Dolphins’ Tagovailoa remains self-critical, citing ‘no excuse.’ And Marlins get TV deal

A six-pack of media notes on a Wednesday:

▪ While the rest of the Miami Dolphins roster generally has been neither seen nor heard during the first several weeks of this offseason, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues his bizarre I-wasn’t-good-enough national media tour.

It basically has gone like this: Tagovailoa, who’s a kind and humble soul, does an interview with Dan Patrick, Sirius XM’s Adam Schein or some other national personality and keeps delivering the same message: “I didn’t meet [my] expectations” and “I hope to have at least a decent career.”

And “I would describe my rookie season as below average,” and “I’m not too sure” if he will be with the team in 2021.

As colleague Armando Salguero wrote earlier this month, it’s all very strange, and the Dolphins need to build up Tagovailoa’s confidence and tell him they love him.

That tour continued this week with this revelation from Tagovailoa: He needs to be better in preparing for specific opponents. That came as a surprise, because coaches repeatedly said he was doing everything needed in that area.

“I just feel like I could have done things a lot different when the season happened as far as preparation for teams that we were playing,” he told The Sporting News.

“I can say a lot of the things I want to work on; they have to do with preparation. How to do certain things with coming to the line pre-snap, post-snap, identification right off the bat. A lot of those things, I’m working on right now and I don’t want to share too much.”

Tagovailoa said his major November 2019 hip injury at Alabama did not hamper him at all during his rookie season with the Dolphins.

“I would say with the hip talk and whatnot — to that there is no excuse for me,” Tagovailoa said. “Even with the hip or not the hip, I didn’t play the way I wanted to play. For me, I was very comfortable before I stepped foot on the field” from a health perspective.

But he again made clear, for at least the fifth time this offseason, that “this past season, it didn’t go the way I expected it to go… I’d expect more from me. And for any competitor, you’re going to be your biggest critic… If you don’t get your team to the big dance, I understand we’re playing in the NFL. It’s either that or you shouldn’t be playing the game.”

Tagovailoa downplayed the significance of his high jersey sales; the NFL said his jersey is currently the fifth-biggest seller, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson.

“I’d say it did surprise me, but it shows the support the fans in Miami and Dolphins nation have for our team,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s very honorable to say the least that a lot of Dolphins fans want to buy my jersey. At the end of the day, I think popularity falls... last of my list of things that I want.

“I just want to help my team win games, man. If I could give up the whole popularity deal and win a Super Bowl, then I would do that in a heartbeat.”

Tagovailoa finished his rookie season with 1,814 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions and an 87.1 passer rating.

▪ During a quarterly earnings meeting Wednesday, Sinclair Broadcast Group President and CEO Chris Ripley announced “we have binding term sheets” on a new TV deal with the Marlins.

That means the sides have an agreement in principle.

The Marlins’ annual TV revenue is expected to rise significantly from an MLB-low $20 million, but to what extent is not yet clear.

The deal hasn’t been finalized, which is why Fox has said there are no plans for Marlins spring training telecasts.

▪ CBS made a puzzling move this week, dropping former NFL MVP Rich Gannon after 16 years as a game analyst. Gannon was consistently sharp and prepared and offered more insight on the quarterback position than most of his network peers.

He was paired with play-by-play man Greg Gumbel as CBS’ No. 4 NFL game analyst last season, behind Tony Romo, Charles Davis and Trent Green. CBS could hire a new voice for its No. 4 team or move up No. 5 analyst James Lofton or No. 6 analyst Adam Archuleta.

▪ The second-half NBA TV schedule, released Wednesday, includes no Heat appearances on ABC but two Heat appearances on ESPN, both on a Sunday: 3:30 p.m. April 18 against Brooklyn and at 1 p.m. May 9 against Boston.

ABC has five games in the second half of the season: Lakers-Clippers on Sunday afternoon, April 4 and Brooklyn-Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon, May 2, as well as three Saturday night games: Lakers-Brooklyn on April 10, Golden State-Boston on April 17 and Lakers-Dallas on April 24.

Most unexpected game on the ESPN schedule: Bulls-Knicks April 28.

▪ TNT has doubleheaders most Tuesdays and Thursdays, including two Heat games: home against Portland on March 25 and the Lakers on April 8.

TNT’s second-half openers on Thursday, March 11: Boston-Brooklyn and Golden State-Clippers. TNT wisely opted not to oppose the first round of the NFL Draft on April 29. Improved Charlotte was rewarded for a solid first-half with a rare TNT game: April 1 against Brooklyn.

▪ One note about Dan Le Batard’s fledgling media company, Meadowlark: It will sell content to other outlets but will not have its own website or TV or radio channel.

Former ESPN president John Skipper, teaming up with Le Batard on the new venture, is working to sell Le Batard’s show to an audio company.

▪ NHL things: Sportsnet reported that ESPN appears poised to get back a piece of NHL cable rights. If NBC retains some cable rights, games likely will move from NBC-SN (which is shuttering at the end of 2021) to USA Network… Panthers ratings on Fox Sports Florida are up 54 percent, and the Panthers are on pace to post their highest rated season locally in 18 years.