At Last There Is Nothing Left To Say
By author
My Idol Matthew Good, a Canadian artist, musician, human rights activist and realist titled his first book At Last There Is Nothing Left To Say. After years in a highly prolific and successful band, he decided to go solo. He felt what had worked for so many years, wasn’t working for him anymore or the changing music industry. His band was capping his artistic depths. Released more than 10 years ago, the book was a re-start for Good. The title hadn’t crossed my mind till the Thursday night Miami Dolphins season collapse against the Chicago Bears. The title started to speak metaphorically for the Dolphins history. After off-seasons of high optimism into seasons of complete hopelessness, frustration and anger, I didn’t feel like there was anything left to be said. It had all been said already and was falling on deaf ears.
Remember in the off-season when Stephen Ross claimed the Dolphins were Super Bowl bound this year? That was before Bill Parcells cowardly ditched the organization, leaving them high and dry literally, while he collects a generous “severance” for the 2011-2012 and the 2012-2013 seasons without doing a single, flaccid thing. Super Bowl bound? That was before half-a-season worth of appalling, bi-polar play calling from the just-as-awful offensive coordinator Dan Henning, which was put into action spinelessly through head coach Tony Sparano. Starting quarterback Chad Henne, in what is only his first full year of starting at QB, would become the scapegoat to Henning’s inability to figure out other NFL teams defenses. At this point, I’m convinced he’s a spy for the enemies.
One last ditch effort to start Chad Pennington over Henne ironically imploded in the face of Sparano, but mostly in Henning’s. Even the worst of coaches can compete against a mediocre team like the Bears with a third-string back up who actually has comparable numbers to their starting QB. Tyler Thigpen is certainly not a starter in the NFL and everyone but Henning was aware of that after Miami’s first series against the Bears. He opted to run the ball only 7 times the entire game, instead having Thigpen pass the ball 29 times seemed to be a much better option. Henning apparently doesn’t believe in balance. Jim Rome on his daily TV show, Rome Is Burning on ESPN yesterday, pointed out Henning’s failed play-calling in his opening segment. It’s about time Henning took some recognized heat out in the open.
What ever happened to guts, man? It doesn’t exist on this team or anywhere within the organization. “Walking the plank,” “man overboard” and every other god damn nautical theme for “it’s over” can apply here. There is no one assuming responsibility, but importantly no one assuming the benefit of the whole over the self. To keep the metaphor going, no one is ‘”manning the helm” of this Miami sinking ship.
I’m angry and I don’t know many Miami fans that aren’t. I’m a domestically abused partner who doesn’t know how to walk away from something for memory of the good days. Half way through the 2010-2011 season, my cup is much more than half-empty and it’s drying up quickly. At last there is nothing left to say.