Sparano gets 2 year Extension

[MikeO]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2011/01/miami-dolphins-tony-sparano-now-signed-through-2013.html

Tony and his agent played some hardball. Knew the 1 year extension was a token move and meant little to nothing. So Tony forced them into a 2 year extension. And they gave Sparano more power in player personnel to boot.

All the money and extensions in the world doesn't buy you respect inside that lockeroom. And those players don't respect him. Hell they went public with it!

[CF DolFan]

I was thinking about this today and I had to wonder if Ross may feel obligated to stay with Sparano next year as a reaction to this offseason. I mean, what if Tony is marginal but Ross is gun-shy about going after a new regime based on this past week? I'm just thinking we could be another Wanstedt medocrity era until this thing gets played to the end.

[MikeO]

I was thinking about this today and I had to wonder if Ross may feel obligated to stay with Sparano next year as a reaction to this offseason. I mean, what if Tony is marginal but Ross is gun-shy about going after a new regime based on this past week? I'm just thinking we could be another Wanstedt medocrity era until this thing gets played to the end.

From what I read from today's press conference, it sounded like after Harbuagh talks went noplace. Ross contacted Mangini to be a "consultant". And esentially be a head coach in waiting. So when Sparano fails during the season next year or after next year, Mangini would be already on payroll ready to step in and take over.

Ross even said today at the press conference Mangini called Sparano and told Tony flat out he wouldn't take the consultant job in Miami out of respect for Tony. Said it wouldn't be right.

Sparano isn't long for this job. This extension is a financial appolgy for this past weeks actions. Firing him still won't cost Ross a lot of money in the big picture. Not when he is out there offering to make an  unproven guy the highest paid coach in the league.

[dolphins4life]

Got to wonder what they're thinking extending him.

I'm not ready to fire him, but I don't like extending him.   

[masterfins]

Thank goodness we have our coach in place for another two years, now this foolish talk of replacing him can subside.  Hopefully, we can fill some of the voids in the other coaching staff positions and concentrate on drafting some quality rookies.

[Dave Gray]

Got to wonder what they're thinking extending him.

I'm not ready to fire him, but I don't like extending him.   

It's commonplace.  We did the same thing with Wanny (then fired him later, anyway, for continued poor performance.)  It's a show of good faith to show that he's not a lame duck, is all.  It puts Sparano in a position to have more job security (since it will cost more to fire him now) and it gives the Dolphins a way to keep him, should he do well next season.

The bad thing for Miami would be if they held on to Sparano now, then he was in his last year of his contract and did really well, so that we'd have to either pay him a bunch of money to keep him, or to let him go to another team in the league.

[Pappy13]

This whole extension business is meaningless.  It's an apology to Tony Sparano for publicly embarrassing him, but even Tony knows it's a hollow apology.  Ross can still fire Tony any damn time he wants, all this means is that Tony will be getting money for the next 3 years from Ross.  But Ross was already willing to pay Tony for next year and hire someone else to coach this year.  Since Tony will be coaching the Dolphins next year, all that's really changed now is that Ross is on the hook for more money now if he fires Sparano next year than he would have been had he fired him this year.  In the big scheme of things, nothing much has changed.

And if Ross learned 1 thing from this its that next time he goes looking for a coach, he'll need to fire the one he has first.  Tony has 1 more year to prove he's the right coach for the job.  Another 7-9 season or worse and Tony is gone at the end of next year.  Mark my words.  Maybe even 8-8 or better he's gone.  About the only way I really see Sparano back in 2012 is if there is significant improvement from the team next year which probably means at least a shot at the playoffs.  If they are out of the playoffs by week 16, Tony should just pack his bags.

[fyo]

Did anyone catch the "round-table" discussion with Ross, Sparano, and Ireland? I actually thought Ross came out looking pretty good. Various media outlets have pretty much confirmed the veracity of what Ross claims happened. This whole thing has been 90% media generated.

[masterfins]

This whole thing has been 90% media generated.

No surpise there.  Beat "reporters" speculating and making up stories to make themselves self-important.  Which fuels the sentiment of a few vocal disgruntled fans.  Which is not to say the majority of Fans are unhappy with the Fins overall performance this past year.

[EKnight]

I'm not sure I fully understand the whole Harbaugh thing to begin with. He has NO head coaching experience at the NFL level, and as good as he was this year, he DID have Luck at quarterback. I'm not saying he sucks as a coach, but there was talk of making him the highest paid coach in the NFL. What's that about? College success does not equal NFL success, just ask Saban and Spurrier. -EK

[masterfins]

^^^ Agreed. Harbaugh just seems to be the juicy story out there this year.  I never thought he would come to Miami, I previously said I thought the Fins were third or fourth on his list (following SF, Michigan, and staying @ Stanford).  My feeling is his agent just used Miami to jack up his value.  You gotta wonder how it is that the Media is fully aware of Ross going to meet with Harbaugh before the meeting ever takes place.  Could it be that Harbaugh's agent was piping this info into the Media??  It surely doesn't do Miami any good to put it out there.

[MikeO]

No surpise there.  Beat "reporters" speculating and making up stories to make themselves self-important.  Which fuels the sentiment of a few vocal disgruntled fans.  Which is not to say the majority of Fans are unhappy with the Fins overall performance this past year.

Schefter, Mort, LaCanfora, Clayton, King, Glazer..etc. They aren't beat reporters! They got no dog in the fight and they were reporting on this and were right for the most part.

[fyo]

Schefter, Mort, LaCanfora, Clayton, King, Glazer..etc. They aren't beat reporters! They got no dog in the fight and they were reporting on this and were right for the most part.

Except that they were wrong on just about everything.

[MikeO]

Except that they were wrong on just about everything.

No they weren't. Ross meet with Harbaugh. Ross said he was interested in Cowher and Gruden, and that who wouldn't be. And Ross said he handled the situation poorly. (admitting guilt in doing some things wrong).

Ross meet with Harbaugh about the coaching job. You can't deny that.  And with the number figures floating out there he probably offered him a deal and was shot down. So to save face he is feeding you this bull about telling him to go back to Stanfrod!

[fyo]

So to save face he is feeding you this bull about telling him to go back to Stanfrod!

So you claim. Reporters from the Herald claim that Ross' statements square up with what they had pieced together throughout the (chaotic) week (including Ross not offering a deal, not talking money, only going because he was advised to by a friend and being increasingly convinced Sparano was his man). They do still claim that Gruden and Cowher were indirectly approached, but since both coaches deny it, I'm not even sure about that anymore.

The simple fact here is that Harbaugh and his agent had EVERYTHING to gain from EVERY piece of information that came out about the Dolphins and Harbaugh. Considering how much turned out to be exaggerated or outright false, forgive me for at least allowing for the situation that Harbaugh's agents (with a little help from the media) created this situation. It worked perfectly and apparently got him a couple extra million a year. Not bad.