What to do now?!?

Boy, I knew better than to come in here following yesterday's loss. There is a lot of bulla sheet, hyperbole, exaggeration, angst, frustration, explosive venting being thrown about in here today... If I hadn't checked the URL, I would have thought I was on one of our old boars, I mean boards.

Folks... Tannehill was not the main problem yesterday. On the swipe fumble, I saw a number of those from St. Dan in his tenure here, and no one said diddley about it when it happened to him. Besides, Tannehill was in the process of starting the throw when a FREE RUNNER swiped his arm. Gimme a break!! It's really easy to take shots after a loss like that one.. But, the problem is not all on Tannehill's head, and he is going to be better than Henne (Who in the name of pluperfect purgatory threw THAT one out there. They ought to be stripped of the fandom for a week and sent to root for someone else.... like Pittsburg!)

I think we have a more definitive problem. I was worried at the beginning of Philbin's tenure when I saw the number of cronies and college coaches on the staff. I think he is going to have to change that. If he does not - this may be his last year. He better start now building a fire under all of their collective tukkises right now! The loss was inexcusable yesterday since the team appeared to roll over and play dead in the second half. That is on the staff as well as the players.

Additionally, the defense has a lot of good players, but they are not playing like a good defensive TEAM! The offense has some good players, some growing players, and no discernible creativity in play calling. I cannot imagine how long it has been since I have seen a Miami Dolphins football team do ANYTHING on the first play of the game except hand it to a running back heading somewhere behind a guard or tackle. OY!!!!!!! The offense is as predictable as rain in a thunderstorm! It also, at times, seems to harken back to the days of Henning - afraid to make a mistake more than willing to take a chance on possibly winning the game.

Finally, we have been in this rut for virtually 16 years. From the last days of the disgust for the never to be forgotten Jimmy Johnson tenure through this year, fans have waited for the team to show character, courage, and desire for a championship. This is the fifth regime in 13 years. The team has tried an old cronie, a phonie, a pretender, a nevershouldabeen, and now a possibility as coach, and allowed an disasterrous, drowning over his head coach/GM wannabe (God forbid we ever do that again!), a fill-in, an arrogant *** (HC/GM!!), a question mark, and a retiree in waiting as team leader/general manager combo (God forbid that ever again), and a rookie to 6th year as GM!

I though we had a chance this year, if the players we thought could be good turned out to be good, and if the coaching we glimpsed least year continue to grow. That has not been the case thus far. I have been supportive of the cast of characters in leadership, because it was our team, and I put any possible misgivings I might have had in the background. But in the last six years, there has been very little progress toward a consistently winning team. The coaching has become predictable. And the team has faltered yet again.

Unless Philbin shows has has a pair the size of a Jersey Bull and Takes Names and Kicks A$$ in the next week, this team will not perform up to the level of fan expectations again - and I would think his expectations for continuing as Head Coach would disappear. People who were depicted as performing well last year are playing abysmally this year (Can you say John Jerry, Tyson Columb... I mean Clabo?) We had to in desperation trade for Mt. McKinney... who could be good, but he missed a block on a DB yesterday that lead to a strip fumble on the QB -which could be chalked up to the fact that he had to be in camp all of five days of prep at most! (If Mac had just stuck his paw out the guy would probably have to run two more steps to get around him, but he closed down on the interior rusher instead!) The pocket still looks more like a C Clamp attached to an outboard motor - rapidly closing for those who lost the metaphor!)

And, finally, this has been the third team fielded since the end of the Parcells debacle. Unless this team turns around and performs like winners should perform in the next nine games, that failure falls directly on the head of the person who brought in the players who have failed. I have reached the point that I find myself at the point of having to not only question, but deeply examine my support of Jeff Ireland as General Manager - and quite probably, if this year continues on the downward spiral on which it has tumbled following the New Orleans game - entirely retract that support. Ireland has some wins, Cam Wake (though he has not shown up after his injury), Jared Odrick (thought it took a few years), Paul Soliai (who we may lose) and the Dion Jordan pick might prove to be a stroke of genius (He was covering a tight end yesterday!)

My emotions range everywhere from hiring Guido and Lefty to come in and tote Ireland out of the facility in his chair NOW to telling him that if this team fails to reach 9-7 THIS year - he can plan for a decades long vacation as far as the Miami Dolphins are concerned.

And then, I look at owners, and teams, who have stuck with a GM/Head Coach/staff through a long season (longer than this specific combination has been together) of losing and mediocrity to put together, finally, a team which fits a certain vision of a winning team - built for the long haul. And in reality, Ireland has only had three seasons (this one not complete yet) with HIS vision. Is that enough, or would the team just be cutting off it's nose to spite it's face in cutting Ireland loose? Winning franchises have stability. They don't change at the whim of fans, or media, or impatience in the structure. Is Ireland's vision the one which will lead to a winning team, and is he just trying to overcome the statistically probable realities of finding the right combination of players? How long does that take? Does he have the right vision? Or, is he in over his head?

It is easy to choose the immediate gratification of pain/anger/frustration and vent it toward one person - the quarterback, the head coach, the GM, the owner, the offensive line as a whole, or even the refs. It's hard to know what to think!

Am I frustrated? Hell Yes! I grew up as a football fan watching Don Shula. I agonized in the last years of his reign! I was appalled that Jimmy Johnson was hired to replace him! I wailed with Wannstedt in charge! And so on, etc., and so forth.

Now, I teeter on the tightrope with patience on one side and immediate gratification on the other, and wonder just what in the name of all that is football holy to do!

Boy, am I glad I don't have to make that decision.

I need another cup of coffee!