Dan Marino Needs A Job
By Brian Miller
Jan 29, 2013, New Orleans, LA, USA; CBS Sports broadcast team poses at Super Bowl XLVII press conference at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Front row: Dan Marino (left), Sean McManus (center) and Phil Simms. Back row (from left) Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher and James Brown and Boomer Esiason and Jim Nantz. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sunday mornings will never be the same at CBS. Dan Marino the long time co-host of CBS’ pre-game show is out of a job. His contract having expired. Marino and Shannon Sharpe were replaced with Tony Gonzalez. It just so happens that the Miami Dolphins have a football vacancy in their organization. One that should be titled similarly as that of former czar Bill Parcells.
It was ten years ago or so that Marino took a job with the Dolphins as the top executive. He held the position exactly three days. With the resurgence of the Denver Broncos under John Elway, Marino may have an itch to actually put forth the effort. The question is more complicated. Is Dan Marino right for the Dolphins?
Stephen Ross reached out to Dan last season but Marino was under contract with CBS. This year the Dolphins need one person to stand between all the parties. Someone to manage the line between Joe Philbin and Dennis Hickey. Block the line from Philbin to Dawn Aponte. Make sure the line that goes from Hickey to Aponte stays open. In other words, the only person reporting to Stephen Ross should be Dan Marino.
But will Dan Marino be viewed as a solution or just another error in judgement by Ross?
Marino is the most popular Dolphin to ever play the game and while his arrival could give the team some legitimacy in it’s executive structure there will be questions about his knowledge and whether or not he can work the tedious hours and mundane off months. Let’s face it his job at CBS was pretty easy. Managing a dysfunctional football team that hasn’t been relevant since he was on the field is something else.
If Marino were hired, immediate speculation could begin that places Bill Cowher on the Dolphins radar with the connections to Marino over the years. Cowher has said he doesn’t want to coach. Will Marino be the person who would have the say over Joe Philbin’s future? That would be an important question to ask.
I suppose the best answer to the question however is simple. Given everything else that has happened, how can hurt?