When Will Phins Fans Groundhog Day End?
Here we go Phins fans, the collapse is clear again! Will Ross get it right this time?
Well, Sparano wasn’t good enough, so we went with Philbin, who wasn’t good enough, so we went with Gase, who wasn’t good enough, so we went with Flores, who wasn’t good enough, so we went with McDaniel. Now after the Dolphins fell to the Colts and 2-5 on the season, the question is now is McDaniel good enough?
I don’t think this is the most important question–although it is a question that must be asked. It’s just not the first one.
I know Chris Grier isn’t good enough–NO WAY IN HELL! But even Grier’s ability or lack thereof isn’t the number one question that must be asked and answered to end this endless Groundhog Day cycle.
The most important question is, is Stephen Ross good enough or can he become good enough for us to find the promised land? And by promised land I’m not even talking about a Super Bowl win; I’m talking about at least find functional consistency and lower tier success of even a single playoff win.
This question will be answered by how Ross responds to this complete debacle the Miami Dolphins franchise and their tired and weary and loyal fans find themselves in–again…
Will Ross clean house to the bare bones, find a GM to lead, and stay out of football business or will he sell us another lemon and have the powerful Dolphins media department spinning into a Maserati?
Repeating the same thing over & over again…
It feels like I’ve been doing this letdown dance since 1978. I guess in many ways I have.
The Shula and Marino era had some great high points that were legit moment of success and earned belief, but after that it’s been clearly downhill and gaining speed heading into the abyss faster and faster. This is truly the lowest spot considering the massive amount of draft capital we’ve had and how poorly we spent it. Shows you that it’s more about the buyer of the good than the amount you have to spend.
This was supposed to be ‘THE build’. Remember, we heard it over and over again in the media. Flores was the issue rang from every corner. Now, though you don’t need the best football software to know that whoever Flores was or wasn’t, the same issues of failure are still here, crippling this franchise and this ‘issue’ has been in the picture for quite some time.
I’ve been off the Grier train since 2021, but a piece of me was very interested in seeing how this wild build played out, until this offseason. The many issues I saw the prior two season appeared compounded. I’ve been wrong before and hoped I was this time. Like many of you, I now know it’s over 100% dead: finito, kaput.
How long is too long? Ask a Phin fan, they know!
I’m 53 years old and almost died a couple of years ago. Crazy but one of the first things I thought about was ‘man, I’ll never see the Dolphins win a Super Bowl’. Now I’m feeling like even if I live to a hundred, I still won’t see the ‘promised land’. But if there’s any hope in the near term, Stephen Ross must finally change his ways and do what’s right for the fans, not a rushed speed build, or for more money, even for his love of influence and control.
I remember Ross saying in 2019, ‘The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’.
We were supposed to build slowly, through the draft, and Ross was going to be completely out of football affairs. Ross quickly interfered and in 2021 we went speed build like the ‘Return of Tuna’.
I don’t think Grier could have built right either way. He cedes too quickly to Ross, is a poor evaluator of talent, spends draft capital like a drunk sailor, among many other flaws. Grier isn’t the right man for the job, and he’s been a power player in the Dolphins organization for decades. Grier must go and the right GM must replace him, a man who will tell Ross to back off, be a football guy of character, and demand that full control to take the job… and then make mostly the right decisions.
If Ross decides to tinker or even worse bring back the crew for one more ride, then whip of the powerful Dolphins media machine to hype it up, then he clearly will never be the right owner.
This is his last shot to do what’s right. Remember in the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray kept on repeating his failures until he grew humble enough to change and do what’s right for others even at his own expense. I will believe Ross will finally get it right… this time. This is the last time though. Let’s pray we finally have the right man for the job. Go Phins!!!
Ross turned down two really good head coaches in Dan Campbell and Todd Bowles. Ross likes those “Yes men.” Flores argued over Tua being drafted ahead of Justin Herbert. Flores was fired. Ross liked Lamar Jackson as a middle first round pick, but Grier said NO! How come Grier is still with us? Ross knows property, but is clueless about football. They give Tua the money they needed to keep the defense healthy. Maybe the O-line needs help too! If Tua is to survive, he needs a line. Then there is all those high price receivers dogging it while Tua was on IR. That is McDaniel’s fault. The Dolphins are bad because the leadership is bad. Ross – SELL THE DAMNED TEAM!
“Ross likes those “Yes men.” 100000% ” Ross knows property, but is clueless about football.” 10000%. I’m getting less and less hopeful even the more and more we lose that anything will change this ofseason… I’m leaning into expecting Grier and Co to be back in full force.
He’s passing the team to his daughter… Ross is our only hope. Who knows when the team will get a new owner… sadly.
MJ, so glad you did not leave us a few years ago! I hope you and your family are doing well! I could not agree with you more. This can all be summed up in one word MANAGEMENT! Both Grier and McDaniels need to be fired immediately after the season. We will have a losing season for sure. Need new GM and HC. Gruden wants to coach again so maybe he is an option? If you have any potential HC’s & GM’s that you like please let me know. Maybe Anthony Weaver? Many say he has HC ability. 1. Need to move on from Tua and draft another QB. This whole system is built around his talents, yet he is fragile and his time is very limited! In the interim, pick up a quality veteran like Matthew Stafford to hold down the fort for a few years. 2. Trade Hill for a #1 draft pick. 3. Unload Chubb, Ogbah, Mostert, etc. 4. Emphasize the OL & DL (trenches). Need to be a physical force up front. 5. Ross sell the team completely. However, I heard that he was thinking of selling a large portion of the team to someone/some organization. Ross is in his 80’s and wants a championship, but his time on earth is limited. Maybe he can bring in Belichick, although after Brady & Gronk left, the Pats did nothing for several years with him as HC and even GM. He could not pick a QB to save his life so maybe forget BB. I will be spending my Sundays doing other things. This team has had management issues for 25+ years and that is the problem! It starts at the top. Fire Grier, McDaniels (got a new 5 year deal this year), get draft picks and sign a new franchise QB with size, strength, MOBILITY, and good release/timing. Your thoughts? Steve.
Me too was weird walking out of the doctors office wit the fam there and telling them I might be checking out 🙂 I still don’t get those who believe Grier is the right guy… this whole Dolphins coverage thing has become so hard to do because of all the pitbull lock to hopium. Even OLine topics like Eich isn’t good… still has those who defend him and the OL. Just a few years ago we’d of been in unison about basic stuff. I have little hope we’ll fix anything… Ross just needs the slightest excuse to run it all back… too many fans are being great fans in the sense of believing and supporting, but being poor evaluators and allowing mediocrity or less to survive here. It gets sort’a depressing covering them… But I do love them so.