Dolphins’ Owner Stephen Ross Unhappy

Most of the time you would laugh at the notion of a billionaire being unhappy and follow it up with a big “whatever”. In the case of billionaire Miami Dolphins owner being unhappy is what he should be and for fans, there should be a little bit of joy that comes with him not running around singing the Pharrell Williams song.

Ross isn’t happy with the way his team has played, yeah no owner would be, but he also isn’t happy with his head coach and that could have reaching consequences as the season progresses.

There is no question that the Miami Dolphins head coach screwed up this week with the way he handled the quarterback questions that were flung at him. He could have said “yes, Ryan Tannehill is the starter”. He could have said a lot of things. Instead he simply said over and over and over and over again, “We will play the best 46 players that give us the best chance to win”. Coach, is Matt Moore starting on Sunday? Insert the same line for your answer.

The decision by Philbin to play this game sent ripples through the locker room and created a very unwanted distraction. Hey Joe, did you forget so soon about distractions in your locker room? Surely you haven’t forgotten about the Martin case last season. Have you? Apparently he has. Ryan Tannehill took the questions as any quarterback would before finally telling the media that he was indeed starting.

The fiasco left Philbin with no choice but to apologize to his team in a team meeting and promising them he would not do that again. Then he spoke with the media and took all of the blame. Of course he should, it was his fault.

In the meantime, owner Stephen Ross who has stood beside his head coach and even fired his former G.M in favor of his head coach and EVEN refused to give power over his head coach to three high profile GM candidates is now likely stewing in that decision. Another wasted year? Yes perhaps that is on his mind.

"“Steve doesn’t get it,” a club source who is a friend of owner Stephen Ross told me Thursday. “He doesn’t like it. He’s shaking his head. He is not happy right now.” From Greg Cote of the Miami Herald."

If Stephen Ross isn’t happy then I would have to assume that Joe Philbin is on a very short leash. Could Ross actually fire his head coach mid-season if things continue down this path? It’s possible. Ross fired Tony Sparano mid-season after losing eight games but then again, Sparano wasn’t Ross’ choice as head coach. He inherited him. Philbin is his head coach. Solely his choice. Ireland fought for Mike McCoy but Ross chose Philbin. If that highly reported rumor was in fact true.

Regardless it doesn’t matter now. Ross has to make a decision on his franchise and he needs to stop going backwards or sideways. He is going to have look at Dennis Hickey as well if he is going to look at Philbin. Why? Simple he can’t afford another four years or even another three years of spinning wheels.

Hickey has done a decent job with personnel but if Ross wants to hire a big name head coach, it’s likely that coach will want his own GM or be his own GM. This will not be a simple Joe your fired type deal when it’s all said and done. Hickey very well may stay as well and if that is the case then Ross will need to decide if his new HC and his GM will be married together in their fate, which they should be and which Philbin and Ireland should have been as well.

Ross will be keeping a close eye on the events of the next few weeks and how this team rebounds from two consecutive losses and 19 point deficits in each game. Week four or five is way too early for a coaching change but if Philbin loses his locker room no week will be safe. Philbin has mismanaged this team internally since his arrival and it’s starting to show more publicly. His failure to have knowledge of the Martin situation in 2013 was glaring and pointed to a HC that didn’t know what was going on his locker room and also pointed to the fact that his own coaching staff weren’t reliable to keep the peace.

Following last season it was reported that Philbin wanted to quit before he would fire his long time mentor Mike Sherman. Maybe his mind isn’t right in Miami. Maybe being a head coach is too much for him. Maybe his heart just isn’t into coaching as it should be. Maybe it’s all of the above. At least Ross is noticing it now. That has to be a good thing…right?

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