Does Sparano deserve blame or credit for our recent run?

[Dave Gray]

Hear me out...

Traditional wisdom would say that since the team is playing better, that Sparano would deserve credit for the turnaround.  I'm not sure that's the case, however, and I see it a bit differently.

I credit Sparano for not losing the team in hard times.  It's a credit to his ability as a coach, and probably as a man, as clearly this team is fighting for him.

But...

I also think that what you do after you're 0-7 doesn't matter.  The very fact that he has a team that shows they are capable of winning 4 of 5 highlights even moreso how inept he was at the beginning.  In my opinion, this season (for all intents and purposes) was over when we were 0-3 and the rest of our division were all 3-0.  It was over then, just as it's over now.

I'm almost more frustrated with Sparano now, seeing that he had the chance and the talent to put together early wins and make a run and was incapable of doing it.

[TL/DR]

Our recent run highlights Sparano's ineptness, because it proves he had the talent all along, but was out of his league until it was too late.

[Brian Fein]

What's different between the first 5 games and the last 5 games?

Chad Henne - Matt Moore.

Vontae Davis is playing.

Dansby is in shape

Reggie Bush is more effective

Its not always the coach's fault, is it?  These are all factors that weren't clicking the first several weeks but have turned the season around.  Of course you can blame Sparano, but its a scapegoat move.

I think you gotta give him a chance to show what he can do with a fresh start.  If they start off next season playing like they are right now, why is that a bad thing?

[Spider-Dan]

What's different between the first 5 games and the last 5 games?

Chad Henne - Matt Moore.

Sparano is responsible for evaluating the talent on the team.  If the team was worse because Henne was playing, that's on Sparano.

Vontae Davis is playing.

Davis is not some megastar that should doom the entire defense if he is injured.  Everyone else Sparano put on the field sucked; they cut W.Allen to keep Sapp, then cut Sapp after the first game to bring Allen back, which is just embarrassing.  The team was incredibly unprepared, from a conditioning standpoint.  The head coach (and GM) are responsible for all of these things.

Dansby is in shape

How many game weeks does it take for Sparano's staff to get Dansby in shape?  5?  8?

Reggie Bush is more effective

The coaching staff finally figured out how to use him.  Their ineptness in utilizing him earlier is on them.

I'm interested in hearing what kind of issues you would actually hold Sparano accountable for.

I think you gotta give him a chance to show what he can do with a fresh start.

He had a fresh start at the beginning of the year!  He also had a fresh start in 2010 and 2009.

[Brian Fein]

OK, you're right, fire everyone.  Let's start all over from zero every time we don't win the super bowl.  Good idea.

[Dave Gray]

^ Your point about Reggie Bush really shines a light on my position.

He is being utilized correctly now (which is great), but I think a good coach (as most of us did a long time ago) would've recognized this prior to the start of the season.

[Brian Fein]

And I agree with that, however, you don't know all the details.  They have a new OC, a new RB, and tried to open up the offense when Chad was in there. 

But rather than saying "hey they finally figured it out" you choose to say "he sucks cause we wasted the season."

Wouldn't you want to take the momentum of the "figured it out" part into next season?  Or scrap everything so we can go back to "who knows what we're gonna get" mode?

[Dave Gray]

I don't have faith that they finally figured it out, though.  I guess that's it.  It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see us rattle off a handful of losses to start next season, either.  He may have figured some of it out with this particular group, but next year...who knows?  Maybe he'll have to learn it all again.

He doesn't strike me as someone with a whole lot of football IQ, when it comes to game-planning, ultra conservative (playing to lose closely) style and decision-making.  In short, he's reactionary.  He let the Reggie Bush thing remain a problem for weeks before addressing it.  Good coaches can anticipate.  ...the same with Henne.  If Henne wasn't the guy to get it done, that should've been recognized and handled by the staff, rather than waiting for him to get hurt.

I don't have all the answers.  But I don't see us getting better (year over year) with Sparano.  Sparano's best attribute is that he doesn't let his guys quit when things get really bad.  I would rather have a guy who could prevent them from getting really bad to begin with.

[mecadonzilla]

It's relatively easy to "figure it all out" when it doesn't matter after you're 0-7.

What's hard is to figure it out when you're 0-0.

[Brian Fein]

Isn't anyone else tired of the turnover?  Aren't you sick of an endless merry-go-round of coaches, assistants and players?  We have had 16 starting QB's in the past 11 seasons, and 5 different head coaches.  Bring in a new coach and all the assistants (who most people like) will go away, and probably many players will go away.  How is that NOT a step backwards?

No coach can go from jobless to Lombardi trophy in 1 or 2 seasons.  It may have happened in the past but its surely not the norm.

You gotta have some consistency at the coaching positions and I'm willing to take 1 more chance based on what I've seen the past few weeks.  Its my opinion, so don't bother telling me that its wrong cause its not going to change.

[Dave Gray]

I'm not telling you it's wrong.  I'm just voicing my opinion.

You ask "How is that NOT a step backwards?"  I respond: So what if it is?

If you determine that Tony Sparano isn't ever going to get you to win a Super Bowl, then why are you wasting your time?  I would think it's better to move on sooner than later.

I like Sparano.  I won't be raving pissed if he stays on.  However, if I were the owner, I think, since I was committed to making some other changes already, I'd clean house.

It's sad, but we've gotten worse every single year he's been in charge.

[Spider-Dan]

Isn't anyone else tired of the turnover?  Aren't you sick of an endless merry-go-round of coaches, assistants and players?  We have had 16 starting QB's in the past 11 seasons, and 5 different head coaches.  Bring in a new coach and all the assistants (who most people like) will go away, and probably many players will go away.  How is that NOT a step backwards?

No coach can go from jobless to Lombardi trophy in 1 or 2 seasons.

Brian,

This isn't "one or two seasons."  This is Sparano's FOURTH YEAR as the head coach.  We have made zero... ZERO progress since year one.  In fact, the team has done nothing but get eliminated from contention sooner each progressive year.

After four years of nothing, it's time to move on.  If you wanted to make this argument for keeping Cam Cameron, fine.  But 0-7 in your fourth year, when you have all your own groceries?  No excuse.  He's had more than a fair shake; he's done, and deserves to be gone.

You wanted Wanny gone after 4 years, and Wanny blew Sparano away when it came to results.

[MikeO]

OK, you're right, fire everyone.  Let's start all over from zero every time we don't win the super bowl.  Good idea.

dude its Year 4 of Sparano. You can't make the case he wasn't given enough time. It's year 4!!

[MikeO]

Isn't anyone else tired of the turnover? 

I am tired of LOSING! That's what we have done for 3 straight years under Sparano. Under .500 seasons and endless LOSING!

[tepop84]

I am tired of LOSING! That's what we have done for 3 straight years under Sparano. Under .500 seasons and endless LOSING!

Yup, and it isn't like the team has been in contention late.  The only playoff chance we have had is if we run the table with 6 games left.  That isn't fun.  It ends up with meaningless games the fans don't care about.  His start this year rendered 10 games of the season useless.  No point in watching them.

[Landshark]

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says it best.  This team was talented enough to compete all along and grossly underachieved at the start of the season.  It's on the coaching staff to develop, nurture, and prepare that talent.  This was not done until now.  That's why the coaching staff needs an overhaul.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/05/2531938_p2/do-miami-dolphins-lack-talent.html