More dolphins have beached themselves on the shores of Cape Cod in the past three weeks than typically beach in an entire year, and marine biologists have no idea why. This is the "single largest stranding" of dolphins in the Northeast since at least 1999, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and rescuers anticipate more to come. Interestingly, this is happening just as Congress is poised to cut funding for stranding response teams nationwide. "If scientists do not have the funds to determine the cause of a mass mortality event, there could be a threat to public health without anyone knowing," the IFAW warned Congress last week. Here's an MSNBC news video segment from the dolphin-clogged beaches of Cape Cod: more ›

The Dolphins are livid after Jets conditioning coach Sal Alosi tripped Miami cornerback Nolan Carroll as he was running out of bounds during yesterday's game (video below). The move added to the shame of the Jets' loss; Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder told ESPN, "They're cheaters. They do what they do. They cheat. They talk junk. But we beat the hell out of them today...I wish they'd tripped me. I'd have broken that old man's leg." Running back Ricky Williams said, "It's the Jets right? We're not surprised." Alosi has also released this statement: more ›

Jets fans can be forgiven for a feeling of disillusionment after their team's 45-3 loss at New England on Monday. The game that may have decided the AFC East race has also created more than a shadow of doubt about this Jets team, which fell to 9-3 with the loss. Coach Rex Ryan, who buried the game ball in an effort to put the defeat behind his team, keeps saying the effort was "only one game." But the Jets have hardly looked like world beaters in many of their games this season, so is it really fair to call that loss "only one game"? more ›

Miami knocked the Jets from the playoffs in Week 17 last season and delivered a 31-27 defeat in South Florida earlier this season. So the Jets, who finally ended a three-game last week against the lowly Raiders, have some extra motivation against the Dolphins at the Meadowlands. more ›

The bottlenose dolphins that have surrounded New York City in the past week are definitely a welcomed visitor. Not just because they are adorable and probably don't want to kill us (unlike some aquatic guests), but it means that our water could be cleaner than we thought (not to mention stocked with plenty of herring). Newsday reports that "fishermen and scientists said it has been 30 or more years since they'd seen bottlenose dolphins in the Sound in the summertime, and experts agree that the marine mammals came here following food. Experts say the real test will be next year if the dolphins return. If they do, there is a chance the Sound waters are clean enough to sustain a population of the animals." Dolphins used to be a common sight in the Sound, until the post-WWII development boom that helped pollute our waters, but maybe this is the first step in getting them back. Now, can we add some puppies to this story? more ›

Ah, summer, when the news is sprinkled with a healthy portion of marine life sightings. This one could turn out to be the summer of dolphins! Yesterday we noted that following the sighting of 150-200 confused dolphins in Long Island Sound on Saturday, a pod of dolphins was spotted off the south end of City Island. Reportedly the group had started off as one (they were also sighted last Wednesday in Northport), and has now split in two: the City Island crew (team Bronx) and the the Long Island Sound crew (team Bayville). more ›

Officials and marine experts are hoping that the group of dolphins who have been in the Navesink River since the summer are heading back to the open sea. It's believed the dolphins were following a school of fish when they made a wrong turn. Officials worried about the dolphins partly due to the proximity of curious humans in boats and kayaks but let them be, as they seemed healthy and chasing them out might prove to be stressful. In recent weeks, two juvenile dolphins have died, forcing the feds to develop a plan to bring them out, but now it looks like nature is taking care of itself. Dolphins have been seen the Shrewsbury River (another step closer to the Atlantic) and NOAA tells the Asbury Park Press they want to "confirm the location, number, identity and condition of the coastal bottlenose dolphins in the estuary." more ›

A group of as many as 20 bottle-nosed dolphins have remained in NJ's Shrewsbury River, forcing authorities to impose a 50-yard distance between the mammals and humans who have come to catch a glimpse of them. It's believed the dolphins followed a school of fish and made a wrong turn from the Atlantic, becoming trapped in the river. more ›

Neither the Jets nor the Dolphins have enjoyed their seasons too much. One half of the Jets' wins came on Sept. 23 when they edged the Dolphins 31-28 at home. Now they travel to Miami. They're 0-5 on the road, but Miami has lost 14 straight. Ironically, the Jets stand to gain the most if they lose and somehow pass the Dolphins in the NFL draft pecking order. But shhh! No one's thinking about that.... more ›