Shorter Ross: Championships? Who Cares?

But there’s a name for exactly what you’re describing: the Csonka era (or Griese era, if you prefer). Strong running game. Tough defense. Ability to throw the ball to open up the field.

The reason I bring any of this up is I’ve come to the view that the Marino era is a huge distraction for this franchise. (Heck, it was a distraction while it was happening; part of the reason we never developed a running game is because we never committed to it.) It was so much fun to watch, and it was so great to have a guy who was so much better at what he did than anybody else, we’ve lost sight of what a real winning team looks like.

As long as we think first of the Marino era — rather than the era when we actually won championships and were the most feared team in the league — as the franchise’s glory days, it’s going to be hard to do what needs to be done. Especially when the owner is caught up in that mindset.

This franchise’s identity needs to be the teams of the 70s, not the 80s. When the owner thinks of When This Team Was A Winner, his first thought shouldn’t be Marino; it should be the Csonka/Griese/No-Name era, because that’s when we actually were a winner. And not just a winner, but the biggest winner in the history of major pro sports.

Those 70s Dolphins are who we need to think of as who we are, if we want to get back to winning Super Bowls.

Peyton Manning has 1 championship to show for his Marino-esque numbers. One is certainly better than none, but it’s worse than what we had in the 70s.

run the ball successfully, and play excellent defense (I still haven’t figure that one out).

People think of last year’s Saints team as an example of passing your way to a championship, and it certainly was a pass-heavy offense. But they’re running that same offense this year, and without a healthy running back they struggled all year and got sent home in the first round.

Like I said in my post, I’m not saying he’s wrong about our offensive scheme being too predictable this year. I’m just saying he, as the owner, shouldn’t be talking about schemes — and certainly not about Dan Marino. It’s not what this team needs from him. It’s short-term and short-sighted, and it makes him sound like a lightweight. It’s bad leadership.

being entertaining. Even if that’s what he’s thinking, he shouldn’t say it. He should be talking about winning Super Bowls.

Not so exciting….

I don’t care about “exciting,” just like I don’t care about “entertaining.” I care about winning. I want to hear things coming out of the owner’s mouth that tell me — and more importantly, the team — that he’s focused on winning. That winning isn’t the most important thing in his mind; it’s the only thing.

We were exciting and entertaining in the Marino days, but we were also infuriating, disappointing, and futile. In the Csonka/Griese days, we were methodical and boring (Although, I loved watching Csonka run over people. It’s what made me a Dolphins fan.), but we won Super Bowls.

Those are the days I want to see come back. Not the Marino days.

I don’t want to see us run a playbook from the 1970s. It wouldn’t work. But neither will one from the 1980s.

I’m not talking about playbooks. I’m talking about mindset. I want to know the owner has the right definition of “winning.” Winning is what we did in the 1970s. What we did in the 1980s was not winning.

So when I hear the owner leap immediately to the Marino days when he thinks about what winning looks like, that worries me. It’s the wrong mindset, and it sends the wrong message to the team.

I did:

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this year’s offensive approach is the right one. Not at all. But “let’s go back to the days of Dan Marino” is swinging way too far in the other direction. We’ll win just as many championships with the one as we will with the other: none. So how ’bout we do neither, Mr. Ross?

Don’t know how much a ticket costs in Miami but I’m sure you guys with families and girlfriends would like to have an extra $ or two in your pockets.

Buffalo and Detroit are in the North too.