The waiting is the hardest part
By Brian Miller
The words of Tom Petty can often ring true in almost every aspect of life. Whether you are waiting on the fry cook at McDonalds, the bank teller, maybe even the paramedic who is drawing up the syringe with your pain killer, “the waiting is the hardest part”.
For Miami Dolphins fans, the waiting has been going on since around November of last year. It intensified with the resignation of Nick Saban, and after he left in a plane bound for Bama, we waited. Enter the long drawn out search for his replacement, the interviews, the WH aircraft being monitored for flight destinations, a trip to Mexico to interview Pete Carrol, and we waited. The search gave way to Cam Cameron, and we waited for Randy Mueller to decide his fate.
The beginning of March, free agency, the combine, the draft in April, mini-camp, signings, rookie camp, training camp, Trent Green, Carl Peterson….and we waited.
The flurry of news this off-season has been one of loud thunder as fans and local media alike have heralded such acts as appointing Cameron HC to the glutton of criticism over Trent Green, Daunte Culpepper, and Ted Ginn. Still, we waited.
It has not been easy. If nothing else this past off-season has been eventful. Some better than others but little to jump up and down and scream at your TV screen about. Perhaps this is the numbing effects of a 5 year play-off drought and a 10 year history of bad coaching. Either way, if the waiting is the hardest part, and this off-season has been hell, then then next 7 days may kill the lot of us.
Between now and then there is still some work to be done, the Phins will fill out their practice squad with 8 guys. More cuts throughout the league will be made and a few guys may still find themselves out of that final 53 by weeks end. More waiting.
It is almost over. In one week, we will be looking at the short end of the quarter 3 earlier start to 4 and we will either be in the game, out of the game or close enough to have us all on the edge or our seats screaming to a bunch of people while our wives scream back “they CAN’T hear you!”
Yes, that is where we are at. 7 days which now are technically down to 6 and a bag of change. It is almost here, and for many the wait is finally over. Unfortunately the first game, the first real game, is still not here just yet. It’s hard, but that is waiting.