Dolphins Remove Pop-A-Shot Basketball Game from Locker Room amid Struggles, 2-7 Record

Perhaps the bigger surprise is that the Miami Dolphins are only now reaching the stage where they take recreational games out of the locker room.

According to multiple reports, the Pop-A-Shot game once present is no longer at the team facility. This comes as Miami is 2-7 with dwindling hopes of reaching the playoffs.

The Athletic's Dan Steinberg perfectly summed up the vital role amenities such as Pop-A-Shot, ping-pong tables and video games serve in terms of setting the culture:

Lest we forget the dramatic saga regarding the state of Miami's ping-pong situation in 2022. The table was first removed, then replaced, and then removed again.

The Pop-A-Shot at least made it to early November. The Sun Sentinel's Chris Perkins reported in October the Dolphins had no plans to shelve the game as they felt it helped the team's chemistry.

"I think it's great camaraderie when guys are hanging out after meetings, after everything else, staying together," said defensive tackle Zach Sieler, one of the six team captains. "I think it's a good thing."

Center Aaron Brewer, another team captain, chimed in to add that "it's not like everybody in the locker room is doing it all day."

Steps like this are more performative than anything else. The Dolphins aren't struggling because some players are playing Pop-A-Shot during their downtime.

But when the situation is as dire as it looks for Miami, you throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.