Now it is your statements that I don't believe contradict what I'm saying, lol. I think internally it is expected and believed that he will be sitting part of the year. I do think however that the team both internally and externally is going to fully support him to hopefully blow their expectations and beliefs right out of the water.
Sources inside the Dolphins have directly contradicted that idea, in conversations with both Jeff Darlington and Dave Hyde. And Mike Sherman has contradicted that idea publicly.
...and those comments to the media both from "sources inside the Dolphins" and from Mike Sherman fall directly under what I was referring to when I said "fully supporting him externally".
Huh? I base it on the fact that teams all around the league feed the media all kinds of BS all the time. If you want to call them "liars" for it, then ok (I personally consider it part of their jobs, and do not hold it against them, but you are free to if you wish). However,to insinuate that a team has never said something to the media with an agenda behind it is kinda ridiculous IMO. Like I've said repeatedly, IMO they have an agenda... and that is to fully support Tannehill and not cut his legs out from under him through back channels in the media b/c that doesnt help him and it doesnt help them. If you dont believe that to be plausable and/or likely, then you are obviously entitled to that opinion.
Where did I insinuate this? It's a fact. You're accusing them of being liars, but not basing it on anything in particular other than an assumption that they tell lies for the sake of lying. You say it's for the sake of "supporting" Tannehill but in reality all they're doing is creating unwieldy expectations which they themselves (supposedly) KNOW he will not meet. So yo u're either accusing them of lying, or being stupid. I don't agree.
If thats how you want to catagorize it... thats fine. I am absolutely accusing them of being liars then. I think teams "lie" to the media all the time with an agenda, and IMO this is one of those times. Based on your first sentence, it sounds like you agree that teams say things to the media with an agenda behind them all the time, but disagree that this is one of those situations. If so, that’s fine. You are entitled to your own opinion. I believe this to be one of them... especially b/c saying otherwise doesnt help Tannehill and it doesnt help the coaches/FO/team.
You added "all the time" for effect, but essentially yes. Teams do mislead the media, when they have reasons. Just like every person on the planet has probably lied at some point in their lives. But in order to accuse someone of lying, I think you need more than a casual assumption based on the fact that everyone has lied at some point when they had a reason to do so. If you tell me your favorite color is blue, I won't sit here and assume you're lying, because I also assume you once lied to your parents about where you were last night, etc. If I have a reason to assume you're lying about the favorite color, I have to weigh that reason against the fact that most people don't really like lying. It's not an accusation to be tossed around casually. You have not demonstrated for me a reason why the team would want to artificially inflate media and fan expectations of Ryan Tannehill, when the team privately KNOWS that he is destined to disappoint those expectations. I am sorry but I just cannot agree with that.
I have not read a quote in the media that said they were told that sources inside the Dolphins, nor Sherman, expected Tannehill to win out the job this summer… and therefore would be setting expectations that the team privately BELIEVES that he is destined to disappoint those expectations. The reports I’ve seen are that the team believes that he will be competitive in the QB battle. And unless Ryan just bombs during the rest of training camp and preseason and looks completely lost (which I don’t think will happen nor do I believe the team thinks will happen)… then he should be competitive in the QB battle… and therefore would not be disappointing those particular expectations. I have laid out my reasoning for why I think they are talking to the media with an agenda… and that is b/c they want to fully support Tannehill both internally, and in this situation externally, in hopes that he exceeds their expectations. They don’t want him to hear one thing from them, and then hear reports in the media that the team is privately saying the opposite behind his back. That doesn’t help him. And him questioning the team’s belief in him doesn’t help him nor the team. Feel free to continue to disagree with my opinion. But I hardly think I’m being unreasonable.
What has been inflated by the FO/Coaches? All they said is he'll be able to compete for the starting position. And he is. None of that means he has (or doesn't have) a real chance of starting. For all you know there's a virtually unattainable bar set for him to start in the coaches' minds, effectively nullifying his chance of starting, but still giving them the ability to say he can compete for the job.
Let's hope so man. We will see. If he gets some snaps against the 1's it will be really interesting to see. Playing against those guys is a whole different ball game than completing passes on guys that won't make it through cuts.
Tannehill starting is the coach's decision but all he has to do is read the players on the team in my opinion. The players will know if the rookie QB or a veteran gives them the best chance to win game 1 after going through camp and preseason with them.
