Time to Loosen the Leash

Dolphins fans are some of the most passionate fans in the NFL, that manifests itself in some fairly interesting ways but at the same time there’s no denying that South Florida is in love with its football team.

It’s because of that fact the last three seasons have hurt so much. Just after the first taste of success in seemingly a decade during 2008, the Dolphins slipped back into mediocrity going 20-28 over the next three seasons and firing the coach that started his career in Miami with so much promise.

Be honest, after Wannstedt, Saban, Cameron and Sparano it’s pretty easy to be jaded about the Miami Dolphins. It’s easy to expect the worst, to temper your enthusiasm and to just assume that no matter what move this organization makes, it’s going up in flames.

As tough as it’s going to be over the next couple of months though, we need to ease up. We need to give Joe Philbin a little bit of leash.

Regardless of whether you love the Philbin hire or were adamantly opposed, the fact is that he’s the coach. I’m not here to extoll the virtues of the hire, my point is simply the move has been made and it’s time to live with it.

Now Dolphins fans have a choice, we can either continue the trend that’s been building lately where the fans distrust ownership and the front office or we could bury that (for now) and jump on board.

But we need to be honest with ourselves too. If you listened to the language the Dolphins were using last Saturday at their press conference, if you listen to to Joe Philbin discuss his plans, the Dolphins are back to rebuilding.

They’ve got new coaches, they’ll be turning over the roster and there is going to be an adjustment period. It may be a few weeks, it could be a whole season. My point is this:

If we continue to get on the Dolphins the same way we have the past three seasons then Philbin will be public enemy number one within a season and the whole of South Florida is going to get an ulcer. As hard as it may be now, we have to give Philbin a chance, a little bit of time and the benefit of the doubt.

Eventually there may come a time when the writing is on the wall and it’s time to get critical again. All I’m saying is that for the sake of this team, and for the sake of our own health, let’s not start there.