Miami Dolphins' Head Coach Tony Sparano was asked on Monday about his job security. "I don't know anything about that. I'm getting ready for the San Diego Chargers. You guys can figure that out. Go ask the sources, they'll tell you better than me."
The Miami Herald's Armando Salgeuro asked "the sources" that very question yesterday after the game:
I asked a source if there are changes planned in that regard this week. "No, nothing," was the response.
I asked for clarification. Are you 100 percent, I asked.
"One hundred percent," was the emphatic answer.
Yesterday, when he first posted the story, Salgeuro identified the genesis for his exchange with the "source" as a quick conversation between Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and General Manager Jeff Ireland. When Ross then left the area, Salgeuro asked his "source" what was said - and then you have the above posting.
As the demand for change at the head coach level continues to build, the players are beginning to come out in support of their coach. Linebacker Karlos Dansby same out Monday and stated, "We're putting him in a tough situation. We've got to play better. Right now, his job is on the line, and we've got to do a better job of defending it for him. We're the only ones who can."
Fellow linebacker Kevin Burnett added, "At this point, it's going to be, which road are we going to take? Are we going to take the road of pointing fingers and saying, 'You, you, you,' or, 'It's the coach'? Or are we going to take the road of saying, 'OK, we're going to stick together, get fixed the things we need to get fixed, and find some way to pull out a win.' "
Starting quarterback Chad Henne came out to talk about the state of the team - sort of. Henne may need to think twice about his statements before he makes them. Or, maybe he was being plain truthful. "We're going to find out what kind of team this team is. I know one thing about these guys: They're not going to stop quitting."
Whether the team is going to continue to quit, or not going to stop trying may be debatable, but the displeasure with the Miami Dolphins isn't. The team still seems to have some fight in them - but it seems to be with the media. Until they turn that fight from words into play on the field, the demand for Sparano's job won't quit.