AtticusFinz
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- Joined
- Aug 1, 2004
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The 2004 Season Begins Ugly …
The resigned look of frustration of a head coach can be an ugly thing to witness. That was the view of Coach Wannstedt, as he stood in front of the media, fielding questions about all that is wrong with his team. I couldn’t help but feel for the man. Above all else, I believe Dave is a good and honest man. Whether he is the right coach for this franchise, or any other, is open to debate. One fact remains clear; this team is not ready to compete.
We could point the fingers at any individual among the front office personnel, or, we can toss out excuses over the betrayal of Ricky Williams, but in the end, could anyone have prevented the debacle that has placed this once proud organization into such disarray?
The loss to the Titans on opening day had the feeling of the inevitability of death, but like every other fan, I too watched the game from beginning to end, waiting with hope, that our team could find the magic to overcome this tumultuous off-season. It was not to be, as the unfamiliarity of new players, was apparent in the form of false starts and other penalties that continuously plagued them throughout the game.
The Coach
Some will point to Dave’s continuous attempts to run the ball as the reason the offense is so unsuccessful. There is some merit to that idea but I think that he believes somewhere deep down inside that to do otherwise would probably get his quarterbacks killed. The core problem with this team is the offensive line. Four new starters, who are not only unfamiliar with each other, but also young, leave them with a recipe for disaster. There is enough talent there to have a successful line, but it will take time for them to gel, which is something Dave and his staff doesn’t have. He knows he has to win this year to keep his job, and that pressure is causing Dave quite the dilemma as it pushes him away from the system he believes in.
In any organization, a leader has to believe in the system he wants instill in it. It is that way with any job, franchise, or organization. A leader then has to surround himself with the kind of people who will not only believe in that system, but are willing to work at all costs to bring it to fruition. I think that there in lies the biggest problem. The players that GM Rick Spielman has brought in this year, hasn’t quite fit the style of players that his coach needs to run in his system. Although Rick tried to find the type of lineman Dave needed, free agents were turned off by the Dolphins because of the craziness of the team’s off-season. Throw in the whole Ricky Williams situation, a player whom the whole system was built around, and it is easy to see why things are so bad.
The Team
No one was hurt more by Ricky’s desertion than the players. At first, his supporters were firmly behind him in his pursuit of happiness. When the truth of the failed drug tests came out, the feelings of support drained away and were replaced with feelings of outrage and disbelief. That sting can be heard in the words of the players as they respond to questions about Ricky. Even though they state that they are moving on and are past the hurt and disappointment of his departure, their every move, statement and action reek of the anger he has instilled in their psyche.
I can’t blame them. Ricky’s value to the offense was more important to the players than I think they are willing to admit. It is hard for any man with an ounce of pride in what they do to confess the importance of another. It’s the environment we are brought up in. An environment that leads men to act as if they are indestructible and do not need the exploits of another to still achieve greatness.
The Rest of the Season
So what can our beloved Dolphins do for the rest of the season? There will be many ideas and thoughts as to how the rest of the season should be handled; everything from cutting our losses and axing Coach Wannstedt to forcing him to open up the offense and tossing caution to the wind. What ever the ideas are implemented, I think in the end, this season will be the first losing one in the last fifteen years. No other organizations can claim that kind of consistency and is something all Fin fans should be thankful for. All the other franchises have had to suffer through occasional poor periods as their teams struggled to maintain mediocrity while Miami has been there year after year struggling competitively. The law of averages points toward the eventuality of having a sub par season and I believe that this is the time for our struggles. How the Dolphins recover from all of this will shape the future of the organization for years to come. I hope, as I know all of my fellow fans do, that we will one day return to the glory days that the legendary Don Shula once lead us to … again.
Ron WilliamsonThe resigned look of frustration of a head coach can be an ugly thing to witness. That was the view of Coach Wannstedt, as he stood in front of the media, fielding questions about all that is wrong with his team. I couldn’t help but feel for the man. Above all else, I believe Dave is a good and honest man. Whether he is the right coach for this franchise, or any other, is open to debate. One fact remains clear; this team is not ready to compete.
We could point the fingers at any individual among the front office personnel, or, we can toss out excuses over the betrayal of Ricky Williams, but in the end, could anyone have prevented the debacle that has placed this once proud organization into such disarray?
The loss to the Titans on opening day had the feeling of the inevitability of death, but like every other fan, I too watched the game from beginning to end, waiting with hope, that our team could find the magic to overcome this tumultuous off-season. It was not to be, as the unfamiliarity of new players, was apparent in the form of false starts and other penalties that continuously plagued them throughout the game.
The Coach
Some will point to Dave’s continuous attempts to run the ball as the reason the offense is so unsuccessful. There is some merit to that idea but I think that he believes somewhere deep down inside that to do otherwise would probably get his quarterbacks killed. The core problem with this team is the offensive line. Four new starters, who are not only unfamiliar with each other, but also young, leave them with a recipe for disaster. There is enough talent there to have a successful line, but it will take time for them to gel, which is something Dave and his staff doesn’t have. He knows he has to win this year to keep his job, and that pressure is causing Dave quite the dilemma as it pushes him away from the system he believes in.
In any organization, a leader has to believe in the system he wants instill in it. It is that way with any job, franchise, or organization. A leader then has to surround himself with the kind of people who will not only believe in that system, but are willing to work at all costs to bring it to fruition. I think that there in lies the biggest problem. The players that GM Rick Spielman has brought in this year, hasn’t quite fit the style of players that his coach needs to run in his system. Although Rick tried to find the type of lineman Dave needed, free agents were turned off by the Dolphins because of the craziness of the team’s off-season. Throw in the whole Ricky Williams situation, a player whom the whole system was built around, and it is easy to see why things are so bad.
The Team
No one was hurt more by Ricky’s desertion than the players. At first, his supporters were firmly behind him in his pursuit of happiness. When the truth of the failed drug tests came out, the feelings of support drained away and were replaced with feelings of outrage and disbelief. That sting can be heard in the words of the players as they respond to questions about Ricky. Even though they state that they are moving on and are past the hurt and disappointment of his departure, their every move, statement and action reek of the anger he has instilled in their psyche.
I can’t blame them. Ricky’s value to the offense was more important to the players than I think they are willing to admit. It is hard for any man with an ounce of pride in what they do to confess the importance of another. It’s the environment we are brought up in. An environment that leads men to act as if they are indestructible and do not need the exploits of another to still achieve greatness.
The Rest of the Season
So what can our beloved Dolphins do for the rest of the season? There will be many ideas and thoughts as to how the rest of the season should be handled; everything from cutting our losses and axing Coach Wannstedt to forcing him to open up the offense and tossing caution to the wind. What ever the ideas are implemented, I think in the end, this season will be the first losing one in the last fifteen years. No other organizations can claim that kind of consistency and is something all Fin fans should be thankful for. All the other franchises have had to suffer through occasional poor periods as their teams struggled to maintain mediocrity while Miami has been there year after year struggling competitively. The law of averages points toward the eventuality of having a sub par season and I believe that this is the time for our struggles. How the Dolphins recover from all of this will shape the future of the organization for years to come. I hope, as I know all of my fellow fans do, that we will one day return to the glory days that the legendary Don Shula once lead us to … again.
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