Author: Shane Ford

First I want to point out that this is purely speculation on my part, but I have taken up reading tea leaves or in this case tweets, blogs and newspaper columns.

Yesterday Armando Salguero claimed Mike Nolan was cleaning out his office at Dolphins camp. This morning Jim Thomas of the St Louis Today (read article here) reported that Jeff Fisher has completed his interview with Rams owner Stan Kroenke (in Denver) and to this point has not accepted a position. Thomas claims that Fisher will not interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his decision will come down to the Dolphins and Rams. Last night Sid Rosenberg tweeted that Fisher is coming here. He does not claim this as fact, but he does claim later in the night that his sources claim he is right.

Anyway, Fisher may or may not be the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins and while his style of play has not been the sexiest he has caused a buzz amongst Dolphin Nation. Expect a decision from Fisher within the next 48 hours and as early as this morning but to me it seems like the signs are pointing towards Jeff Fisher being named the Miami Dolphins next head coach by Saturday.

Is Todd Hailey Worth A Second Chance?
By Dale-Paul Jordan

A lot of names being thrown out there for our new head coach, and I have to wonder if we should at least consider a coach that had a rough season; Todd Hailey.

There were a few fans (our Editor included) that once upon a time thought Parcells made the wrong move by bringing in Tony rather than Hailey. Well we now have a chance to at least consider the option. I know a lot of you would start saying stop brining in former Dallas Cowboy rejects, but Hailey had one great season and then his entire team got hit with the injury bug.

Think about it:

-          Jamaal Charles

1. oOne of the most exciting players in the league. True scat back that could turn the corner and make a five yard run into a 56 yard run for TD

-          Eric Berry

1. oOne of the best and true athletes that have come around. A Sean Taylor type player that automatically upgrades your secondary

-          Tony Moeaki

1. oA promising Tight End that made some amazing catches during his rookie campaign.

-          Ryan O’Callaghan

1. oAll you need to know is 330lbs and 6’7.

-          Matt Cassel

1. oI wouldn’t say a franchise QB, but a stellar QB that has shown promise.

-          Charlie Weis      

1. oNot even a player, but they lost the play making capabilities of one of the smartest OC that we have seen in our era.

The biggest two players are Charles and Berry. On our team we don’t even have these types of players; it would almost be equivalent to use losing Jake Long and Brandon Marshall for the entire season - and that is a reach.

When you lose two top tier players like Charles and Berry it is always hard to remain a competing team and I think Hailey never had a chance to show what his team could look like with a full roster, at least for this year. Last year we saw a team on the rise with a great front seven and an attacking offence that made it to the playoffs.

Maybe you don’t share the same outlook, but I would at least consider bringing Hailey into the complex for a talk, if not for the Head Coach position, perhaps we will have an opening for a QB coach or OC Coordinator.   Time will tell, and it’s all speculation for now.

Stephen Ross made the right decision in firing Tony Sparano and retaining Jeff Ireland. 

There has been much debate on the recent firing of Tony Sparano and the retention of Jeff Ireland. Most of the Miami Dolphin fan base anticipated the release of Sparano. It was only a matter of when. The recent firing of Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley coupled with the beating the Fins took against the Philadelphia Eagles was enough to convince Stephen Ross to go ahead and end the Tony Sparano experiment.

Many question the timing, thinking Tony would survive the season, but it is clear Mr. Ross wanted to get a head start on other teams looking to replace their head coach. It was a good decision and I wish Tony the very best. No Miami HC in recent memory was more dedicated or tried harder to make the organization a success more than Tony. In my opinion, Tony never really was allowed to stand on his own two feet or be his own man until this past year. He was set up for failure.

The real question is why did Ross decide to keep Ireland? The answer is easy! Ross likes Jeff as a person and loves the fact that Jeff is frugal; practically cheap with the boss’s money. Ireland refused to bite on spending big bucks on QB’s like Palmer or Kolb and has been very selective on signing free agents.  Most of those turned out to be excellent decisions. It was not like Miami was one key player from going deep into the playoffs. Most fans would have been pleased with a winning record, nonetheless a division title.

Similar to Tony, we really don’t know how much input Jeff had in the draft and free agency period during the time Bill Parcells was the chief bottle washer. We only know with certainty that last year was all Jeff. My personal feeling is Ireland did a very good job during the draft, but could have done better during free agency. Many people advocate firing Ireland for failing to bring in a franchise QB. I am not one of them. If you recall, Ireland said after last year’s draft that the cards “just didn’t fall for us”. I agree. Was there a QB on the board worth the risk when the Fins picked at 15? Do you pass on what is likely to be an anchor center for the next 12-14 years? I don’t.

Even if you are an advocate of releasing Jeff, which will never happen as long as Ross continues to say Jeff will stay “in some capacity” regardless who the next HC is, you have to respect his philosophy and methodology in respect to building a franchise. Ireland clearly believes in building through the draft and has an inside out approach. You also have to like the fact that he doesn’t give away draft picks carelessly, which quite frankly, is refreshing. Ross made the right decision!

Fins4ever!~    

Aurthor: Shane Ford

Black Monday came three weeks early for Tony Sparano and the Miami Dolphins. The seat may have cooled a bit for a few games, but the blowout at home by the Eagles was too much for Sparano to withstand. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and General Manager Jeff Ireland announced the have relieved Sparano of his duties and appointed Defensive Backs and Assistant Head Coach Todd Bowles to the Interim Head Coaching job. Sparano was the third Head Coach to be fired this year and came just hours after the Kansas City Chiefs fired Todd Haley.

Timing is everything; Ross and Ireland want to get a head start on the candidates before the list of teams looking for coaches grow. Ross stated they would use every resource available to find the right person. He also stated the Jeff Ireland would remain in some capacity according to ESPN’s Chris Mortenson. Mortenson is also reporting that Carl Peterson will be hired on as Vice President of Football Operations. Peterson and Ross both deny any conversation has happened.

The words Mort states “Jeff Ireland will remain in some capacity” may speak volumes. It been rumored that Ross wants a big name coach. Ross wants butts in the seats and although nothing better than wins will do that a big name coach can get an initial bump in attendance. Sustaining that attendance will be solely based on results. It’s not a big secret that Bill Cowher would only be interested in returning to a team that is not far off. He wants full control and a QB. If Ross was to demand that Ireland stay on as GM then you could scratch Cowher out. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald Tweeted that a “plugged-in” guy from the NFL has said it’s well known in league circles that Cowher will NOT coach the Dolphins. He also claims the same insider is claiming that Peterson will officially join the Dolphins.

Author: Shane Ford

It wasn’t too many weeks ago the chatter was no would Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano be fired but when? Many people (myself included) thought it would happen during the bye week. Ross showed his dissatisfaction to the press when asked, but he never acted on it. After going 0-7 and looking bad in several games the Dolphins have won four of the last five and Sunday’s dismantling of the then AFC West leaders showed the progress this Dolphins team has made this year. After the game Stephen Ross was asked how he felt about the Dolphins situation and he stated he was very happy. Mike Golic has even said that the Dolphins are playing the best football in the NFL other than the Green Bay Packers.

So what has changed? According to Sparano EVERYTHING has changed. They completely revamped how they practiced and possibly the biggest move is they have turned the team over to the veterans on the team. For the first time in Sparano’s tenure the team leaders on the field are actually leading the team and Sparano doesn’t seem to be micro-managing the entire process. It seems as if the players are actually having fun playing the game right now, and while they are having fun they are playing very good football. If they keep playing like this Miami can beat just about anyone.

I feel that if Miami wins three of the next four including beating the Jets on the last game of the season Sparano may just save his job for one more year. I don’t know if keeping Sparano is the right thing to do or not. I still keep going back to the great philosopher Emmitt Smith saying, “You cannot change the stripes of a leopard.” Even during this stretch of games we have seem Sparano go into his ultra conservative mode an in my opinion that cost the team the Broncos and Cowboys games. So while the team is playing a more aggressive style of offense and defense, they seem to be reverting back to the coach not to lose instead of to win mentality. I am not sure if Sparano is the name that can put butts in the seats, but one thing that will do that no matter who the coach is, and that’s “Just win baby.”

Coming into the Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys, thousands of Miami Dolphins fans and all of the Dolphins players and coaches were holding out hope for a miracle – a chance to run the table and pray for a little bit of luck and sneak into the playoffs as the sixth seed. This thinking made many believe their was hope once again and finally, there was a game that now had some sort of meaning.

However, at the end of the game, it became clear why the Dolphins only have three wins and why it really is time for a change once again in this organization.

The Dolphins had numerous chances throughout the game to strike and take the lead. However, when these opportunities arose, Sparano and the Dolphins became conservative. They ran the ball, threw some low – risk passes, and kicked field goals. This was reminiscent of various games throughout Sparano’s tenure here, especially the one against the Steelers last year when the Dolphins had three chances early on in the game but settled for field goals all three times. Like the Steelers game, the settling for field goals mentality came back to bite the Dolphins at the end of the game.

The Dolphins defense, like they have many times this year, played well throughout the game. For the most part, they held Jason Witten and Dez Bryant in check. DeMarco Murray had some nice plays but really couldn’t get it going. However, the Dolphins defense, like so many times this year, couldn’t finish out the game. Jason Witten rumbled and tumbled down the field. Dez Bryant caught a few passes and racked up some yards. DeMarco Murray ran at will at the end and ran over numerous defenders while running out the clock, setting up a game winning field goal by Dan Bailey.

In the end, it all boils down to the fact that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. An old dog is settled in his ways and won’t be receptive to new thinking and ideas. This is Tony Sparano. He has always been and will always be the conservative coach who is afraid to air it out and take some risks. There have been at least four games, this one included, where the Dolphins lost because they became conservative and couldn’t get it into the endzone. There have been at least four games, this one included, where the Dolphins lost because the defense couldn’t finish out the game.

You can blame it on the coordinators but ultimately, Tony Sparano is the one calling the shots and no doubt has input on what they are calling throughout the game. This is why Tony Sparano, Jeff Ireland, and the coaching staff need to be released from their contracts the day after the end of the regular season, which is known to many as Black Monday.

Jim Harbaugh went to San Francisco and didn’t make many changes to the roster and that team is now 9 – 2. There is no need for an overhaul of the roster here in Miami. They need a coach like Harbaugh who can come in, make some tweaks here and there, and get the most out of these players.

Who that is remains to be seen. However, it will definitely be an interesting offseason as the Dolphins search once again to find that coach who is the right fit for this organization.

A few days ago I wrote an article basically congratulating the team for not pointing fingers at each other and taking a look only in the mirror to place blame.  Even while the Tony Sparano watch continues into week 8 the Dolphins still have not folded under the pressure of a winless season. 

Yesterday it was reported that Sparano and his wife put their home up on the market.  I see nothing wrong with that.  Nor did I view it as an earth shattering news event that others did.  Today however, it appears that the cracks that were likely invisible a few days ago are starting to show.

Last week Reggie Bush remained behind after the Denver loss and answered questions.  He manned up so to speak instead of “Cowhering” behind excuses.  When he was asked about the team playing for their HC and how they felt about his likely termination, Bush replied that “no player should be worried about that stuff and if they are they shouldn’t be here”.  In a nut shell.

Today, Bush decided to answer questions and one reply was simply this.  “We stink”.  He isn’t lying by any stretch.  He isn’t calling anyone out, he doesn’t refer to the team as specifically not him, but instead as a team.  It’s easy to see and easier for fans to stand up and shout “WELL DUH!”  In fact, maybe if the players start believing that they stink then maybe they would stop playing like it.

Apparently, Miami Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell has taken exception to that.  Earlier this evening, Bell said “Bush Stinks” in reference to Reggie and not the former President.  Bell said that no player should be saying that out of the locker room.  I suppose it doesn’t matter that they really do stink.

This is the first personal jab that a Dolphins player has vollied and it likely won’t be the last.  One thrown out will inevitably open up the vine for more comments and so on.

Earlier this week Anthony Fasano took a jab at Dolphins fans who think that the team should “suck for Luck” calling those fans “sick” and not “real” fans.  It only further illustrates a growing sense of anxiety in the locker room and a disconnect with their own fans. 

A loss this week will only further divide the resolve of players still holding up and if losses continue to mount against visiting Washington and Kansas City in the following two weeks, it’s safe to say that the claws will be completely out.

For now, what little bit of sway or respect that Sparano currently has over his team…if any, will be needed to quell this divide before it becomes an uprising.



This is not a typical request to donate for charity.  This is to help us honor one of our fellow Miami Dolphins fansite webmasters.  Tom Eddie was a well respected man in the Miami Dolphins community and a few years ago cancer took his life.  Tom was so liked by his peers and his friends that the Dolphins named their top annual “Webbie” award for best overall Miami Dolphins fan site, “The Tom Eddie Award”.

This year Tom is going to be represented in name for the Miami Dolphins Cycling Challenge.  Last year the event took on a completely new meaning when former Phins and Phins broadcaster Jim “Maddog” Mandich attached his name and himself to the event.  Mandich rode in the event despite his cancer.  As we all know, the Dolphins community lost Mandich during the off-season.

This year we need your help as we try to raise money for this event.  There are two ways you can help.  One, click on the link below or the image of Tom above and follow the instructions to donate at that site or two click on the “Donate” button here or on the menu tab above to donate VIA Paypal.  Those donations will be sent to my account where I will make the donation to the team on behalf of this site.

The Dolphins have a goal for our “fan” community of web sites.  Not just this one but all of the Miami Dolphins fan sites on the internet…so if this isn’t your favorite site than hit up the Web Master of the site that is and find out how you can donate there.  What’s important is that we all come together for a great cause.

I never recall having the honor of meeting Tom Eddie but this year, Phinphanatic.com won the award that bares his name.  It’s an absolute honor for me to turn this around and honor him and his family.  Help us all raise money to fight this disease it’s needed more now than ever before.  With the economy in bad shape, donations are far and few between.

For those of you making a donation to this site for this purpose, I will have a special page set up on our menu tab where your name will be listed as a way to show our readers and visitors that you have made the pledge to wipe out cancer.