The Dolphins have a coach under contract at this hour. But they don't necessarily have a coach.
The negotiations I wrote about in the previous entry on this blog were apparently going fairly well around 3:30 this afternoon when the Dolphins decided to call a media roundtable for 4:45 p.m. to discuss the events of the past week and put a smile on all that has made you frown.
But ...
... at around 4:15ish those talks became a little heated, I'm told. They went astray, I'm told in that you had two sides pulling in different directions. They hit a significant snag in that the sides definitely were not agreeing on a final outcome. And so at that time, the hammer was dropped and coach Tony Sparano or his representative let it be known he wasn't comfortable returning to the Dolphins in 2011.
That serious.
And so, as I said earlier, the Dolphins still had a coach under contract because Sparano is tied to the team for 2011. But they didn't have a coach to put in front of the media with owner Stephen Ross and perhaps general manager Jeff Ireland.
That happy family portrait the Dolphins wanted and intended to put on display was not ready for public viewing.
So the Dolphins called off the round table indefinitely. A spokesman said it could be reconvened in five minutes or five days.
[UPDATE: Dolphins have just rescheduled the roundtable for noon Saturday. This suggests the hurdle the negotiations hit earlier has been overcome, or perhaps overcome to the point sides are very confident they will be resolved by noon Saturday.]
That's all I know.
I do not know the particular topic that caused the gap that kept the sides from having an agreement. I do not know if it was just legalese in a contract that eventually will be overcome by the legal experts -- I'm not betting on that one.
I am told, however, that the sides hope to get this resolved at some point.
So a state of uncertainty exists.
And you thought you'd seen uncertainty with the Miami offense? Ha.
Try getting ONE thing right, till then talk to urself
Posted by: bobbyd12 | January 07, 2011 at 08:04 PM
Dang, I think I might have one of Sparanos pubic hairs caught in my teeth.
Posted by: bobbyd12 | January 07, 2011 at 08:04 PM
ross is a total jerk...let's face it, that was a total jerk thing to do
Posted by: jeff | January 07, 2011 at 08:06 PM
i have one thing right, you talk alot, like you are a bad ass, but you are really a p$ssy!
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:06 PM
Even the Raiders went to the SB within the last ten years! At least Al Davis keeps trying to find the right coach and players! I guarantee the Raiders will win a SB before the Phins do!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:08 PM
yep booby dbag 12 your always right just like with marshall and dansby right fool
Posted by: lc | January 07, 2011 at 08:08 PM
Easy solution -- Nolan
Posted by: student1776 | January 07, 2011 at 08:09 PM
bobby 12 dag man try gettin with a woman once in a while dude you are way too hostile over this nonsense
Posted by: clubber | January 07, 2011 at 08:09 PM
The Word Now Is Harbaugh Was Never Offered The Position At Miami....wtf
Posted by: h8dpats | January 07, 2011 at 08:10 PM
I am willing to bet my house 401k that the Bills will go to the playoffs before the dolphins do!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:11 PM
bobbyd12 is the worlds greatest dolphins fan, or so he thinks!
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:12 PM
WHAT A JOKE THIS TEAM HAS BECOME,I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ANOTHER SUPERBOWL WIN SINCE I WAS 10 . THE WHOLE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT US , THIS IS SO SAD ROSS IS OVER HIS HEAD AND HAS NO CLUE HOW TO RUN THIS TEAM . JUST SIGN COWHER AND GIVE HIM TOTAL POWER AND GET RID OF IRELAND CAUSE HE'S OVER RATED .
Posted by: MadPhinFan | January 07, 2011 at 08:12 PM
most gullable perhaps lol
Posted by: Joe Schmoe | January 07, 2011 at 08:14 PM
bobbyd12 you want to keep sparano and henne? wow you need some serious football education my man
Posted by: clubber | January 07, 2011 at 08:14 PM
he had every chance to do that, ross gets the number 1 C'MON MAN OF THE YEAR ALREADY!
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:14 PM
Pat Riley for Dolphins Pres
Posted by: killerdolphin | January 07, 2011 at 08:14 PM
He'll get us a good team
Posted by: killerdolphin | January 07, 2011 at 08:15 PM
St. Anthony 5:2
Posted by: Xerxes Black | January 07, 2011 at 08:15 PM
I'm going to love rubbing this in your faces. Detroit south. Good luck finding anyone that wants to work for your owner. Can't wait to make the trip south for an easy win and easy ticket next year.
Posted by: TorturedDolphan | January 07, 2011 at 08:16 PM
Bwaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha
Posted by: TorturedDolphan | January 07, 2011 at 08:17 PM
I do not get all the Ross hatred going on here.
Ross owns the team. Sparano created a crap product. The Sparano style is not only conservative and predictable, it is boring to watch.
The proof is in the stands on Sundays.
So Ross tries to land a better coach and you all bag on him for it. Why?
Sparano is under contract, getting paid 3 million dollars! and you all want to cry for him?
If you totally F up your job do you expect your boss is not going to look for someone better?
I say F Sparano. That clown ought to have been fired last year for his total incompetence.
This franchise is going NO where with Sparano at the helm.
Posted by: Oregon Dolphin fan | January 07, 2011 at 08:18 PM
Rewarding a bad coach in Suprano with back to back 7-9 and 7-9 seasons and worse home record in history.
The team has never kept a coach with back to back loosing seasons before. Supringo can now have the distinction of having three losing seasons in a row after 2011.... my guess is 6-10 as th defense will keep them in a few games.
FIRE Supringo and Ireland - please bring in a REAL coach and GM
Posted by: The poor fans | January 07, 2011 at 08:18 PM
i live in miami so im the greatest fin fan ever nobody knows anything about the dolphins but me, the dolphin orginization especially the fist pumper can feed me dogshit through a straw and i will gladly swallow every drop now f u everyone i love mediocrity
Posted by: bobbydbag12 | January 07, 2011 at 08:18 PM
exactly, why would anyone want to coach or play for these people?
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:18 PM
we are stuck with another year of garbage.
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:20 PM
Forgive the rants. I'm a frustrated homosexual.
Posted by: TorturedDolphan | January 07, 2011 at 08:22 PM
I think we should have sign Randy Shannon LMAO that's what Ross deserves all the bad coaches in the NFL and CFL NCAA FU C MARTINI AND ROSI!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:24 PM
Wow fellas,
I am sitting back in ice covered NJ watching the Cotton bowl here while the wife and sister make floral arrangments lol.
What is going on. This is just crazy. Just when I think hey whatever Sparano is our guy let's fist pump another season things get ugly again! Wow man this is what I said it was in an earlier blog, irreversable!
Ross, debacled this mess so much Miami has to make a change just for the sake of change at this point.
It's not even ugly any more it's hideous.
Posted by: Andy NJ | January 07, 2011 at 08:24 PM
At this point please just promote Mike Nolan and move on.
Posted by: Andy NJ | January 07, 2011 at 08:25 PM
welcome to the Secret GM Peterson show. and you wonder why Tuna left? puh-lease!
Posted by: fins4ever | January 07, 2011 at 08:26 PM
I think AL DAVIS HAS MORE SENSE THAT MARTINI AND ROSI WHAT A F U CIN LOSER!!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Does anyone have a billion or so dollars I can borrow to buy the Phins off this jackwagon?
Posted by: kingsmith | January 07, 2011 at 08:26 PM
ross is not a fool for trying to get a better coach hes a fool for even thinking of bringing the fist pumping bonehead back, heres to hoping wiser heads prevail and we have a new leader come september
Posted by: sono | January 07, 2011 at 08:26 PM
I never wanted to get rid of Sparano, but if I were him I would tell Ross to shove this contract where the sun doesn't shine. I applaud Coach Sparano for his quiet professionalism during this week. The same can't be said about Ross. Forget Sparano and Ireland, let's get a new owner! One who knows how to run a football team.
Posted by: Rick S | January 07, 2011 at 08:30 PM
Hopefully Sparano will grow a pair and quit!!! thats our only hope. Then Ross will be forced to give in to chower and we might win some GAMES.
Posted by: BAM | January 07, 2011 at 08:31 PM
if people even show up for the games next season there will be alot of brown paper bags over people's heads.
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:31 PM
is next year a lame duck season? seriously, is it a waste? does anybody believe Tony will last after next season? and then what?
Posted by: fins4ever | January 07, 2011 at 08:32 PM
I feel bad for all my dolpfin family but Ross deserves Peterson Ireland Sparano Henning Henne LMAFO!! what a Jerky potato head look a like rich fool, BUT I WISH I HAD HIS MONEY!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:33 PM
I have never been so embarrassed to be a Dolphins fan. The worst part about it is the ownership and GM probably don't care about us fans.
Posted by: brett144 | January 07, 2011 at 08:33 PM
do you think if sparano thought he could get another hc gig or any coaching position somewhere else he would tell ross to shove it?
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:34 PM
lets all cut the BS sparano is one of the worst in game coaches ever he doesnt know when to use timeouts he doesnt know how to make adjustments hes pretty much lost on gameday lets all just look at this team down the stretch the last couple years i mean really sparano should not be a head coach in any league much less the NFL get over it already he sucks
Posted by: sono | January 07, 2011 at 08:35 PM
To me this situation is totally unpredictable with Ross. Because the meeting has been rescheduled I think Ross could be mulling over who else he can hire. With a front office in so much chaos how could this keep going on
Posted by: Andy NJ | January 07, 2011 at 08:36 PM
Bragging rights abour right & wrong on a blog of opinions Bobby? That's pretty sad. Why don't you go on the record & tell all of us which of these statements you disagree with on Ireland & Sparano:
Offense in '08 was average, '09 below average, 2010 worst in the nfl(pending transplant job).
Defense average in '08, terrible in '09, average 2010(after a total transplant job)
Special teams - ok in '08, below in '09, worst in the nfl 2010(total transplant necessary)
Henning recently admitted that in 2008 they all knew they needed speed. They brought on Pat Turner, E. Wilford & B. Marshall, all slow WR's
The coaching staff & roster gets chruned every season as they continue to try to get things right yet the people responsible keep their jobs
Sparano, former o-line coach with his hands all over this position, had an average oline in 10, above average in 09, destroyed it to the bottom of the NFl in 2010(transplant job coming) changed every year.
Trading Marshall was a clear indicator they thought the offense was fine. No foresight or vision as to how bad it was. Why trade picks to fine tune something that needed to be impoded, right?
So, we'd all love to hear how much smarter & right you are on the issues. cause to the majority of people, you come off as illogical, irrational & downright open to the idea that the phins top brass has been pretty bad.
FYI, being right about Sparano staying is nothing write home about. If Ross wasn't so damn inept, Sparano would be gone. 3 coaches turned him down. Sparano staying is an indictment on Ross inability more than a vote of confidence for Sparano. Stop bragging.
I don't expect to hear anything but nonsensical defenses of these people. So, enjoy living in your bubble of optimism and fantasy.
Posted by: Joe Schmoe | January 07, 2011 at 08:38 PM
i love what ross is doing i never liked any of the parcells people coming here they all acted so smug and secretive screw all of them
Posted by: sono | January 07, 2011 at 08:39 PM
cam newton 4.52 40 yard dash. LT'S 40 yard dash is 4.46. newton is 6'6 250. if the dolphins want to save face get him.
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:40 PM
Does anyone else get the feeling that tomorrow Miami may feel the situation is not resolvable and move in YET another direction?
Posted by: Andy NJ | January 07, 2011 at 08:40 PM
You know Phin fans I think ROSS is a Jets fan I think he bought the team just to give the jets a chance for a SB but he forgot to buy the Patriots! He owns half of manhattan I think you guys are right Ross is a Jet fan!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:40 PM
I want to thank Tony Sparano, Jeff Ireland, Chad Henne (I actually wanted him to succeed), Offensive coordinator Henning and Mr. Ross for giving me back my Sundays. Once upon a time I was a slave to the Fins during football season, giving up just about anything and everything to go to a game or catch it on TV. Now, thanks to these geniuses I have my Sundays back. On a good day I will record and watch, more often than not I just look for the final score. How disappointing is it that the Patriots with nothing to play for beat the pants off this team? And to add salt to the wound, the J-E-T-S are going to the playoffs, God I hope they lose Saturday!
See you in a few years when the above cast is replaced by football minds and a real QB if I am still alive.
Posted by: miamifan1 | January 07, 2011 at 08:42 PM
coach sparano ON THE MESS.............
(( EVERY ONE SHOULD SAVE THEIR SYMPATHY FOR OUR TEAM THE MIAMI DOLPHINS ,I AM A GROWN UP AND I AM FINE ))
VIVA SPARANO
Posted by: ALoco | January 07, 2011 at 08:42 PM
why not continue the cat and mose game till they get it right.
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:43 PM
Assuming Sparano and Ireland stay, Sparano will want the final say on picking coaches and players.
Posted by: Swamy | January 07, 2011 at 08:43 PM
come on joe we all know bobbydbag12 is always right and everyone who has a different opinion than him is a moron hahaha
Posted by: lc | January 07, 2011 at 08:44 PM
Andy, Ross doesn't have a high football IQ of course he is going to sign him, he just was Fu cin with us dude!! He is a jet fan!! ARE YOU!! You from NJ LOL!!
Posted by: ray | January 07, 2011 at 08:45 PM
mouse.
Posted by: dolphin 77 | January 07, 2011 at 08:45 PM
Sparano wants Henning to stay. Ireland doesn't. Ross wants Mangivitis.
Posted by: 5 - 11 in 2011 | January 07, 2011 at 08:46 PM
I agree with Joe. Bp screwed this team like all the other ones he's controlled except for the pats cause craft wouldn't let him pick players. Wow look at them now. Ireland sucks! Bp bailed cause he was in over his head with this garbage! Cut ties with all these people start anew gm coach and staff! Save face!
Posted by: sam1971 | January 07, 2011 at 08:47 PM
Parcells should give back every penny he took (stole) from this team! He never faced the media, never faced the music, and hid behind his reputation. Then he got out of Dodge before it all hit the fan at the end of the season. I hope he never gets a football (or broadcasting) job again!
Posted by: miamifan1 | January 07, 2011 at 08:48 PM
MR.ROSS IS A JERK PUTTING EGO IN FRONT OF DOLFANS !
Posted by: ARPAS | January 07, 2011 at 08:48 PM
News conference tomorrow will also invlove the changing of the Dolphins name. With the acquisitons of Mcquistan, Berger, Procter, Polite, Fasano, & Deon Anderson the Dolphins will now be called the Miami Cowboys
Posted by: Joe Schmoe | January 07, 2011 at 08:48 PM
the thing i just cant get over about sparano is no matter whos fault all this is that man is just way too happy over field goals i just never seen anything like it every other team i watch the coach is kinda mad settling for field goals this guy goes wild for 3 i just dont get it
Posted by: lc | January 07, 2011 at 08:50 PM