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Phins4life

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Posts posted by Phins4life


  1. No Lillard in the top 10? From a "running the point" perspective, I would have thought he'd be in there. Isn't he an assist machine? Probably a little bit of my low basketball IQ showing here, but oh well. I'm definitely interested to see your next 9.


  2. A big part of how I judge teams in power rankings is who would beat who. I think Miami COULD beat 75% the league, but the odds would go against them 99% of the time. Miami, when doing good, is top 12-15.

     

     

     

    Do I think Miami will have the worst record? Probably not. Do I think they are the worst team in the league AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR? Yes.

     

    The very fact that you think Miami could win that many games and that you don't believe they will have the worst record kind of contradict the belief that they are or ever will be the worst team this year. If anything you are defining a middle of the road team with some upside.

     

    To say they are "the absolute trash of the NFL" when doing bad tells me you didn't watch enough of their games to realize how rarely they actually played that bad. Their playoff hopes wouldn't have lasted until week 17 in that case. Trust me, I witnessed worse from other teams. Maybe you and I also just have drastically differing opinions on what constitutes being the worst team in a sport that relies heavily on the number of total wins at the end of a season to determine who the best is.


  3. Explain.

     

    Already did. And they share the conference with Cleveland, Jacksonville, Houston, and Oakland. All 4 of these teams are just as capable, if not more so, of tanking this year, based on their QB situations (and subsequent lack of continuity) alone. Speaking of the AFC, the Dolphins are one of only 6 teams who actually played better than .500 within the conference, and that is considering a 2-4 performance in a division where only the Pats walked away better than .500 at 4-2. Understand what I'm saying...Miami is mediocre and middle of the road. I'm not playing them up to be the next SB champs, but there is also nowhere near enough evidence to indicate that they will have the worst season of 2014-2015. They are not good enough yet for the top 20, but the past 2 seasons indicate they are too scrappy for 32.


  4. I was kind of relieved when I saw just how many picked Fitz for best hands. I can't remember what year it was, but I once read a statistical breakdown of catches vs. (catchable) targets that just boggled my mind.

     

    My case for Steve Smith as toughest receiver pretty much starts and ends with: 5'9" WR1. When you're that short at the X or Z, you have to have some serious fight to match the talent. Might be a weak argument, but it's all I got for now. Boldin works, too, though.

    • Upvote 2

  5. Yeah I was probably a little too harsh on em. I just really, really don't like Joe Philbin. A fairer spot would be in the next tier up, ahead of teams like Houston.

     

    The jury on Philbin is still out for me, but I am beginning to feel that itch telling me he isn't going to take risks. The Carolina game stands out as just one example, where I can't help but feel like excruciatingly conservative play ultimately lost them the game. It's like Tommy Bowden's Tigers all over again for me lol.


  6. Grimes is elite and I like the Jones-Delmas tandem at safety, but Finnegan won't help at all. Finnegan is a bum at this point.

     

    I beg to differ. A look at his healthy 2012 season (3 INT/9 PD/101 total tackles) tells me he could bring something to the table. Besides, Miami doesn't need his ball skills on the right side nearly as much as they need those kinds of tackle numbers on the perimeter. A quick glance at the New Orleans game enforces that idea more than enough (screen to Sproles, anyone?). The health part is the big "if" here, but at this point everyone can usually agree that there are no certainties for anyone when it comes to health. These kinds of pre-season rankings are usually, if not always, developed in an injury-free vacuum.


  7. Because I haven't really done much research this year, I pretty much have to bow to the wisdom of those who have, but Miami sitting below 3 teams in a row that didn't even hit .500? Come on, now. For the second season in a row, the Dolphins were separated from the playoffs by, quite literally, a handful of missed FG's and ill-timed decisions. I'm keenly aware that this is a key factor in sorting out winners from losers, but anyone who knows me also knows I will call Miami out on their shitty play when they deserve it, which is often. Thing is, if Tannehill gets even an average level of pass pro and Lamar Miller returns to the form he showed with his limited rookie carries, I believe it's a completely different offense. Considering how weak our pass rush was, the defense actually kept us in games more often than the O did. And whether you hate him or like him, adding Finnegan to the other side of Grimes adds more grit and it's an improvement over any CB1/CB2 combination we had last year.

     

    I know I'm splitting hairs over only a few slots, but it irks me to see a team that has been THAT close in back to back seasons relegated to the idea that they might as well play for picks. They have a lot of improving to do, but they are better than that. That's my rant for the day. That aside, I do like these rankings. Good work.


  8.  

    The two clearly have some issues to work out, but if the dude was THAT upset by his wife not wanting to have sex, why this approach? Why wait so long? Why be passive-aggressive about it? What good did he think would possibly come of this? It's unthinkable.

     

    It could be a complex psychology thing. Some people struggle with the mindset that other people are supposed to "know how to act" for lack of a better phrase. It obviously isn't that simple, but what I'm getting at is that some people struggle with the understanding that people aren't going to behave in the vacuum of logic you create in your mind. Such as, "I've been a good husband, so I should get sex any day now." It's the idea that your own good behavior will produce reciprocal behavior and positive rewards without having to ask for it.

     

    The frustration that it isn't reciprocated is bottled up until it makes it's way out in this kind of passive-aggressive form, since in his mind he should not have had to bring the topic up in the first place. I've dealt with mental processes like this myself, although not quite to this extreme. And I'm sure I've butchered this explanation, so sorry for that.

    • Upvote 1

  9. Sex is a duty if and ONLY if the relationship is healthy, but this one clearly isn't. Although, I'm not sure what came first. Did the lack of sex lead to the unhealthy relationship, or did the unhealthy relationship lead to the lack of sex? It's hard to tell in this case.

     

    My guess...just a guess...would be the latter, since most initially happy couples don't just taper off to almost never having sex for no reason. Other external factors can and do play a part, but I'm just doing my part as the overgeneralizing third party in this case ;).


  10. All, I made some changes again to the selected topics, but not the 2 religions (Buddhism and Christianity). The following interview questions are to give me an idea of the different ways people adhere to and integrate the teachings of their respective religions into their daily lives. So if you are a Buddhist or Christian (this can include ANY demoniation or variation of either one) and would like to participate, please take the time to answer the questions and send them to me in a PM. I have no desire to make your personal religious opinions public unless you desire to do so by placing them within this thread. I will also need your first name (in order to quote your answer in the research paper) but nothing beyond that.

     

    IMPORTANT: The answers you provide will be used as reference material in a neutral bias research paper intended to compare and contrast 2 elements of Christianity and Buddhism: the historical background of the teachers themselves and their core ethical teachings.
    The answers will not be altered in any way, or deliberately placed into a context that would intentionally skew the original meaning. If there are one or more questions you do not wish to answer, please feel free to skip them. This is an attempt to learn how others use religion in their daily lives...not to put people in an uncomfortable position. Thank you for your participation.
    1. How familiar are you with the historical background of Jesus of Nazareth/the Buddha? In your opinion, how important is it to have a basic understanding of their historical background as it pertains to how you participate in your belief system?
    2. How often do you engage in daily spiritual reflection/prayer/meditation or any other personal or formal ritual commonly associated with your belief system? How important is this to your own spiritual fulfillment?
    3. Do you engage in any form of group worship? How important is this to your own spiritual fulfillment?
    4. What importance do you place on any sacred texts associated with your belief system? How familiar are you with these texts and the history behind them? In regards to interpretation, do you find yourself more in line with a literal or liberal understanding of the writings?
    5. In what ways do you integrate the subject matter from such teachings as Jesus of Nazareth's Sermon on the Mount (i.e. his re-interpretation of some of the Ten Commandments) or the Buddha's Four Noble Truths/Eightfold Path into your daily life? What other teachings do you follow, if any?
    6. How applicable do you think the Parables of Jesus or the Buddhist Jataka tales are in modern society compared to the eras in which they were originally told?
    7. All things considered, how much does formal religious doctrine (if any exists within your belief system) affect you on a personal level? Do you find it more effective or intrusive as it pertains to your own spiritual growth? Do you feel it inhibits or improves your relationship with your deity or deities, or does it have no impact?
    8. How are your views on hotly debated subjects such as homosexual equality, abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, etc. affected by your interpretation of your belief system's doctrine, writings, and other teachings as an ethical guide? Specifics
    are not necessary, but are welcome if you choose to provide them.

     


  11. Just a quick update: I've decided that I'll be comparing and contrasting the roles of the higher power(s) and the nature of the afterlife within Christianity and Buddhism. Once I have a list of questions regarding each topic, I'll let you guys know.

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