This courageous commentary comes from Omar Kelly, longtime (and soon-to-depart) Solar-Sentinel sports activities columnist.
Sure, it is a severe evaluation factor Kelly supplied on certainly one of his ultimate days on the job. Simply days earlier than the graduation of one of the vital anticipated seasons in Dolphins historical past, Tua’s character is what was on Omar Kelly’s thoughts.
This isn’t it @OmarKelly . Calling out Dolphins gamers the second you stroll out the door.
You claimed that you simply at all times shot it straight when reporting however by no means did you name Tua, a “weirdo” then, however resolve to do it when you’re gone. That my pal known as being a fraud. pic.twitter.com/D4apNwcgHJ
— Fins Discuss (@Fins_talk_) August 17, 2022
To say Kelly’s pointless, irrelevant, and downright immature feedback concerning the Dolphins’ most polarizing star created a firestorm could be an understatement. The feedback felt over the road. They added nothing to any football-related dialog that has been occurring.
Somewhat than take part throwing gasoline on the fireplace, we might slightly have a extra significant and mature dialogue about why Tua deserves higher, and why what some could understand as “bizarre,” we discover admirable.
Questioning why Tua does not match right into a field individuals like Omar Kelly deem “regular” sufficient? Beneath are 5 legitimate causes we should not be judging the Miami Dolphins quarterback’s character.
Ricky Taught Us Nothing
The Miami Dolphins bought the perfect and worst of Ricky Williams. Relying on what 12 months it was, you would say Williams is a High 5 all-time beloved, or hated, participant.
Quick-forward to as we speak, and Ricky is a made man in Miami. He is universally beloved by followers and media. If he walks right into a yoga studio and smiles, all the place lights up.
It wasn’t at all times like that. Ricky was coping with a extreme case of social nervousness throughout his a number of tenures with the Dolphins, solely exacerbated by individuals, like Omar Kelly, who labeled him a weirdo.
Recognize Tua now, and skip the Monday quarterbacking later. You by no means know what somebody goes by means of. Labeling them a “weirdo” says extra about you than it does them.
Completely different Tradition
Following Kelly’s feedback about Tua, it has been en vogue to deliver up the truth that his mother and father joined him in Alabama when he dedicated and performed for the Crimson Tide. It is truthfully unhappy society frowns upon households which can be this tight-knit, or a scenario not like their very own.
Tua was a star of stars, going from Hawaii to Alabama, of all locations. His household — and his Polynesian tradition — aren’t bizarre for shielding one another. They’re the conventional ones.
I am positive everybody studying this is aware of somebody who by no means bought married and lived with their mother and father deep into their 30s and past. In America, that is thought of bizarre. In fact, we are the bizarre ones for judging others’ private selections and cultural variations. Particularly those who must do with household.
Regular Sucks
Who’s regular? What’s regular? Who decides this stuff? Definitely not Omar Kelly — a person with a really public historical past of being very mad on-line at followers, and who as soon as bragged about making an attempt to kill somebody.
Chris Bosh was made enjoyable of his complete profession for daring to indicate emotion. His pursuits in musical devices and coding weren’t “cool.” Apparently, he ought to be listening to Future on a ship with a number of jewellery on. That will be so regular of him.
Tua Tagovailoa is extra like a standard fan than he’s a rich, egotistical NFL participant. Possibly he is extra regular than his teammates, and that confuses them.
Mike McDaniel Is not “Regular”
First-year Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is fairly open about his previous struggles with alcohol habit. He is most positively not your average-looking, -talking, or -acting head coach of an NFL staff. That is made him an enormous hit with the fanbase and gamers to date, so why would Tua’s demeanor be thought of “bizarre”?
Tua and McDaniel may simply be a match made in heaven because of their distinctive personalities, which fairly clearly go far deeper than what occurs on a soccer subject.
Baby Stardome
Many quarterbacks are drooled over from the time they’re in highschool. It is the character of sports activities as of late. Soccer golf equipment in Spain are already hyping up youngsters youthful than 10 years previous. In Tua’s case, he was the closest factor to the LeBron James of school sports activities as there’ll ever be. Not solely has he handled it as knowledgeable and stayed out of bother — similar to LeBron at all times has — however he is been a job mannequin for youths and carried out the suitable issues.
If Tua is completely different, perhaps it is as a result of that is all regular to him. He does not must be excited or placed on an act. The eye has actually crammed his complete life, effectively earlier than he starred at Alabama.
