Chris Perkins: I don’t like what Dolphins’ Jevon Holland said, but I respect his honesty
MIAMI GARDENS — Let’s talk about what Jevon Holland said about Vic Fangio.
I like Holland, the Dolphins’ hard-hitting fourth-year safety.
But to me, Holland made it very personal when he publicly hinted Fangio wasn’t/isn’t a good person, if, in fact, that’s what Holland meant.
Did Holland go too far?
That depends on your point of view.
It also depends on your powers of recall.
Remember that Fangio, through Ron Jaworski, his friend, the ex-NFL quarterback and NFL analyst, might have fired the first shot in this battle. But it wasn’t a personal shot.
I’ve enjoyed the majority of my encounters with Holland.
He can be funny, moody, abrasive, introspective, insightful, and, yeah, shocking.
He’s intelligent, and he speaks his mind.
That’s all good with me.
But I think he might have crossed the line with his public thoughts on Fangio, the ex-Dolphins defensive coordinator.
To recap, after Tuesday’s OTA session (Organized Team Activities), Holland was asked about playing for new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver as opposed to playing for Fangio.
“A complete 180, actually,” Holland said of the difference. “ (Weaver) is super dope, as a person, as an ex-player, as a coach. You just feel he understands where we’re coming from, wants to hear us in our input on the defense and is able to put that into how the defense is called and how the defense is taught. He’s great. He’s a really solid dude.”
Holland was then asked whether Weaver being a former NFL player, unlike Fangio, makes a difference in that respect.
“I just think that it’s the fact that he’s a good person that makes the difference,” he said.
Ouch.
There’s no doubt that Fangio and his old-school ways didn’t fit snugly with coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins, and their new-school, technology-reliant ways.
Work hours were different. Musical choices were different. Teaching methods were different.
Simply put, Fangio and the Dolphins were a bad fit.
It’s why Fangio is now in the same role with Philadelphia, his desired location.
And let’s mention what Fangio might have thought about this defense with words used by his friend, Jaworski.
“There were some players on that defense that didn’t want to work,” Jaworski told Philadelphia radio station WIP in late January. “Didn’t want to put the time in, didn’t want to put the effort in, didn’t want to make the commitment to be successful.
“Guys like to party at night, and South Beach is really a great place to party. And Vic tried to get those guys and push those guys to become harder workers and better athletes and more committed to their team. And he couldn’t get through to those guys. Those were the guys that Vic was pushing, and they’re the guys that are whining right now.”
No names were mentioned publicly there.
That’s the key.
Let’s also mention that the Dolphins’ injury-riddled defense finished No. 10 in the league, a credit to the players and Fangio, in that order.
Yes, it’s crazy for a journalist to question whether Holland crossed a line.
These are the types of candid comments we want from athletes.
It’s refreshing, it’s different.
It’s honest.
I appreciate that.
Just as importantly, I respect that.
And I’ll say this up front: I have no idea of Holland’s relationship with Fangio, how much baggage exists between the two of them, who might have said what to whom, or anything else.
So, Holland might have been justified in his thoughts.
However, Holland’s comment could be viewed as a very personal attack on Fangio and his character, suggesting he’s not a “good person.”
Granted, no one asked Holland to expound on that statement. I was there for the very beginning of Holland’s interview, then walked away to listen in on another interview, and returned after Holland made the Fangio comment.
No one asked Holland if he meant what he said about Fangio in a literal sense.
I’m choosing to take it at face value and think Holland meant it personally.
After all, Holland tweeted an image that’s the equivalent of saying Fangio can kick rocks, or good riddance, after it was announced Fangio, by mutual agreement, wouldn’t return to the Dolphins.
By the way, I’m hoping the Dolphins don’t attempt to limit Holland’s right to free speech, so to speak.
Holland is full of insight.
He was one of my go-to guys on a column I wrote on players looking at what’s being said about them on social media.
When he wants to be good with the media, such as Tuesday, he’s really good.
Buried amid the Holland/Fangio rubble is the mature, candid, humorous attitude Holland showed toward his contract extension talks.
He was amazing. Seriously.
He was asked at least twice about his contract.
The first time Holland was funny, referencing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s inability to get a contract extension done.
“Man, Tua ain’t getting it done, I’m not getting it done,” Holland cracked. “I’m on the back burner. I don’t know much. I just work here.”
The second time he was asked about his contract, Holland showed veteran savvy.
“I mean, it’d be great to get it done,” he said. “It’s on my mind, obviously. It’s my career, so I’m thinking about the bread.
“But it’s gonna come when it’s gonna come. I’m still getting paid, still on payroll and whatnot, still employed, so I’m just (going to) keep going, playing ball, and then let the chips fall where they may.”
He was asked whether he’d go to general manager Chris Grier or leave it to his agent.
Holland said he leaves that up to his agent, and added he instructed his agent to let him know when negotiations start and they’ll go from there.
“There’s really no point (of me going to Grier) because nothing that I say is going to end up getting them to pay me faster,” he said. “I mean, I would hope they want to pay me as fast as possible, but their process is their process and I’m gonna just keep on doing my thing and focusing on golf and fishing and…”
And enjoying the summer?
“Yeah, you know what I mean? If they want to pay me, they can pay me. But I’m just taking it a day at a time.”
Overall, I have a positive opinion of Jevon Holland as a person.
I just happen to think he crossed a line if this was as it seems — a public, very personal attack on Fangio.