If that's all you have to offer, then you sound like nothing more than a disappointed fan who needs a scapegoat, hence the original post.
I'm curious as to how bad this team would have to be for some people to finally come to the realization they've been denying regarding Ireland.
Ask yourself this: unless people here are related to Jeff Ireland or somehow wedded to him in some other way, what would be the motive for denying that Jeff Ireland is at fault for the team's current situation? Now, on the other side of the coin, ask yourself what the motive would be for people to pin the team's situation on Jeff Ireland. On the one hand there is little if any motive for denial regarding Jeff Ireland, unless you're related to him or somehow similarly involved in his well-being. On the other hand, there is a huge motive among fans, IMO, to scapegoat someone for the team's situation. So who is in denial, and who is scapegoating. It's pretty simple IMO.
Since four seasons of failure isn't enough maybe eight to ten would do. "So tell me how can YOU tell that the general manager of the Dolphins is doing a poor job?" "Well the team has been bad on the field for four years and running." "That's all you have! You're just searching for a scapegoat." I swear you can't make stuff like this up. This is like if I was rating a contractor poorly and I pointed out that five of the seven houses he's built have fallen in and I was told I was just looking for a scapegoat. Perhaps he consulted with another contractor who makes a lot of money [therefore much smarter than me of course] and that contractor advised him to hire the wrong sub-contractors and that led to all of those houses collapsing. We should go ahead and hire that contractor to build some more houses just so we know for sure that the poor job done wasn't somebody else's fault.
This analogy assumes that you know how much of the team Jeff Ireland has been responsible for from day one. Do you?
I'm glad you asked, because I've given my theory on this multiple times. The answer is pretty simple and obvious: Homerism. You defend Ireland because you want him to be successful, because you want the team to be successful. We all want that. But at some point, in this case 5 years, we have to acknowledge things just ain't workin' out. I'm sorry if you can't see that.
But if success is as easy as swapping out Jeff Ireland for another GM, why wouldn't the "homer" in folks have them jump on board with that?
I'm starting to think that Shou is just the most brilliant troll in the history of the Internet. Simply astounding stuff.
No one said it was that simple. You're jumping to conclusions. What people are saying is that the team has been mediocre and this guy is the common denominator. People are resistant to that idea because it signifies another rebuilding, and I don't blame them. However, we've seen what Ireland has built. So you move on.
I'm not hearing from folks that they think it signifies another rebuilding. What I'm hearing is that Jeff Ireland can be easily swapped out for a new GM, and then Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill can proceed forward with the necessary talent surrounding them. That's not a rebuilding. So again, why wouldn't the "homer" in folks readily get on board with that? What would be the motive to instead engage in "denial" regarding Jeff Ireland's futility?
Someone eventually has to take the rap for Miami continuing their non ability to play winning, successful football year in year out. It's a business. If Ireland goes I won't be upset about it, infact i will drive him to the airport myself. Is he a scapegoat? Maybe. If he part of the problem? Maybe. I don't care if ppl want to back him or get on his case. He's in charge and buck stops with him sooner or later.
And someone has. Actually multiple people have. Bill Parcells left, Tony Sparano was fired, and Chad Henne was let go. The man with total power over the football personnel in the organization (Parcells), and the two most influential people in the team's performance (Sparano and the starting QB), are no longer here. There is a new head coach and a new, first-round QB. Why do you need another scapegoat while that new regime is just getting underway and developing? Because you want a winner now, goddamn it?
Well, we can analyze his last two years at the end of the year, we know he chose those players, we should have a pretty good grasp with how he did on all avenues of acquisition..
Before I die of old age would be nice. I've seen jack under Ireland last 4yrs to suggest he's excempt from my wrath as a 27yr Dolphin fan. I want to see us actually getting into the freekin playoffs let alone Superbowl. I'm done with Ireland. He's done nothing that suggests he's getting us where we need to be. We havnt even got a downfield WR threat who can't catch (Ginn) let alone a WR who can catch. Unforgivable. I respect you sticking up for Ireland Shou but personally I think you are blowing hot air out your butt on this. If u r fine with a GM who can't give weapons to a rookie. QB then fair play to you. I won't even go in-depth of the Phin squad. I need not bother because its there for all to see. Stuff Ireland. He's a weakness not a strength.
Per the original post, this illustrates the irrational emotional need for a scapegoat that ignores any thorough intellectual analysis of the situation, IMO. It's as if the sentiment "I want a winning team, goddamnit!" absolves people from any self-reflection or criticism in this regard, and anyone who points it out as an opinion in their own right, such as myself in the original post, is being "disrespectful." Bull****. Nothing more I can say in this thread, folks. Have at it.
I agree, you've now equated an entire group of people here with five year olds throwing a tantrum. That's what's "direspectful", that's what you've been called out on multiple times in this thread. Not that you're unaware of what you're insinuating about people in this thread.
I'm entitled to my opinion. Likewise, you're entitled to opine about how much respect you feel it involves. Of course, you have to wonder why someone believes his opinion should be revered so much that the critical analysis of it by someone else inherently involves "disrespect."
Muscle forget it, you'll never get through to the apologists. Why they hang onto Ireland is beyond me. Its not as though no one else can do the job. Also the "Jeff Ireland picked Tannehill" is just ludicris, and somewhat insulting. We all know Tannehill would NEVER have been his pick had he been 100% in charge. That was a pressure pick if I've ever seen one. Anyone that thinks Ireland made that pick of his own free will I have some swamp land for you.
I think there are actually two groups of people here, 1) the ones who are "emo" as you say and really don't do any analysis of the situation other than "someone must pay!" and 2) the ones who do an analysis and come away thinking they're somehow more informed, intelligent, and knowledgeable about the situation than Stephen Ross and Carl Peterson. The first group is throwing a tantrum as was said by someone else above (thanks for the good description), and the second group is grandiose. Neither group knows what it thinks it knows. If you think that's "disrespectful," put me on ignore. I'd be delighted to have my posts read and responded to by fewer people of this ilk.
I don't get your argument ? It's not fantasy land to believe that Ireland has done a mediocre job at best. The evidence is quite clear, the Dolphins are just a tad better than they were when he got here, and the wins & losses show that, it's all the proof you need. Shouright take the head put of the sand. I mean are you advocating for bad players ? I mean it only makes sense the rookie QB would do better if surrounded by better talent, and in the case of odds, his chances of doing better would be higher, so you are saying to that taking that chance away from him, to defend Ireland ? That's a bit extreme dude.....
Oh and the poor talent we do have could be breaking his confidence, much like Henne. I think had Henne been given better talent to work with he actually might still be the starter here.
Sorry but I haven't been around for a couple of days.....there was this family thing called Thanksgiving that took priority.
Even if you agree he's just done a mediocre job, I want to win and its obviously not been near good enough. I feel sorry for the Ireland apologists, they have accepted mediocrity and I guess enjoy it. I OTOH want to get to a SB and win it before I die.
Seriously dude, you are going to have Ireland hide behind a rookie QB ? That is just really too much. What does a rookie QB have to do with the horrible 2ndary ? The seeming inability to teach defenders to hang onto the freakin' ball and give their rookie QB a few extra short fields in which to operate ? Give me a break.....UGH !!!!!
So the two proposed motives for feeling differently about the Jeff Ireland situation are 1) being in denial, and 2) accepting mediocrity. Neither are logical nor consistent with any objective evidence. If that's all you got to explain why some people choose not to feel the same way about this situation, you're hurtin'.
Look it hasn't worked with him here so whats so scary about changing him out ? That we might have a losing season ? Oh brother.....
Shou you are the one being irrational. Tannehill doing poorly is not the only reason the team is doing poorly. There are so many other holes to count it makes your head spin. The collection of talent is just not good enough, and that is on Ireland. He's had 5 years, how much longer does he need ? Besides he is not the kind of GM Philbin needs, he comes from a whole different way of building a team than Philbin and I don't think its a good fit. An owner with a clue would have seen this last year, but that is water under the bridge....
Why does there have to be motivation? It's a difference of opinion. But just to prove to you how manipulatable these things are, I will say that if there is any "motivation," it is hope. Hope because as of right now polls still show that most Miami Dol-fans fully believe Jeff Ireland WILL still be in Miami in 2013. Fans don't like to have no hope for their team. They like to be optimistic. That makes it difficult to reconcile the idea that A) Jeff Ireland is a bad GM, and B) Jeff Ireland will still be around for the foreseeable future. So no, the one side of the aisle you consistently disrespect does not own the franchise on potential "motivations" for arguing the way they do. And you of all people should know that motivations are as abundent and varied as snowflakes in the arctic. Some people here are "motivated" purely by contrarianism.
What if one believes neither that Jeff Ireland is a good GM nor that he is a bad one? What if one's position on the issue is that there is insufficient objective evidence available to take a position either way? They sure don't. But the proposed motives need to be logical to be taken seriously.
