The Dolphins are a spitting image of 2005 49ers.
Bare with me for a second.
2004 marked one of the worst seasons in franchise history for the SF Forty Niners.
Why? Ownership
The York family had previously been granted the Franchise because of Eddie DeBartolo’s squabbles with his sister Denise DeBartolo York and some legal troubles.
When the York’s took over a once proud franchise they rested their laurels on an unknown defensive coach, Mike Nolan.. He was granted total control of all football decisions.
Nolan coached the team getting QB Alex Smith and anyone else he wanted. He was the one getting the groceries.
This move proved fatal for the 49ers. They are still recovering today, but has shown a glimpse of what they can be with a new structure and a new Stadium on the horizon.
Flash forward to today: the Miami Dolphins are leading the standings in ineptitude. They are stinking more than fish left out at a Bayside Bistro.
They can’t even get the refs to replay a near dropped pass.
They can’t get the refs to replay a tuck on the Moore fumble in OT. A challenge was warranted because Moore clearly brought the ball down. Was I the only fan in America screaming this?
(I haven’t seen one since Brady’s), it’s a conspiracy.
Dolphins are governed by an owner that’s interested in what lines his own pockets than what the fans want, a winning team and franchise QB.
Gator Day was a gutless disaster to the fan base that is pro Dolphin and fans of the Miami Hurricanes.
So were the images of Ross yucking it up with Urban “Stressed out” Meyer or Urban, I can’t coach right now Meyer.
The Broncos are far worse than the Dolphins, they had no shot of winning until the Dolphins gave them that chance.
Point Fingers at Ross:
Ross first made the mistake keeping Sparano last January.
Ross has no clue about winning and how important the fans are in getting the stadium upgraded and what it takes to be an owner as confident and bullish about winning as Jerry Jones. He can only wish. Jones has poured almost every cent into his franchise and gotten results.
The Miami Dolphins are the laughing stock of the league because they chased the cheese in a QB called Orton. Then failed, then pushed that idea under the rug and contacted Matt Moore and Reggie Bush.
Ross called it off because it did not make financial or business sense for a QB that is a care-taker to make Franchise QB money. That much is true, but Orton would win in Cleveland and yesterday versus the Broncos had he come to Miami.
Ross for all his acumen in the business world in developing real estate that is less than desirable and turning it into a beautiful landscape has his biggest task ahead.
Suggestions for Ross:
Hire a football czar. Hire a well known Football guy. A guy who will work 80+ hours a week with the coach and GM. Not one who leaves on Thursdays to go fishing on his boat or to Spring Training or to race horses a la Parcells.
Hire a GM that does not delineate from what it takes to build a team, make it a 3- 5 year plan. Don’t try to win it all the first or second year.
Develop the bottom of the roster and quit churning. Let players develop so they can start in 1-2 years.
High draft picks need to be the starters on the team. That vision of building through the draft needs to be consistent.
Hire a coach that’s in it for the long-haul, fan-friendly, and stern but fair on the field.
Then, Ross can sit back, entertain non-coaches, and focus on stadium improvements and revenue streams that are pro Miami Dolphins.
Update:
If you are a Dolfan not familiar with the mess the Yorks were and are wondering why compare this to Ross? You are not alone.
Ross is a new owner to football and the Yorks were new owners to football.
Here is a link about the Yorks from 2008: Special thanks to ESPN for writing this blog in 2008.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=kreidler_mark&id=3655234
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