Sports Agenda for Monday 8/19/13
Top Stories:
Welcome back to the Sports Agenda. It's been a few months in coming, but with football season upon us, it's time to go full phoenix on this agenda and bring it back from a fiery death.
Here's what's going on today: The Dolphins are in serious need of a tight end after a devastating injury. But Dustin Keller should call a college player on how to deal with this injury, I'll explain. Plus, A-Rod is still a jerk and Ryan Dempster did what so many of us would like to do last night. The Canes are still in limbo. And the Marlins, well, at least it's almost football season guys.
Quote of the Day:
"When you want to make it clear to the rest of the world that you are not imperialist, the best countries to have with you are Britain and Spain." – Bill Maher
Miami Dolphins: (next game, Saturday vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Well, the Dolphins got the worst case scenario confirmed on Sunday when it was revealed that tight end Dustin Keller destroyed almost everything in his knee.
Your knee just doesn't bend that way without doing major damage.
He tore the ACL, PCL, and LCL, plus dislocated his knee cap and might have suffered nerve damage.
It was a devastating loss to Keller and the Dolphins.
For Keller, he bet on himself staying healthy by taking a one-year deal and eschewing a long-term contract elsewhere in hopes of signing a bigger deal next year.
He rolled the dice and it came up snake eyes.
I hate it for the guy because he's a great player and would have been lethal in the Dolphins offense.
We'll get to a little more on Keller in a second…but let's look at it from the Dolphins point of view now.
There's no quality tight end on the open market so they're likely going into the season with Dion Sims, Charles Clay and Michael Egnew.
I had high hopes for Egnew coming out of Missouri, but I've given up on the guy. He just can't put it altogether to be a complete tight end.
I like Sims the best of the bunch. He's a helluva blocker who can also catch the ball decent.
He's not Dustin Keller, but he's more in line of someone like Anthony Fasano. So you know, there's that.
I think the injury puts even more pressure on Lamar Miller and the offensive line.
The O-Line now has to hold longer against a pass rush and blow open more running lanes to keep the pressure off Ryan Tannehill and give the receivers time to get open.
Otherwise opponents are going to pin their defensive players' ears back and come after Tannehill with everything they've got.
The good news is the Fins get right guard John Jerry back this week.
That should help the team get back on the right track blocking wise. Now it's up to Miller and backup Daniel Thomas to blow through those holes.
Dustin Keller:
I referenced a player Keller needs to talk to a bit earlier and that guy's name is Henry Josey.
Yeah, he plays for Mizzou, but go with me here.
Josey was leading the Big XII in rushing and was nearly at the top of the nation in 2011 when he planted on the turf at Mizzou and his knee almost exploded.
He tore his left patellar tendon, anterior cruciate ligament, and medial collateral ligaments plus other damage.
Josey's injury was described as a car crash in his knee and a one-in-a-million injury.
Since then, Josey's had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair first the tendon, then the ligaments, then the ACL.
Today, he's practicing full speed with the Missouri Tigers, almost two years later.
Now, he hasn't been in game action yet, but the medical staff has fully cleared him and said he's ready.
If anyone can inspire Keller to succeed, Josey can and hopefully they'll talk.
A-Rod:
I hesitate to talk about A-Rod just because I'm so disgusted with the situation.
I've never seen a more self-centered, self-delusional, athlete in my life and I've covered a lot of sports.
This guy makes Barry Bonds and Charles Barkley look humble.
That said, I did laugh out loud last night when A-Rod got plunked by Ryan Dempster.
Good for Dempster.
I heard all the athletes saying how it was out of line, blah, blah, blah.
This is a guy who squealed on his own teammates to try to deflect attention away from himself…allegedly.
His PED usage makes Lyle Alzado cringe. (there's a vague sports reference for you!)
But, it was telling that the umpire, a well-respected umpire, didn't throw Dempster out.
It was also telling that CC Sabathia, who's never shied away from retaliation, didn't go after a Red Sox batter in return.
That should tell you all you need to know about how players feel about A-Rod.
He should be banned for life and baseball should be able to move on.
Miami Hurricanes:
The Canes continue to go through practice and are putting in the game plan now for Florida Atlantic University in the team's first game.
Miami, to me, looks like a legitimate ACC title competitor.
I like the offensive line, love the running back and quarterback, and think the receivers are pretty decent.
I'm still not in love with the defense, but they literally can't be any worse than last year, a reasonable improvement from the Defense could get Miami to 10 wins.
And yet still, the NCAA looms over Miami like a storm cloud.
The school still hasn't received it's sanctions for the Nevin Shapiro scandal.
It's just inexcusable at this point.
Today, I believe, is six months to the day since the Notice of Allegations was received.
I'm not saying the NCAA is slow, but they do realize the U.S. Senate, not exactly a bastion of speed, has passed a budget this year in less time than that.
Think about that for a second.
The funny part is, outside of shutting down the program, which won't happen, when the sanctions are handed down, I don't think they register as more than a blip for the school.
People have moved on and it's just not as big of a deal anymore to anyone.
Especially in the wake of the NCAA's complete incompetence in rules and enforcement. (see: Manziel, Johnny)
I think a great article/TV report that needs to be done is to find all of the people that called for the death penalty for Miami on TV should be called out.
Look, I said it was possible, and when the allegations were first made, it was possible. But, as things have played out, it's obvious there were massive issues in the investigation.
C'mon NCAA, any day now!!!
Marlins: (vs. Dodgers, 7:10 p.m., Fox Sports)
Well, the Marlins continued their long march towards irrelevancy over the weekend falling a full 28 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
The Marlins are 47-75 on the season, a .385 winning percentage.
On the bright side, the only team with a lower payroll, the Houston Astros, are the worst team in baseball record wise at 41-82.
Plus….at least Tim Tebow doesn't play baseball.
Did you see his line the other night? 1-7 for -1 yds
-1yds passing. So you and I threw for more yards than Tim Tebow did when he played for the Patriots.
Guh.
