There are some really bad owners across all sports in this country. The latest scandal comes out of Arizona, where the owner, Michael Bidwell, is being accused by his former employee Terry McDonough of harassment, being abusive and other issues. We all know the alleged history of the Washington Commanders owner, Daniel Snyder. In the NBA, there were similar accusations with former NBA owner Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver. In Miami, we have been fortunate to have Micky Arison as the owner of the Miami Heat. He has not had any known issues of harassment or discrimination and hired arguably the greatest General Manager in NBA history, Pat Riley. Stephen Ross became the principal owner of the team back in 2009, and while the team has not won anything, it’s hard to argue Ross hasn’t done his job as the owner.
You get a strong sense that Ross wants to win based on his actions over his tenure. Has he made the right decisions? Not always. Would he take some decisions back? I’m sure he would. Maybe hiring Jeff Ireland back in the day or Mike Tannenbaum was not the best idea. The jury is still out on Chris Grier, who I think is doing a good, not great, job so far. The Bullygate, Deshaun Watson, and Tom Brady scandals were also bad looks for the organization. Let’s not forget about the assistant coach caught on camera snorting cocaine. However, you see, the owner is trying to win a Super Bowl, and that is all we can ask for as a fan.
Ross is willing to spend, unlike most owners. I mean, look at the Miami Marlins owner, Bruce Sherman. The Marlins consistently have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, and this year they are 24th in the league, according to Spotrac. The Marlins are used to bargain shopping, while the Dolphins don’t mind shopping at the Gucci store. Just look at last year with the trade for Tyreek Hill and the signing of Terron Armstead. The Tom Brady scandal was blown out of proportion as well by the media and the league. At the time, Brady was still elite and a better option than what we had at quarterback. Was it smart to directly talk to Brady while he was still “signed” with the Patriots? No, but as a fan, I like that the owner was willing to bend the rules a little to win.
Ross has also been great with Diversity hirings within the organization. Giving Chris Grier, Brian Flores, Mike McDaniel, and Dawn Aponte the opportunity to have highly important positions within the team is something most owners are not doing. We may not have the success of the Kansas City Chiefs yet, but we are heading in the right direction, and hopefully, Ross will be able to enjoy a Super Bowl run before it is too late.
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