Brian Hartline

snow

Mentor
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
920
Interesting read.

Maybe the Browns should have drafted Hartline instead of Robiskie, same school, except Hartline is producing and could stretch the field, he avged close to 23 yards per catch his senior year. Robiskie is coming off a career best 7 catches for 50 yards. Id like to see Hartline do good, but I am rooting for the Browns to win and for Hillis to go over 95 yards.
Edited by: snow
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
Don Wassall said:
Here's a solid article on Hartline. It gets into stereotyping without mentioning race; in fact the paragraph i've highlighted in bold is very oddly phrased, as if the writer was downright scared to state what he was obviously talking about.
<div></div>
<div>
<h1 style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;">Miami Dolphins' Hartline quietly puts together strong season</h1>
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;"></div></div>
<div>
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;">Despite having the numbers to back him up, Brian Hartline's role and importance in the Dolphins offense is often misstated.</div>
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;"></div>
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;">BY DAVID J. NEAL</font></div>
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: left; color: rgb0, 0, 0; text-decoration: none;">
<h3>dneal@MiamiHerald.com</font></h3>
<div id="story">


Sometimes, perception clouds reality. Take the case of Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline.


Hartline's from Canton, Ohio -- 45 minutes from Cleveland -- so he really wants to have a good game this week, just to keep the Browns fans who are his pals back home quiet over the summer.


Also, it would allow him to indulge his own brashness. He's kid-faced but has the hard-nosed mentality that used to be associated with Ohio football back in the 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust days. He drew plaudits from Dolphins coach Tony Sparano for his blocking of defensive ends last week.


Perception: Not starting against Cincinnati, the only game Hartline didn't start this season -- in front of a crowd from Canton that came to see him -- served as a wake-up call. Since then, he has caught 18 passes for 328 yards -- 53.3 percent of his 2010 receiving yardage -- in the past four games.


Reality: Neither Sparano nor Hartline thinks that's the case.


``Nothing's changed as far as preparation and mind-set or anything,'' Hartline said. ``It's a weird circumstance.''


Sparano thinks Hartline's just seeing more opportunities.


``While [wide receiver] Brandon [Marshall] was out there, we've seen a lot of heavy coverage go to Brandon, and that opens some things up and some opportunities up for Brian, which it really has all year,'' Sparano said. ``He's made the most of those opportunities, and then, of course, the last couple weeks he's had run-after-catch opportunities, particularly last week. When Brandon went down in the Chicago game, Brian started to pick up a bunch of the pieces there.''


Perception: The Dolphins don't have a receiver who can stretch the field, get behind the defense for the long pass or turn a short out into a touchdown.


Reality: That might not be said if Hartline wasn't the fastest Dolphins wide receiver regularly in the lineup.


Hartline's 16.3 yards per catch led the Dolphins last year and he had the longest (67 yards) and third longest (57 yards) receptions of the season. This season has been nearly a rerun: His 14.3 yards per catch leads the Dolphins regulars, and his 54-yard catch was exceeded only by the 57-yard catch-and-run by sometime-inactive Marlon Moore last week against Oakland.


That was Hartline running 2 yards behind the safety on the first play against the Jets earlier this season. Chad Henne overthrew him, but Hartline was there.


``That's some people who don't know what they're talking about,'' Hartline said. ``I don't know why it comes that way. I don't know if it's stereotype. I couldn't tell you. Saying Brandon can't do that, myself or Marlon [Moore] or anybody for that matter, that's silly.


``We've missed opportunities. Maybe on the stat sheet it doesn't show up that way, but the ability to do so is not lacking.''


It could be stereotype. When Cleveland coach Eric Mangini gave thumbnail opinions of the Dolphins receivers other than Marshall, he called Davone Bess ``dangerous with the ball in his hands'' and ``he can take a short one a long way,'' though Bess averages only 10.9 yards per catch with a season long of 29 yards.


For the 6-2, 195-pound Hartline, Mangini gave the ``runs outstanding routes, is tough, has good hands'' summary so often given to wide receivers too big for the Speedy Gonzales mold (i.e. Brandon Stokely, Tim Dwight, Don Beebe).


Although he might not have the Top Fuel dragster speed of former college and NFL teammate Ted Ginn Jr., Hartline was a state champion high hurdler in high school and ran the high hurdles for Ohio State's track team.


Moore, the only wideout who might be as fast as Hartline, said, ``When he catches the ball sometimes, he comes back to the sidelines and says, `Did I look fast?' I was like, `Duh!' '' Moore said. ``Brian is fast.''</div>Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/04/1956616/unhyped-hartline.html#ixzz177lpjqzT
</div></div></div>

Good article Don. I remember at the beginning of the season the DWF's and media were calling for Hartline's head after his zero catch performance the first game. He's proven that he's an effective receiver and like most whites at the caste positions, he succeeded when given an opportunity.
 

Colonel_Reb

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
13,987
Location
The Deep South
Yep, Hartline was only targeted 3 times that game. 0 for 3 is a fairly average start for black WRs, but the DWFs only notice/remember drops by White players. I'm really glad Brian is having a nice year. I just wish they'd go to him more near the goal line.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
The DWFs and mediahave beenafter Hartline from the day he was drafted, because he's White, and because he was one of those very rare White WRs who was drafted close to where he should have been.
Anyway, Chad Henne is a good young quarterback but needs to step up his game in the redzone as well as his ability to hit receivers on long throws. Would be nice to see Brian get a few long TDs this season. He only has 1 TD, but so does Brandon Marshall.

Hartline is grudgingly getting respect from fantasy football players because of his solid and consistent play. As has been mentioned by others, the popularity of fantasy football makes it a lot harder for the media to downplay and degradeWhite players than it used to.

Not that they don't try though. I've sent private correspondence to the writers of two different popular fantasy sites who love to hate Hartline, politely pointing out his many good qualities and backing it up with links to articles and mentioning stereotyping but nothing explicit about race. Here's the best one of those writers, who is also the owner of the site-- and who routinely calls Hartline "the worst receiver in the NFL" -- could come up with earlier today. This is the sum total of his email response to me: "Yeah, sure, we're racist, other than Wes Welker."




Edited by: Don Wassall
 

Colonel_Reb

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
13,987
Location
The Deep South
So he's admitting it? Wow. Are these fantasy football league hosting sites, Don? Or are they just fantasy "news" providers?
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
Colonel_Reb said:
So he's admitting it? Wow. Are these fantasy football league hosting sites, Don? Or are they just fantasy "news" providers?



I think he's saying it sarcastically, rather than engaging in a serious discussion. I imagine he would vehemently deny being racist against Whites, but he won't examine his pronounced biases against White players, including on that site White QBs. His ego is way too big for that.

It's a site I've subscribed to for 11 years and it has a lot of good information, but the owner's over the top, quickfire denunciations of White players really aggravates me. He hated Matt Jones with a passion, writing in the preseason that it looked like he was "running in cement." Here's his take this week on Toby Gerhart: "If Peterson can't go or is limited, expect to see a lot of Gerhart, but don't expect to be wowed. He's a guy who's fine for hitting it up in there and could put up some numbers if he gets a lot of touches, but he runs more like a fullback than a tailback, and he looks like he's carrying bricks on his back." This after ignoring Peyton Hillis all preseason and well into the season, and even then he wrote that the injured Montario Hardesty "has a lot more talent than Hillis."

That's why it's important for us to keep writing comments after articles on the internet, and contacting these people personally when appropriate. They need to know that anti-White bigotry and stereotyping, whether engaged in consciously or not, is no longer acceptable.
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
Don Wassall said:
The DWFs and mediahave beenafter Hartline from the day he was drafted, because he's White, and because he was one of those very rare White WRs who was drafted close to where he should have been.
<div></div>Anyway, Chad Henne is a good young quarterback but needs to step up his game in the redzone as well as his ability to hit receivers on long throws. Would be nice to see Brian get a few long TDs this season. He only has 1 TD, but so does Brandon Marshall.
<div></div>
<div>Hartline is grudgingly getting respect from fantasy football players because of his solid and consistent play. As has been mentioned by others, the popularity of fantasy football makes it a lot harder for the media to downplay and degradeWhite players than it used to. </div>
<div></div>
<div>Not that they don't try though. I've sent private correspondence to the writers of two different popular fantasy sites who love to hate Hartline, politely pointing out his many good qualities and backing it up with links to articles and mentioning stereotyping but nothing explicit about race. Here's the best one of those writers, who is also the owner of the site-- and who routinely calls Hartline "the worst receiver in the NFL" -- could come up with earlier today. This is the sum total of his email response to me: "Yeah, sure, we're racist, other than Wes Welker."</font></div>
<div></font></div>
<div></font></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>

Hartline tested very well at the Combine. That's probably what got him drafted in the fourth round. If not for those great numbers he might have had to catch on as a free agent. The scouts were claiming he was slow before the Combine. I must admit I was a bit worried after that first game too but he's proven to be very solid.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
Too bad. Brian was on his way to 900+ receiving yards in just his second season and had become a solid producer game in and game out on a team with a weak passing game this season.

From Weenieworld: Dolphins placed WR Brian Hartline (finger) on season-ending injured reserve.

<DIV =s_pNewsTextMain>Hartline injured his finger in Week 13 against the Browns, recently underwent surgery, and will now finish 2010 with 43 catches for 615 yards and one touchdown. As Chad Henne will miss Hartline's consistent production, Brandon Marshall will likely have his hands full with shadow coverage from Darrelle Revis when the Fish face the Jets Week 14. Hartline should return to a starting role in 2011, and could make for a fine WR4 if the Dolphins improve their passing game.
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
I caught that on Rotoworld yesterday as well. It sucks for Hartline as we was having a very good season. You have to love that last line from Rotoworld though. Hartline "should return to a starting role." Would they even write that type of crap about a black receiver who had a solid season? I don't think there is any question Hartline should be a starter next season. He should be even better next year.
 

backrow

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Messages
7,209
Location
Spain
hey, coming from rotomundo that's an improvement! their normal company line would be: he will surely be replaced by a receiver with a bigger upside and explosiveness...
 

Colonel_Reb

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
13,987
Location
The Deep South
Hate to hear this news about Brian. Hopefully he'll have a decent shot next year and can work toward 1,000 yards receiving.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
I follow media articles that mention Hartline closely, as well as the attitudes of the DWFs toward him. He is easily the most disliked White WR in the NFL today, and the most disliked since Matt Jones and Bill Schroeder. The DWFs have had it in for him since the day he was drafted. Why? I think it's because he starts on the outside and because he's the Dolphins' main deep threat, both serious affronts to Caste System orthodoxy.

Hartline's yards per catch has been excellent in both his seasons with Miami. He was on pace last year to have over 900 yards in just his second season -- even with arch-prima donna and ball hog Brandon Marshall on the team -- before being injured, despite being on a team with a very weak passing attack. Marshall is a slow and over-rated receiver, and one of the league's most prominent thugs, yet remains far more liked than Brian. I hope Tony Sparano and the Dolphins brass stick with Hartline because he has all the tools to have a very successful career.
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
Hopefully Hartline remains the starter in Miami. The DWF's have been calling for Bess to take over opposite Marshall. We also can't forget that they drafted Edmond Gates who the DWF's will be rooting for. Just take a look at this article from a DWF on Bleacher Report. No mention of Hartline and Marshall and Bess are the only "physical" receivers.

[h=1]2011 NFL Draft Results: Edmond Gates Provides Deep Threat to Miami Dolphins[/h]
By Thad Novak
(Featured Columnist) on May 1, 2011
9 reads
0 comments




Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more storiesNext
Edmund-Gates-web_crop_340x234_crop_340x234.jpg
Miami Dolphins Nab Explosive Wideout in 2011 NFL Draft
College football fans aren’t likely to be familiar with tiny Abilene Christian University. Bears fans, though, have become well acquainted with the D-II school, which produced Chicago standouts Danieal Manning at safety and Johnny Knox at wide receiver.
Miami Dolphins fans will likely join that group soon, thanks to Miami’s addition of another Abilene Christian wideout, Edmond Gates.
MUST READ: Grading The First Three Rounds Of The NFL Draft
Gates is raw, both because of playing against lower-level college competition and because he didn’t play for most of high school. Given a chance to make a play in space, though, he’s a threat to go the distance at any moment.
Gates paced the field at the combine with a dazzling 4.31 40 time. His ability to stretch the field will be a great complement to more physical Dolphins receivers like Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess.
Expect Gates to see significant playing time next season as the Dolphins look for ways to turn his speed to the best advantage. The more experience he gets, the more dangerous he’s likely to be.
Most recent updates:


Flag
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
They're very much enthralled with Gates for sure. The odds are pretty good that he'll never amount to much, but it won't be because the media and most of the DWFs aren't pulling for him to replace Hartline.
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
If he stays healthy, Hartline has a good shot at cracking 1,000 yards receiving on the season. It's nice to see the rare white receiver that is allowed to play on the outside. Will he end up like Mike Furrey if he hits 1,000?
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
Hartline, the most despised White player in the league, will likely get to start again this season. He needs improved play from Chad Henne or whoever starts at QB, because he's the main target of the ire of the DWFs (along with Henne) even though he has played well his first two seasons. He's tall and fast and is the only big play maker the Dolphins have, but is often reviled as "slow" and mediocre at best. He was headed for 900+ yards last year in just his second season before getting injured -- which would be a fast track to stardom for a black receiver as the third season is generally considered critical in the development of a receiver -- but Hartline is probably in a make or break situation in 2011. From Weenieworld:

Fourth-round pick Clyde Gates is listed as Brian Hartline's direct backup on the Dolphins' preliminary preseason depth chart. Gates known as "Edmond" as Abilene Christian, but has changed his name to "Clyde." The No. 111 overall pick in the draft, Gates boasts more speed than Hartline and could pass him if he catches up to the speed of the game quickly. The Fins are desperate for a true deep threat to run clearing routes on the outside.
 

celticdb15

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
8,469
I'm looking for Henne and Hartline to develop that chemistry and be able to help each other out. I hope the Dolphins play well this year and that Hartline, Fasano, and Henne all play beyond their meager expectations.
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
It seems they never give a white receiver a break. I believe Hartline is one of only two(Kevin Walter) white receivers in the league allowed to start on the outside yet he's supposedly not a definite starter as of yet.
Coach Tony Sparano has yet to name a starting receiver opposite Brandon Marshall.

The assumption has been that Brian Hartline will start on the outside, but Davone Bess saw a lot of snaps out wide as well as in the slot last season. Hartline is undraftable in 12-team fantasy leagues this year.
 

ToughJ.Riggins

Hall of Famer
Joined
Nov 19, 2006
Messages
5,063
Location
Ontario Canada
Yes I agree with the comparison, IE. Bess is a poor man's Welker. Bess is most similar to Amendola for talent level.
 
Last edited:

backrow

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Messages
7,209
Location
Spain
Gruden just called Hartline the fastest Dolphin. Twice. On a MNF. Good stuff!
 

whiteathlete33

Hall of Famer
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
12,669
Location
New Jersey
Hartline compared to Kevin Walter by Weenieworld. What a surprise.

Brian Hartline caught four passes for 77 yards in the Dolphins' Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys in Week 12.



Hartline drew a key first-half pass interference call to set up a 28-yard field goal try for Shayne Graham. He came back with a highlight-reel 41-yard reception over the top of Alan Ball in the third quarter. Essentially a younger version of Kevin Walter, Hartline is a better player than his stats indicate, but his week-to-week targets are incredibly inconsistent. This was Hartline's second game over 47 receiving yards all season.
 

backrow

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Messages
7,209
Location
Spain
he is nothing like Walter. i am baffled by this at times. is Newton essentially a younger version of Vince Young???
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
Tony Sparano likes Hartline, but Sparano is most likely gone after this season. I'd like to think Brian will remain a starter but I'd say the odds are against it.

It wasn’t too long ago when it seemed wide receiver Brian Hartline had disappeared in the Miami offense. His re-emergence is where we start our talking points for Monday morning:

1. Coach Tony Sparano offers high praise for the contributions of Brian Hartline.
After catching four passes in two of the first three games and 16 over the first four, Hartline all but disappeared from the offense, with only two catches for 25 yards over the four games prior to last Thursday. Then Hartline had one of his busiest days, with four receptions for 77 yards including a 41-yarder against Dallas.

Sparano left no doubt how much he values his third-year wide receiver in his press conference the next day.

“A lot of the players _ most of the players _ are very unselfish, they don’t care who gets the credit,†Sparano said. “But I’m not sure Brian isn’t one of the most unselfish. He doesn’t really care what his job description is: You want me to run downfield on the kickoff team, I’ll run downfield on the kickoff team. You want me to play on punt team? I’ll be gunner on punt team if that’s what it takes. Want me to block on the toss crack, I’ll block on the toss crack, the big defensive end.

“The guy’s unselfish, and when his number is called Brian comes up pretty big, and on that big stage (Thursday) he made some big plays. That’s the most disappointing thing in the ballgame, the big plays (we) made, both offensively and defensively, and we just didn’t come away with the win.â€

Hartline has amazed with his toe-tapping sideline catches and offers more of a deep-threat complement to Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess, who, Marshall’s 39-yard TD catch last week notwithstanding, are both more underneath, possession-type receivers. As Sparano also noted, it’s easy to forget Hartline only turned 25 last week and is still learning his craft. He’s a valuable contributor.

full article: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...brian-hartlines-re-emergence-a-welcome-sight/
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
This writer has it right -- both that everyone in the media (and most of the DWFs) thinks that Hartline stinks, and also his prediction that Brian will have a breakout season. Unless of course they're stupid enough to let Dink and Dunk Garrard be the starting quarterback.

WR Brian Hartline – While everyone is “hootin’ and hollerin’” about Miami’s void at wide receiver, Brain Hartline seems to be in line for a large role in the new offense. Although almost every analyst seems to think Hartline “stinks”, #82 has been one of the best offensive pieces Miami has had in years. Hartline has great hands, great field awareness and he runs crisp routes. He’s not fast? That is a complete and utter lie. Hartline is actually very fast. #82 may be Miami’s best receiver, and that may not be so bad after all (He’s no slouch at WR). It would be ignorant to say that Brian Hartline will have a similar season to Packer’s WR Jordy Nelson, but I will say that it wouldn’t surprise me. http://phinphanatic.com/2012/05/27/six-break-out-candidates-for-the-miami-dolphins/
 
Top