Two hours before the Miami Dolphins kicked off the 2018 season on the field, the organization proudly launched the third year of its Football Unites Tailgate – a Stephen Ross-led initiative aimed to fortify relationships between local community leaders, youth and law enforcement – outside the Hard Rock Stadium gates.

Hip-hop music blared through the speakers as a throng of young fans skipped their way past the Joe Robbie Statue, around a decorative white picket fence and inside a reserved section at the North East Plaza. With a backdrop of colorful murals overlooking the festivities, early attendees lined up for lunch at the hot meal stations before spinning the knobs at an oversized Dolphins-themed foosball table.

Each year, the camaraderie, food and entertainment have brought together diverse groups to the pre-game celebrations, which also provide educational components intended to spark conversation and build positive relationships between fans of different races, genders, sexual orientation and identities.

“Our owner, Stephen Ross, created RISE – Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality – and with that, his goal is to use sports to drive social progress and make meaningful change,” said Jason Jenkins, Dolphins Senior V.P. of Communications and Community Affairs. “So, there’s going to be a lot of fun, but there are also educational opportunities designed to bring people together and learn about each other. They’re going to do a scavenger hunt, they’re going to have discussions and they’re going to talk about themselves. We want to bring all these diverse groups together that make up the culture of South Florida, with sports as that backdrop.”

Over a dozen organizations have partnered with the Dolphins, including 5,000 Role Models, North Miami Beach Police Athletic League, Urban League of Broward and NOBLE, whose leaders have recognized the program’s immense impact on their community.

“This initiative is great because it gives the kids an opportunity to come out and mingle with each other, and also meet with officers,” said Timothy Belcher, who serves as President of NOBLE, P.A.L. Coordinator and a mentor with 5,000 Role Models. “We’re trying to bridge the gap between the officers and the youth, to make this a better [community] for everybody. We want to teach our kids responsibility and direction as far as being successful in life.”

The tailgate is one of a handful of initiatives that culminated from a 2016 town hall co-hosted by the Dolphins and R.I.S.E., during which players – lead by Kenny Stills, Michael Thomas, Arian Foster and Jelani Jenkins – and local leaders addressed ways to combat issues of racial inequality and community discord.

“We brought in community members, law enforcement, our players and our executive staff,” Jenkins said. “It was really about, what can we do to bring about positive change and maybe serve as an example for others throughout the country? Everyone came in with a positive vibe and an open mind. They listened to each other’s points of view, and asked, ‘What are some actual things that we can do?’”

At the suggestion of law enforcement officials, Dolphins players – most recently, Davon Godchaux and Kenyan Drake – have participated in ride-alongs throughout the community with local officers as a sign of unity.

In addition, the Dolphins have arranged cultural tours and created scholarship programs, while continuing to welcome organizations championing human rights and community justice each gameday.

“It’s really about this theme that football can unite people,” Jenkins said. “We all want the same thing. The police officers, all they want to do is come home to their families. All the community wants is to live in a society where they’re not judged by their race, sex, gender orientation or identity … We want to make South Florida healthier, educated and more united. We feel events like these can help us with that goal.”

On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins posthumously named Aaron Feis – an assistant coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High who sacrificed his life to shield students from gunfire at February’s shooting in Parkland, Fla. – as the 2018 George F. Smith High School Coach of the Year.

Greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd, Feis’ wife, Melissa, and daughter, Arielle, accepted the award on the fallen hero’s behalf during a third-quarter ceremony on the Hard Rock Stadium field.

Coach Aaron Feis lost his life protecting students during the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

Today, we honored his legacy by presenting his wife and daughter the George Smith High School Coach of the Year Award. pic.twitter.com/4VA4EpqXfj

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 9, 2018

“It’s an honor for all of us, really, for Coach Feis to get the Coach of the Year Award,” said Eagles Head Football Coach Willis May. “If you knew him, you would appreciate that he got that award, because he really was a great man, mentor, friend and dad. For him to get the award was definitely an honor and well deserved. Anybody who knew Coach Feis loved him. We miss him every day and we’re very happy for him, his family and all the MSD family.”

Feis, a one-time Eagles standout center, served as both coach and school security guard at his alma matter for over a decade, taking pride in giving back to his beloved community in every way possible.

On top of instilling knowledge to linemen, warmly welcoming recruiters, and patrolling campus grounds on a daily basis, Feis helped as many as 70 players find collegiate football opportunities by compiling highlight DVDs and YouTube videos for anyone who asked, according to an ESPN.com profile.

In addition to honoring Feis, the Dolphins also named the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School football team as the Team of the Week and hosted players at the home opener.

“As far as being here today and getting to opportunity to get to be here, it’s amazing,” May said. “Our kids had a blast. To be on the field pregame, I saw mouths dropped. Everybody was just in awe and they were just incredibly touched. What a wonderful day for our kids and our program and we had a blast. We loved it and we can’t thank the Miami Dolphins enough for everything they’ve done for us since February 14. We want to say thank you and how much we appreciate it and what they’ve done for our kids, it’s amazing.”

It took me 26 years to earn my first press credential. It took my son less than five.

Charlie – a laminated media pass dangling from a lanyard around his neck down to his knees – joined a group of Dolphins fan website moderators for a team-organized Web Weekend Training Camp event last Sunday.

At the conclusion of a closed practice, each attendee was granted field access to interview a select group of players, wandering down a short flight of stairs from our covered riser to a walkway through the bleachers seats to a designated area behind the left goal post.

While I’d normally join the scrum during media availability sessions to ask right tackle Ja’Wuan James and center Daniel Kilgore about preseason takeaways and the offense’s progression, I took in the moment from the back of the assembled group. Standing under the Florida summer sun and scant, grey-white cloud bubbles hovering above Nova Southeastern University, I soaked in a rare opportunity to cover a sporting event with my son.

Besides, when I tried to explain the significance of the special occasion to Charlie, he asked if we’d be talking to “the dolphins that swim in the water.”

But what he lacked in football experience and knowhow, he made up for in enthusiasm and encouragement. He giddily high-fived James and Kilgore, who bent down to their knees to greet the youngest media member in attendance. As the players walked off the field, he raised his arms in the air and chanted, “Go, Dolphins!” and innocently broke a media rule by snagging autographs for his personal collection.

Before departing, we stopped to greet Kenny Stills, who’s renowned for staying long after every practice to sign and take pictures with fans, just as he did for us last season. True to form, the Dolphins wide receiver smiled and chatted with an animated Charlie, who collected his second lifetime autograph from No. 10 – except this time, on a miniature toy ukulele that rarely leaves his side.

Just then, we recognized another Dolphins player who exited the locker room – the star quarterback whose left knee brace fascinated Charlie throughout practice (“How did he get that boo-boo?” he’d asked me repeatedly).

Although Charlie doesn’t know it, he’d stockpiled his first Ryan Tannehill autograph before he was even born. Back in October 2013, during Web Weekend X, each invitee was handed a single raffle ticket, and Michelle – then five months pregnant – received a second one for the baby. The last drawing of the evening was for a mini-Fathead set signed by the Dolphins quarterback, and of course, Charlie’s number proved to be the winner.

Charlie’s first jersey was, naturally, an aqua No. 17, and we took a photo of him as a baby in his Miami gear next to the now-framed sticker collection. Thanks to a senior member of the Dolphins Digital Media Team whom we’ve come to know closely over the years, Tannehill caught wind of the adorable snapshot and inscribed it, “To Charlie, Future Dolphins QB!”

Fast forward to Sunday – nearly four years later – and Charlie finally had a chance to meet his favorite player in person. While he was too shy to ask the quarterback about his “boo-boo” – he’ll get his media chops soon enough – he did hand him that trusted ukulele. A surprised Tannehill laughed before graciously signing the slightly-peeling body of the musical instrument, and gave Charlie a resounding high five after learning the full backstory of his connection to the young fan.

Although Charlie may not have jotted down notes or gathered enough quotes to submit a full practice report, he interacted with four key offensive starters, and even walked away with a bagful of keepsakes. Not bad for a rookie journalist covering his first of what will surely be many Dolphins events.

Six years removed from a decade-long NFL playing career, Miami Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell – his broad-shouldered, 6-foot-5 frame and intimidating biceps hard to miss as he rests his hands on his hips at the center of the team’s meeting room – still looks the part of a burly tight end, ready to lace up his cleats and lay out opposing linemen with crushing blocks.

“I have one more (game in me), but then you have to wait four weeks for me to recover, so that’s a problem,” he concedes with a chuckle. “If I could still play, I would be playing because I love the game.”

That same fiery, inspirational passion for football that has galvanized the rejuvenated Dolphins is unmistakable as he addresses a group of website administrators on a Friday afternoon, his booming voice echoing throughout the auditorium.

“Coach Campbell does a good job of getting (everything) out of the players,” says Dolphins fourth-year wide receiver Rishard Matthews. “He was a guy they brought up here a previous time to speak to the team. I think just when he talks – I don’t know how to explain it – you have to hear him speak for yourself … right when he’s done talking, you’re just ready to go.

“He played in the league – he’s more like a players’ coach. He understands when he needs to change it up a little and when he needs to get on us a little.”

It’s no wonder Campbell’s no-nonsense approach has quickly resonated and changed the collective mindset of his players, considering the 39-year-old – who’s younger than five current NFL starters – has experienced the gamut of exhilarating highs and devastating lows in the pros, which include reaching Super Bowl XXXV and later earning his first championship ring.

“I’ve been on winning teams,” says Campbell, a recipient of the 2005 Ed Block Courage Award. “I know what it looks like and what it should look like.”

The Texas native’s appreciation of a winning culture and yearning for on-field physicality trace back to his four-year Giants tenure, during which he helped lead the unified squad to the title game in 2000.

“First of all, we had a really good locker room – we had a majority of guys who bought in,” he recalls. “Guys would play for one another; guys would practice for one another. Our practices got heated. I remember (Michael) Strahan got fired up every day, it seemed like … Things would go back and forth (between offensive and defensive players), but we grew together and we competed, and when we rolled out there on Sunday, we were one.

“Once we got in a rhythm – I think we won seven in a row – the feeling was literally that we could do nothing wrong. At one point, I thought Kerry Collins would just throw it behind his back and it was going to be a completion. You really have a feeling of it doesn’t matter what happens today or what it looks like here, we’re going to win the game. That’s the flow that you have.”

Although Campbell was placed on injured reserve prior to his final NFL campaign, he spent the offseason and start of training camp with the 2009 champion Saints, learning the nuances of the game from an elite coach and future Hall of Fame quarterback.

“I know that head coach (Sean Payton) really well – I played under him for seven years. He is a genius, he’s an excellent motivator – he has all those tools,” says Campbell. “But one of the biggest factors is a guy named Drew Brees. Drew Brees is an ultimate leader. I’ve been around some really good players and some really good leaders, but nobody was like Drew Brees … and that’s one person, so imagine if you have a team full of those. That’s where you start changing things.”

Campbell’s experience in the Bayou was a far cry from a year prior, when he found himself on the opposite end of the NFL spectrum, suiting up for the lowly 0-16 Detroit Lions in 2008. Recognizing a similar disconnect in the Dolphins locker room, Campbell immediately set out to recapture the seamless magic he experienced in New York and New Orleans.

“When you’re not doing well, or you’re on a team where guys haven’t quite bought in, you feel like you can do no right,” he says. “So that’s what we’re trying to flip. We’ve kind of been that other team, (but) we’re trying to get it to where you just can’t do any wrong and things just start happening – turnovers, they become contagious. The ball is flying around, guys are on the ball. The more aggressive you play, the more those things start showing up.”

Not surprisingly, Miami has outscored its opponents 82-36, averaging 468 yards of offense while racking up 10 sacks and returning two interceptions for touchdowns en route to cruising to a 2-0 record under its new leader.

“We have a really good locker room and we have guys who want to win,” says Campbell. “They want to compete, and they’re beginning to take ownership of their team.

“I really believe in those guys. Everything has been about, ‘It’s a new season.’ It started last week. This (was) Week Two … of 12 weeks.”

I hate this Incognito/ Martin thing so much that I hate that I even have to address it, but I do. I am so mad at all the media and fan speculation about this. We have no idea what really happened and I am not sure we ever will despite what the NFL will tell us. I do know that we need to move slowly and carefully with this as a fan base and we have to stop jumping to conclusions.

I also want to mention that situations like this are EXACTLY why I like to keep things positive. Believe it or not, players are people and they need our support. Players want to play for franchises that will support them through thick and thin.

Ben Volin wrote an article today speculating about the reasoning behind Martin’s blaming of Incognito AFTER the Dolphins said they were going to put him on the Non Football Injury list. The quick summary is that Martin needed to get out, but he wanted to keep getting paid so he blamed Incognito.

Now I hate speculation like this, and we shouldn’t judge anyone until we learn more about this situation, BUT if Incognito WASN’T the main reason for Martin having a breakdown I think the fans might be.

Every single week I heard fans tear down Martin even when he was playing well. He was letting sacks up but he had far less QB hurries than other linemen. He is a young player making a position switch taking over for a career pro bowler and fans ripped him apart.

Imagine if when you got home from work every day 1000 people on Twitter called you worthless. Martin might be too weak to take the NFL but there is no reason you should have to deal with that shit.

Fans can do very few things to make an actual impact on the team and we owe it to ourselves to use every opportunity to do so. Go to games, get loud on third downs and support your players. Make them WANT to play for you.

That’s what being a fan is all about. Phins Up!

Are you guys as terrified as I am about our offensive line? Mike Pouncey is one of the best linemen in the NFL and Richie Incognito is the man. I feel like Tyson Clabo will hold is own but the rest of the line frightens me. With the mediocre John Jerry injured the team seems to be in panic mode trying out a bunch of different linemen in different spots. Pouncey can play guard, he did in college, but why would you move one of the best centers in the world? Last years undrafted free agent Josh Samuda is getting a lot of reps all over the line and rookie G Dallas Thomas is seeing a lot of first team snaps. Lance Louis is gimpy and Nate Garner is a great versatile back up but I don’t want him starting any time soon. With all this interior line transition the tackles seem fixed and the most worrisome bit about all this is that Jonathan Martin is our starting left tackle. We are trusting the most important position on the line to a second year player who was absolutely horrible last year. He was playing out of position on the right side but when Jake Long got hurt he didn’t do much better on the left going up against better talent. I don’t need to quote statistics and Martin seems in better shape than last year, but every camp report talks about how dominant our defensive line is and how many sacks they are getting. You have to think that part of it is how terrible our offensive line is.

During the scrimmage the defense beat the hell out of the offense, but we have a great defensive line so maybe that’s expected and we hope they will look better against other teams. Unfortunately the Hall of Fame Game won’t show us much because Dallas has a one of the best defensive lines in the league. (Speaking of lines if you are curious about how sportsbooks are considering these early match-ups may want to refer to NFL lines on the matter.) The second preseason game is when I really hope the line comes together. The Dolphins need to find a line up and stick to it and let the guys on the line gel. Other than a QB and his receivers the offensive line is the position where chemistry is most important. These guys need to know what it’s like playing next to each other and if Mike Pouncey ends up playing guard somehow none of the guys will have been next to each other last year.

As I type this Dion Jordan blew right past Jonathan Martin in practice and Twitter exploded with beat writers talking about how bad Martin is. I just really hope he can get it together and we don’t regret not resigning Jake Long or trading for a veteran offensive tackle.

Are you guys as worried as I am about the offensive line or is it way too early to panic. Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget our Hall of Fame Game meet up on Sunday!

We have been suspiciously silent over here at Dolfans NYC and I figured I had to write an update of sorts. There has been so much Dolphins news of late it’s hard to keep up! I could talk to you for hours about the exciting new offensive acquisitions of Mike Wallace and Dustin Keller or the revamping of the linebackers or my disappointment at losing both Jake Long and Sean Smith. But all that stuff has been covered to death.

I could talk about our needs but I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone that we have big holes on the offensive line and in the secondary and if you guys are paying enough attention you know the names that are still out there in free agency (Winston & Grimes come to mind). I could talk about the draft but I watch about three college games a year and could bring nothing to the conversation. So what can I talk about? How about some Dolfans NYC business!

We have some big things planned for the draft. We are going to do a huge meet up and roll to the draft in force. Last year we got on TV when Tannehill was picked and hopefully we can do it again this year. Show the Dolphins that they have love in Jets country. We will of course update the site when we have firm draft plans, but if you want to get notified about the draft send us an email at dolfansnyc@gmail.com and we will put you on our draft mailing list. We also might be trying to organize something with Mike Wallace for the weekend of the draft but we have to keep all the details top secret for now but if that’s something you would be interested in, email us about that as well.

I also should probably say something about the new logo rumors. Everything I have heard from my source leads me to believe that this could in fact be the logo. I got two messages the day of the leak that lead me to believe the Dolphins are upset that it’s out there. I never thought our leaking what we thought was a draft of the Dolphins logo would turn into a big thing, but whatever the case I hope it doesn’t hurt any of the Dolphins plans.

Speaking of the logo, we need to make new Dolfans NYC shirts and although I wanted them for the draft, I think we might have to wait until after. I want to do a new Dolfans NYC logo when the new logo comes out. That way people who have the old shirt might want to buy a new one with the new logo. Logo changes are all about selling merch and since we are always trying to raise more and more money for charity this seems like a perfect opportunity. If anyone has any new ideas for raising money for charity let us know. We are always looking for new fundraising ideas. Raising money for the Miami Dolphins Foundation is not only a good cause, but it shows the Dolphins we are doing positive things and it makes them want to support us as a club. It’s a win win for everyone.

Anyway, that’s it for now and I hope to update the site more often as we get ready for the draft! Go Dolphins!

As every season draws to a close, fans across the country whip themselves up into a frenzy about the approaching offseason and what changes it will bring to their beloved franchises. Wild speculation about who they will acquire in free agency and who will be targeted in the draft fill team forums and heated debates ensue. But the offseason is a process, and although there is a new mock draft available just about every single day at this point, the draft order has more or less been determined. The beginning of this process? Deciding who we resign from our roster and who we let walk.

Until this phase of the offseason has taken place, predicting free agents and draft picks is mostly a pointless exercise…mostly.

The Dolphins are in a great position this year in terms of spending power. Jeff Ireland, a man in need of a Hallmark year, has an estimated $44 million in cap space to work with.

The front office decisions regarding who to retain and who to let go will be a massive determining factor in who is pursued in free agency and who makes the draft board in April.

Lets have a look at the most notable, shall we?

(more…)

I know most people don’t care about the Pro Bowl and honestly I think the last one I watched featured Ricky Williams as the MVP but I haven’t updated Dolfans NYC much recently so I figured I should try to pretend to be interested in the Pro Bowl.  The Dolphins have a few players on the roster and as always I find the choices super questionable. So let’s talk about it.

Who made the team and who SHOULD have made the team?

Cam Wake is our only starter with John Denny the only AFC long snapper. Randy Starks and Richie Incognito also made the team as alternates after other players backed out. Reshad Jones, Mike Pouncy and Brandon Fields all should have made the team. Jones was one of the best safeties in the NFL this year much less the AFC. Pouncy out played his brother who is a Pro Bowl starter and Brandon Fields averaged over 50 yards a punt and was probably the best player on the Dolphins.

What happened?

The problem is that the Dolphins are not a great football team. Even with all their cap room and draft pics I doubt anyone has bet on the Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl next year. When you are an under .500 team you aren’t going to get any love from the Pro Bowl voters even if you have some really deserving players on the team. Hopefully our players will get a little more recognition next year when we finally make the damn playoffs. At least Fields was rewarded with a new contract.

Should you watch the Pro Bowl?

Eh, probably not. At least we are only three months from the NFL draft… sigh…

Now that the Dolphins are officially out of the playoff hunt we can start looking forward to the future. After we beat the Pats next week and before the draft one big item needs to be talked about… the new logo. Mike Dee promised to make an announcement on the new logo soon and I know the Dolphins nation is very worried. There has been so much speculation and concern, but let’s talk about what we know for sure.

During the Miami Dolphins Web Weekend Mike Dee talked to a group of Dolphins webmasters about the logo. He gave us three bits of information:

1. The new logo would be a mix of modern and retro.
2. He implied that navy would still be an accent color.
3. He showed the logo to Dan Marino, Bob Griese and Nat Moore and they all loved it.

Recently I was presented with some new information about the logo. If I hadn’t been in the exact place and time this would have never come together. The first bit of information is that a Dolphins fan and friend of mine has been showing off this logo that he swore was a sketch of a design for what would become the Dolphins helmet. I didn’t put too much stock in it because it didn’t look anything like any logo I had seen and the Dolphin looked a bit too much like a whale.

Fast forward to last Sunday and I was talking to a friend who happens to work with Nike and was bragging about how they had seen the new uniforms and logo. I don’t want to say too much but their job requires seeing new uniforms well in advance of most people. They of course have to sign a non-disclosure agreement and couldn’t tell me anything except that they didn’t love the logo because the Dolphin looked too much like a whale. That seemed like too much of a coincidence and my friend who had showed me the logo happened to be standing right there. He showed my Nike source the photo on his phone and they flipped out. “How did you get that?!” the source asked. Evidently the logo he has had this whole time is “very very close” to the new logo.

Today I saw my friend again and asked to see the logo again. I took a photo of his phone with my phone and although it’s a terrible picture I am VERY confident that this is a rough draft of the logo. If you look carefully the fins are navy and there are sort of navy accents on the Dolphin. This is a sketch but like I said, I am 95% sure the Dolphins new logo is going to look a lot like the photo above.

Other bits of information I got from my source is that the Dolphins will not have an orange jersey next year and that the Vikings new uniforms are retro and “awesome”. The  source seemed to like our uniforms more than the logo and hinted that they were retro, but wouldn’t say much more than that.

Now as a very loyal Dolphins fan I was conflicted about leaking what I believe to be the new logo, but I don’t think any news source would take my friend of a friend story seriously and I don’t think many people will pick up on this. But when the logo comes out I can point to this and say that DolfansNYC broke the logo first! Then again there is a small chance I am totally wrong too. So I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Lastly, I don’t hate the logo. I am a big fan of the stupid helmet on the Dolphin so I will miss that, and yeah it looks a lot like a whale, but it could be a lot worse. I am still pretty excited to see the new uniforms that my source seemed to think would be revealed at the NFL Draft. Ross had to put his stamp on this team and I don’t hate the logo and I am sure five years down the road no matter what the logo looks like we will still all love it. Go Dolphins!