Peyton Manning using Stephen Ross to test the market has become all too familiar to the Miami Dolphins owner. His courtship with Jim Harbaugh left him looking foolish by leaving Tony Sparano a lame duck and the subsequent performance by the Dolphins showed how well that worked out.
After being left at the altar by Jeff Fisher, Ross Settled with Joe Philbin and threw all his cards on the table offering Manning the keys to the franchise. Manning, sensing the desperation, quickly distanced himself from the Dolphins leaving alternative Matt Flynn to wonder why he should jump into a situation where he clearly is not the priority.
Ross has become the meddling owner he swore he would not become. It should have been obvious when he sold tiny pieces of the franchise to celebrities so they could grace his sky boxes with Hollywood glitter. Has there been enough disappointment for Ross to get out of the kitchen and allow his football people to do their jobs?
Ross interjecting himself in the decision making process has lost him two coaches, a QB in Peyton Manning and now, he could run Flynn away as well. It’s clear, NFL people have not accepted Ross into the inner circle and no matter how much money he throws around, they sense an owner who is in it for the glamour.
Players give their heart and soul to a game that leaves their bodies broken when they hobble away. Coaches spend 16 hours a day only to be fired when a Super Bowl victory is not in the cards. Old school owners know and respect the sacrifice of players and coaches, but rich guys like Ross, treat the NFL like the biggest toy in the garage.
Ross needs to step away. He has done nothing but drive away the very people he is trying to hire. Whatever goes on in those meetings is not helping the Dolphins and has now made them a complete laughingstock as the rejection slips continue to pile up.
Go back to New York Ross and let these guys do their job before Matt Flynn goes running off to Seattle and the Dolphins become a bigger joke than you have already made them.
