This Jeff Ireland story is snowballing fast. Ross is speaking out against him. The NFL chimed in with a statement tonight against Jeff's question. Jeff might be toast. And if he's toast I expect Parcells leaves ASAP or he maybe waits till after the season, but if his guy gets fired, Parcells is gone. Then we are stuck with Carl Peterson (Ross's best buddy) running the show. OH JOY!

Nah, Ireland will not be fired over this. It's an interview question. It's not like he walked up to the kid out of the blue and called his mother a whore. I realize it is a fine line, but there is a difference. Compared to what some other executives in the league have done (including head coaches), this is minimal. PR hit more than anything. Ireland can fix that hit by making amends to fans in other ways (like honoring Thomas).

Uh no.

I doubt that. Jeff Ireland made a mistake and asked a very insensitive question. His just got put in the public, but I am quite sure in this process that he is not the first or last NFL personnel to ask questions that you would not normally ask.

He getting hammered right now, but it will not result in him losing his job or should it.

got a link on Stephen Ross?

Would like to hear what he said before I jump to conclusions... I cant really see him being fired. He asked a dumb question...

profootballtalk has all the quotes. From Ross. From the NFL.

Irish will be fine, at the end of the day, he was looking out for Ross's money.

there is no way he gets canned for that.

I agree. I think he just going to be the Don Imus of the moment. Once something else comes along for the sports media to latch on to, they'll drop it.

If you are going to post news on these forums, please post the links as well.

Here is an article that I found on NationalFootballPost.com about Ross.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Dolphins-look-into-Irelands-remarks.html

I think Ireland came into the interview with a bunch of questions, and after questioning this kid about his mother and her checkered past he wound up on that question. All that needs to happen now is for Ireland to go around apologizing to the people that decide whether he keeps his job, make a little statement, say he won't do it again, yada yada yada. Ireland is a pretty articulate guy, I'm sure he can give a valid reason for going there and if he can't he can probably make something up. I really don't care, I just want rookie camp to start.

Why is no one up in arms about this? Most of you are white and some of you are actually more offended by the prostitution question about a mother who had a record as a crack user than the race question about a guy who has done everything right.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=m ... type042010

I agree 100% Rich. It's ridiculous that race can be a cop out for any black man, but it's completely ignored as a white man. If a black kicker/qb coming into the league were asked this question it would make CNN's headlines.

I think this thing has been so way out of proportion. And opinions on the subject are mixed. I seriously doubt anything more is going to come of this.

Nothing that serious in there. Even PFT is surprised at all the publicity. We always need a link to the information here at Phinfever.

As far as ownership, of course Stephen Ross is going to bring everyone together to talk about it.




http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ?related=1

Race was not even bought into the equation until Dave Hyde went there and now Rich with the Toby Gerhart comment. I understand why the question was asked. Could a little more tact have been used, YES.

Also, since I am a man of color I don't buy race being a cop out for any black man.

I didn't say it IS a cop out, I said that it can be. I don't want it to come out the wrong way because I know it is such a sensitive topic, and I am in no way, shape or form racist. I just think that it's not right that the media will turn tiny issues into a race issue if it involves somebody of color, but the questions that toby and rob konrad got are completetly ignored.

So if it's such a sensitive and real topic, Then why can it not be a topic of conversation? Again, not defending Hyde, as his writing shows he is not addressing the issue race may play in NFL-player relations seriously, he just threw it out there for the sake of an article. In this case, I agree that he should have developed his ideas more thoroughly before implying that race had something to do with it.

I'm not attacking anyone on this board or saying Ireland is racist. But the "race card" thing is nonsense. Like I said in my other post, that label intimidates people from talking about real issues of race and trivializes those issues. It goes along with the naive "color blind society" view that believes race doesn't play an issue in these day-to-day situations, when in fact it very well could. We don't know anything about Jeff Ireland or the way he conducts business, for all you know it could have been a question filled with racial prejudice, and that's not a hard thing to imagine considering we ALL deal with racial prejudice in our heads to some extent.

Hyde made a mistake in not backing up his article better with a serious discussion about race, rather he just threw it out there abruptly, so I understand your complaints. But in general terms , there is as much evidence to suggest that Ireland's question was race fueled as there is to support that it wasn't, yet we automatically pull out the dreaded "race card", automatically eliminating it as a topic of conversation and deeming anyone who brings it up as an idiot. That is a naive way of looking at race, a way of pretending like it doesn't exist. That a man of Ireland's success and stature would not reduce himself to such racism. I would like to believe that, but we have been proven time and time again that race plays a hurtful role in America's institutions.

No one is pretending it doesn't exist, but there is absolutely no evidence that it was a race issue. So, since it is such a fiery subject, do not suggest that someone is a racist unless you have evidence to back it up.





I agree with phinsfansc, this doesn't even belong in the discussion.

I miswrote what I was trying to point out. I was speaking strictly in terms of media, not an individual. My only point is that the media will address the race topic only if it pertains to a non white person.

I think the south florida media will do anything they can to get dirt and controversy on the dolphins FO, specially the trifecta. They are obviously aggravated that they cant get any ifo from them...

They are like us and have to watch the wires to get reports... Even the Brandon Marshall deal was first broke in Denver, not in south florida...

Primadonna news reporters....

This has nothing to do with the south florida media. Mike Silver from YAHOO broke the story. Not anyone in Miami.

Dave I agree. Not sure if you read my entire post but I made it clear that Hyde did not develop his idea throughly and it came off as a cheap excuse for an article. I agree 100% with that.

I'm arguing against this automatic "race card" stamp. I'm arguing against the idea that we should be up in arms and offended at the mere hint that someone is bringing up race, and that we should think of conversations of race as a cop out. Notice, despite the fact that Bryant didn't say anything about race (it was Hyde), one of the above posters already started attributing it to Bryant and complaining about the race card being used as a cop out. There is something about that race card precedent that assumes that issues of race are greatly exaggerated in this country, and I think that's highly debatable.

The story has made the HOWARD STERN Show..lol! Everyone coming out against Ireland.

Sorry fonz, I wasn't trying to make it sound as though Bryant used it, I was speaking in terms of media. See my post above.

While I agree that Mike Silver of Yahoo.com broke the story and took liberties that he should not have taken, it sure looks like some of the South Florida media has taken the opportunity to pile on.

I don't know that this regime is considered the most media friendly, and when that happens, you have annimosity that developes. There was no reason for Dave Hyde to bring race into the discussion, but he did.

Greg Cote wrote an article defending Ireland, but going after them on Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. You can add Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel to the list as well talking about trouble in DolphinLand and how Miami is perceived among agent and players.

It's not piling on if its true! Just the way I see it

Oh whoops, I missed your other post. I do agree that the media runs wild with anything they can, and in doing so they exploit things like race. I agree Hyde's article seemed in poor taste because of a lack of evidence.

Its piling it on when the reaction far outweighs the appropriate response for such an incident. In other words, you can't retaliate to a slap by hitting someone with a sledge-hammer.