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By Aaron Herman: Last year the Miami Dolphins played the Oakland raiders early in the season and along with many other Dol-fans I was overjoyed by the outcome. However, the real reason behind my exuberance was that this win meant the Dolphins wouldn’t go winless, something that was a real possibility based on some analysts opinions at the beginning of the season.
A win before November was something we weren’t able to witness in 2011, and with a 2012 off-season matching the excitement level of a funeral, it is needless to say expectations were not very high.
Is this really where our expectations lie as Miami Dolphin fans? When we win a game in September a fan’s thoughts are “thank god we won’t go 0-16″ instead of “here come the playoffs”? The sad truth of the matter is this is where our team’s expectations lie in the younger fans.
As a Dolphins fan heading towards my late twenties, I never got to witness the glory of the Dolphins in the 70s. The brilliance of the Marino years are clouded in memories past since I was barely old enough to understand the game when he was in his heyday.
For Dol-fans of my generation the only true success we can relive in our memory banks is of Chad Pennington taking the team to an AFC East title, only to be embarrassed at home in the first week of the playoffs.
It is tough to be a Miami Dolphins fan. A once great franchise seems to be predicted to be one of the worst teams every preseason. However, things can change this year and the future of the Miami Dolphins now lies in one man’s hands. That man is Jeff Ireland.
I know many people have very different opinions of Mr. Ireland. Some praise him and think he has done well growing young talent on this team. Others wish for Ross to give him his pink slip as soon as possible. No matter which side of the spectrum you lie on, the simple truth is Jeff Ireland now holds the future of this team in his hands.
He has over $40million of cap space and a wealth of draft picks this off-season. There’s no hiding the fact that his management of these tools will shape the future of this franchise. When all is said and done and the season begins we will be on a path that Mr. Ireland has set us on. A path that can go one of two directions.
Either he will have wasted the picks and money and set this team back 3-5 years, or he has an amazing offseason and put this team in the conversation of contenders for the playoffs and even the Super Bowl. Mr. Ireland has plenty of money and draft picks available to him but if he doesn’t use them wisely the one thing he won’t be allowed are excuses.
Come September I will either be rooting for the Dolphins to not have a winless season or I will be cheering with Super Bowl hopes. Here’s hoping for the Super Bowl.
Aaron Herman
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