Michael Irvin: The U

When U think about Miami Hurricane football which former UM players come to mind? 

Jim Kelly?  Bernie Kosar?  Vinny Testaverde?  Steve Walsh?  Gino Toretta?  Ken Dorsey?  Ted Hendricks?  Bennie Blades?  Warren Sapp?  Ray Lewis?  Ed Reed?  Sean Taylor?  Otis Anderson?  Edgerrin James?  Clinton Portis?  Willis McGahee?  Frank Gore? Lamar Thomas?  Randall Hill?  Reggie Wayne?  Sanatana Moss?  Andre Johnson?  Dan Morgan?  Russell Maryland?  Vince Wilfork?  Jonathan Vilma?  Cortez Kennedy?

How about WR Michael Irvin?  The "Play Maker" certainly left his mark on Miami football. 

New Hurricanes Head Coach Al Golden asked #47 to speak to the team about the Hurricane tradition and lergacy.  Irvin had a chance to address the team before the recent Spring game at Lockhart Stadium. 

Here is what he had to say:

The "Play Maker" is definitely something special and a big part of Miami Hurricane football history. 

Michael Irvin is "The U".

Comments

[roachcane77]

Good morning Canespacers!

[roachcane77]

Ahh, teachers... we're overpaid and ungrateful. And we have such GREAT hours... But, we're the root of everything that's wrong with this country.

Not the superrich 1% of individuals and corporations who pay no taxes or actually get Uncle Sam to pay them back bonuses. Or the Wall Streeters who go bankrupt after running illegal and unethical lending schemes and then get bailed out, only to turn right around and start doing the same thing AND give their top dogs newer and bigger bonuses. Not the oil speculators who do nothing but drive up profits for themselves and their industry while oil supplies are at their highest in years. Not the corrupt and criminal politicians who are bought & sold by the special interests, top 1%ers, corporations, and Wall Streeters that got us into this mess... NO it's the teachers... we're all getting HUGELY rich... basically working part time. (That's why I get up at 5am everyday, and get home at 5pm most days and still have papers & projects to grade.)

Oh yeah... nice article Soupster...

Let's Go Canes! It's the start of a Golden Era for our Miami Hurricanes!

[roachcane77]

By the way... that was one h*ll of a speech by "The Playmaker." Having these guys come back and mentor and work with these young guys is a great way to continue the winning legacy that AG's trying to reestablish at the U.

[SOUP]

By the way... that was one h*ll of a speech by "The Playmaker." Having these guys come back and mentor and work with these young guys is a great way to continue the winning legacy that AG's trying to reestablish at the U.

Posted by: roachcane77 | April 26, 2011 at 05:56 AM

There IT is right there.

[Canechic]

Well said roach cane! Thanks for being a great teacher!

Sharks win I can sleep this week!

[Canechic]

Great speech I hope they download it on their iPod and play it over and over during the summer! Hard work and effort are the keys to succeeding in life period! Sometimes you don't win, sometimes you fail but you know in your heart you gave it your all.....just give it your all that is all I ask of these kids.

Go Canes!

[Ohio_Cane]

SOUP, replied to U in email.

Twitter account will start being updated today. Do I have to do anything to get them to post to this site?

[Six]

When I think of Miami Hurricane football, I think of Matt Perrelli and the 8 years it seemed like he was on the team

I watched his stomach go from normal to being a nice big boiler by the end of his Canes days

[Ohio_Cane]

Twitter account will start being updated today. Do I have to do anything to get them to post to this site?

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | April 26, 2011 at 09:23 AM
------------------------------------------

^^ Nevermind that, I found out it automatically updates.

[Six]

roachcane77 - pffft, you know that teachers are the problem and you should just be grateful to have a job that not only do you have to try and mold young minds, but also babysit and put up with the sh*t of undisciplined and disrespectful kids b/c their parents at home are too damn lazy or shouldn't have been able to pro-create in the first place

Both my parents were teachers (high school and college), along with 3 of my grandparents (high school and college), aunt (grade school and middle school), an uncle (college)

Now stop complaining and go make sure that these kids are ready for the whatever CAT test, help them cheat if you have to so you can maybe get a raise b/c of their test scores being better, even if you're in a really bad school district as opposed to being in a wealthier/prominent school district where the parents actually care about their kids for the most part about their education

[Ohio_Cane]

Want to get Canespace followers up on twitter. Anyone who is a member please go "#FF @86Cane" on there please.

Thank U!

[Ohio_Cane]

Here - http://twitter.com/#!/86Cane

[Canechic]

I have not been on twitter in over a year....I just dont get it!

[raizecane]

What is this "twitter" thing people keep talking about???

[Herbieibis]

Solar,

Thanks dude, the the Spacer tee looks good. I will sport it proudly up here in Tarheel country.

[solarcane]

checkin in.
man its the dead period!

I have to admit as far as Twitter goes I have found a zillion Kayak anglers from all over the world.
Sports wise you can get updates faster than any blog or pay site can get them up.
I have posted lots of stuff for us here that was up before the Herald,ITU, SS knew anything about it.

If you are logged onto Canespace 24/7 following Canespace on Twitter would be kind of redundant, but to be able to get your canespace feeds anywhere on the go is cool.
ohio cane and monte are good men, and they follow lots of action on Twitter.
Following Canes athletes on twitter is almost painful.
like:
I'm gonna been rish soon I a beast,im eting at chilis, havi frizs follow my boy

and like that.

back to work catch you guys tonight

check the Solar Zone lots of new stuff added

http://solarcane.net/index.html

[solarcane]

herbi thanks,

I handled the design, collecting and logistics.
It's soup's generosity that gets them shipped free and sold at next to cost.

I wear mine all over GT land and when I'm near Clemson or Tar Hell
got to run

[Ohio_Cane]

CB Janoris Jenkins no longer part of Fla fb program after meeting w/ Muschamp: http://bit.ly/gDP4VE

[Ohio_Cane]

Following Canes athletes on twitter is almost painful.
like:
I'm gonna been rish soon I a beast,im eting at chilis, havi frizs follow my boy

Posted by: solarcane | April 26, 2011 at 01:30 PM
-------------------------------------------

Agree 100%, but you can get some good info following those guys. Like the day TB3 was gonna race Sam Shields at The U after workouts.

[JameriCANE]

April 26, 2011

Mike Huguenin
Rivals.com College Football Editor

We're two days from the NFL draft, and while turmoil continues to surround negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, the draft offers some "comfort food" to fans starved for any kind of positive football news.

While fans -- and team officials -- debate over who should go No. 1, an extremely safe bet is that Miami and Ohio State are going to have players selected in the draft.

Miami has had the most players selected in the first round (26, 10 more than Ohio State) since 2000, while Ohio State leads in total draftees (73, four more than USC). Miami CB Brandon Harris and Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward are potential first-round picks this year.

In all, both schools have six or seven likely draftees.

Here are some NFL draft stats this century as it relates to colleges and conference affiliation through last season. This covers the 2000 draft through the 2010 draft.

Most draft picks
1. Ohio State 73
2. USC 69
3. Miami 67
4. Georgia 61
5. Tennessee 60
6t. Florida 59
6t. Florida State 59
8. LSU 55
9. Virginia Tech 52
10t. Michigan 49
10t. Oklahoma 49 Most first-rounders
1. Miami 26
2. Ohio State 16
3. USC 15
4t. Florida State 14
4t. Texas 14
6t. Florida 12
6t. Oklahoma 12
6t. Tennessee 12
9. Georgia 11
10. Penn State 10

Here is a team-by-team look at the players selected in the NFL draft since 2000. (@ - player taken in supplemental draft. * - player was first of multiple picks from that school in first round that year).

BY CONFERENCE
ACC
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Boston College 22 7 2009 (DT B.J. Raji)
Clemson 29 4 2010 (RB C.J. Spiller)
Duke 2 0 1992 (QB Dave Brown@)
Florida State 59 14 2010 (CB Patrick Robinson)
Georgia Tech 27 4 2010 (DE Derrick Morgan*)
Maryland 28 3 '09 (WR Darrius Heyward-Bey)
Miami 67 26 2008 (FS Kenny Phillips)
North Carolina 29 4 2009 (WR Hakeem Nicks)
NC State 28 5 2006 (DE Mario Williams*)
Virginia 33 6 2009 (OT Eugene Monroe)
Virginia Tech 52 4 2008 (OT Duane Brown)
Wake Forest 19 2 2009 (LB Aaron Curry)
BIG 12
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Baylor 9 1 2009 (OT Jason Smith)
Colorado 26 2 2003 (DE Tyler Brayton)
Iowa State 11 0 1973 (RB George Amundson)
Kansas 12 1 2008 (CB Aqib Talib)
Kansas State 32 2 2009 (QB Josh Freeman)
Missouri 19 4 2010 (LB Sean Weatherspoon)
Nebraska 44 3 2010 (DT Ndamukong Suh)
Oklahoma 49 12 2010 (QB Sam Bradford*)
Oklahoma State 17 5 2010 (OT Russell Okung*)
Texas 45 14 2010 (S Earl Thomas)
Texas A&M 32 2 2003 (DE Ty Warren*)
Texas Tech 20 1 2009 (WR Michael Crabtree)
BIG EAST
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Cincinnati 21 0 1971 (DT Bob Bell)
Connecticut 11 1 2009 (RB Donald Brown)
Louisville 29 2 2009 (C Eric Wood)
Pittsburgh 29 3 2008 (OT Jeff Otah)
Rutgers 17 3 2010 (OT Anthony Davis*)
Syracuse 24 3 2002 (DE Dwight Freeney)
USF 16 2 2010 (DE Jason Pierre-Paul)
West Virginia 18 2 2005 (CB Pacman Jones)
BIG TEN
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Illinois 22 2 2009 (CB Vontae Davis)
Indiana 10 0 1994 (WR Thomas Lewis)
Iowa 39 4 2010 (OT Brian Bulaga)
Michigan 49 9 2010 (DE Brandon Graham)
Michigan State 33 4 2003 (WR Charles Rogers)
Minnesota 20 2 2006 (RB Laurence Maroney)
Northwestern 16 2 2005 (DT Luis Castillo)
Ohio State 73 16 2009 (CB Malcolm Jenkins*)
Penn State 44 10 2010 (DT Jared Odrick)
Purdue 33 2 2008 (TE Dustin Keller)
Wisconsin 46 8 2007 (OT Joe Thomas)
CONFERENCE USA
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
East Carolina 10 1 2008 (RB Chris Johnson)
Houston 8 0 1997 (RB Antowain Smith)
Marshall 12 2 2003 (QB Byron Leftwich)
Memphis 10 1 2006 (RB DeAngelo Williams)
Rice 4 0 1980 (RB Earl Cooper)
SMU 4 0 1986 (CB Rod Jones*)
Southern Miss 19 0 1992 (RB Tony Smith)
Tulane 9 2 2004 (QB J.P. Losman)
Tulsa 5 0 1977 (OL Steve August)
UAB 6 2 2005 (WR Roddy White)
UCF 14 0 1999 (QB Duante Culpepper)
UTEP 13 0 1968 (LB Fred Carr*)
INDEPENDENT
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Army 1 0 1947 (OT Tex Coulter)
Navy 0 0 None
Notre Dame 46 2 2007 (QB Brady Quinn)
MAC
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Akron 6 0 None
Ball State 5 0 None
Bowling Green 4 0 1961 (WR Bernie Casey)
Buffalo 4 0 None
Central Michigan 7 1 2007 (OT Joe Staley)
Eastern Michigan 4 0 1999 (OT L.J. Shelton)
Kent State 5 0 None
Miami (Ohio) 9 1 2004 (QB Ben Roethlisberger)
Northern Illinois 7 1 2009 (OLB Larry English)
Ohio 4 0 1936 (T Art Lewis)
Temple 6 0 1987 (RB Paul Palmer)
Toledo 6 0 1993 (DE Dan Williams)
Western Michigan 5 1 2004 (OLB Jason Babin)
MOUNTAIN WEST
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Air Force 0 0 None
BYU 22 1 2000 (LB Rob Morris)
Colorado State 12 0 1987 (QB Kelly Stouffer)
New Mexico 13 1 2000 (LB Brian Urlacher)
San Diego State 18 0 1998 (G Kyle Turley)
TCU 24 1 2010 (DE Jerry Hughes)
UNLV 11 0 None
Utah 29 2 2005 (QB Alex Smith)
Wyoming 4 0 1976 (RB Lawrence Gaines*)
PAC-10
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Arizona 24 2 2008 (CB Antoine Cason)
Arizona State 35 5 2003 (OLB Terrell Suggs)
Cal 38 9 2010 (DE Tyson Alualu*)
Oregon 37 3 2008 (RB Jonathan Stewart)
Oregon State 29 2 2004 (RB Steven Jackson)
Stanford 33 1 2003 (OT Kwame Harris)
UCLA 28 2 2006 (TE Marcedes Lewis)
USC 69 15 2009 (QB Mark Sanchez*)
Washington 21 2 2004 (WR Reggie Williams)
Washington State 17 1 2003 (CB Marcus Trufant)
SEC
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Alabama 42 5 2010 (LB Rolando McClain*)
Arkansas 30 6 2008 (RB Darren McFadden*)
Auburn 38 6 2007 (G Ben Grubbs)
Florida 59 12 2010 (CB Joe Haden*)
Georgia 61 11 2009 (QB Matt Stafford*)
Kentucky 18 1 2003 (DT Dewayne Robertson)
LSU 55 9 2009 (DE Tyson Jackson)
Mississippi 26 6 2009 (OT Michael Oher*)
Mississippi State 18 0 1996 (CB Walt Harris*)
South Carolina 30 4 2006 (CB Johnathan Joseph)
Tennessee 60 12 2010 (S Eric Berry)
Vanderbilt 14 2 2008 (OT Chris Williams)
SUN BELT
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Arkansas State 5 0 None
Florida Atlantic 1 0 None
Florida International 2 0 None
Louisiana-Lafayette 5 0 None
Louisiana-Monroe 3 0 1971 (RB Joe Profit)
Middle Tennessee 4 0 None
North Texas 1 0 1971 (DB Leonard Dunlap)
Troy 12 2 2008 (CB Leodis McKelvin)
Western Kentucky 3 0 None
WAC
School Draft picks First-rounders Last first-rounder
Boise State 13 2 2010 (CB Kyle Wilson)
Fresno State 20 3 2010 (RB Ryan Mathews)
Hawaii 20 1 2002 (WR Ashley Lelie)
Idaho 7 1 2010 (G Mike Iupati)
Louisiana Tech 9 0 1999 (WR Troy Edwards)
Nevada 6 0 1949 (QB Stan Heath)
New Mexico State 2 0 None
San Jose State 9 0 1983 (CB Gill Byrd)
Utah State 4 0 1970 (DT Phil Olsen)

Mike Huguenin is the college sports editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at mhuguenin@rivals.com.

[CGNC]

CC - congrats on the Sharks win. The Pens continue to skate like they are on a public session the last couple of games.

[CGNC]

Raize - twitter is ok for updates on people I guess. I honestly don't have time for much of it

[Old Skool]

SEC dominance ....

AJ Green had to address the subject after Pro Football Weekly reported that the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder scored a 10 out of a possible 50 on the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test he took in February at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The score reportedly was among the five lowest of the 330 players who were tested, and it ranked just ahead of the reported 9 scored by former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

[Ohio_Cane]

No one said you have to be smart to catch a ball or avoid people trying to tackle you. LOL

[Old Skool]

Auburn and LSU have two other requirements: you must be able to hide the cash and keep your mouth shut ...

or if you open it, you don't name names.

[Canechic]

Thanks cgnc I really thought they were going to blow it but killing off that 5 min penalty then scoring right after by Joe Thornton was so crazy tense....I screamed so loud I think I woke the neighbors!!!! Then to try to get to sleep after that excitement, almost impossible!

I like Facebook but twitter just does not do anything for me...and with my little birdie I already know enough about what some of these players do and believe me it is not what read on twitter, lol!

[SOUP]

Nevermind that, I found out it automatically updates.

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | April 26, 2011 at 11:50 AM

Ohio...YES it does and we have four new followers already from your invite!

Thanks for taking over the Canespace Twitter account. U and Monty and Solar ALL do a great job following current Tweets and posting Twitter info here.

But like some others on the blog have commented I found it interesting at first but I quickly lost interest. To me it seems like INFO overload?

And really between running the blog and managing two facebook accounts and two email accounts I've got ALL of the Internet content that I can handle right now.

Remember we are not looking for quantity just quality UM info so don't stress on it. I don't think "re-teweets" post autoto this page so U have to cut and paste comments into the 86Cane account and repost them for them to show here.

Thanks again!

[Willie Will in Nashville]

whats going on with some players not having their names on the back of their jerseys?

[SOUP]

The Pens continue to skate like they are on a public session the last couple of games.

Posted by: CGNC | April 26, 2011 at 01:51 PM

I've watched two of the Pens-Bolts games and while I was seriously rooting for Tamapa to be honest I think the Pens are a better team and better coached. They control the puck much better and get a LOT more quality chances than the Bolts.

Last night Tampa got a little lucky and the game turned their way. I look for the Pens to win game 7 in Pittsburgh.

[SOUP]

Sebas, Canechic (and family), Raize, Six...I'm going the Marlins game tonight against the Dodgers at Sun Life.

I'll take pictures of the pathetic crowd while drinking a frosty adult beverage and cheering the Fish on to victory.

Wish me luck!

[SOUP]

Tuesday: Marlins vs Dodgers at Sun Life.

Wednesday: UM vs USF @ 6 PM.

Friday: UM vs FSU @ 7 PM.

Canespacers...if U want to go to a UM game this week on Wednesday or Friday email me at:

canespace86@aol.com

Then meet me at The Titanic Brewery one hour before game time and I will give U 2 FREE tickets.

[Ohio_Cane]

Remember we are not looking for quantity just quality UM info so don't stress on it.

Thanks again!

Posted by: SOUP | April 26, 2011 at 03:13 PM
-------------------------------------------

U got it! No problem!

Trying to get some more followers at the moment.

Anything I would normally repost here, I'll tweet or retweet as well.

[solarcane]

No one said you have to be smart to catch a ball or avoid people trying to tackle you. LOL

You are correct thank goodness football player's entrance exams and grades are as crooked as the rest of the NCAA.

Every player isn't going to express themselves as well as Brandon Harris or Ryan McNeil but really a 4 year paid college education should give you the "toolbox" to string a sentence or two together no?

[Ohio_Cane]

SOUP, if you want me to post less on there, just let me know.

[solarcane]

soup,
good call on trying to get quality people to follow.
I don't get how 1,000 people that don't give a crap about what you are saying is more impressive than 20 people actually have a mutual interest.

Seeing guys begging a Ray Lewis or Deion Sanders to reply to them as if that somehow makes the pals is sad.

I have tried to get The Solar Zone out there the last week because later I intend to sell graphics and shirts on it.
I can understand trying to get real followers if you are trying to sell a product.

[solarcane]

CBS SPORTS
What I learned this spring: ACC Coastal
by Chip Patterson

With all six spring games completed, we wrap up spring practice in the ACC Coastal Division.

DUKE: Head coach David Cutcliffe exits his fourth spring practice with the Blue Devils with as much optimism as ever, but knows that the 2011 Blue Devils have some work to do before kicking off the season against Richmond on Sept. 3.

"A successful day," Cutcliffe said after the spring game. "But I told them this is just the beginning. In college football now, [you have] the remainder of the spring term to work on weights and conditioning. And a summer that's going to very important to a young team."

Almost two-thirds of the Blue Devils roster is made up of freshman and sophomores. While youth can easily breed optimism, there is also a realistic expectation that this group needs to put in more work on the fundamentals this summer. Duke does have the benefit of returning both pieces of their quarterback rotation from 2010. Junior Sean Renfree will remain the starting quarterback, coming off a pleasantly surprising 3,131 yard, 14 touchdown season. Sophomore Brandon Connette will continue in his role as a run-first quarterback in rotation with Renfree, but the spring has shown some improvement in Connette's passing game. Defensively, we didn't learn much about Duke this spring due to widespread injuries across the unit. If anything the injuries made a talented Blue Devils offense look spectacular at times. Duke will likely not be able to escape a similar bowl-less fate in 2011, but at least now they have the athletes on the roster to remain competitive.

GEORGIA TECH: Georgia Tech set out to improve defensively this spring and try to focus on special teams. The good news is that the Yellow Jackets defense finished spring practice looking much better than the offense. Which might actually reveal more issues with the offense than it does compliment the defensive improvement. At different times this spring, both Tevin Washington and Synjyn Days have struggled in scrimmage situations against the first-team defense. Both quarterbacks have struggled to find a rhythm, and as head coach Paul Johnson said, they have been "running for their lives" on the field.

The defense was highlighted this spring by players like defensive end Jason Peters and inside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy, who entered spring practice as a backup. Nealy, a redshirt freshman, has seen time with the first-string this spring due to injuries to Julian Burnett and Daniel Drummond. He has made the most of the opportunity, capping off his spring by leading the Yellow Jackets in tackles during their annual T-Day game. Paul Johnson also wanted to increase the mistakes in the special teams after last season. Unfortunately that is not completely solved as Georgia Tech's kickers combined for misses from 28, 47, and 49 yards in the T-Day game.

MIAMI: Miami's spring has been much publicized due to the arrival of new head coach Al Golden . Therefore it should come as no surprise that we learned just as much (if not more) about Golden's vision for the Miami football program this spring than we did about the actual players on the roster. In following the Hurricanes this spring one word stands out to describe Golden's brief time at Miami: demand.

Golden demands that Miami play, practice, and think at a fast pace. He demanded that the Hurricanes get in better shape, and instituted a rigorous winter conditioning program. He demanded that players need to earn starting positions, and that is obvious with the unusually fluid final spring depth chart.

But will all these demands and the implementation of a new attitude around Miami catch on in time for the 2011 season? There are still plenty of question marks on the field, most notably the ongoing quarterback battle between Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris. The Hurricanes have a stable of running backs and a solid offensive line that should provide stability to the offense, and take some pressure of whichever signal-caller ends up as the starter. If nothing else, Golden has brought hype back to "The U." More than 300 former players showed up for the Hurricanes' spring game in Ft. Lauderdale, a who's who of active and retired NFL players.

Something else I learned from Miami this spring? I really need to get a Michael Irvin alarm clock.

NORTH CAROLINA: - While several former North Carolina defenders are preparing to hear their name called this weekend in the NFL draft, many of the stars from 2010's defense are still in Chapel Hill preparing for next fall. If anything, the spring showed us that the heart of of the Tar Heels' defense will be on the defensive line. The Tar Heels will be able to rotate 8-9 defensive lineman, highlighted by Quinton Coples, Jared MacAdoo, and Donte Paige-Moss. Much of the depth and added experience on the defensive line is due to the suspensions of Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn forcing players into positions unexpectedly before the season started. One of the things that makes North Carolina's line especially dangerous is the ability of several players to play multiple positions. Both Coples and MacAdoo are able to play inside or out, and that versatility can benefit a team when injuries hit during the long season. One of the biggest surprises on the already deep defensive line has been the play of junior college transfer Sylvester Williams. Williams has been building buzz since he arrived in Chapel Hill, and could end up challenging Jordan Nix for a starting defensive tackle job by next fall. North Carolina's secondary is a concern once again, making it even more important for the defensive line to put pressure on the quarterback to prevent opposing wide receivers from getting space down the field.

Offensively much of the focus will be on quarterback Bryn Renner, who is taking over for four-year starter T.J. Yates. Renner showed promise at times this spring, but he is still getting accustomed to his new role as leader of the offense. Thankfully he'll have Dwight Jones and Erik Highsmith to throw to, and an experienced offensive line to give him time to operate. Ryan Houston was a touchdown machine in 2009, but after redshirting last season and undergoing shoulder blade surgery this summer the depth at running back will be a concern heading into the fall.

VIRGINIA: Earlier this year, head coach Mike London made headlines by pulling in yet another unexpectedly strong class on National Signing Day. Unfortunately, these small victories will take some time before they translate into more marks in the "W" column for the Cavaliers. This spring did not answer many of the questions that existed near the end of last year's four-win season. Defensively, the Cavaliers return seven starters from a unit that finished only better than Duke and Wake Forest in both scoring and total defense. Improvement from those numbers will be necessary considering the lack of offensive firepower.

Virginia rotated through four different quarterbacks during their spring game (Michael Rocco, Ross Metheny, Michael Strauss, and David Watford), but no candidate stood out among the group. The offensive line has been porous, and the Cavaliers still lack an answer at running back as well. What did I learn about Virginia? Greener pastures may lie in their future, but unless someone steps up to make the Cavaliers a threat on offense they will have a difficult time keeping up with opponents in 2011.

VIRGINIA TECH: Not to drone on about new quarterbacks, but when a sophomore takes over for the ACC Player of the Year it is going to turn some heads. Logan Thomas has looked impressive this spring, grabbing most of the positive notes out of Blacksburg across the last several weeks. He finished spring practice as the star of the spring game, throwing for 131 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the Hokies in rushing with 46 yards on just five carries. However, Thomas' impressive performance did showcase some depth issues for the Hokies on offense. With starting running back David Wilson away with the track team, backup running backs Daniel Dyer, Josh Oglesby, and James Hopper struggled against the Hokies' defense in the spring game. Last season head coach Frank Beamer had the benefit of three NFL-caliber running backs to choose from, right now it looks like Wilson is the only competent option. The backup quarterbacks did not fair well either, with second-string Ju-Ju Clayton completing just three of his ten passes, and tossing two interceptions.

Defensively, Virginia Tech's returning talent seems charged up by the 40-12 lashing they took from Andrew Luck and Stanford in the Orange Bowl. The competition on the field has been aggressive, and defensive coordinator Bud Foster has not backed down from calling his team's performance in that game "unacceptable." Players to keep an eye on heading into the fall include linebacker Tariq Edwards and defensive end James Gayle, who was voted the spring defensive MVP. For those still curious, wide receiver Danny Coale did punt in the spring game and is still considered in the running for the job come fall.

[Canechic]

Soup I am super jealous have fun! Sadly we will not be able to see the game in Orlando.......darn Magic :(

[SOUP]

FROM THE SOLARZONE:

WET YOUR PANTS TOUR 2.0

Plans are well under way for this summer's Wet Your Pants Tour 2.0.

The Part Time Pirates will once again tumble down the untamed Chattooga River, that was featured in the movie Deliverance.

I'll be hosting a few select fool hearty friends from the Canespace blog, and some of my local pals on the river.

The dates are July 23-24.

Watch right here for news updates and photos before during and after.

[SOUP]

GONE FISHIN', SEE YOU ALL LATER TONIGHT...

[solarcane]

Swiping your credit card between a servers breasts doesn't rack up a lot of points.

============================================
Albert Haynesworth charged with sexual abuse


WASHINGTON -- Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor sexual abuse for allegedly fondling his server's breast at a Washington hotel.

A grand jury returned an indictment formally charging Haynesworth. The waitress' allegations have been reported by the media after the alleged incident in February.

If convicted, Haynesworth, 29, faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, the government's evidence shows Haynesworth slid a credit card down the front of the server's dress and fondled her breast.

Telephone and e-mail messages left for Haynesworth's agent, Chad Speck, were not immediately returned. At the time the server's accusations became public, Speck said "there seems to be no truth to these allegations."

Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie said the team was referring all calls to Haynesworth and his agent.

[AlpharettaCane]

Hurri / Skool / Rock and Soup:

Thanks for the quick download on Gaines...forgot he was the kid from Buffalo.

Thanks to you, have my bearings back straight with the MLB position.

Probably not a good thing if Gaines / Cain / Nelson et al all blend in after a while. Says something about, oh hell, who cares!

[Old Skool]

Nu'Keese Richardson (dropped from Tenessee's program for a robbery) is trying to get in Delta State.

Wouldn't be surprised if Janoris joins him. They were Pahokee teammates: best buds who liked buds best.

[AlpharettaCane]

This one certified me as a Cane 4Life....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQHIPVIN5OI

Prior to this, I just "Liked them because they played in the same city as the Dolphins."

Posted by: Hurri | April 25, 2011 at 11:16 PM

Hurri, couldn't help but thinking watching these highlights that that could be the 2011 'Canes:

- Unstopable running attack (Yes!!!!)
- Porous secondary (Oh shit!!)

[mi@mic@ne]

http://recruitocosm.fantake.com/2011/02/21/chad-kelly-says-thanks-social-media/

Chad Kelly... this guy looks like money... hes related to Jim. He gets an offer..

[Canechic]

Marlins game is on because the rays game has been postponed! Great game, soup picked a good night to go to a baseball game!

[OhioCane]

Jim Mandich has passed away. RIP

[Six]

86 - Guy Boucher, first year head coach for the Bolts and hand picked by Stevie Y from basically the minor leagues of hockey .. has never coached in the NHL before

The guy led the Bolts back to the Playoffs for the first time since forever-ever

Guy has done a pretty damn good job of getting the kids and vets to buy into what he's selling

Guy is a badass, along with the fact that he looks like a perfect Bond villain with that V shaped scar on his right cheek

These 2 are going to turn the Bolts into a scary team

http://www2.tbo.com/exposure/ar/659/372/2010/06/11/54741_0611bolts.jpg

[Canechic]

Jim Mandich-RIP

[Canechic]

Cancer takes another great guy :(

[OhioCane]

TONS of twitter action following the news Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich's passing. Lots of love being shown for a great man.

[OhioCane]

Article on Mandich - http://bit.ly/ih7EHa”

[CaneRock]

WOW! Can't believe that Jim Mandich passed away. I remember we used to mute the TV during Dolphins games and listen to Jim's play by play instead. As far as I'm concerned, Jim will always be the official voice of Miami sports, R.I.P. JM

[canesteeler]

RIP Maddog Mandich. Pens are playing like Canes of the past 3 seasons.

[canesteeler]

Mandich played several years with the Steelers.

[WindyCane1]

Will miss Mandich - R.I.P.

[SOUP]

They were Pahokee teammates: best buds who liked buds best.

Posted by: Old Skool | April 26, 2011 at 07:33 PM

LMAO!

[SOUP]

Marlins game is on because the rays game has been postponed! Great game, soup picked a good night to go to a baseball game!

Posted by: Canechic | April 26, 2011 at 09:00 PM

YUP! Just back from The Sun and my fishing expedition was HIGHLY successful.

Gabby hit a HR and the Marlins won 4-2.

[SOUP]

Ohio...4 more new followers on Twitter.

[OhioCane]

Just needed to let me get ahold of it, SOUP! I'll get u an audience here! ;-)

[Hurri]

Alph,

You got a point. Our secondary scares the hell outta me. How many tailbacks can we convert? Backers and corners are gonna be a problem.

[solarcane]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/statement-passing-jim-mandich

Dolphins on Jim Mandich

[solarcane]

some ncaa20122 xbox miami covers

http://www.caneinsider.com/content/371-free-miami-ncaa-football-2012-covers.html

[SOUP]

Just needed to let me get ahold of it, SOUP! I'll get u an audience here! ;-)

Posted by: OhioCane | April 26, 2011 at 10:56 PM

You are doing a great job!

Just remember: Quality > Quantity.

[CGNC]

Last night Tampa got a little lucky and the game turned their way. I look for the Pens to win game 7 in Pittsburgh.

Posted by: SOUP | April 26, 2011 at 03:20 PM

Well you probably saw it better than I did as I watch online. What I think I am seeing from the Pens is that they know they don't have the firepower with Crosby and Malkin and even Cooke out and are trying to do too much like Letang. I think he is caught up in trying to be too much of a offensive D-man right now. And if by lucky you mean leaving Downie by himself in front of the net, for that go ahead goal - that was a breakdown on our D, funky or not. When they struggle on D, Fleury tries to do too much and so it goes. Everyone needs to stick to the script. And Kovalev's age is showing. But I agree, I do like our coach and he did a great job getting them into the playoffs

[mi@mic@ne]

Article on Mandich - http://bit.ly/ih7EHa”
I am stunned... he was so young... wow... he was one of a kind personality... ill miss this guy.

[OhioCane]

Congrats to the Bolts fans. Pens couldn't score. Can't win if U don't score.

[cash advance]

All the best! Kudos to all members.