1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Deadspin: Dolphins Fire a Scout Who Worked From Home to Care for his Wife

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by TiP54, May 28, 2014.

  1. TiP54

    TiP54 Bad Reputation

    10,688
    4,955
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    Live from the Internet.
    Deadspin has the story Here.

    Article takes of with stating the obvious
    Then proceeds to the point.

    Discuss.
     
    Bpk likes this.
  2. CashInFist

    CashInFist Well-Known Member

    10,069
    2,624
    113
    Nov 30, 2007
    West Virginia
    Thanks again Obama
     
  3. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    31,608
    55,631
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    They deserve to be raked over the coals probably even more than they're going to be for this. What in the everliving **** is wrong with this team?
     
    Aquafin, Bpk, MonstBlitz and 7 others like this.
  4. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

    15,886
    8,901
    113
    Dec 21, 2007
    NY
    How the **** is that legal?
     
  5. heylookatme

    heylookatme Well-Known Member

    902
    438
    63
    Sep 12, 2012
    Welcome to your wonderful new ACA future :) I run a small business and just had to deal with changing insurance plans myself. Been absolutely hosed...
     
    xphinfanx likes this.
  6. unifiedtheory

    unifiedtheory Sub Pending Luxury Box

    12,363
    7,091
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    Burnaby, BC, Canada
    Seriously. Who looks at this and says "yes, that is the correct thing to do".

    I hope they get torn apart in the media.
     
  7. Alex44

    Alex44 Boshosaurus Rex

    20,810
    8,965
    0
    Jan 7, 2008
    Hollywood, Florida
    That is seriously screwed up if true. No reason a guy shouldn't stay on payroll if he can do an effective job reviewing tape from home. I understand it isn't ideal but I bet having a terminally ill wife isn't ideal either.

    If they fired him for being a bad scout...fine. That is legitimate. He doesn't deserve job handouts, many people have issues like his. However if he is an effective worker.... this makes me sick a bit inside.
     
    Bpk, Tin Indian and ToddPhin like this.
  8. FanMarino

    FanMarino Season Ticket Holder

    2,906
    718
    0
    Nov 24, 2007
    "The cost of one prescription skyrocketed from $10 to $3,000 per pill under the new policy" ??? and i thought the UK Government sucked!...well not so much thought...its fact. Feel bad for Nate Sullivan. Harsh doesn't even go half way.
     
  9. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

    12,162
    5,057
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    wow that is horrible ... I'm glad this is a front office issue and not a team issue though... this will have no effect on the football side but on the business side we're still dysfunctional.
     
  10. PhinishLine

    PhinishLine Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    4,276
    2,893
    113
    Dec 3, 2007
    Maryland
    Companies change their plans all the time as they try to save more. It's not per person, it's typically for all employees. If the Dolphins were trying to cut healthcare costs by not buying into plans that support that medicine then I imagine thats what it was. Typically, it is still available but you have to get a higher plan. But, your plan typically doesn't officially change until after open enrollment is done. So....in essence....getting fired actually helps you in that when you get a new job you can go to an employer who covers the medicine under that benefit.

    As for getting fired. It depends on the particular situation. If you have a scout that NEVER comes to work, regardless of his situation, and this has been going on for 10 years (or however many 3 GMs goes back) you can imagine that at some point you are going to get canned.
     
    unluckyluciano likes this.
  11. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

    79,599
    159,162
    113
    Dec 1, 2007
    Terrible if true. The drug allegation should carry a paper trail. I just noticed the lawyer claimed that cystic fibrosis was the only TERMINAL medical condition whose drugs were excluded...which implies that other drugs were excluded as well, just not terminal ones. That could give the Dolphins some cover to claim one had nothing to do with the other.

    But the claim that he was fired for the arrangement still remains. Most people would think it's the employer's discretion whether the arrangement works or not but I'm not so sure. I'm not a lawyer but I think the fact that the guy already had an arrangement with his employer that worked for 10 years under three different GMs will come into play. Dennis Hickey is not the guy's employer. The Miami Dolphins are his employer. His employer didn't change when Hickey was hired, only his supervisor. If this arrangement worked fine for 10 years under three different supervisors then I could imagine there being legal grounds for this.
     
    Bpk, Puka-head and Alex44 like this.
  12. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

    15,886
    8,901
    113
    Dec 21, 2007
    NY
    Just saying I want to know who gets to pocket that $2,990 markup.
     
  13. CrunchTime

    CrunchTime Administrator Retired Administrator

    23,327
    35,934
    113
    Nov 23, 2007
    Its an unfortunate set of circumstances but ultimately it will fall on Ross and his insurance policies if they cover this situation.I am guessing a settlement will be most likely to occur.
     
  14. phinfan4ever

    phinfan4ever New Member

    36
    7
    0
    Jan 17, 2014
    Are you saying a GM doesn't have the authority to dismiss a scout? For work related issues of course. I can't imagine Hickey discriminating against the scout for any reason. If Hickey did that then Miami deserves to get sued.
     
  15. Dolphins1Beatles

    Dolphins1Beatles Ziggy Stardust

    4,749
    1,940
    113
    Oct 9, 2009
    New York
    Last year or so? Deadspin is being way too kind...

    The Dolphins are a TMZ dream that makes the Jets look good.
     
  16. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

    72,658
    35,312
    113
    Nov 29, 2007
    Charlotte NC
    This is deplorable if true.
     
    dolphindebby likes this.
  17. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

    4,697
    1,667
    113
    Feb 1, 2012
    Idiot owner that is never around, that's what's wrong.
     
    ASOT likes this.
  18. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

    79,599
    159,162
    113
    Dec 1, 2007
    If he fired the scout for performance reasons then that is fine but keep in mind Dennis Hickey is not Sullivan's employer. The Miami Dolphins are/were Sullivan's employer. Hickey is just his latest supervisor. From Sullivan's standpoint he had an arrangement with his employer, abided by three previous supervisors, and now he's being fired because this particular supervisor has decided that an arrangement that has worked for ten years does not work for him as a supervisor.

    Yeah, he's got a case. It'll have its day in court.
     
  19. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

    44,356
    22,480
    113
    Mar 22, 2008
    The obvious answer here is that things didn't really work previously, hence Hickey being hired. Hes been hired because the team wanted change from past performance. This isn't anything uncommon when you see new management.

    Hell, the first thing Marissa Miller did when she took over Yahoo was eliminate remote work. And she is the CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the world. We always hear the term "agent of change".

    The real question is whether he was told he could keep his job if he stopped working remotely.

    Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
     
    USArmyFinFan, Steve-Mo, Bpk and 3 others like this.
  20. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

    52,652
    25,565
    113
    Nov 13, 2009
    The cost of those pills though.
    ch
    ange you can believe in.
     
  21. Deerless Dice

    Deerless Dice Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    2,288
    2,486
    113
    Oct 30, 2013
    As a person with their own terminal illness, it doesn't surprise me to see medication not covered by insurance to be that expensive. In my case, I've seen EOBs for name brand medication be over $2,000 for fill. I'd wager it was a similar situation for Sullivan's wife.

    To play Devil's advocate, I don't think that just because Sullivan had a wife with a terminal illness that should preclude him from being fired for cause. Maybe he wasn't working up to Miami's standards? Maybe he was taking advantage of his situation? Who is to say, we've only heard one side of the story.

    That being said, a classy organization like the Steelers or the Seahawks wouldn't go about their business in the manner that Miami has. It's beyond pathetic at this point, and it's not going to get any better until Ross sells the team.
     
    Bpk likes this.
  22. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

    52,652
    25,565
    113
    Nov 13, 2009
    Maybe this is Ross's way of saving up for stadium renovations.

    I'm going to vomit.
     
  23. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

    79,599
    159,162
    113
    Dec 1, 2007
    The intent to litigate letter is intended to get the Dolphins to reinstate him and cover his wife's medical bills. Essentially the guy just wants his job back and wants his wife to be cared for. Anyone making an attempt to demonize him should keep that firmly in mind. The guy worked for the Dolphins for 17 years. For 17 years he was a member of the Dolphins family, and then they decided to fire him. I'm just saying, put yourself in his shoes.
     
  24. PhinishLine

    PhinishLine Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    4,276
    2,893
    113
    Dec 3, 2007
    Maryland
    Are the Dolphins or the insurance company on the hook for that? As a business, I would think the Dolphins have the right to select the HCP/plan that's best for the company.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
     
  25. PhinishLine

    PhinishLine Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    4,276
    2,893
    113
    Dec 3, 2007
    Maryland
    Fertility drugs alone for my wife and I were around 10k, easy.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
     
  26. slickj101

    slickj101 Is Water

    15,886
    8,901
    113
    Dec 21, 2007
    NY
    The Steelers are about as far from a classy organization as you can get.
     
  27. phinswolverinesrockets

    phinswolverinesrockets If he dies, he dies

    3,807
    1,282
    113
    Oct 31, 2013
    Houston
    [​IMG]
     
  28. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    31,608
    55,631
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    There's some posts in here that lead me to believe there was a gas leak or head trauma festival and consequently POFO is leaking.

    What does this have to do with the ACA? Employers were always free to negotiate the nature of their coverage on the behalf of their employees in group coverage situations. The allegation here has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of government mandate or change, it's that the Dolphins negotiated a change in their benefits to **** over a specific employee that they wanted to get rid of.

    Further, it's ignoring one of the fundamental elements of the ACA applicable in this case that should be incredibly easy to understand. If she's left without coverage because the team manages to successfully **** her and her husband over, she's probably not going to die because she can't get healthcare because of her condition.
     
  29. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    I just don't understand how a team could be so inept at NOT looking like a cartoon villain. Dick Dastardly is shaking his head in disgust.
     
    Bpk, MikeHoncho and ckparrothead like this.
  30. LBsFinest

    LBsFinest Banned

    3,972
    2,062
    0
    Jul 24, 2012
    This franchise is a joke.
     
  31. smahtaz

    smahtaz Pimpin Ain't Easy

    Thanks for sharing.
     
    Bumrush likes this.
  32. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

    44,356
    22,480
    113
    Mar 22, 2008
    The accusation being levied is that the Dolphins targeted Sullivan specifically because of his wife's illness.

    These type of situations essentially come down to who a jury will believe. Hopefully the Dolphins don't let it come to that, and they settle with Sullivan.

    Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
     
  33. pmj

    pmj New Member

    381
    168
    0
    Nov 1, 2010
    ITT: Terminal Illness drug prices were cheap before Obama.
     
  34. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

    99,377
    37,301
    0
    Nov 22, 2007
    inching to 100k posts
    I do think it odd that a scout could work from home, as in home based or strictly from home?

    As for the public image, do tend to agree, it is as if there is something in the water in Davie that causes temporary loss of the ability to see the big picture. I hope a equitable settlement is reached and Sullivan finds employment in his field elsewhere.

    What scouts do, and which players they identify that work out for the franchise is one of the things that is shrouded in the miasma of "it stays in the building" do think our drafts for the most part have been sub par for a long long time.
     
  35. Pauly

    Pauly Season Ticket Holder

    3,696
    3,743
    113
    Nov 29, 2007
    I think that the Dolphins have been very unhappy with this arrangement for a long time. It's just that previous GMs didn't want the storm of bad publicity and kept this guy on the payroll.

    Without having done the job I cannot say this for a fact, but I believe that it is very important for scouts to actually go out and see/talk to people and to come in to the office for round table discussions about prospects. I'd say that a long term working from home arrangement would be a serious barrier to getting this guy to work in the role he is paid to do.

    The other issue, and I am going to sound heartless for saying this, is that ten years is a long time for a terminal illness patient to be about. Legally terminal illnesses are defined as illnesses that are likely to kill someone within 2 years in most jurisdictions. When the Dolphins agreed to the work from home arrangement I bet they didn't think they would be signing on for 10+ years of working from home. The phins have gone way further than the majority of companies would have done already.

    In short this sucks and looks bad for the Phins. It also is a problem that should have been sorted out by Spielman or Ireland, but they avoided the problem because they didn't want the bad publicity. Which leads to the legal problems that CK points out.

    In essence this is the story of the phins since Wannstadt. There's an obvious problem which gets ignored and pushed into the future until it becomes a complete disaster for everybody involved.
     
  36. finwin

    finwin Active Member

    943
    194
    43
    Apr 30, 2013
    Jamestown, NC
    The Dolphins are not having the tough conversations with their players and personnel. The culture of that organization is starting to get repaired. The $3000 per pill was what the Dolphins were paying as a self insured company. If your company is not trying to cut excess, than you must not be living in the US. I really see no case that the employee could have against the franchise as he is free to work for a company that offers benefits that cover that drug.
     
  37. PhinFan1968

    PhinFan1968 To 2020, and BEYOND! Club Member

    Go hang out with your Jets fan buddies then.
     
  38. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    39,159
    21,798
    113
    Nov 29, 2007
    San Diego
    Hobby Lobby case - the ACA runs all health care plans now. I'm not saying what the true story is, and I withhold judgement because I know employers can't just willy nilly exclude things because they want to. The ACA mandates minimum requirements so I'm curious how this all plays out.

    How many do the Dolphins employ? I'm curious if they're big enough to negotiate things like that vs smaller companies that much choose from cookie cutter plans.
     
  39. MrClean

    MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member

    It's just that the morons known as middle class Republicans look for any excuse to blame Obama for anything possible. :pity:
     
  40. jdang307

    jdang307 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    39,159
    21,798
    113
    Nov 29, 2007
    San Diego
    I like you Mr. Clean but you take a lot of pofo shots outside of Pofo every chance you get. Very unbecoming.

    But I like you anyway. Because you like Mike Wallace and so do I ;)
     
    Colorado Dolfan likes this.

Share This Page