Wayne may be Wrong…But he Does Care

The Miami Dolphins will square off with the Houston Texans later this afternoon.  The team is 0-4.  No not the Texans, the Dolphins.  The failure of the Dolphins to field a competitive team on either side of the ball, and the fact that this is becoming a new tradition…losing…many are placing the blame on the owner, Wayne Huizenga.  Rightly so.  Still, many others say that Wayne does not care, Wayne does care. 

Ultimately, Wayne is responsible for the final product on the field.  It is his responsibility to make solid business decisions that translates to winning.  Wayne has not done that.  The Dolphins have not done that.  The coaches that he has hired to run and manage this team have not done that.

I am not going to stick up for Wayne here.  A quick reminder of the decisions that he has made leading this team to where it is at is only fair.  The hiring of Jimmy Johnson was a mistake, Wayne ran out and grabbed the most sought after head coach not employed, it was the way he handled Don Shula that had people upset.  He made a mistake.  Don Shula sits on the Board of Directors, he stays involved with the team, but the way he left was a mistake.

The fact that Dave Wannstedt stayed in Miami for as long as he did was another mistake.  Wayne obviously was listening to a bird on his shoulder with the initials JJ.  Yet another mistake.  Or was it the same mistake made twice?

When Dave finally left the Dolphins, and there is still a lot of speculation that he did not resign but was shown the door and given that opportunity to save face, Wayne went out and grabbed, once again, the most sought after head coach, not employed by an NFL team.  Nick Saban.

Waynes’ mistake in bringing Saban to Miami was not the hiring of Saban, it was the fact that Wayne believed money and control was worth more to Nick than his desire to not coach in the NFL.  Two years later and Nick was gone, Wayne was left holding an empty bank account and yet more egg on his face.

For the first time in the franchises history, the Miami Dolphins began the 2007/08 season in a coaching search.  A real coaching search.  Interviews, interviews, more interviews.  Finally, unlike in years past, a coach was hired after 10 others were interviewed for the job.  No other coach in Dolphins history had to fight for the Miami Dolphins HC job.

Is that a good thing?  Too early to tell, and why the fans and media alike swarm upon Cam Cameron to find out what is wrong with this team.  Cameron took over a team that was far from being a playoff contender.  A head coach at any level must at least have the right to mold the team in his image before being marked as a failure, unless the team he is taking over is a defending Super Bowl champion…right Mr. Switzer?

To say that Wayne does not care is beyond ridiculous though.  Last weekend, I sat in the Dolphins training facility auditorium with members from about 15 other Miami Dolphins web sites.  I listened as President Bryan Weidmeier and CEO of Dolphins Enterprises, Joe Bailey.  They spoke about the franchise, the direction of the team and so on.  Yet it was when head coach Cam Cameron appeared at the front of the room that I realized someone else had entered as well.

Seated in the back row, was a suited Wayne Huizenga.  Yes, the owner of the Miami Dolphins took time out of his life, his schedule, to come to an event the Dolphins were hosting for a bunch of Web guys who at every turn have taken the opportunity to drag him through the mud.  Wayne Huizenga did not speak to the group, and I am sure that the professionalism of 98.9 percent of those in attendance would have shown him the respect his position warrants, the fact that he showed up at all is an indicator that this owner cares.  Do you think that Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder would have done that?  Oh wait, no other team in the NFL does what the Dolphins do in terms of reaching out to the Websites of their team.

Wayne listened to Cameron speak, then he listened to Cameron field questions, and Wayne laughed when Cameron was asked if he would be leaving to take the job in Alabama.  Wayne stayed.  Cameron spoke for over 30 minutes, questions included, and Wayne stayed for about another 30 minutes or so shaking hands and taking pictures with some of us wanted them.

It did not end there.  My contact with Wayne was a handshake on Saturday evening, a quick photo, and then back to my seat.  On Sunday, Wayne apparently had yet to have enough.

Wayne crossed the field in his blue suit and shook hands with GM Randy Mueller as he stood on the sidelines.  He did not stop to chat, instead he made a B-line for the contingent of web guys standing in the field seats provided us.  Half way to where we were, Wayne put his hands up and bent over in the “I’m not worthy” gesture.  That’s right, the owner of the Miami Dolphins.

He walked up and shook a few hands to my left and made his way down the line, then he stopped, in front of me, pointed, and said, “I remember you from last night.  Are you enjoying the weekend?”  I smiled, politely said…”Sir, This is by far one of the most memorable weekends of my life.  I can not thank you or the staff of the Dolphins enough for this opportunity.”  “Well, let’s hope that we can get a win and cap it off.” He said with a smile stretching across his face.  He shook my hand again and patted my shoulder and told me thank you for my support and headed down the line.  Hardly the antics of an owner who doesn’t care.

Some will say that this only shows that Wayne was trying to save face, to put on a show, to get people off his back and by rubbing elbows with us little guys from the internet, then he might be afforded a reprieve.  O.k. sure.

The fact is that, in the 3 years prior to this year, Wayne Huizenga has not made an appearence, on the day of the dinner/awards banquet, a staff member approached Scott Stone and informed that Wayne was planning to stop by, not speak, but attend a portion of the evening.  It was a surprise to him as well.

The actions of an owner in regards to his team are questioned to every degree when the team fails, wins, and at times cheats, right Bob?  Their decisions are scrutinized, their words twisted in the media, and they are hung out to dry with every little mistake and hung with every big one.  And as the owners it comes with the territory.  To say that an owner, specifically Wayne Huizenga, that not only is not the case, but is extremely far from the truth.  You can believe what you want.  To me, any owner that take the time to hear the questions to his coach from average fans…well, that tells me that he cares.  No one will be able to convince me otherwise.