The place’s the set bar of requirements? What do the Miami Dolphins stand for? As a result of there, within the post-game locker Sunday, was essentially the most important go of the season.
“We now have yet another ball,” staff proprietor Steve Ross stated.
“We do?” stated coach Mike McDaniel, who had simply handed out recreation balls to gamers after the 29-17 win towards the San Francisco 49ers.
“Yet another,” Ross stated, tossing the coach a recreation ball. “Mike McDaniel.”
Identical to that, this offseason’s plans have been clear. The proprietor needs to run it again. Not simply with the coach. Common supervisor Chris Grier, too. Ross evidently has seen sufficient throughout three years of McDaniel and 6 years of Ross to need extra.
That’s all good and fantastic, too, contemplating that is Ross’s determination. It’s his staff, his name. However, once more, what does this franchise stand for anymore when the proprietor is congratulating everybody after a six-year construct that has them at 7-8?
When the seventh seed within the playoffs stay an extended shot, a lot much less the primary playoff win in 25 years?
When beating 6-9 San Francisco is taken into account such a defining second that Ross stood on the sideline pumping his fist within the air on the finish like Joe Namath’s iconic fist pump after Tremendous Bowl III?
Everybody likes emotion and people within the enviornment ought to rejoice a win. However shouldn’t these operating the present have a normal to correctly weigh the second?
I don’t need to pull out the old-guy card right here, however I used to be right here when Don Shula known as your entire season a “disappointment” after shedding in an AFC Championship Recreation. I used to be right here when Jimmy Johnson rebuilt the roster, made three playoffs and had two playoff wins in 4 years and stated, “We didn’t get the place we wished.”
Now I’m right here when the proprietor pumps his fist and awards a recreation ball for pulling inside a recreation of .500 in a means that claims he’s proud of a administration staff that had loud blunders this season.
This didn’t simply occur by probability, too. Ross wasn’t simply over-celebrating a win. He was making a press release he’s proud of these operating the staff. He would possibly hope it sweeps all questions underneath the rug after this season, however that’s not fairly as straightforward as pumping a fist and saying, “It’s all good. We’re shifting on.”
The staff proprietor wants to speak to followers about this season and this determination. He wants to speak about how he determined Grier’s administration is sweet sufficient. He wants to speak concerning the considering behind the backup quarterback blunder that modified this season. He wants to speak about how the oldest roster within the league is supplied.
Ross wants to speak about all this as a result of in 2019 he defined the Dolphins buying and selling good gamers, tanking a season and present process an enormous rebuild by trotting out the Einstein line about, “The definition of madness is doing the identical issues time and again and anticipating a unique outcome.”
Ross is doing the identical issues time and again now. Ought to we anticipate a unique outcome?
Sure, I do know, that is about subsequent season when this season isn’t completed. That’s a bit out of order. However even when the Dolphins sneak within the back-door to the playoffs, even when all of the dominoes fall their means this subsequent two weeks — even when this longest shot is available in, is anybody actually kidding themselves?
The Dolphins are 1-10 towards successful groups the previous two seasons.
They have been simply overwhelmed decisively on the highway within the chilly in Inexperienced Bay and in a dome in Houston with lifelike playoff hopes on the road.
A win towards the reeling 49ers didn’t change the season. However you’d suppose it did.
“It’s one among my favourite sports activities moments, recollections of my life,” McDaniel advised his gamers within the locker room.
That pedestrian win? The Warmth’s Pat Riley stated he wouldn’t get “heat fuzzies” after shedding within the Japanese Convention Finals just a few years again. The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers received their first playoff collection in a quarter-century just a few years again and re-made their teaching employees as a result of their system wasn’t adequate.
As soon as upon a time, the Dolphins set the usual for South Florida sports activities. Now the proprietor throws a fist within the air and tosses the coach a recreation ball for attending to 7-8 with a flickering probability of the playoffs. He’s able to run the GM’s six years of nothing right into a seventh yr.
It’s Ross’s staff, his name. However he wants to inform followers why that is the place he’s setting the bar.