Dolphins undergo a power shift in one day

The Miami Dolphins on Tuesday underwent a significant and fundamental shift in approach that should interest every fan because while team sources were saying that nothing has changed, indeed, everything has changed.

The club announced in a three-sentence e-mailed statement that Bill Parcells was no longer the football czar, but now a consultant, and that Jeff Ireland was now assuming "full control over all aspects and decisions in regard to the Miami Dolphins football team and support staff."

Before that announcement the Dolphins were, in fact, a two-headed monster.

The Dolphins were a football team located in their Davie, Florida training facility and headed by Parcells as the executive vice president for football operations. And the Dolphins also were a business and marketing operation located at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens and headed by CEO Mike Dee.

Parcells answered only to owner Stephen Ross. Dee answered only to Ross, as well.

But even as these two men rarely crossed paths, even as they served entirely different purposes for the same organization, the power, the prestige and the pull undoubtedly belonged to Parcells and the football side of the operation.

Parcells, with a resume that includes two Super Bowl rings and a history for making winners out of losers, had done precisely that in 2008 when he authored an 11-5 rebirth for Miami out of the ashes of a 1-15 season in 2007. That meant that pretty much anything Parcells wanted, Parcells got.

So even as the Dolphins football side and marketing/business side could not be more opposite in their approach, most every decision that had to be made was almost always made in favor of the football side of the operation.

And the football and business side did clash at times because they are so dissimilar.

The football side loves anonymity and a lunch-pail approach. They hire men that work behind facemasks and they enjoy the reputation of being somewhat aloof and mysterious.

The marketing side is out there and Hollywood, if you will. The marketing side ipainted the stadium in some hideous color scheme, installed an orange carpet entrance and invited celebrities to come see the product and be seen enjoying the product. The marketing side is building a nightclub at the stadium.

The marketing side also spent approximately $3 million to build a radio network and new website to promote the team and, ultimately, sell tickets and make money.

But when the marketing side wanted the football side to help promote the product, the team, the whole organization, the football side could successfully balk by using the Parcells approach as cover. Parcells didn't want his name on billboards, didn't want players shooting Christmas videos for the stadium's big screen replay board during football season, didn't want any distractions that could in any fashion detract the focus from, well, football.

And again, whatever Parcells said was law.

But Parcells has stepped aside now. He's done so willingly, by all accounts, although he has given no explanation for doing so. Parcells did not take four phone calls from The Herald on Tuesday.

But willingly or not, planned or not, Parcells has put Ireland front and center of the football operation.

And while Mike Dee was not Bill Parcells' boss he will hold sway over Jeff Ireland that he never did over Parcells. So Jeff Ireland may not be able to shield the football operation from the business and marketing arm like Parcells did -- just because-I-say-so-style.

The power has shifted from the football side of the operation to the business and marketing side of the operation now. It may not be immediately obvious to outsiders. But eventually the signs of the shift that took place Tuesday will be obvious.

To everyone.

[Broadcast note: The Parcells move and its ramifications will be the primary topic on my radio show, Armando and the Amigo, on Wednesday. We'll have receiver Brian Hartline, Bills strong safety George Wilson, and others on air to discuss what this means for Sunday's season-opener. Former QB Art Schlichter will also be on the show to discuss the Ohio State versus University of Miami tilt.] 

Comments

[bobbyd12]

my mothers onion smells like stinky fish.

[finfaned]

yeah i saw we got clifton a great pick up if he stays healthy. averages nearly 30 yds oe return.

[bobbyd12]

I dont care who you are and I am not wasting my time with a loser so have a super day
Toot Toot
PS: You get to work to, remember your taxes pay my salary, thats something that will never change. and thks for that $10,000 raise August 29th. As a government employee, I salute u in buying my Club Seats this year LMAO @ u paying me

[bobbyd12]

i do not go to games at all,but it sounds good to my make believe friends that have to read this shiet on the internet.now back to playing with my pp!

[bobbyd12]

I got it all brother, the secure Govt. job, the paid benefits, 8 weeks vacation, paid Holidays, unlimited overtime, the badge, the gun the power and daddys trust fund. In the end, I WIN!!! LMAO

[Jamillion]

WATERBOY IS BACK!!! YES!!!

Love the Top ten!

Who did we sign?

[bobbyd12]

Have fun impostering Home, everyone knows who the REAL loser is

[Crashnburn]

What does the Bush Presidency have to do with the Dolphins, DC? Seriously - leave politics out of a football discussion.

[finfaned]

we signed cliftin smith released from Tampa.

[2 watt]

has henne thrown a td yet?

[Rich Kotite]

Hi, I'm new around here and I am a good friend of Carl Petersons.Can you show me around the place.?,where's my new office?

[greg z.]

i really think we will try to resign charles grant and marques douglas after week one. after week one the fins dont have to guarantee their contracts for a full year. these guys are seasoned vets who the players look up to. the 4 lineman we signed a few days ago will then find 2 of them on the practice squad. rex will also want to sign douglas after week one.

[2 watt]

long season girls...lmao!

[BoulderFinFan]

when did parcells get his second superbowl ring? Back to journalism 101 for you. And until parcells gives up his consulting job for dolphins nothing has changed. I bet things have been going on at tdolphins like this where Irland does most everything but the decisions are run by parcells. This is the same thing. You just want to specualte. Where do these supposed journalists get their degrees at? You obviously need more schooling Mando cause you're clueless

[2 watt]

I will spend entire season blowing my boyfriend

[2 watt]

I will be sukin man meat this Sunday

[bobbyd12]

Yummy Jets man cream, my fav

[finfaned]

good point boulder i think ireland has prob been "running" things awhile now.

[Home]

Little boy HAARP cream for me

[ALoco]

BRADY WILL SIGN A NEW CONTRACT WORTH 80 MILLION FOR 4 YEARS OR 3 YEARS AT 58 MILLIONS .

80 MILLION FOR 4 YEARS NOT 600,OOO A YEAR .

[Cuban Menace]

Cuban chorrizo for me

[ALoco]

Mama Maria's meatballs, she's a TS

[Marc]

I wore my dress on Pricemasters couch

[ALoco]

FAKE ALOCO ,why did you fake me at 11.17 .i love you man .take it easy on me please .

[MojoMark]

Well one thing that Parcell's stepping down did was to get us off bitching about the recent roster moves.

[odinseye]

Hit of LSD, girls, guys I do em all

[JimmyJam]

Any man jam will do for Jimmy Jam

[NJPHINFAN]

Shitzus will do for this hunk of meat

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

parcells drafted white and turner in the 2 and 3rd rounds, hilarious. good riddance. this team is so messed up right now with all the turnover

[Tortured Dolphin]

My dicky is so small no one wants it

[2 watt]

aloco. do the math for stephen ross..
ernest wilford.eric green.justin smiley.pat white.pat turner. reggie torbor.gibril wilson. akin ayodele.donald thomas.{benched. sean smith}{benched jake grove} and the slew of recent releases. all on ireland..how much out of ross' wallet.?.. parking will go up to 100.00 bux ea. at the stadium now..lol

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

My boyfriend calls mine the innie :(

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

this should be an awful year, clean house , back the brinks truck up to cowhers house. if he says no hire harbaugh from stanford.

[2 watt]

Parking all go up to $100.00 duh uh duh ALoco am I know the biggest Asshat here???

[Waterboy]

Hey Jamillion,
Whats going on.

Fins 24 Bills 14 with a 4th qtr comeback by Captain Henne

[flipper013]

I think this is a good thing. Mike Dee is fine. Stephen Ross is no dummy so if there is a dispute he can make the logical call. As a matter of fact between Jeff Ireland, Mike Dee, and Stephen Ross, I believe in Ross the most. After all he has shown to open his checkbook to do whatever it will take to win. As a Dolfan, I really appreciate that!!!!

Now to more pressing stuff, how is Jake Long and Channing Crowder coming along?

[Waterboy]

Clammy is out. I doubt he plays before week 4
Jake long is practicing on limited basis.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

Talking about cleaning house, I need to put on my dress and clean mine because I'm the biggest crying, whiny biatch here.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

I shoulda been born a girl wahhhhhhh all day everyday

[ALoco]

2 watt, the fins started already cleaning house based on almost 50 million screw up .ireland is becoming a figure head after all deals already done plus he will not do any thing before going back to the money man CEO MIKE DEE FROM BOSTON . ireland is history and he knows it .

another issue is the signing of marshall for 50 million in a season doesn't look promising .i wonder looking back how they think of that signing ?

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

crowder can be released for all i care. long better not play and risk getting even more injured.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

Maybe after some Midol I will post something positive

[odinseye]

The Bills to announce Spiller as the starting RB for Sunday.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

Why yes I never played sports in high school and was in the band, how did you know???

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

Why yes, I was a bandmember in high school and never actually played sports. How in the World did you know????

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

I hope Long don't play all year. Hate to see the poor fellow hurt playing football, such a violent sport.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

yeah spiller and evans scare me odinseye

[2 watt]

I give knob jobs at football games.

[kris]

Bill,

What Doesn't Scare You?

Boo

[odinseye]

F-ck you guys and all the drama.

Anybody that thinks that this was the plan all along is an idiot.

I don't care if it's a Fortune 500 company, the 101st Airborne, or a Professional Football team.

The CEO or Commander in Chief doesn't "PLAN" on stepping down 5 days before the battle begins.

All I care about is the product on the field and how this affects the team psychologically. F_ck the rest of it.

I can just hear Gen. McArthur reporting back to the President.

Every thing's all set Mr. President. I have all the ships and planes I need. The troops are ready to kick some enemy a s s.
Retaking the Philippines will be a major battle Mr. President, but it's a battle we must endure.
Oh, and Mr. President, I thought you might like to know, I'm resigning effective immediately.

How anybody can put a positive spin on the top man in your organization stepping down 5 days before D-Day is absurd!

If I wasn't so offended by the ignorance here I'd be ROTFLMAO!

[kris]

Bill....

Whar Happened To You. You Used To Post Useful Football Information And Informed Opinions. Now You Ask For A New Coach Before The First Game Is Played. Its Hard To Respect That.

[ALoco]

i second every thing the god father ODIN has said .

[DC Dolfan]

Crashnburn, I'll tell you what it has to do with it, it's called a simile moron. See, when you make a comparison between two things using "like" or "as", that's a simile. If you passed elementary school you would have known that, obviously you didn't.

Tell you what, you don't tell me what to write and I won't tell you how much of an idiot you are, fair?

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

agree odinseye, kris anyone with speed against this garbage defense scares me

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

kris i didnt ask for a new coach before season, i said after

[odinseye]

DC,

Your posts are always informative and your opinions generally well thought out.

You're to good of a poster to be arguing with idiots.

PS: I thought your earlier reference to the Bush administration was excellent, even humorous in a pathetically ironic way.

PSS: I can't wait until we Kill the Bills and put all this BS behind us.

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

odinseye i do think we beat the bills, but barely

[bill_cnnrs@yahoo.com]

I'm scared of everything, spiders, snakes, girls, I'm just a miserable scared old man

[William Hozie]

Got to hand it to you Armando, every once in a while you have some good insight into the orginazation. Nice thought provoking piece.

[bootang25]

Odinseye,

I think it is important to remember that the talent evaluation portion of our season is mostly complete. Free agency and the draft is not the only part of the evaluation process, getting the roster down to 53 from 80 and evaluating players in the preseason games is critical as well. Seeing who becomes available after cuts can provide an acorn as well. This is my best guess as to why the move was made now. Our scouts are now getting ready to head out for the long grind that is evaluating talent for next year. Think of it as a new year beginning.