KATSKAN
Starter
I wanted to take a moment to re-kindle what Coach Crustedt has done in the four year post-Marino era.
2000: 11-5 (Division Title, WC home win over Indy, divisional road loss to Oakland)
This was the year the people expected the least and with Lamar Smith we got the best performance of the era.
Grade: A-/B+
2001: 11-5 (WC home loss to Baltimore) Still under old playoff rules w/ 3 divisions or we would have been on the road under the current format.
Higher expectations - lose the divison crown - lose the home playoff game.
Grade: B (regressed)
2002: 9-7 (Elimated from playoffs in final week by NYJ - we had two chances to clinch against Minnesota and New England)
Added Ricky Williams - expectations soar - Taylor and Ogunleye break out to become leading sack tandem, Ricky leads league in rushing.
Grade: C (regressed)
2003: 10-6 (Eliminated from playoffs in week 16 rather than final week despite the better W-L record.)
Added defensive veterans: Seau, Knight, Buckley - expectations are set very high yet again. Turn road record from 2-6 to 6-2, but fall to 4-4 at our field? We are supposed to be nearly unbeatable there, especially in September.....oh Houston.
Grade: C (regressed - due to earliest playoff elimination.
Now I am going to root for this team with a Super Bowl or bust attitude every year since I've done since I was 4 or as long as I can remember and that will never change. However, I think we can all agree that we have talent and we need to come together. The talent has been there all four years and we are on a downward trend. This happened under Crustedt in Chicago as well. He is still here and I will root for him and this team while he is, but this is why people want change. It's just not coming together and it's getting worse. Every year it looks on paper like we've improved and it just keeps falling apart.
I never wanted Jimmy Johnson to become coach of this team, but I rooted for him b/c he was the team coach and had a proven track record and I would've sold my soul to the devil for Marino to get a ring and I thought maybe he was the man who could do it. He failed.
So why does he get to hand pick his successor---his buddy? Yes Crustedt, your won/loss record speaks for itself and I'd rather have four winning seasons than four losing seasons, but as the boss you underachieve. You have talent and you underachieve. We all set the bar high.......you, me, the fans, the media, b/c it should be and it's always underachievment.
The coach doesn't miss the tackles or turn the ball over but he brought in the players that do - so please no one use that excuse. True, there may be no better replacement in terms of track record right now, but there will someday in the coaching carousel.
I just want to know what others think - maybe it is time to say goodbye to the early 90's Dallas regime here in South Florida and turn over a new leaf with a new staff to build new tradition. It's been 8+ long years of high expectations with nothing to show except the retirement of the greatest pure passer ever to play this game.
Until then.....go Dolphins!! Super Bowl or bust in 2004 just like every year!
2000: 11-5 (Division Title, WC home win over Indy, divisional road loss to Oakland)
This was the year the people expected the least and with Lamar Smith we got the best performance of the era.
Grade: A-/B+
2001: 11-5 (WC home loss to Baltimore) Still under old playoff rules w/ 3 divisions or we would have been on the road under the current format.
Higher expectations - lose the divison crown - lose the home playoff game.
Grade: B (regressed)
2002: 9-7 (Elimated from playoffs in final week by NYJ - we had two chances to clinch against Minnesota and New England)
Added Ricky Williams - expectations soar - Taylor and Ogunleye break out to become leading sack tandem, Ricky leads league in rushing.
Grade: C (regressed)
2003: 10-6 (Eliminated from playoffs in week 16 rather than final week despite the better W-L record.)
Added defensive veterans: Seau, Knight, Buckley - expectations are set very high yet again. Turn road record from 2-6 to 6-2, but fall to 4-4 at our field? We are supposed to be nearly unbeatable there, especially in September.....oh Houston.
Grade: C (regressed - due to earliest playoff elimination.
Now I am going to root for this team with a Super Bowl or bust attitude every year since I've done since I was 4 or as long as I can remember and that will never change. However, I think we can all agree that we have talent and we need to come together. The talent has been there all four years and we are on a downward trend. This happened under Crustedt in Chicago as well. He is still here and I will root for him and this team while he is, but this is why people want change. It's just not coming together and it's getting worse. Every year it looks on paper like we've improved and it just keeps falling apart.
I never wanted Jimmy Johnson to become coach of this team, but I rooted for him b/c he was the team coach and had a proven track record and I would've sold my soul to the devil for Marino to get a ring and I thought maybe he was the man who could do it. He failed.
So why does he get to hand pick his successor---his buddy? Yes Crustedt, your won/loss record speaks for itself and I'd rather have four winning seasons than four losing seasons, but as the boss you underachieve. You have talent and you underachieve. We all set the bar high.......you, me, the fans, the media, b/c it should be and it's always underachievment.
The coach doesn't miss the tackles or turn the ball over but he brought in the players that do - so please no one use that excuse. True, there may be no better replacement in terms of track record right now, but there will someday in the coaching carousel.
I just want to know what others think - maybe it is time to say goodbye to the early 90's Dallas regime here in South Florida and turn over a new leaf with a new staff to build new tradition. It's been 8+ long years of high expectations with nothing to show except the retirement of the greatest pure passer ever to play this game.
Until then.....go Dolphins!! Super Bowl or bust in 2004 just like every year!
