The Dolphins’ offseason has not gone according to plan and now fans are letting the team know that they aren’t happy with the guy driving the bus.
A group of fans have gathered outside the team’s headquarters on Tuesday afternoon to call for general manager Jeff Ireland’s departure. Izzy Gould of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel pegs the number of protesters at 30 with signs reading “Fireland.” Some of the protestors are wearing paper bags on their heads and Gould reports that a police officer charged with keeping everyone in line told the group that he’d be with them if he wasn’t on duty.
The Dolphins’ failure to land Matt Flynn, Peyton Manning or anyone else to stop the revolving door at quarterback is the main impetus for the protest. Ryan Clark’s comment about players not wanting to go to Miami because of Ireland’s presence likely added some fuel to the fire. Warren Sapp and Joey Porter then joined the chorus of critics during an appearance on the NFL Network.
Thirty disgruntled fans aren’t going to do anything to change the state of affairs with the Dolphins, but there’s no doubt that the perception of the Dolphins as an organization going nowhere fast is growing. That’s not going to change as long as the team chases quarterbacks and coaches desperately before falling short of getting their man.
Whether Ireland is the general manager or not, that kind of organizational change has to come from the top. Owner Stephen Ross has to be the guy to put the team on a better course or things will only get worse around the Dolphins.