Finsmob Unleashed

Chris Grier is gone, and I rejoice because this move brings hope that this franchise can turn things around, build a strong team, and become a perennial contender. Chris Grier by all accounts is a very pleasant fellow, but in big business, and the NFL is BIG BUSINESS, you have to succeed when you’re at the top, and Chris Grier failed to do that. I’m not going to spend time discussing any of his failures, I’ve done that plenty, but now it’s a good time to look to the future.

As many of you know, I made a statement, and ultimatum of sorts. I said that if GM Chris Grier was still here next season, that I would not continue to support this team, that I COULD NOT, and I meant it. I actually felt some sad pangs of nostalgia, because I’ve been with you guys and gals for somewhere around 12 or so years, give or take a year or two, and I was thinking to myself could I really just cut off ties with all of you here? I wasn’t actually sure if I could follow through on my statement, but now I’m glad that I don’t have to. Phew!

Now that the big domino has fallen, the Dolphins need to trade some players and get some draft compensation to help build this team better. Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Rasul Douglas, Jack Jones, trade ’em all and start this all over and build it the right way! Hope springs eternal as we can now look forward to bringing in a GM who has patience and discipline and lets the draft come to him, rather than reaching for certain players he likes and constantly overspending draft capital by trading up. You know who those players are and just how many times it’s happened. Inexcusable.

It hasn’t been easy being a Dolphins fan the last 25 years. We lived through the Patriots Dynasty with Brady and Belichick from 2001-2019. The Bills drafted Josh Allen in 2018, and the returns were pretty quick. The Bills have taken over nicely for the Patriots, becoming the Beast of the East since 2019. Yes, we had a glimmer, or as I would call it a “Mirage” in 2023, but the Bills in the end blew away the mirage and extinguished the silly thought that we were actually contenders. The Bills are stumbling just a bit, and now we have the Patriots who just walked right on past us, leaped past us actually, and are in 1st place after 8 games at 6-2.

The Miami Dolphins and NY Jets continue the cycle of hiring and firing new regimes, but that’s what losing brings. Chris Grier was given a wide berth and plenty of leeway, plenty of time, and plenty of money and cooperation from the Team Owner Stephen Ross. Chris Grier was GM for most of 10 years and finished with a 77-80 record. So while the Patriots had a two decade run at the top, and now the Bills and Patriots are fighting out, the Dolphins and Jets have languished at the bottom fighting for the basement spot in the AFC East for over 20 years. I’m not even sure why Dolphins and Jets fans hate each other, we should empathize with them as we have been in the same boat, a boat with holes in it that forever continues it’s descent to the murky ocean floor.

I have to tell you how excited I am to see who we trade and what compensation we get. I am once again excited about next year’s draft, even though I know not who will be pulling the strings and making the selections, but I will sleep well tonight knowing who isn’t. It truly is a time to rejoice, this team is staler than bread you accidentally left in the pantry since 2008. I know Mike McDaniel will remain with the team until season’s end, and really, it doesn’t matter. He was in over his head as the Head Coach, many good coordinators are, and Mike McDaniel was never even an Offensive Coordinator, he was just a run game coordinator, far different than calling all the plays. Even more different than leading men and shaping them for battle in the trenches.

I’m excited to see who we hire as Head Coach. Do we continue the trend of hiring a first time NFL Head Coach or do we go to the recycling bin and find someone who was already an NFL Head Coach? I know we need a strong personality, someone who instantly commands respect, and preferably, someone who was successful and has a strong resume in either the college ranks, has NFL experience, or was successful former Head Coach (Not named Bill Belichick). Jon Gruden is a name that has bandied about and I know this guy knows his football, and is a very energetic person with tons of grit, tons of personality, and has won a Super Bowl as a HC. I think much like the LA Chargers hiring Jim Harbaugh, Gruden could similar things for the Dolphins. I’m not stuck on Gruden, but I wouldn’t hate it.

GO DOLPHINS!!! Thank you for doing what needed to be done!