Remember last summer when the schedule came out and we were all WTF is this sh*t, no home games to start the season, playing on weird days... This was all Ross's doing... He wanted away games early to make sure his stadium was finished before a dolphin's game was played there. Perhaps his input on the schedule led to many positives. For instance we got our Cali road trip back to back games which allowed MIA to stay in cali so travel/time change wasn't an issue, something many teams don't get. Back to back away games in NY (did the team stay in NY for 2 weeks instead of come back?) We had a "random" game last saturday vs the jests, but this set us up to have a full week to get ready for the jills instead of being short a day. Honestly these "minute" scheduling things add up. Did Ross secretly geniusly orchestrate a favorable schedule to help get us in a playoff position?
No. Just like he didn't again for next year, giving up another home game to London. The schedule generally fell how it would regardless, with the beginning of the year being the exception. We lucked out with the weather the past few weeks. At the beginning of both weeks, weather forecasts were pretty bad, but improved by quite a bit by kickoff. Ross DID, however, it would seem, finally snag an HC that can bring this team continuity and success. He DID make massive renovations to the stadium, which brought back true home-field advantage for the Dolphins, as well as gave the attending fans a much better experience. I didn't always feel this way, but I'm glad he's the owner.
Never had an issue with ross. He was misinformed with philbin, but yet he still gave both philbin and ireland unlimited resources, he told them privately and publically "unlimited resources". Money was there, they had no idea how to use it or how to make evaluations. And thats pretty much what all owners in the NFL do. They hand their accounts to the GM they hired and hope that the guy can build a team. You think Robert Kraft has any idea how to build a team? The guy hired Belichick who was a loser before he was in New England. He took a chance, gave him the keys, and see if belichick would swim or sink.
I wouldnt call him a genius, but he's not nearly as bad as some think. Yes, there was a learning curve and a he made more than his share of "faux pas" moves/decisions, but the guy wants to win and will write the check when he needs too.
Been pro Ross the whole way.. Saw a good owner...passion to win, deep pockets, and the vision to rebuild a venue that was causing part of the struggles of the franchise.
every move ross has made was with the intention of winning, his biggest flaw is loyalty, and it took him 8 years to find the right coach. the ultimate would be dolphins playing in the super bowl that is in miami in a few years. Thank you mr. ross, keep writing those checks, and gase will make it work.
In all honesty, he's the kind of owner that's actually good for a team - he let staff do their things and spends the money when needed to. Did he have some missteps? Certainly. But I don't think he's anywhere near as bad as anyone makes him out to be.
The hires have gotten progressively better - Tannenbaum doesn't look terrible, but both Garfinkle and Gase appear to be homeruns Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Stephen Ross has gotten a bad rap from some early mistakes in his tenure. To be honest, he has done right by Miami and the fans for quite awhile. It was only a matter of time before some of it started to pay dividends on the field. Furthermore, he DOES deserve some credit for the schedule this season. He requested early road games in order to ensure that the stadium was done, and also had the foresight to request the SD/LA games be back-to-back so that they could mitigate the cross country travel. And I am not happy about giving up the home game for London, but that is the rule in order to get a Super Bowl (the previous times don't count towards attaining a SB hosting berth), which means he is bring the biggest event in America, BACK to Miami within five years. Oh, and he gets to build the Dolphins brand even further in newer markets. It is worth sacrificing one home game, when you weigh everything. In short, Stephen Ross has become a very good owner for the league, the team, and the fans of the team.
Amazing renovations to the stadium, great coaching hire (took a few tries, but can't hate him for that), open wallet policy. He's a great owner. He's had to learn on-the-go, and he's taken lessons to heart. Can't ask for more than that.
I think his rep was fair early on. He was a bad NFL owner. However, unlike other bad NFL owners, he worked on making better decisions. He deserves credit for sucking at something and not being a pig-headed idiot, he learned from his mistakes and made better decisions.
Ross is obviously a "genius" at whatever he does professionally. I'm sure all of us would love to have achieved his level of success. But when it comes to football, he's an absolute dolt. He's like one of those robots that repeatedly crashes into walls. In his defense, however, he wants to win and he's putting his money where his mouth is. That's all you ever want out of an NFL owner (that, and stay the f*** off the sidelines). Now watch him sell the team this offseason lol
Ross is a jackass that may have gotten lucky with Gase. There's no way the Dolphins schedule is this easy next year. That'll be the test
Have you been to the stadium? Do you consider having a true home field advantage and an amazing venue to be a jackass move? Ignorance is bliss. Hold on to your position despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. The sign of a truly evolved mind.
Thats what he had to do to get more Superbowl bids. That was to make money. Nothing to do with making the playoffs.
Which I mentioned at the very start of my post. But he has learned from those mistakes and is a GOOD owner, now.