Florida Sports Fan Blog

It is no secret that Florida does not really care about baseball. Even while enjoying success, the Tampa Bay Rays struggle to garner a respectable crowd. And while the Miami Marlins will attempt to create interest in the MLB in Florida, only one man can do it: Albert Pujols. If Jose Reyes went to Miami, he would not be the biggest star on the team. However, Pujols is (arguably) the biggest star in the league, and his presence in Miami would be huge.

If the NBA had no season, that would help Miami as well. And if Pujols was on board, all of the comparisons to the Heat would be there. At this point, it is best if Miami were to go all out. Offering Pujols nearly $30 million per season may seem like a rip-off, but it is worth it. The contract may look bad in five years, but it will create serious interest in a lacking market. At this point, it is either “Pujols or Bust”.

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The Orlando Magic are entering another post-season. They will be the fourth seed due to a stacked Eastern Conference. They are not at the level of the three teams ahead of them, and that could result in a second round exit. If the Magic fail to make the NBA Finals, then trading Dwight Howard this off-season could be best.

The Cavaliers and Raptors learned the hard way; both teams lost superstars for nothing, and their franchises are ruined for the moment because of it. On the other hand, Denver did not want to learn the hard way. And since trading Carmelo Anthony, they have flourished. Even Utah smartened up and traded Deron Williams before it became a problem, and have some young players and picks to show for it.

Trading Dwight Howard seems surreal, but if the Magic do not make the NBA Finals, they should force him to pack his bags before they become the Cavaliers all over again.

It has recently been reported that there is no guarantee that Dwight Howard will sign an extension once he is eligible. But Magic fans, do not be worried at all. First of all, Orlando is a great place to live. And for a basketball location, it is a relatively big market. The team is consistently competing, although Orlando has not won a title.

Technically speaking, going to the Thunder would give Howard the best chance to win. They are already building a dynasty, and a trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Howard would be just as good, if not better than Miami’s trio. But Howard enjoys his time in Orlando, and they are a good team. If anything, him possibly delaying an extension could be a push to get Orlando management to make a major move if they are unsuccessful at winning the NBA Championship again this season.

The Miami Heat are 5-2, having won five out of their last six games. In the midst of all of this, as expected, statistics are taking a hit. After all, that is what happens when three “superstars” all come to one team. However, one of the “superstars” has taken such a big hit that his numbers are far from all-star caliber, let alone superstar caliber. Through seven games, Chris Bosh is averaging 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and one block. Those are decent numbers, but not numbers that are worth over $14 million in salary. It is not time to panic, as the season is still extremely young. And winning is more important than statistics. But right now, people assume that Chris Bosh could have just been the prodigy of putting up statistics on a losing team. And it is up to Bosh to prove those people otherwise. Some called him a diva in the off-season, but now he looks like a stat-struggling diva.

It is important this off-season for the Rays to re-sign Carl Crawford. The Rays always have good players, but let them go. This is mainly due to financial reasons, and it takes its affect on the fans. They do not have very many fans, despite the fact that they are an elite team, and an exciting team to watch. The Marlins are in a similar situation, as they are notorious for letting good players go. However, the Marlins paid up big to keep Hanley Ramirez.

The Rays need to do what the Marlins did, and lock in a guy long-term. Sure Carl Crawford may not be their best player. However, he has been with the franchise for quite some time now. He was on those losing teams, and is now part of this winning team. If the Rays want to put some faith in whatever fans they have left, they will re-sign one of their franchise cornerstones.

For a team that is attempting to make a playoff push, the Miami Dolphins had a chance to solidify it. On Wednesday, Randy Moss was able to be claimed by teams. And he was claimed by the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have a record of 5-3, which means that every team with a record worse than that would have had a higher priority on Moss. The Dolphins are sitting at 4-3, with both the Jets and Patriots above them in the division standings.

If they had picked Moss up, he could have played alongside Brandon Marshall, which would be pitting two elite receivers next to each other. From there, the Dolphins could have been a serious threat to the Jets and Patriots. Instead, they will have a decent season, but not be at the top of the division. Moss comes with a lot of baggage, but he can play. Instead of putting their eggs in the basket of Shawne Merriman, the Dolphins should have gotten Moss.

So, let me ask you this, how many of you in Miami, when you played the Win-Loss game for the Dolphins schedule, predicted a 2-0 start? I’m a betting man so I’m going to say about 50-1. We’ll never know if that bet is accurate but your football team sure looks that way. In case you haven’t been watching, because you’re still drooling over “the decision,” the Miami Dolphins are 2-0, and standing alone in first place in one of the toughest divisions in the National Football League. Now, granted, it is still very early in the season and 14 more games left to play so let’s not begin to swim with Flipper just yet. The Dolphins still must prove they can compete with the big boys in their division. But if they play the same game they did yesterday, their is no doubt this team has a chance to contend for a playoff spot.

The Dolphins were very impressive in a 14-10 win over the defending NFC champion Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are no slouch. The Dolphins went into Minnesota and bullied them around the way a school bully does when he’s hungry for some lunch. He picks out the most vulnerable target and pushes him around until he caves in and forks over his chow. That’s what the Dolphins did yesterday in front of a hostile environment. Chad Henne was effective in executing the offense down the field. He only threw for 114 yards but he managed the offense very well. He did not force any throws and was very consistent with his decision making. Henne took great care of the football and has looked good in his first full season as a starter. The Dolphins rushed the ball 29 times for 120 yards. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 110 yards on the ground. The offensive line did a good job of neutralizing Viking defenders and not let Leslie Frazier’s defense have a field day on Chad Henne.

However, Miami’s defense had a field day on Brett Favre, intercepting him three times and forcing a fumble that resulted in Miami’s second score of the day. The defense was on the field for much of the second half but showed a lot of grit. They gutted up and stopped the Vikings on fourth and goal from the one to preserve the victory. The defense was key in setting the tone right from the opening quarter. Randy Starks batted the ball away on fourth down in the Viking’s first possession. The Dolphins continued that aggressive play throughout the game and were able to continue the assault on Favre.

It doesn’t get any easier for the fish. Up next is a date with Sanchez and friends in Miami on Sunday night and Brady’s Bunch the following week. However, if the Dolphins play the way they did on Sunday, creating turnovers along with a balanced offense, Miami has a chance to contend in the AFC. They’ve already passed one test. But this next test in front of a nationally televised audience will be much harder.

No, not LeBron James.

With NBA schedules out, the Miami Heat have 23 games on National TV this season. That does NOT include NBA TV. They open up the season in Boston. The big month comes December, where they will play in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, as well as facing off against the Lakers on Christmas Day.

Jeff Van Gundy recently said that the Heat can win 73 games this year. I do not think that really has a chance of happening. However, it will easily be possible for them to win about 65. If the “big three” were healthy all 82 games, they would have a chance at 70 wins. However, that is so unlikely to happen, that 65 seems like an accurate prediction.