Yesterday seemed to be something of a relief for Miami speedster Ted Ginn Jr. After being benched for dropped passes and overall poor play at wideout, Ginn took two kicks back for touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 30-25 win over the Jets. So while Ginn still has aspects of the receiving game to work on, he’s still a valuable member of the team and lifelong Dolphins respect that too much to not unload on him, yes?
Well, actually, no. During the course of the week, a veritable Who’s Who of Dolphins greats were attending charity events, including hosts O.J. McDuffie and Bob Kuechenberg. The two, alongside such luminaries* as Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris, absolutely unloaded on Ginn, calling literally every aspect of his play into question. Kuechenberg, as he so often does, led the verbal assault.
From the MIAMI HERALD:
“He’s an embarrassment and a coward,” Bob Kuechenberg said. “He’s got alligator arms. It’s sad. I don’t even know that he has the ability. I haven’t seen it.”
McDuffie lamented, “Every good team has a solid No. 1 receiver, and we have nobody. Just a bunch of twos and threes. Teddy can run, but how much of a football player is he? You either have it or not. Teddy is not as astute a player as I thought he would be. I’ve seen him go down when nobody is around.”
Jim Kiick diagnosed Ginn’s problem as mental. “He doesn’t concentrate. And his route running is not good.”
Mercury Morris said Ginn “needs to talk to either me or [inspirational speaker] Tony Robbins about becoming enlightened and doing the opposite of the things he thinks are right.”
It’s almost an unfair fight to begin with; aside from Hines Ward and maybe Anquan Boldin, there probably aren’t any wideouts in today’s game that old, grizzled veterans from the ’70s are going to appreciate for their toughness. But with Ginn hasn’t made a tough catch in his life and shies away from contact, two things that are akin to taking a dump right on the 50-yard-line logo in a retired NFLer’s eyes.
For what it’s worth, other legends like Don Shula and Dan Marino, while also disappointed in Ginn’s play, asserted that benching him was out of the question - if for no other reason than Ginn’s a high draft pick and the ‘Phins aren’t exactly deep at receiver.
Those are circumstantial issues, though, and the reality is that throwing at Ginn has been a horror show on Sundays. Kuechenberg’s words, while unduly harsh (and totally par for the course for the old guy, of whom Jason Taylor once said “he needs a hug and a hobby”), are rooted in truth. And if Ginn’s going to work things out, it’ll probably happen with rep after rep after rep in practice, not by putting the team out a position to win and giving him 60 snaps during a game. Dude has a long way to go before he’s a legitimate wideout, and that seems abundantly clear to the former Dolphins quoted here.
*90% of the time, we use that term sarcastically, but no; Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris are actually legendary Dolphins.
1:42 pm on November 2nd, 2009
Bob Griese thins Ginn needs a taco.
3:21 pm on November 2nd, 2009
most of those old guys could’nt keep up in today’s game.
3:32 pm on November 2nd, 2009
bitter old men who wish they could still play and aren’t relevant anymore so they are looking for attention.
3:50 pm on November 2nd, 2009
Teddy Ginn Jr. has more talent than any other receiver on that team, and is a top 25 talent. His problem is mental and he needs to seek the help of a sports psychologist. As far as going down to avoid a hit, NO ONE ever criticized Marvin Harrison for it! Oh, I forgot, Marvin had a HOF QB getting the ball to him.
6:51 pm on November 2nd, 2009
A few thoughts. Easy to go with the ‘bitter old guys’ blast. They did play harder and had to work in the summer. On the other side, can you blame NFL players for trying to last for that next contract, with its bonus? The players union AND owners really need to get a real salary structure where proven talents get paid and young guys, like Ginn Jr, have to prove themselves - and that means getting down and dirty. Will it happen? Probably not.
3:02 pm on November 3rd, 2009
they are right on he falls down into a fetal position sucking his thumb before anyone is close to hitting him…. a big puss!!!
3:49 pm on November 3rd, 2009
He cant run routes, wont go over the middle, and drops wide open catches with regularity. They are dead on with their complaints.
Hes not a #1 or a #2 option on any team with a decent recieving corps, hes a kick returner and a guy you can use in decoy plays, thats about it.
But theyre also right that benching him is not an option as they have absolutely zero depth at WR… Good thing they have 2 solid running backs and a bag full of trick plays… Good luck with that in the playoffs
3:52 pm on November 3rd, 2009
And as far as the previous comment above about Marvin Harrison going down before big hits… Its a little bit different when youre averaging 25 yards a catch and running perfect routes. Youre an idiot to even compare the 2.
Ginn will NEVER be in the same category as Harrison, and Im not even close to a Colts fan. Just shows how much of a delusion homer you are to even try to justify a statement like that.
5:26 am on November 4th, 2009
he never ran good routes at ohio state he was just faster then everybody on the field and used his speed to his advantage.blame the dolphins for picking him so high in the draft he didnt tell him them to pick him. he wasnt ae ven a top 15 talent that year he was overrated comin out should of stayed another year but the idiot dolphins made him a top ten pick cause of his SPEED.
8:56 am on November 7th, 2009
i love these guys that run on about these “bitter” “old guys” who “aren’t relevant”…. these men had what it takes to be winners.
ginn can’t catch a ball, and neither can bess. dolphins could have made an offer to boldin. maybe they can get welker back!! ; ) cut the dead weight.parcelles!!