Drive Time - Fins Flashback with Randy McMichael

tight end Randy McMichael. Will recap the San Francisco forty Miami Dolphins game as well as that two thousand four season. A lot of change in turmoil that year. We'll get to the bottom of some of that here with Randy McMichael. Plus we'll get John Conjemmi's Three Keys of the Game on Sunday, get the last injury report for you guys. And also here from Seth and Juice from the Fish Tank Podcast. All of that and more on this Friday, October the ninth edition of the Drivetime Podcast. And support

for Drivetime comes from Auto Nation. There are so many reasons to drive pink, but for Auto Nation, there's only one to finish the fight against cancer. In fact, Auto Nation has helped raise over twenty five million dollars to drive out Cancer. To join the fight, visit the Auto

Nation store near you or drive pink dot com. And before we get into the flashback with Randy McMichael and Seth and Juice from the Fish Tank Podcast, let's go ahead and stop by on Friday, as we do every week here on the Friday Drivetime podcast with John con Gemmis. Three keys to the San Francisco Game Sunday four oh five Eastern in San Francisco, And up first contain kittle Man.

We talked about this on the preview podcast Fifteen Targets Fifteen Catches last week, and he talks about John does about the multitude of talent and skill players this offense has, but it starts with George Kittle the talented athletic tight end who blocks, who contributes the passing game. He also mentions Eric row getting the toughest assignment of any Miami

defender in this game. Good matchup to watch there with Eric Rowe and George Kittle number two battling through injuries along the offensive line, and how there have been great improvements so far along the offensive line, but this week, heading into the game, we know Austin Jackson left the game.

Last week, we had Julian Davenport step into the game, and Robert Hunt plays some of that extra heavy tight end position as well, So it could be interesting to see how the Dolphins shift the offensive line if they are down one of the regular starters on Sunday and

number three limit the explosive plays. He says, this is one area the Dolphins offense could use a little more and a defense a little bit less defensive side, just holding down the big games from last week fifty seven thirty seven, thirty one yards that will be a big key to this game. With George Kittle, possibly Deebo, Samuel Brandon, Yu Jerk McKinnon. He list on the list of players here forty niners and then offensively as well, it generates

some explosive plays. Longest play of the year for the Dolphins so far twenty seven yards. So you can find John's keys up on Miami Dolphins dot com as well as my written review taking a look at some matchups and some of the forty nine personnel and how they present challenges to this Dolphins defense and offense. Alright, the injury report for Friday game statuses are now available. Let's

go ahead and get to the Miami Dolphins first. Austin Jackson was added to the injured reserve list on Friday, and the Dolphins called up running back Solving Ahmed. The former Washington Husky is now on the Dolphins active roster. As for the game, status is two players will miss

the game. Defensive end Shack Lawson and tight end Durham Smith will not play, and wide receiver Jachem Grant is questionable with an illness, so that means Byron Jones back in the lineup for Sunday on game day, get the Dolphins cornerback back and for the forty niners report, go ahead and check out the top news article up on Miami Dolphins dot com that will update this afternoon and we'll have the latest on the forty nine report for

injuries on Sunday's game And joining the Drivetime podcast now is a five year member of the Miami Dolphins. Tight end out of Georgia. He's wearing the Bulldogs T shirt right now as we speak. Randy McMichael, Randy, how you doing, man? Hey? What's going on, man, I appreciate you having me on. Uh always excited to talk about my fun times in Miami other than all the damn losing. It was cool. The other day I was talking to uh we we

haven't interned up in the PR department. She she went to Georgia and she was talking to one of the players that are a coach or someone that was up there that had gone to Florida, and they were getting into a bit of a disagreement, let's say, about the Florida Georgia rivalry. So I'm sure you've been pretty well involved in that one, haven't you. Oh yeah, no doubt.

My first time ever going to uh or the Florida game was being Channing Crowder and we left him for a Lauderdale and literally I was the only person on the plane with a Georgia shirt. Everybody had the Florida giron and Channing when of course they beat us, but it was one of the funnest experiences I've had. I've been twice since in and both times Georgia has won.

But yeah, I mean it's always fun. My producer here, I had my day shows here with Andy and Ready and uh in Atlanta and our producer, she's a big Florida fans, so we had her go back and forth and we've won the last three, so it really hasn't been any really ashtarted coming from her park. Well, I was gonna say we finally got college football back on television these days, that that game is coming up pretty soon? Isn't it October? It's it's it's usually brown things Halloween,

so probably weekend. We got tennesseee this weekend. Okay, that's one of the games that always like tells me. Okay, college football is back in the full swing of things that you know, I rivalries. You can't beat him. Man, it's been it's been a challenging year this year with college football, but it's good to see the SEC back on TV finally. Um. One thing I always ask our you know, our our flashback subjects here are flashback guests,

is what all you up to these days? You mentioned your radio show, but just in general, what's Randy mc michael up to in two thousand twenty? Oh well, I mean, you know, i'm I had my home. I'm are one of the sports stations up here in Atlanta nine and not the game I'm one of the midday show holds me and Andy bonkers, so we do tend to every single day. Uh. We just finished up our one year anniversary a couple of a couple of months ago, so

it's been fine. Going good right now is a really good It's just you know, it's different because you know, you get that you gotta have more of a fans per active of things that I usually would have had as a players. You're as a player, you really didn't care. But now, as you know, an analyst for these things, you gotta be sympathetic to the fans here because you

know they are the ones that listened to you. I was gonna ask, because you know it's I always love seeing players make that jump from player to media because hey, hey hey I'm not a media guy. Okay, I'm a radio guy. Right, okay, all right, let's keep asking. I'm I'm a radio guy. Is that what calls himself to Yes? Yes, yes, yes, we refused to fall into that category. So yes, I have a radio game. Well yeah, I love hearing Channing every every time you open the press box before the games,

they have the pregame show playing on the speakers. I love hearing him on those you know, every single Sunday, So you're in a good company there are you and channing that that rivalry runs deep. But getting a little bit off the rails here, I did want to ask you, though, you know, going from player to radio guy as you so say, have you have you like earned any new level of maybe like respect for the job that people in the media have to do, or like maybe change

your perspective a little bit on that. Well, yeah, of course you do, man. I mean it's a hard job. I mean I would never try to downplay it as a point of you know, you guys have a hard job because I know, being a former athlete, especially when things aren't going well, the last thing you want to

do is talk to people. So I mean, you know, I I get that part about it and everything and trying to be as you know, a guy who asked the question to those players, trying to be as sensitive but not as you know, soft you know what I mean, Because that's the one thing that's going on up here right now, what the Falcons losing is that you know, people getna well, y'all work for the flagship, so you

gotta actually softball questions which you really don't. But you can't ask a question like the fan would want to ask you, you know, so you've got to be a find a way to around it, you know, be professional, but also keep it as really as possible. Because the one thing I know about being in athletics for so long is that we know the tap. We know we're struggling.

I'm not playing that, you know, And so that's one of those things that that was probably one of the hardest things is trying to you know, answer the question, ask the question as a fan, but also knowing that I know you don't want to ask answer that question. So yeah, that's about it. I'll get some questions sometimes on Twitter, like hey, Travis, do you think the dolphin should make this switch? I'm like, hey, that's that's way above my pay rage, Oh my god, won't that. I

don't know. I don't work up there. I'm just I'm reporting the facts to you, sir. That's my job exact. Randy, off the top, you mentioned some losing seasons there in Miami, but it wasn't all bad right away. You guys were pretty good early on in your tenure, but things kind of took a turn when a certain running back called it a career at least the first time. And I just I love asking players with perspective on this because this was I was sixteen years old when when when

Ricky hung him up the first time, I was. I read it in the newspaper, tells you kind of how they woven go. That was I was very very heartbroken by I had to Ricky Williams Jersey's, I had your jersey, I had Chris Chambers Jersey's, but he was kind of my guy. I'm gonna be honest with you. What was that like did you guys? Was that a total surprise to you? And what was it like when you kind of came to terms of ship, our our top guy

back there he's gone. Now. I wasn't surprised because I know Ricky and got to say to spend Scott a lot of time to spend around Ricky, you know. But my thing was this, I never forget the night we found out, me and Chris Samans we were actually having dinner. They they were either dinner down on the beach and we were leaving and one of our partners that was a teammate, dugger, he hit me in and was he was like, what's und was like, what's up? Make that man,

we just heard that Ricky retired. And I'm like, oh, that's exactly what I said. I was like, oh, okay, and I left it at that, and then you know, and then I talked I was talking to Chris. I was like, they're just on the Ricky retired, Chris like were and so that's what it was. And then we just went on and continued party and everything. They paid too much attention to your people that were at the spot we were at. We're coming up to us and like,

hey man, what's going on Ricky? And okay? And so when we first we finally got back together as a team, you know, it was it was surprising because he was best player, but you know, we had faith in Travis Minor and then you know, and then you hated what happened to t Minor because as soon as he gets his opportunity, he gets a high ankle's brain and he's not the same all season. So well, we I mean, I was surprised, but it was like, that's just Ricky,

you know, I mean, it's just Ricky. And then they trade for Lamar Gordon too, so there's yeah, the running back combo there with he and Travis Minor, and you know you mentioned it too. I always remember Travis Miner always had such high yards per carry averages because he would rip off those big runs on like third mode and stuff in that third down situation. So I was

excited to see him get a chance. One guy, Randy I was less excited about, even as a young kind of die hard, just blind, you know, unconditional love fans of the team was a J feely. I mean you got to say that nothing about that and he, you know, he comes in in the trade, and you know you've got Jay Fiedler there, a guy that's won a lot of games for you guys and you played with for a long time. How did you guys like perceive that

quarterback competition that trade? Was it like this is still Jay's team and a J has to come take it over? Or like was there some competition there but between the locker room to figure out who was on whose side? Like what was that whole situation? Like for you guys, were we were J feelers guy? You know, we were J feelers guy. Ted had us over for dinner all the time. We always about to dinner, everything, and he threw me the ball. So that's why I love him.

But no, Jay's Jay is one of my good friends that we still talk uh every now and then. And you know, it was different because we had understood why they were bringing a J in and then you don't give up that kind of pick. We got to be a backup. And then we heard you know, it was before he got down and he heard the real California kid,

California cool, all that, which he was. But he's a fiery competitor and he and and I thought, you know, me and him, our relationship it grew as the season one along, because I mean I was a J feeler guy. I was me and Chris we were feelers guy, and so a J had to come in and make that adjustment.

And you know, some days it was good, some days it wasn't good, you know, And you know, the the San Francisco Tree, and we're gonna talk about like you remember that whole week we were out and we were in San Francisco because we played Seattle and who plays San France and st weekend. So we went to Seattle, play Seattle and lost, and then went down to h to San France, and I think that week right there in San Fran allowed a lot of us to just get to know him and sit around and hang out with.

A J is a cool cat. He just just California cool man. And that was actually my segue into the next question. Here was because you know, I'm from the Pacific Northwest, Randy Is. Everybody in this podcast is probably sick of hair about by now. But I come from the Seattle area. And so when you guys will come out every eight years, you let that cross conference trip and I got to see my team once every eight years.

You guys came out that year in two thousand and four, and I saw that game, and you had a chance to drive down late. But a J had a glute injury. Do you remember that? You have to write? Okay, all right, so this is what happened. So so a J gets hit and has his bruise all like this right cheek or whatever, right, and so he's hurting, and it was so funny because he was he was getting hit the whole game. And so like a J comes in, he subverse of all he changes the re arrangement of the huddle.

He's like, I don't like this huddle in this bace and you go ahead. We're like, bro, we're trying to win this game. And so a J and so a J has a bruise butt and so we score. Something good happens and he's walking on the field and I'll never forget David Bowens comes and smacks him right on him, right on the bruise, and I just remember A J hitting the ground like somebody shot him, and we're all center her, like, man, get the hell up, man, And that weren't that bad. But then when we saw the

bruise in the locker room, Oh, it's pretty bad. But the funniest thing was how he hit him and how he hit that ground, and you know, it was it was one of the funniest thing ever sing because it was just it was an AJ. We always thought he was a drama king, but that was a big bruise. YEA. Yeah. They ran that highlight on Sports Center for not just that day, but for the rest of the week. Him kind of reacting to the backside slap a very common

occurrence in all sports. But you had mentioned the West Coast trip out and I was gonna ask you, I thought you guys would stay out for the whole, you know, the two weeks playing the Seahawks and the forty nine is there. But before the trip had occurred, right, did he just not want to go out to the West Coast. I don't know. I don't know, man, Dave took the easy way out, man. And I'm always appreciative days him and his lovely why she's awesome. You know, they would

always give you get whenever you have children. They would give the kids, you know, the uh you know, like the little bonds thing. And my son, my oldest son, Isaiah, was born the week before we left the Seattle, so you know, they and they were so nice and everything. And I just think Dave I just didn't want to go for that hard riding because he was gonna get fired regardless. And it was a hard ride, man, it really was. And you know the way that we rallied

because we love Coach Bates. Everybody offense, defense, we just love Coach Bates. And he brought a different demeanor, old school, like if you make a mistake and practice, you gotta run. And you know, I jumped offside to the fence and I'm sitting there like what and so but he made everybody run to the fence. If you messed up, everybody, no matter who you was, it was me and Zach

j t didn't matter. You ran to the fence. But yeah, it was you know that caught me off guard because I was still a young player league and didn't understand it. Like my my college coach got fired. But that was a shot too, when they fired coach Dining. But it wasn't this just for you to resign like that in the middle season. We were all wondering like and still to this day if you talked about it, he just quit on us because I mean, hell, you had a partners too, you know, you had a partner. All I

had a partners too. Of us druggling the way we did, and you know that that that he is hard. But I think if anybody other than coach Bates would have got the job, then you know, it would have been something different. But because it was, we were cool. Yeah, and Jim Bates certainly helped you guys deliver the you know, one of the big wins of that era of Dolphins football on that Monday night game against the Page. We'll get into that here in just one second. Let's go

back to the game. We have you on here for a great, great reminiscing for sure, Randy. But I do want to ask about that game against the forty niners, because the Dolphins do travel to San Francisco this Sunday to take on the forty nine ers, you know, sixteen years after the fact. I mean, I can't believe it's been that long. I'm sure you can't either. It's long time. Beer. You're looking man, looking young. You still you still suit him up and go out there and play a couple

of quarters or what? No, I'm good, I'm over man, I still roll out of bed. I saw a comment from from Chris from Chambers that said that when Flow saw him last, he was like, can you still play like dead serious? Like he was always just trying to over rocks? No, Yeah, I'm good. So you guys, you guys are one and eight coming into this two game West Coast Swing, and you drop the game in Seattle, you come down to San Francisco. You mentioned it. That was a good nugget there about kind of that time

to bond. Is that what that week is all about is like you obviously you have the same schedule, but how much different is it for a team to be out on you know, away from home and kind of in a makeshift practice facility for an entire week. It was different, especially coming off that Seattle loss. You know, it was a heartbreaking loss, a pick six where I mean it was a slamp. It was a slamp black combination. To me and Chris Side, he's like dropping a randy

unless well he didn't want to drop it rand. He wanted to slating to Chris bolwhere kicks it off pick six, we lose the game, And so it was. It was different because a lot of our families went out there and we were just in this hotel downtown San Francisco going to practice back and forth, and we knew that we had to find a way to get get just something good to happen, you know, because it was a

long year. Man, it was. And I tell people all the time, and you know, it's easy to as a fan to dump on us and players, but I bet you right now you don't feel no worse than we do, you know. And it was a hard trip and for us to be out there in San France. Ain't none for us from out there. It's Thanksgiving weeks or we're not with our families and Thanksgiving and it was just a bonding moment where we were like, hey man, it's either now or never. Let's not go stay out here

for two damn weeks and not win the football game. Man. So you know, we went together, and you know that was I think that was our first trip. That was my first trip to San Francisco to play the Yeah, yeah, it was because we went. I mean, we did so many different things with Alcatrez and we were playing Have

you ever been in Alcatraz? You know, they have that little baseball diamond field, So we got to pretend we're playing baseball and Alcatrez, uh, you know, made the Fisherman's Dwarf, all that stuff, doing things as a team, and I think time on that Sunday, where would you be on a baseball diamond if that was the career path you chose. I'm a third base man. I played that hot ConA man. Yeah, yeah, I play I played the hot coner man. Yeah. That's

these days aren't coming about buns anymore. You can just sit back there and pick those one hops off the off the bat there because you play no doubt about it. Like I'm watching my Braves right now, play the Marlins. You know, yeah, they're down four three. I'm looking at it myself right now, so you got to come back. Push here. But good stuff, man, um, so you're get in that game. You talked about the bonding experience and the desire to get away, which is such an interesting,

you know, dynamic. And I'm not going to say that any player has ever thought this, but when the when a team gets to one and eight, fans start thinking about where can our draft pick be? Right, Like, that's that's common place for a fan, But you guys still have it in the back of your mind, like forget that, we want to go and win a football game, and you start hot. It goes to the twenty five yeard

touchdown pass from Pheely to Chambers. And when you're on a team that has struggled that much, does getting that first score, like getting that first lead, does that kind of change the mindset of the team. It just helped. It did. Man. It's always easier to you know, not don't once you that it's not easier playing with the lead. But it was fun too for something good to happen

to us. And I think that was one of the biggest things and another funny a j feeling story a j okay so on that past and Chris AJ dislocates his finger on his his right index finger right and literally again he's hobbling about the Fallout past. I were like, what the hell is wrong now? Right now? And so I'll run over there and I'm looking at like what what he points to showing the finger. I said, that's it, Like, come on, man, And so they popped it back and

we go back in and and continue to fight. And I think you know, if you look at that game, it was just it was a complete team for defense play lights Out has some good plays on special teams offense. We came and showed up and that's why we were able to get that football game. And Randy a lot of times in this podcast, I love getting into the weeds,

the X and those and stuff. I had not more on one of the first Drive Time Flashback podcast we did, and he was breaking down touchdowns the heat score in one day night went over the Bears and so that the Nyers come back and put the next ten points on the board, and then we come back and take a lead with a fifteen yard touchdown pass from yourself. Do you recall that play? Oh? Yeah, it was trips left. So we had once we had one receiver backside, we

had trips to the to the left side. I was the inside receiver closer to the tackle, and then then three by one Chris, whoever it was the X was I think what was was it Darius? Then Darius? So whatever, he run a takeoff outside release. The inside guy who was inside's like he wants up the field outside the runs up the field. I run a middle read uh steam route. So basically I'm just going across the formation. And as soon as I go across the formation, I don't even see the ball lead a J's hand. I

just look and there's the ball. I just put my hands and it's stuck to it. And we had me and him. That was one thing then AJ had. We had chemistry on that route. And I always knew if if he was gonna hit, it was gonna come as soon as I got past that linebacker, and as soon as I got passed the linebacker, it was it got

right there on that fast and touchdown. How long would you say that chemistry takes a develop I mean in your in your you know experience from that particular moment, But in general, does that chemistry like that's a big training camp troupe all the times, like, oh they have to get this chemistry developed. How long does it truly take for a quarterback and a pass catcher to develop chemistry? You know what, I don't even know because I've never

had a problem. I think that because I know, like my first year in St. Louis, me and Mark Bolgi could never get on the same page, you know, and it was the point where you know, like balls, I'm open and he wasn't used to throwing the tight ends either, So that I mean, but I think one thing about the chemistry of a quarterback, you know, pass catcher, it starts with your friendship pretty much, and men marketing know

each other. And I got to, you know, and I had to you know, sit down with him at lunch and do all those things, and it eventually worked with with j J said. It was different because you know, they were putting him in with the first team when he got there, so we got a chance to get from biliar with him and how the ball was gonna come out of And one thing about him, dude can

spend it. He can he can spend the ball. But you know, we were still Jameston, we were still you know, Jay's I got you know, weren't going away from Jane Jay's I do. But at the same time, we knew why they brought A J. Feeley in to be the starting quarterback, and so you know, we were still at the practice of times catching. You know, he was like Randy, but this goes on, I want you to be here here, and that's how it worked like that after a while.

But yeah, we were all we were always we liked a J a lot, but we were always a feelers. We were always Yeah, and you mentioned the rams. Was that Mike marsh Were you there with Mike Marts? No, that was that was linehand Okay, I was gonna say, because yeah, Mike Marts never ran He always ran that twenty personnel pack and so you wouldn't be for those ones.

But that up in, Yeah, exactly, That's why he learned to Yeah, grew up in so yeah, Yeah, I mean I think that was the biggest thing with UH, with all of us past catcher skilled position players with a J was the you know, because he wasn't a I'm hey, guys, come on, let's go out to dinner, Let's go have a beer something like that. It was more always us a man, come on, let's go over here and describe it, drank real quick, Let's buy a dinner on the road

and do things. He was that, I mean because he was he wasn't a raw rock guy, you know, his shield, and we had to kind of bring him along well. I mean, I worked out there for those for that particular game and a couple more wins later in the season. And you guys do finish it off with a Derek Pope scoop and score from one yard away to give you a four teen point lead. Is that kind of when you relax in that game? Yeah? You know, no, you don't ever relax because, especially when you're one and eight,

you're like, what else can go wrong? You know, That's what that's your thought process. It's like, Okay, this is going too good. Something has to go wrong. And it didn't right there, And I mean, and that was a big play by Polk. I think when did it sacked? Bumbled by j T? Yeah, it might have been a stackphone by JT. And for Pope, who was a young player himself, scoop and score and we can find a way to get that win, and then you get the long plane ride back home, probably five or four and

a half hours or so. I always love asking the question about plane rides home, and this one obviously, you know, you didn't clinch a playoff spot or anything like that. You just got your second one of the season. But it had to be a fun one, right yo. Yeah, oh yeah, like plane rides, you just have fun. It's even more fun when you getta win, though, you know. And I think that was the biggest thing. And it was a long flight and retired and everybody, you know,

we've been out there. We haven't seen our families. But I mean, you want to talk about a funch for it, because you know, you get the ball for coach Bates and everything. And like I said, Candlestick is a just a blank hole. It was awful, raggedy field, raggedy locker room. But you can feel when you're in there all the historic San Francisco games or Dallas and Joan Tannada Park and all these things. You can build those things where you're in there. But we were so happy to get

the hell out of San Francisco. I love sanc who has a city. But I mean we were so ready to get the hell out of there and get back to Miami. Well, you certainly know a thing or two about multipurpose fields playing at Pro Player there for so long, and oh my god, Yeah, it's awesome. The renovations. Now it's it's incredible. Hard Rock is a freaking Hard Rocks game is a freaking palace. Now it's it's incredible now. But I do want to finish up this podcast. You

talked about Jim Bates a little bit. We talked to about the Monday night, the night that Courage War Orange as it was called. Just talk to us about that game briefly here. For us, first of all, we were like, we're what, Oh no, they got these orange jerseys for you? Oh cool, you know, and it was you know, we knew our season was over. We knew that, you know, And we knew the Patriots who they were, and we knew all about that and everything, and we knew we

have probably had no chance to win that football game. Well, I mean, it was a magical night, and I know that the stadium was not full, but you couldn't tell us that stadium was not jam packed with Dolphin fan. It was unbelievable and for us as a team, because that was a complete team victory, for us as a team to go get that win, and for Darius to catch that ball and for a day to find the match up with Troy Brown being the slot receiver on on and it was the same place because I caught

touchdown on against San Francisco. It was trips left, I run across, I took the safety with me. Darius Betroy off the ball, A j threw it per quickly and it was just a great, uh, you know, great feeling. But it wasn't over yet. Tom Brady still had to dag on ball. But you know, Jason Taylor, being the Hall of Fame mad to play Brandon MNDJO picks the

ball off and we get to win. And the funniest thing we also talked about the best playing sports and football is big performation, and so we're victory and we're like just and I never get riding. The Harrison comes over to it to y'all, still going home, I said, but this feelings good tonight though, you know, And that was the funny thing. That's exactly yeah, still going I said, Well, but this one feels good right here to night. You couldn't tell us that that wasn't a playoff winning for

us right there that night. It was specially that one of my favorite nights ever playing football. Yeah, twenty four hour ut you guys get to enjoyed for twenty four hours and reality after that. Oh if you don't think we told south of each up that night, that's a perfect way. And this podcast, I think five years with the Miami Dolphins, two three receptions for over three thousand yards and eighteen scores in the aquand Orange ran. Thank you so much for your time today, man, I appreciate it.

And so there goes Randy McMichael out one door and then the other, the hosts of the fish Tank podcast. Who gets it first this week? Guys, Seth Juice, who wants it first? I don't take it first. I want to take it first, especially talking about my man, Randy McMichael. Man, you know that's my that's my guy. That was the

best player to ever wear eighty one after myself of course. Um, it's so funny about that, Travis, because it took a little while for Joey and Charlie and the equipment room to give that number away to anybody right after I was after I was done playing, and so it was. I got a phone call from from the equipment room after I was already retired, sitting at home, you know, still crying about being retired, you know, being kicked off the field, and they said, Juice, we gotta give your

number away. I'm like, for real, like I was upset. He said, but but this guy is worthy, this guy is worthy, He's good. He's gonna represent it well. And of course that became random McMichael, and boy did he he represented very well. And then he wound for them to make right. It was I don't call you called Juice. I guaranteed well. And then Randy wound up and I think you guys cover this on the on the episode

he was on the fish tank. He wound up in that Sports illustrated photos of the was it the century or I mean that was That was the craziest image I've ever seen. Yeah, the lead the Superman that was at hell. But you know it, what's so funny, people said, Juice man that pictured he was awesome. I don't even all they see is like they don't even see the hard of the back. I said, I wish that was me. Man, You get that one, Juice and the one where he was dancing with the cheerleaders us that Jim all the

time and like it's awesome, But that's not juice. That's too good. Well, the reason we had a mom was to talk about a game in oh four and Seth you mentioned that, you know, a couple of couple of bad football teams. That was the Dolphins second win of that season. They were on the West Coast Swing, and Randy talked about, you know, you go out there for the double dip on the West Coast and you stay out there for the whole week, and he believed that was kind of a I don't want to say bonding

moment for that team, because they still didn't. They won four games, but he said that that was kind of a turning moment. And the reason he thinks they won that game is that, I mean, do you recognize that when you go out in those West coach trips and spent a bunch of time with the team and kind of get that time together. Well, we didn't. I don't think we ever did that, Juice. When I mean the eight years that I was there, you know, I don't

think Jimmy. Jimmy definitely didn't do that, and I don't remember Dave doing that unless it was for you know, training camp for preseason, So we never had anything like that. You know, you would go and you'd get on that plane and come back. But I could totally see where a team, when things aren't going right, anything that just breaks that monotony of losing and not feeling really good about yourself. I remember, you know, the year that they

went to London, was that was that? And when they went one in fifteen was that a London trip as well? And I think that that was another moment where a lot of teams hate that interrupt, that disturbance, that interruption in their normal routine because everything is so regimented in football more than any other sport. But but you need an interruption when you're a one in nine team, when

you're an O and whatever team. I think that sometimes, you know, for those teams, for that group of guys, that I could absolutely see where that would be beneficial and that would get guys to maybe just relax, maybe get out of South Florida and not have to be scared to go to publics or not want to go to the movies because they don't want to be recognized and and be you know, asked when you're gonna win

a game. So I absolutely could see that, and I can imagine juice, right, you're one in nine there, one in nine, somebody's gonna have to lose that game, and you don't want to be on that because then you're really you know, now you're you're learning about yourself if you can't beat the one in nine team and you know exactly who you are. So I think that that's why it was probably a big one for those guys. Yeah, a lot of times, you know, you guys, you need

to spend time together. You know, South Florida is a tough place where you know, when you guys come to work and when works over, they all go different ways and they don't get to spend that time to get other. I think once you get to know somebody off to feel a little bit more, I think you go to battle better for him on the field. And when you go on those trips and you guys are going to eat together, you might go to a movie together. You might be stuff that you wouldn't do at home. You know,

it does, it does bond you a little bit. But obviously when you get back home, things get back to the normal way of doing things. And you know what I mean, I wish it would carry over a little bit more. Look at some of these other cities, like you know, we talked about it before, like a Green Bay or somewhere there's not much else to do. So guys spent a lot of time together. There's been a lot of time working together. It's it's been a lot of time maybe going out to dinner together, and the

results come out out on the field that way. You know. Here, I just hate to say it, Chad was what she wants to do well, I mean way much, way too much to do. But you also come back to the same problems, right, Like you said, you're one of nine that doesn't It's like it's like your credit man. It follows you around the grids, so you can't get away

from it. But you also mentioned going to battle with guys, and and one of the big topics we talked about with Randy was one guy that didn't want to go to battle on that West Coast trip, and I'm made a joke to him and I said, is the reason that wants to resign before that West Coast swing because he just didn't want to go out there and he thought maybe there was other motives involved, but he you know, he wasn't a fan of wants as decision to hang it up in season. He believed that was a a

quitter's mentality, Seth, can you weigh on that? What do you think about the decision to call it quits and no for I mean, that was a tough year for this team. You know, obviously wants to relide on Ricky Williams and he calls it a career to day before training camp. We won't get into that again on you, Seth.

Well documented so, but but I mean, what was the what's what's it like in season for for a coach to kind of bail like that and the guys just to be left to their own devices almost you know, again, I never experienced that. I actually, um, that was the first season where I had left and taken the job

with Jason to run the foundation. I was still very close just again, working with Jason was almost like not leaving in a lot of ways, and and particularly that first year I remained really close with everybody there and maybe because they hadn't heard the Ricky story, so at that point I was I was getting the uh. But

I worked all the games. I helped the PR staff transition Mike Phannick, who is not with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a great PR man, but he had he had was an intern who then elevated to to my position. And UM had the split press box format then, and so I worked. I still worked all of the games in that press box, and so I was close and around the team. The one thing I do remember, and you know Jason was he was disappointed by Ricky's decision

and he loved Dave, he really did. He was very loyal to Dave UM and I remember him that he was asked about it and he said, Dave didn't quit, he resigned. Ricky quit and there's a difference, So, you know, I think that was his perspective then. But then he also became very loyal to Jim Bates later that year. And there's also there's a great I don't know if it was a pregame er postgame interview with j T

and they asked him about Nick Saban. You know, the rumors swirling about Nick Saban coming to town and he says, I don't give a damn about Nick Saban, Jim Bates is my head coach, and then it became Nick's best friends. So how the credibility you got to put in all of that? But I can imagine where that would be tough, Jeams,

I don't know that. You clearly never had to deal with that either, um, but at some point, you know, sometimes again this whole idea of fresh start, and I think that when coach Bates did get in, we did

see a difference in the team's performance. Well, you know, to think about it, though, Seth is, you know, you gotta coach has been riding you all all training camp, most of the season, you know, about hanging in there, being tough, you know, uh, you know, not letting your teammates down, and then you have something like that happen, you know, so I mean, what is that? What are you what were you preaching to us about if that's

how you're going to handle anything. You know, most coaches don't resign it wait to get fired, you know, dude, keep doing your job until that you know, your owner says it's time for you to go. You don't just you know, up and leave like that man. So, yeah, that's a it's gotta be frustrated on players when you sit there and you're you know, they're going through all this,

all these mental toughness things that they go through. How they're telling you gotta fight through this injury or a fight through this, you know, whatever is going on at home, and then they upen and they can bail out and coaches have no uh, there's there's no punishment for coaches shutting it down like that. You know, do you think that that could be a rallying point juice for guys? I mean, because you know what I wonder and I

don't know. I have no idea. In fairness to Dave, he might have been asked to resign, right, I mean, we don't know how that went down. But does that what you're what you're expressing, is there perhaps that sentiment could go through the locker room and maybe even bring

guys closer together and rallying. And not that they became world beaters, but when they go three and four, I think at that point, Travis, and so you know, do you think that maybe that bombing will hell, we all we got is each other and let's rally behind Jim Bates that that could work in their favor. Yeah, I believe so, you know, I've I've had a coach, you know. I think they asked coach Sula to resign at one point, I believe. You know, I'm not sure that says accurate,

but you know there's some remmants about that. But he said, no, you've got to fire me. I know they asked Joe per turn to a couple of times to resign. He said, no, you don't have to fire me, you know, And uh so that's why they did. They were looking for a reason to firemen. They found a pretty good one obviously.

But I'm gonna tell you, man, these guys, most of these coaches, man, they're they're in it until the end, man, because they know that what they what they put their players through, and they know what it means for those guys. Um you know, they have their their head man fight it out with them. Even when times are rough. Nobody really gets fired when their team is you know, seven and one, do they you know what I mean tending to you know, it's always all it was. It was

a tough time. So when you know, when you know the tough times come, you hate for see a guy bailt out like that, But it does bond the other guys because what else you have? And bates that guy that looked like he was a guy that you know, they did bring the team together, you know, they did play hard for him, you know, and that was a different story. I'm upset when the guys don't play hard

for whoever the head man is. But if you don't have a guy that's got you going, got you motivated, got you inspired, you know, coaches, you know, we we we've heard so many amazing speeches. Man, you just don't know what it takes to get guys going when you gotta coach. Most of the time the talents there, they have to have a guy to put your position to be successful and somebody's that's inspirational. And if that's not

the case, and you got to move on. If I'm not mistaken, Marty Schottenheimer got fired after a fourteen and two season because he lost in the divisional round. So yeah, pretty rare that it happens, but it has happened before. I don't know, man, though, I guess the stacking up playoff losses gets old at a certain point, I suppose, But hey, I'll take fourteen to any day of the week, man.

But um, so you know, Randy talks about this game a little bit and talked about, um, you know, we got into talking talking about Jim Bates and and how you know, you mentioned Jason Taylor was a big fan of Jim Bates and that seemed to be the entire locker room having that belief and and that was kind of where the podcast turned because, like you mentioned, Seth, not a lot of history at this team. We played a super Bowl against this team, but we're not gonna

bring that back up. Um, but let's go ahead and talk about maybe next week we have an a FC opponent on the dockets. We have some some history with them, and I know, Juice you've played some games against the Denver Broncos for sure. But how about what's coming up this week and what's in the can? I know you guys just had Keith Jackson and the Todd Wade episode as well. What else is coming up here next on the fish Tank podcast? Next week really had a great run.

Todd was amazing, and then Keith Jackson, one of one of OJ's favorite teammates, one of my favorite players to watch and Keith was just so much fun to have in the tank. Some great stories. Incredibly bright guy and for me, juice and you know, you lived it. You got to experience it and I guess learned from it at that stage of your career. But the stories of Keith coming over to the sidelines telling Gary Stevens and Danny what he saw and what he thinks should be run,

whether it was to him or to somebody else. And and the way he would break down the defense like a quarterback or an offensive coordinator. Where those were absolutely

fascinating stories to me. Yeah, and absolutely And and and free agency we talked about it a lot now, you know Keith Keith take on free agency that we got what the first true free agent really in NFL, I think as he fought it out in the court system to be released from the Philadelphia Eagles, to get an opportunity to play where he want to play, and missing the first four games of the season, you know, while he waited four court decision to get down here to Miami. Man,

it was that was awesome stuff as well. Yeah, he said he learned the whole playbook in five days by the end of the week, Like is that really following us here. Yeah, right, I don't know. That was tough, like two me a year and a half, so I don't know. I think it worked out for you. Juice. We talked about, you know, the eighty one jersey and Randy McMichael and stuff. Hey, every day I walk in this building, the first jersey I see is Oji McDuffie

catching the pass that eighty one jersey. So it's you know, it's it's in a strategic place. I've seen where it's at. You know, he's right walking right by those stairs, are going in that room. You have to stick at that location, Juice. He had. He had the best locker location Travis when he played there, and now he's got the best photo location in the lobby. That's right. You gotta go right at it. Another one going up the stairs, you go, you'll see me your periphery, but you mind, you gotta

go right at it. First I missed it. I'm waiting to see to walk in one of these days and see Juice like you know, um installing like one of those lights above it. So that's I got the light on, the proper lighting and the proper cleaning and stuff on it. So there, Oh, j McDuffie and Seth Levitt, the host of the fish Tank Podcast. Boys, I really appreciate your time today. We'll do it again next week. Thanks for man and away they go, Seth and Juice. The fish

Tank Podcast part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network. You can also find the Audible and the Drivetime podcast on Miami Dolphins dot com, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and leave all the shows of rating all the shows a review on your Apple podcast app. Give me a follow on Twitter. It's at Wingfield, NFL. You can follow the fish Tank at fish Tank eight the fish Tank eighty one on Twitter. You can follow

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