Sports Radio Interviews

Freddie Roach on Floyd Mayweather: “I think it’s more important for him to stay undefeated than fight the best guy out there”

It has been nearly two years since talks about a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight started and yet the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport have yet to get inside the ring to settle the argument. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has blamed Manny Pacquiao and asked him to meet all of his crazy demands. Conversely Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach have continued to blame Money May for this fight not happening. I have no idea who is to blame here, but it seems like the Pacquiao camp has met every demand that Mayweather has put in front of them and yet this fight is still not scheduled. It’s the only fight in the sport that I want to see right now and it’s what all boxing fans want to see. Unfortunately, instead of seeing Manny Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao is going to step in the ring with Antonio Margarito on November 13^th in a fight that really not too many people care about.

Freddie Roach joined Into the Night with Tony Bruno to talk about Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming fight against Antonio Margarito, whether or not he will inspect Margarito’s gloves, whether or not he thinks a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will happen, how long Pacquiao will remain fighting for, and what he thinks about James Toney losing to Randy Couture.

On whether or not he was surprised Antonio Margarito was cleared:

“There were some other states out there that were willing to give him a license and so forth. Nevada really didn’t turn him down. They said they would make a decision after he applies in California. I knew someone was going to take this fight because the economy is bad all over the world. Let’s face it, this is gonna generate a lot of attention and a lot of money to where it goes and Dallas was smart enough to do it.”

On whether or not someone will inspect Margarito’s gloves:

“Of course and that will be me. If he was loaded in the (Miguel) Cotto fight I blame the Cotto camp for not doing their job. Let’s face it, you have that right when you’re in a world title fight. You watch him wrap, put his hands in his gloves, and make sure it’s up to par. No one would get away with that with me anyway because I don’t trust anyone in this sport. The thing is, even when I checked Oscar De La Hoya’s wraps and then I put my hands inside his gloves, his trainer was like ‘what are you doing?’ I said checking my gloves. They said ‘you don’t trust Oscar?’ I said again I’m doing my job. I don’t trust anybody and I don’t take anything for granted.”

On why he think Mayweather won’t fight Pacquiao:

“I think he just wants that zero on his record. As long as he’s undefeated he can argue and say he’s the best fighter ever, he’s as good as Sugar Ray Robinson and so forth, and he can make that argument as long as he doesn’t have that loss on his record. I think it’s more important for him to stay undefeated than fight the best guy out there. It’s a shame and I hope the fight will happen but I’m worried about that because the only thing that can get him motivated is money and they offered him 40 million dollars. If that’s not enough money I don’t know what is.”

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Tags: Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Freddie Roach, Into the Night with Tony Bruno, Manny Pacquaio, Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather

Posted in Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao | 32 Comments »

Dennis Erickson Likes What He Sees Out Of His Team With Just Days Remaining Before The Kickoff Of The 2010 Season

It’s hard to keep Dennis Erickson down. He’s found a way to remain in the national spotlight as a college football coach throughout his career. First it was Miami, then Oregon State, and now Arizona State. Yes, the Sun Devils stumbled a bit last year, but don’t count on them faltering again this coming season. It’s just not something Erickson’s teams have done repeatedly throughout his career. It all begins in a few short days for ASU when they take on Portland State in Tempe.

Erickson joined KTAR in Phoenix to talk about naming Steven Threet the starter at quarterback, if he plans to use both him and Brock at QB throughout the season, the new and improved lot of playmakers on offense compared to recent years, and what he feels his defense is capable of in 2010.

On what led him to name Threet as the team’s starting quarterback to start the season:

“Well, basically during the spring it was very close between him and Brock. They were kind of up and down as far as who was going to be the starter. But the biggest thing, and it was both of them, they really got better as far as what we were doing offensively. And the bottom line is the light has gone on with Steven as far as reading things, getting the ball out of his hand quick. Obviously he’s played at Michigan, good leader, and basically it’s just how he’s executed the last couple of weeks. Brock’s not far away. It’s a good problem to have because Brock has improved quite a bit. So Steven will get the nod and he’ll be the starter, and obviously we’ll play Brock some. We’ll just see how it goes as the season progresses.”

On if he plans on playing both quarterbacks even if  Threet goes out there and performs well:

“Oh, no. If Steven goes out and does what we think he’s going to do, then Brock will be his backup. I mean, that’s how it’s got to be. But hopefully Brock gets some experience. I mean we’re obviously not in a position where we can redshirt him at all. He’s got to play, and you never know what can happen in a 12 game season. So hopefully he’ll some opportunities to get better in practice. But if Steven goes out and does what we think he can do then we won’t make any changes. Ideally that’s what you would like to have happen.”

On what is most important for his quarterback to execute in new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s new system:

“Reading things, getting the ball out of his hand quick. We run a bunch of different motions and different motions, and understanding what happens with that motion as far as if we’re going to throw it or hand it off. If he sees blitz, being able to handle that. But it’s relatively simple for them to see things, but they’ve got to see it, they’ve got to understand, they’ve got to understand their reads. And more than anything, it’s being accurate. Accuracy is the key, and getting the ball out of their hands quick.”

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Tags: 2010 College Football season, Arizona State Sun Devils football, Dennis Erickson, most successful college football coaches, PAC 10 predictions

Posted in Arizona State Sun Devils, College Basketball | No Comments »

Tim Hudson Is A Big Reason Why The Atlanta Braves Are Back In Contention

When he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, it sure didn’t seem like Tim Hudson would ever be able to return to the same form that helped him win a Cy Young earlier in his career. But Hudson has done just that and could be in line for another Cy Young if he’s able to pitch as well in September as he did in August. Hudson is 15-5 after his most recent dominant outing, and his ERA is now at an impressive 2.24. More importantly for Braves fans, he’s helped Atlanta get back in position to return to the playoffs after several years of missing out on the postseason party.

Hudson joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta to talk about his recent dominant 13 strikeout performance, his nasty stuff that night, if he knows when he’s got his good stuff prior to a game, recovering from Tommy John surgery, if he thinks Stephen Strasburg will be able to recover like he was able to, and being a part of the Oakland A’s young and rowdy teams earlier in his career.

On what got into him before and during his 13 strikeout performance recently:

“I don’t know man. I guess there team must have gone out the night before and stayed out late or something.”

On being described as nasty that night by the opposition:

“I had a good sinker going, I had a good cutter going. Just locating them and staying down in the zone. It was just one of those nights where they were swinging and missing.”

On if it’s dangerous to tailor one’s pitching style to the ballpark, and on if Coors Field in Denver is one of those where pitchers frequently find themselves doing just that:

“I mean, it can definitely get in a pitcher’s head. There’s no question about it. I know most pitchers are very happy when you miss Colorado, there’s no question about that. But you’ve got to deal with it. It’s part of the schedule, it’s part of the game, you’ve got to go out and do your best, hope for the best, hope it’s one of those nights where your guys go out and put up some crooked numbers for you.”

On what he’s done to change his approach and preparation after his Tommy John surgery and on how he thinks Stephen Strasburg will be able to recover:

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Tags: 790 the Zone, Atlanta Braves playoff race, best pitchers in NL, NL East playoff race, NL wild card race, Tim Hudson, who will win the NL East

Posted in Atlanta Braves, MLB | No Comments »

The Great Arnold Palmer Would Like to See Tiger On the Ryder Cup Team

With just under one month to go until the Ryder Cup kicks off, there has been a lot of talk recently as to whether or not U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Corey Pavin, should select Tiger Woods to be a part of the U.S. team.  According to one of the most recognizable figures in golf, Arnold Palmer would like to see Pavin select Tiger with one of his four captain’s picks.  Despite Woods’ on and off-course problems of recent times, Palmer believes he deserves to be handed the opportunity to face Europe at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales at the start of October.

Pavin is going to have a hard time selecting four quality players with his captain’s picks because just three candidates have won tournaments this year, and none more recently than May.  One of those, ‘08 Cup hero Anthony Kim, has broken seventy just once since returning from thumb surgery.  The world’s No. 1 player surprisingly is in the pool, but that just underscores Tiger Woods’ crazy year.  Forget about whether Woods deserves to be selected.  The freshly minted divorcee tied for twelfth last week at the Barclays, easing concerns that his game had run upon the same rocks as his marriage.  Does Tiger deserve to be in the running for a final roster spot?  I certainly think so.  If you don’t agree, could you name four golfers with better credentials?  Former Masters Champion Zach Johnson won at Colonial earlier in May and used a strong Sunday run to finish just one shot out of the PGA Championship’s playoff.  He could lend some veteran stability but those are his only top-10s of the year.  For Pavin and the U.S. squad, let’s just hope that someone puts on an impressive performance at this week’s Deutsche Bank Championship so the selection process isn’t as arduous of a task.  Easier said than done.  In contrast to the European roster, where Miguel Angel Jimenez, Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari all won tournaments to make the squad, Pavin’s candidates haven’t exactly stepped it up under pressure.

Arnold Palmer on KNBR in San Francisco to talk about whether Corey Pavin should select Tiger Woods to the U.S. Ryder Cup team, whether Tiger’s inconsistent play is a concern for the Ryder Cup team if he is selected, and whether he could give an assessment of Tiger Woods’ 2010 season and whether Tiger can come back or if we have seen the best of Tiger.

Whether Corey Pavin should select Tiger Woods to the U.S. Ryder Cup team:

“Oh yes, I think so.  I think Tiger’s record is such that it would be very bad to not pick him this Ryder Cup team.”

Whether Tiger’s inconsistent play is a concern for the Ryder Cup team if he is selected:

“Well I think that it is probably a little bit of a concern but I think that he will come up to the task to play the kind of golf that he needs to play to help the Ryder Cup.”

Whether he enjoys how big the Ryder Cup event has become:

“Well I think it is good.  I think it is good for the Ryder Cup, I think it is good for golf and the fact that it increased the people that are involved.  The international team is now a wider range team than they had when I was captain playing the Ryder Cup and it is good.  It is good for the game of golf and it is good for the Ryder Cup.”

Whether he could give an assessment of Tiger Woods’ 2010 season and whether Tiger can come back or if we have seen the best of Tiger:

“Well I think you certainly have seen some good golf by Tiger Woods but I think that there is still a lot more good golf to come from him.  The putting that we all know is streaky and it can come and go.  He will be back and he will play very well.  Whether it is as good as he once was, I will even question that.”

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Tags: 2010 Ryder Cup, Anthony Kim should make the team after thumb surgery, Arnold Palmer, Colin Montgomerie is the European Ryder Cup Captain, Corey Pavin is having a tough time selecting his 4 captain’s picks, Europe vs. USA, one of the greatest players of all-time, Tiger Woods is on the brink of making the team, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin, U.S. Ryder Cup skipper, U.S. Ryder Cup team

Posted in Golf, Tiger Woods, Uncategorized | No Comments »

SRI’s NFL Preview: AFC West

SportsRadioInterviews.com has teamed with PredictionMachine.com to preview the upcoming NFL season division-by-division. Today, we will preview the AFC and NFC West. PredictionMachine.com plays every game 50,000 times before it’s played. In this case, the site has played the entire season 50,000 times for this preview, which combines that statistical analysis with some of the most notable sports radio interviews from teams in the division.

PredictionMachine.com’s Take on the AFC West

(results from 50,000 NFL season simulations)

The AFC West may not feature any top ten teams, but it should definitely be competitive this season as the division has clearly compressed. Missing Vincent Jackson for at least three games and LaDainian Tomlinson as a blocker and safety valve (not mention disgruntled tackle Marcus McNeill), the Chargers cannot expect to recreate the tremendous passing attack of 2009. Even with the easiest schedule of any defending division winner, the Chargers should be happy to break .500. Denver had a rollercoaster 2009 and we expect something in between. Kansas City is a sleeper team (and a great pick on the Over 6.5 wins) with young, athletic playmakers on both sides of the ball. Oakland is better too, especially in the passing game. Collectively, the AFC West is just 5% likely to win the Super Bowl – the lowest of any AFC division. The AFC West plays the AFC South and NFC West.

San Diego Chargers
Power Rank: 16
Offensive Rank: 6
Defensive Rank: 22
Projected Record: 8.9 – 7.1
Make Playoffs: 57.3%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 4
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 4
Biggest Strength: Passing Offense and Defense (Though Not as Dominant as 2009)
Greatest Weakness: Player Unrest (Could Cost Time from Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill, etc.)
Most Important Offensive Player: Vincent Jackson, WR
Most Important Defensive Player: Antonio Garay, NT
Fantasy Stud: Ryan Mathews, RB
Fantasy Dud: Vincent Jackson, WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Legedu Naanee, WR

Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the San Diego Chargers:

Malcom Floyd (8/23): Prepares to be the Man in San Diego

Philip Rivers (8/17): Hears a New Voice in His Head

Ryan Mathews (8/12): On His First NFL Training Camp

Norv Turner (8/3): Thinks He Still Has Plenty of Weapons

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Tags: AFC West, Al Davis, Brady Quinn, Denver Broncos, Dwayne Bowe, Jason Campbell, Josh McDaniels, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, NFL Preview, Oakland Raiders, Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers, Tim Tebow, Vincent Jackson

Posted in Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers | No Comments »

NCAA Ruling on Jeremiah Masoli Puzzles Coach Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt seems to have a pretty good argument. The Ole Miss coach got a bit of a shock this week when the NCAA ruled that Jeremiah Masoli, a quarterback transfer from Oregon, won’t be eligible to be the Rebels’ signal-caller this year.

Masoli intended to transfer and play using a rule that states that if you graduate from one institution, are not kicked out of school, and intend to begin a graduate school program not offered at your previous school, you can request an academic waiver and play for a new program.

The NCAA rejected that claim saying the transfer wasn’t based on academics, which brings up an interesting quandary. In the argument of athletics and academics, did the other players who have requested this waiver truly do it just for the academics? And was Masoli’s waiver denied, at least in part, because of off-the-field issues that wound up getting him booted off the Oregon football team?

Houston Nutt joined WGFX in Nashville on the 3 Hour Lunch to discuss his frustration over the late decision on Masoli’s case, whether Ole Miss was treated differently than other programs might have been, how another committee will look at Ole Miss’ appeal, why it took so long for the first decision to be made, how he’s keeping his team focused on the start of the season, what the actual rule states and whether he believes they will win the appeal.

On how frustrated he was that the decision on Jeremiah Masoli came so late:

“It’s pretty frustrating to allow a young man to come all the way across the country, pay his own way, and then, by the way, three or four days before the game, [tell him] that he can’t play. That’s what hurts. When you go by the rule and look at the rule and read the rule which specifically states that if you graduate, if you find a degree in the graduate program, a degree where they don’t have that same degree at Oregon, and that if you’re not suspended by the university. … It just looks like a different interpretation. … The biggest thing is that it looks like this is a very high-profile guy and a lot of questions were asked.”

On whether he feels the case was treated differently because it was Ole Miss:

“I don’t know. I don’t know that. Again, this was a curveball for me because this was my first experience with it. I just assumed. That’s where I probably did a bad job, I just assumed that this was going to be like just about all the other transfer cases. I don’t know if we were treated any different.”

On how a new committee will review the appeal:

“It’s a different committee. When you do appeal, there’s another committee, a sub-committee of different people, faculty reps, athletic director, coaches, whoever, that will now decide.”

On why it took so long to find out the initial ruling:

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Tags: College Football, Jeremiah Masoli, NCAA rules, Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks

Posted in College Football, Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks | No Comments »

SRI’s NFL Preview: NFC West

SportsRadioInterviews.com has teamed with PredictionMachine.com to preview the upcoming NFL season division-by-division. Today, we will preview the AFC and NFC West. PredictionMachine.com plays every game 50,000 times before it’s played. In this case, the site has played the entire season 50,000 times for this preview, which combines that statistical analysis with some of the most notable sports radio interviews from teams in the division.

PredictionMachine.com’s Take on the NFC West

(results from 50,000 NFL season simulations)

Pete Carroll may consider the NFC West the most winnable division in the NFL. Play-by-play announcers calling divisional games may call it the most competitive. PredictionMachine.com would say that it’s the worst. San Francisco has an emerging defense and some interesting weapons, yet it would be hard to consider the 49ers a better than .500 team in any other division. Arizona may have back-to-back playoff appearances to its credit, but the team lost much of its foundation when Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle left. And, Seattle and St. Louis have two of the weakest rosters in the NFL (both ranking in the bottom five in the Power Rankings). Collectively, the NFC West is just 2% likely to win the Super Bowl. The NFC West plays the NFC South and AFC West.

San Francisco 49ers
Power Rank: 17
Offensive Rank: 20
Defensive Rank: 6
Projected Record: 8.9 – 7.1
Make Playoffs: 53.8%
2009 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 6
Projected 2010 Playoff Teams on Schedule: 5
Biggest Strength: Run Defense
Greatest Weakness: Young Offensive Line
Most Important Offensive Player: Alex Smith, QB
Most Important Defensive Player: Nate Clements, CB
Fantasy Stud: Frank Gore, RB
Fantasy Dud: Ted Ginn, Jr., WR
Fantasy Sleeper: Anthony Dixon, RB

Recent SportsRadioInterviews from the San Francisco 49ers:

Alex Smith (9/1): Is Breathing Easy for Once

Brian Westbrook (8/19): On Joining the 49ers

Glen Coffee (8/18): At Peace with Leaving, Glen Coffee Still “Quit” on Teammates

Mike Singletary (7/29): Is Not Interested In Making Predictions

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Derek Anderson, Matt Leinart, Mike Singletary, NFL, NFL Preview, Sam Bradford, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson

Posted in Arizona Cardinals, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams | No Comments »

Kurt Busch Looks To Sweep Both Atlanta Races This Season

With two races to go before the Chase begins, the next stop for NASCAR is Sunday’s Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  There are a few drivers on the bubble that have a chance to win at AMS that could help improve their position in the points standings.  Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is currently tenth in points and is one of the favorite to win the race after capturing the checkered flag in Atlanta in March.  In fact, Busch has won two out of the last three races, and seven top-ten finishes in nineteen starts at Atlanta.  He is hoping to continue that level of competitive strength this weekend and send him into the Chase with the best chances possible to claim his second series championship.  If he finishes ninth or better with no laps led; tenth or better with at least one lap led or eleventh or better with the most laps led, Busch can clinch a spot in the Chase this weekend and join Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon as the only other drivers to have already clinched spots in the top-twelve.

Kurt Busch on 790 the Zone in Atlanta to talk about what goes on during a race that gets him angry, what it is about Atlanta Motor Speedway that works so well for him, and on the notion that his brother Kyle likes the booing he gets from the crowd and how that fuels his fire.

What goes on during a race that gets him angry:

“It has got to be just one of those circumstances that happens out on the track where a driver makes a mistake or does something intentionally to spin you out or wreck you, just do something completely stupid.  Then you have those days where you blow your motor or your team gives you a bad pit stop.  That is just part of it when your own team does something.  You have got to deal with that because you win as a team together and you die as a team together, but if a another competitor does a quick jab at you or something wrong that is when the blood gets pumping.”

What it is about Atlanta Motor Speedway that works so well for him:

“It is a fun race track and it is really cool how you can race there in any groove, low groove, middle groove, high groove.  Just depends on when your tires start to fade a little bit on your car and you have got to adjust your racing line.  That is what is so fun about it is that just the options you have in Atlanta and if your car is not perfect, you change your line around and you find something different.  All of the race fans that go there get a great front row seat action in seeing the drivers slide coming out of the corners, and we are doing 180 while we are doing it.”

Whether he knows right away when someone intentionally wrecks him:

“Yeah you got a pretty good sense of it but then there are those times where you watch the tape and you see that there was as third party involved or something that couldn’t avoid and something happened but most of the time you pretty much have to have a good understanding because you have to know all the time who you are racing around whether it is a rookie or a veteran or somebody that you had run-ins with.”

What he would do if his brother Kyle ever wrecks him and whether they would just fight right there on the track:

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Tags: brother Kyle Busch, Emory Healthcare 500, final twelve races of the season, jockeying for position, Kurt Busch, Kurt Busch Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kurt has a chance to win this weekend, Labor Day Weekend race, Miller Mite Dodge, NASCAR Points standings, NASCAR Race weekend, The Chase, top-12 qualify, top-twelve qualify

Posted in NASCAR, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Missouri’s Gary Pinkel Pledges to Stay the Course Regarding Program’s Discipline

When a college football program suffers from a rash of off-the-field incidents, it’s pretty easy for critics to call for wide-sweeping change — either in personnel or philosophy. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel has been around long enough, and with a clean enough record on and off the field, to probably deserve better than that in either respect.

Still, his Tigers program has incidents surrounding suspicion of driving under the influence and now a former captain has basically been kicked off the team following charges of deviate sexual assault. And all of this has gone down with a season-opening rivalry game in the near future. That’s obviously going to turn some heads.

It has turned the head of Pinkel as well, but the veteran coach insists that he’ll stay the course, using the same disciplinary principles that have worked at Missouri for the better part of a decade.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel joined ESPN Radio 101 in St. Louis on the Bob Stelton Show to discuss why this weekend’s meeting with Illinois seems to be the final one in the rivalry matchup, whether recruiting receives a boost from the rivalry game, what it’s like to dominate such a rivalry, how he approaches players who are receiving NFL Draft or Heisman attention and how he’s ensuring that the bad off-the-field decisions come to a halt.

On why this is the final meeting currently scheduled with rival Illinois:

“I think in basketball … when you have that many games [on a schedule] it’s easy to schedule [that matchup]. It’s a great rivalry game, there’s no question about it. St. Louis does a great job of putting it on, first class and it’s good for the community and good for both schools. That being said, to have some variety a little bit and be able to schedule … we’d like to have this game be played six out of every 10 years. … Hopefully we can do that again.”

On whether Mizzou gets a recruiting boost from having the game:

“I think it’s a plus. It’s always televised, that’s good. It’s in St. Louis, that’s one of our great recruiting areas. It’s a plus in many ways.”

On what it’s like to dominate such a rivalry:

“I don’t ever talk about the past. I never do. I never, ever talk about the past. Whether you won them all or lost them all doesn’t matter. What’s important is focusing on this game and taking care of our business. … My biggest concern in any opening game is in that opening game, are you going to protect the ball? Are you going to play a good kicking game? Are you going to not have mental errors? Are you going to not have penalties? Those things that you have to learn how to not lose before you start winning. Those things are things that are important.”

On how to approach players like quarterback Blaine Gabbert who have Heisman Trophy and NFL Draft hype surrounding them:

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Tags: been in trouble off the field recently, College Football, Gary Pinkel, Illinois Fighting Illini, Missouri Tigers

Posted in College Football, Missouri Tigers | No Comments »

If You Forget About Tony Sparano and the Dolphins, You May End Up Sleeping with the Fishes

Two years ago, the Miami Dolphins surprised everyone in the NFL with a new offensive package called the “Wildcat” and it led them to the top of the AFC East. Then last season, the Dolphins went in reverse and finished with a disappointing 7-9 record and a third place finish in the division.

After a disappointing 2009, the Dolphins went out and made some significant changes to the roster and the coaching staff. Mike Nolan came in to run the defense, Karlos Dansby came from the desert to be the quarterback of the defense, and Brandon Marshall was brought over from Denver to give Chad Henne one of the best receivers in the NFL to throw the ball to.

The Jets seem to be the hot team in the AFC East after what they did last year in the playoffs and the additions they made in the offseason and the Patriots look like a team playing with a chip on their shoulder. But the Dolphins are heading into Tony Sparano’s third year with the best roster they have had in years and will certainly have some say in who wears the crown this year in the AFC East.

Tony Sparano joined WQAM in Miami with Joe Rose to talk about how he feels about the team so far in the preseason, what he has seen from Chad Henne, whether or not he has a good idea of who will make the 53 man roster at this point, how frustrating it is to deal with some of the injuries he is dealing with right now, and what he likes about his two first round picks.

On whether or not he is going to extend the playing time of the starters based on the struggles last game:

“It wasn’t just the offense last game, but I’ve considered expanded playing time for all and any. We’ve got all hands on deck this week and right now there’s really no timetables. We’re just gonna show up and play and get the work that we need to get done. I will be the judge and jury there.”

On Chad Henne’s development:

“He’s been really good I think. He’s been getting better and better each week.  I thought during the course of the ballgame this weekend, he made some really good throws in that game. Missed one or two during the course of the game and maybe had a poor decision on one play, but for the most part, during his time in there, I thought fairly efficient at what it was that he was trying to get accomplished. Of course earlier in the preseason that one first game there was a hard evaluator with all the rain, the mud, and those things. He’s been really consistent, he’s been getting better each week and he works really hard at it.”

On the frustrations with some of the injuries right now:

“It’s frustrating Joe a little bit, but you gotta trust in the process. We’ve been very fortunate here that our doctors have been really good with some of these rehabs when you look at the Pat Cobbs, the Ronnie Browns and these types of people. They have really done a good job on some of these rehabs. The frustrating thing is just not really being able to put your finger and pinpoint a timetable. I’m always asked the question do you think coach and how long? It’s just really hard and that’s the frustrating part. I don’t know how the kids’ body is and at the same time I don’t think you can really put a timetable on some of those things.”

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Tags: AFC East, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Tony Sparano, WQAM

Posted in Miami Dolphins, NFL | No Comments »