An Open Letter to Stephen Ross: Time for Change is Now

An Open Letter to Stephen Ross: Time for Change is Now

Dear Mr. Ross,

I am writing to discuss the Miami Dolphins football team, which you own.

I come in peace, not to curse you out or yell at you for the team’s lack of success on the field, and hours after another disappointing loss, like we had today against the Carolina Panthers.

I come to you to let you know, speaking for myself, and on behalf of many other good, loyal Miami Dolphins fans, to remind you that we need you.

We need you as the owner to care more about this team than we, the fans, do.

We need you, as the owner, to not accept mediocrity and accept the losses and the decline we see on the field each week.

We need you, as the owner, to be the one responsible for the turnaround of this organization, not the one who lets it continue to sink into despair.

I understand firing people is never easy or fun.

I understand Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier are good people at heart and are trying their best.

But as the old saying goes, “This is Business, It’s not Personal.” 

Miami Dolphins fans have shown up year in and year out, no matter how bad the team has been at times, and spent good, hard-earned money, and, more importantly, given up their time to follow and support this organization.

This fan base goes all in to support the Dolphins Challenge Cancer.

This fan base goes all in to support food drives and all the projects started by the great Jason Jenkins with Football Unites.

This fan base supports player charities every chance we get.

And we, the fans, do those things because it’s the right thing to do, it’s good for the community, and it makes us proud to be Dolphins fans and have our organization be a part of making the world a better place.

All of that, though, is tied back to this football team that you own.

Right now, this fan base deserves better.

Only you can give this fan base better.

As we sit today, Miami is 1-4, and just watching the games, it appears things will get worse before they get better on the field.

As Dolphins fans, we have been here before.

With teams you have owned, and with teams your predecessor, Wayne Huizenga, has owned.

We know a lost season when we see one, and right now, the 2025 Dolphins are a lost season.

With that said, getting through the next 12 weeks of this season will be a challenge.

If we are going to keep it real and not lie to ourselves, most Sundays will likely resemble this Sunday, with a loss rather than a win.

However, one thing football fans, sports fans, and Miami Dolphins fans yearn for is hope!

Suffering through the losses is one thing; having a pit in your stomach, knowing there is no hope with this organization, is another.

And that is where the majority of Miami Dolphins fans are at this point, feeling there is no hope.

That change isn’t forthcoming.

Show Miami Dolphins fans that you, Mr. Stephen Ross, care.

Give us, the fans, something as a sign that these results we see on the field are unacceptable.

The Time for Change is Now!

Give Dolphins fans hope that next season, 2026, will be different than this season, and yes, you can tell us that now with actions, not words.

And how you can do that is to start the process of removing the people responsible for this season and the past few seasons that have given us unacceptable results.

I know that, as an owner, you do not want to be viewed as someone who is challenging to work for and overreacts in letting people go.

But all Dolphins fans know the truth.

That isn’t the case, and that is not who you are

Chris Grier needs to go, …now!

Chris has been with this organization in some capacity for 25 years, serving as the general manager for the past 9 years.

Grier has been here longer than you, Mr. Ross.

If you asked Chris to come into your office tomorrow morning and list all the accomplishments this organization has achieved during his time as General Manager, it would be a short meeting.

There is no list.

No division titles.

No playoff wins.

No MVPs or superstars drafted on his watch.

You have given Chris Grier ample time to prove himself and have success, but he has come up short.

Nobody in NFL circles would criticize you for letting that man go.

This is a results-oriented business, and the results just aren’t there.

Next, it’s time to let Mike McDaniel go as well.

I know Mike has a very likable personality, but again, this is a results-oriented business and the results aren’t there.

Mike is in year 4; he has had ample time to achieve success, especially given the roster he was given and the money spent.

The alarming thing about both Grier and McDaniel is that things seem to be getting worse, with no progress, only regression.

This team was under .500 in 2024; they are 1-4 currently, and they just blew a 17-point lead to one of the worst teams in the sport.

The time for change is now.

This loyal Dolphins fanbase is looking at you, Mr. Ross, to do the right thing by them.

Sure, fans can not show up, sure, fans can speak with their wallet, sure, fans can fly banners over the stadium to voice their displeasure.

But in reality, we, the fans, hope you will do the right thing and show us that you care as much as we do.

And that losing has reached a point where it is unacceptable at this time.

Dolphins fans are on the brink of apathy, and that is something that should keep you up at night.

Once fans stop caring, you may have lost them forever.

Give the fans some hope.

Give the fans a signal, change is coming, big changes are coming.

And that all starts with one little action, of firing someone or a couple of people now.

We thank you, Mr. Ross, for the money you spent on renovating Hard Rock Stadium to make it a state-of-the-art venue for us to attend games at.

We thank you, Mr. Ross, for bringing F1 to South Florida.

We thank you, Mr. Ross, for being an owner who writes the checks and trusts the football people you hire to make decisions, and who does not get involved in roster decisions.

This fan base would like to thank you once again, but this time for bringing in new personnel to run the football operations and to hopefully improve the on-the-field product.

I know you have preached patience, but there comes a point when patience runs out.

For Dolphins fans like myself and many others, patience has run out.

Please bring the change to the Miami Dolphins that is sorely needed.

Dolphins fans are rooting for you and need you now.

Sincerely,

Michael Oliva