There are so many reasons to be excited! Tannehill is showing signs of being the QB we've been waiting for! The Defense... Hartline... JTrain... Bess... Who isn't completely mind-blown seeing this??? Who is the guy at #1 still? And who is that dude at 4... never heard of him. And surprisingly, everyone talks about the D, which is 15 in Total Defense... while the offense is 13! WOW! That is pretty surprising to me...
I think most people refuse to accept the talent & potential that Hartline brings to the game because he is not black. it doesn't register in their reality that white can equate with pro-bowl WR in today's NFL. I have been a big fan of Hartline sense the draft, all he ever needed was a chance to play & a QB. now, he is proving his worth. I suspect we'll go after another top WR in the draft to compliment Bess & Hartline, then a viable stud at TE... that should do the trick on offense... a shut down CB on defense & a kicker, done.
Um. Yeah. DCs all over the league are giving The Hitman single coverage b/c they don't recognize his talent. And Irish is clearly a closet reverse-racist, he'll make sure we get some WRs with the proper ancestry during the offseason.
I'm white and I played WR and I don't like Hartline as more than a #2....it has nothing to do with color.
hubris or disingenuous? perception is reality for most race is an undeniable factor having said that performance will overcome ignorance & bias every time the new mantra for Miami will be Tannehill to Hartline by the end of the season
I think most people refuse to accept the talent & potential that Hartline brings to the game because he is not black. it doesn't register in their reality that white can equate with pro-bowl WR in today's NFL. I have been a big fan of Hartline sense the draft, all he ever needed was a chance to play & a QB. now, he is proving his worth. I suspect we'll go after another top WR in the draft to compliment Bess & Hartline, then a viable stud at TE... that should do the trick on offense... a shut down CB on defense & a kicker, done.[/QUOTE] I think it's more his size than that he white why people underestimate him.He sure don't look like an NFL reciever but he has been great so far,gotta admit I didn't think him or Tanny would have this success,especially after the preseason(missing time and not practiceing together alot)
I predicted 4-12. I'm deeply satisfied to have been very off base. In my defense, everything we saw in preseason looked like a wannabe pass happy team that couldn't pull it off. We learn after the preseason that Philbin was doing this for QB eval purposes.
Watching Hartline maintain the top spot into week 5 is nice to see and kind of hard to believe. If he can stay in the top 10 by season end Ireland better pay the man to stay.
If he's still in the Top 10 it's because teams are still loading up to stop Reggie Bush. Bush is our best player, we need WRs who can create space for him not guys who eat more than their share while teams are busy shutting him down.
Even Mike Zimmer, who may be one of the best defensive coordinators in football, stated before the game that his team has to account for Brian Hartline because he has done well vs whoever he has played. He has gone up against some strong corners as well.
So, we are now trying to rationalize Brian's production because he doesn't fit our perceived notion of what a top receiver is. This just goes to show you that your perceived notion of a top receiver is flawed, as is your likely view on exactly how much impact a wide receiver actually makes.
Very pleased with everything thus far. I think we should be 4-1 but it's ok that we aren't. I don't see any quit in this team and that is why I like them so much. Not ready to even think about the draft or the offseason until we are eliminated from contention. Playoffs aren't out of the question with the parity that we have in the NFL.
Or maybe it's because most of the production came in one game. Fact not perception, he's in his 4th season. My opinion is based on his entire career, not the last 3 games. Try watching the games and you'll see that the "perception" has corrupted the minds of several NFL defensive coordinators.
This wasn't intended to be a Hartline thread, though he merits it. I also believe that Philbin and Co. knew what they had in Hartline and Bess. I don't know about the race perception, but I find the term "reverse racism" a oxy-moron and a rediculous phrase! Either it's racism or it isn't... LOL! One fact here that everyone is overlooking is that as much as people talk about the D, the O is rated higher! I'm hopeful for a healthy Reggie, and Armstrong/Gaffney to emerge from the shadows... Imagine if RT had a couple more weapons!