Another Slow News Day at PFT, More Dolphins Notes

Once again Mike Florio is attacking those “misbehaving” Dolphins. Despite their fairly tenuous claims that they have no agenda over at PFT, Mike just couldn’t resist a chance to wonder why the tennis media didn’t ask Serena Williams about the recent misconduct of the Miami Dolphins. This is a pretty weak complaint of the tennis media, follow me past the jump and we’ll dicsuss it a little more, plus a few other Dolphins notes.

As has been mentioned recently and hotly debated, Mike Florio has not been happy with the misconduct in Miami lately. And since he views PFT as the unofficial watchdog of conduct the league-over (again, sans any agenda), he’s taken it upon himself to go after the Dolphins personally. Today his gripe comes towards the tennis media for not pressing Serena Williams about the Dolphins recent off-the-field issues.

In all honesty, Florio’s only legit complaint is with Phillip Merling who stands accused of battering his pregnant girlfriend. That’s a pretty serious accusation and as I’ve said, if he’s found guilty he deserves to be cut. But he hasn’t been found guilty by anyone but Mike Florio yet, that’s a tangent though.

Back to his article, give me a freaking break. Mike Florio is actually complaining that the tennis media didn’t ask a question about the Miami Dolphins after Serena won Wimbledon? Seriously? Here’s a few things Mike didn’t mention. Serena Williams is a minority owner, she owns less than 1 percent of the team and has absolutely no idea what happens in the day-to-day football operations.

Now this is relevent because what Florio really wants someone to do is trap Serena Williams. Ask her a no-win question where she either says that, yes, Merling should be cut and puts the Dolphins organization in a precarious position, or he can then bash her as being socially irresponsible if she gives the party-line. Honestly, if the question had been asked, either way Florio writes a follow-up article bashing the Dolphins front office or Serena herself for not advancing a strong social position that condemns domestic violence. It’s a lose-lose for everyone involved and it really makes my blood boil when Florio writes this thinly-veiled crap and then pretends like he has no agenda.

But moreover, the part of this that makes the complaint even more absurd (than wanting to ask a celebrity minority owner a question about football operations after winning a tennis major) is the fact he’s mad at the tennis media IN ENGLAND! Wimbledon is played in England. He’s upset they asked about Lebron James, but that’s pretty big news right now (even across the pond). What may not be as relevent or memorable to a journalist covering Wimbledon (even if they are Amerian) is the arrest of a back-up defensive end on the Miami Dolphins. I mean seriously, is it shocking an English journalist or a tennis-writer may not have even heard of Phillip Merling, let alone his recent arrest? Give me a break, Florio. You’re grasping at straws.

Now for some Fins Notes

Brandon Marshall had his second NFL skill camp for kids this weekend in Orlando. Though a steady drizzle persisted throughout the day, around 300 kids still came out to spend time with Marshall and fellow UCF teammates Kevin Smith, Mike Sims-Walker and Darcy Johnson. The highlight of the day apparently came when a five year old told Marshall to “get out of my face” before bolting down the field. Marshall seems to have played it off well, he chased the little guy down before picking him up by the legs and slinging him over his shoulder to the amusement of the other campers. Depending on how the kid took it he either had one of the coolest experiences of his life in that moment or he may be emotionally scarred. Hopefully it’s not the latter.

Brandon Marshall is also now on twitter, so if you enjoy following the Dolphins on twitter follow him too. And if you’re not already, follow PhinPhanatic on Twitter too.

Ricky Williams family, Patrick Cobb’s family and Greg Camarillo celebrated the 4th together last night. It’s always nice to see players getting along off the field, building camaraderie, etc… What fan doesn’t want to think his team is tightly knit? This Dolphins team seems to get along as well as any team I’ve seen in Miami. From the constant conversations you see with Kendall Langford, Cam Wake, Sean Smith, Vontae Davis and Kory Sheets on twitter to the busy charity calendar that sees the Dolphins players volunteering together regularly to comments made recently by both Karlos Dansby and Brandon Marshall about the close team dynamic, these Dolphins seem to be gelling off the field. And that, friends, is an intangible that is rarely mentioned but truly important. Hope you all had a great 4th.