You know what’s frustrating, in a selfish, asshole-ish way? Having a coach, player or manager you have spent time demonizing or just don’t like, humanized a bit. It takes some of the edge and viciousness away. It happened to a small degree last year with Paul Hackett — now I actually feel a twinge of guilt when I take a shot at him.

Now Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads gets to elicit some of my sympathy with a story about his parents and specifically how his mother has Alzheimer’s.

Another story (that is prelude to a longer column) comes from Naples. The columnist was in Canton for Marino’s Hall of Fame induction and the exhibition game for the Dolphins, and did a sidetrip to Pittsburgh to interview Coach Wannstedt.

Three days, three former Miami Dolphins and three completely different twists of fate.

There stood the hero, the villain and the scapegoat of the Miami football franchise. It wasn’t exactly the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. But it sure felt like a nursery rhyme.

There stood Dan Marino, Ricky Williams and Dave Wannstedt.

A punch line should follow. Stop the laughing. They weren’t all together in one room. Now that would’ve caused a few jokes and an even bigger media frenzy.

Yet, within 48 hours, these misunderstood misfits managed to show that so much has changed in just a year. And all of this fodder occurred some 1,200 miles from Miami.
…
Eight hours later, and a short drive to Pittsburgh, Wannstedt walked to the podium at the Pitt Panthers’ training camp.

The new head coach wore a navy blue polo with his alma mater, PITT, in gold letters where it belongs: close to his heart.

Later, Wannstedt sat in his expansive office with glass walls overlooking the practice field. With the sun brightly bursting through the room it provided quite a contrast from his 1-8 start last year with the Dolphins.

“Last year is just an aberration,” Wannstedt said. “It’s as if it never happened. I don’t even think about it.”

But when it comes to the Dolphins’ demise it’s hard to forget about the saint, the sinner and the sacrifice. They — Marino, Williams and Wannstedt — have gone their own way now.

It is a testament to Wannstedt and how likeable he is, that he still gets positive press in Florida.