Brian Hartline

[Quiet Speed]

A black writer says Brian Harline is racially profiled. He should be careful, he’s messing with a hornet’s nest. Some of the readers are incredulous.

Miami Dolphins: Why the hate for Brian Hartline?
by: Omar Kelly May 25th, 2012 | 11:35 AM
Brian Hartline doesn’t get the respect he deserves.
Brian Hartline has led the Dolphins in receptions two of his three seasons.


I know why, and YOU know why. The difference between the two of us is I’m not afraid to say it.

Hartline, the Miami Dolphins’ starting receiver, is a victim of racial profiling. Trust me, as a black man (with dreads) living in America I know racial profiling when I see it.

Hartline’s a white athlete playing a skill position that’s dominated by people with darker skin. That’s the reason I suspect many believe he’s an inferior athlete.

That’s the reason most Dolphins fans don’t respect the FACT Hartline has led the Dolphins receivers in yards per reception two of his three seasons.

I suspect his appearance is one of the reasons Hartline, a former Ohio State standout, is consistently disrespected by his own fan base, despite being one of the team’s steadiest players the past three seasons.

I’ve watched Hartline closely, and critically for three seasons. During that time I’ve been won over by his intelligence, and solid route running. I’ve also concluded he’s a solid starter. One that has some upside to do more.



I’ve pointed out Hartline’s numbers in his first three seasons are superior to those of Jordy Nelson, hinting that Hartline could have a similar breakout season to the one Nelson produced in Green Bay’s offense. But few Dolphins fan believe me.
Why? Is it because they haven’t seen him maximize his opportunities as the team’s No. 3 receiver?

While Hartline didn’t get a lot of opportunities the past three seasons – for various reasons -this video proves when his number was called on he usually got open, is quarterback friendly, delivered the catch, and on occasion made a big play.

Yet, most Dolphins fans can’t envision him catching 60 passes for 918 yards (that’s what he’d produce with his 15.3 yards per catch career average), serving as a viable weapon in Joe Philbin’s west coast offense.

Why is that? Dig deep and give an honest answer.

G.G.G.

Video of Brian accompanies the article here.

 

[backrow]

now that's a surprising blurb... after reading "85 can beat the likes of..." i was sure a writer will take a shot at Hartline, but i was wrong. must have slipped past their censorship!

Chad Ochocinco - WR - Dolphins

Dolphins signed WR Chad Ochocinco to a one-year contract.

Ocho is 34 now, and you don't need us to tell you he hasn't been productive lately. Perhaps he'll concern himself with football in Miami. Assuming he does, we like Ochocinco's chances of beating out the likes of Legedu Naanee and rookie B.J. Cunningham for the starting spot opposite Brian Hartline. The new coaching staff doesn't seem at all taken with second-year wideout Clyde Gates, and Davone Bess is entrenched in the slot. With diminishing ability and a quarterback position destined for in-season musical chairs, it would be an upset if Ochocinco made any noise in 2012 fantasy football.


Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports

 

[bigunreal]

What is going on with Hartline? Almost inexplicably in line to be the Dolphins' #1 WR this season, he has been injured all of camp. Weenieworld described him today as "lost" during Friday's practice. It's called a "calf" injury. Doesn't sound serious. He needs to be tougher and play.

How often over the past 30 years has any white WR been considered his team's #1 WR? Probably not since Steve Largent retired. Welker has never been called a #1. McCaffrey never was. Jordy is lucky to given half his team's snaps.

How often does this kind of mysterious thing happen? How many coincidences do we have to accept? Thanks to Hartline's absence from what seems to be a really minor injury, the odious Chad Johnson is receiving "glowing" reports and is now in line to be the team's #1 WR.

Hollywood couldn't write it any better.

 

[Don Wassall]

Hartline had an appendectomy and now has a calf injury. He's been banged up a lot in his NFL career. You were whining about Eric Decker yesterday but he's back to full practice already.

What's your theory, that Mr. X in the league office called Hartline on the NFL red phone and ordered him to have an unnecessary operation and then follow that up by pretending to have an injured hamstring? If the Dolphins were intent on him not being their number one receiver, they wouldn't have traded Brandon Marshall, or they would have selected a receiver or two in the early rounds of the draft in April but they didn't. Is that evidence of a conspiracy to deliberately not replace Hartline? Evidence of a Hollywood script to promote a White wide receiver who is little thought of by the media and DWFs?

 

[bigunreal]

I'm just saying this stuff always seems to happen, Don. Hartline's appendectomy was a while ago-he's missing time due to a calf injury. We all know what happens to white skill players who miss time with injuries. Hartline has to be tougher and play through what is surely a minor injury.

Coale was the favorite to be the Cowboys' #3 WR, but gets hurt. The other white WR on the Cowboys inexplicably leaves the team despite looking impressive. There aren't that many whites being given any chance to play. Every missed opportunity counts.

I know that most black players get injured easily and don't exactly push themselves to get back (unless you're afraid of your white backup playing, like Adrian Peterson). Whites don't have that luxury and will be criticized and marginalized for being half as injury prone, or taking half the time to come back as most blacks do.

That's the reality; whites simply can't afford to be injured, unless it's clearly something serious (and Hartline's injury is not). White WRs are on the brink of breaking through to a noticeable degree. We need every one of these guys to stay on the field.

 

[Don Wassall]

I'm just saying this stuff always seems to happen, Don. Hartline's appendectomy was a while ago-he's missing time due to a calf injury. We all know what happens to white skill players who miss time with injuries. Hartline has to be tougher and play through what is surely a minor injury.

Coale was the favorite to be the Cowboys' #3 WR, but gets hurt. The other white WR on the Cowboys inexplicably leaves the team despite looking impressive. There aren't that many whites being given any chance to play. Every missed opportunity counts.

I know that most black players get injured easily and don't exactly push themselves to get back (unless you're afraid of your white backup playing, like Adrian Peterson). Whites don't have that luxury and will be criticized and marginalized for being half as injury prone, or taking half the time to come back as most blacks do.

That's the reality; whites simply can't afford to be injured, unless it's clearly something serious (and Hartline's injury is not). White WRs are on the brink of breaking through to a noticeable degree. We need every one of these guys to stay on the field.

Why not just write that then in the first place, instead of alluding to mysterious conspiracies and Hollywood scripts every time something negative happens to a White athlete. You'd have a lot more credibility that way.

And I would say it doesn't "always happen." When a White receiver is injured you write about it, but you don't mention all the White players who stay healthy. Jordy Nelson and Wes Welker played all 16 games last year; there was no conspiracy to take them off the field even though they were among the statistical leaders at a "blacks only" position; in fact they both had among the best seasons ever by a White receiver, during the same season Rob Gronkowski was smashing records at the tight end position.

Coale has also returned to practice, pretty impressive how quickly he's come back from a broken foot. And sorry you Beasley fans, but he had next to no chance to make the Cowboys roster. This is the time of year when puff pieces appear on just about all 90 players in training camp. I don't know the circumstances about his quitting, it could well have been harassment, but if that was the case Coale would be the player for anti-White racists to zero in on, not Beasley, as Coale has a chance to see decent playing time as a rookie.

You write that Whites "simply can't afford to be injured," but you know that's an impossibility. Injuries are part of football. I'm sure Brian Hartline feels a lot more frustrated about his injury right now than you do. "Playing through it" often only makes muscle injuries worse as they can take a while to heal properly. And his appendectomy was not a while ago, it was during OTAs.

 

[Kaiser_Soze]

I'm just saying this stuff always seems to happen, Don. Hartline's appendectomy was a while ago-he's missing time due to a calf injury. We all know what happens to white skill players who miss time with injuries. Hartline has to be tougher and play through what is surely a minor injury.

Coale was the favorite to be the Cowboys' #3 WR, but gets hurt. The other white WR on the Cowboys inexplicably leaves the team despite looking impressive. There aren't that many whites being given any chance to play. Every missed opportunity counts.

I know that most black players get injured easily and don't exactly push themselves to get back (unless you're afraid of your white backup playing, like Adrian Peterson). Whites don't have that luxury and will be criticized and marginalized for being half as injury prone, or taking half the time to come back as most blacks do.

That's the reality; whites simply can't afford to be injured, unless it's clearly something serious (and Hartline's injury is not). White WRs are on the brink of breaking through to a noticeable degree. We need every one of these guys to stay on the field.

No need to be a panicky drama queen. Good gravy.

I guess I'm an optomist. I believe that good things are on their way. Jordy Nelson is going to shock the world and average over 100 yards a game and score 20+ touchdowns. Hartline and Decker will have their first thousand yard seasons. Wes Welker will age like fine wine and put together another incredible year. Guys like Cooper, Sazenbacher, Collie, Whalen and Durham will continue to develop. Shipley and Amendola are going to come back strong from injury. Devon Wylie is going to tear up the league returning kicks and catching passes.

It's the NFL, so crap happens. Injuries are common. Not everything I've wrote will come to pass. But our guys are finally starting to get the chances they need to produce, and I think that they're going to open some eyes.

 

[bearclaw500]

I have been periodically checking the dolphins website for an updated depth chart. I looked today and they have Brian Hartline as the 7th string WR. He went from 1st string to 7th string over an injury.

 

[Westside]

Calf injuries can be a tricky injury to fully recover from in a short time. I run 4 miles 4X week. A month and half I pulled my calf just joggin! Probably age who knows. Now I am gingerly running on it. I can not properly push off on it. Hopefully It continues to get better.

I can't fathom a wide reciever "lying" to himself thinking he could play through this type of injury in the NFL when speed and cutting is essential. If one comes back too soon, he will tear the muscle further and his season will be lost. One less pale face to cheer and another affelet to root against.

 

[Don Wassall]

I tore a calf muscle playing tennis in 2010 and it hurt like a sonofagun and took a while to heal. For some reason we never get any information on Hartline's calf problem -- is it just a strain or is it a tear of some kind? Big difference between the two.

 

[Don Wassall]

Hartline finally returned to practice yesterday. He can still have a big season, though Miami may have a weak offense this year.

 

[whiteathlete33]

He has to produce this year. I don't know how good Tannehill will be but we will find out. Hartline is the only white number one receiver.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's a nice article on Hartline (except where the author slips up and calls Brian a "possession receiver"). I've been predicting that 2012 will be Hartline's breakout year even with a rookie QB throwing the ball for the Dolphins, and if he stays healthy he should eclipse 1,000 receiving yards fairly easily. With 161 yards after 2 games he's on a 1,280 yard pace, and considering that Ryan Tannehill should keep getting better, Hartline should have a few more big games this year.


Miami Dolphins Player Profile: Brian Hartline

http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2012/09/17/miami-dolphins-player-profile-brian-hartline/

 

[backrow]

from rotoworld:

Brian Hartline caught one ball for 41 yards in Week 3.

Hartline only plays outside -- not in the slot -- so he was matched up with Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie all game. His 41-yard catch came in overtime. Hartline is Miami's best wide receiver, but that's obviously not saying much. He'll be a dicey WR4/5 until Ryan Tannehill starts playing better.

 

[Westside]

Considering that Brian has obvious talents to succeed in the NFL, it was a mystery why not one single word was stated about him during the entire Hard knock series on HBO featuring the Dolphins.

Just endless segments devoted to affeletic scrubs trying to make the team as wide recievers. Yeah, nothing to see here, move along.


We, know the reason why. Congrats to Brian on an epic day showing his skills.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Considering that Brian has obvious talents to succeed in the NFL, it was a mystery why not one single word was stated about him during the entire Hard knock series on HBO featuring the Dolphins.

Just endless segments devoted to affeletic scrubs trying to make the team as wide recievers. Yeah, nothing to see here, move along.


We, know the reason why. Congrats to Brian on an epic day showing his skills.

No matter how many affletes Hartline burns he's always considered a "possession receiver" by the media and DWF's. Why can't they just give him his due credit. No he's not the fastest player in the league but he's a legit deep threat. The excuse is blown coverages from Weenieworld though they did give him some credit.

 

[bearclaw500]

I noticed a trend while reading articles on Brian Hartline today. (Remember he was a state champion hurdler in the state of Ohio in the 110m and 300m, and nearly broke the state record in the 300m.)

From Michael Lombardi:
"Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline was great against the Cardinals , proving with his 253 receiving yards and 80-yard score that crafty route running is more important than blazing speed."

http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000068...hould-sit-russell-wilson-and-play-matt-flynn/

From a website called the Phinsider.com:
"Safety Adrian Wilson begins to move toward Hartline, but seems to be jogging and watching to see if the receiver catches the ball, rather than running full speed to make a play."

and this one:
Crafty fourth-year receiver Brian Hartline used his cutbacks to slice up Raiders cornerbacks Pat Lee and Joselio Hanson for career highs of nine catches and 111 yards.

http://www.californiasportsnews.com/oakland-raiders/brian-hartline-burns-raiders-corners/

and this as well:
It could be a long season for the Dolphins, but if Tannehill can keep finding Hartline on some crafty routes and Bush can return to his form during the second half of last season, this team could quietly make some noise.

http://couchsideshow.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/expect-more-moster-games-from-miamis-hartline/

 

[jaxvid]

I noticed a trend while reading articles on Brian Hartline today. (Remember he was a state champion hurdler in the state of Ohio in the 110m and 300m, and nearly broke the state record in the 300m.)

From Michael Lombardi:
"Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline was great against the Cardinals , proving with his 253 receiving yards and 80-yard score that crafty route running is more important than blazing speed."

http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000068...hould-sit-russell-wilson-and-play-matt-flynn/

From a website called the Phinsider.com:
"Safety Adrian Wilson begins to move toward Hartline, but seems to be jogging and watching to see if the receiver catches the ball, rather than running full speed to make a play."

and this one:
Crafty fourth-year receiver Brian Hartline used his cutbacks to slice up Raiders cornerbacks Pat Lee and Joselio Hanson for career highs of nine catches and 111 yards.

http://www.californiasportsnews.com/oakland-raiders/brian-hartline-burns-raiders-corners/

and this as well:
It could be a long season for the Dolphins, but if Tannehill can keep finding Hartline on some crafty routes and Bush can return to his form during the second half of last season, this team could quietly make some noise.

http://couchsideshow.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/expect-more-moster-games-from-miamis-hartline/

Good catch!

Crafty? I guess it's better then "sneaky" which was the favored explanation for the caste-defying White receiver previously. I wonder if the combine will start testing for "crafty" since it seems to be a valuable talent as it can be used to "slice up cornerbacks".

 

[sport historian]

Good catch!

Crafty? I guess it's better then "sneaky" which was the favored explanation for the caste-defying White receiver previously. I wonder if the combine will start testing for "crafty" since it seems to be a valuable talent as it can be used to "slice up cornerbacks".

Back in the 1970's the term "heady" was a favorite.

 

[Don Wassall]

Very interesting that all of a sudden "crafty" pops up as the favored Caste-speak description of the hive in at least three articles.

 

[Budmademewizer]

Nice article about the Dolphins showing interest in keeping Hartline around for a while and covers the problems he overcame before the start of the season.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...rian-hartline-miami-dolphins-talking-contract

Looking at the comments truly shows how most DWFs feel about him.Every other comment is about how they still need a "real" #1 receiver,what a joke.


Really good one here.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...-painful-path-to-become-nfls-leading-receiver

 

[Don Wassall]

Really good one here.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...-painful-path-to-become-nfls-leading-receiver

I highly recommend that everyone read the article. We were wondering why Brian was missing so much of training camp with what seemed to be only a hamstring issue, but he suffered through some real adversity after his appendectomy, including being hospitalized for 12 days and losing 25 pounds because he couldn't eat.

When you think how far he's come in just a few months, you gotta believe he's still not one hundred percent yet in spite of how well he's playing.

The article also has video highlights of his huge day last Sunday.

 

[white lightning]

Great article and I also enjoyed rewatching the hilites from the game. What a sensational athlete and an even stronger person!

 

[Don Wassall]

The number one yardage receiver in the league gets disrespected by the owner of the team, as only a White player would be subjected to.

Dolphins owner Steve Ross called the acquisition of a No. 1 receiver the team's "top offseason priority." Brian Hartline will be a free agent after this season, but Ross said he's not a No. 1 kind of talent anyway. The owner said the team will do "what it takes" to add a premier pass-catcher to aid Ryan Tannehill's development. Some potential free agents this spring include Greg Jennings, Wes Welker and Dwayne Bowe. Meanwhile, Hartline leads the NFL in receiving yards through five weeks.

 

[whiteathlete33]

The number one yardage receiver in the league gets disrespected by the owner of the team, as only a White player would be subjected to.

Dolphins owner Steve Ross called the acquisition of a No. 1 receiver the team's "top offseason priority." Brian Hartline will be a free agent after this season, but Ross said he's not a No. 1 kind of talent anyway. The owner said the team will do "what it takes" to add a premier pass-catcher to aid Ryan Tannehill's development. Some potential free agents this spring include Greg Jennings, Wes Welker and Dwayne Bowe. Meanwhile, Hartline leads the NFL in receiving yards through five weeks.

I saw that earlier in the day and was going to post it, but I hate posting from my cell phone at work. Anyway, that shows how much Hartline is valued. Most spots website feel the same way and claim that the Dolphins receivers suck.