Mike Nolan has suddenly become Herman Cain. And that’s not a good thing. Perhaps it’s even indicative of why the Miami Dolphins are so bad. After all, you cannot fully correct what you cannot fully articulate or understand.
The Suck for Luck campaign around the NFL is so prevalent that it should be disconcerting for Miami Dolphins fans that their defensive coordinator says he has no idea what it is. It’s hard to believe that anyone would not be aware that some fan bases are hoping their teams tank the rest of their games in order to get the Stanford quarterback in next April’s NFL Draft. Even the most well-known sportswriters have written in response to this including Peter King, Adam Schefter and others.
If he is, indeed, ignorant, then that’s an issue. While it’s nice to think that your coaching staff isn’t thinking about anything but the next game in front of them and that they allow for no distractions, there’s no reason to be oblivious to what’s going on in the media. You have to stay aware at all angles and be in touch with a fan base to some degree. Even if you deny it, call it “stupid,” or say you won’t comment any further, at least some level of interactivity is deserved more than “What are you talking about?”
At the same time, if Nolan knows about it and refused to ‘fess up to it, that’s even worse. It’s an inability to acknowledge what is wrong — that your team is so bad that you could have the first pick in the draft — that might be the primary problem in Miami. That’s the case in Indianapolis where their coach shows as much fire in the blowout against the Saints as he does with a win (from last year) and preaches (even still) about doing the little things right. Fans in Indy want to know if he realizes the building is on fire.
The same goes for Nolan. The questions should be both asked and addressed: Do you know how bad things are? Are you aware of the uphill climb your team faces to relevance? It starts with even knowing what Suck for Luck is and calling it out as a farce, ridiculous or the best idea ever. At least then, the Dolphins can at least acknowledge their horrible season.