The question, again, is with the alternative. It's with the sitting Dolphins' general manager, Jeff Ireland. Ross married himself to Ireland and nobody really knows who he is, what he's done, what he believes in, where he stands on football philosophy or — to get to the root of it all — why he survived this semi-regime change.
Maybe Ireland is a football savant whose advice wasn't followed by Bill Parcells. Maybe he's a survivor who ditched Tony Sparano and buddied up to Ross at the right time. Maybe there's strains of truth from each idea. Who knows just yet?
Here's what we do know: Demoff didn't consider Ireland as the front person running the coaching search. Or Ross, for that matter. At least not enough to get the thumbs-down phone call.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-hyde-dolphins-0115-20120114,0,1678583.column
note: I think that Hyde hit on the great unknown- how much has Ireland done or not done? What's he all about? Living down here and in view of all the local coverage, I would say that the general perception of Ireland is that he's a decent GM and also kind of a jerk. If it took giving Fisher personnel control to land him- personally I would have done it. If he failed, you could always can him and go back to the original plan of the GM in control of personnel. It's not a question imo of Fisher being a phenomenal hire, it's that there are no other candidates who bring what he does to the table, ie solid track record, big name, etc. Bill Cowher? Sure, give him control. Jeff Fisher? Not crazy about it, but consider the alternative, which is where we are now- crapland- in terms of this hiring process.
Given the current sorry state of the Dolphins, my best guess is that Ross should have modified his stance and given Fisher the authority- if I have to make a choice of rolling with Fisher or Ireland, both choices are less than ideal but I'm rolling with Fisher and giving him what he wants.
Maybe Ireland is a football savant whose advice wasn't followed by Bill Parcells. Maybe he's a survivor who ditched Tony Sparano and buddied up to Ross at the right time. Maybe there's strains of truth from each idea. Who knows just yet?
Here's what we do know: Demoff didn't consider Ireland as the front person running the coaching search. Or Ross, for that matter. At least not enough to get the thumbs-down phone call.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-hyde-dolphins-0115-20120114,0,1678583.column
note: I think that Hyde hit on the great unknown- how much has Ireland done or not done? What's he all about? Living down here and in view of all the local coverage, I would say that the general perception of Ireland is that he's a decent GM and also kind of a jerk. If it took giving Fisher personnel control to land him- personally I would have done it. If he failed, you could always can him and go back to the original plan of the GM in control of personnel. It's not a question imo of Fisher being a phenomenal hire, it's that there are no other candidates who bring what he does to the table, ie solid track record, big name, etc. Bill Cowher? Sure, give him control. Jeff Fisher? Not crazy about it, but consider the alternative, which is where we are now- crapland- in terms of this hiring process.
Given the current sorry state of the Dolphins, my best guess is that Ross should have modified his stance and given Fisher the authority- if I have to make a choice of rolling with Fisher or Ireland, both choices are less than ideal but I'm rolling with Fisher and giving him what he wants.
