Miami Dolphins fans must have felt like things were really falling into place for them when Brady Quinn fell into their lap with the 9th overall pick. The Miami draft party was rocking, the fans were in a frenzy, and then commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement. The Dolphins were selecting Ted Ginn Jr??? A team ready to release Dante Culpepper with only monumental bust Joey Harrington on their roster passed on Quinn for a guy Cameron told fans would be a great punt returner. Wow.
Here’s a few excerpts from around the internet on the ‘Phins selection.
From Deadspin:
“This is a bad, bad pick. Ginn couldn’t find the middle of the field if you gave him Mapquest directions and a GPS. Ginn’s extremely fast and could impersonate Devin Hester as a rookie, but he doesn’t like to stray into that neighborhood between the hashmarks where those big, bad safeties live. That’s a big red flag: the NFL is full of guys like Roddy White and Brandon Lloyd who can’t contribute to an offense because they get the yips when they’re too far from the sidelines.”
From FanHouse:
But if Cameron thinks Ginn provides the Dolphins a deep threat, well, I’d remind you (again) that Miami currently doesn’t have a quarterback. And when they trade for Trent Green — which is looking like a real possibility now — the team still won’t have a deep threat because Green can’t throw the ball more than 30 yards down the field.
From USA Today:
Thirty minutes after selecting Ginn with the No. 9 pick, Cameron made a three-minute appearance at a draft party in the Dolphins’ indoor practice bubble. Fans greeted him with boos and continued to jeer as he spoke, and some made a thumbs-down gesture.
“Hey, we need that thumb to go this direction,” Cameron said, pointing his upward. “Ted Ginn is going to be someone you’re going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami Dolphin.”
During Cameron’s speech, some fans began to cheer for Ginn, while others broke into a chant of “Brady! Brady!”
From the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
Mandich, the ex-Dolphins tight end and diehard Michigan alumnus, even donned a Notre Dame hat before the pick. He thanked the “football Gods” for the first eight teams passing on Quinn, and playfully threatened to strangle Dolphins coach Cam Cameron if he did the same.
Then it came.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Dolphins had selected Ohio State’s speedy receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr.
The bubble seemed to burst with boos as hundreds of disappointed and angry fans headed for the turnstiles.
“That’s a horrible pick,” said Tommy Gonzalez of Hialeah. “We needed a difference-maker. That guy is still injured. He was good in college, but he’s undersized for the pros. It’s ridiculous.”
From FloridaToday.com
Well, at least somebody’s giving them credit. Because Miami Dolphins fans were none too pleased with the team’s decision to draft Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. with the No. 9 pick instead of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.
Even Ginn — who was happy to become a Dolphin — thought Miami would take Quinn.
“For sure,” Ginn said. “. . . You know Miami is hurting for a quarterback right now and Brady Quinn is a great quarterback. For me to beat him out, it was all a good and a great thing from God.”
Dolphins fans, at least those who showed up at the team’s draft day party and those blogging on fan Web sites, weren’t exactly on board.
As Cameron walked up to the podium to address the team’s draft day party crowd, those who hadn’t already stormed out greeted their new head coach with a chorus of boos and even a few chants of “Brady! Brady!”
From the Palm Beach Post:
Lifetime Miami Dolphins fan Abed Alexis had seen enough.
Moments after the Dolphins shocked everyone and passed up Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn to draft Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. with the No. 9 pick, Alexis was going home.
The long-anticipated day was less than two hours old, but Alexis felt like the Dolphins had blown it again on draft day.
“I came here to see Brady Quinn, not Ted Ginn Jr.,” Alexis, 25, said. “All these years we’re waiting for a guy to replace Dan Marino. We get our chance and take Ted Ginn.”
Poor, poor Dolphins fans, they Do NOT have Joey Harrington any more, he was traded to Atlanta on the 9th of April. Mike