It's a (Pre) Christmas Miracle

The Dolphins won their first game since last year.

In a Christmas miracle reminiscent of Jimmy Steward (George Bailey) finding out what life would have been like if he had never been born, in It's a Wonderful Life, or, Kris Kringle receiving tons of mail addressed to Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, this is a miracle of Hollywood proportions. Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who had been a perfect five for five in overtime kicks, missed wide left in sudden death overtime. The Dolphins then marched down the field and score a touchdown, bringing to an end the speculation about the only football franchise to have a perfect season (1972) going perfect in other direction.

Christmas miracles continue.

How Awful Is This!

The storied franchise of the Miami Dolphins are setting a new high (or low) in utter futility. In a streak that would make the New York Mets of the early 1960s blush, the Dolphins have rattled off a breathtaking streak of twelve straight losses. Today, they laid an egg against the nearly as futile New York Jets. In a year that is seeing the great 1972 Dolphins unbeaten record challenged by the New England Patriots, the current edition of the Dolphins is chasing the record for futility. How embarrassing? The Redskins called Joe Gibbs out of retirement. Perhaps the Dolphins should call Don Shula, but then he probably would not want to be associated with such a pitiful thing.

By the way, I think the NFL is going investigate. The Dolphins are claiming to be pro football team. That is suspect. Perhaps the NFL will force the Dolphins to play in some other league, but then no other league would have them.

Practice Football

I realize that the NFL has overtaken baseball as the favorite sport in the US, but pre-season football is the biggest joke. They promote it as though it is "real" football. They televise it as though someone actually wants to watch it. They sell tickets to it at the same price as regular season football.

The games mean nothing. It does not matter if the team wins or loses all the games. Next month, the slate will be wiped clean and everyone will start 0-0 after four practice games. The starters play two series, if not one, in the first two games. They may play the first quarter in the third game. They may actually play an entire half in the last practice game. Who wants to watch the third or fourth string play?

Practice football is fine. I understand that they need the practice, but don't promote it as though it is "real" football.

I want to get paid not to coach

Marty Schottenheimer was fired yesterday as coach of the San Diego Chargers. John Clayton, of ESPN.com, writes, "[Chargers owner Dean] Spanos will pay Schottenheimer $4 million not to coach this year." I want to not coach the Chargers next year, and I'll do it for only $1 million! Where do I sign up?

This episode continues to point out some of the things that are wrong in sports today. They pay a guy for doing nothing other than to just go away. Coaches are constantly being "bought out" by teams to not coach. Coaches, and Schottenheimer certainly is not the only one, are paid obscene amounts of money to sit on their back-sides and do nothing. No wonder the average person has to mortgage the house to afford a ticket for a football game. The cheapest ticket to a San Diego Chargers game is $54 all the way up to $92 per seat, and that is for one game.

Again, where can I sign up to not coach?