MERGED:Ireland’s, Fins’ arrogance unacceptable, Mike Silver rips Ireland and the Fins

[Locke]

This is sports psychology 101. He is looking at his "mental toughness". Whether you all believe psychology plays an important part or not is irrelevant. NFL teams believe they do, and they pay sports psychologists a large amount of money to assess things like this. I have no doubt there was probably one in the room during the interview, just to look at his reaction.

The outrage he is getting from the fanbase is all the evidence you'd need to understand why he asked it. He purposely found the most inappropriate question he could think of, and gauges how he handles it. If he gets a rise out of him now, in a low-pressure, semi-casual setting, how is he going to react to an in-game scenario where the stakes are high and adrenaline is pumping? Do you want to invest millions in a WR to loses his focus during a close game? Or gets easily rattled and starts getting penalties? Hell no you don't.

Put aside fan loyalties and feelings towards individuals and just look at it objectively. If you do that, you can at least see the rationale without condemning or condoning it...

 

[phinking]

if true, i think thats the point... you can hit him with something that harsh and see his reaction... how's his temper? how will he handle authority telling him things he doesn't want/like to hear? etc...

Dude c'mon!!! We are talking about the man's mother. Maybe you don't have any respect for yours but most of us do, and would be extremely offended by a question like that.

 

[Locke]

This is sports psychology 101. He is looking at his "mental toughness". Whether you all believe psychology plays an important part or not is irrelevant. NFL teams believe they do, and they pay sports psychologists a large amount of money to assess things like this. I have no doubt there was probably one in the room during the interview, just to look at his reaction.

The outrage he is getting from the fanbase is all the evidence you'd need to understand why he asked it. He purposely found the most inappropriate question he could think of, and gauges how he handles it. If he gets a rise out of him now, in a low-pressure, semi-casual setting, how is he going to react to an in-game scenario where the stakes are high and adrenaline is pumping? Do you want to invest millions in a WR to loses his focus during a close game? Or gets easily rattled and starts getting penalties? Hell no you don't.

Put aside fan loyalties and feelings towards individuals and just look at it objectively. If you do that, you can at least see the rationale without condemning or condoning it...

I forgot to add, this is even more important because he is already being labeled a 'Diva'. Its pretty important to test the accuracy of that title, and this is one of the only ways to do that before he actually gets into an NFL locker room...

 

[carjackistan]

I love the desperate apologetic rationale that the prostitute question was a ploy, scheming to test Bryant's temper. This is an organization that posts remind me notes on the wall, regarding draft priorities. They are scared secretive. And now we're going to give them ultra credit in psychological matters?

See, I think (and almost hope) it was a ploy because the question is so STUPID otherwise. Asking the question, "To your knowledge, has your mother been involved in any illegal activities that have not been made public?" would have been a legitimate question, one that may have even been asked by other teams.

I'm with you otherwise, though, and really hope this forces Parcells, Ireland and co. to make some changes and actually put some modicum of effort into PR.

Otherwise, I have a feeling Ross will be encouraging Parcells to leave. If that happens, hopefully Ireland is fired. From what I've seen, I do not yet trust this guy to run the Dolphins without Parcells holding his hand.

 

[ColonelJ]

This thing gets even more bizzare. Some woman called Sid Rosenberg Show to defend Jeff Ireland. She is probably close to Jeff, but would not reveal identity.

It's funny as heck.

Whatever Dez's reaction was, Ireland is not reacting well to the pressure.

I really do not think this is a black mark. Interview process is weird in itself and the answer to your family's history is defnitely relevant.

BTW, I think Ireland should be fired, as I already said here, but not for this question. He should be fired for the football decisions along with Bill Parcells.

 

[uk_Duper85]

When Cam Cam drafted Ted Ginn all his quotes were fluffy "what a nice guy we drafted here with his family", this FO has taken the Fins in a 'different' direction.

This Dolphins FO have zero sentimentality and tact - they have just given #54 to AJ Edds, they hardly gave JT the time of day, they didn't allow ZT a leaving press conference on the day he left the Fins as he was "no longer a Dolphin", they got rid of Samson Satele because he wasn't physical enough, they cut Matt Roth after he refused to report for a relatively minor injury, they would have traded Ronnie Brown without blinking if someone offered a 2nd round pick, they refuse to put up with injured players, they refuse to put up with lack of physicality, they ask horrible possibly legally questionable questions about players' histories because they want to know what they are getting.

They are SoBs. If it means my team are hard nosed aggressive SoBs, who eventually make any sort of progression in the playoffs after a million years gap of bad coaching and drafting, then I can live with untactful questioning.

In the past 2 years we have drafted Jake Long, Kendall Langford, Phil Merling, Chad Henne, Davone Bess, Dan Carpenter, Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, Brian Hartline and they have made impacts, I would suggest we aren't far off having the most production out of the last 2 drafts in the NFL (whilst of course admiteddly there have still been some misses, but then that is the draft). I will take this FO's record in turning round a horrible 1-15 team, even if their methods aren't nice.

 

[Warfish]

And we were worried that this kid had the character issues.

Ironic.

 

[carjackistan]

I wonder how many of the people praising this FO for lack of sentimentality and tact were butthurt when Nick Saban jumped ship in a tacky, classless manner.

 

[finz99]

I wonder how many of the people praising this FO for lack of sentimentality and tact were butthurt when Nick Saban jumped ship in a tacky, classless manner.

right...because that's the exact same thing...smh

 

[CedarPhin]

BTW, I think Ireland should be fired, as I already said here, but not for this question. He should be fired for the football decisions along with Bill Parcells.

Who do you propose we hire? Cam Cameron or Dave Wannstedt? What football decisions are you mad about?

 

[carjackistan]

right...because that's the exact same thing...smh

Well, right, because what Ireland did was worse than what Saban did. But Saban hurt the poor widdle feelings of a fanbase while Ireland just grossly insulted one man and his mother (and left the organization open to a potential lawsuit), so I guess that's different.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

This story is now all over the place, including non-sports sites. It's producing spur of the moment anti-Dolphin commentary.

I'm glad Ireland apologized quickly. I hope he's jolted by the story and changes his attitude. But that's unlikely unless the local media hounds him on this, at least short term. I wouldn't even mind a hurtful and memorable nickname for him, one that sticks on talk shows and similar. Guys like that often don't feel need to change until they're the laughingstock.

 

[ColonelJ]

Who do you propose we hire? Cam Cameron or Dave Wannstedt? What football decisions are you mad about?

I don't know who they should hire, but I know I am not happy with some of the football decisions.

But on a different note: I really hope that Ireland throws the ball to the Commissioner on this. It is time that the NFL sets some parameters on what's appropriate in these interviews. And maybe NFL does not want to restrict teams in the way interviews are conducted. Right now, teams basically have untied hands as far as questions, which should tell people that what Ireland did here was not necessarily inappropriate.

In sum, Ireland should not be overly apologetic in any press conference imo. He should simply say that as it stands teams have a lot of freedom in questioning and the asnwers are relevant, and maybe this is a good time NFL discusses this on a larger level. If NFL believes that some questions should not be asked then it should be in the NFL policy manual. on a personal level to Dez he should be apologetic to the extent that feelings may be hurt.

 

[Nublar7]

I don't know who they should hire, but I know I am not happy with some of the football decisions.

But on a different note: I really hope that Ireland throws the ball to the Commissioner on this. It is time that the NFL sets some parameters on what's appropriate in these interviews. And maybe NFL does not want to restrict teams in the way interviews are conducted. Right now, teams basically have untied hands as far as questions, which should tell people that what Ireland did here was not necessarily inappropriate.

In sum, Ireland should not be overly apologetic in any press conference imo. He should simply say that as it stands teams have a lot of freedom in questioning and the asnwers are relevant, and maybe this is a good time NFL discusses this on a larger level. If NFL believes that some questions should not be asked then it should be in the NFL policy manual. on a personal level to Dez he should be apologetic to the extent that feelings may be hurt.

What are those some reasons.

Did you not like the Jake Long pick?

What about Henne?

Langford?

Starks free agent signing?

Retaing Carey?

Dansby?

Marshall trade?

Keeping Ricky?

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith?

Rebuilding the entire line and making it a strength of the team?

Signing Pennington in 2008?

etc.


Ireland has made his share of mistakes(Wilson, Murphy, Wilford, etc.) but overall, he has built this team to be a very strong one in just three offseasons.

 

[Vaark]

What are those some reasons.

Did you not like the Jake Long pick?

What about Henne?

Langford?

Starks free agent signing?

Retaing Carey?

Dansby?

Marshall trade?

Keeping Ricky?

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith?

Rebuilding the entire line and making it a strength of the team?

Signing Pennington in 2008?

etc.


Ireland has made his share of mistakes(Wilson, Murphy, Wilford, etc.) but overall, he has built this team to be a very strong one in just three offseasons.

Persuasive reply. After living through the worst of JJ, his handoff to and subsequent ineptitude of Spielstedt, the mediocrity of Satan and the clownism of Cam, considering where we are now, it literally boggles my mind that there are fans calling for the Trifecta's firing even after an injury plagued disappointing season. But to each his own I guess.