Marshalls’ Words Far From The Company Line

We tend to see it all the time, in fact, Jason Taylor is a good example, more on him in a minute.  A player switches from team “A” to team “B” and says all these really nice things about this guy or that guy, the coach, the schemes, the breath of fresh air that being in a new city brings.  Yet, we all know damn well that it’s fluff.  It’s 90 percent BS and they are simply spewing the company line.

Such is not the case however with new Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall.  I know this for a fact because I can absolutely attest to his comments first hand.  As in I too have felt it.

In a Sun-Sentinel article, Marshall was asked what it’s like playing for HC Tony Sparano.  Marshall had this to say.

"“I don’t know the last time I’ve been more inspired…"

"“There are no individuals. He treats everyone the same.You know what you are going to get, I’ve learned that in my short time here already. I look forward to just trying to run through a brick wall for him. He’s an awesome guy and an awesome coach.”"

Over the last two seasons, I have been fortunate enough to sit in the Dolphins team meeting room and listen to Tony Sparano field questions from myself and other Dolphins fansite Webmasters.  I can tell you this without question.  Listening to Sparano talk is inspirational.  It’s simply infectious.  You can’t help but get inspired.  And yes, when he finishes speaking to those of us who are not in the “media” you too want to run through a brick wall.

So when Brandon Marshall talks about how much Sparano treats his players evenly, you can take that to the bank as fact.  Sparano is a tough coach.  He doesn’t accept anything less than 110% and he prepares himself the same way.

This is a coach that took a different route to lose weight earlier in the year.  Instead of having his stomach tied with a banding strap, he showed up at the training facility early and ordered the teams trainers to work him like a player.  Tony Sparano running sprints up and down the practice field bleachers.  Sparano had lost 30 pounds by the time that was made public.

On the other side of that “Company line” stuff is Jason Taylor who was asked by some ESPN guy who he thought was the better QB.  Chad Henne or Mark Sanchez.  Taylor didn’t hesitate.  He said it was Sanchez. 

“Sanchez is my guy, and I better not hear anybody say anything bad about him.”

Mark Sanchez is a tool!  There Jason, I said something bad about “your guy”. 

The truth is what the hell was Jason Taylor going to say?  Chad Henne?  “I better not hear anyone say anything bad about Chad Henne”?  Come on, that is the dumbest question to ask a player.  Does anyone believe that Taylor would have responded in any other manner?

In other words, Jason used the “Company line“.  Brandon Marshall?  He is saying all the right things, doing all the right things, and re-inventing his image.  Take some of that for what it’s worth.  But when he says what he said about Tony Sparano…take it from someone who says the same thing.  It’s no company line.