The Miami Dolphins were destroyed 59-10 by the Baltimore Ravens in the opening game of the season, and everyone in South Florida is wondering if the team started a mutiny, or if this is just a result of the Dolphins tanking?
Ownership and general manager Chris Grier made the decision in the offseason to tank during the 2019 season in order to secure the #1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which they hope will be a top-notch quarterback prospect.The Dolphins traded Ryan Tannenhill in the offseason, and have been unloading their high-priced talent in an effort to secure the worst-record in the NFL. Simply put, the Dolphins want to earn the top spot in the next draft by tanking.
Agents have been pumping local media reps with trade requests for their clients and the national media, including half-baked, click-bait writers, jumped on the story. There’s a mutiny going on down in Miami, if you don’t know. The Dolphins were destroyed 59-10 by the Baltimore Ravens, including a sizzling debut from rookie WR ‘Hollywood” Brown. Bookies set the initial line with the Ravens a 7.5-point favorite.
According to one report from Pro Football Talk, the players are revolting about the tanking and decided to pull off a mutiny. However, according to long-time Dolphins fan, Brian Shapiro from Coconut Grove, “The Dolphins are so disorganized that they couldn’t even come together for a revolt.”
So, what’s really going on in South Florida?
Rhyming and Stealing
The Beastie Boys once said, “There’s mutiny on the bounty’s what we’re all about.”
That opening lyric appeared on their track ‘Rhymin & Stealin’ from the Beastie Boys debut album. It’s a catchy tune about ruthless pirates in the Caribbean.
The current Miami Dolphins are robbing their fans and season ticket holders out of money and goodwill. Some of the fans are onboard with the notion to tank for a shot at Trevor Lawrence. However, many of the players don’t want to risk injury to tank. And why suffer weekly humiliation in exchange for a top draft pick?
You can’t fault a player who wants to win now. Nor can you fault a player that would rather play for a winning team. But, when the coaching staff and middle management are floating one specific philosophy, and the bottom line is an entirely different philosophy, you’re going to encounter major friction.
“We’ve got problems on offense, defense and special teams,” said head coach Brian Flores.
Did the Dolphins get blown out because they have a roster with limited talent? Or, did the Miami Dolphins lose by 49 points because they were undergoing a mutiny? Maybe, it’s a little bit of both.
Management would love for their players to give it their all and make the games competitive, but why risk injury when the entire goal is to lose, which in turn, goes against every instinct for a professional?
Long Road, Long Season
The Jets and Bills beat the crap out of each other last Sunday, with the Bills coming from behind to pull off the win. Everyone knows the Patriots will win the AFC East and return to the AFC title game with another potential Super Bowl appearance for Brady and Belichick.
The other three teams in the AFC are fighting for second place. With a terrible team like the Dolphins in the mix, even the other bad teams (e.g., Jets and Bills) will be gunning for them.
“It’s never good to get embarrassed like that,” said QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Even Fitzpatrick could not pull out any FitzMagic with this sorry bunch. The Dolphins are facing an 0-6 division record. If they win a game, it’s because the LOL-Jets did something stupid to gift the Fish a win.
At least the tanking Dolphins face three, soft, non-division games against the Bengals, Giants, and Redskins. They have chance at avoiding a winless season against those other troubled teams.
According to William Hill, the Miami Dolphins are 1000/1 odds to win the Super Bowl.