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]

exdolphanforlife,

Don't know how you type with your mouth and hands full of trucker pole, u got talent.

[exdolphanforlife]

The dolphins are not a good team. Good Teams don't have 3 and 5 records. By your standards Tennesse must be a superbowl contender.

[IndianaDolfan]

Oh ace I know what ya mean. I'll never switch teams. No true football fan does. I have lived in Indiana my whole life and will always be a miami fan. Your never going to see me jump on another teams wagon. I root for Miami and any team playing the cheaters or the worthless jets. When they play each other I root for the hot cheerleaders to get naked with each other and have a big lesbian orgy plus me in the middle of it

[exdolphanforlife]

Indiana garbage I will eat you for breakfast idiot

[carlito from golfito]

exdolphanforlife = marc the madden man

[sammo]

Lmao po white trash good one.

[IndianaDolfan]

You are comparing a season on 8 games and not taking into account who they played and how they played those games. Miami is a better than average football team but not a great team and considering where we were in 07 that's not to bad!!!

[Po White Trash]

How will you eat him for breakfast when your mouth is already full of trucker skeet?

[IndianaDolfan]

Eat me for breakfst?? Is that the best you can do? Back up your worthless talk with actual football knowledge....wait you don't have any! No offense to the women on here but you B!T(H more than woman

[sammo]

trucker clock who wants it? talk to teddy bear! ( bob and tom show) trucker skeet that's great

[carlito from golfito]

exdolphanforlife only know madden football with controlers and buttons not real life with field and pads.

[exdolphanforlife]

that was not me who made that last post Indiana. I don't give personal insults for the record. however the dolphins simply sucked. they have sucked for 15 years. Your all time hero dan marino left the field at a 62 point beat down and now is Peyton Manning's groupie. The only reason they won the AFC East is because Brady was on vacation, Buffalo was deciding wheter or not to stay in the country, and Mangenius was the Jets head coach. Nuff said there just look at what he's doing in clevland. Oh and you guys also had the weakest schedule in the NFL last year and the number 1 draft pick after going 1 and 15. If the dolphins had any pride they would have gone 0 and 16 and at least take Tampa's record. But like most things the dolphins can't do much right. Fins suck!

[IndianaDolfan]

Keep up the good word Armando which requires you to write anything and everything you want on your OWN blog! Don't listen to these fools on here bashing you. I enjoy reading all the blog news you write

[kdolphins]

exdolphanforlife is a loser

[Po White Trash]

exdolphanforlife,

Well we do do the personal insult deal,

Get of our blog, eat sh*t and die you poll puffing giz gulper.

[carlito from golfito]

exdolphinsforlife has no heart...

...or balls

[IndianaDolfan]

I have said we benefited from easy schedule but that's something we don't choose idiot. Even though we are 1 game behind jets with record we are still the 2nd best team in our division. We have smoked the bills the past 2 years and beat the jets 3 times the past two seasons and the one loss was out of pure Brett facer luck

[sammo]

miami didn't suck when they swept the jets did they? now get back down on your knees and say hello to mr ginn. his acorns need cleaning.

[Spillmar]

Exdolphan sounds alot like that sheathead tortured

[IndianaDolfan]

He gas no brains either carlito

[exdolphanforlife]

Why are you all mad at me. You should be pissed at the crap the dolphins are putting on the field every week. You don't even know who you want to quaterback your team and you want to get a number 1 reciever?!

[IndianaDolfan]

Typo. Should of been has not gas. Sorry

[FlogTheDolphin]

Ummmmm.....
We DID beat the jets twice this season, no????
Looks like you might wish to rethink your choices...exdol-whatever.

[carlito del golfito]

mi nombre es carlito y me gustan los chicos de la banda de

[Jay]

Ginn may not be able to catch, but you must use him as a decoy to stretch the field. That's 2 games in a row where we could not get a 1st down in the 1st half. And if people are going to be scared to kick to him like Bilicheat, he needs to be returning punts. Think of the field position.

[IndianaDolfan]

We are not mad at you but just proving how big of a no good loser you are. Henne is our QB and just because we run a formation that has him not taking snaps does not mean we don't know who we want at QB

[Ace]

LMAO@ sammo with "his acorns need cleaning."
Sammo you off for Veterans Day?? I thought so because you too work for the govt.

[carlito del golfito]

mi nombre es carlito y me gustan los chicos de la banda de

[exdolphanforlife]

you beat the jets twice by pure luck. Dolphins are bums.

[carlito from golfito]

Exdolphanforlife,

Of course you feel need to impersonate me.

Henne the Hero fool

[Po White Trash]

I smell it, its fear; exdolphanforlife knows what’s coming down the pike, a new ruler of the AFC East. We got the Wets number and The Bills don't matter. Pats are next.

Phins rule, bank on it...

[carlito from golfito]

2 times is no luck fool

[FlogTheDolphin]

EDP-Miami is a better place w/out you.
(PS. What kind of loser bothers with "for life" at the end of ex fan/phan???)
You ARE special. Keep the (Jets) helmet on.

[Ace]

Indiana,

The exdolphinfan is another fool like aloco here. His purpose is to drive all of you crazy with silly posts. Come on, let him go be a fan of soem other team so be it. What a waste.

[exdolphanforlife]

you wont win 6 games this season po white trash

[IndianaDolfan]

So some of the games we lost you don't consider lucky wins by the other team? Colts getting the ball 15 minutes and winning. Saints getting dominated as well and getting some BS calls...did you see SI picture from that game? Charges game losing starting QB in 3rd quarter is hard to rally upon. GET A CLUE LOSER

[ALoco]

JUST BEAUTIFUL ,ALL THE DONKEYS ARE HOME .

[exdolphanforlife]

carlito twice you got lucky. Go back to Panama, you are not even a legal citizen, jerk

[Spillmar]

I agree with powhite. As to exdolphan you are a obviously a sore loser. When did the jets last win the suerbowl? Jets suck so bad they don't even own a stadium. Also don't get me started how bad the fans stink on game day. There is a reason Jets fans are the armpit of the NFL.

[Po White Trash]

It doesn't even take luck to beat the Jests..

What a joke.

They should move them to the USFL.

Losers.

[FlogTheDolphin]

What's 3?
Deja Vu???

[sammo]

no i worked. government yes Ace think of me as big brother. the eye in the electronic sky we call the internet. So next year does miami address the Wr need in the draft or free agency?

[ALoco]

we will not even win 6 games this year , all players already planning summer vacations and making sure they don't get injured .

IPOD CLASSIC IS BEAUTIFUL .

[Po White Trash]

"wont win 6 games"

Must suck getting swept by us...

Loser....

[FlogTheDolphin]

ALoco- thanks for confirming you're the expert on all things pertaining to ass & jail.
You da man.

[Po White Trash]

Hee hawww Heee hawww....

[Ace]

Sammo

I believe miami will address the WR position in the draft. Are you fed or state govt? Just curious

[carlito del golfito]

Carlito dos veces tienes suerte. Volver a Panamá, no son ni siquiera un ciudadano legal, imbécil

[Po White Trash]

FlogTheDolphin

Sharp!

[ALoco]

flog,
i never seen your name before but i love reading your posts .they r funny and classy unlike your sex advice .

[KKK]

Exdolphan dont like hispanics

[FlogTheDolphin]

Raquel Welch is beautiful, too...(and a classic)
But in 2009, I'd rather play with Eva Mendes.

[carlito del golfito]

no he trabajado. Si el gobierno Ace pensar en mí, como hermano mayor. el ojo en el cielo electrónico que llamamos Internet. Así que el año próximo se abordará la necesidad de Miami Wr. en el proyecto o la agencia libre?

[coco]

Wheres NJ ??????????

[ALoco]

who's more of a donkey ?

ACE
PO TRASH
K. DOLPHINS
FLOG
PS....CARLITO IS A GREAT HUMAN BEING.I WISH K.DOLPHINS THE DONKEY LOVE HIM AS FLOG LOVES ACE .

[exdolphanforlife]

Love hispanics actually. The Domincan Republic is one of my favorite places to vacation.

[Standley23]

Didn't we have this conversation last night with ExDolphin? Or is this de ja vu aswell?

[ALoco]

FLOG,
YOU R IMPROVING .....VIVA EVA.M

[Po White Trash]

I have not worked. If the government Ace to think about me, as older brother. the eye in the electronic sky that call Internet. So next year the need will be undertaken of Miami Wr. in the project or the agency free?

Dude what?

[carlito from golfito]

exdolphanforlife,

sorry for you I am legal here, you don't know anything about me fool... or football.

go play some madden fool