The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Dan LeBatard hits it right on the head with this article.



Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/02/2980521/miami-dolphins-lack-ability-stability.html#storylink=cpy

Amen, bro.

"Here comes the new boss. Same as the old boss."
I get the feeling I'll be saying the same thing in about 3 yrs.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/08/23/afc-east-preview-2012/1.html

Don Banks I thought was good too with his analysis.

That was a good analysis of the upcoming season. However, LeBatard's article spoke of the core problem. That problem is the failure in building a team. Team building comes from a core philosophy. They changed the window dressing in that instead of a good running game, they now have an unproven short passing game. A hurry up at that. They're still going to have to rely on their defense to keep them in games. As opposed to the offense going out to win a game. The main similarity in both is the inability to "stretch the field".  The next glaring similarity will be a tired defense, from the numerous 3 & outs that are coming. Its easy to point at "character" as a hihndrance. The problem is the talent went away with it. If you're going to get rid of talent, you can't   hope that people step up, youve got to know. Or have talent on standby. That's part of teambuilding.

True. But also unrealistic to think they were going to re-shape/overhaul an entire roster in 1 offseason. WR was clearly put off and not a priority this offseason. Agree or disagree with that but it was. Many believe you build from the inside out (QB, O-line, D-line, LB first) and then worry about CB's and WR's last. That is clearly the avenue Miami took when they hired Philbin and blew up Sparano's roster.

There was no quick fix because Miami was in terrible cap shape. YES, Ireland is to blame for most of this. But since he was kept on there was only so much that could be done from the end of last season. NEXT offseason when they have over $40 mill in cap money and a boatload of draft picks is the indicator of if this NEW coaching staff who might/most likely will change Ireland's thought process positively..."GETS IT" and begins moving in the right direction.

Still would like to see Cooley or even Winslow added to the roster, at least this would provide Tannehill with suome much needed veteran depth.

I like LeBatard, he's good for a laugh and he does make for some good article on the Miami sports scene, but this whole article is 20/20 hindsight which every Phin fan has.

I believe Welker was an unrestricted FA and we were gonna lose him anyways (not pay him they way they should have) and the Pats were gonna get him anyways.  We got the Patriots 2nd and 7th round choices in the 2007 draft to Miami for Welker.  Now, the picks sucked, Samson Sateale and Abraham Wright.  Who do you blame for that, the coach, the GM, management?

He talks about Marshall and how he's gonna be great in Chicago.  Really??? Dan knows this for a fact?  Marshall was distraction and a diva.  The man DROPPED 5-6 TDs last year!!!!!!!!!!  Read that sentence gain.  The man was a blowhard and a distraction to the team.  I am not sad that he left.  He would have had Tannehill crying and cringing in a corner this year if he didn't throw the ball to him.  Good riddance.

As for Ted Ginn.  We can we all just agree that he sucked at WR????  I mean seriously, he SUCKED at WR.  Great PR and KR, no doubt, but we spent a 1st ROUND pick on him.

1st ROUND pick on him
1st ROUND pick on him
1st ROUND pick on him

Read that sentence out loud five times and get back to me.  I saw Teddy Ginn fall to the ground after a KR TD in the BCS title game vs. the Gators and NEVER come back into the game.  Your last collegiate game and you dont return because you tweaked your ankle.  Really?????  He was not  tough.  Mentally or physically.  

Now, if we got that pick in the 4th, 5th round, that's a good pick for the value.  A guy that change the field and score some TDs in a game.  But not a 1st round pick.

Dan better started smelling what he's shoveling because it's revisionist history on his part and he can't do that.

Go Phins!!!!

Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed. Is that LeBetard's message?

Sorry, I've done that for the last 3 years with Sparano as head coach and I haven't liked the results, I'd like to try something else if you don't mind. I've seen the ground and pound offense and rely on the defense approach and hope that other team makes more mistakes than you do for 3 years and I haven't like the results. Oh sure they've won a few games here and there where the other team actually did make more mistakes than Miami and the Dolphins actually managed to hold onto a 3 point lead until the last agonizing seconds when a 4th down pass fell incomplete by sheer dumb luck rather than anything the Dolphins managed to do. A win is a win, right?

Well actually no, it's not. I'd like to see this team actually get out to a 3 TD lead in the 4th quarter and coast to a win for once. Perhaps even better, I'd like to see them be down by a TD in the 4th quarter only to watch them rally with 10 points in the last 3 minutes to steal a win. Wouldn't that be FUN to watch for a change. YES! Yes it would be FUN to watch. Because yes there IS something more than just winning a game, there's winning a game on YOUR terms, not your opponents. There's a special feeling that comes from not just winning, but from BEATING the other team. Oh sure it counts the same as holding on for a victory, but it doesn't FEEL the same, it feels better. I know because I've seen it. I was there in '84 when Dan and the boys were simply imposing their will on defenses. Those weren't just wins, they were VICTORIES! We didn't just make fewer mistakes than the opponent, we made MORE plays. That's what I'm hoping for this year if only for a game or 2. A VICTORY, not just a win. A game where we take it to the opponent and simply beat them. And then I'm hoping we can do it for more than a couple times next year and the year after that. That's what I'm hoping for.

Will I be disappointed, perhaps but I rather be disappointed shooting for greatness rather than satisfied with mediocre.

I don't believe so.  I believe LeBatard's message is that it's the same old story every time a new coach comes in.  My friend Mike wrote a piece about it on Phinfever detailing that, beginning with the Jimmy Johnson era, expectations were high with every new regime and every single time, for one reason or another, that regime managed to disappoint fans.

Isn't that why you bring in a new coach? To change things? What's the point of bringing in a new coach that's gonna do things the same way you have been doing them. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. If you want to change things you have to make changes.

Exactly. Why has there been such disappointment. Because, they've been chasing other people's success as opposed to establishing their own. With Jimmy through Ireland, it was us chasing the Cowboys rainbow. Now with Philbin & Sherman, its the Packers. Its one thing to apply lessons from other's success. That's what you're supposed to do. Miami takes personnel and expect the same result to just happen. As we keep hearing these days, "We need a leader to lead. Not lead from behind."

So, why keep the same GM?

Apparently Ross didn't believe that Ireland failed to get Sparano the players he needed, they believed that Sparano failed to do anything with the players that Ireland got him. Once Philbin came in, he had a different vision for the team and they identified the players that didn't fit that vision and started to replace them with players they think will fit that vision. I give them credit for making some bold moves, now we'll find out how they work out. It's not going to be a painless transition, there are going to be some rough times at least for the first part of the year. You won't really be able to judge how Philbin and Sherman are doing until at least the 2nd half of the year. By then players should know the system well enough that they won't be making all the mistakes they are making in preseason and will hopefully look much better. You have to remember they have completely revamped both the offense and the defense. If they don't look better by the 2nd half of the season, then I'll start to worry, but for now I'm willing to give them a chance to convince me.

It's understandable that Ross may think that. With the players he had they went 11-5 in Sparano's first year, after finishing 1-15. It's not inconceivable that Ross would expect similar results from the same group. -EK

The only thing that nobody knows is in the time Parcells was in Miami who was making calls on draft choices. IF it was all Parcells, then yes Ireland gets a bit of a pass. I don't know IF it was all Parcells, and none of us probably will ever know. I am sure only Ireland, Parcells, and the people in those draft rooms know. It doesn't give Ireland a free pass forever but it does explain MAYBE why Ross is sticking with Ireland. Give him a few years to do it "his way" without Parcells pulling rank.

Only logical explanation really.

The problem is, the people in charge of the change have made the wrong decisions EVERY TIME.

Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

That may be true, but part of this team's past is STILL making future decisions.  And in case anyone is curious about this piece my friend wrote, here it is.  He wrote it after the Denver loss:


The Future Looked Bright


1996

We hired a proven winner. Three time champion. The best guy available. Jimmy Johnson would reverse the stagnant direction (remember when multiple playoff appearances and ten victories was considered “stagnant?”) the last few Shula years left us. He would do what he did in Dallas. No, this would be easier: he already had Dan Marino on this team. All he had to do was build us a defense and a running game. Jimmy would know how to do it.  After all, he had done it before. In fact, he wouldn’t have a meddlesome owner pushing him out of town either. He would be here for quite a while. In his first year here, we finally had a running back who rushed for a 1,000 yards. We had some exciting defensive prospects.

The future looked bright......

At the time, no Miami fan would want to believe that the Jimmy Johnson era would fail to produce a Super Bowl appearance let alone a victory, or even fail to advance to the conference championship. Only one 1,000 yard season. Fewer wins than Don Shula's last few years.  Not even a division title.  Yet, somehow it happened.


2000

No one was really excited for Dave Wannstedt. Dan Marino had just retired; we signed a no name backup from Jacksonville and some no name running back from Carolina as starters.  Sure, we had a defense that showed up (mostly), but with all of the questions on offense, we did not have the makings of an exciting season. Somehow, we won the division for the first time in six years. We won 11 games, the most since 1992. We had an amazing come from behind victory in the Wild Card round. We were one of the last 8 teams standing. Future years would plug up our holes and we would go further.

The future looked bright.......

At the time, no Miami fan would have believed that the overtime thriller against the Colts would be the only playoff victory of the Wannstedt era.  Or that the team that was built to contend for a Super Bowl in 2002 would totally implode, or that the star running back of that team would quit on the team two years later to go travel the world and smoke marijuana.  Yet, somehow it happened.


2005

We hire Nick Saban, the hottest coach in the land. Surely, he would be the one who would return Miami to its former glory. We had optimism. We had hope. In his first year, with Gus freaking Frerotte at quarterback, we go 9-7 and just miss the playoffs.  We managed a dramatic come from behind win against Buffalo to spark that record. In the offseason, we signed Daunte Culpepper, one of the most desired free agents that year. SI picked us to go to the Super Bowl.

The future looked bright.......

At the time, no Miami fan would have believed that the Nick Saban era would fail to produce a playoff appearance. No Miami fan would have believed that the 2006 team would grossly underachieve, and that Nick Saban would take another head coaching job BEFORE THE SEASON WAS EVEN FINISHED. Yet, somehow it happened.


2007.

Cam Cameron gets hired…… Okay, this time the future looked ... ?

Even then, at the time no one would believe that we would draft a kick returner with a top ten pick. No Miami fan would imagine a coach touting the guy’s family as an incentive for drafting him.  No Miami fan would have believed that the coach would lose the respect and control of the team en route to a 1-15 record. Yet, somehow it happened.


2008

Bill Parcells. He was the answer. Surely, he would lead this team back to its former glory. We go 11-5, set a record for the best turnaround season ever, win the division, and go to the playoffs. Tony Sparano wins coach of the year (Pro Football Weekly) and barely misses out on the same honor from other agencies.

The future looked bright......

At the time, no Miami fan would have thought that this would be the lone playoff appearance and we would go back to being sub-.500 for the rest of the era. Yet, somehow it happened.


2009

After we lost Pennington in week 3 of the 2009 season, we had the hope that Chad Henne would be our answer at quarterback. And he certainly looked like the answer. Did you all remember that with just three weeks left in that season, Miami was 7-6 and on the doorstep of another playoff berth? Chad Henne was 7-3 as a starter! They only needed to win 2 games out of the 3 left and 2 were at home. Their remaining opponents were all below .500 at 6-7.

The future looked bright....

No Miami fan would have believed that from that moment to the present, Miami would only win a single home game. Yet, somehow it happened.

***

I stare at the television after the loss to Denver and shake my head. Here is another regime to come and go. Here is another round of false hope to be shattered by reality. It’s frustrating. It’s maddening. It’s pathetic.

There is nothing left for this year. Miami has stage four cancer. There’s nothing to do now except hope that the Patriots or the Jets fail to win the Super Bowl. At least we can take solace in that event, if it happens.

***

2012.

Miami hires _____________________________ _____.

We have a sense of optimism that this time will be different.

We draft one of the hottest QB prospects _____________________________ ___.

The future will look bright….

This is the scary part. Just how bad will the offense be, and by the 4th qtr will the defense be so gassed we get blown out in games. I am just praying its not as bad as I suspect it will be.

How unfair to Tannehill. Shame on you Ireland. Seems like he is being set up to fail in a "David Carr-esque" way.

Then, how do you justify firing anybody?
Why doesn't every politician run on that?

Past performance may not be a definition. But it is an indicator.

The scary part is who ends up getting the blame when this does blow up.

It is even concieveable, that Ireland was OPPOSED to the draft choices that busted and was lobbing for players that other teams drafted that went all-pro but didn't get drafted by Miami b/c Parcells overruled. 

Here is what *I* would have done if I was Ross.  Take careful notes of who was pushing for whom at the draft.  The go back and see who was right. Than give the people making the right choices more power and either fire or give less power to those making bad choices.

And for all we know he may have done that by keeping Ireland around. And remember Ross wasn't around for the first draft he didn't get control till after that year.

The only one we know for sure was Pat White was 100% Parcells call. So, Ireland can't have that pinned on him.  We strongly believe Long over Ryan was also a Parcells call as well. So those 2 mistakes Ireland gets off from, the rest we really don't know for sure.

Anyone stupid enough to draft Pat White of  ANY ROUND knows no end to ignorance. I don't follow college prospects very closely and even I said WTF with that pick. 

^^Don't underestimate Sparano's input on that pick as well. He's OBSESSED with QB's who can run. see Tim Tebow in NY.

^^And David Lee who was our coach who brought the wildcat to life at Arkansas!

HOLY SHIT! And the 2nd game of the year. Imagine that.

That is my theory as well. Parcells has DEMANDED total control everywhere he has been so there is no reason to believe it was different in Miami. Ireland was just grateful for the job and Jeff knew once BP left he would get his chance.

Sparano had no business being a HC. Reminds me of Wanny being in charge after Jimmy Johnson took his ball and went home. I don't agree with everything Ireland has done, but as long as there is continual improvement, I will hang in there. I think he probably deserves at least 1 more draft with Joe.

It wasn't exactly the last 3 minutes, but hey I'm not gonna be picky. Congrats Dolphins. Seven years is a LOOOOOONG time to wait. Hopefully it will happen a little more often around here again and YES, it was FUN to watch.

 ;D

Nice gravedigging there, Pappy.

Been waiting since 2005, bet your ass I'm digging this shit up. LOL

I don't blame Ryan for pushing to draft Sanchez.  He needed a quarterback pretty bad at the time.   What I do blame him for is staying with him this long.  They should have run his ass out of town at the end of last year at the latest, not bring in Tebow for no real reason other than it gets publicity and bring in Tony Sparano to teach him the wildcat, which in and of itself is ridiculous because it's not Sparano's to teach, it's Dan Henning and David Lee's creation, neither of whom that I know of is on the Jets' staff.

^^^ CF or Maine feel free to move that as you evidently created the new post either while or just after I finished typing it.

Folks ~

It's a Miami Dolphins forum.  This thread is specific to the 'Phins.  

Let's try to stay on topic here.  Feel free to debate the Jets and Tim Tebow in the "Around the NFL" thread.  The Tebow / Jets talk has been split and moved to that forum.

Thanks!

~Maine

That would be me, kind sir.

:)