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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Johnson Fires Olivadotti; Olivadotti Fires At Media

From Wire Reports

Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson fired defensive coordinator Tom Olivadotti, a lightning rod for criticism during the team’s disappointing season.

Also Thursday, Johnson told offensive coordinator Gary Stevens and secondary coach Mel Phillips that they’ll return, giving the Dolphins five assistants. Johnson is expected to hire 11.

Running backs coach Tony Nathan was fired. Four holdovers from Don Shula’s last staff are in limbo.

Bob Ackles, who helped orchestrate the moves that turned the Dallas Cowboys into a Super Bowl team and worked this year for the Philadelphia Eagles, agreed to rejoin Johnson as his top aide in personnel decisions.

The Dolphins declined to confirm any of the moves Thursday.

Olivadotti said the Miami media unfairly sullied his reputation as a coach. “The media here just annihilated me,” he said. “The people who know, they respect the job I did. I don’t know how you guys go to sleep at night.”

Miami’s defense ranked 16th this season and collapsed in a 37-22 playoff loss at Buffalo. Olivadotti spent nine years in charge of the defense.

“We didn’t win a Super Bowl, so in that respect it’s a failure,” he said. “But in the last six years, we were in the playoffs four times. … Just imagine if we hadn’t been coaching our butt off - we’d have been 4-12.”

Nathan was a coach in Miami for the past eight years. He also spent nine years with the Dolphins as a running back.

“You always expect the worst so it won’t be such a blow,” Nathan said. “But it is.”

Phillips said he received word from Johnson that he’ll be back for a 12th season with the Dolphins.

“I’m very happy,” Phillips said, “very relieved.”

Broncos fire executive

Bob Ferguson, who spearheaded the Denver Broncos’ free-agent acquisitions and draft picks the past three years, was fired Wednesday as the team’s director of player personnel.

Ferguson’s contract with the Broncos was scheduled to expire March 31, less than a month before the NFL draft.

His role diminished when Mike Shanahan took over as Broncos coach this year, but when Wade Phillips was coach, Ferguson was the point man in the acquisitions of free agents such as Rod Bernstine, Dave Wyman, Ray Crockett, Brian Habib and Anthony Miller.

Steelers weary

Chad Brown and Brentson Buckner are among several Steelers who have grown slightly agitated at the Cowboys’ can’t-lose mentality, and they question why the game will be played if the winner is so certain. Still, no Steelers have issued any outrageous predictions in response.

As coach Bill Cowher said, “Nobody’s making any Joe Namath predictions.”

“The Washington Redskins beat them twice, so they’re not unbeatable,” Brown said. “It’s a little frustrating, and I don’t feel as though we get very much respect. But we’re not going to earn respect by saying we don’t get it. The only chance to earn respect is go out there and win next Sunday.”

NFL sued

The Maryland Stadium Authority filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NFL after the league’s owners failed to vote on the proposed move of the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore.

Chairman authority John Moag said the lawsuit, which seeks initial damages of $36 million, was necessary because of “the illegal failure of the NFL owners to approve the transfer of the franchise to Baltimore.”

The timing of the lawsuit was curious considering it came about an hour after commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that the owners, who met for three days in Atlanta without voting on the situation, would convene again on Feb. 8-9 to decide the issue.

Moag said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, was a “pre-emptory strike” designed to put pressure on the NFL owners to approve the relocation of the Browns.

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