Ross upset with loss.

[Pappy13]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/27/1989388/ross-upset-after-dolphins-loss.html

Tony is as good as gone.

[Sunstroke]

He should go hang out at one of his celebrity co-owners' concerts or something until the melancholia passes...

[Pappy13]

Actually I don't think Ross fires Sparano.  I think Ross goes out and finds a GM and lets him make the decision to fire Sparano or not.  I would be ok with that.  Let the new GM make the decision.  If he thinks Tony is better than any other coach he think he can bring in, then I'll support keeping Sparano for another year, but the decision HAS to come from the new GM.  Screw Parcells.  Same with Ireland.  I'll support him if the new GM does.  I'll support any decision as long as it's made by the new GM whomever it is and Ross MUST hire a GM.  That's priority #1.  Everything else will fall in line after that's done.

[Spider-Dan]

It's going to be kind of difficult for a new GM to support Ireland.  That would be exactly like a new head coach supporting Sparano.

[Pappy13]

It's going to be kind of difficult for a new GM to support Ireland.  That would be exactly like a new head coach supporting Sparano.

I don't know.  Ireland didn't have final say in matters prior to Parcells leaving, I don't know why bringing in someone to replace Parcells automatically means getting rid of Ireland, but if it does, then so be it.  I think Ireland is a decent evaluator of college talent and good at working with agents to get contracts signed, but he shouldn't have the final say so on everything.  Ross isn't a football guy, he needs to bring in a football guy that he trusts.  One that he picks.  Parcells wasn't that guy, that was obvious from day 1.  The football guy needs to pick the guys that he trusts, that's the only way it works.  If that includes Ireland and/or Sparano and they want to stay, so be it, otherwise don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Spider-Dan]

Parcells was not the GM.  Ireland is the GM.

Bringing in a "new GM" necessarily means that Ireland has lost his job.

[Pappy13]

Parcells was not the GM.  Ireland is the GM.

Bringing in a "new GM" necessarily means that Ireland has lost his job.

Fine, have it your way.  Bring in a guy to replace Parcells and give him whatever title you want and then have him decide on Ireland's and Sparano's jobs.  Or give the guy the title of GM and change Ireland's title to something else.  As if the title of the job has anything to do with it.

If I didn't know better Dan, I'd think you were arguing with me just for the sake of arguing.

[MikeO]

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/27/1989388/ross-upset-after-dolphins-loss.html

Tony is as good as gone.

nah nah nah, nah....nah nah nah, nah.....say hey-hey.....GOOD-BYE!!

Tony can't be fired soon enough!

[Spider-Dan]

Fine, have it your way.  Bring in a guy to replace Parcells and give him whatever title you want and then have him decide on Ireland's and Sparano's jobs.  Or give the guy the title of GM and change Ireland's title to something else.  As if the title of the job has anything to do with it.

Parcells had a nebulous consultant-style job that doesn't need to be revived.  I don't want another puppetmaster making-the-decisions-but-not-really.  Right now, Ireland is the decision-maker as GM; either keep him, or get rid of him, but don't bring someone else in to take the decisions away from him... and then keep him on staff.  What would be the point?

All titles aside, you're effectively talking about demoting Ireland.  I'm not in favor of that.  Either reaffirm your confidence in him as GM, or get rid of him.

[Pappy13]

What would be the point?

The point would be to allow him to do the things he does best, evaluate players and work out contracts.  The guy to replace Parcells would be the guy to determine the fate of Tony Sparano.  I don't think Ireland is capable of making that decision, nor do I want him making that decision.  Nor do I want Ireland making the decision as to who the next head coach should be if Ross fires Sparano.  And I don't want Ross making that decision either.  Bring in a football guy to make that decision, just like they brought in Parcells to make that decision on Cam Cameron.  Give him Parcell's previous title if you must, Executive Vice President of Football Operations and keep Ireland as GM, I couldn't care less, just bring in someone who knows football to make the decision, I don't trust Ireland to do it.  If Ireland considers that a demotion and doesn't want to stay, that's his decision.

[Spider-Dan]

It is the GM's job to make decisions about who the head coach should be.  Parcells' role was a special position created specifically for him (kind of like the job offered to Marino a few years back), where he has final say over everything but isn't actually expected to make the day-to-day decisions.  We don't need to carry that sham arrangement forward; I'm tired of puppetmasters.

The job of a general manager is what Parcells did plus what Ireland does.  Parcells is gone, so Ireland has inherited the full job.  Why split it up again?  The only reason that arrangement existed in the first place was to give Ireland some training wheels.  If you don't think Ireland is up to the job, get rid of him.