The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is the Miami Dolphins NFL football team. They get the award for the following.

The Miami Dolphins are awaiting word on the condition of the sore right knee of linebacker Joey Porter, the team's priciest off-season acquisition.

Teammates said if there's a problem it's better Porter address it now, with the season opener Sept. 9 at Washington a little more than a month away.

Others say Porter's recent history of knee problems prevented him from performing at his best, raising questions when or if the 30-year-old will return to Pro Bowl form.

Porter needed arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in May 2006, a little less than a year after he received the same procedure on his left knee.

Palm Beach Post columnist Charles Elmore hits the nail on the head as he sums up the Porter situation.

Maybe the knee problems can be sorted out without much long-term disruption. But the name James Andrews adds fuel to suspicions the Dolphins failed to pick up on something the Steelers did: Porter is not worth a premium investment anymore.

Even if no immediate surgery is needed, it is worrisome that Porter remains in pain despite arthroscopic surgeries on both knees in the past couple of years.

Or, let's say doctors clean up debris in the right knee, and he's back in two to four weeks.

That is still a setback for hopes he will be an impact player right away.

If Zach Thomas misses camp, it's not so bad because he knows the defensive terminology and assignments and does not have to think about what he's doing. That is not the case with Porter in his first season with the Dolphins.

All of this runs counter to what was supposed to be the whole point with Porter.

He was allegedly worth the money because he would help make a good defense immediately better, buying time for the offense to rebuild.

Even if Porter proves fully functional in a month or so, the signs are abundant that he will remain subject to chronic knee trouble that slows down his speed off the edge.

Even if Porter doesn't have surgery, his productivity is not going to be what the Dolphins were expecting. Why didn't the team know the status of Porter's knees before signing him?

This is the latest in a long line of dumb personnel moves made by Miami. Throwing away second round picks for AJ Feeley and Daunte Culpepper. There was the Ricky Williams debacle that cost Miami a pair of first round picks. Last year's first round pick Jason Allen, who is in serious danger of being cut this year. There are also underachieving 1st round picks, Vernon Carey(who Miami threw away a 4th round pick on to move up ONE position in the draft) and Ronnie Brown. Don't forget linebacker Eddie Moore Miami wasted a 2nd round pick on, or Running back Lamar Gordon of 35 Rushes, 68 yards that cost the Dolphins traded a 3rd round pick. The jury is still out of Miami's latest Quarterback Savior, Trent Green, but early signs are troubling.

Fans can only take so much incompetence and stupidity after a while. Soon they will be coming to games with bags over their heads, embarrassed to be supporting a franchise that can't ever learn. Enough is enough already, that's why I make the Miami Dolphins today's Knucklehead of the Day.

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