Sports Agenda For Tuesday (9/27/11)
Big Story:
Wow, we're leading with the Marlins today as the team prepares to bring in a manager with a record just above .500 for his career. The Dolphins are lost as is the coach. Injuries are easing for FIU. And no movement on the NBA front.
Let's hit the agenda harder than Charlie Sheen hits a crack pipe.
Firsties:
Well, if you were up late last night, you saw the news that Ozzie Guillen is expected to join the Florida Marlins as the team's new manager.
Guillen has put together a 678-617 record as a manger.
His team has finished first just twice in his career, and have been under .500 three times since 2007.
Yet, when you watch the sports coverage on all outlets, you'll see lots of hope from the anchors as they tout Guillen as a World Series Champion manager.
The truth is, most of the sports guys on television and newspapers like Guillen because he's a walking soundbite.
He's a quote a day and won't hold back on saying anything.
The Marlins are going to use Guillen as their big off-season acquisition so the team doesn't have to spend big money in free agency.
Watch, there are thoroughbred players out there and the Marlins will pass on them all.
Why?
Because the team got what it wanted already.
It has a beautiful palace near the sea that they didn't have to pay hardly anything for.
If you were able to accomplish that, why would you invest in a team when you've already shown that you can get what you want when you want it.
But I digress.
Unless the Fish go out and sign a big name free agent to come in and give some power to this lineup in order to take the load off Mike Stanton, this team may break .500 next year. Key word there being may.
If only Jeffrey Loria wasn't such a cheapskate, the Marlins could be a team that South Florida could be proud of.
Instead, the team is the laughingstock of MLB. It will have a manager who doesn't know when to shut up. And will have probably the ugliest uniform this side of the 1970's.
At least the stadium will be nice…we paid for it after all.
Oh yeah, the Marlins next to last game at Sun Life Stadium is tonight at 7:10 p.m. on Fox Sports Florida.
Dolphins:
Head coach Tony Sparano said he doesn't know anything about his job being in jeopardy.
Well, that tells you all you need to know about Tony.
He can lie with the best of them in the face of impending doom.
Look, I've been covering sports for enough years to know that all NFL coaches lie, hell they give Congress a run for their money most times.
It's just in this case, Sparano knows better.
Still, Sparano probably knows that he has this week to right the ship.
A win this week will probably save his job for the rest of the season.
He has a tall task of trying to stop Philip Rivers with his swiss cheese secondary and no pass rush, but stranger things have happened.
The funny part is everyone said coming into the year that it was Chad Henne who carried the burden of the team.
It's not Henne's fault the team is losing.
I still blame the defense for having zero pass rush and not knowing how to cover.
In the end, I think the most obvious problem the Dolphins have is the lack of ability to develop players.
The Fins have good pieces, but they haven't developed them fully.
Think about it, outside of Jake Long, which draft pick has the team developed into a full-time, quality starter.
Daniel Thomas is showing promise, but he's got a long way to go. Vontae Davis is good, but hasn't become the elite corner the Fins fans hoped for.
Mike Pouncey is improving, but again, his development is slow.
And think about who the Dolphins have missed on so far.
Go back to 2008…the Fins did well with Jake Long and Kendall Langford.
Past that, they missed on Phillip Merling, Shawn Murphy, Jalen Parmele, Donald Thomas, Lex Hilliard, and Lionel Dotson.
In 2009…the Fins hit on Vontae Davis.
They missed on Pat White, Sean Smith, Patrick Turner, John Nalbone, Chris Clemons, Andrew Gardner, and J.D. Folsom
In 2010, they hit on Koa Misi and probably on Jared Odrick, though he wasn't a first-rounder.
They missed on John Jerry, A.J. Edds, Nolan Carroll, Reshad Jones, Chris McCoy and Austin Spitler.
In 2011, they may have hit on Pouncey and Thomas.
They missed on Charles Clay, Edmonda Gates, Frank Kearse.
Clay could improve, and I think Jimmy Wilson will develop into a ballhawk.
But out of 30 draft picks, they have a total of six starters so far this season.
Ouch!
FIU:
The Golden Panthers are looking to bounce back after their first loss this season with Duke coming to town this weekend.
While Duke is an also-ran in the ACC, it's a tough out for FIU at home for homecoming.
But I like that kind of scheduling.
It doesn't always work, but when it does, it makes homecoming that much sweeter.
