Co-ordinator Job To Get Defensive

Al Groh is the popular name attatched the vacant defensive co-ordinator position when you hear mainstream media talk.  Especially from the locals.  Romeo Crennel who many thought would land in Miami is off the books after accepting a job to join the Kansas City Patriots in Missouri.  (Pioli, Crennel, Weisz, and Todd Haley).

Take Mike Zimmer the man who has sat in that position in Cincy for a few years, out of the mix as well, and suddenly the DC spot is rather…defensive.

Now, a new name is in the mix.  Keith Butler.  Butler has been the LB coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 7 years and let’s face it, the Steelers have one helluva LB corp and frankly, the Dolphins do not.  But is ready for the big gig?

Tony Sparano has coached with Butler in the past when they both were in Cleveland back in 2000.  Recently, as in the last 2 years, Arizona Cardinal HC Ken Wisenhutt has tried to lure the ex-NFL’er to the desert.  So while he may not have the song and dance of say an “Al Groh” he apparently has some coaches thinking he is ready.

For my 2 cents, I think it’s time for the Dolphins to get younger in the coaching ranks.  Groh is pushing 70 and Henning isn’t any younger and the Phins are not exactly stacked with the up and coming styles of a Jason Garrett or any other youngster who is showing the moxy to take over the next level.

Does it make more sense to bring in another aging friend of Bill Parcells or a younger version of a coach who is still formulating his career rather than working towards an end to it?

I say that the Phins should give Butler the offer.  He may not have the credentials in his pocket as having served in that capacity before but 7 years in Pittsburgh is good enough.  Our LB’s sure as hell will not be what they are today.  They will actually be made into impact players who attack rather than protect.

The list of candidates is weak these days and unless the Phins find someone under a rock which is unlikely they will have to use more retreads and frankly, that just won’t cut it anymore.  In the end, the Phins will sign Al Groh, it makes the most sense and Bill Parcells sticks with what he knows.  But it’s Butler who may have more upside.

A DC who may aspire to be an HC or a DC who aspires to play more golf?

IF you haven’t read it yet, and you may or may not have, the Sun-Sentinels’ Mike Berardino took a shot at the blog world today, specifically my friend Chris Shashanty and Phins.com after an article by Dave Hyde in yesterdays Sun-Sentinel quoted Shashanty regarding comments made by Jeff Ireland in an interview with Chris about Ted Ginn.

What’s funny is this.  Berardino is wearing some serious ego-egg today after his rant about “real journalism” and how he has been on some 4 week or so waiting list to interview Ireland.  He really makes a fool of himself as he talks of “me” and “mainstream media” and whatever else.  The problem is this.  Chris didn’t interview Jeff Ireland.  In fact, he didn’t sit across the table from him.  When it all comes down to it, I was closer to Jeff Ireland than Chris was considering when the question was asked, Chris and Curt Fennel were sitting two rows behind me in the Dolphins team meeting room.

See, while Dave Hyde simply made the mistake in assuming that Chris’ article was from a recent interview, Berardino took exception to the entire piece.  So much as to say that a “real journalist” would have had a follow up question.

So the real deal is this.  Like Mike, I was a bit jealous myself when I read Chris’ name on the good ole SS yesterday.  My first thought was, “how the hell did he get so lucky for a sit down with the GM“.  Then I read the question and the answer and realized that it was from the Dolphins Web Weekend event.  I then remembered the question.  Chris asked a couple of others as well. 

My own contribution was in regards to the lack of CBA and the impending Free Agent period.  Jeff answered more pointedly towards the situation with Ronnie Brown.  Saying that “no CBA and Ronnie is a Phin.  If there is a CBA, well, he will be a UFA and the team would go from there”…in a nutshell.

Chris is a good “web reporter” and I would put him next to most of the “mainstream” guys in a minute.  I’m really surprised that Berardino would have taken such a road in his objection.  His only update to his article was that he had called Dolphins PR guy Harvey Greene and was told that it wasn’t recent and that it was from the WW event last February.  He left it at that and then continued his rant.  He actually called Harvey Greene to complain…BRILLIANT!

The funny thing is, blogs, and websites are becoming more and more mainstream that say newspaper journalists.  We are a lot cheaper to maintain and our network of bloggers work hand in hand to not only bring breaking news but also confirm it as well.  A lot of discussion goes into breaking news before anyone normally posts it up on their respective sites.  That is the new wave of journalism.

Fans alike are finding that when they click on their computers, they gravitate to a blog or a forum before heading over to a local online paper.  It’s not a knock on them but like everything else, there are a lot more “bloggers” these days covering the same topics.

As for the Sun-Sentinel, I don’t personally know Berardino and have never spoken with him.  I have however spoken several times with Omar Kelly, Dave Hyde, and Harvey Fialkov.  All 3 of which have been guests on my internet radio show.  All 3 class acts and in my opinion the trio form the best single group of writers covering the Miami Dolphins.  In my opinion.  So I won’t hold this over the Sentinel’s head but Berardino may find that working with say, Armando Salguero may get him a little more sympathy…as he hates us as well.