http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-cole_dolphins_stephen_ross_jeff_fisher_01312
Or as one source said of Fisher, he told Ross at one point, “I’ve been a head coach for 17 years and 12 of them sucked because I had to fight for what I wanted.” In other cases, he had to fight against what he didn’t want.
Fisher never wanted to draft quarterback Vince Young with the No. 3 overall pick in 2006. He knew Young was a project so fraught with problems (both physical and mental) that making it work was more difficult than imaginable. Instead, Adams, the man who felt like he was forced to move the franchise from his hometown of Houston, wanted to take fellow Houston native Young in order to get some convoluted form of revenge.
In the process, Adams also cut quarterback Steve McNair, a true team leader, and a guy who could have helped Young get better. Aside from Earl Campbell, McNair might be the greatest player Adams has ever had. Yet, when Adams got a younger option, McNair was tossed aside with zero regard.
And you wonder why the Oilers/Titans have only managed to make the Super Bowl once.
Fisher and McNair took the Titans there in 1999, coming up a yard short of glory. Through that season, Fisher learned the one constant in football: NFL teams are only as good as their owner.
That’s why, when Fisher was dealing with Ross, he was strident about what he needed. He didn’t necessarily want to get rid of Ireland. He was comfortable with Ireland assessing players. He also didn’t have a problem with Carl Peterson being around, even if Peterson has an extremely close relationship with Ross despite having no formal title with the Dolphins. It was Peterson (not Ireland) who reportedly approached Jon Gruden on the Dolphins behalf and Peterson who has sat in on every head coach interview the team has done, according to multiple sources.
And the Titans still had way more success than the Dolphins have had since the 1980s. Phins haven't been 12-4 or above was 1990, 22 years ago. Yes, people who were just born the last time Miami won more than 11 games are going to be the new crop of college graduates. The Titans did it 4 times and went to a Super Bowl, with a horrible owner. We're so picky yet this franchise has won just 3 playoff games since 1995.
I don't know if it would have worked, but if you're asking me to trust Ross and Ireland to find the next Sean Payton, Belichick, Shula? AND a franchise QB? Then those are some fine drugs you're smoking because I don't trust them to do much at all right.
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PSG and Itsdahumidity like this.
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That's so 4 hours ago.
Seriously though. I understand what Fisher wanted and can easily understand why. It's just that the best franchises in the league don't give the coach that kind of latitude. If he wins a title or two with STL, it turns out to be a bad decision. Otherwise, I like that Ross has identified what works over time in the NFL. I'm not pumped about his selection of Ireland as the guy to get it done but apparently Peterson has signed off on him. -
That article places a VERY convenient spin on 17 years as a head coach. The fact of the matter is that Fisher got 5 good years out of Steve McNair and the Fisher and his team sucked again. The national media is have a field day with this story that is really a non-story. He's the only former head coach willing to coach again. That's his claim to this offseason hierarchy of coaches. The problem with that is he has proven LOSER! Geesh! It took the man his first 6 years to put a winning team on the field. WTF?
The one thing that this story highlights is yet ANOTHER downside to Fisher. He is unwilling to take on a young qb and teach him to be an NFL QB.
Ross hasn't done anything wrong in this case. I wouldn't give Fisher total control neither. There is talent on the field. Jeff Ireland put that talent on this team. Wayne Huyzienga probably left Ross with one warning as an owner and the "TOTAL CONTROL" issue was probably it. You don't give that up easilly because there is a bumbling dumb idiot (Dave Wannstedt) waiting to say (six years later) that "I never asked for total control." The irony here is that Jason Cole was a beat reporter here in Miami when that total control was given to the idiot. Cole should know better. That is unless he thinks Jeff Fisher is better than Dave Wannstedt. If he's making that claim, I'd like to see the evidence. It certainly ain't in the record.dolfan7171, djphinfan, Fin D and 1 other person like this. -
It's amazing how many people think the Titans would have won the SB instead of just tied the game if they would have gotten another yard or so. I sympathize with Fisher being stuck with Vince Young. But I'm sorry, his resume doesn't justify control over personel. I'm not the biggest Ireland fan. But I wouldn't toss him out and give Fisher the job.
Fin D likes this. -
You don't have to believe me. Look at their records. Wannstedt was fired after his FIRST losing season. As a matter of fact, he didn't even get to finish the season. Jeff Fisher did not have a winning season for his first 6 years. How is the fact that Jeff Fisher sucks lost upon you?
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And what is the "story" about what he wanted? Total control? Sam Bradford has two years under his belt. What's a Dolphins rookie got? So who is to say that Bradford gets ONE year under Fisher and then it's Kerry Collins all over again. I thought that's what WE didn't want.
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I predict that the Rams with Fisher as their head coach will be a much better team than the Dolphins, beginning next year.
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The fact is that the Dolphins play all the teams in the NFC West next year. Also when you look at the teams in the AFC East and the teams in the NFC West, their isn't that much difference in the two conferences. The AFC East this past season was one of the worst conferences in the NFL. There was only one team in the AFC East which ended the season with a winning record.
The Dolphins and Rams play each other next season so we will actually to be able to determine which is the better team at that time. -
I'm gonna disagree. They're going to gut that roster and still be a bad team next year.
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Well the two teams play next season, so we shall see at that time who the better team is.
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Reality is there has not been a single franchise QB available to Miami since Ross/Ireland have been here. I can't fault them for that.
By no means do I think Ross and Ireland are the cream of the crop, but considering the talent following the 1-15 team in 07 we are in much better shape now than when Ireland got here. Although, it would have been hard to do decrease the talent from that roster. -
Cuz everything Ross does needs to be a sideshow.
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The last six Super Bowl winning coaches didn't have final say. Pittsburgh doesn't give their coaches final say. The Packers don't either. Neither do the Giants. There's nothing wrong with Ross wanting a traditional power structure. The problem lies in pursuing a big name coach and thinking he would come in and work under Ireland. It's just another case of Ross not understanding how things work in the NFL.
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Why? Because he has an opinion you don't share? Petty.
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It's an opinion dude.
We're on message board.
Get off your high horse. -
I'm as disappointed as anyone that Fisher won't be the Dolphins next HC, because despite his detractors on this board, I happen to think he is a very good coach/leader. That said, and being a believer that things happen for a reason, I've accepted it as it is what it is and I'm hoping that means we will eventually get our guy.