Schefter on Dolphins/Sparano (on Mike and Mike in the Morning)

I hate to talk about this, but would that be the quickest hook ever?

What's the earliest a coach has ever been fired in a season (in the modern era I guess)?

 

M. Shanahan comes to mind. Not sure if this was the earliest but, after going 1-3 in '89 crazy Al fired him.

 

Last week, Jason Taylor complained about the players making the same mistakes in the game they consistently made in practice. He also complained about the lack of intensity at practice. This morning in the, Miami Herald, Brian Hartline is quoted as saying the Dolphins have trouble inside the red zone because they lack an offensive identity. Hartline and Bess also talked about a lack of communication near the opponents goal line and how these problems in the red zone are caused by the players not putting in as much time in the meeting rooms as they should.

This lack of attention to detail during the week and the lack of productive practice sessions goes right back to Sparano. It is his job as the head coach of the Dolphins to ensure that the team is properly prepared before the game. Comments from the players the last two weeks certainly shows that Sparano and his coaches are not doing what is required during the week to prepare their team for the game on Sunday.

I don't see any assistant coach on the Dolphins who Ross should promote at this time, if he decides to fire Sparano during the season. Nolan was not an effective head coach in the NFL and his defensive unit this season has regressed. So Ross should just play the season out with Sparano as the head coach. At least with Sparano in charge, this should assure the Dolphins a very high selection in the 2012 draft. Ross should use the rest of this season to start the search for the new head coach and GM he wants to take take over the organization as soon as the last game of the season is over.

Hopefully Ross already sees that Ireland and Sparano must go, and he will use the next few months to find the best talent available to fill these positions.

 

I dont think the hook would come that early .Perhaps when we are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs if at all.We might as well play out the hand we have been dealt.An interin coach might give this team a bump for a time but its a bump that will probably cost us a higher draft position.
I wonder if it would be worth it.

That could change if the team stops playing for Tony .It hasnt reached that stage yet although it could happen very quickly.

 

It was argued that almost the same cast of characters did just that down the stretch last year.

 

And thats part of the reason Ronnie and Ricky were let go IMO.

 

no doubt, but i don't think those two were the only ones so the org can't get rid of them in mid stream.

 

In this day and age of professional athletes making millions of dollars (hundreds of thousands as a minimum), that is just unacceptable. Not only is that on Sparano for letting it happen, but Ireland too for acquiring players that don't have the character or integrity to put the effort into the learning part of the game. We need someone who's going to hold these players accountable. This is ridiculous!

 

If anyone requires evidence that they didn't, tell them to watch the second Pats game. That was just brutal.

 

Let's look at it from a different perspective, what if we win most of our games here on out? What then? Should we keep Sparano and Ireland or is everyone just tired of the them. Me? I don't have confidence in them and any excitement of what they might bring to our organization has long since faded. Win or lose, I am ready for a change.

Steve

 

I have to agree, plus the new CBA limits the number of practices in pads before the season. Too many players you think they are entitled and coaches who do not know how to get them motivated

I hope I am wrong but looks like a long season

 

I'm not going to pretend I know what's at the heart of the issue, but this organization has gone out of its way to draft a good amount of players that supposedly have the character and integrity to succeed. In fact, we've drafted an awful high number of team captains over the years, so the fact that there are players who may not be putting in the time makes it all the more mind-blowing, IMO.

 

I don't blame Sparano for this. He's busy counting play counts for each player. That is some important stuff. Someone else on the staff needs to step up and make sure the players do what they need to do.

 

They've replayed the sound byte and here is the summation:

"..uhmm...they did not get their guy in Harbaugh....ahh...if they lose in SD, then it is a logical point to remove him...if not, he finishes out the yr.."

Well, gee, thanks Scheftie, that is a mouthful of nothing.

 

unless Tony & Jeff turn this thing around and go 13-0 the rest of the way, they both need to go. Ross should have a secret committee working on who our next HC/GM will be already.

 

Okay, let's look at it from that perspective. Let's say we do win most of our remaining games and go say...10-6 on the year. Is that a competetive winning season? Sure is. Some teams will make the playoffs with that record....others with a worse record, so if we do finish 10-6, justification is kind of difficult to let team Sparano go, isn't it? He gave you a winning season.

If we were to win most of our remaining games and go say...8-8 or 7-9, can we justify letting team Sparano go? Sure can. Had he had the team ready to go and won any of our first three games, our post season could be looking different, if we had one at all.

I was one of the ones that looked t the lockout as a potential season killer and WAS willing to write off a bad season due to it, but now...after back to back 7-9 seasons and a heartbreaking loss to Cleveland that mirrored last year's loss, my head is telling me that it is time for a change.

As much as I like continuity with coaching, this one just doesn't sem to be panning out. Sparano has been a one hit wonder

 

If Sparano gets the hook during the bye week...just shows what a sham that contract extension was.

 

It would show that once again this franchise made another severe mistake . Which unfortunately will not be surprising.

 

Not that I'm endorsing him, but I haven't seen Todd Bowels' name mentioned on here a lot, if at all. I know he's had interviews the past few seasons and is listed as the Assistant Head Coach. I'd think he or Nolan are the two most logical interim coach options.

 

The G Man I am glad you said that. I think Ireland is more to blame for the personel moves and Sparano for not having a good plan and for changing the running styles right after you cut two guys that were built for that style .

 

I don't get how you can honestly blame the personnel moves if the coaching is bad and I don't get how you can blame the coaching if the personnel moves are bad. Judging by what I see on Sunday's it comes from coaching because Jeff Ireland has nothing to do with us always burning dumb timeouts, running Reggie Bush into the hearts of defenses, and running a Pop Warner offense last year. Thats coaching. And when it comes to personnel everyone looks at the Dolphins on paper and have bene the past few years saying, "This year the Dolphins look good!" This year the Dolphins will have a Top 3 Defense." To me its not the players on the team....its the coach. Thats just my personal observation.

 

This was discussed in another thread. It's the chicken/egg thing again. The players have to make the plays. The coaches can only put them in position to make them. The same goes for practice. The intensity of a practice is dictated by the PLAYERS, not the coaches and staff... JT said he was speaking about certain players that had similar issues in the game as in practice. Is that the coaching ?? I don't think so. I think that's up to the player. However, it doesn't matter. Ross has already decided to move on with Sparano, he just hasn't told Tony yet...

 

I read somewhere, sorry don't remember where, that the team practices redzone on fridays only. Now maybe that is standard NFL procedure, but it seems to me if something is that big a of a problem you probably should spend more than 1 day a week on it. Especially don't wait until the last day of the freaking week to address it. Hopefully I am mistaken on the friday only thing, but jeez that just strikes me as stupid...

 

And how much of the communication problems can be attributed to having a lockout, putting in a new system with an OC, having essentially 5 of the 11 positions being manned by different players?

 

CK, you know as well as I do, that contract extension is the fake kiss that husbands that cheat on their wifes provide to the camera's, its the diamond ring like Kobe gave, its the "baby, baby please forgive me" to the battered wife infront of a judge/jury".

Tony Sparano is a battered wife, a wife that was cheated on...he takes it, and takes it, and just accepted the payment as an "I get mine".

No way in H. E. double Hockey Sticks the extension isnt a sham in the offer and the acceptance.

 

I blame Sparano for the play of the team on Sunday. The team is ill prepared and consistently makes the same errors, week after week. I also blame Ireland because he has done a terrible job providing the talent to contend for a playoff spot, even if the Dolphins had a decent head coach.
There is not a single player from the 2010 Ireland draft who is playing at a quality NFL level at this time. Odrick has provided absolutely no pass rush and he is having a difficult time even getting onto the field. Koa Misi should be renamed Koa Missing, since he has regressed as a LB this year and he isn't making any plays. The remaining players still on the team from the 2010 draft, Jerry, Carroll, Jones, and Spitler are all below average players and would not even make the majority of the teams in the NFL. Edds and McCoy were just wasted draft picks.
Upgrading talent on the team is the responsibility of Ireland. He has failed terribly in his duties and he needs to be replaced at the same time Sparano is.

 

I think you are right but I also think you give Ross too much credit but the players dont like sparano and it shows on the field so if we get embarassed again then Ross might have no choice but to can both guys.

side note you guys do know that Ireland also left Sparano hanging last summer but the draft picks these guys make are not really that good and that is how i feel anout it whether I am right or wrong .

 

Two questions;
Doesn't the head coach set the tempo and atmosphere of practice? If the HC is tough and demanding in practice then that is kind of mirrored in the players attitude, demeanor and play during the game. If the coach is relaxed and easy going in practice then that seems to be mirrored too. Wasn't that one of the complaints with Cameron that he was too easy going and tried to be friends with all of his players?

The other question is, what if the Dolphins lose to San Diego and New York making us 0-5? Might that be a catalyst for Ross to consider a change in mid season?

 

If we start 0 - 4 and there isn't a very sensible sign of improvement then I would be okay with canning Sparano. I am fine w/ Nolan being the interim HC. Let's at least lets see what happens. Sparano is a dead man walking so why not at least see how the players respond to a different HC and his style.

What's the worst that could happen? We loose even more home games and are in the running for Luck... we are already there.

 

I am not fine with Nolan being the interim HC. Not with the horrible job he has done with the defense. I would rather have Sparno's son as the interim head coach than Nolan.

 

Yeah because if they go 12-1....fired!