Vontae Davis late, hungover, and called out by Dolphins’ Marshall

Nov. 07 News and Notes 1 comment ---Bill

The Miami Dolphins got their first win of the season on Sunday and improved their record to 1-7.  Sadly, in this unpredictable season, the Dolphins first win wasn’t the big story of the day.  Perhaps the Dolphins first win of the season came at just the right time, because it appears the Dolphins locker room reached a tipping point on Saturday.  According to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com, Vontae Davis and other Dolphins were out late in South Beach on Friday night.  Apparently, every Dolphins player except Davis, was able to make it to practice on Saturday on time…without showing the effects of going out on Friday night.

Photo by Chris J. Nelson

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Davis arrived late to Dolphins practice, hungover and still smelling like alcohol.  Davis, who has been battling a nagging hamstring injury, did not make the trip to Kansas City with the rest of the Dolphins.  At the time he was ruled ‘out’ of the Sunday’s Dolphins’ game, we assumed it was due to the lingering effects of the hamstring injury.  However, it turns out, Vontae did not make the trip as a result of a his ‘inability to act like a professional’.

The story doesn’t end there.  According to reports, at practice on Saturday, Brandon Marshall took it upon himself to call out Vontae for his immature behavior….Yes, the same Brandon Marshall who punts footballs in practice and told the media he was going to get thrown out of a Dolphins/Jets game.  Marshall went so far as to throw a football at Vontae’s face from point blank range, causing Vontae to erupt.  Reports indicate that other Dolphins teammates had to hold Vontae back….although, if I’m not mistaken, Marshall has about 1/2 a foot and about 20 lbs. on Vontae.  Who would win that fight?

I have to say that I’m disappointed in Vontae Davis.  I know that athletes are not angels and I don’t blame Vontae, or any Dolphins player, for going out and having a good time.  I’m disappointed because he is in his 3rd year and should be able to know his limits and act like a professional.  This is a year when you would think he would want to prove something to people.  ESPECIALLY when you come out and say that you and Sean Smith are the best CB tandem in the NFL prior to the season. The Dolphins secondary has been a joke this season, so you would think a prideful guy would want to do everything in his power to improve himself and the team.

And as for Brandon Marshall, I give him credit for calling out Vontae…..someone had to.  And apparently his Dolphins teammates agreed.  What I don’t agree with is exactly how he went about doing it, but at least he did it.  Maybe Brandon is finally trying to show that he can be a leader.  Maybe he’s put his own immaturity issues behind him….we can only hope.  After all, the Dolphins seemed to rally this week, as they beat the tar out of the Chiefs on Sunday.  Maybe this incident was a wake up call (although it’s about 7 weeks too late).  It’s probably only a matter of time before another incident like this happens.  If I’ve learned one thing from the 2011 Miami Dolphins, it’s that you never know what’s going to happen next.

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  • URIDOL2011

    First things first:
    Dolphin team, congratulations for an excelent game in full that you guys did against Kansa City. I actually respect the fact that you guys are trying hard no matters the turmoils inside the loker room. Is refreshing to see our team perform effectevely well balance in the offense and the defense. It is too late? It dosen’t matter, all you are professionals and in this life nothing is easy. I am sure that playing at this level, this Dolphin team can be any team for the remaining of the season, especially the Reskings comming next Sunday.

    It is very important for this team to regain their respect at their own house. All the advise calling for adjustments are paying good results. Matt Moore is doing an excelent job when is protected properly. Using TE Fassano more is paying more, he is big and versitile. Bush is running with more ground and since he arrive to this Dolphin team he had show his total commitment to contribute. The rush from the defense was excelent. I don’t know what you guys did, but the tipe of rush, energy, and consistency until the end of the game was extremately critical for the psychological well being of this team. The linebackers were on target and played agressive. Burnett is improving much better and the corners are getting much better.

    So things may turn around for this team, and you guys have left about 9 games. For sure i can garantee anybody that this Dolphin team playing at this level, they can finish this season with a real consistency and pride after a very difficult season. But ALL is on YOU GUYS. KEEP IT ON.

    V. Davis is a good player, it is to bad that this season he had been very limited do it to injuries to contribute to the team, but like I said, everybody face challenges in life and you got to face like man with maturity and honesty to reward your character as a person. If he show up drunk to practice, that is unacceptable as a profesional, but it is the responsability only of Sparano to address this issue to set an critical example on the team, especially when every player is uneasy because the losing spread.

    Nobody is perfect, and Marshall should know better that is not his business to parenhood Davis. Against, Esparano need to talk to this two player and re-establish mutual respect and boundaries.
    This team priority SHOULD BE FOCUS IN TO MASTER THE NECESARY CONSISTENCY ON THE FIELD TO CAME STRONG, REGAIN REPUTATION, DIGNATY, PRIDE, AND SAVE THEIR OWN JOBS.

    I try to share my views in good faith as a solid Dolphin fun.

    REMEMBER……keep focus, keep the aggressiveness on the offense and the defense. Take risks. Is better go down fithing, rather go down because yo did not try enough because you were to scare.
    It is very important for this team to keep diversifying the offense mixing different looks and If this team can haveThomas consistency and Bush on the sides, this team can go very far.