Haven't seen this in an actual thread yet, but now I am thoroughly disgusted. Before I went to bed on Monday night (Monday morning back in the States), surely I expected to read on the internet somewhere, "Dolphins fire Tony Sparano". Well, at least I was HOPEFUL I would read something like that. But actually find an articel stating Sparano's job was safe...despite reports last week that should the Dolphins lose again to Denver his status would be reviewed...only to see that his job was yet again safe, tells me all I need to know about the rest of the season. The Dolphins front office is resigned to losing the rest of the season. Miami has now lost 9 straight games dating back to last season. They have lost 12 of their last 13 home games. Any owner who actually cared about winning would have already fired Sparano. Ross has not done that and seeing how Ross is indeed a multi-millionaire and real estate mogul, it can't be he's an idiot. You don't make the kind of money he's made without having a couple of brain cells. So the only other logical alternative is Ross has given up. I don't want to say I've given up on the Dolphins this season. I bleed aqua and coral, but with how little television I do get to see due to my constant traveling around Afghanistan, it will sure make not following this season alot easier and save me from the anguish of having to watch my Dolphins fall over a cliff. If the owner's given up on this season well...there's not much reason for me to be enthusiastic enough to try and follow the team this year.
As long as the players have not quit on the team there is not much benefit in firing Sparano at this stage .We are losing because we really Suck.Changing coaches is not going to change that. If there is going to be a change it will probably be after we are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but I am guessing that he will last the season. That could change if the team quits on him but I doubt it happens because the coaches and the players are auditioning for their next jobs and no one likes a quitter.
C'mon Knight, first this was written by Mando, who's only goal in life is to stir up nothing. Second, Ross was yucking it up with Meyer on the sidelines...well, that's his job given that they had the Florida championship team 'celebration' or whatever they called it. Personally, I have a real issue with this. I'm a U alum and the only team I hate worse than the jests is the gators, but that's just MHO... Look, Ross is not as stupid as we all seem to think he is. He has screwed up some in his thinking and his actions as an NFL owner, but I'm sure he's learned. I doubt that there was any talk with Meyer about getting back into coaching. Now, he's done some dumb things and I could be wrong, but I'm sure he's still smarting from the Harbaugh fiasco and is simply waiting his time under the current circumstances. I think we all have to quit being so paranoid that he'll continue to make the same mistakes over and over. He's a billionaire and didn't get that way by making the same mistakes over again... It wouldn't make sense for him to fire Sparano just yet. First, Nolan, the obvious replacement on staff is struggling to do his own job, much less take on more. Second, the team for all it's faults is still playing hard. They aren't playing well, but they are playing hard. We've lost our only option as an NFL level QB who as finally coming along and we're stuck with a backup to run the team the remainder of the season....that's Ireland's department, not Sparano's... I also think the gist of the article was that Sparano's job was safe for now. He'll eventually go, it's simply a matter of timing. Never is firing the HC in the middle of the season a good thing for the team and never does it make the team any better...
I don't know what's worse, an owner who doesn't have the cojones to fire a HC who can't even figure out a way to win at home with a 15 point lead and less than three minutes left. Or, one that has the audacity to yuck it up on the sidelines while it's happening. Clearly, the biggest problem facing this once proud franchise starts with ownership.
I don't think the team has quit, but they definitely lack confidence in themselves to get the job done. Add that to the fact they're never prepared and you have a bad situation. At what point does keeping Sparano just become to torture to everyone involved, including him? He looks like a man who's been beaten down. I do admire his will to keep fighting though.
I don't see the benefit in firing Sparano at this point. 1. It's not any more or less fair to have a lame duck interim coach than to let Sparano lay in the bed he made. 2. Who on the coaching staff has earned a promotion anyway? 3. Letting Sparano finish the season shows our next HC that we aren't a knee-jerk organization. 4. For us SFL'ers the thought of this team Forrest Gump'ing its way to a few meaningless wins after a theoretical spark from an interim HC makes us want to vomit.
He's going to be fired sooner or later. Whether it's during the season or after the season, I really don't care.
Hey, at least he could "run Forrest, run"...That's a thought...He did pretty good for Bear Bryant ?? We need a deep threat ?>
I agree that there is no point to firing Sparano during the season. It makes poor financial sense for the owner and provides no benefit to the team.
Canning Sparano would only serve to appease the (internet) mob and damage Ross' reputation in coaching cirles (not to be confused with internet mob circles) even further, especially after the Harbaugh debacle. Ross is doing well to sit tight and pay lip service to his coach, instead of listening to angry fans who will be back next season anyway. There's something to be gained from a lousy season, even if it's not Andrew Luck and even if some fans loathe the idea; there's nothing to be gained from canning Sparano now.
Imo he really should have started over with "his" guys, but the lockout prevented it from happening. For me, as much as I love Sparano and would hate to see him fired, he does have 2 more yrs on his deal at over a million per yr, that is a lot of protein shakes.
I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you. I like that his has the cojones to keep Sparano to give us a better chance at SFL. The season is toast, time to think long term & the future. We all know this coach staff & hopefully "Is yo mama a whore" Ireland gets the can at the end of the season. Ross is being is smart in willing to swallow his pride for the better of the team long term.
It wouldn't make any long term business sense to fire him now. Let the tomato can ride out the season.
Fire Sparano then...? I'm not a SFL advocate but at this point whats the value gained in firing the HC? To replace him with a interm HC? To spark the team? Meanwhile he will just get replaced at the end of the season, and really why go through all that unless you believe your interm HC IS the next man for the job.And thats just not the case here. And what new HC is going to want to come in here mid season? So why fire Sparano? where's the value in it? What does it matter for the near future? How does it effect the team long term? Just keep this staff on until the end of the season and clean house. New owner, new staff and some player turn over.
I'm not surprised. I realize my position goes against the whole SFL plan. But, it's the principle of the matter. You can't continue to get embarrassed at home and do nothing about it. As an owner, you have to show that there are consequences to this kind of incompetence. This owner has zero football acumen IMHO.
I agree but by canning them mid-season, it isn't going to help us long term. What's more important to you, short or long term?
What about the intergrity needed to make decisions with the future in mind during the season like playing certain players over others, kinda like what Polian has said to do Raf.? I think obviously the guy is being consulted on this by peterson and mangini on whether the timing is right to fire this coach, so if they both say no preserving some respect for the next coach, I guess its ok.. I stand by believing that what he did with the celebration thing to be a huge mistake...This is from Al golden..''Golden says 'right team' will be honored at Sun Life Stadium on Thursday.. From Mike Pouncey..''Its hard to play at home when there is no support.'' excuses maybe, but the owner of the team has damaged the image of his own team, from a national perspective, and from his own players.. Do I think he had bad intentions when he was talkin to Meyer?...should he of used better judgement because of the idiocy of the media, perhaps..just look at the negative publicity our own idiot is spewing....''yucking'' is used in a derogatory way.
Your sig got me thinking, if the cane fanbase was smart, there would be a rallying cry to get that stadium packed on thursday, simply to make a statement.
The Cane's fanbase has a hard time filling the stadium based on their own merits. Using a UF ceremony on their rented field isn't going to make a difference. If anything, this should be a rallying cry for the fanbase to demand better from Donna Shalala.
Well, there always needs to be a sense of accountability. Whether that would be achieved by firing Sparano, I'm not sure. Its hard to say unless you are in that building. But there certainly could be long-term benefit to firing him.
Pride. That's all. Plain and simple. Just pride. I used to be a proud Dolphins fan. When asked who my favorite team was, I'd say without hesitation...Miami. No more. Look I get the whole "suck for Luck" thing. And, while I'm not necessarily against it, I sure as hell wasn't promoting it after two or three losses like many on here were. At this point, yeah...getting the #1 overall pick obviously has its distinct advantages. Especially if Luck declares. But daggummitt...does that mean we have to go through a full season of losses like last Sunday to get there? Are we as fans going to collectively sell our souls to get the golden boy? 'Cause if I have to give up all my principles as a fan, my desire to win every time my favorite team takes the field (especially at home, and especially against division rivals), that I am supposed to somehow root for MY team to lose every time they play, man...I just don't know that I can do that. I think I'd rather act as if there is no Luck. In fact, I'd rather act and think as if there was no draft next year. Just focus on there here and now. Just win a freakin' game already! I mean, Jim Mandich must be rolling over in his grave right about now. And, what about Csonk and the gang from the perfect season? Isn't this the antithesis of perfection? Look, I'm sorry that I let this turn into a rant, but I'm really just disgusted with this whole regime. And, I come back to ownership. There has to be accountability. The buck has to stop somewhere. If this is the way Ross is going to handle this type of situation, IMHO it just doesn't bode well for the future.
Why would you be disgusted DK, this is what you need in order to secure Luck....God forbid they can TS, and Nolan actualy has them playing well, they could win a game or 2 and then everything goes down the drain.... Keeping TS around guarantees the same awful product....if it isn't broke then don't fix it.... the day the season is over....fire him....then hire him back just so you can fire him again....
def true, but I do think there could be a campaign to motivate the fanbase of this a bit, a sign of unity to go alongside with the turn that is going on with the program, and it should show in the energy level and etiquette of the fans on thursday.. There are ways to motivate fans stringer, you just have to think outside the Box, and capitolize and market when the time is right, and let me tell ya, the time is perfect.. question, what do you mean when you say you want the fanbase to demand better from Shalala? in tangible terms?
The time is perfect because they had a huge win over GT last weekend. That motivates fans a lot more than anything else. UM turned down $200M+ to renovate the Orange Bowl. Shalala was the driving force behind moving to Dolphins stadium, because she thought the amenities of an NFL stadium would better suit the school. Basically, she wanted nice luxury suites to entertain people in.
Stringer, I'am trying to get this story strait..What would you say to this statement?? ''They didn't own that facility, the City of Miami did, and if you knew anything you would know that the U almost took the city to court to force them to do the upgrades they were promised for years, but instead took the offer given to them from the Dolphins to move to Sun Life.'' I didn't write that but there seems to be some confliction as to why they moved to sunlife and whos fault it was.
Categorically false. The City offered over $200M worth of renovations. I know trustees at the University, and the city absolutely made attempts to keep UM there. ETA: Here is an article on UM turning down the offer: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2984425
Am I missing something here? You wake up to find Sparano is still the coach, you should be jumping for joy and ****. Nobody can lose like this guy. Suck4Luck baby.
It seems obvious the plan is to keep Tony on all season. The biggest threat to SFL is probably him resigning before then.
WOW!!!!! Just....WOW!!!!! I read through these responses and I can't utterly believe some of these responses. It's merely speculation as this site wasn't even around then, but I wonder those of you who say firing Sparano isn't a good idea....or that it's in our best interests to keep Sparano the rest of the season was gathered in the streets with pitchfork and torches demanding the head of Dave Wannstadt on a pike in 2004 before you "resigned"? Secondly, set football aside for a second. Since when do you reward poor performance with continued employment? If I was doing my job this poorly, surely my contract would be terminated. Why does Sparano continue to keep his job? You S4L'ers...you guys may get your wish, but unless that OL is SERIOUSLY addressed in the off-season, Luck will end up just like Henne, Pennington, Green, Culpepper and the number of other QB's we had...laid out on his back, knocked out of the game with a season ending injury
Ross is smart to let this play out the way that he is. He knows that he made an *** of himself last off season and sticking to his coach sends a better message to the fans, as well as other perspective coaches. Ross wants everyone to be good and sick of TS before he makes a move so everyone will be in his corner when it happens. The season is lost anyway, by keeping TS and canning him during the off season he looks like a good guy. His PR people have instructed him well. This time he will look like a hero, not a villain.
Don't fire him. Make him suffer like the rest of us. Same with Ireland. The whole organization will be blown out the second after the season ends. We will basically be an expansion team with a decent roster.....and a franchise quarterback. Only......10.....more.....games....of......pain.
Right tackle needs to be addressed. It's not like the whole line has to be replaced. I thought the justification for taking Jake Long over a QB was to keep any potential QB from getting killed. I guess that didn't work out because apparently we still have the worst offensive line in the world. We will rightfully draft a franchise QB this April and then take care of the line afterwards. And yes that can be done.
oh god! I don't even want to think about losing all ten games. It would make the league tease us about having another perfect season. I hope we can win at least a few here. on another note...... I am starting to get concerned for TS and his mental health. At the last post game presser he looked a wreck. I think he is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Between the media, fans, team and having to look over his shoulder all the time it's a wonder he isn't in a straight jacket. It might be better for him if they canned him now. The media is the worst, how can this guy be expected to lead a wining team when they constantly have him looking over his shoulder all the time. Eventually the press has to lay off him if they want to see us win at least a few.