Miami Dolphins Thread of Despair

i think they'd have to show that we have players worth coaching: beck would have to show that he is a viable starter, ronnie would have to stay healthy, ginn would have to break out. we would have to shore up the defense. but bringing in someone would probably happen down the line, and these things i just mentioned would also have to happen down the line. then again, i truly believe that this team is just 2 or 3 or 4 players away.

then again, i truly believe that this team is just 2 or 3 or 4 players away.

I wish I agreed with you there.

i guess when i say that i mean 2 or 3 or 4 missing players, meaning with the growth/improvement of beck/ginn/hagan the return of ronnie/zach and the improvement of the o-line. i think we're really missing a good defensive back (will allen would be a great #2 corner), a great, young defensive lineman and maybe something else i'm not thinking of (maybe a tackle or something idk).

what about romeo crennel?

he'd been with belichick since 1991 until he got the browns job, i'm pretty sure he picked up a thing or two about motivating players. plus he cleaned house his first year there, i thought i read somewhere that by opening day of his second season there were only 8 players on the team from opening day of butch davis' last year.

Shhhh . . . Ricky May Play Monday

MY HEART WOULD EXPLODE WITH JOY

Ricky probably gives Miami its only chance of winning--controlling the clock and the possibility for big plays.

But, then again, he was extremely rusty in his first game back in 2005, when he had taken a year off. I expect a lot more rust this time around--and if Chatman isn't good to go, that hurts things a bit.

Must play the hand you're dealt.

Have Lemons? Make Lemonade.

wtf, another lightning delay? this never happens! that's twice this year

Have Lemons? Make Lemonade.

I would kind of love the orange-and-teal paper bag to become the cheesehead of south florida

dammit you're letting him complete all these passes in THIS field condition?

INT!

I'm not watching the game now, but -- from the EPSN NFL GameCast -- it looks ugly. First Downs: Steelers six, Dolphins none. Total Yards: Steelers 80, Dolphins 11. Total Plays: Steelers 16, Dolphins 3.

B.A.D. bad.

the field has no lines

lol the other announcers wanting no part of kornhiesers weed-neutral rant

well it's only ugly because of the field.

and I can't say it's HURTING the dolphins. But Beck still looks nervous. But Cam is doing some stupid playcalling. the one time Beck threw on first down it set up a first down a play later. Let him throw more. You're 0-10. are you really afraid of ...gasp...a turnover?

Yeah. I hated the Dolphins lethargic last drive. They should have hurried to the line and let Beck throw. It's just not a sufficient moral victory to go to halftime as an 0 -- 10 team in a zero-zero tie.

yea I was miffed about that too. Guess this is the first ever conservative 0-10 team.

I'm going to the game next week. I really hope I get my money's worth

I didn't know that Miami had also signed Keith Traylor. That is one old defense.

I think Beck's going to be a pretty good player.

ok, I officially don't like Cam Cameron.

Now after being too conservative before the half, he gets too aggressive and goes on 4th and 15.

NOw, I agree that the FG may have gone horribly off kilter, but (barring a block) I'd have rather tried that than go on 4th and 15th when Pittsburgh was obviously going to blitz.

Or PUNT. at least win the field position game. Now we're gonna keep starting drives at the 5, 10, and 15.

We've had Traylor for the last two years.

and agreed on Beck

out two timeouts already. great (and one was Cam's fault, just like last week).

This is the most boring game of the last...oh, three seasons?!

yea, and for my team's sake I'm glad. but I can't imagine watching this if I had no vested interest in the game. yech.

I didn't see the game last week, so I was kind of interested in seeing Beck at qb. Tonight's not the night to gauge him, tho.

he's actually not done bad all things considered. I mean this is getting frustrating to lose all of our running backs.

This is the most boring game of the last...oh, three seasons?!

You apparently haven't been following the Dolphins this year.

This game is riveting, judged on a curve. That punt drove into the turf!; most exciting Dolphins-related play this season.

I'm not convinced that step on Ricky's back couldn't have been avoided. I mean, I know normalcy is suspended when there's a loose ball, but that kind of looked like a Steeler went out of his way to stomp Ricky.

I hate Tony Kornheiser.

that kick was hilarious

does anyone find it funny that he found it ludicrous that Miami would think of a 48 yard field goal yet he basically said it'd be stupid for PIttsburgh not to try a 44 yarder?

Hold . . . Hold . . .

Gah. Where is our pass protection?

Oy vey, that kick.

FUCKING. FIRE. THIS. COACH.

DEAR WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE,

FIRE CAM CAMERON!

THX,
JF

geez I mean the field goal may have looked like shit again but come on, 4th and 11? again?

Cam, go fuck yourself.

Fire Cameron immediately after the game.

Can the NFL suspend a coach for negligence?

LOL.

So, only 90 yards to go. NP.

I mean...I'm the nicest guy in the world when it comes to Miami coaches. I defended Wannstedt.

But NOTHING I've seen this year tells me Cam is ready to be a coach. He has the worst time management skills of any coach (blows timeouts due to not feeding in playcalls among other things)...and....I...just....

a tie isn't so bad. only 21 more minutes.

wow wow I just got home and ate and turned this on
wow wtf

i actually really like terico, korny & jaws as a broadcasting team..too bad MNF gets such a shitty scheduling of games

this game seems like that legendary mich-osu game where the teams were punting every 1st down in hopes the other team would eff up

The MNF announcers are laughing at us.

Please dear God I swear I will burn all of my Deicide cds if Miami can force a fumble and run it all the way back for the game winning TD. I'll even go on tour with dc talk

Who is/are Deicide? Like ICP?

BJO, you unbanned from ILM? You need to be.

Dammit, Pittsburgh.

if we lose this I'm gonna be on suicide watch.

not just cuz we lost. but cuz they coulda saved me 3 hours by losing 42-0

I'd kind of like to see overtime now, just for the wtf-ness of it.

Oh, don't worry: We are going to lose this game.

but ugh to peterson as "football czar," by the way.

once again, the dolphins are the nfl's least-interesting on-the-field product, and the nfl's most-interesting off-the-field product.

January 08, 2014

Armando Salguero

More history, fallout from Ireland vs. DawnJoe

If you've been following my recounting of the dysfunction within the Dolphins late last season you understand why the relationship between general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Joe Philbin was broken. You understand why this team may struggle to hire the most gifted and serious general manager candidate available.

Now let me give you more history. Let me give you more background on the dysfunction to help you understand its genesis.

I already shared what caused the rift between Ireland and Philbin. I blame both parties for that rift. Grown men, professional men, who have the same goal at heart should be able to sit down and have frank discussions about what troubles them about their relationship. Obviously that's in a perfect world.

The Dolphins facility is far from that world.

And part of the problem points directly to executive vice president of football administration Dawn Aponte. It seems that when Bill Parcells hired Aponte to be Miami's capologist in Feb. 2010 he brought in a tough and experienced corporate in-fighter. She is clearly adept at forming alliances. And when she sees a threat, she is well capable of attacking it.

Ireland was a threat to her, according to sources who called me this morning.

Ireland was her boss when she joined the team four years ago. But after Parcells left in October 2010, she lost her chief sponsor. And she wasn't comfortable with Ireland as her supervisor. So soon after Joe Philbin was hired, Aponte decided she and the new coach could bond and that alliance could strengthen each person's position within the organization.

Aponte, club sources say, also found ways to ingratiate herself to owner Stephen Ross. Nothing wrong with that. He's the boss. She would often ask to join Ross on his private jet flights back to New York from home games, often citing a need to handle club business at the league office in New York.

Aponte, a former league and New York Jets employee, apparently used the face time with Ross and the help of Jay Cross, a Related Company president and a former New York Jets president, to convince the owner of her value and how she should not be under Ireland's supervision.

Ireland, seeing this, asked Ross to fire Aponte. Ross didn't go for it and, indeed, after mulling the matter, actually promoted Aponte from Senior VP of Football Operations to her current Executive VP role. And in so doing, Ross doubled Aponte's salary. And got her out from under Ireland's umbrella. And Aponte joined parts of the coach search of 2012 that led to Philbin's hiring after Jeff Fisher turned the Dolphins down cold.

Knowing that Ireland had tried to get her fired, Aponte turned her sights on the GM. The relationship between the two, professional and even cordial in public at league meetings and alike, was a struggle for power behind the scenes.

Aponte, strengthened by her alliance with Philbin, had been winning that struggle for quite some time. She made herself very visible, attending practically every practice. She met with Philbin to advise on how to handle the media before every weekday press conference -- that meeting sometimes taking longer than the actual press conference. She attended the coach's show and made sure the questions were positive and gave Philbin an opportunity to shine. She edited the videos the team posted on its website of the Philbin postgame speech to the players.

(Unfortunately for Philbin, she didn't think to cut out the part where coach needed to read off index cards to deliver his address).

The bottom line is now Philbin and Aponte -- fresh off a victory over the last general manager -- want to make sure the next general manager is not truly empowered. The last thing they want is for Ross to hire a guy who will have the power to hire and perhaps fire Philbin and or Aponte.

They want a puppet person that will merely evaluate talent and handle the draft and keep his mouth shut and business to himself.

But as I've shared already the best candidates for a general manager job may not bite because 1. They don't want to get involved in the Dolphins office politics and/or 2. They want to have the power and autonomy to bring their own people and perhaps get rid of the current people if that's what they think is best.

So keep a close eye on what is about to happen next with this hire. If Ross hires a strong GM with authority to hire and fire Philbin and/or Aponte, then the duo has lost favor. But if Ross promotes Aponte to GM or hires someone who is merely a personnel guy but not the general manager in power as well as title then the DawnJoe has won and runs the show.

There is a third option and that's the czar approach the Dolphins have used before, as well, with that person over everyone. But that's for another day.

Stay tuned.

Armando Salguero

Would Gamble, others join snakepit hijinks?

The leading contender for the Dolphins vacant general manager position?

Tom Gamble, the vice president of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles.

And if the Dolphins were a stable, well-led, functional franchise, I'd say they would have a great chance to get him. Gamble is eager to be contacted and would be happy to listen to the Dolphins, according to a source.

But ...

As I write in my column in today's Miami Herald the Dolphins are not exactly a model franchise. The Dolphins had issues internally part of the 2013 season, with sniping and backstabbing going on at the highest levels of the football operations.

Jeff Ireland vs. Joe Philbin.

Dawn Aponte vs. Jeff Ireland.

Aponte and Philbin forming a bond and alliance that ultimately helped bring down Miami's general manager. And whatever you think of that -- be you glad Ireland is finally gone or sad because you don't believe professionals should engage in such snakepit hijinks -- the drama matters.

Because word of the drama is already making the NFL rounds. People in franchises like the Washington http://images.chron.com/blogs/askacat/hatcat.JPG, places with issues of their own, are aware of the issues the Dolphins had this year. I know this for a fact.

And the problem with that is simple: If Stephen Ross wants to hire the best and brightest individual as his next general manager, will he be able to gloss over his team's reputation to get that guy? Will he be able to provide assurances that the next GM won't be fighting an alliance of the coach and executive VP for football administration like the last GM had to?

Another thing:

The Philbin-Aponte axis is almost certainly going to work toward getting a weak GM to the Dolphins. The last thing Philbin wants is for Ross to give the next GM the power to fire him after the 2014 season is over. So Philbin wants his pal Aponte over that GM. He wants that hire to be just a talent evaluator with the title of GM but not the full weight of power that title suggests.

And again ... if Ross agrees that is the way to go, what great GM is he going to land?

It's the Dolphins doing Dolphins things.

so awesomely dysfunctional

that cat thing wasn't in the original article, by the way. but i like it.

that cat thing wasn't in the original article

Would it be possible to create an internet-wide autoreplace?

on it

lol humiliation: browns say farmer not interviewing second time

January 23, 2014
Humiliation: Browns say Farmer not interviewing second time

So let me get this straight ... The assistant general manager for the Cleveland Browns is informed he is a finalist for the general manager job with the Miami Dolphins and after getting through an initial interview that reportedly went well, he declines to take the second interview because he has doubts about the Dolphins' football structure?

Can this really be?

Is the Dolphins' reputation around the NFL this soiled that even people working for the Browns -- the Browns! -- don't want more money, more power, and a chance to run the Dolphins front office?

Somebody wake me, because this is a nightmare.

Let's retrace some footsteps because if this is, in fact, what's going on, we've already stepped in something foul.

Farmer interviewed for the Dolphins job January 11 and I reported the interview was very good. Obviously, it turns out, the interview did go well because a couple of days ago the Dolphins decided Farmer would be one of their finalists interviewing this weekend for a chance to become the successor to Jeff Ireland.

But a not-funny thing happened on the way to that prized finalist interview. Farmer began to have second thoughts. As I reported Thursday, Farmer started to waiver about whether or not he wanted to interview again with the Dolphins because he was feeling uncertain or uncomfortable with the Dolphins football structure.

Farmer talked to the Dolphins for at least five hours in that first interview. He came to that interview with the blessing of former boss Carl Peterson, who hired Farmer during his time with the Chiefs and is now the top advisor to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross on this GM search. And after answering a bunch of questions and presumably asking some of his own, Farmer was still not sure he either understood or liked the Miami structure?

That's not all. The concern was apparently so profound that even when the Fritz Pollard Alliance gave Farmer a strong recommendation to take the follow-up interview anway so he could get his clarification, Farmer declined anyway?

Well, that's apparently exactly what happened as on Thursday afternoon, Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner told a group of huddled reporters that Farmer was staying with the Browns rather than interview again with the Dolphins, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Quentin Tarrantino at the height of drug-induced inspiration could not make this stuff up.

So I have questions that frankly make me wonder about both Farmer and the Dolphins.

1. To Farmer, if you were still uncertain or uncomfortable with the Dolphins structure at the end of that initial interview, why didn't you say so then? Did this discomfort or uncertainty suddenly dawn on you or did you find out new things about the Dolphins in the days following the interview?

2. To Farmer, you worked under Peterson for years. Obviously Peterson thinks very highly you. So if you were uncertain or uncomfortable about the Dolphins structure, couldn't you just call Peterson and ask for clarity? Why the big public unveiling of this issue that makes neither the Dolphins nor you look good?

3. To the Dolphins, is the phrase, "Do you have any questions for us? Are you completely comfortable with where we are right now?" foriegn? After all, that kind of covers everything. If Farmer felt any degree of discomfort near the end of his interview, that phrase would have definitely opened the door to the airing of that discomfort.

4. To the Dolphins, how could you not know Farmer had issues with your structure?

5. To the Dolphins, did you interview a candidate and then anoint him a finalist without any clue he doesn't think highly of what you are proposing as the job structure?

6. To the Dolphins, aren't you starting to get a clue that something is seriously wrong with, well, you? Look, when one candidate declines to interview, that's understandable. When two candidates decide your interview offer is not for them, that's kind of worrisome but not terribly. But four candidates declined to take even initial interviews with you and a fifth man, who was open minded enough to take the initial interview, decided that familiarity with you was a reason to stay away in the future.

It's not them, my dear Dolphins franchise, it's you!

It's not the media with an agenda. It's not tough luck. It's not the competition conspiring against you. It is you!

Now, for the sake of full disclosure, Dolphins sources insist it is not them. (On a couple of counts, such as the initial Jason Licht story about him being offered the job and this evening's suggestion by one national reporter that Lake Dawson didn't become a finalist until after Farmer got second thoughts, it is indeed the media).

The message I get from the Dolphins is that every candidate is made aware he will be reporting directly to owner Stephen Ross. Every candidate is aware not he will not be under either coach Joe Philbin or executive vice president of football administration Dawn Aponte. Every candidate is aware he also will definitely not be over Philbin and probably not Aponte as well. Both Aponte and Philbin will answer to Ross.

So where is the misunderstanding?

Are the Dolphins not relaying that message clearly? Is there a communication disconnect? Is the team, through sources, saying one thing to me and then another to candidates? I don't know for sure. I'm not in the interviews.

(Maybe the Dolphins should embed me this weekend for their own well being -- like the military embeds war correspondents. It protects them.).

All I know is this is not the first humiliation the Dolphins suffer lately. It's starting to get really, really old.

dolphins are so much more entertaining off-the-field than on-the-field.

lol

Armando Salguero ‏@ArmandoSalguero -- Dolphins Scorecard: 4 candidates declined first interview, 1 finalist declined second interview. 1 man offered the job turned it down.

____________________________________

Chris Kouffman ‏@ckparrot -- Can't close w/ Harbaugh, can't close w/ Peyton, can't close w/ Fisher, can't close w/ Caserio. Oh, and couldn't close the 2013 playoff run.

http://www.sportsgooru.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/tCn1e.png

Ethan J. Skolnick ‏@EthanJSkolnick -- I'm sure, if they begged, the Dolphins might get Dave Wannstedt to consider an interview

___________ ‏@Sports_N_Beers -- Used for leverage... Fisher...Caserio...Harbaugh. These are the Dolphins under Steve Ross. For those under 25: It didn't use to be like this

dolphins fans (what few are left, i imagine) are having a collective conniption on social-media tonight, because of the hysterically mishandled GM hiring search.

i know i'm likely the only ilx'or interested in the dolphins, but anyone interested in good comedy, or who is morbidly fascinated watching an organization disassemble from incompetence and bumbling, should read-up on miami's off-season.

a sampling today on twitter, reacting to the hiring of dennis hickey as GM, from those who cover the team:

Armando Salguero ‏@ArmandoSalguero -- Dolphins Scorecard: 4 candidates declined first interview, 1 finalist declined second interview. 1 man offered the job turned it down. (NOTE: now it's confirmed that two, not one, finalists were offered the job and turned it down; nick caserio and lake dawson)

_________________________________

Armando Salguero ‏@ArmandoSalguero -- Dolphins say reason Nick Caserio didn't accept job is he wanted to fire Joe Philbin and Dolphins wouldn't allow.

_________________________________

Armando Salguero ‏@ArmandoSalguero -- Dolphins tell me Lake Dawson was willing to keep Philbin but wanted say over his status in future. Ross keeps that.

_________________________________

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet -- When #Dolphins search began, Ross said GM would have “autonomous responsibility for 53-man.” Yet candidates believed Philbin would have it

_________________________________

cover32 Dolphins ‏@cover32_MIA -- Last resort, second last resort...all semantics...fact is that (hickey) was option number 5 or 6 on the list.

_________________________________

Adam Beasley ‏@AdamHBeasley -- I've been told that several Dolphins players have already privately expressed that they want out of this situation. Real consequences coming.

_________________________________

Adam Beasley ‏@AdamHBeasley -- Another take: "Tampa is psyched. They were going to fire (new dolphins GM dennis hickey) anyway. Now they don't have to pay him."

_________________________________

Chris Kouffman ‏@ckparrot -- Dolphins situation worse than I thought.

_________________________________

mike freeman ‏@mikefreemanNFL -- Some of the things personnel men around the NFL are saying about the Dolphins is hilarious. Lots of jokes, disbelief.

_________________________________

Chris Kouffman ‏@ckparrot -- Brian Gaine, who acted as de facto GM during Senior Bowl and was supposed to be the reason it was OK for Philbin & Co to skip it, is LEAVING.

_________________________________

Rizz ‏@Rizzmigizz -- These Dolphins have done the impossible, made me wish they were playing again so the pain would go away. It's normally the opposite

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Be7VG4_CEAAnu93.jpg

to have a guy come in from the same division and want to fire the HC as a condition, probably you just want to can that HC anyway. amazing really.

interestingly, caserio tonight said he liked philbin, and didn't insist on firing him as a condition of caserio taking the job. it's the fins' representatives who said caserio made that demand. in that regard

Chris Kouffman ‏@ckparrot -- Dolphins say Caserio turned job down because he wanted to fire Philbin. Caserio directly denies he wanted to fire Philbin. I believe Caserio

oh boy

more on this:

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter -- Source close to Lake Dawson insists that, for GM job, he never requested final say on whether MIA HC Joe Philbin would be back after 2014.

___________________________________________

Chris Kouffman ‏@ckparrot -- If you ask me the Dolphins are lying their asses off about their cover story for why Caserio and Dawson rejected them.

I never even think about the Miami dolphins during the season, but this is great fun

three of the worst linemen in the league on one offensive line. you dream of luck like this.

last dropback, center and both guards got pushed around like IKEA furniture.

no matter how many draft picks we throw at the position, we get Dig Dug characters at the position

lol solved the offense problem now the defense breaks.

I kinda wonder once you do get one of those fancy passing attacks what happens is that teams have to throw the ball to keep up and the you find out your team cannot stop the pass.

This was pretty much the Colts under Manning all the time and really kinda the Dolphins when they had Marino too.

Yeah I didn't start watching the Fins til 1989 and though he has a really good defense in 1992, the fear was often "great, we got the lead! How long will our defense keep it?".

Then by the time he acquired Jimmy Johnson's defense, they were running the ball much more than with Shula (without talented RBs to do it) and Dan had lost a step and couldn't take advantage

Hilarous thing was the Dolphins were all about the defense and running game before Marino started blasting bombs left and right with very workman like QB play (ex. David Woodly took them to a superbowl with the Killer Bs. D).