Second Thoughts

Cutler an easy target to pile on

Quarterback Jay Cutler has struggled through his first three games with the Miami Dolphins.
Quarterback Jay Cutler has struggled through his first three games with the Miami Dolphins.

People around the NFL are laughing at the Miami Dolphins.

The source of the amusement: Jay Cutler.

Cutler has been fairly awful this season, and many around the league can't help but chuckle because they could see it coming. It's not all his fault, these sources say. One scout pointed to Miami's last game against the Saints as an illustration.

The Dolphins had first and goal at the New Orleans 4. Tight end Julius Thomas was split out wide and covered one on one. Cutler then proceeded to throw a lazy pass off his back foot as he looked like a gimpy kangaroo hopping around.

The pass was intercepted.

Then, there was Cutler's hands-on-hips, unmovable statue moment during the Dolphins' running of the Wildcat formation Sunday in London. Both Cutler and Coach Adam Gase say Cutler was doing exactly as instructed, which more than a few people in the league are doubting.

Between chuckles and I-told-you-so's from team executives and scouts, the Cutler experience serves as a reminder of a message that scouts say organizations -- including their own -- can always adhere to: Systems are irrelevant if the talent isn't good enough.

Landshark it is

For the third time in less than two decades, Ole Miss is officially changing mascots.

MagnoliaStateLive.com obtained a letter from Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter in which it was announced that Rebel the Bear, the current mascot, is being retired and will be replaced by the landshark. The move comes a week after more than 80 percent of the school's students voted in favor of the change.

The new landshark mascot is expected to be unveiled before the start of the 2018-2019 athletic seasons.

"Upon learning of the [Associated Student Body] poll of students, we sought input from the executive committees of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, the Staff Council, the Faculty Senate, and the Graduate Student Council, as well as from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Spirit Squad head coaches," a portion of the president's letter read.

"In each case, the support for the landshark mascot was unanimous. In addition, the past presidents of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the boards of the Alumni Association and M-Club enthusiastically endorsed the action of the Alumni Association executive committee."

Colonel Reb was retired as the university's mascot in 2003. Seven years later, students voted for the black bear as the new mascot.

And, for those who were wondering:

"I want to state unequivocally that we are -- and always will be -- the Ole Miss Rebels," the chancellor firmly stated, no doubt referencing some who would like to see a new nickname to go along with the new mascot.

Look out, Federer

Many sports fans are pulling for injury-prone Joel Embiid's health and that he is able to play all season -- not just because he makes the Sixers better, but because there aren't too many entertaining players in the league off the court.

Video surfaced Thursday of the 76ers' 2014 first-round draft choice getting in some late-night tennis in Philly.

Embiid was asked about his tennis skills after practice.

"It's really good. I'm a really good server," he said. "They call me the black Roger Federer."

Sports on 10/07/2017

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