If some can't see the abomination that this team was under the "leadership" of ZT and JT then I don't know what else to tell you, and today's game should be your only realization.
I'd like to post an email that I sent to Omar Kelley about 4 weeks ago, and his response. Enjoy:
Omar,
I respect you opinion on pretty much everything. Even though I'm a Gator and took issue with some of the 'home schooled' comments you mentioned regarding Tim Tebow, I'm willing to overlook them since I pretty much agree with a lot of what you say regarding the Dolphins. (btw, stating the Gators are arrogant is quite amusing since Miami has cornered the market on that front).
I'd like to mention something in regards to the current regime and how I honestly don't think anything will change until we completely gut this roster and get rid of the vets that somehow feel they're entitled, and have this unwarranted superiority complex when in reality they've accomplished absolutely nothing. We took some steps in the right direction when we released ZT, and definitely did the right thing by trading the dancing defensive end. This team was basically a scrap heap, and the vets were the old, grumpy junk yard dogs who felt they could run the team themselves.
I'm sorry, but Cam Cameron was a good coach. Maybe he made some rookie mistakes (that Sparano no doubt has made and will continue to make), but Cameron had the right idea, at least offensively. I remember like it was yesterday when Cameron came in, how Zach was stating it was nice to have an offensive guy in for a change, how the corners were so much happier that they didn't have a 5'0 ego maniac screaming in their face every practice, and how Davie was, for the most part, a much more relaxed atmosphere.
All of a sudden, JT doesn't get a phone call when Cameron comes in, and he begins a mutiny against the head coach that, apparently, no one seemed to notice, and a very good offensive mind (Cameron), and a proven GM (Mueller) were there to take the brunt of the abuse.
I mean, JT makes light of Trent Green's concussions well before he even steps foot in Davie, which is apparently a subject that's not too sensitive to talk about when it comes to our new quarterback at the time, but I'm sure nothing he would touch upon when talking about his brother-in-law. Vonnie Holliday, another one of JT's henchmen, rips into our first rounder at the time (Ginn) basically stating, "You should've been Brady Quinn", before he even signs a contract, which is a great way to not only welcome a new team mate, but a kid. Couple that with the fact that Mueller was forced to make the hard decisions relative to the roster and the long-term future of the team so Parcells and Co. didn't have to i.e. releasing McMike, trading Welker, trading Chambers, and trying to get some value for what this team lost with Daunte Culpepper, now a player only a year removed from claiming, "I just want a chance to compete", has now been exposed as the selfish, greedy whiner that the truly informed knew him to be all along.
So Mueller and Cameron were the bad guys. They were new comers that didn't respect the vets, that didn't turn the team over to the vets to try and lead, that had the audacity to think, "Heck, maybe we'll actually be here for a while, let's try and make some moves that will help us down the line", but that apparently rubbed the vets that controlled the locker room the wrong way, and this team that had such great "leaders" in the locker room, followed their cues to a 1-15 season.
Let's also not forget about Zach cornering Mueller at a team banquet, questioning him on why there was a rumor going about the locker room that Randy felt Zach's skills were diminishing. A sentiment that was validated when Parcells and Ireland released him less than a year later.
So you basically had a team that liked Cameron, until Xerxis (Taylor) started to play pretend GM, questioning every move they made, and the team turned on Cam in the blink of an eye. That's not a coaching problem, that's a player problem. How nice it must have been for the trifecta to walk into such a cozy situation. Plenty of cap room thanks to the last regime, extra draft picks in the second round thanks to the last regime, zero expectations, and an owner that will hand the reigns of the franchise over to whichever snake oil salesman happens upon his door step.
I'm sure Cameron is happy, though. I mean, he just lead a Ravens offense to a win with two rookie RBs and a rookie QB...from Delaware, no less. The comments from the players a couple weeks ago were that they're happy they have a coach in Sparano that got in their face and demanded more, yet their tune was totally different when Cameron's approach replaced the tense practices Saban ran, so which is it, fellas? 'cause I'll be honest, you would be hard pressed to notice a difference between the opener against the Jets last Sunday and the opener against the Redskins last year.
The stats were virtually the same, the opposing RB still ran at will (Portis-Jones), 2nd tier WRs still burned us in pro bowl-like fashion (Randle-El-Cotchery), our secondary looked as cluelsess as ever, even though the defense has been simplified, and when it comes to the scoreboard, we had a chance to win it last weekend just like we had a chance to win it against Washington, only at least we had the ability to tie the game before it ended last year and take it into OT.
I mean, the only real difference between this year's opener and last year's is Bobby Jackson at least had our backs running better, and the offensive line was clearly performing better under Houck. I guess my real point is this:
No amount of coaching is going to replace the "it's not our fault" attitude that permeates the Dolphins locker room. It seems as though the "no job is safe" mentality is being enforced under Parcells, but until we completely overhaul this roster, the result will continue to be the same.
"Kelly, Omar" <OKelly@sun-sentinel.com> wrote:
That was amazing.
I know I hinted a bit in last monday's bl+g that this start reminded me a lot of last years start, but every single word you said was true, and I was thinking the same thing.
You need to post that somewhere. Send it as a letter to the editor. For real. Its good and accurate.
They need wins for this approach to keep working.
O
