Miami Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier Shares Vile Email Intended To Curse His Family

Near the end of what was a long, insightful but otherwise routine press conference on Wednesday, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier shared this little ditty about his interactions with fans:

"When I’m out, people have been generally very positive and stuff to me," Grier said, "but I know there are guys – I’ve gotten some colorful emails from a couple of people, including [one] hoping my kids die of cancer, which was a fun one. 

"I was like, there you go. So that’s why I don’t take things personal or real, because other people have other issues and stuff in life."

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel watch training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex, Friday, July 28, 2023 in Miami Gardens.

Chris Grier Email Is Legitimate

Before we go any further, let me say the existence of this email has been confirmed by OutKick.

And the correspondence said "a lot of other horrible things as well," according to someone besides Grier who saw it.

So, where to go next?

Let's start with the fact that there's no place for this kind of stuff anywhere. There's no excuse for such abhorrent wickedness.

No, Grier didn't sign up for this kind of stuff when he took the Dolphins' general manager job in 2016. No, he doesn't deserve this because the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs last season. 

And there's no reason to attack someone's family – even verbally – anonymously or otherwise. We're not living in a 1923 Yellowstone episode. 

This stuff is disgusting.

And wrong.

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Social Media Has Led To This

But, unfortunately, it is probably another illustration that we live in a fallen world. It's further evidence beyond repulsive social media interplay that people have given themselves license via their keyboard to say things they'd never say in person.

Chris Grier has two sons. 

The youngest son, Jackson Grier, is in college and, beyond football, he's a business major and a past Mountain-West Scholar athlete.

The oldest son, Landon Grier, played high school football like his younger brother, and later enrolled in college where he was on the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll multiple times.

Neither young man deserves the curses intended in that email. 

It should be noted that Grier has generally not had bad experiences with fans. 

Miami Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier is seen on the sidelines prior to the start of the football game between the New York Jets and host Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, January 8, 2023, in Miami Gardens, FL.

Grier: Fans Nice To My Face

"I really haven’t had many interactions with fans, no" he said. "When I see guys, they are like ‘Hey’ or if I’m out, people have always been respectful and nice. They just say ‘Hey, keep going, appreciate you’.

"To my face they’ve been nice. I know there are people that are upset, but that’s any job. If I was comfortable and said I felt great about where things are, then I’m an a--hole because I’m not being realistic about where we are as a team and where things are going after last season.

"So I’m frustrated, like they are, that we didn’t win enough games last year. I understand it. Like I said, I don’t take things personally."

Grier has made some mistakes. But Dolphins fans have been frustrated for quite a while because their team has not won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000. 

So random individuals among the fan base have taken liberties with club general managers before. 

In September of 2012, for example, then-general manager Jeff Ireland was walking through the concourse of the team's home stadium in Miami Gardens when a fan told him, "We need you to fire yourself."

Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland (left) and chairman Stephen Ross attend the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Photo: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The Jeff Ireland Incident

Ireland responded by calling the fan an "a--hole."

"It did happen at halftime," Ireland told me at the time. "I was going back to my booth after seeing my wife and I did talk to several fans that were very nice. But as I’m walking back, this guy introduces himself to me and says I should fire myself.

"It caught me off guard. I just turned and walked away, but I did say the word. I regret I used the word I used. I thought I was using it under my breath. I guess I kind of said it loud enough that he could hear it. I literally said it under my breath. 

"At the time, I felt I handled the situation pretty good. Probably muttered it a little too loud. I regret that I said anything."

That's the thing. Punching down at stupidity is never a great look. Unfortunately, I know from personal experience.

So the best response to these people who spew hate is to say nothing. That's mostly what happened with Grier this offseason when he got that email. He showed it to some people in the organization and moved on. 

But he obviously didn't forget.