Sports Agenda For Monday (10/3/11)

Big Story:
Yknow what, this is going to be all Dolphins today because…wow….I've been searching for a way to describe what has happened to the team and I'm honestly stumped on the right word.
So, here we go.

On Sunday, the Dolphins played on the West Coast against the Chargers. The Chargers were without two of their top offensive weapons and two starting defensive linemen.
It had all the makings of a game the Dolphins could finally get into the win column.
There's just one problem, the Dolphins actually had to play the game yesterday.
When they took the field, they looked defeated before they ever lost quarterback Chad Henne.
Matt Moore was decent and would have been great if Brandon Marshall could actually catch the football. He said he lost it in the sun, blinding I'm sure, because it's not like he gets any practice catching balls in the sun in SOUTH FLORIDA?!?!?
On top of that, the defense was cut apart by Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers yesterday.
Obviously, the Fins need a game plan going forward so I'm going to put on my owners hat and tell you what I would do in a step-by-step process.

First, I would reaffirm my support for Sparano through the end of the season, ending any controversy from here on out and let him do his best to get the team out of the current funk.
Next, I would immediately cut ticket prices by at least 25 percent in the lower bowl and 50 percent in the upper bowl.
From there, I would loosen some local media restrictions to get the local media back on my side as the season wore on.

Assuming the team doesn't finish well, this would be my plan as the offseason started.

First, I would call in general manager Jeff Ireland, thank him for his service and tell him his employment with the Dolphins was over.
Next, I would bring in Coach Sparano and the entire coaching staff and give them the same message.
I would also fire the entire scouting department.

After that was completed, I would begin a coaching search.
At the top of my list would be Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy.
Dungy would be a stretch and probably wouldn't come back.
If Cowher wanted total control, I would mostly agree and say it would be a partnership.

Priority number one would be to put a general manager and scouting department in place quickly.
The next matter of business would be determining if we want to give Paul Soliai a big contract or take our chances with another nose tackle.
Given Cowher's propensity for running a 3-4 defense, the front seven should be in pretty good shape.
So, the position of greatest need will be quarterback, running back, and offensive line.

I would then put my scouting department to work to see if Andrew Luck is the real deal and worth the number one overall pick.
If it's determined he is, I would give up a first round pick, a first round next year, and a second roun the year after that to reach up and get him.
With a quarterback in tow, you could then focus on offensive line, running back, and secondary.

The first year would likely be a rebuilding year as the team grooms Luck.
He may be ready to start right away, and if he is great. But if he's not, then having a good veteran backup is key.

As the season was getting ready to start, I would keep the ticket prices low to generate fan interest.
Once the season go going and we started winning, I would look into raising prices the next season.
I would also de-emphasize the celebrity element at the stadium.
This would include doing away with the "orange carpet" and starting to transition club liv into something for all the fans at a discounted price.

It's not hard to fix the franchise, it really isn't.

The biggest problem is fans who have a sense of entitlement.
I have a newsflash for Dolphins fans…your team hasn't been relevant since the 1990's.
When the league moved to a more pass-oriented system, the Fins stuck to the old playbook.
Fans continued to talk about the glory days of the 1970's and cling to the past glory.
All the while, the NFL kept going and left the Dolphins in the dust.

Now, after years of mediocrity, fans are trying to figure out what's wrong.
Part of the problem is the fans who still expect the team to trot out the undefeated team from the 1970's and win it all.
See, the Dolphins and many of their fans are stuck in the 1970's and 80's as is the team's offense.

There's been a lot of problems with the Fins and they've been building for years.
It's going to take a lot of work to put this team back together.
But it can be done…the only question is will a desperate fan base be ready to undergo yet another rebuilding phase with a promise of hope in the future?

Finally, a note about Bill Parcells.
He too was relevant…in the 1980's and 1990's.
After he left the Giants he arrived with much fanfare to several teams.
His scheme was figured out quickly by defensive coordinators and the game passed him by.
He was a big name and a waste for the Dolphins.