LIFE’S A BEACH: Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, coaching at practice Wednesday, visits his former team, Miami, this weekend, where he served as head coach for four seasons (inset). (
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Tony Sparano spoke with reporters for 14 minutes yesterday. He did not say the word “Dolphins” once.
The Jets offensive coordinator said he held no “bitter feelings” toward the organization that fired him as its head coach last year, but his actions said otherwise. Sparano was extremely testy answering questions, refusing to speak about last week’s game with the Steelers and downplaying his return to Miami, even avoiding saying their name.
”It’s a business trip, obviously,” Sparano said. “We’ve got a game to play. I used to tell the players down there this and I practice it. If I wanted to go to vacation in Miami, I can go to vacation in Miami. That’s not what we’re going there for. We’re going there to play a game.”
Sparano spent nearly four seasons as the Dolphins head coach, with a 30-33 record before getting fired with three games left in the season last year.
The 50-year-old, who is in his first year with the Jets, was sent packing by owner Stephen Ross, who tried to hire Jim Harbaugh while Sparano was still the head coach. Sparano was careful to speak about the players in Miami but not his former bosses.
“I have a great respect for the players that were there,” Sparano said. “They’ve helped me get great opportunities like this opportunity here to be a Jet.”
About as much as Sparano would concede is that it will be a little different for him to walk into Sun Life Stadium as the visitor Sunday.
“I couldn’t tell you where the visitor’s locker room is there,” Sparano said. “It will be a little bit funny that way I’m sure. Once the ball drops, like I said, we’re there to do a job and that’s the most important thing right now.”
Sparano got annoyed at questions dealing with Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Steelers. The media only gets to speak to Sparano once a week, so it is the only opportunity to ask questions about the previous game.
“The game’s over,” Sparano barked. “If you want to talk about Miami, I’m going to talk about Miami. You want to talk about that game, then I’m not going to answer the question.
“My mind’s in a different place.”
Sparano did talk about not using Tim Tebow more against the Steelers. He said Tebow only got three snaps because the offense was performing so well in the first half.
“We averaged almost six yards a play in the first half [5.3] of the game the other day,” Sparano said. “I mean six yards a play. I can’t really worry about [it]. That’s not going through my mind at that point necessarily when things are going well.”