Fisher Decision Will Come When Deal Is Done

The Miami Dolphins are still waiting. The Rams are still waiting. Fans on both sides are still waiting. The press is getting bored. Reports yesterday were that Jeff Fisher would make his decision on where he would coach in 2012. Last week that decision was to come by the weekend. Now, here we are on Thursday…still waiting.

The reality of this situation is completely transparent and yet no one in the media can see it. It’s quite simple. Jeff Fisher hasn’t told the media what he wants to do even while talking with Stan Kroenke of the Rams and Stephen Ross of the Dolphins. He will announce his decision when a contract is completed. There, it’s that simple.

Forget about “my one source” or “several NFL sources” stating that Fisher is leaning this way or that way. No, sorry but that neighbor of Fisher who called you to tell you he was leaning towards the Rams or that gardner who said he knows a friend who has this friend who knows this guy told me that Ferris is really ill….BUEHLER? BUEHLER? BUEHLER?

This is the NFL and while leaks happen all the time, there are only a few on either side who truly know what is going on. Jeff Fisher’s MO does not equate to playing games of disrespect in the NFL. Never has even when saddled with Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams. Fisher is bigger than that.

It’s hard to write sports journalism when you have a deadline. Harder when your job is to provide the fanbase with the information they desire. When that information fails to surface or the sources can’t provide real difinitive information…you are left with writing about how bad the Dolphins owner will look if Fisher goes elsewhere. You have to write about how Fisher is playing a game and Ross is being made a fool.

In other words, most simply don’t do their job and write, they complain. They deflect away from the real information behind the issue in an effort to make sure their “sources” are not entirely wrong. It’s all about being the first and not the last.

But what is going on behind the scenes? No one knows of course but I have a good idea of what is going on. Ross and Fisher are talking. They are talking about details not money. They are discussing who will have final say over team personnel, over the draft, over the operations. Ross is thinking about Jeff Ireland and how that will be handled or his roll with the team. Fisher is deciding on whether or not Miami is really where he wants to be despite the rumored 8 million per year that has been reportedly offered.

Many believe that he is playing the Dolphins against the Rams and that is flat out wrong. For the same reason that Fisher was atop the Rams list because of President Kevin Demoff’s relationship with Fisher’s agent, Marvin Demoff, Kevin’s father. Know this. Fisher is a class act and always has been. Marvin is going to do what is best for his client but not at the sake of his relationship with his son.

In other words he isn’t going to lie to his son to gain leverage in negotiations with either side. In all likelihood, Marvin will give Kevin the offer by the Dolphins and the chance to match or beat it. But anyone saying that they are playing mind games has it wrong.

The other side of all this could be, I said “COULD BE” the situation in Indianapolis. I surmise that Fisher is waiting to see what happens there. It makes sense. Indianapolis would be his best option and honestly I think he would love the Colts HC job. Problem is, it’s not available right now. Not yet. The Colts new GM, has been on the job one day. He will make a decision on Jim Caldwell soon. If Fisher truly wants the Colts job, he surely isn’t going to join someone else until he knows if it’s a possibility and he isn’t going to turn down two other teams while he waits.

One of my sources says this is not the case, that Fisher is not waiting out the Colts. He says that it’s a delicate situation of sorts in terms of the contract details and getting Fisher what he wants to run the Dolphins. But remember what I said earlier about sources right now, something that he agrees with completely. No one knows what is really going on outside a handful of people who are not talking.

He says his information, as with many many other “sources” is based on something someone else has said to them or has been overheard by someone else who has a source of their own or overheard someone. Until it comes from Stephen Ross’ mouth or Jeff Fishers’ mouth…we are not going to have a 100 percent notion that a deal is done.

In the meantime, we can continue to read about how bad Stephen Ross is going to look if Fisher goes elsewhere. We will read how the Dolphins front office will look horrible if they get spurned and that the Miami Dolphins once again have another black eye.

Instead of actually discussing who might be on the second page of candidates.