Slattery’s Home Of Dolfans NYC!

We are incredibly saddened to hear of the closing of Third & Long, our home for the last four seasons. The manger Curtis and the Long brothers have been so awesome to us and helped us grow this club to what it is. We could not have done this without them. Curtis gave sound and the big TV to about ten of us in 2008 and our numbers have grown every year. Third and Long was in business for 22 years and they became a New York City landmark and we are so, so upset to see them go. So thank you Third & Long from all of us at Dolfans NYC.

But with Curtis’ help we found a new home just a few blocks from Third & Long. Dolfans NYC is moving to Slattery’s Midtown Pub on 36 St. between Madison and 5th Ave.

As tragic as the closing of Third & Long is, this could be fate for our Dolphins club. We were starting to out grow the bar with standing room only every week and sometimes lines out the door. At Slattery’s we have a huge space upstairs all to ourselves. We have a giant projection screen, plenty of HD TV’s, fantastic sound, great food, free Wifi, a balcony and lots of seats. The bar staff has promised to wear Dolfans NYC shirts on game day and they are going to have some Dolphins memorabilia upstairs year-round.

Slattery’s has an affiliation with the Rangers and Notre Dame but they don’t have a big turn out for NFL games until now. They are very happy to have us and are doing everything they can to make us happy. We are working out drink specials, our own Miami themed menu, free shots when the Dolphins win and discounts on food for Dolphins fans all year. They also are committed to help us raise money for charity which is an important part of what we do at Dolfans NYC. We couldn’t be happier with our new home… well unless they can talk Curtis into doing some bar tending shifts on game day.

Slattery’s is only a few blocks from Third & Long but it’s much more convenient to major transit hubs. It’s easily walkable from Penn Station, Grand Central and Herald Square. As far as midtown goes you can’t really beat the location. I got there from my place in Brooklyn in about 25 minutes yesterday.

Also, to welcome us to the bar, any Miami Heat fans who want to watch game 7 at Slattery’s they are offering happy hour specials (including a free shot with your first beer) to anyone wearing Dolphins gear. We aren’t making a whole thing of it (Michelle and I can’t make it) but if anyone wants to get together and check out the bar it might be fun.

We really want to thank Justin and John Slattery for making us feel at home and going above and beyond to make this transition as easy as possible. And of course we want to thank Curtis and the Longs for everything they did for us during our time at Third & Long.

The Dolphins have a new logo and we have a new bar. Welcome to the future of Dolphins football in NYC. Phins Up!

Right now we have several rows, all together, available to us in one of the 300 level endzone sections.

There are over 300 seats available right now and it would be AMAZING to fill all of them and really paint that section aqua and orange!!

GREAT NEWS – This year’s ticket is cheaper than last year’s! This year the tickets cost $65 each.

In addition, since everyone loved the buses that we reserved last year, we will be offering that option again, as well as organizing a HUGE tailgate. The cost of the bus and tailgate will be $35 per person.

SO….for $100 you get round trip bus transportation from Third & Long (Update: unfortunately due to Third & Long losing their lease we will be leaving from Slattery’s Midtown Pub, our new home.) to the stadium, food, beer, soda & water at the tailgate and a ticket to the game to sit with an entire section of Dolphins fans. Sounds pretty awesome to us!!

(If you only want a ticket to the game and NOT the bus/tailgate, that’s totally fine, just let us know. We also will be making the tailgate available by itself if you want to join without taking the bus.)

Here’s what we need to know from you….

1.)   Please EMAIL US at dolfansnyc@gmail.com and let us know how many tickets you would want – please ONLY email us if you are 100% certain that you want these tickets and can pay as soon as the payment is due to the ticket office. Michelle has to put down her credit card and it’s a huge risk to pre-pay for a ticket request that ends up getting cancelled. So please be certain before requesting your tickets.

2.)    Let us know if you want to be included on the list for bus transportation/tailgate. Pick up will be at Third and Long the morning of the game.

Once we have all of our requests in, we will coordinate with the ticket office to reserve the seats and get back to you regarding payment info.

Here’s a look back at last year’s amazing tailgate:

Thanks and FINS UP!

In the less than 24 hours since my last post full of Dolfans NYC draft takeover photos we posted our draft video on YouTube. Since then it’s been all over Twitter and this afternoon the Finsiders blogged about it. It hasn’t quite gone viral or anything but I have heard a lot of positive feedback from it, especially from the Dolphins organization.

The video was put together by Alex Bente who did our #MetLifeTakeover video as well. He is actually a Ravens fan but he is a good friend of Michelle’s and does a great job with these videos so I guess we have to keep him around despite his purple allegiance.

Anyway, enough talk. Watch the video and share it with everyone. Let them know how Dolphins fans run New York!

We should have a pretty cool draft video coming soon from Alex Bente who helped us make our fantastic #MetLifeTakeover video. By the way we got video taped by a few different media outlets during the draft so if anyone sees any footage of us let us know and we can try to edit it into the video.

So yeah! Check out the photos. You can double click on any of them you like and it will take you to our Flickr page where you can download the photo. Thanks a bunch and Go Dolphins!

It’s been an exciting off-season so far! So many great things going on with the Phins. We’re looking forward to throwing on our jerseys in a few weeks and taking over Radio City with all of our fellow Dolphins fans!

Before we get into those details, I just wanted to thank you guys for your enthusiasm and quick replies regarding the Mike Wallace Meet & Greet. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, they were unable to make this event happen. We will keep you posted if any other opportunities come up.

Now, onto the Draft. A few things to note:

1.) The Draft is FREE!

2.) In order to get a ticket to the Draft, you MUST show up on Wednesday, April 24th to get a wristband.

3.) They put the wristband on you. It is non-transferable.

4.) Below are the meet-up details. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE!

5.) Be prepared to wait in line for about 3 hours. Make plans to eat, drink, use the restroom ahead of time. That being said, the time does go by very quickly because it is A LOT of fun! It’s a chance to be with all of your fellow Phins fans and talk football again. What’s better than that?! Here a link to last year’s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-IifBuUk4

MEET-UP INFO:

The official meet-up location is in front of the giant fountain on 6th Ave between 49th and 50th streets. (it’s in front of a Chase bank).

Wednesday, April 24th – MEET AT 5:50PM. We’ll meet at the fountain and walk over to Radio City together precisely at 6:00.
Thursday, April 25th – MEET AT 5:50PM. We’ll meet at the fountain and walk over to Radio City together precisely at 6:00.

Now that you have all of the details, please reply if you know 100% that you are attending so that we can add you to a Draft-only mailing list.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing everyone soon! GO DOLPHINS!!

I could talk about our needs but I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone that we have big holes on the offensive line and in the secondary and if you guys are paying enough attention you know the names that are still out there in free agency (Winston & Grimes come to mind). I could talk about the draft but I watch about three college games a year and could bring nothing to the conversation. Besides, until the actual draft happens everything is as up in the air as the balls at partybingo.

So what can I talk about? How about some Dolfans NYC business!

We have some big things planned for the draft. We are going to do a huge meet up and roll to the draft in force. Last year we got on TV when Tannehill was picked and hopefully we can do it again this year. Show the Dolphins that they have love in Jets country. We will of course update the site when we have firm draft plans, but if you want to get notified about the draft send us an email at dolfansnyc@gmail.com and we will put you on our draft mailing list. We also might be trying to organize something with Mike Wallace for the weekend of the draft but we have to keep all the details top secret for now but if that’s something you would be interested in, email us about that as well.

I also should probably say something about the new logo rumors. Everything I have heard from my source leads me to believe that this could in fact be the logo. I got two messages the day of the leak that lead me to believe the Dolphins are upset that it’s out there. I never thought our leaking what we thought was a draft of the Dolphins logo would turn into a big thing, but whatever the case I hope it doesn’t hurt any of the Dolphins plans.

Speaking of the logo, we need to make new Dolfans NYC shirts and although I wanted them for the draft, I think we might have to wait until after. I want to do a new Dolfans NYC logo when the new logo comes out. That way people who have the old shirt might want to buy a new one with the new logo. Logo changes are all about selling merch and since we are always trying to raise more and more money for charity this seems like a perfect opportunity. If anyone has any new ideas for raising money for charity let us know. We are always looking for new fundraising ideas. Raising money for the Miami Dolphins Foundation is not only a good cause, but it shows the Dolphins we are doing positive things and it makes them want to support us as a club. It’s a win win for everyone.

Anyway, that’s it for now and I hope to update the site more often as we get ready for the draft! Go Dolphins!

Until this phase of the offseason has taken place, predicting free agents and draft picks is mostly a pointless exercise…mostly.

The Dolphins are in a great position this year in terms of spending power. Jeff Ireland, a man in need of a Hallmark year, has an estimated $44 million in cap space to work with.

The front office decisions regarding who to retain and who to let go will be a massive determining factor in who is pursued in free agency and who makes the draft board in April.

Lets have a look at the most notable, shall we?

Reggie Bush
From many recent news sources, it seems as though Bush will not be back with the Dolphins next year. Between his injury history and the fact that he will turn 28 next season, it seems that the the front office are leaning towards going with Thomas and giving Miller a greater work load. However, for the right price, Bush is a guy that I would personally love to see back in a Dolphins uniform next year.

Hard Knocks gave the fans an insight into the inner workings of the Dolphins organization. One of the insights that I gleamed from the show is this: Reggie Bush is one of the hardest working guys in that locker room, perhaps the hardest working guy. First in in the morning and last out in the evening, he is focused right now on being the best player he can be and he brings that tremendous work ethic into every play. The guy is a good influence in the locker room and a leader that would be missed, should he leave.

He has enjoyed his best seasons of his career as a Dolphin racking up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. I know many were disappointed by the dropoff in his game last year following his injury against the Jets. But put it in perspective, he played injured and was still the most exspolsive playmaker on offense. With Bush injured, Philbin could have turned to Miller with an increased workload, but he didn’t. Why? Because Bush was still the better option; the guy is dynamic. Now, if Sherman can draw up a few more plays that get Bush involved in the passing attack, all the better – some screens, maybe get Bush and Miller to line up in split backs… We lose a whole dimension without Bush.

Furthermore, he wants to be a Dolphin, he wants to play here. Hopefully this means that we get him for the right price.

What is the right price? I’m thinking something like $11-12 million over 3 years for a weapon for Tannehill like Bush.

Brian Hartline
It’s no secret that the fans are demanding that the Dolphins acquire a number 1 receiver for Tannehill to throw to this offseason; I dare say there would be blood if it didn’t happen. Ireland addresses the WR position this offseason no matter what. He has to.

Hartline is not a true number 1 guy, not to devalue anything that he did this last season. I mean, he really stepped his game up and became Tannehill’s favorite target, and even set a franchise record for most receiving yards in a single game. Bess continues to be a great slot receiver, one of the best, in a season in which we fielded the most questionable receiving corps in the league, we did at least have two guys that Tannehill could rely on to make the catch.

That being the case, Hartline does not command the salary of a top number 1 receiver type. This offseason, either via free agency with the likes of Jennings, Wallace or Bowe, or through the draft, Philbin and Ireland are going to find that guy and Hartline will have to make do with second tier WR money. I think that Hartline is smart enough to realize that is what will be on offer and hopefully we can retain his services in that capacity.

If he does expect to get paid like a top wide out I say let him go and test free agency, we would not even be discussing free agents like Jennings, Wallace or Bowe if Hartline was that good. We’d instead be talking about finding a quality WR in the draft to compliment his talents.

Undoubtedly following his best season yet he will want a bump in pay, $15-16 million of 4 years. That would be a favorably increase from the $1.3 million he made this year.

Jake Long
What a conundrum we have here with Long. The 1st overall selection of the 2008 draft; a guy that was meant to be an elite tackle and solidify our o-line for a decade. And initially, it looked as though he would be all that. The same year the Dolphins went 11-5 and won the division, one of the biggest turnarounds in league history and in no small part to the elite play of Long. His immediate impact on the team was evident and he subsequently got voted to the pro bowl, and then again, and again, and again. Four consecutive pro bowls, sadly his level of play did decline and his ability to stay healthy for an entire season also became an issue. Not only did Jake Long not make the pro bowl this year (nor did he finish the season yet again), but he also put in his worst effort since entering the league, giving up 5 sacks and being the most penalized lineman on the team. All this in a big contract year.

So you can understand Ireland’s dilemma here, and I know some of you are so pro-Long that the idea of letting him go has caused some of you to become a little hostile, but it is reasonable to balk at the asking price that Long has put on the table, I know I did – he wants at least $10 million a year.

I want Long back, I do; losing him would create a need to be filled this offseason that I would rather not have to worry about. But at $10 million a year, I think that Long’s days might just be done. If Long had been playing at an elite level and had not been injured then we could entertain this idea, but as things stand, this is actually a ludicrous suggestion.

To make it happen I would offer something in the region of $6-7 million a year with some incentives built in. I keep reading how at 28, this is Long’s last chance to get a big money contract, but remember that he joined the league before the rookie salary cap was implemented. His first contract was a big money contract at 5 years at $57.5. This may well be part of the problem, his initial contract was so large that his ego will not allow him to entertain the idea of his second being worth anything less.

If some kind of compromise can’t be reached, then as much as it pains me to say it, I think we have to let him go. This would leave us to either try Martin at LT as he finished the season or to look at finding a replacement through FA or the draft. Either way, if Long leaves it creates a need to have to fill either one of the tackle positions on our roster.

Tyrone Culver and Chris Clemons
Neither of the guys have produced all that much for the Dolphins, though lack of depth at the safety position saw Clemons put in statistically his best season. You wouldn’t really miss either of them if let go.

At 27 Clemons could still produce, but I am not holding my breath. Point is, letting both of these guys go leaves us without any depth, unless there is a youngster waiting in the wings on the practice squad who is ready to break out. Safety is going to be a position of need, the question is just how bad are we going to need it. We retain one of these guys (preferably Clemons), and we have a bandaid and can look for a possible upgrade later in the draft. We let them both go, and maybe we consider addressing this issue earlier.

Either way, our secondary was poor at best last season, Reshad Jones was the only guy really to shine, with Sean Smith being horribly inconsistent. The Dolphins will address the safety postion one way or another, regardless of resigning either of these guys.

Anthony Fasano
A lot of mock drafts have the Dolphins snapping up Zach Ertz or Tyler Eifert in the second round of the draft. This seems like a solid decision to me. But it’s a good idea to have two solid TE on the roster, and right now, Fasano and Clay make up the Dolphins’ duo.

Can the Dolphins gamble on Ertz or Eifert being available when they make their second pick? Should the Dolphins spend a second round pick on a TE at all?

Clay and Fasano are decent TE’s. And occasionally great. But neither of them give Tannehill the same threat as a Jimmy Graham or a Rob Gronkowski. These types of TE’s are fast becoming the staples of high powered offenses. I still like Fasano; heck, he pulled in one of the better catches of last season.

The other factor is Egnew. Or rather, non-factor. I guess the hope was that by the time Fasano’s contract was up, Egnew would be ready to step up and be that guy. I know Ireland said that they were excited about Egnew and his role in 2013, but I just don’t believe it. He didn’t play at all this season and he was a 3rd round pick, need I say more? Hard Knocks is a show that is edited to be entertaining more than anything else, I get that, but ultimately the footage we got, along with the lack of playing time this year, paints the picture of a guy in over his head and unable to make the transition from college to the NFL. I dont believe that we see Egnew ever playing for the Dolphins; he’s a bust.

This gives Fasano some leverage, as I think that he is the best TE on the team. That is, unless Ertz or Eifert fall to us in the second round. But before that happens, Fasano’s fate will have been sealed. This will be an interesting decision.

Matt Moore
Matt Moore is a class act and one of my favorite players. He was also the Dolphins MVP in 2011. He was great taking over from Henne last season with no offseason due to the lockout and no first team reps he came in and manged to restore some pride into an otherwise disastrous season.

Then he was great at accepting Tannehill as the starter, he went back to holding a clipboard and did it like a pro. When asked to come in and fill in for an injured Tannehill he did so with flying colors, sure it wasn’t flashy, but it was what was needed, and on the road against the Jets in front of the Dolfans NYC, no less. This moment was the highlight of Dolfans NYC as Michelle and Igor put together without question the best tailgating event ever, and Moore delivered us a win!

Moore will go, I don’t doubt that. He wants to start somewhere, and he deserves to start somewhere. The front office have already thanked him for his service and assured him of a “guaranteed job” in Miami. I wish him the best of luck just as long as he doesn’t go to the Jets, God knows that they could use him, and honestly, it would surprise me.

Pat Devlin is a restricted free agent, given how much Philbin was gushing over him on Hard Knocks, I don’t anticipate losing him. Does Philbin trust him enough to be second string?

Sean Smith and RJ Stanford
We didn’t see much of Stanford, and Sean Smith was occasionally great and occasionally awful, but much of the time, he was somewhere in between. Smith definitely has the chops to be a very good CB, as is evident when he plays well, but his inconsistency is a concern. He has allowed big, game-altering plays to pass him by.

With the trade of Vontae Davis earlier in the season, I expected Ireland to have an ace up his sleeve, and I was expecting Richard Marshall to come out and be a baller, but it didn’t happen. What did happen, though, was the Dolphins’ secondary got blown up frequently. Regardless of what happens concerning the contract of these two men, Ireland will be looking to upgrade the position.

I see a deal being worked out with Smith. Again, it’s got to be for the right price. I’m actually glad of a guy like Ireland in scenarios like this, some will call him miserly, I am sure, but he is not the type of guy to over pay.

Randy Starks and Tony McDaniel
Resign Starks, he is a versatile tackle who can also play DE. He is also pretty good at getting into the back field and disrupting plays there. If Starks goes, the Dolphins could move Odrick to DT and try Vernon out at DE. But I would rather see Starks’ services retained.

Starks abilty to get tackles behind the line and pressure on the QB are second only to Wake on the team.

Other Free agents

T Nate Garner
T Will Barker
T Patrick Brown
G Ray Feinga
CB Bryan Mcann

Should none of these guys resign, then the Dolphins will lose depth along the O-line that will need to be addressed in free agency and the draft. Nate Garner ended the season starting and can play every position on the O-Line. Hopefully we can get him signed at a bargain.

By March 12th, the fates of all the free agents to be will be decided by their respective teams, and then we can start to formulate a clearer picture of free agent acquisitions and draft targets. One thing for sure is that with lots of room in the salary cap and a dire need for Jeff Ireland to produce a winning side now, this will be an interesting offseason for the Dolphins, to say the least.

Who made the team and who SHOULD have made the team?

Cam Wake is our only starter with John Denny the only AFC long snapper. Randy Starks and Richie Incognito also made the team as alternates after other players backed out. Reshad Jones, Mike Pouncy and Brandon Fields all should have made the team. Jones was one of the best safeties in the NFL this year much less the AFC. Pouncy out played his brother who is a Pro Bowl starter and Brandon Fields averaged over 50 yards a punt and was probably the best player on the Dolphins.

What happened?

The problem is that the Dolphins are not a great football team. Even with all their cap room and draft pics I doubt anyone has bet on the Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl next year. When you are an under .500 team you aren’t going to get any love from the Pro Bowl voters even if you have some really deserving players on the team. Hopefully our players will get a little more recognition next year when we finally make the damn playoffs. At least Fields was rewarded with a new contract.

Should you watch the Pro Bowl?

Eh, probably not. At least we are only three months from the NFL draft… sigh…

Is This The New Miami Dolphins Logo?

Now that the Dolphins are officially out of the playoff hunt we can start looking forward to the future. After we beat the Pats next week and before the draft one big item needs to be talked about… the new logo. Mike Dee promised to make an announcement on the new logo soon and I know the Dolphins nation is very worried. There has been so much speculation and concern, but let’s talk about what we know for sure.

During the Miami Dolphins Web Weekend Mike Dee talked to a group of Dolphins webmasters about the logo. He gave us three bits of information:

1. The new logo would be a mix of modern and retro.
2. He implied that navy would still be an accent color.
3. He showed the logo to Dan Marino, Bob Griese and Nat Moore and they all loved it.

Recently I was presented with some new information about the logo. If I hadn’t been in the exact place and time this would have never come together. The first bit of information is that a Dolphins fan and friend of mine has been showing off this logo that he swore was a sketch of a design for what would become the Dolphins helmet. I didn’t put too much stock in it because it didn’t look anything like any logo I had seen and the Dolphin looked a bit too much like a whale.

Fast forward to last Sunday and I was talking to a friend who happens to work with Nike and was bragging about how they had seen the new uniforms and logo. I don’t want to say too much but their job requires seeing new uniforms well in advance of most people. They of course have to sign a non-disclosure agreement and couldn’t tell me anything except that they didn’t love the logo because the Dolphin looked too much like a whale. That seemed like too much of a coincidence and my friend who had showed me the logo happened to be standing right there. He showed my Nike source the photo on his phone and they flipped out. “How did you get that?!” the source asked. Evidently the logo he has had this whole time is “very very close” to the new logo.

Today I saw my friend again and asked to see the logo again. I took a photo of his phone with my phone and although it’s a terrible picture I am VERY confident that this is a rough draft of the logo. If you look carefully the fins are navy and there are sort of navy accents on the Dolphin. This is a sketch but like I said, I am 95% sure the Dolphins new logo is going to look a lot like the photo above.

Other bits of information I got from my source is that the Dolphins will not have an orange jersey next year and that the Vikings new uniforms are retro and “awesome”. The source seemed to like our uniforms more than the logo and hinted that they were retro, but wouldn’t say much more than that.

Now as a very loyal Dolphins fan I was conflicted about leaking what I believe to be the new logo, but I don’t think any news source would take my friend of a friend story seriously and I don’t think many people will pick up on this. But when the logo comes out I can point to this and say that DolfansNYC broke the logo first! Then again there is a small chance I am totally wrong too. So I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Lastly, I don’t hate the logo. I am a big fan of the stupid helmet on the Dolphin so I will miss that, and yeah it looks a lot like a whale, but it could be a lot worse. I am still pretty excited to see the new uniforms that my source seemed to think would be revealed at the NFL Draft. Ross had to put his stamp on this team and I don’t hate the logo and I am sure five years down the road no matter what the logo looks like we will still all love it. Go Dolphins!

Injured Dolphins

I shall not be at another regular season game at Third and Long as I am flying home to London for the holidays. So barring a Christmas miracle of a Miami post season chances are I won’t get to catch up with many of you until the draft. So here’s to hoping.