The Real Reason I Believe Dolphins Fans Want Miami to Tank the Season

On Dec. 11 of this year, I will be making my first trip to Miami to see the Dolphins play Philadelphia. I have seen the Fish play only one other time in person, and it was against the Atlanta Falcons in the ATL the year the Dirty Birds flew off to the Super Bowl.

Just as I wanted Miami to win then (they didn't), I want them to win when I make my getaway that December weekend. I am not hoping they lose just for the chance to receive the first pick in next years NFL draft to choose a player who may end up staying in college anyway.

Matt Leinart surprised everyone and stayed, and while his NFL career has become the stuff of draft bust lore, he was a monster prospect coming out of USC. Luck may stay as well.

I may be wrong in my judgment here despite the postings on every Miami Dolphins article from the Miami Herald to here on Bleacher Report (and please post, let me know) but the biggest reason Dolphins fans may in fact want the team to fade out is simply because who has any faith in Miami's management that unless they end up with the first pick, they will know what to do picking 2-32? Do you? I don't.

Andrew Luck seems like the "sure thing" and that is exactly what Miami needs. I argued vehemently in numerous postings about the Fish avoiding taking Christian Ponder, Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett because those guys are players who teams hope will become decent players, not guarantees. 

Ponder and Locker were huge risks for the Vikes and Titans while every team passed up Mallett multiple times until New England took the no risk, possible future high reward in drafting him.

I would not have argued if Miami took Andy Dalton in the second round, but not first. None of these guys was a lock franchise QB, so why waste a pick on a shaky prospect?

I wanted to see what Chad Henne would do playing for Brian Daboll and a new offensive system that would let him play and take advantage of the WR corps he has and hopefully balance it out with a good running game, which Daniel Thomas has provided when he is out there.

Unless it was a guaranteed "franchise" player, draft for other positions, because god knows Miami needs help all around, and I thought taking Mike Pouncey was a great decision.

In 2006, the Jets were knocked incessantly for passing up Matt Leinart and taking D'Brickashaw Ferguson instead. Then they drafted Nick Mangold at center later that same draft. Leinart fell to Arizona at 10.

Multiple Pro Bowls later, Ferguson and Mangold are still anchoring the Jets line. Let's say Miami had taken Matt Ryan instead of Jake Long, who straight up, thinks he would be able to carry Miami to the playoffs consistently?

As it is, he is very suspect at times in Atlanta, do you think he would have been much better in Miami? The Jets built their foundation in the trenches and were able to get Mark Sanchez, a far better QB than Leinart, three years later in 2009 and they have been to two straight AFC Championship games.

Miami's offensive line has been awful the past several years and if any quarterback is expected to survive, you need protection, so drafting Jake Long was a good move as was taking Mike Pouncey who has played admirably at center this year.

The rest of the line needs an overhaul in the worst possible way. If Miami were to in fact draft Andrew Luck, he wouldn't last a season, he'd end up David Carr or Tim Couch, two players who could have been decent if they had protection and talent around them.

The irony to me is that everyone feels a great QB would automatically put Miami in the Super Bowl, make them contenders. All you hear is "Miami hasn't had a great quarterback since Dan Marino, he carried Miami, made them relevant." All true.

As I am reminded constantly by my friends, family, coworkers, is "he didn't win a Super Bowl." The usual "greatest QB to never win." So I ask you, if Dan Marino couldn't do it, what in the world makes any of you think Andrew Luck would if he were drafted by the Dolphins? Seriously, can any of you answer that? 

Poor Dan had zero running game to speak of, a mediocre defense, a great offensive line, and when Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Patrick Surtain, Sam Madison, Arturo Freeman, Brock Marion and Co. came around, his career was at its end. Then Miami finally had a championship caliber defense and very average offense, and the true doom for Miami was coaching.

Jimmy Johnson did a great job drafting defensive players but was equally inept at picking the right offensive players--John Avery, J.J. Johnson, Yatil Green to name a few. The team never went anywhere with him at the helm.

Then came Dave Wannstedt, who led Miami to become the first team in NFL history to finish back to back seasons with winning records and not make the playoffs either year. Miami didn't have a great offense with Wannstedt but that team was good enough to make the playoffs regularly and with the right pieces and coaching, I think they could have made a run.

Jay Fiedler was wildly underrated and played with enormous heart and pride. Chris Chambers was emerging at wide receiver, Randy McMichael was coming on, and Ricky Williams was at his apex.

After Dave came a string of coaches from the incredibly admirable effort Jim Bates gave Miami, to Nick Saban, Cam Cameron and now Tony Sparano. The point being that if Miami doesn't bring in a franchise coach, better scouts and front office, a franchise QB won't mean much.

It will be like living the Marino years all over again: Good enough to make the playoffs but never a threat to win the whole thing. Maybe they'd make a run, make it to the Super Bowl then get throttled by a much better team in the NFC.    

I am all for Miami drafting Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley but not losing every game to do so, and I honestly don't think anyone else wants them to do that, either. I believe that because of Miami's embarrassing draft history from the past 15 years or so, fans are at the point where they think "even Miami couldn't screw up the first pick," not because they really want them to go 0-16 but because how could anyone have faith in Miami's front office if they didn't pick first? 

The other problem though is that Luck just might not come out as I stated above, so if Miami lost on purpose, what good would it do if Luck didn't come out?  

I am not a fan of Stephen Ross either and wouldn't mind a change in the highest office, either. I don't care at all that he wants to win, he doesn't know how. If he is that concerned about putting fans in the seats, put a good team and coach on the field.

Draft some good players. Enough with this celebrity garbage, do you see that in New England? Pittsburgh? Baltimore? Green Bay? Win and people will come back. That's what gets fans excited.

And one other point I'd like to make. I wanted to get this column out before the Monday night game because of Brandon Marshall's comments going into the game.

I have read articles recently calling for the trade of Brandon, saying he isn't fitting in, he has now left his senses after his comments about getting ejected against the Jets, his off-season incident, many dropped passes etc....As for the Monday Night game against the Jets.....it is about time someone from Miami is starting to get fired up about anything!

I am all for Brandon playing like an animal and talking about it. I am not worried about him being ejected because I don't think it will happen. My only concern is him actually catching passes. Miami has shown no emotion, no heart, no life, pulse, vital signs this entire season.

They talk after they lose from the locker room, I want someone to go out there and play in beast mode, if Brandon puts it on himself and backs it up, I'm all for it.

Enough with these ridiculous fist pumps from Sparano after field goals, that's the big emotion that comes from the Dolphins week after week, excitement for kicking field goals. I'd like to see anything from this team and if Brandon can do it, great.

Trading Brandon Marshall would be a mistake. If Miami is able to land Luck or Barkley for example, they will need pass catchers; Stafford has Calvin Johnson for example. Brandon's problem for some inexplicable reason is dropped passes at the worst time.

I don't know whether it is because he tries too hard instead of just catching without thinking about it or what, but he is an immense talent who also hasn't been used right. If he is off the roster, Bess and Hartline can't do it themselves. Both are excellent second and third WR's but not No. 1's.

If they traded Brandon, they would be in the position of now needing to address another position when they already need help all around, starting on the offensive line and at tight end. They'd end up being in the position of praying to get an A.J. Green down the road and we'd have more chants for Miami to fail in order to draft someone like him.

Brandon can ball. I refuse to believe his dominance in Denver was a fluke. I am someone who cheers for him and thinks it would be a mistake to let him go. I think it could end up being a similar situation to Oakland trading Moss. He leaves that awful environment then destroys every team he faces for the next couple of years in New England.

Randy is a better player than Brandon, but Brandon is still an upper echelon player and trading him wouldn't make sense.

But let me know your reasons for wanting to see Miami tank, is it because you have no faith in management or do you think Luck, if he comes out, really would make Miami a contender?