager Steve Kerr really believes this move makes the Suns better then he clearly will never be as good of a personnel man as he was a set shooter. Everything you are reading about this trade from the so-called professional analysts is true (for once). Shaq is a bad fit in Phoenix. He would have been four years ago if he came straight from L.A. when he actually had some gas left in the tank, and since his large tank is sitting on "E" right now, it's an even worse fit. The Suns are a run and gun, out-shoot, we-dare-you-to-outscore-us team. They have never been about stopping anybody nor have they ever attempted to beat a team in the half-court. Look at O'Neal's history. Name me one team he has played on that wasn't at least very good on defense and played strictly in the half court on offense? You can't because naturally Shaq's presence in the paint will make you a better defensive team if the players around you are willing to play on that end, and of course if you have the most dominant big man of this century, you aren't going to run your offense in transition.
Newsflash: the Suns just traded away their best defender in Marion, leaving them with one player on their team who has even heard the word defense (Raja Bell), which will minimize Shaq's effect on the defensive end, and there aren't many players on the Suns who are equipped to play offense in the half-court. Amare Stoudamire has no mid-range game, which is what a four man must have playing next to the Big Fella, and the guards are all used to releasing down the floor as soon as a rebound is cleared and waiting on the other end for Steve Nash to find them. How do you think Bell, Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Boris Diaw are going to fare now that they are constricted to the half-court? This is a trade that would have to be made at the beginning of the season for it to work because that would allow the players and coaches to get accustomed to working with O'Neal and getting used to a new style offense. That is exactly what those 10 preseason games are for. Unfortunately, the season is just about 50 games old, so there is no "wait it out" period for the Suns. The clock has been ticking on this franchise for the past few years now and with their new addition being 35 and out of gas, one has to believe that the Suns window to capture the championship that has eluded them is closing at an even faster rate.
DTM
Newsflash: the Suns just traded away their best defender in Marion, leaving them with one player on their team who has even heard the word defense (Raja Bell), which will minimize Shaq's effect on the defensive end, and there aren't many players on the Suns who are equipped to play offense in the half-court. Amare Stoudamire has no mid-range game, which is what a four man must have playing next to the Big Fella, and the guards are all used to releasing down the floor as soon as a rebound is cleared and waiting on the other end for Steve Nash to find them. How do you think Bell, Barbosa, Grant Hill, and Boris Diaw are going to fare now that they are constricted to the half-court? This is a trade that would have to be made at the beginning of the season for it to work because that would allow the players and coaches to get accustomed to working with O'Neal and getting used to a new style offense. That is exactly what those 10 preseason games are for. Unfortunately, the season is just about 50 games old, so there is no "wait it out" period for the Suns. The clock has been ticking on this franchise for the past few years now and with their new addition being 35 and out of gas, one has to believe that the Suns window to capture the championship that has eluded them is closing at an even faster rate.
DTM
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Super Bowl Sunday: The Idiot Makes His Final Pick
The day has finally come. Super Bowl Sunday. The final chapter of a rather anti-climactic season. As predictable as this season has been, I've still managed to log a 4-6 record picking these playoffs, and these two teams have contributed to that record in different ways. Of the the four games I picked correctly, two of them were games New England won, which doesn't make me a genius because everyone has been picking New England since late-April 2007. Of the six games I've picked wrong, the Giants won three of them. I stand 2-0 picking New England games and 0-3 in picking Giants games, so something has to give today.
Super Bowl: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
The ridiculous amount of senseless coverage the media gives the Super Bowl in the two weeks leading up to the game has had me laughing even harder than usual. Not because a player said something funny or another player got arrested the night before the biggest game of their lives, but because of the media members themselves analyzing this game. I would say that I've seen about 40% of the media, whether it be on television or on the internet, picking the Giants to win this game. So let me get this straight.. all of you people who have been worshipping the machine that is the New England Patriots all year long, and yes I mean ALL OF YOU, are now picking them to lose the biggest game of the season and break up their undefeated season? And for what reason? Because the Giants ONLY lost to them by three points a month ago at home in the final week of the season in a meaningless game other than the fact that it cemented New England into regular season history forever? And it's all the same people who a week prior to that were saying the Giants were going to lose in Buffalo and thus be eliminated from the playoffs because they had no chance of beating the Patriots the final week of the season. This is why I can't wait to become a part of the professional media because I can say one thing all year long and then completely change my opinion on a whim based on no real logic.
Look the Giants are a great story. Eli Manning has had a great postseason and who doesn't feel good for Lawrence "thank god they aren't calling me Scott Norwood, Jr." Tynes after he saved his career with that 47-yard kick in overtime to send New York to the Super Bowl? But this is the Patriots we're talking about here. They've been here before, in case you forgot, and rather recently. They've won four, or excuse me, three (it will be four after tonight) of the last five Super Bowls, and still have many of the same pieces in place from those championship teams. The scary thing about it is that the pieces that aren't the same are better than the ones that were there before. Take for example the Super Bowl MVP from their last title in 2005, Deion Branch. Yea, that MVP was replaced by some dude named Randy Moss. An old Corey Dillion has been replaced by Lawrence Maroney, and the 95-year old slot receiver, Troy Brown, has been replaced by Wes Welker, who led the entire league in catches this year. Is the defense old? Sure it is, but it's never been about the players on defense during their reign, it's been about the brains behind the defense. Yes, I'm talking about Bill Belichek. You didn't think wide receiver Troy Brown in his mid-30's was truly a great cornerback did you? Of course he wasn't, but Belichek made him look competent for the time he had to fill in. Belichek will throw everything he has at Eli Manning today and it will be a great experience for him to refer back to someday, but for today, it will be a nightmare. Any offense the Giants get will be from the running game and their little bolt of lightning, Ahmed Bradshaw. That may work in the Giants favor because that means the clock is moving and the Patriots offense is off the field; however, I can't see it working long enough and manufacturing enough points to win the game.
So yes, Plaxico Burress, the Patriots will outscore you today and they will score more than 17 points in doing so. And yes, fans and media members everywhere, we are going to see history today whether you like it or not, and I'm not talking about the Greatest Upset in Super Bowl History. The Patriots are going to win this game going away because that's just what they do. Whenever they hear that the media thinks they may have a test on their hands, they pull through with their best performance of the season. Anyone who is upset about that can blame the wonderful media because the Patriots successful march to history is entirely their fault.
Patriots: 37
Giants: 17
MVP: It will be Tom Brady, but if I had to guess someone else I would go with Wes Welker.
NostraDTMus
Super Bowl: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
The ridiculous amount of senseless coverage the media gives the Super Bowl in the two weeks leading up to the game has had me laughing even harder than usual. Not because a player said something funny or another player got arrested the night before the biggest game of their lives, but because of the media members themselves analyzing this game. I would say that I've seen about 40% of the media, whether it be on television or on the internet, picking the Giants to win this game. So let me get this straight.. all of you people who have been worshipping the machine that is the New England Patriots all year long, and yes I mean ALL OF YOU, are now picking them to lose the biggest game of the season and break up their undefeated season? And for what reason? Because the Giants ONLY lost to them by three points a month ago at home in the final week of the season in a meaningless game other than the fact that it cemented New England into regular season history forever? And it's all the same people who a week prior to that were saying the Giants were going to lose in Buffalo and thus be eliminated from the playoffs because they had no chance of beating the Patriots the final week of the season. This is why I can't wait to become a part of the professional media because I can say one thing all year long and then completely change my opinion on a whim based on no real logic.
Look the Giants are a great story. Eli Manning has had a great postseason and who doesn't feel good for Lawrence "thank god they aren't calling me Scott Norwood, Jr." Tynes after he saved his career with that 47-yard kick in overtime to send New York to the Super Bowl? But this is the Patriots we're talking about here. They've been here before, in case you forgot, and rather recently. They've won four, or excuse me, three (it will be four after tonight) of the last five Super Bowls, and still have many of the same pieces in place from those championship teams. The scary thing about it is that the pieces that aren't the same are better than the ones that were there before. Take for example the Super Bowl MVP from their last title in 2005, Deion Branch. Yea, that MVP was replaced by some dude named Randy Moss. An old Corey Dillion has been replaced by Lawrence Maroney, and the 95-year old slot receiver, Troy Brown, has been replaced by Wes Welker, who led the entire league in catches this year. Is the defense old? Sure it is, but it's never been about the players on defense during their reign, it's been about the brains behind the defense. Yes, I'm talking about Bill Belichek. You didn't think wide receiver Troy Brown in his mid-30's was truly a great cornerback did you? Of course he wasn't, but Belichek made him look competent for the time he had to fill in. Belichek will throw everything he has at Eli Manning today and it will be a great experience for him to refer back to someday, but for today, it will be a nightmare. Any offense the Giants get will be from the running game and their little bolt of lightning, Ahmed Bradshaw. That may work in the Giants favor because that means the clock is moving and the Patriots offense is off the field; however, I can't see it working long enough and manufacturing enough points to win the game.
So yes, Plaxico Burress, the Patriots will outscore you today and they will score more than 17 points in doing so. And yes, fans and media members everywhere, we are going to see history today whether you like it or not, and I'm not talking about the Greatest Upset in Super Bowl History. The Patriots are going to win this game going away because that's just what they do. Whenever they hear that the media thinks they may have a test on their hands, they pull through with their best performance of the season. Anyone who is upset about that can blame the wonderful media because the Patriots successful march to history is entirely their fault.
Patriots: 37
Giants: 17
MVP: It will be Tom Brady, but if I had to guess someone else I would go with Wes Welker.
NostraDTMus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)