Hanley Ramirez Benched

Hanley Ramirez began his day at the ballpark Monday sharing a few laughs with his teammates and a group of visiting cricket players from New Zealand. It ended with him grabbing his bat and his glove and heading to the Marlins' clubhouse in the bottom of the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks, moments after receiving a lecture from manager Fredi Gonzalez in the dugout. It wasn't a foul ball off his ankle that led to the two-time All-Star shortstop's exit from a 5-1 loss that snapped the Marlins' four-game winning streak in front of 10,870 fans at Sun Life Stadium. It was his lack of effort. " We felt whether he's hurt or not hurt, we felt like the effort wasn't there that we wanted,'' said Gonzalez, who had a closed-door meeting with Marlins management, including owner Jeffrey Loria, after the game. "There are 24 guys out there that are busting their butts. Cody Ross got hit with a ball, 95 miles per hour. It wasn't thrown any slower. He stayed in the game making diving plays and battling, got two hits and an RBI. There's some injuries there [with Ramirez]. But we expect an effort from 25 guys on this team and when that doesn't happen we have to do something.'' Ramirez was long gone by the time reporters made it into the clubhouse after the game. Gonzalez said Ramirez didn't offer any excuse for his lack of hustle chasing a ball he booted in the second inning, which helped lead to three Arizona runs. I Think this was very rude and disrespectful act by Hanley Ramirez, I don't care how good you are or how much money you make, it's inexcusable for you to jog after a ball after you kicked into the left field corner. Gonzalez did a great move by taking Hanley out of the game because a lack of effort and not only gave him a a strong lesson but the rest of the team.

Panther Fire GM Sexton and Hire Tallon

The Florida Panthers have changed general managers for the third time in a year as Dale Tallon has been hired to replace Randy Sexton. Tallon, the former general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, will be introduced at a press conference at the team's arena in Sunrise on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Tallon is the ninth general manager in franchise history and seventh since the start of the 2000-01 season. “It is with great pleasure and excitement that I join the Florida Panthers," Tallon said in a release. Tallon was demoted by the Blackhawks last summer a week after the team mistakingly didn't offer qualifying offers to their restricted free agents by the deadline. Tallon had one year left on his contract with the team. Sexton, who was in Brandon, Manitoba, scouting the Canadian Memorial Cup when told of Tallon's hiring, was not available for comment and it's not known what – if any – role he will play in the organization. The Panthers haven't been to the playoffs in an NHL record-tying nine seasons and record-setting 10 years. Sexton was Florida's assistant general manager under Jacques Martin from 2007-09 and was the team's interim general manager through last summer after Martin left June 1 to become coach of the Montreal Canadiens – who opened the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night in Philadelphia. Sexton was given the permanent GM job just hours before Florida opened the 2009-10 season on Oct. 2 in Helsinki, Finland. It is not clear what changes Tallon would institute when he takes over the Panthers – and Sexton could remain with the franchise in some capacity although the contract he signed with the team last year is expiring. Coach Pete DeBoer is signed for at least another year and is expected to return. The Panthers had not commented on DeBoer's status publicly since the offseason started, the thought being they would wait until a new GM was in place. I like this move by the Panthers, I think Tallon can help turn the Panthers losing ways around and build a winning tradition in South Florida.

Miami Hurricanes Coach Randy Shannon Signs Four-year Deal

It took a while, a really, really long while, but University of Miami football fans finally know who their coach will be in 2011 and beyond. The same one as the past three seasons. After months, even years of waiting and wondering when and if he would get a contract extension, Randy Shannon has been rewarded with a new four-year contract, the university announced Wednesday night. Shannon was about to enter his final season of the original four-year deal."There's no other place I'd rather be than coaching Hurricanes football,'' Shannon said in a statement. "I'm excited about the momentum we continue to build and our strong recruiting classes. We have dedicated student-athletes and an experienced and committed coaching staff, a strong athletic program and the university leadership's support -- all important components consistent with long-term success''. The financial terms of the contract were not announced. It is believed Shannon started his first season as the coach in 2007 with a salary approaching $800,000 and made about $1 million in 2009. The Associated Press reported that Shannon's new salary will be ``around the midpoint'' of coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Shannon, 44, is 21-17 since taking over the program after Larry Coker was dismissed. He finished 9-4 last season, with the Canes losing to Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. The 2010 season will be Shannon's 17th on the football staff at Miami. He was the defensive coordinator for six seasons, linebackers coach for five and defensive line coach and graduate assistant for one year apiece. In an e-mail to The Miami Herald, UM president Donna Shalala said having Shannon for four more years "means stability and reassures recruits and their families that Coach Shannon has a long-term commitment.'' As delighted as anyone to hear the news, UM quarterback Jacory Harris, who will enter his junior season with UM expected to be ranked in the Top 25.This is a great signing by the Miami Hurricanes, Randy Shannon is a great and upcoming coach in collegiate football and I think the Hurricanes have the necessary components to win a championship. The only thing there is left to do is for Shannon to go out there and earn his money by having a great run this next few years. Watch out University of Florida there might be a new powerhouse in Florida!

Heat Make Website Telling Wade To Stay

With Dwyane Wade shuttling from courtroom to courtroom between Chicago and Miami these days to deal with lawsuits and a divorce, the Heat guard could certainly use a bit of love these days. And he's getting plenty of it now. Especially now that the Miami Heat officially launched its excessive campaign to retain Wade's services when he becomes a free agent in July. The Heat produced a website, www.wewantwade.com, Wade said Thursday he was flattered by the team's out-of-character move to display such public affection. Keep in mind that it's usually not Pat Riley's style to go out of his way to publicize his players and coaches for league awards. But Wade is clearly an exception. It was that way last season, when the team launched its MV3 campaign to push Wade for league MVP honors. And it's the case now, with Wade set to opt out of his contract and become one of the most sought-after free agents in NBA history on July 1. That gives the Heat the next six weeks to show Wade in every way how much he's loved, needed, wanted and cared for here before other NBA cities such as Wade's hometown of Chicago can jump in and flirt with Miami's main man. And here's why Wade is looking forward to this summer so much: He's never been in this position before. Yes, money and fame has a lot to do with this process. But just the simple aspect of recruiting is something Wade hasn't experiences before at a substantial level. Wade's low test scores kept him from being highly recruited coming out of high school. He had three official campus visits. Marquette. Southern Illinois. DePaul. Even during the NBA Draft, Wade wasn't wooed as openly as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. So this has to be a sweet situation for Wade, who repeatedly has said he would like to stay in Miami. The website and public display of affection from Pat Riley and Micky Arison and all the fans in South Florida - the website temporarily crashed Thursday when it reached between 200-300 hits per second - will go a long way. But it doesn't take billboards and banners to impress Wade. It'll take Bosh, Boozer or the postseason beast known as Amare Stoudemire in a Heat uniform. I think this is a great idea from the Heat organization and could definitely sway Wade's mindset; it shows how much the heat organization and the fans care about Wade. But I also agree on the fact that just making a website for Wade is not going to keep him in Miami, your going to need to sign great players to play along him.

Pat Riley Might Coach Next Year?

Pat Riley was adamant. He's not thinking about coaching.Unless he changes his mind. Unlikely as it seems, the twice-retired Hall of Fame coach might contemplate un-retiring again. Insisting his focus is on this summer's NBA free-agent bonanza and nothing else, the Miami Heat president acknowledged Monday that it's possible he could return to the sideline, despite saying when he stepped down in April 2008, "I don't want to do this anymore." Not even a week after it began, the most crucial offseason in Heat history just got a lot more intriguing. "I'm not thinking of anything but building this team," the 65-year-old Riley said. "If I were to leave the team and go somewhere else in a year or two from now, if I got tired of reading books on the beach, excuse me, the Kindle, I might want to coach again. I don't know. But don't say that I won't ever do that or that I can't do it. If I say yes or no, then you get condemned for it."There's no indication Riley is planning to leave. Riley and team owner Micky Arison recently agreed to extend his deal as president, something that was considered to be a formality, especially because the Heat have spent years planning for this summer, when Miami will have enough salary-cap space to not only re-sign Dwyane Wade but also potentially acquire two star-level players to join him. And there's also no indication Riley is unhappy with coach Erik Spoelstra, who worked his way from an entry-level job in the Heat video room onto Riley's staff and ultimately became his handpicked replacement. Spoelstra has a 90-74 record, guiding Miami to the playoffs twice, though not past the first round.The NBA's youngest head coach, Spoelstra is under contract through next season. "I thought he had a great year," Riley said. "I'll do whatever is in the best interest of building the team here. Period," Riley said. "Whatever it takes, OK? I'll let you fill in the blanks. ... If some free agent were to say 'I will come here but you must do this,' well, hell, if that happens that day, then I might have to give it some thought. He did say that the job of building a championship contender won't end in early July. "I think we'll be able to build a very good team over the next 18 months," Riley said. I definitely wouldn't argue against the idea of Pat Riley taking over as the coach this season, but I would feel very sympathetic towards Erik Spoelstra. He has done a great job building this team up the last couple pf years and leading them into the playoffs. If you look at the other side, it would be great for the Pat Riley to coach the Heat because he is one of the greatest coaches of all time and when he took over in the 05-06 season the Heat went on to win it all. The question is, do you do the right and fair thing by keeping Spoelstra or do you go to the experienced and secure route by taking over as the coach of the team.

Dwyane Wade Named to All-NBA First Team

Add another honor to Dwyane Wade's expanding collection: For the second consecutive season, the Miami Heat guard on Thursday was named to the All-NBA First Team. Wade received 81 of a possible 122 first-place votes and joined the Lakers' Kobe Bryant as the guards on the first team. Wade beat out second-team guards Steve Nash and Deron Williams, who received 24 and 14 first-place votes, respectively. Wade joins Shaquille O'Neal as the only Heat players to be named All-NBA First Team twice. Tim Hardaway (1997) and Alonzo Mourning (1999) are the only other Heat players who have been named to the All-NBA first team. Wade, who won the MVP award at February's All-Star Game, was named second-team All-NBA in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and to the third team in 2006-07.Earlier this week, Wade finished fifth in Most Valuable Player voting and was named second team All-Defense for the third time in his career.Wade finished third in the NBA in points scored (2045), fourth in field goals made (719), fourth in average steals (1.84), fifth in scoring average (26.6), 10th in assists per game (6.5) and 29th in blocks per game (1.06). Wade and LeBron James were the only players who finished in the top 10 in points, assists and steals this season. He also became the first guard to average more than one block per game in consecutive seasons since former Boston Celtic Reggie Lewis (1990-91 and 1991-92). A panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters vote for the All-NBA team. Joining Wade and Bryant on the first team are Cleveland's LeBron James, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Orlando's Dwight Howard. This is a great accomplishment for Dwyane Wade being his second consecutive year making the ALL-NBA First Team for the Miami Heat. For those of you who might not know what the ALL-NBA First Team is; it's a vote by the media and experts to select the top 5 players for that certain year.

Mike Stanton, Next Phenom?

Florida Marlins top prospect and third overall prospect in the majors has absolutely been tearing up the minor leagues and if he keeps it up theirs a possibility that he would be called up soon. Stanton is only 20 years old, and the Marlins have said several times that they don't want to rush him, but of he keeps this up they will have to call him up. Mike Stanton hasn’t lost his swing yet. He hit his 10th home run tonight, a shot in the sixth inning that made the difference in Jacksonville’s 2-1 win over Mississippi. That’s six home runs and 14 RBI for Stanton since Sunday. Not a bad week. He’s currently on an 8-game hitting streak, batting .452 (14-of-31) during the streak with 7 home runs and 16 RBI. His 10 home runs leads all of Minor League Baseball while his 20 walks are the second most in the minors. I say the Florida Marlins wait until June and then call this kid up; it would be a similar situation to when they called up their former young star Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the 2003 season when he was only 19 years old and went on to win the Championship with a big help from him.

A Disappointing End To The Miami Heat Season

The Miami Heat 09-10 season came to an end this Tuesday after they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in five games. The heat struggled against Boston's great defense, and Dwyane Wade was the only Heat player to have a good series while all the other players were very inconsistent. I said before this series that for the Heat to come out victorious, players other than Dwyane Wade would have to contribute and step up, but that didn't happen and Wade had to do it all by himself. For the Heat to win they needed a team effort, but they got an individual effort with Wade averaging 35 % of the Heat's points for the series. Now that this season has ended, we have to look forward to next season which can be the busiest Heat off-season of all time. Players such as Dwyane Wade and most of his teammates will be free agents and able to sign with any team. The Miami Heat have a very large salary cap since most of their players are free agents, and Heat owner Pat Riley said he wants to sign the necessary players to built a dynasty. My biggest concern is signing Heat superstar Dwyane Wade and after we do that I think we look to build around him by signing a supporting cast, hopefully the 10-11 season will be a great one and the Heat will be able to compete for a championship.

Miami Dolphins select Jared Odrick With The 28th Draft Pick

The first day of the NFL draft is over and the Dolphins ended up trading their 12th round pick to the San Diego Chargers for their second round pick, 40th overall and also their 4th and 6th round picks. With the 28th pick the Dolphins selected Jared Odrick, At 6'5, 304 pounds, Odrick projects as a defensive end in Miami's 3-4 defense. He's got a great motor and is athletic for his size. In my opinion this was a very solid pick; it strengthens the Dolphins defense and adds a big athletic guy that can rush the quarterback and he is a Bill Parcells kind of player. I was also satisfied with the trade, the Dolphins didn't give up that much talent by trading down to the 28th pick and were granted with a very valuable early second round draft pick.

Jason Taylor Signs With The Jets

The free-agent Taylor had been linked with the Jets for several weeks now, but had been waiting for the Dolphins to make an offer first, despite them telling him they would not make a decision until after draft. The 35 year-old Taylor had wanted to end his career as a Dolphin -- and especially didn't want to be seen leaving the franchise for such a bitter division rival -- but his apparent lack of a future in South Florida more or less forced his hand. Taylor's agent confirmed that his client has signed a one-year deal worth up to $4 million with incentives with the Jets. Taylor figures to line up as an outside linebacker in the Jets' 3-4 scheme, for a unit surprisingly bereft of pass-rushers given its status as the top-ranked defensive unit in the league last season. Now there is only one word to describe Jason Taylor in my mind now, traitor! He did the worst thing he could of possibly done, he went to our most hated rival, the New York Jets. One of the best players ever to play for the Miami Dolphins, and a guy who will probably go into the Hall of Fame as a Miami Dolphin just stabbed all his beloved fans right in the back. Jason Taylor was always the first one to bash on the Jets, talking about how much he hates his fans, and how he would never play for a team like the Jets and than he goes ahead and signs with them. This change of teams has to be one of the most shocking in sports since Brett Favre went from the Green Bay Packers to the Minnesota Vikings or when Johnny Damon went from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees. I'm very frustrated and upset with Jason Taylor and hope he and the Jets have a horrible season, I know harsh words, but it's the truth.

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, First Round Preview

After Wednesdays win against the New Jersey Nets the Miami Heat clinched the fifth seed and ensured themselves a first round match-up with the 2008 NBA Champions, Boston Celtics. I think this is a good match-up for the Heat because their coming in to the playoffs with great momentum winning 13 out of their last 14 games. On the other side, the Celtics are coming into the playoffs looking like an old tired team, they had a horrible end to the finish losing to teams like the Wizards and the Nets in the final stretch. For the Heat to win, their going to need help from more then just Dwyane Wade. I think it's going to be key for Michael Beasley to have a great series and score and rebound the ball on the consistent basis, other players like Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson, and Udonis Haslem of the bench also need to step up. As long as the Heat can spread the points and have other players step up,I think they have a great shot at winning this series.

Dolphins Acquire Brandon Marshall !!!!!!!!!!!

The Denver Broncos have traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for second-round draft picks in 2010 and 2011, the Broncos announced Wednesday.Marshall and the Dolphins subsequently agreed on a four-year, $47.5 million contract extension that includes $24 million in guaranteed money, according to a league source. The deal includes close to $29 million in the first three years of the contract and makes Marshall the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald previously had the richest deal of any receiver, averaging $10 million per season. The trade is contingent upon the league processing the paperwork and Marshall passing his physical. In acquiring Marshall, the Dolphins gained a deep threat at receiver to loosen up defenses for their potentially potent ground game and young, strong-armed quarterback Chad Henne. In return, the Broncos get two high draft picks for a player who caused them headaches in addition to making plays. Marshall, 26, is one of the game's best young wide receivers, a mercurial talent in the prime of his career at the position where the Dolphins needed help most. But like Holmes, he also brings a reputation of being difficult to handle and a record that has him one strike from a yearlong suspension. Marshall has had several run-ins with the law and visits to commissioner Roger Goodell's office to discuss his off-the-field behavior. He was suspended for the 2008 opener following a series of domestic disputes involving a former girlfriend. In February, an emotional Marshall was a witness in the murder trial of Willie Clark, who was convicted in the 2007 drive-by slaying of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. In my opinion this one of the best trades in Dolphins history, Brandon Marshall is exactly what the Dolphins needed; arguably he's the best wide receiver in the NFL and the Dolphins are a team who desperately needed a prolific wide receiver. The Dolphins were among the worst teams in the NFL in passing last season, and this move can make them one of the best, and give Chad Henne a great target to throw almost every down. The Dolphins can now concentrate on something other then a wide receiver with their first round pick in the draft and can look into drafting a pass rusher or defensive tackle. I'm extremely satisfied with this move and I think this makes the Dolphins a serious playoff contender, and most likely the best team in their division.

Who Should The Dolphins Draft?

There's been much speculation on who the Dolphins are going to draft with their 12th overall pick in the upcoming 2010 NFL draft. To me the choice is clear, the Dolphins need a wide receiver; and the best wide receiver in my opinion available to them is Dez Bryant. He is a explosive and extremely talented wide receiver out of Oklahoma State and has been compared by many to Randy Moss. He is exactly what the Dolphins need, no offense to any of the current Dolphin wide Receivers, but none of them are great, their all number 3 receivers. The Dolphins need a number 1 receiver if they want to be a successful team in the NFL because we need a guy who can catch the ball on a consistent basis. Dez Bryant had recently met with the Dolphins and was interviewed and worked out for them. One of the reasons that many team are shying way from Bryant is because his off the field problems that caused him to be suspended from Oklahoma State. This to me is a obvious decision and we should definitely draft Bryant and take a little risk in order to be compensated with a huge reward.

Jason Taylor To The Jets?

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor is in New York today to meet with the Jets. As a coach who puts defense first, Rex Ryan will appreciate a player like the 35-year-old Taylor, who has made 127 and a half NFL sacks. Jets fans however, might have a harder time appreciating Taylor, who has on numerous occasions negative and at time harsh comments about the Jets and their fans. If Taylor goes to the Jets it will completely shock me and confuse me. The Jets are the Dolphins biggest rival and Taylor is one of their biggest haters, he has said that he would never wear a Jets uniform. Jason Taylor leaving the Dolphins and playing for the Jets would be like when Brett Favre left Green Bay and went on to play for their biggest rival the Minnesota Vikings. This could be a form of revenge for Jason Taylor who was very upset a couple of year ago when the Dolphins traded him to the Washington Redskins. Let's hope that we don't see Taylor wearing green next year.

Marlins and Mets to Play in Puerto Rico

Major League Baseball announced Thursday the Florida Marlins and New York Mets are switching their three-game set on June 28-30 from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The games were originally slated to be played at Sun Life Stadium, the Marlins home stadium. Now, Florida will be the home team in San Juan. The games will be played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, a 19,000-seat artificial-turf facility that has attracted big league games in the past. From a league standpoint, the Marlins-Mets series will be the first MLB regular-season games played internationally since the Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's opened their 2008 campaigns in Japan. It won't be the first time the Marlins and Mets play regular-season games in San Juan, either. When the Montreal Expos played home games in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in 2003-04, both teams made one trip to Puerto Rico in each season. The Marlins have been open about wanting to expand their marketing efforts into Latin America. Playing meaningful games in Puerto Rico is a start. This is a great decision for the Marlins, the Marlins don't have the largest fan-base and have always been looking for ways to expand it; this will bring attention to South Florida baseball in Puerto Rico and hopefully the Marlins will gain a few fans after playing in San Juan. This is a Monday through Wednesday series so it wasn't probably going to draw huge crowds in the Marlins home Stadium so moving it to San Juan is a great way to expand their fan-base and get a larger audience for the game.

Miami Dolphins Sign Richie Incognito to a 1-year Deal

The Dolphins added their second roster addition Wednesday since the start of free agency began March 5, at first signing linebacker Karlos Dansby. Guard Richie Incognito, who arrived for his visit in South Florida on Monday, agreed to a one-year deal worth just over $1 million. It is considered a bargain rate for a player with a controversial past that led to his departure from St. Louis last year. " I had a great visit,'' Incognito said shortly before his agent reached the deal with his new team. Now, it's up to Incognito to prove he still belongs in the NFL while also attempting to prove worthy of a starting job with the Dolphins. Before he can earn any type of long-term deal, he will need to show accountability. Miami, which has been looking to improve the level of competition at guard, was one of only a few teams to take a risk on Incognito's volatile on-field personality. He is expected to compete with Donald Thomas for the starting job at right guard. Either way, his arrival provides some much-needed depth at an injury-prone position. During the process, he needs to show the coaching staff that he will be more of an asset than a liability. In my opinion this is a very smart investment for the Miami Dolphins, It's a relatively cheap contract for a player that can really help them next year . It adds depth to their offensive line, he can either play great in the off-season and start, do a great job off the bench, or substitute a player in the starting line up after injury or bad play. Yes he does have a angry personality, but hopefully he can take out that anger on the opposing team rather than on his own coaches.

Miami Dolphins Announce Ticket-price Raise for Next Season

The Miami Dolphins announced Thursday they are raising the price of more than half of their tickets, The other half they will either lower or keep the same. It marks the Dolphins' first ticket price increase in three years. This ticket-price includes the decision that fans sitting on the shady side of Sun Life Stadium, which is behind the Dolphins bench, will pay about $5 more per game than fans on the opposite side. Last season, there was no difference in cost. The Dolphins decided to overhaul their pricing structure , and added six new categories. The team raised prices for 56 percent of the seats, primarily in the lower bowl. Prices stayed the same for 31 percent and decreased for 13 percent. The overall weighted average increase for season-ticket buyers is 5.8 percent. The Dolphins sold 49,415 season tickets in 2009, ranking in the bottom third of the league, after selling 46,131 in 2008. The team's numbers are way down from 2006, when Miami sold 61,121. I think the ticket-price increase is unnecessary especially because of all the revenue brought in from the Superbowl about a month ago. Going to a football game is very expensive, if your a family of four going to a game on Sunday afternoon; at the very minimum it's going to cost you $200 dollars. In my opinion ticket prices are already high enough, and if anything they should be lowered. I think the ticket raises are absurd and unfair to loyal Dolphins fans who already pay enough to watch their team play.

Miami Heat Owner 95% Certain Wade Will Resign

Miami Heat owner Micky Arison said before Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. "I believe him. I'm 95 percent sure that he would be here next year. You can never be 100." Arison said he expected a climb from last season, when the Heat finished 43-39 and lost in the first round of the playoffs, based on a return to health by center Jermaine O'Neal and the early-season performance of forward Quentin Richardson. While the Heat worked most of the season to get below the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on excessive payroll, Arison said he never let it stand between the team and a tangible addition."We went after Lamar Odom in the summer time; it wasn't about the tax then," he said. "I'm not aware of us turning down a deal that would have made us significantly better. If there was a deal that would have made us significantly better, I would have approved it."I don't entirely believe this statement by the Heat owner, In my opinion it's just a strategy to get Heat fans to go out and renew their season ticket plans for next season by telling them that he is almost completely sure that they will resign Dwyane Wade. This is a smart move by the Heat owner as a business strategy to sell as much season tickets as possible. Wade hasn't commented on Arison's statements, and I seriously doubt that Wade is that sure about returning, I hope that Dwyane Wade resigns with the Heat next year, but I don't think that it is certain, and it will take dedication and support from Heat management for him to resign.

Spring Practice Ready To begin for Miami Hurricanes Football Team

The Miami Hurricanes had a impressive 2009 season, but it ended on a bad note. Miami was beat by a lower-ranked Wisconsin team in their bowl game to end the season. coach Randy Shannon was adamant when asked Monday what his one overall goal is for spring practice. He said "Get tougher'' . "It's going to be physical football this spring. I want to see how our mind-set is. I want to see us take the next step in improving in a lot of different areas. . . . We're really going to go after it.'' Jacoby Harris, the Dolphins quarterback was injured the last game of the season. He is still recovering, and so far is only doing running plays. The Hurricanes are looking forward to a great 2010 season and hopefully a chance to compete for a national championship. I watched many of the Hurricanes games last year, and I was very impressed, they had great young talent, and a star quarterback in Jacoby Harris. Their schedule was arguably the hardest in all of college football, and they did great against such hard opponents, winning many upsets. I think if their able to execute and stay healthy they should have a shot at a national championship.

Florida Panthers Cheering For Teammates in Winter Olympics

Fans of the Florida Panthers have plenty to cheer for, the men's hockey tournament begins Tuesday in Vancouver, British Columbia. Current Panthers Tomas Vokoun (Czech Republic) and Dennis Seidenberg (Germany) are competing in these games, as are former Panthers Roberto Luongo (Canada) and Olli Jokinen (Finland), who both make Broward County their offseason home.These Olympics will be much different for former Panther Roberto Luongo, now with the Vancouver Canucks. He will be playing in his arena, just a few blocks from his home. Luongo will not be sleeping in his bed, however. Team Canada decided that its players will stay in the Olympic Village to enhance their Olympic experiences. And there will be plenty of pressure for Team Canada to keep the gold at home. "It's definitely exciting, and I can't wait to be part of that experience,'' Luongo said. "There's always pressure in Canada to perform at your best, and that's a good thing. It's your game, and we have to perform under those circumstances. It's a big deal". Canada is favored by almost all the annalist, and is by far the favorite to take the gold home. Current Florida Panther Tomas Vokoun has carried a pretty heavy workload for the Panthers during the past few months, he has started 21 consecutive games. He will be the starting goalie for the Czechs when they open late Wednesday night against Slovakia, so he actually has had a few days off to rest. Instead of playing every other night , as he is accustomed to, Vokoun took Sunday to travel to Vancouver, with practice days Monday and Tuesday before his team's first game. This is Vokoun's second trip to the Olympics; he helped the Czechs win bronze in 2006. Aside from Luongo and Jokinen, there are plenty of other former Panthers competing in the Games. Panthers TV broadcaster Steve Goldstein also will be in Vancouver, teaming with former Florida goalie John Vanbiesbrouck to call games on radio.

Ronnie Browns Future With The Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Brown had an electrifying start to the 2009-2010 season before suffering a fracture in his right foot midseason. He had surgery November 20 to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot, but he’s still not running on it and he made a point of resting it. There has been some speculation that the Dolphins are thinking about putting him on the trading block for a 2010 first round pick, but I doubt that the Dolphins are willing to part with their best offensive player. For now, Ronnie is just focused on returning to form and setting himself up for even bigger and better things to come. He has missed 20 games in his five-year NFL career, including 16 total the past three years, which included a pair of season-ending injuries. Ronnie Brown is expecting to be ready by the time training camp starts, which is great news for the Dolphins. Ronnie Brown is looking foward towards a breakout 2010-2011 season since this will be the last season under contract with the Dolphins before he hits free agency. Hopefully we will not trade Ronnie and he can show everybody that he is healthy and have a great season.

Florida Marlins Spring Training Just Around The Corner

Florida Marlins spring training in Jupiter, Fl is only about two weeks away. The Marlins are looking to build on a solid 2009 season where they finished with a record of 87-75 and second place in their division and fell just short of making the playoffs. The Marlins had a relatively quiet offseason not making much moves. One big move they made was locking up their ace, Josh Johnson by signing him to a 4 year, 39 million dollar contract extension.They also signed a couple of free agents but no big names. The marlins are hoping for a good season from pitchers such as Chris Volstad and Ricky Nolasco, and another great season from their returning rookie of the year, Chris Coghlan. Hopefully both youngsters and veterans will step up and the Marlins will make the playoffs for the first time in 7 since they won the World Series in 2003. I'm very optimistic about the Marlins chances and I think they have a legitimate shot of making the playoffs as long as they stay healthy and their pitching is solid. I'm excited about spring training and looking forward to the regular season, and beating the Yankees!!!

Should Dolphins Bring Back Pennington?

Chad Pennington came in as the new Dolphin quarterback in the 2008-2009 season with very low expectations for the time after a 1-15 season the year before. He had been dropped by the Jets after the signing of Brett Favre, and the Dolphins picked him up in dire needs of a quarterback. He flourished in Miami and won the fans over after a surprising season leading the team to a 11-5 season and making the playoffs. He came into the 2009-2010 with high expectations and hopes to go far into the playoffsf, but it didn't turn out that way. In the third game of the season he injured his shoulder and was out for the rest of the year. Dolphins upcoming prospect, Chad Henne, filled in and did a great job going 7-6 after a 0-3 start by Pennington. Now after many though his career was over after a third shoulder surgery, Pennington wants to make a come back with the Miami Dolphins. In my opinion, there is no way that the Dolphins should let Pennington come back. Don't get me wrong he did a great job with the Dolphins young players and helping them rebuild, but I think his job is done. Chad Henne is our future and his the one that should be playing, not Pennington.

Miami Heat In The Hunt For Amare Stoudemire

Miami Heat president Pat Riley has emerged as one of the most determined pursuers of Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, proposing several different packages that make available any of his players short of Dwyane Wade, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Heat have discussed several scenarios with the Suns, including packages that include combinations of young players such as Michael Beasley, Dorrel Wright and expiring contracts such as Jermaine O'Neal and Quentin Richardson, the Heat are also willing to part with their 2010 first-round draft pick."Nobody is pushing harder on this than Riley," one league source said. Whether or not the Suns are interested in anything the Heat are offering is another story. It all depends on how the Suns are going to want to move forward following the departure of Stoudemire. Something to keep in mind is that Amare has a contract option for next season worth $17.7 million. This could hurt the Heat’s chances of getting big name free agents this offseason. This push by Riley is probably a response to Dwyane Wade’s recent frustrations of not having enough help. I think this would be a great move by the Heat not only to put them in the run for an NBA championship, but to encourage Dwyane Wade to resign with the Miami Heat this offseason. Stoudemire is one of the best power forwards in the league and he would be a great asset to an upcoming Miami Heat.

Miami Dolphins Joey Porter Says He Wants To Be Traded.

The Miami Dolphin linebacker joey Porter said on an interview in the Jim Rome show this Monday that he wants out of Miami. The Dolphins were discussing whether to release him before a $1 million roster bonus was due the first week of March; many think that Porter demanded this trade because he was upset with the Dolphins. Porter admits he's upset about being asked to rotate with other outside linebackers, which often required him to leave the field. Porter has never been shy to speak his mind, and throughout his career he has been known for making questionable remarks. In my opinion I don't think we should trade Porter because he is one of the best linebackers of all time, and I think he has a lot left in the tank. He had a good 2009 recording 41 tackles and nine sacks impacted by a lingering knee injury, and I think he is a good veteran and could really help the younger, upcoming players. So don't listen to Porter, don't trade him!

Wade and Lebron- Miami Heat 2010?

There has been much speculation over the past couple of months that Dwyane Wade and Lebron james could play together for the Miami Heat in 2010. Both are free agents this offseason, and the Miami Heat have a low salary cap for next year and can afford to sign both to long-term contracts. Lebron and Wade are great friends on and off the court; their both optimistic and supporting of the idea of being on the same team. In my opinion if this does happen it will be unfair for the rest of the NBA because this are two of the biggest superstars of all time in their prime, and if they played together it would be unreal. Most critics say this is not going to happen because Dwyane and Lebron are want to be the star of their team, they don't want to play along each other and be sidekicks, but both the players have denied this assumptions. In my opinion they will rather be sidekicks and win championships then be stars and win mvp's. If these two join up for any significant amount of time they would probably build one of the biggest dynasties of all time, but now one can only hope and dream.