Porter talking to the talk but bumbling the walk

Trash-talking has its place in the NFL because, to a certain degree, it is entertainment. It turns up the volume on games and individual matchups. It piques the interest of the otherwise disinterested.

But trash-talking should be like a baton leading an orchestra. The words should be biting and true and sharp and, ultimately, should be backed up with action. Used that way, it sounds great.

Joey Porter uses it like a hammer banging on drums. It often has no rhyme, reason or rhythm. Lately, it is rarely backed up with on-field production. Coming from him now, trash talk sounds like noise.

And that's not all of it. Porter has throughout his Miami career made statements that give pause, and when he fails to back up those statements during games, he often disappears afterward. That's what he did last week when he ripped the NFL and Tom Brady, had a bad game, and then didn't speak with a crush of waiting reporters afterward.

Porter hung a bull's-eye on himself before the game, but dodged the bullets afterward.

So Porter's trash-talking ways, entertaining and even interesting when he first arrived in 2007, have grown old and tired. And the fact that Porter this year is not backing up his words with production on the field makes his trash talk a smelly, rotting pile of garbage.

That pile began to collect when Porter boldly predicted a victory over the Oakland Raiders in 2007. The Dolphins lost as the Raiders rushed for 299 yards.

He infamously called out the NFL and then-Jaguars receiver Matt Jones last year because the player was still performing after having been caught with cocaine in his car during the offseason. How could the NFL allow such a thing, Porter growled on a national conference call.

Except he didn't know the NFL had already issued a suspension for Jones and the reason Jones was still playing is he had appealed the ruling. Oops.

Last year he called out Matt Cassel.

Last week he called out Brady and the NFL.

He called out the Jets before the first meeting between the teams this year. The Jets lost, but that was because the offense had a great night even as the New York offense lit up Porter and the Miami defense.

Before the second meeting this year, Porter said he was focused on putting Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on the sideline "wearing an icebag." 

Porter didn't get close to Sanchez and didn't have even one tackle.

Fact is, even as Porter has continued to be one of the loudest voices in the Miami locker room, his production has dropped to a whisper. He is 15th on the team with 12 tackles. He is fourth on the team with 2.5 sacks. And he has not had a full sack since September, meaning October was a pretty bad month.

Last week Porter questioned the NFL and Brady. He suggested Brady is afraid of being hit and when he is, can basically call for an official to throw a roughing the passer penalty. And I guess one can say those things, questioning Brady's toughness and impugning the NFL's fair-mindedness, if you prove your point on game day.

But on Sunday, in a game the Dolphins needed to win to stay in the AFC East race, Porter didn't contribute a sack. Or even a tackle.

Someone working at Gillette Stadium decided to mock Porter for his big mouth and puny stats by showing the defeated player on the losing sideline as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Porter's statistics, or lack of them, accompanied the shot.

It was a bad move, as I wrote in my Monday column, because it showed very poor sportsmanship -- mocking an already defeated opponent.

But the reams of e-mails I got from Patriots fans basically made the point that Porter deserved it. And while I don't agree anyone deserves such treatment, Porter certainly set himself up for it with his big talk before the game and bumbling walk during the game.

So where do we go from here?

Well, it would be nice if Porter tipped the scales more toward tackles than talk, more toward hurries than harangue, more toward sacks than smack.

Talk the talk if you must, Joey Porter. But please walk the walk.

Comments

[Po White Trash]

Thanks FlogTheDolphin, some one gets it.

[ALoco]

OK,FLOG

I AM GOING OUT TO BUY HER A NEW IPOD BUT NOT SHUFFLE ,I WILL BUY THE CLASSIC I POD.IT COASTS 240 DOLLARS .

LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT I LOVE MY GIRL FRIEND .

[FlogTheDolphin]

And then some just like crap...

[FlogTheDolphin]

Way to keep it real, bro...I'm sure your chick will be getting her iPod from a steak lover real soon...

[KillerDolphin]

Oh A*s Monkey you know your only love is Brady I heard Giselle posted Brady Naked pic of his Member on TMZ now SCAT!!!

[Ziggy]

I'm so sick and tired of watching this regime do nothing to address wr! The friggin Bills have 3 wr's that are better than all of ours( Owens, Evans, could argue for Reed) Seriously folks what does it matter if we finish 3-13 or 11-5 if we can't beat the playoff teams because we are without a NFL caliber wr? Plus this regime had plenty of opportunity to trade in the offseason or sign a FA at the position to seriously upgrade. The fins are closer than most of you think, and with a clear cut #1 we beat Indy, NO, NE, and are sitting atop the AFC east! We finally have a young talented defensive secondary that will continue to improve, but since Parcells apparently thinks that wr is not important we are 3-5 with no real reason to even care about the last 8 games regardless of who we play. Everyone talks about rebuilding and retooling but with the simple addition of a go to guy on offense at the receiver position we are talking playoffs folks, with wins over 2 teams that currently are undefeated!!!!! Thanks Bill and Tony for using the offseason to really upgrade that wr position! Morons

[FlogTheDolphin]

Sounds like a meatball lover would be an upgrade too...

[FlogTheDolphin]

Hey Po,
Sounds like you should give AL's girl a go...
I'm assuming YOU can afford an iPod shuffle...

[Po White Trash]

No maids outfit no deal...

[FlogTheDolphin]

Well, according to Al...they're all the rage in prison these days...

[FlogTheDolphin]

Maybe he can get you a deal...

[Po White Trash]

:)

[D-dense]

Armando- halfway through the season, it nice to finally see you commenting on our D vs our O. Secondary and d-line have been our biggest problem all year. Peyton and Drew made sure to exploit our D. We see Brady at home in a couple of weeks. I hope it's enough and that the d figures out how to pressure him.

[FlogTheDolphin]

I know ALoco is REALLY looking forward to TomBrady's visit...

[FlogTheDolphin]

REALLY...

[X]

Anybody wonder where NJ is? Hmmmmmmm
Where is dying breed????

[swedish phish]

the media is to blame. it is refreshing to have a player not answer questions like a robot. as a die hard fan, i watch a lot the player interviews and coach press conferences, and what i can not stand is the generic "110%, we've just got try to get better everyday and make plays...." type of answer. i mean, god forbid a player actually speak candidly about something without spouting out a cliche every other phrase. what did j-peezy really say anyway? that brady has his own rule? everyone calls it the brady-rule, and the ref at the ravens game clearly pulled the flag after brady pointed at suggs. lets not forget that horrible trash talking about matt cassel. i think he basically said "cassel's not brady........" oh snap! but wait, he's not. not many qb's are. so what?!?! the media has to fill 24 hr coverage and daily blogs and so they make mountains out of mole hills, and then try to crucify him afterwards.

please stop criticizing his "trash talking". he is one of the few players that is actually interesting to listen to. i have no problem taking issue with his production, thats his job and needs to pick it up, but for god's sake dont make him have to answer questions like ted ginn (the team's worst interview)......i wont be able to take it!

[ajmjr27]

Well said Armando

[gallo]

NJ is over at the sun sentinel trying to uncover dying breed's plot to have NJ ousted from their blog site. hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaahhahahahahah

[sagneul from mexico]

but you have to agree that is very difficult to get a sack when you don´t blitz in a 34 def., i mean look the steel´s def. they blitz and blitz and blitz, and they do it with at least 5 man on 3rd down.

[gallo]

A gallo poll:

Who has the biggest EGO?

cuban menace or NJ PHIN Fan

[odinseye]

I like ego's in the mornin.

Lotsa syrup........ummmmmmm!

[KillerDolphin]

sagneul our 3-4 is llike a 5-2 and we still can't Get to the passer with five played on the line

[KillerDolphin]

Players on the line

[KillerDolphin]

We need to mix things up to win on defense and play Wake and Roth more

[morphin]

I agree that the NFL needs to investigate the time keeper. The Pats cheating knows no bounds. Most of the times the Fins blitzed Brady threw a screen. They need to tighten coverage on blitzes.

[bangee TED GINN's #1 FAN]

Say What you Want about the patriots but they are definately cheaters. Tell ME Something how is that offensive players and use their hands and "stife Arm" defenders but defensive cant touch the former, is it me or thats some BS.

[bangee TED GINN's #1 FAN]

Talking is what joey does he will come through, but tell me something how is that offensive palyer can use their hands "Stife arm" to the face but defensive palyers cant touch the former is it me or thats some Crap!!!

[carlito from golfito]

I don't believe aloco has girlfriend or even female that look at him or say one word to him. He only come to this blog to say so but it is his life long dream to have girlfriend.

[Akarojo]

I'm Ron Burgandy?

[CarlosVP]

Joey Porter talks, Tom Brady whines and pouts to the refs like a little school girl, Rex Ryan fantasizes that his team is great, referees get the calls wrong then get the instant replays wrong. Thats just life.

[carlito from golfito]

Jason Taylor is a progress stopper for Joey Porter? Is this what they were talking about? lol;)

[carlito from golfito]

Cameron Wake can't be worse at stopping the run than Joey "zero tackles" Porter

[Po White Trash]

Playen us again on NFL replay,thats 3 weeks in a row. Maybe they know the Dolphins are do a little respect.

Two or so more playmakers and we are at the next step.

[carlito from golfito]

WR
LB
NT
TE

[Po White Trash]

NFL Network showin our game for the third week in a row...

[Po White Trash]

On the money Carlito...

[JorgeBanks]

mando, i definitely agree with your blog entry.

just wanna say that your comment regarding the Patriots showing poor sportsmanship could not be spoken loud enough.

it is one thing if a player is stupid enough to be trash talking. he's just stupid, and operating below that of a secure, emotionally mature adult.

but when an entire team takes out their opponents player, it really speaks to the creepiness of their charcter.

how would the Pats have felt if at the end of the game last year we put Bela-Cheats face up on a screen and labled him the cheating-est coach in all of NFL history? That would have been true but in very bad taste.

New England is so very arrogent, they may be well coached and have a continual good record, but there is much to NOT be admired about them.

[Po White Trash]

Every dog has its day, ours is comming soon...

[Sunday Silence]

Armando

BORING

Dolphins also need consistency from "Armando".

IMHO this is crap-

[exdolphanforlife]

You poor bastards just don't get it. Don Shula was the last coach in Miami who knew what the hell he was doing and even he couldn't get to superbowl after 1984. Here are the dolphins problems now that I am officially a jets fan.

1. Overatted inexperienced head coach

2. Offensive coodinator calling college plays in a pro league

3. Defensive coordinator running a 3-4 defense who can't design affective blitzes and pressure plays and is too incompetent to know that you double team Randy Moss on every down.

4. A fat bloated relic of a football czar who has not won a superbowl in the NFL in 20 years, but he's a genius. Please! Some genius! everyone in Florida knows that the dolphins need a number one reciever but way to go and waste that second round pick on quaterback that can't throw to please an offensive coordinator who wants to run college plays. Not like we could have used that as a bargaining chip in a trade. Go Phins! Jackass fans.

[sammo]

wouldn't even have to be a big time wr just someone who consistantly moves the chains. definatly need a NT. and a playmaking LB. haynos might be able to fill the TE spot tho.

[Sunday Silence]

exdolphanforlife

Just like this article your crap

Go find a instant gratifying jack off team to make you happy you just have no clue think 1-15 and how long agao that was, jerk off.

[IndianaDolfan]

Aloco- you are a complete idiot! What has Long done wrong? I know game one against Atlanta was bad but other than that he's been good. If you say our run game has gone down it's not his fault teams are putting 7-9 players in the box since our receivers can't catch and can't get open enough for defenses to respect us! So what's your excuse?

[Ace]

Sammo, agree w/you. How have you been bro?

[Sunday Silence]

exdolphanforlife

Good get the hell out of here you like this blog article are crap.

[IndianaDolfan]

Way to go Sunday silence...a bunch of idiots around here

[Ace]

IndianaDolfan,

Dont waste your time with Aloco because it is the cuban meance aka gopats.

[CarlosVP]

He left the Dolphins to become a jets fan. Lying sack of sh.....

[exdolphanforlife]

Sunday Silence, it's the miami dolphins who are crap.

[sammo]

yeah the jets are doing great . before you make a bloated comment have you looked at your head coach? he is larger than parcells you know. Go Phins!

[Po White Trash]

exdolphanforlife,

1.Boring and monotonous.

2.Troll.

3.Truckstop poll puffer.

[IndianaDolfan]

Thanks Ace. Also if your an ex dolphins fan get off our blog. You wee never a true fan to begin with

[exdolphanforlife]

I'm sorry Po White Trash were you refering to Sunday's game. I agree. Boy I hope you guys even get to see the game on TV this weekend. LandShark is sure to have a television blackout after only 300 tickets are sold.

[IndianaDolfan]

We went 1-15 2 seasons ago and benefited from a easy schedule in which we beat bad teams and this year we are competing with the best teams in the NFL. Even though we are not winning those games and yes it's frustrating but we are still improving and are a good football team no matter what some of you non true fans think

[sammo]

i'm good Ace. been busy but have been watching the games. i like henne's potential. ricky's burst at age 32 really surprises me. i know he took a break and all but he can still run. Can anyone here tell me why we don't we use turner jump balls in the redzone? he should be able to at least do that by now. miami also needs more depth at corner.

[Ace]

Indiana,

I dont take those people serious. You know the ones that claim to be a fan then switch. They are just bozos. Phins for life for me.

[Po White Trash]

Sammo,

Of course he hasn’t looked at his head coach, instead of purchasing a wide angle lens to be able to see that mountain of crap loser he calls a head coach he has been buying cheap beer salami and Vaseline.

P.S. don't forget the deodorant, salami doesnt count.

[IndianaDolfan]

Exdolphinfan- you are still here??? Why??? If your not a fan leave and/or don't post loser

[sammo]

Indiana your exactly right. miami may not be winning but they are competitive. 1 more draft and free agency and miami will be back on top.