Memories of Dolphins in Davie
The Miami Dolphins said goodbye last week to the Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University, their home away from home (Hard Rock Stadium) since 1993.
The next time the Dolphins conduct a practice, it will be at the practice fields adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins were at NSU longer than they had been at any of their previous five training sites — St. Petersburg Beach for 10 days in 1966; Boca Ciega High School for three weeks the same year; St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton for four years; the University of Miami for 2 1/2 months in 1970; and Biscayne College (later known as St. Thomas University from 1970-93.
There were a lot of memorable moments involving the Dolphins during those 28 years at NSU, some good and some not so good.
Here are 10 quick flashbacks from someone who has covered the Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989, and therefore was there for all the years at NSU.
THE TNT WALL
We start with a recent memory, the "Takes No Talent" sign on the practice wall, which players would run to and tap after committing a mental mistake. This idea from Brian Flores was about instilling discipline in his players.
THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE
This one is a little personal because I was involved after then-head coach Joe Philbin decided to nominate "the Dolphins media" to take the Ice Bucket Challenge after he himself had been nominated in 2014. There were five who accepted the challenge on that August day seven years ago — Adam Beasley (formerly of The Miami Herald and headed to Pro Football Network), Andrew Abramson (formerly of the Palm Beach Post), James Walker (formerly of ESPN), "Hollywood" (radio executive producer) and myself.
THE MANUEL WRIGHT EPISODE
This was one of the most bizarre scenes ever seen on a football field, as rookie defensive tackle Manuel Wright was seen wiping away tears while walking inside the practice facility after being scolded by then-head coach Nick Saban.
"FAIL FORWARD FAST"
Cam Cameron was head coach of the Dolphins for only one year, but he provided some memorable moments during that 2007 season. One of them came during a press conference when he set forth a rather interesting teach philosophy. If you really think about it, there's some logic to the statement, though it absolutely sounds strange at first.
THE TANNEHILL INJURY
Unfortunately, media members witnessed several players get injured at the Baptist Health Training Facility, but no injury was as significant as that sustained by Ryan Tannehill in one of the first practices of 2017. The injury occurred when Tannehill rolled out on a passing play and started running toward the sideline. As he got to the sideline, it was clear that Tannehill's leg gave out as he planted his foot. Given that Tannehill was coming back from the torn ACL injury he had sustained the previous December, things looked ominous and so it was that Tannehill ended up having to sit out the entire 2017 season.
THE MEMORABLE PRESS CONFERENCES
The large auditorium where the team would have meetings also served as the site for major press conferences, and the ones that clearly stand out through the years involved the introduction of new head coaches. But maybe there was none bigger than the press conference announcing Dan Marino's retirement in March 2000.
THE LOBSTER TRAP
The vast locker room at the Baptist Health Training Facility also had its share of noteworthy moments, and one that sticks was the presence of lobster traps in December of 2002. Those had been put in place by then-head coach Dave Wannstedt as a warning to his players not to take the Minnesota Vikings lightly in their next-to-last game before the finale at New England despite the fact the Vikings were 4-10 at the time. The unique motivational tactic didn't work because the Dolphins lost at Minnesota, 20-17, before blowing a 24-13 lead in the final five minutes of regulation at New England to miss the playoffs.
THE "HARD KNOCKS" SUMMER
The Baptist Health Training Facility never was in the spotlight as much as it was in the summer of 2012 when the Dolphins were selected as the team featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks." The show gave fans an inside look at the Dolphins' operations, where we witnessed on television Vontae Davis get the news he had been traded to Indianapolis and Chad Johnson get the news he had been released.
"THE GINN FAMILY"
There's no way to talk about memories of the Baptist Health Training Facility and not bring up the famous Cameron speech to fans gathered inside the practice bubble for the 2007 draft party. This was the speech that Cameron made following the selection of wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., a pick that wasn't well received by Dolphins fans, many of whom wanted the team to take quarterback Brady Quinn. To be clear, the Dolphins absolutely were right to choose Ginn over Quinn considering Ginn still was in the NFL last season and Quinn's last game came in 2012. Ironically, Quinn's last shot at making it in the NFL came in 2014 with the Dolphins.
CAMPBELL'S FIRST PRACTICE
Detroit Lions fans are getting a little taste of what Dan Campbell is all about, something Dolphins media members got to see first-hand in his first very practice as interim head coach in 2015. Campbell is intense, so maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise that his first practice would be just like that, complete with a skirmish and the old-fashioned Oklahoma drill (a full-contact one-on-one battle).
