Sports Agenda For Monday (8/29/11)

Big Story:
All I can do is quote the name of one of my favorite bands right now, "Hellyeah!"
If you're wondering what I'm talking about….COLLEGE FOOTBALL starts Thursday!!!!!
Plus, my observations from the Dolphins game and apparently the Marlins are still playing…who knew?
Let's get things started with…..

Firsties:
Did I mention college football starts this Thursday?!
We'll get to more on that in a minute, but first, let's talk some Dolphins.
The Fins game against the Bucs was better than I expected, with the one glaring exception I've been yelling about since Sparano took over, the offensive line.
Let's start with the good.
Chad Henne can audible at the line of scrimmage now and when he did, it turned out pretty well for the Fins.
He gouged the Bucs down the middle of the field several times and was clicking throughout the game.
It was a welcome sight, just like how he and Brandon Marshall are on the same page now.
Marshall seemed to be regaining the form he displayed in Denver, which is great news for the Fins.
Now if someone will just tell him to tuck the ball away in traffic, and things will be good. Still, that touchdown catch was something special few receivers can do.
Defensively, the Bucs' starters couldn't get anything going.
The Dolphins defense shut them down and kept pressure on Josh Freeman all night long. I liked what I saw from the defense, with the exception of the LaGarrette Blount dump pass into a huge gain. Maybe the Fins were afraid he'd slug them after the game?
Now, the bad.
That was the most pathetic display from the offensive line I've seen in several years. They could open no holes, and Mike Pouncey was thrown around like a rag doll by Frank Okam. Yeah, Frank Okam.
That doesn't bode well for a guy who's going to have to go up against Vince Wilfork twice this season along with guys like Albert Haynesworth and other massive tackles.
Some people blamed the running backs for not hitting the holes fast enough, that's because the holes never opened to begin with.
It all goes back to my biggest criticism of Sparano.
He's supposed to be an offensive line guru, yet his offensive lines in Miami have been atrocious.
I think the Fins are fine on the left side with Long and Incgonito, but from center to right tackle, they are not looking capable of surviving long with any sort of running game.
Plus, it's a good thing Chad Henne can audible to quick passes cause he's going to get pressure hard and heavy on his right side all season long.
Look, the Dolphins can correct all of this…maybe.
The defense looks stout and Henne seems to be coming along in this offense with his receiving corps.
But when it gets into November and December, and the team is playing in Buffalo and New Engalnd, you don't want to try and rely on a passing game to win.
Someone send Mike Pouncey to the weight room stat.

College Football:
Yes, my favorite sport is back starting Thursday night!
You'll be getting a weekly Mizzou report too, since it is my alma mater, just saying.
Okay, let's see what we have this week as far as games worth watching.
Nothing much on Thursday night, but Friday has an intriguing matchup on ESPN between #14 TCU and Baylor.
If you've never watched the Baylor quarterback, Robert Griffin, watch this game. He's something special in the likes of a Brad Smith.
Saturday, we get to the meat of this week's schedule.
At noon, I'll be listening to the Miami (OH) vs. Mizzou game, but I'll also be watching Northwestern at Boston College
I'm going to follow that up with the La.-Monroe vs. FSU game at 3:30 p.m.
May try to flip over occasionally to watch the USF vs. Notre Dame game, simply because I want to see Notre Dame lose, sorry.
At 4:45 p.m., BYU is at Ole Miss in what could be a very intriguing game.
Later in the evening, check out the East Carolina vs. South Carolina game on ESPN3.com, to see the Ol Ball Coach's best offense in years.
All of it leads up to two monster games at 8:00 p.m.
First, #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU in the suspension bowl.
And at the same time, #5 Boise State returns to the site of one of its biggest failures against #19 Georgia. Richt, Ga. Head coach, needs a W here bad.
But wait, there's more.
Sunday, it's not on TV that I could find, but if you find SMU vs. Texas A&M, it'll be fun to watch I'm sure.
Finally, on Monday night, the Ineligibles face the Terrapins in Maryland.
Like I said earlier, "Hellyeah."

Marlins: (doubleheader vs. New York Mets, first pitch at 4:10 p.m.)
Good news Marlins fans, there's only 12 more home games left in the season.
After that, they can finally clear the field for the Dolphins to play on a surface that doesn't include an infield.
The Marlins close out the season on September 28th at Sun Life Stadium.
After that, the Florida Marlins are no more.
Instead, it will be the Miami Marlins for the next 25 years, or until Loria decides to move the team due to poor attendance.
Remember, it takes more than a new stadium to keep it filled, it takes a team worth watching.
Ask the Detroit Lions!