“True Fans” and “whining”

Published May 9, 2012 | By Michael Miller

True Dolphans don't complain? Photo via Helmet2helment.net

Yesterday Omar Kelly from the Sun Sentinel made a post titled: “What do Miami Dolphins fans have to whine about now? ” Among the comments to Kelly’s post, several fans essentially posted that fans who whine about the team aren’t true fans.

Whine? Kelly’s implication is that (1) everything has been or at a minimum is now perfect with the Dolphins; and (2) that it’s inappropriate or illogical to express dissatisfaction with the team despite is eroding record (3 consecutive losing seasons, only one trip to the playoffs in the past 10 seasons, 12 seasons since the last playoff victory, 20 seasons since the last trip to the AFC Championship game, 28 seasons since the last trip to the Super Bowl, and 39 seasons since the last Super Bowl victory) and string of nationally publicized blunders (pursuit of John Harbaugh despite not firing Sparano, selling Jets merchandise in the Dolphins shop, etc).

Does being a “true fan” mean you don rose colored glasses and blindly accept that all is wonderful with theteam?

Inmy humblest of opinions I believe rooting for the team to win does not mean you can’t be criticalofpoorperformanceson or off the field. 2012 will mark the 36th season that I’ve followed the Miami Dolphins as a fan. I’ve gone to games, bought merchandise, and watched almost every game on TV. I have been a fan of the team *long* before anyone presently employed by it, and will continue to be a fan long after every last one of them is gone – from the owner, to the players, to the groundskeeper.Miami has made a lot of very good moves this offseason, from hiring Philbin to drafting Tannehill and others. I’m delighted to see Miami shift its approach to building the team and it certainly gives me hope for a return to greatness. BUT, is everything suddenly perfect? Seriously, can Omar say the Dolphins are now Super Bowl contenders? The honest answer is “Of course not”. There’s still room for improvement. I recognize that the team isn’t going to be rebuilt in just one offseason and that some patience is in order for the new coaching staff and personnel acquisition model. However, the state of dissatisfaction that many fans have achieved as a result of the Dolphins decade+ long deterioration isn’t going to disappear like the flick of a switch. So, this team still has warts and there’s still lingering dissatisfaction. Forget that the fans who are whining still care enough about this team to consume news about it daily and to analyze every Dolphins move and non-move to see how the team could be better – even though it’s the offseason.There’s only one cure for the dissatisfaction and the whining that it brings: win. Talk is cheap, the Dolphins need to win. They’ve used up all of their get out of jail free cards between Saban, Cameron, and Parcells/Sparano. Does that mean they have to “win now” like Parcells/Sparano did in 2008? Kelly would probably say yes, that the whining fans are inpatient and unreasonable. However, I think the answer that long term fans, who are among those who “whine” the loudest, is no. Regular season wins and one and done playoff appearances aren’t want the long term fans really want. Instead, they want the Dolphins to build a Super Bowl challenger. Do it right, and the wins will come. The Dolphins have taken a good first step in the direction with the moves this offseason. Stay the course and the wins should come. The seeds for optimism (and with it less whining) have been planted. Keep building correctly and win, and you’ll see the optimism blossom.

Here’s hoping 2012 marks the year that the Dolphins return to glory and that 20 years from now Stephen Ross, Jeff Ireland, Joe Philbin, Ryan Tannehill, and others are remembered as fondly as our other past Dolphin greats.

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Michael Miller

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"True Fans" and "whining", 4.0 out of 5 based on 4 ratings

Posted in Mike Miller | Tagged Dolfans, Jeff Ireland, miami dolphins, Ryan Tannehill, Stephen Ross

9 Responses to “True Fans” and “whining”

DolFan 316 on May 11, 2012 at 02:47

WHOOOOO!!! PREACH AWN, BRUTHA!!! YOU DA MAN!!! IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL WHINE IF I WANT TO!!!

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Samantha on May 10, 2012 at 18:25

Yes, we whine. We’re some of the worst fans in the league. And there are some great ones here, too. But Omar is calling the kettle black, along with most of the sportswriters and radio jocks. THEY’RE the ones who were complaining nonstop. THEY’RE the ones who made ridiculous, incorrect predictions then bashed the Dolphins FO for not falling in line with their rhetoric.
They got the fans worked up into a lather, and got them to cancel season tickets and protest outside of camp. Ridiculous. Look, if anyone doesn’t want to buy tickets, then don’t buy tickets and shut up. Nothing more needs to be said!

But meanwhile, the media guys are cashing their checks and could care less. One of the jocks even laughed that during that whole Peyton mess, he didn’t even have to bothering preparing for the show, he just needed to yell and take calls. And don’t even try to defend Omar. He has more whine than Ernest & Julio Gallo. If he isn’t complaining about how hard his job is, he’s gabbing non-stop about his wife or other completely unrelated topic. All of them are like a bunch of housewives sitting around on a Saturday night on a pms rant.

I love my team. I love the players. And I’m not ashamed to be a fan. So they can suck it.

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Mike Miller on May 10, 2012 at 13:30

ObKnox and Dennis:

I appreciate your thoughtful responses. There is a distinction between reasonable criticism and “whining” and I’m glad that you highlighted it. Unfortunately I think the people with legitimate concerns frequently get lumped into the “whiner” category by the eternal optimists. Oh well – if that’s the worst thing any of us has to deal with than I’d say life is treating us well.

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The Obknox on May 10, 2012 at 10:25

Some people will always whine, no matter what the situation is, simply because they have a lot of pent up anger and personal issues in their lives. Others feel they have an entitlement to “win”, and whine childishly when they don’t get what they want. Not only are these people not fans, but they are not even adults. It’s perfectly reasonable for real fans (adults who recognize that sometimes things don’t go our way and accept it while still trying to improve) to get tired of listening to petulant children whining and suggest they focus their negativity somewhere else.

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Dennis on May 10, 2012 at 10:20

There is a big difference between you and a whining fan. You are reasonable with reasonable expectations. You don’t expect our team to be a Superbowl contender every year. A whining fan is like the whining fans of the Patriots when they lost the Superbowl this year that wanted to get rid of Welker for dropping 1 pass. It’s a good thing B. Marshall wasn’t on their team.

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Tim on May 10, 2012 at 08:23

I have been a fan since 1970 and always will be. I for one am tired of not having a competitve team on the field and if I want to whine about it I will. Omar is not a fan he is a reporter that just like all the other reporters down there want to stir the pot so they have something to write about. I do not respect his football knowledge or really his opinion. He thinks he knows everything about the Dolphins and he dismisses the fans as a bunch of ignorant people that know nothing about football, if you disagree with him then you are wrong period!
As a true fan I want to see the Dolphins win and get back to the level where they get some national respect and are not thought of as just a bump in the road for which ever team they are playing.

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Ranadicus on May 9, 2012 at 20:44

Quit whining =P

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Hal Horn on May 9, 2012 at 20:38

Agree 100%. What kind of fan would criticize the Dolphins’ brain trust when they are unhappy with the moves being made? IMO an objective one, Mr. Kelly.

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Kevin Pittman on May 9, 2012 at 18:20

Omar Kelly as a ignorant punk who almost got beat down by our linebaker lol

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