http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/cont...phins_0828.html</p><h2>Mare dishes the dirt about leaving Miami</h2> <div align="right"><a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2007/08/28/a1c_dolphins_0828.html#" target="_blank"> </a></div> <p class="byline">By JASON LIESER</p><p class="source">Palm Beach Post Staff Writer</p> <p class="npodate">Tuesday, August 28, 2007</p> <span class="body"> DAVIE — Kicker Olindo Mare, who grew up Broward County and played 10 seasons with the Dolphins, never wanted to leave Miami.</p> But now he's happy that Dolphins coach Cam Cameron and General Manager Randy Mueller traded him to New Orleans.</p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left"><tbody><tr><td><div class="inset"><div class="freeform"> </div> <div class="custominclude"> </div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table> "I might send them a Christmas present," Mare said.</p> Mare has plenty of reasons to be happy in New Orleans.</p> "Why wouldn't any kicker want to come here?," he said. "You know you're going to the playoffs, possibly the Super Bowl, you've got an unbelievable offense and you're kicking in a dome."</p> Mare on Thursday will face his former teammates when the Dolphins visit the Saints for their final pre-season game.</p> The coach who rejected him said Monday he wanted someone who was comfortable kicking in the cold-weather, AFC East stadiums of New York, Buffalo and New England.</p> "We don't need a South Florida kicker," Cameron said after contemplating his answer for 25 seconds. "We need a Northeast kicker who can kick in South Florida - a guy who can kick on dirt, kick on grass, kick in New York."</p> The Dolphins this spring replaced Mare with free agent Jay Feely, who played at the University of Michigan and kicked the past two seasons for the New York Giants.</p> Last year, Mare made a career-low 72.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, but half of his 36 kicks came from beyond 40 yards, including six of 50 yards or longer. His numbers also suffered because the Dolphins' offense presented him with only 22 extra-point attempts, the second-lowest total in the NFL.</p> Mare went 1-for-3 in New England and 1-for-2 at the New York Jets, including an attempt from beyond 50 yards in each game. Over the past two seasons, Mare was 5-for-10 in divisional road games and 14-for-20 in all outdoor road games.</p> Whether or not he can kick in cold weather is less important this season with New Orleans playing 11 regular-season games indoors and only one game - Dec. 30 in Chicago - in a potentially frigid venue.</p> But Mare said the biggest benefit for him in 2007 will be getting away from the infield dirt at Dolphin Stadium.</p> "It's not my problem anymore," he said. "We've had the Marlins go to the World Series twice and been on that stuff in October and November. To stick up for Feely, even though he took my job, it's not an easy place to kick.</p> "I tried not to make a big deal about it because the big linemen and backs are falling on it every play. Ask them if they like it. If a big-name guy gets hurt they'll consider changing that field."</p> Feely was signed a month before Mare was traded, but Feely said his counterpart handled the situation gracefully.</p> "Right when I got down here he took me out to dinner and we played golf a bunch of times," Feely said. "I know it was difficult for him, but he made it really easy for me."</p> Mare acknowledged it was hard to put his Davie home up for sale, but not as hard as missing the playoffs five years in a row.</p> "I was happy in Miami; I was born and raised there," Mare said. "But right now I would not want to be down there."</p> Mare holds most Dolphins kicking records, including career points (1,048), field goals (245) and percentage made (80.9). He set team single-season records with 39 field goals and 144 points in 1999.</p> Mare, 34, also is one of the NFL's best on kickoffs. His 141 touchbacks in the past 10 seasons are unsurpassed.</p> This season, he will play for one of the NFL's top offenses. The Saints kicked 47 extra points last season and nearly 70 percent of their field-goal attempts came from inside 40 yards.</p> "I don't know how many more extra points the Saints will kick than the Dolphins, but I bet it will be at least 20," Mare said. "It's going to be a big deal for me. It's not like I'm out to show anybody, but I'm going to have a really big year."</p> </span> <div id="cxnStoryComments"> </div> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span class="body"> "We don't need a South Florida kicker," Cameron said after contemplating his answer for 25 seconds. "We need a Northeast kicker who can kick in South Florida - a guy who can kick on dirt, kick on grass, kick in New York."</p> </div> </p></span> The above quote shows me that Cam gets it.</p> If Mare were consistent & productive when it counted then he would not have anything to B**** about. </p> </p>
