Too many still in dark about Dolphins coach Tony Sparano
The joking about his sunglasses shows how little America knows
His last name is Sparano. That's still mangled plenty, even as the HBO show swims with the fishes.
His first name?
That's Tony.
Famous for its fact-checkers, "Sports Illustrated" somehow called him "Tommy" in its 2010 NFL training camp preview.
Honest mistake? Sure. But no national magazine would ever refer to "Bruce" Belichick.
The world just doesn't know Tony Sparano all that well, not even after he's compiled a 20-14 record, not even though he's the only Trifecta member who regularly speaks publicly, and not compared to his Jets counterpart. You know, the cursing, boasting, taunting, snacking Rex Ryan.
That was apparent again Sunday, when broadcasters on CBS — and later NFL Network — made light of Sparano wearing shades indoors in Minnesota. No, he's not trying to look cool. It's been repeatedly written, locally and even by The New York Times, that Sparano's eyes were splashed with hot grease when he was working in a Connecticut restaurant as a teenager. He lost his sight for a month and, even today, tears up easily when exposed to bright light. That's why he keeps his office fairly dark.
Since so many remain in the dark about Sparano, this crib sheet should help:
Growing up in New Haven, he not only kept his room ridiculously clean, but would organize marbles by color. He remains a habitual list-maker.
He met his wife, Jeanette, when he was 16 and she was 13. Their first date? "The Boys From Brazil" with Gregory Peck.
The Sparanos have three children but now, with their lone daughter in college, an empty nest. Jeanette's, busy, though. She recently was honored as Woman of the Year by the American Cancer Society in Fort Lauderdale.
His father's name is Tony Jr. So is one of his son's.
His father is a Navy veteran.
That son just became the assistant defensive line coach for the UFL's Hartford Colonials, coached by Chris Palmer, who gave Sparano his coaching break. Sparano couldn't attend the Colonials' opener Saturday, but did plan to monitor it on the Internet, and did give his son a pre-game pep talk. It worked as well as whatever he told the Dolphins last Sunday. Hartford won 27-10. Their quarterback? Josh McCown, who was in camp with Sparano's Dolphins in 2008. The opposing quarterback? Another former Dolphin, Daunte Culpepper.
His coaching influences, other than Bill Parcells, include Marty Schottenheimer and Tom Coughlin.
He's a rabid Mets fan. He visited their Port St. Lucie camp in 2009, and GM Omar Minaya gave him a No. 17 jersey, like the one slick-fielding first baseman Keith Hernandez wore. In high school, Sparano was a pitcher and shortstop.
He's an even bigger fan of coconut mounds ice cream, but avoids it these days, as he works on becoming smaller. He entered training camp 55 pounds lighter, and often is seen walking the stairs at the Davie facility.
His pet expressions, some borrowed from Parcells, include "can't snow the snowman" and "don't eat the cheese" and "know and know that you know," the last of which seems an appropriate thing to say to uninformed national analysts.
