A quick background about myself so you know where I'm coming from. I was born and raised in southeast Ohio. I fell in love with Dan Marino, met him in 1987, and from there, fandom turned to obsession (even as a 5 year old). The Miami Dolphins have been my undisputed #1 team of any sport for 25 years now, and even as a kid, I never understood "bandwagon" fans. I was going to be a Dolphins fan until the day I die. But as you can reasonably assume, there are no Dolphins fans in southeast Ohio. It's Buckeyes/Steelers/Browns country. It wasn't until college that I met a fellow Dolphins fan. I have been isolated from other Dolphins fans my entire life, so I have developed a sort of "us against the world" mentality when it comes to my team. I defend the Dolphins no matter how stupid I sound. Goes the same with my genre of music (heavy metal). When it comes to my passions and interests, I'm in the super-minority, at least in the armpit of Appalachia.

Which is why I am raising my glass to all of you here at the Phinsider. Kevin, Keith, KDog92, James, Brian, Martin (sorry if I forgot anyone): you guys consistently deliver quality articles with informed opinions, insight, and analysis. Thank you for the time and dedication you put forth to have one of the best NFL blogs on the planet. This is a very exciting time of year for me, especially this year (with the amount of draft picks, cap space, and roster flexibility we possess), and you guys supply us fans with provocative and informative articles on a regular basis. Keep up the good work!

I would also like to give a shout-out to some frequent responders. A few that come to mind are FinFanFromCA, Bahama, ct, zeus, Agent J 78, OFF4L, Beav, beneny, souwantmyname, Chris Early, yakov, dolphinfan4lyfe, and I'm really sorry if I forgot anyone. You know who you are! You guys help me formulate my opinions about the team, because you are just as dedicated, motivated, and intelligent as I am trying to get this ship moving in the right direction. All of you have very educated, insightful responses to these stellar articles. I think of this website as a Dolphins "think tank", and I believe, like in society, a group of well-intentioned people can influence what is around them. And this "think tank" would be nothing if it weren't for you guys and the moderators.

In the vast abyss of mock drafts and potential free agent acquisitions/departures, we can kind of lose sight of why we are here. We are some of the most dedicated fans on the planet, and I can attest to that. The only Dolphins games I can go to are road games (without breaking the bank, and I'm a teacher, so the bank is thin). I have seen the Dolphins beat the Packers at Lambeau (the year GB won the Super Bowl) and win at Cincinnati this year; I have witnessed Colt McCoy lead a 4th quarter, last-second drive against us to win in Cleveland. Point being, no matter where I go, Dolphins fans are well-represented, even at the tundra in Lambeau field.

We are some of the most dedicated fans on the Earth, and after a decade of mediocrity, we still have the same fortitude and desire to win. We remember the days of excellence, and we will do anything to get there again. Keep up the good work, everyone! I'm raising my glass to everyone here at the Phinsider (even though it's noon) for everything you contribute and everything we embody. It ain't easy being a Dolphins fan, but the way I see it, it will only be that much sweeter when we arrive at the top. Congratulations to you all, and I look forward to many more discussions!