Miami GM should bite his tongue
Prior to the "Hard Knocks" series that documented the Miami Dolphins' training camp, general manager Jeff Ireland was most known for being the guy who asked then-draft prospect Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute.
Ireland and the rest of the front office and coaching staff got mixed reviews, mostly negative, from the inside look at the organization on HBO. Ireland and coach Joe Philbin often came across as clueless and unprepared to run an NFL franchise.
Ireland still has done little to dispel that notion.
Ben Volin of The Daily Dolphin blog in the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post wrote Ireland allegedly referred to a fan with an expletive after the fan approached Ireland on the club level concourse and said he was doing a poor job with the franchise.
Ireland seemed to confirm the story in a statement to the Palm Beach Post.
"It did happen at halftime," he said. "I was going back to my booth after seeing my wife, and I did talk to several fans that were very nice. But as I'm walking back, this person introduced himself to me and made a comment to me.
"It caught me off guard. I just turned and walked away, but I did say something I regret. I thought I was saying it to myself under my breath, but I must have said it loud enough that he could hear it. At the time I felt I handled the situation privately, but I probably spoke a little too loud. I regret that I said anything."
That incident won't sit well with the coach. Philbin seemed obsessed with everyone's language on "Hard Knocks."
In the end, this is all just a case of a general manager showing a lapse in judgment with a rude fan. No big deal.
The fan should be relieved. He simply was called an "A-hole." Just think of what Ireland could have said about the guy's mother.
■ MASCOT BLUES - The sad part of any work stoppage in professional sports is the behind-the-scenes employees who miss out on paychecks while the millionaires squabble about how to split up even more millions of dollars.
Or, in this case, the under-the-big-foam-head employees.
George Richards, the NHL beat writer for the Miami Herald, brought news that the Florida Panthers let go their beloved mascot, Stanley C. Panther.
OK, so the actual mascot still has a job. But the guy who wears the suit and entertains fans during games and makes appearances at schools and hospitals has been laid off.
Who's next?
Please don't tell us this NHL work stoppage is going to cost the job of T-shirt gun guy.
■ UFL GOES CHEAP - The United Football League finally will be back after somehow finding a way to secure the funding to lose massive amounts of money for another season.
The Virginia Destroyers will not be coached by Marty Schottenheimer, however, who was expected to return for the season. Instead, his younger brother Kurt will run the team.
No reason was given, but if this was a financial move, it would be the football equivalent of having Bill Clinton's little brother Roger give the commencement speech at graduation to save a few bucks.
COMPILED BY ADAM HILL
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
