Dolphins Training Camp - Day 17

Curt Fennell

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Aug 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/3/96

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TRAINING CAMP REPORT:

The Dolphins had a single practice against the Bucs on Friday
morning and apparently didn't look very good, especially the rookies.
JJ can usually find at least one rookie to single out after practice
for his play, but yesterday, JJ didn't have a kind word for anyone.

As if to punctuate JJ's disappointment with the rookies
yesterday, Sir Mawn Wilson had a pass bounce off his chest on the last
play of the afternoon.

The veterans did have a few bright spots, particularly on the
offensive line. Apparently, Tim Ruddy and Chris Gray blew away the
Bucs defensive line to the point where the Tampa Bay defensive coaches
were having fits on the sidelines.

The Dolphins won't be practicing today in preparation for
their first preseason game against the Bucs tonight, which will not be
broadcast and may not even be available via satellite, according to a
personal contact I received from a TV reporter from Tampa.

There are a few things to look for in the game tonight.
Briefly, they are the ability of the Dolphins to run the ball and how
well the Dolphins defense plays. Players on the spot include Irving
Spikes, Stanley Pritchett and most of the defensive linemen.

The game will start at 7 PM at Joe Robbie stadium and will be
broadcast from Miami on a tape delay.

INJURIES:

Players missing practice yesterday included C Cal Dixon
(dehydration), DT Steve Emtman (hamstring), WR OJ McDuffie (hamstring)
and DT Norman Hand (triceps). All of these players are listed as
day-to-day.

Apparently, Hand's injury has been announced to have been a
torn triceps. He started weight training on the injury yesterday for
the first time and is expected back at full practice next week.

WR Fred Barnett (torn right ACL) and DE Jeff Cross (back -
PUP) are out indefinitely.

COMMENTS:

The Herald's articles today paint a bleak picture of the
Dolphins in advance of tonight's preseason game. They state that JJ
is not pleased with the work ethic of the team and is concerned about
their lack of mental toughness.

There are many explanations for these statements by JJ - one
is that he's playing motivational games again. Another is that he's
genuinely concerned about some of the players' desire and motivation.
The confirmation by several players of this attitude among some of the
other players is disconcerting, however.

My take on this is that it takes more than a few weeks of
training camp to erase the bad attitudes that infested the team in the
past. It may take most of the year before JJ has managed to weed out
the bad apples from this team, either by motivating them or by getting
rid of them.

And this brings us to the reason that Karim Abdul-Jabbar is on
the bottom of the depth chart at running back. JJ is concerned about
his desire to play through pain, despite his obvious talent. JJ is
clearly going to be putting players in starting positions based on
desire and motivation as much as by their talent.

What this may boil down to is some unpopular moves as the
season progresses. JJ will reward hard work and dedication ahead of
talent and that means some more talented players my find themselves
riding the bench (or even gone) if they don't play hard enough. So
fans must be prepared for that eventuality.

On another topic, there will be no link to the "Dolphins
Endzone" webpage in my "Related Links" section today. The reason is
that the Dolphins Endzone - "The official webpage of the Miami
Dolphins" - has elected to post a bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins
Cheerleader instead of a training camp report for Friday.

Now, don't get me wrong, here. I'm not against bikini-clad
pictures of women on the internet (although I might draw the line at a
picture of Roseanne Arnold in a bikini...), but when I connect to the
Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
on the Dolphins.

If I can find the time, in my spare time, to put together a
training camp report for Friday, then I would think that the Official
Dolphins Web Site could also do so - if they wanted to. But it's
become obvious to me that the Dolphins Endzone is more concerned with
commercial success than they are with keeping the fans informed.

I invite the staff of the Dolphins Endzone to respond to my
comments and I'll be happy to post them. In the meantime, if you want
to express your feelings about the way they run their site, you might
want to email Rob Beal (rb...@pwr.com) or Jason A'Hearn
(jah...@pwr.com) at the Dolphins Endzone.

In the meantime, I'll continue my training camp reports and
will put real links to real news in the "Related Links" section of my
training camp reports.

Doug McKibbin

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Aug 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/3/96

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In <4tvub1$i...@shell1.cybercom.net>, Curt Fennell <cu...@phins.com> writes:
>TRAINING CAMP REPORT:
<snip>

> On another topic, there will be no link to the "Dolphins
>Endzone" webpage in my "Related Links" section today. The reason is
>that the Dolphins Endzone - "The official webpage of the Miami
>Dolphins" - has elected to post a bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins
>Cheerleader instead of a training camp report for Friday.
>
> Now, don't get me wrong, here. I'm not against bikini-clad
>pictures of women on the internet (although I might draw the line at a
>picture of Roseanne Arnold in a bikini...), but when I connect to the
>Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
>on the Dolphins.

Curt - in order to get to the picture you have to link down to the Cheeleaders page
where there is only a small upper body picture of the cheerleader and a text profile.
You have to click on that image to see the picture you find inappropriate.
If the "first thing" you're looking for is news, why did you even start with the cheerleader section,
let alone link down to the page containing the "bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins Cheerleader".
What kind of "news" did you expect to find?

>
> If I can find the time, in my spare time, to put together a
>training camp report for Friday, then I would think that the Official
>Dolphins Web Site could also do so - if they wanted to. But it's
>become obvious to me that the Dolphins Endzone is more concerned with
>commercial success than they are with keeping the fans informed.

They do have to make money. And they charge advertisers on their page (and
there are a few) based on the number of visitors to the page. Most likely, the
bikini-clad pictures a Dolphins Cheerleaders will bring in more visitors. Sex sells.
I'm sure all of the NFL Team's sites will have such links before long, if not already.
I think that by having it two "levels" below the home page is a good idea. Now if
it was on the front page, then maybe there could be some objections.

> I invite the staff of the Dolphins Endzone to respond to my
>comments and I'll be happy to post them. In the meantime, if you want
>to express your feelings about the way they run their site, you might
>want to email Rob Beal (rb...@pwr.com) or Jason A'Hearn
>(jah...@pwr.com) at the Dolphins Endzone.
>
> In the meantime, I'll continue my training camp reports and
>will put real links to real news in the "Related Links" section of my
>training camp reports.

Let me also say here that I really appreciate the work you put into bringing us Dolfans
the information you do in the timely manner you do. Especially since I live in Arizona
and news on the Dolphins is scarce. Perhaps it would be best to keep to the news
instead of taking stances on marginal issues, though.

Thanx again for all you do/have done,
Doug McKibbin

Z MAN529

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Aug 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/4/96

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In article <4tvub1$i...@shell1.cybercom.net>, Curt Fennell <cu...@phins.com>
writes:

> On another topic, there will be no link to the "Dolphins

>Endzone" webpage in my "Related Links" section today. The reason is
>that the Dolphins Endzone - "The official webpage of the Miami
>Dolphins" - has elected to post a bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins
>Cheerleader instead of a training camp report for Friday.
>
> Now, don't get me wrong, here. I'm not against bikini-clad
>pictures of women on the internet (although I might draw the line at a
>picture of Roseanne Arnold in a bikini...), but when I connect to the
>Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
>on the Dolphins.

Are you serious Curt?? I respect peoples view on indecency and related
issues, but does that really bother you that much? Im not trying to flame
you, I really am just curious. I have a hard time telling when you are
being sarcastic and when youre not.
-Z

Curt Fennell

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Aug 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/5/96

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In article <4u0fh5$n...@globe.indirect.com>,
Doug McKibbin <dmc...@indirect.com> wrote:

>In <4tvub1$i...@shell1.cybercom.net>, Curt Fennell <cu...@phins.com> writes:
>>
>> Now, don't get me wrong, here. I'm not against bikini-clad
>>pictures of women on the internet (although I might draw the line at a
>>picture of Roseanne Arnold in a bikini...), but when I connect to the
>>Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
>>on the Dolphins.
>

> Curt - in order to get to the picture you have to link down to the
> Cheeleaders page where there is only a small upper body picture of
> the cheerleader and a text profile. You have to click on that image
> to see the picture you find inappropriate. If the "first thing"
> you're looking for is news, why did you even start with the
> cheerleader section, let alone link down to the page containing the
> "bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins Cheerleader". What kind of
> "news" did you expect to find?

I thought I expressed myself pretty clearly in the paragraph
above, but apparently I didn't. So let me say, for the record, that I
have absolutely NO objection to bikini-clad women on the Internet, not
even on the Dolphins web site.

In fact, if you check my web site, you'll see a link to the
EFF's "Stop the CDA" campaign. I have taken an active role in the
fight against the CDA.

Nor do I object to them attempting to make money. In fact, I
support the fact that they are a "free" site and apparently intend to
remain so.

What I *do* object to is that they should have had a
training camp report for Friday, and they didn't. My frustration with
them is because they claim to have the latest Dolphins news - and they
don't.

What they *do* spend their time on is pictures of
Cheerleaders. And that would be fine, if the rest of their stuff was
as good as they claim. But, of course, it isn't. It's amateurish,
poorly formatted and incomplete.

What makes me angry is that they are marketeers first,
self-promoters second and football reporters a distant third.

I just want them to worry about the important stuff BEFORE
they put up pictures of cheerleaders, that's all.

Ryan Dickey

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Aug 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/5/96

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zma...@aol.com (Z MAN529) wrote:

>>... but when I connect to the

>>Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
>>on the Dolphins.
>

>Are you serious Curt?? I respect peoples view on indecency and related
>issues, but does that really bother you that much? Im not trying to flame
>you, I really am just curious. I have a hard time telling when you are
>being sarcastic and when youre not.
>-Z

There are plenty of better spots for checking out women on the internet
than an NFL home page. He's not made that a chick was on the net, he's
mad that the chick replaced a camp report. I'm with him.

Ryan

LADave310

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Aug 6, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/6/96

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>zma...@aol.com (Z MAN529) wrote:

>In article <4tvub1$i...@shell1.cybercom.net>, Curt Fennell <cu...@phins.com>
>writes:

>>"The official webpage of the Miami
>>Dolphins" - has elected to post a bikini-clad picture of a Dolphins
>>Cheerleader instead of a training camp report for Friday.

(edited)

>>when I connect to the
>>Dolphins "Official" web site, the first thing I'm looking for is news
>>on the Dolphins.

>Are you serious Curt?? I respect peoples view on indecency and related

>issues, but does that really bother you that much? Im not trying to flame
>you, I really am just curious. I have a hard time telling when you are
>being sarcastic and when youre not.
>-Z

I don;t think he's being sarcastic and I don't think it's about
decency. It's about information vs, crap and the Official Dolphin
site is limited enough with a pure press release mentality. Selling
the Dolphin Cheerleaders (particularly with the first being a married
woman) doesn't really help Dolphin fans contemplate the health
injuries on the d-line or which running back is going away.

LADave310
THE L.A. PHISH CONNECTION

Z MAN529

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Aug 7, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/7/96

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In article <4u5hfj$j...@shell1.cybercom.net>, cfen...@shell1.cybercom.net
(Curt Fennell) writes:

> What makes me angry is that they are marketeers first,
>self-promoters second and football reporters a distant third.
>
> I just want them to worry about the important stuff BEFORE
>they put up pictures of cheerleaders, that's all.
>--
>Curt

C'mon Curt, pics of bikini clad cheerleaders IS whats important!!!!! :)
(Even if they are fins cheerleaders....)
-Z

DolfanMichael

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Aug 9, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/9/96

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On 8/3/96 2:15PM, in message <4u0fh5$n...@globe.indirect.com>, Doug McKibbin
<dmc...@indirect.com> wrote:

> Curt - in order to get to the picture you have to link down to the
> Cheeleaders page
> where there is only a small upper body picture of the cheerleader and a text
> profile.
> You have to click on that image to see the picture you find inappropriate.
> If the "first thing" you're looking for is news, why did you even start with
> the cheerleader section,

> let alone link down to the page containing the "bikini-clad picture of a

> Dolphins Cheerleader".
> What kind of "news" did you expect to find?

It sounds like you missed the point too, Doug.

Insinuating that Curt followed the cheerleader link through all of its road
signs to the end, looking for a misplaced training camp report is ludicrous.
In his letter, he only stated that they posted the cheerleader posts and didn't
post a training camp report. The problem arising from that is they had
resources to do one and not the other, and they chose the cheerleaders. That's
what he objected to.

I signed in to the web site that day, and while I didn't follow the links, I do
remember a large banner-link across the top of the front page proclaiming
"They're HERE!" and sporting wispy female shadows. I assume that was
cheerleader central. So, to say that he had to do some searching to find the
babes in bikinis seems a little insulting.

Also, to jump to the conclusion that he finds the picture "inappropriate" is
also an incredible reach. Didn't you READ his POSTING??? He said he had
NOTHING against them. You even quoted his exact words to that effect in your
rebuttal!!! What is happening to this newsgroup?!?

> They do have to make money. And they charge advertisers on their page (and
> there are a few) based on the number of visitors to the page. Most likely,
> the
> bikini-clad pictures a Dolphins Cheerleaders will bring in more visitors.
> Sex sells.
> I'm sure all of the NFL Team's sites will have such links before long, if not
> already.
> I think that by having it two "levels" below the home page is a good idea.
> Now if
> it was on the front page, then maybe there could be some objections.

Again, what's your point? Sex sells?? Who's arguing against that?!? Anyone
who read Curt's letter and assumed he was against cheerleader pictures on a web
site is blind AND stupid.

> Let me also say here that I really appreciate the work you put into bringing
> us Dolfans
> the information you do in the timely manner you do. Especially since I live
> in Arizona
> and news on the Dolphins is scarce. Perhaps it would be best to keep to the
> news
> instead of taking stances on marginal issues, though.
>
> Thanx again for all you do/have done,
> Doug McKibbin

Nice ending, worthy of James A'Hearn himself. Perhaps it would be best to
spend a little more time reading the text instead of reading into the text.

--

-DolfanMichael
..NOT to be confused with my hero DolfanMike.

Doug McKibbin

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Aug 10, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/10/96

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...blah, blah, blah...
>
>-DolfanMichael
>...NOT to be confused with my hero DolfanMike.
>
It seems the point is moot now. I noticed that the link to the Dolphins EndZone is
back on Curt's postings.

Doug

Curt Fennell

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Aug 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/14/96

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In article <4uid9v$7...@globe.indirect.com>,

Doug McKibbin <dmc...@indirect.com> wrote:
>In <N.080996....@Redlands-ppp19.discover.net>, mag...@discover.net (DolfanMichael) writes:
>>On 8/3/96 2:15PM, in message <4u0fh5$n...@globe.indirect.com>, Doug McKibbin
>><dmc...@indirect.com> wrote:
>>
>>> You have to click on that image to see the picture you find
>>> inappropriate.

As I said in the original post, I find absolutely nothing
inappropriate about pictures of women in bikinis. In fact, I'm very
much in favor of it, as long as it doesn't interfere with the
reporting of Dolphins News on the Dolphins web site.

> It seems the point is moot now. I noticed that the link to the
> Dolphins EndZone is back on Curt's postings.

Doug, you really didn't pay attention. In the original posting, I
said that I wouldn't have a link to the Dolphins web site on that
specific day. I said nothing about what I'd do on every other day.

The reason for that was that, on that day, they had no Dolphins
training camp report to link to. And that was what I was mad about.

RBR

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Aug 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/15/96

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Hi there. Geez, it's not like the woman was naked...she was wearing a
swimsuit. I followed the link & was shocked to see that it was that
simple. The pic is attached for those of you who have not seen it.

take care,
elizabeth
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8260/index.html
(My Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Page)

DOLPHINCHEERS.JPG

Dolphins Training Camp - Day 17 - Aug 2nd

Curt Fennell

Doug McKibbin

Z MAN529

Curt Fennell

Ryan Dickey

LADave310

Z MAN529

DolfanMichael

Doug McKibbin

Curt Fennell

RBR