SoCal Finatic
Club Member
Found this article ...although I think it's like preaching to the choir.
http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/artic...owner_of_the_miami_dolphins/s1_12266_19646722
"Mr. Ross:I am writing you today to discuss changes that are needed within the Miami Dolphins organization immediately, before the Miami Dolphins fan base withers away.
First, let me introduce myself. I am your typical Miami Dolphins fan. I have watched the Miami Dolphins since the 1985 season, when my grandfather took me to my first Miami Dolphins game at the Orange Bowl (my “since moment”). I didn’t know much about football or the Dolphins before that game, however, after that experience, I knew that watching football was going to be a passion of mine, and I knew that I was going to be a Miami Dolphins fan for a long time. I took my father to his first football game in 1995, when I could afford to buy tickets, I became a true season ticket holder four seasons ago, which was the year after the 1-15 debacle, when many existing season ticket holders were giving up on the team and giving up on their season tickets, and I now take my wife and two young daughters to all of the home games.
Over the past 30 years, a lot has changed with the Dolphins. First, the venues have changed for the better. Either it be the state of the art practice facility at Nova Southeastern, which was a great upgrade from training camps at St. Thomas, or the stadium now known as Sun Life Stadium over the Orange Bowl, which was also a significant upgrade. In addition, all of the current and soon to be finished improvements to Sun Life Stadium are spectacular, and should definitely draw many amazing events in the future (I commend you for thinking outside the norm for covering the costs of these Sun Life Stadium upgrades).
The second change with the team is the look. The logos have changed throughout the years, of which I have been a strong supporter of. I believe that moving on to updated logos allows the team to avoid getting stuck in the past. The colors have also changed, which I may not be as much of a supporter of. Saying that I have aqua and orange in my veins gets me corrected all the time, as the current colors are teal and orange?
The strength of the team has changed. For many years the Dolphins were an offensive juggernaut. There’s no question that Dan Marino was the most exciting player for the Miami Dolphins. And once Dan retired, the defense took over as the top unit on the team, as the offense continued looking for a leader. And today, no unit has quite stepped up to say that they are the strength of our team (This hopefully will change).
The last change, which is ultimately my point of this letter, is the culture change within the Miami Dolphins organization. When I first began watching the Dolphins in the mid 1980’s, the underlying culture of the team that then-owner Joe Robbie instilled was such that the fan base and team expected to be in the playoffs each year. Even through the ownership transition from Joe Robbie to Wayne Huizenga, fans felt much of the same expectations, which was a representation of the same team culture.
The person that best represented and spread this culture was Don Shula. Although general managers changed through Coach Shula’s tenure, as did offensive and defensive coordinators, Shula never kept it a secret that he had high expectations with everyone that surrounded him, both on the field and in the front office, and fans felt it. Although the Miami Dolphins had not been to the Super Bowl since 1985 while Don Shula was coaching, the fan base, for the most part, stayed loyal to the team. Although the Dolphins missed the playoffs on a few occasions, the culture never wavered.
A lot has happened since Don Shula was encouraged to retire, but the biggest change has been to the culture of this current Miami Dolphins franchise. Instead of a consistent culture of winning and success, the feelings outside of the organization are those of consistent pessimism and failure. The past few seasons, we have used taglines like “It’s Our Time” and “Stronger Together” to help re-establish the expectations of this team’s culture, but it takes more than catchy slogans to right the ship. It takes the right captains to steer a lost ship into the right direction.
It would be easy for me to write you and say that it’s time to fire this person or the next person. However, it sometimes doesn’t matter who you fill a position with if the entire situation is stuck in a negative cycle, which I feel the current Miami Dolphins are in. Personally, I like the leadership of your team. I have met CEO Tom Garfinkel, General Manager Dennis Hickey, and Coach Philbin. I think they are all extremely nice men, and I have never once doubted their passion for football or knowledge of the game. I do, however, question their ability to change the culture of this team. Being “nice” does not always translate to being “respected”, which is what you need in order for individuals to follow your leadership. We have seen a constant cycle of different coaches and coordinators walk in and out of the Miami Dolphins “door”, but the culture remains the same, and it needs to change for the better, and change quickly.
I write you this letter, not because I am threatening to leave the Miami Dolphins fan base. I have been a fan for over 30 years, and I intend to stay with the team through thick andn thin (Convincing my wife to remain a season ticket holder may be difficult). I write you this letter for the majority of other fans that are NOT writing you as they are on the edge of not caring about this team anymore. And you know that not caring only leads to bad things for the future of the Dolphins fan base.
My suggestion is for you, Mr. Ross, to look into the mirror and make sure that you are spreading the right message to ensure that the culture of this Miami Dolphins FRANCHISE is what you want it to be. Within any organization, inside and outside of football, the message and culture always begins at the top. If the culture is not where you want it to be, you need to make swift changes to ensure you get the right people in place that can spread the right message and culture. This is the only way that our Miami Dolphins will make it back to being a well-respected franchise, again.
I can only pump optimism into fellow Dolphins fans for so long. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this letter further.
What a beautiful stadium!
With Regards,
Ian Berger
Fins Fan For Life"
http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/artic...owner_of_the_miami_dolphins/s1_12266_19646722
"Mr. Ross:I am writing you today to discuss changes that are needed within the Miami Dolphins organization immediately, before the Miami Dolphins fan base withers away.
First, let me introduce myself. I am your typical Miami Dolphins fan. I have watched the Miami Dolphins since the 1985 season, when my grandfather took me to my first Miami Dolphins game at the Orange Bowl (my “since moment”). I didn’t know much about football or the Dolphins before that game, however, after that experience, I knew that watching football was going to be a passion of mine, and I knew that I was going to be a Miami Dolphins fan for a long time. I took my father to his first football game in 1995, when I could afford to buy tickets, I became a true season ticket holder four seasons ago, which was the year after the 1-15 debacle, when many existing season ticket holders were giving up on the team and giving up on their season tickets, and I now take my wife and two young daughters to all of the home games.
Over the past 30 years, a lot has changed with the Dolphins. First, the venues have changed for the better. Either it be the state of the art practice facility at Nova Southeastern, which was a great upgrade from training camps at St. Thomas, or the stadium now known as Sun Life Stadium over the Orange Bowl, which was also a significant upgrade. In addition, all of the current and soon to be finished improvements to Sun Life Stadium are spectacular, and should definitely draw many amazing events in the future (I commend you for thinking outside the norm for covering the costs of these Sun Life Stadium upgrades).
The second change with the team is the look. The logos have changed throughout the years, of which I have been a strong supporter of. I believe that moving on to updated logos allows the team to avoid getting stuck in the past. The colors have also changed, which I may not be as much of a supporter of. Saying that I have aqua and orange in my veins gets me corrected all the time, as the current colors are teal and orange?
The strength of the team has changed. For many years the Dolphins were an offensive juggernaut. There’s no question that Dan Marino was the most exciting player for the Miami Dolphins. And once Dan retired, the defense took over as the top unit on the team, as the offense continued looking for a leader. And today, no unit has quite stepped up to say that they are the strength of our team (This hopefully will change).
The last change, which is ultimately my point of this letter, is the culture change within the Miami Dolphins organization. When I first began watching the Dolphins in the mid 1980’s, the underlying culture of the team that then-owner Joe Robbie instilled was such that the fan base and team expected to be in the playoffs each year. Even through the ownership transition from Joe Robbie to Wayne Huizenga, fans felt much of the same expectations, which was a representation of the same team culture.
The person that best represented and spread this culture was Don Shula. Although general managers changed through Coach Shula’s tenure, as did offensive and defensive coordinators, Shula never kept it a secret that he had high expectations with everyone that surrounded him, both on the field and in the front office, and fans felt it. Although the Miami Dolphins had not been to the Super Bowl since 1985 while Don Shula was coaching, the fan base, for the most part, stayed loyal to the team. Although the Dolphins missed the playoffs on a few occasions, the culture never wavered.
A lot has happened since Don Shula was encouraged to retire, but the biggest change has been to the culture of this current Miami Dolphins franchise. Instead of a consistent culture of winning and success, the feelings outside of the organization are those of consistent pessimism and failure. The past few seasons, we have used taglines like “It’s Our Time” and “Stronger Together” to help re-establish the expectations of this team’s culture, but it takes more than catchy slogans to right the ship. It takes the right captains to steer a lost ship into the right direction.
It would be easy for me to write you and say that it’s time to fire this person or the next person. However, it sometimes doesn’t matter who you fill a position with if the entire situation is stuck in a negative cycle, which I feel the current Miami Dolphins are in. Personally, I like the leadership of your team. I have met CEO Tom Garfinkel, General Manager Dennis Hickey, and Coach Philbin. I think they are all extremely nice men, and I have never once doubted their passion for football or knowledge of the game. I do, however, question their ability to change the culture of this team. Being “nice” does not always translate to being “respected”, which is what you need in order for individuals to follow your leadership. We have seen a constant cycle of different coaches and coordinators walk in and out of the Miami Dolphins “door”, but the culture remains the same, and it needs to change for the better, and change quickly.
I write you this letter, not because I am threatening to leave the Miami Dolphins fan base. I have been a fan for over 30 years, and I intend to stay with the team through thick andn thin (Convincing my wife to remain a season ticket holder may be difficult). I write you this letter for the majority of other fans that are NOT writing you as they are on the edge of not caring about this team anymore. And you know that not caring only leads to bad things for the future of the Dolphins fan base.
My suggestion is for you, Mr. Ross, to look into the mirror and make sure that you are spreading the right message to ensure that the culture of this Miami Dolphins FRANCHISE is what you want it to be. Within any organization, inside and outside of football, the message and culture always begins at the top. If the culture is not where you want it to be, you need to make swift changes to ensure you get the right people in place that can spread the right message and culture. This is the only way that our Miami Dolphins will make it back to being a well-respected franchise, again.
I can only pump optimism into fellow Dolphins fans for so long. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this letter further.
What a beautiful stadium!
With Regards,
Ian Berger
Fins Fan For Life"
