“I thought the Wells report went too easy on Philbin, saying he was unaware of the plight of Jonathan Martin, an unidentified player and an assistant trainer, all of whom were being harassed,” SI’s Peter King wrote in his Monday Morning Quarterback column today. “How can Philbin have been in that building 15 hours a day, at least, and not known anything?" King said. "And how can Wells accept that this was a fine job by Philbin, and he was some sort of Boy Scout troop leader promoting wonderful citizenship? I do understand he asked Jim Turner about what was going on with his players, and Turner told him everything was fine. But what caused Philbin to ask Turner? "Obviously his antennae were up. Philbin, whom I find to be a good man, still should know better, and this had better be a very good lesson for him, or his time in the head coach’s chair is going to be short.” Then there was this from ESPN’s Mark Schlereth: “I’m left with this conclusion about the Dolphins organization from the coaching staff on down: They were either complicit, incompetent or both.” Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/spor...list-heat-um-marlins-notes.html#storylink=cpy
It would be interesting to see a similar report funded by the NFLPA as opposed to NFL league offices. Just maybe they might place more of the blame on management than this report did.
Whats it say about the NFLPA that they havent asked for a report from a seperate firm? The NFLPA said that Wells had their full support and Wells agreed, but what's the NFLPA's position on this and does their lack of defense of the accused players say anyhting about the NFLPA's opinion?
I'm not aware of any response from the NLPA yet. Pretty hard to defend any of those guys, I would imagine. But I agree with Barry Jackson, the report took it very easy on Philbin, for whatever reasons.
Because people will then ask why haven't the NFLPA said anything about 2 players who were harassed and the team did nothing to protect them? The NFLPA is in a cleft stick here, best thing for them is to keep out of it. Backing either party will get them into a metric ton of trouble.
The Philbin question should be: What has he done to keep his job? Took over a team that went 7-9 and 6-10 before he got here. He's taken them to 7-9, 8-8. Team had a massive collapse at the end of the year against our division rivals (Phins favored in both games) to miss playoffs. Team lacks leadership, from both the staff and veterans. The staff Philbin picked really sucks. Locker room issues, reports about a lack of respect among staff/teammates, the fact that he did very little about it. I don't think any one thing is reason to fire him. But when ALL these things are reality, what's to really like about him as HC?
Peter King is usually the optimist for the Dolphins, but even he is baffled by this **** storm in our locker room.
An offensive coach whose offense under his tenure has been ranked 27th in total offense both years. A former offensive line coach whose team gave up a near franchise record in sacks. He had a bye week this year where we lost at home to Buffalo with Thad Lewis making his first start. He had a a Monday night game coming off a Thursday night game (11 days) and lost to the 0-9 Bucs. -So game planning is far from a strength. I'm yet to come across even 1 thing he does above average as even a football coach, let alone Head Coach. (I know, I know...besides having a neat locker room and practice field)
.... ......you guys just inadvertently gave yourselves a great clan name. I'm still puzzled as to why Philbin and Turner are here... well not really. Ross is clueless. But You dont hear the lot of us babbling on, being argumentive, insulting everyone with a difference of opinion. Grow up already. Philbin's odds are less than Rex's were last off season IMO.
I had no idea Jonathan Martin was dealing with such demons since his youth until recently. You would think a family of such affluence would be able to get their son the best therapy available. It's a real shame, the guy is a great athlete for a big man but will never be more than a journeyman, if that.
Excellent, excellent point. His family knew the real problems and refused to tell anyone on the team what they were, but somehow Philbin is responsible for helping Martin fix his issues but his parents aren't?
It would be an interesting perspective, but it'll never happen under this incarnation of the NFLPA. DeMaurice Smith has sold the players down the river several times during his reign and continues to do so in full view of his membership. I hope he chokes on the graft he's sure to have received from the league.
Let me know when you get an answer. I've asked many times and nobody has been able to respond convincingly or at all.
In all honesty, Ross should have hired a GM that wanted to clean house. Funny that people on the outside can see this, yet he has it all right in front of him and pee's down his leg when decision time comes. His damn committees and all this other crap don't mean anything. If Ross was serious about change there would have been real change. All a load of crap. The only thing that matter is that somehow, against all odds, Tannehill keeps developing. If they go 79-8-8 again, how do Philbin and the lame duck new GM keep their jobs? Someone needs to grab Ross and shake the **** out of him and make him see this isn't common. Most NFL teams aren't run this poorly. Clearly Ross isn't an idiot. You don't get to his place in life being stupid. I do fear though, after all that has transpired and the steaming flow of meaningless crap that has come from his mouth, he's football stupid. Plain and simple.
Peter King always sides with the liberal side of matters, however. I often agree with him but he's wrong in this instance. And, now that McKinney and Andrew MacDonald have disputed some of the findings - I wonder if King will be "objective" about that? I wonder if Dolphin fans spewing their emotional, victimology hate - as NaboCane above - will realize that a lot of that was lighthearted stuff that they took as highly offensive? And the player in reference thought it was just a light-hearted funny joke? And he loves coach Turner?
I cannot wait for this to die out and we can just go back to talking football like every other team. Just an annoying and frustrating story that won't die.
It'll die, the Combine starts this weekend then free agency is 2 weeks after that. The airtime will be full of Kipers, Mayocks, and McShays up until the draft in May. It will be a note in 2014 as the team goes though the struggles of the rebuilt offensive line.
From what I've read and followed, some of it was not light hearted D-fin, when you repeatedly demean someone who has emotional problems and severe insecurities your in the wrong, and your ignorant, and your immature, and your not harboring a championship type mindset.
this **** storm isn't over fellas I think more stuff could unfold but if Ross would go ahead and clean the roster of scumbags and fire the entire coaching staff this storm will calm down considerably.
Now it's a liberal trait to expect managers to manage and to expect men to act like men? Did Tom Coughlin run a liberal locker room? How about Nick Saban? It's funny the things people project onto others when they're arguing.
no it wont. until we put a winner on the table this team will from now on be the bully-gate/crappy locker room/no leadership team.
McDonald hasn't disputed the facts. His agent has acknowledged that all that stuff happened. What he's doing is disputing the notion that McDonald was bothered by it. Perhaps that is completely true. Or perhaps his agent thinks that taking such a stand will be better for McDonald's career even if he was actually bothered by it. Either way, it doesn't really matter. The stuff that the players and turner did to McDonald simply cannot happen in any professional environment. The fact that it might not have bothered McDonald is irrelevant. You are playing with fire pulling stunts like that. A coach can't give out blowup dolls period, let alone single one guy out with a male blowup doll. That is not normal locker room stuff. That stuff cannot happen. It is wrong. It is stupid. And it is likely to lead to more trouble. I don;t know how anyone could look at the stuff done to McDonald and think "hey, that's reasonable", even if you take McDonald's agent at his word that McDonald had no problem with it
Maybe the league needs to step in and pass out blow up dolls at the draft, and instead of Goodell handing out handshakes and/or hugs, he could slam each player down onto the ground and grab his junk. You know, to prepare the players for all the "normal locker room stuff" they're about to experience.
Giving out blow up dolls and simulating anal sex is not something I ever saw in a locker room. And the farthest I got in any sport was high school. If it wasn't happening in high school, when you are dealing with immature kids, I find it hard to believe such things are common in a professional locker room populated by adults working for a living
Honestly Philbin should probably lose his job. The Martin/Incognito mess alone should guarantee his pink slip. The early season collapse of the o-line where the Phins started setting a record for most sacks allowed is another factor. But for me the reason he should be fired is there were several times this season where the team was unprepared. The Dolphins should have swept both the Bills and the Jets. Philbin was outcoached by better coaches and better motivators. Losing both of those last two games is inexcusable. The Dolphins went on a spending spree and Philbin was only able to deliver 8-8.
@AbramsonPBP 2h Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said coaches are responsible for knowing what goes In with players in the locker room.
@AbramsonPBP 2h Denver coach John Fox says "buck stops" with head coach and you have to know pulse of the locker room.
Dude, stop it. I understand loving your favourite team but you are seriously stretching now. This team can do no wrong in your eyes apparently. If the head football coach is not responsible for what is going on in his locker room who the **** is? Who? If Philbin missed EVERYTHING what possible justification is there for him remaining as the head coach? It's a slightly detail oriented job. The roof was falling in but damn, the floor sure is clean. What has the man done to warrant unshakable faith? Willful ignorance is not a defense, it's a warning siren.
I'm quite sure that Philbin was aware of a lot of what were going on but I'd that he is getting a pass so far because he did want to get rid of Cogs and replace Martin because he did't think he was good enough for LT. I'm sure that he will be on a short leash here but it is what it is.
No, you stop it. You and so many others have spun everything they could. Its unconscionable at this point. - Philbin is no fun! Philbin needs to crackdown on joking around! - Philbin needs to earn the respect of the locker room! Philbin needs to kick guys off the leadership council and who cares if he pisses off the locker room! - Philbin sucks cause we underperformed! Ireland sucks cause we over performed! - O'Neil is a POS and obviously guilty for storming out of the investigation! O'Neil is going to sue and he's justified for being mistreated! - This doesn't happen in any other locker room! We should hire Rex Ryan, did you see him order that code red! - Ireland sucks for not getting rid of Cogs when Philbin wanted! I can't believe Philbin did nothing to stop Cogs! On and on and on and on and effing on. Non stop 24-7 goddamn full diaper cry-a-thon. I'm the opposition to that...I'm just trying to bring a tinge of reason to the sheer effing lunacy that is like an episode of The Real Housewives of Bat **** Mountain that is our fans.