Over the last week, some skeletons from the Dolphins’ past have resurfaced to grab headlines due to the recent interview of Jonathan Martin. When “bullygate” was the top story in the league, I admit that I was slightly resentful and didn’t pay close attention due to my skepticism of Martin’s claims and belief that the NFL locker room is a unique environment where the normal rules of society and etiquette do not apply. But now that the story is back in the limelight, certain revelations from the press have cast a new light on how the Dolphins operate and interact with the media.
Since Martin’s interview, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald posted the following sentiment to X on February 17
Bullygate was the most painful period of my journalistic life.
It was a never ending onslaught of PR stunts from one team meant to fit an agenda, which was that Richie Incognito was a BAD MAN, and the Dolphins put Jonathan Martin in a horrible environment and made him wanna quit…
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) February 17, 2025
As a media member, you had to report things you knew were lies.
We all know that there are PR stunts and media manipulation in current events, entertainment and politics. However, when it comes to sports—because there are objective statistics and winners & losers on the scoreboard, there has been a sentiment that sports media is conducted on somewhat of a higher level with more reliance on definitive statistics and outcomes.
But Omar’s comments highlight the fact that the Miami Dolphins, its leadership brass and PR team, in addition to the media contingent covering the team, are all in cahoots together and there is a great deal of coordination among them. This reality presents a clear and present danger for Miami if those negatively impacted by a Dolphins’ media blitz choose to fight back or start speaking freely.
For candidate number one, enter Coach Brian Flores. In the span of only a few weeks in 2021, the prevailing narrative on Coach Flo shifted from someone who over-achieved with not a ton of talent on the roster by focusing on fundamentals, intelligence, and discipline to an out-of-control egomaniac that terrorized Tua Tagovailoa to the point he questioned whether he sucks, challenged the authority of Chris Grier in public, and made the Dolphins leadership apparatus into a dysfunctional and non-collaborative group. While all accounts of Brian Flores’s tenure in Miami are riddled with problematic behavior by the coach, future discovery during his lawsuit could end up revealing a detailed and coordinated PR campaign in coordination with the press to destroy Flores’s name and reputation.
For candidate number two, enter Tua Tagovailoa. The level of mystery surrounding Tua’s injuries in 2022 and 2024 has always been problematic and specifically, the claim of the Dolphins that Tua did not sustain a concussion during the Buffalo game in week 3 of the 2022 season. Additionally, what happened at the end of the 2022 season against Green Bay where there was no mention of any concussion talk until a guy on Twitter/X started replaying the video of Tua banging his head on the ground after being pushed. Or what about Tua finishing the 2024 season on the sideline in dark sunglasses? If the league were to somehow learn that the Dolphins purposely misled the league, media, and public on Tua’s injuries, the consequences could be devastating from a draft pick perspective when thinking about the recent precedent of the league punishing the team. Another related risk to consider is Tua getting inured and suing the Miami Dolphins: if that were to occur, all of the previous conduct of the team in relation to Tua and his injuries could be fair game for disclosure and public release.
And finally, enter candidate number three, Tyreek Hill. We all know all the drama and nonsense that is associated with Tyreek off the field and away from the team, at the facility during meetings, and even on the field during games. If the Dolphins do retain his services for the 2025 season, I cannot envision a more imminent and alarming ticking time bomb on any other team in the league. When he does inevitably get frustrated during the upcoming season, whether due to a lack of targets, poor throws, or just losing games, how long before he explodes and gets himself shipped out of Miami? At that point, we know he will share details on the team, coaches, media, and anything he feels like while he is playing video games on Twitch late at night.
The lesson for the Miami Dolphins brass should be to spend a little less time on media and PR campaigns and a little more time on building a culture of accountability and toughness. Otherwise, they are putting themselves and the team at risk for penalties and public embarrassment.
