A Failure of Leadership

[Pappy13]

There are players who choose Buffalo, KC, Pit, or Philadelphia because they feel it gives them the better shot at a SB.  But they aren't even considering Miami.  

I have seen listed on this site all the reasons why it should be easier for the Dolphins to recruit FA over a team like the Bills -- lower taxes, better weather, better night life, beaches.  Etc.  But here is the problem with that -- a player that is picking where he wants to play based on which city has more strip clubs or where he can make the most money instead of which team gives him the best chance to win a superbowl isn't exactly the type of player you want to be recruiting.  

I guess we are assuming that most players get to choose who they play for now?

[Sibster]

I'm curious to know what Mando's plan is to change the ownership of the Dolphins. If he felt Tua was the wrong QB to take in the draft, I don't remember seeing that article. If he felt that McDaniel was the wrong coach for the Dolphins when he was hired, I don't remember seeing that article either. I can't even remember an article criticizing Ross for keeping Grier on after Flores left.

Now he knows all these guys lack leadership? Because the Dolphins are 1-5? I guess they all lost their leadership abilities they had when they were 11-4 in '23. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

All he can do is encourage fans to pressure Ross to sell the team.  But the bottom line is this.  Ross hasn't made a single good decision as Dolphins owner.  Not one.   Every move he made has not worked out for the better.   

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I guess we are assuming that most players get to choose who they play for now?

Free agents do.  And the Colts are a lot less likely to have a player demanded he be traded than the Jets.

[Spider-Dan]

Mando is voicing what a lot of fans feel.   Ross is not a competent owner.   He treats the team like it's happy hour at the bar as opposed to doing what it takes to win games.  It's been this way ever since he became the owner in 2009.

It's not like the team accomplished anything of note from 1990-2009 under Wayne Huizenga.

I would imagine that Miami residents, in particular, would appreciate an owner that paid for a several-hundred-million-dollar stadium upgrade - an upgrade that drastically improved the fan experience - out of his own pocket, instead of extorting the taxpayers with a threat of moving the team like the Marlins did.  As a Bay Area sports fan, I have seen what ACTUAL "shitty owners" look like in the city of Oakland, who went from 3 pro sports teams to zero in the space of 5 years, primarily because Oakland taxpayers refused to be extorted by said shitty owners.

[Pappy13]

Free agents do.  And the Colts are a lot less likely to have a player demanded he be traded than the Jets.

Some Free agents do. Most have at most 1 or 2 offers from teams that they would be willing to accept (if the money isn't at least close to the best offer, it's a non starter), so maybe they are choosing between Miami and another place so they are not really choosing who they want to play for, more like they are taking the better of 2 choices.

Most players are either with the team that drafted them or they are playing with the team that offered them the best contract. There's a select few that actually get to choose which team they would like to play for and why.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Some Free agents do. Most have at most 1 or 2 offers from teams that they would be willing to accept (if the money isn't at least close to the best offer, it's a non starter), so maybe they are choosing between Miami and another place so they are not really choosing who they want to play for, more like they are taking the better of 2 choices.

Most players are either with the team that drafted them or they are playing with the team that offered them the best contract. There's a select few that actually get to choose which team they would like to play for and why.

I realize that nobody gets offers from all 32 teams. 

But lets say a player gets comparable offers from Miami and Green Bay.  The player that picks Miami over Green Bay because the weather is nicer and it has a better bar scene is less likely to be a motivated player than the one who chooses bad weather and better shot at playing in the post season. 

[Spider-Dan]

...or, the player who chooses MIA/SEA/LV/DAL/TEN over GB/KC/BAL/BUF/PHI is simply saying "I don't want to pay state income tax, fuck everything else."

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

...or, the player who chooses MIA/SEA/LV/DAL/TEN over GB/KC/BAL/BUF/PHI is simply saying "I don't want to pay state income tax, fuck everything else."

That is just another way of saying he only cares about money. 

Pappy's contention is that less NFL players care about the winning than in the past.  My contention is that the same number of NFL players care but a smaller portion are playing for the Dolphins.

Choosing a low state tax state, is different than wanting to be coached by Shula or catch balls thrown by Marino.  There are still plenty of players picking teams for football reasons, they just aren't picking the Dolphins. 

[Dave Gray]

I don't like when "selfish" things like money or living situation are used as negatives for where players choose to play.  It's a job.  We all do (and should) weigh those types of options when picking employment.  Work environment (like who your coach and teammates and team culture) matter too, but it's just part of a larger package of perks, like with any job.

[Phishfan]

Let's also remember that players choosing the team is only half the equation. A player cannot choose to play somewhere that doesn't make an offer.

[masterfins]

All he can do is encourage fans to pressure Ross to sell the team.  But the bottom line is this.  Ross hasn't made a single good decision as Dolphins owner.  Not one.   Every move he made has not worked out for the better.   

I disagree with this.  I don't want an owner like Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland or Jerry Jones in Dallas that get way to involved with managing the team.  I want an owner that will put up the money to pay players and hire a GM to do the job of managing the team.  And get somewhat involved with hiring the head coach and maybe give some input with regards to the QB and top FA acquisitions.  Ross has provided stability which is a good thing generally.  Now it's time for Ross to replace Grier and McDaniel because they haven't gotten the job done.  Grier got a bit unlucky with his highly paid FA's getting injured, but he bet on some of the wrong players.  McDaniel with his lax attitude has lost the team, he'll go somewhere and be a great OC, but he's not HC material.

[Pappy13]

I realize that nobody gets offers from all 32 teams.  

But lets say a player gets comparable offers from Miami and Green Bay.  The player that picks Miami over Green Bay because the weather is nicer and it has a better bar scene is less likely to be a motivated player than the one who chooses bad weather and better shot at playing in the post season.  

I don't disagree, I'm just saying that choice doesn't often present itself. Maybe 5 to 10 percent of players get to make that kind of choice.

Pappy's contention is that less NFL players care about the winning than in the past.  My contention is that the same number of NFL players care but a smaller portion are playing for the Dolphins.

My contention would also be that free agency has changed how many get to the make that choice. Before free agency even fewer got to make that kind of choice. Back then you played for whomever drafted you so there literally was no reason NOT to play for a ring. In fact playing for a ring was about the only way to get a better contract. With free agency if you put up gawdy stats, you can work that into a good payday with someone willing to pay and in my opinion that's what many players are more interested in. They couldn't care less if that translates into wins or not.

[Downunder Dolphan]

It's rumored there was a half time speech from someone in the leadership today (coach, Tua, who knows?) and the team went out and laid a complete egg in the second half.

It's all over folks. This isn't an invested team right now, it's a bunch of individuals out for themselves, and it ain't going forward from here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjGl9u2af8I

[Dolfanalyst]

It's rumored there was a half time speech from someone in the leadership today (coach, Tua, who knows?) and the team went out and laid a complete egg in the second half.

It's all over folks. This isn't an invested team right now, it's a bunch of individuals out for themselves, and it ain't going forward from here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjGl9u2af8I

If the halftime speech was given by McDaniel, that's been something (among other things about him) I've been concerned about since he was hired.  You can't be a clown the vast majority of the time and then be taken seriously when trying to give an impassioned speech that galvanizes a group of professional football players.  They simply won't take you seriously.  You can't switch gears on the fly from "clown" to "Bill Cowher" (for example) and have it come off effectively.  Your audience simply can't adjust to that degree.  You are who you are in their eyes.  And there is no "clown" version of a halftime speech that is effective either.

The clown shtick may seem harmless, but it isn't harmless under those conditions.  It's a fatal flaw.

[Dolfanalyst]

If the halftime speech was given by McDaniel, that's been something (among other things about him) I've been concerned about since he was hired.  You can't be a clown the vast majority of the time and then be taken seriously when trying to give an impassioned speech that galvanizes a group of professional football players.  They simply won't take you seriously.  You can't switch gears on the fly from "clown" to "Bill Cowher" (for example) and have it come off effectively.  Your audience simply can't adjust to that degree.  You are who you are in their eyes.  And there is no "clown" version of a halftime speech that is effective either.

The clown shtick may seem harmless, but it isn't harmless under those conditions.  It's a fatal flaw.

Exactly what I meant above:

https://x.com/FinsXtra/status/1979955001868042597