When Smoke Gets In your Eyes

The widely accepted old wise saying is: "Where there is smoke, there is fire."

In the case currently being made against the University of Miami by the NCAA for alleged rule violations Hurricane fans are wondering if this saying really holds true.

To be fair there does appear to be a lot of "smoke" that has been floating around the UM Athletic Department in the last few days based on the statements and supporting details brought forth by former Hurricane booster Nevin Shapiro.

The smoke coming from Shapiro that has been released by Yahoo Sports as part of their investigation implies that it is possible that some violations may have occurred over time and involving several UM student-athletes. Shapiro had access and he had the means and the motives to commit the violations that were alleged to have taken place.

Still, several questions remain: What actual corroborating evidence or witnesses exists? What allegations can factually be proven? How much of this is based on former versus current players at "The U" and how much does that really matter anyway? What if anything did the UM coaches or AD staff know about the alleged violations?

Yet, maybe most importantly of all is this gnawing question: Can Shapiro, a scam artist who is currently serving time in a federal prison as a convicted felon for his role in orchestrating a massive ponzi scheme that netted over $900 Million from unsuspecting investors, be trusted as a valid source of information and can he be believed as a reliable witness by the NCAA?

After spending the last few days with smoke in their eyes Miami Hurricane fans are starting to wipe away the tears caused by the big, burning piles of trash dumped on their front lawns by Shapiro and are beginning to see him for who he is and his allegations a little more clearly now.

The proverbial smoke is clearing ever so slowly as more details are revealed about the man, the allegations and what many are now saying seem to be some glaring inaccuracies that appear to exist in many of his statements.

These issues and apparent factual errors raise serious doubts surrounding the who, when, where and even what NCAA rule violations may have occurred recently or a few years ago if they ever happened at all.

In fact, at a handful of universities where some former UM players have transferred and even some high school recruits who were alleged to have been involved on the name dropping list issued by Yahoo according to information from Shapiro, several players have already been cleared by the NCAA to play this season in spite of their connections to Shapiro.

There is no doubt that there has been a thick cloud of smoke hovering in a low, menacing manner just above the Hecht Athletic Center in Coral Gables the past few days.

But the question that still remains is: "Has anyone seen the fire yet?"

Comments

[Canestruck]

Posted by: alf | August 19, 2011 at 05:01 PM

Also heard the AJ 4 and J12 are definately guilty.

How did you "hear" this?

[alf]

cc Shapiro has pictures of himself and Eric Holder. Should the Attorney Genral be in trouble for it. He was in the pic he must of known about the ponzi scheme. Well of course he didn't no and I would say the staff at UM did not know either.

Posted by: canesfan5 | August 19, 2011 at 04:50 PM

He also has pictures with shaq....Guess the players went to shaq house too

[phillyScott]

all I know is, I would like to jack slap the sh@t out of Mark May.....and cant wait till that old geezer Holtz weighs in....2 worst cane haters of them all...

[alf]

Ive been reading it on alot of boards.

Not saying its true. Not trying to spread a rumor.

Just saying what ive heard

[alf]

The ruling of our current players might be soon.

But the ruling on what penalties we will face probably wont be for at least a year or more

[canechic]

The Beast on allcanes radio who has been close to the program talks about the Shapiro stuff. http://www.allcanes.com/radio/20110818.mp3

Posted by: mi@mic@ne | August 19, 2011 at 04:19 PM

Listen to this! Listen to this! Listen to this!

And he uses my Jose Canseco analogy too!

[alf]

Sahpiro already used Canseco in one his quotes in the yahoo artivle

[canechic]

Not Shapiro the beast!

Alf you really need to listen to this first 10 minutes!

[canesteeler]

Folks say all that you want the facts are the administration and players did not handle their business. AG his staff and the players who did not have their hands out are the ones who are screwed. I will always be a Canes fan and matter of fact I made a point to wear a Canes jerseys today while I ran around town running errands. I know the media loves to bash the Canes but if you are taking care of business the media would have nothing to talk about but football. The selfish actions of a few will result in this program becoming irrelevant.

[OCALACANE]

CANES YESTERDAY!!!
CANES TODAY!!!
CANES TOMORROW!!!

Strap Up Legion...

ALL ABOUT THE U...

NUFF SAID

[dj moonbat]

The selfish actions of a few will result in this program becoming irrelevant.

Posted by: canesteeler | August 19, 2011 at 05:35 PM

Playing mediocre football made us irrelevant. If anything, our relevance to the larger college football landscape INCREASED with this latest bit of trouble.

It's OK. In just a couple more weeks, we can get back to the week-to-week mood swings associated with actual football being played.

And, hey, like I said: we've got a one-season window to win BIG before the hammer comes down. Let's hope Al can get the team to take advantage of it.

[alf]

And, hey, like I said: we've got a one-season window to win BIG before the hammer comes down. Let's hope Al can get the team to take advantage of it.

Posted by: dj moonbat | August 19, 2011 at 05:40 PM

YES SIR!!!!!!

[TonyCane]

Is that really what it's come to? Hope that we go 13-0, only to be told right after winning the ACC title that we are ineligible to play in the BCS title game, are having our program suspended for 3 years, and under probation for a decade?

The same folks that wanted to rename our team after Hurricane Andrew will come out again, this time to kill the program outright. Sad that we have to hope for one last run at glory before the UM administration liquidates the team for the sake of positive publicity.

Guess it will make a great 30 for 30 show.

[canesteeler]

Our shitty play on the field the past 5-6 seasons still drew big TV ratings. After this season we will have no TV ratings because the program will be made an example of what happens when u bring back memories of THUG U!

[canesteeler]

Us against the world!

[mi@mic@ne]

I dont agree with the beast.. a traffic ticket with a fine is not the same as getting a booster to give you a piece of bread to penalize you with ending your career. The ncaa has ruined a lot of good coaches lives.. Butch, Sweater Vest.. its like throwing Bill Clinton out of the oval office because of the sex. This is nothing but overkill. Its like watching a cartel come with an oozy and mow down the innocent bystanders just to target one man. lol

[mi@mic@ne]

This is like a corporation who investigates you and smears your name... and you have no way to defend yourself unless you go to a lawyer and sue them. This process is very unamerican. Castro would be a better judge. lol.

[alf]

Highsmith planning a lawsuit on NCAA....Hope everyone jumps aboard!

[TLuv]

CC- I took your advice and listened to the opening of the radio show. He makes valid points. I really like what he says about forgetting the article because it doesn't mean sh*t. I also agree that the big penalties will come if the can prove the administration and coaches knew, which is sad because other than Shalala, none of them are at the U anymore (there could be individuals from the compliance dept, idk).

[TLuv]

Highsmith planning a lawsuit on NCAA....Hope everyone jumps aboard!

Posted by: alf | August 19, 2011 at 06:36 PM

Alf- are you sure? Where did you hear this? What claims are made in the lawsuit?

[pbcfrcane13]

wondering the samething?

[dj moonbat]

Highsmith planning a lawsuit on NCAA....Hope everyone jumps aboard!

Posted by: alf | August 19, 2011 at 06:36 PM

A lawsuit? That doesn't sound promising.

[Galagos]

He plans on doing it if the ncaa places sanctions against Miami. He's doing it on behalf of the 90% of the team that didn't do anything wrong.

[alf]

Former 'Cane Alonso Highsmith says he'll sue the NCAA on behalf of current players if recent allegations against the school lead to sanctions, according to CaneSport.com. "This lawsuit will be on behalf of all the kids who have done nothing wrong and would be deprived of what they came to college for," Highsmith told CaneSport. Highsmith's son, A.J. is a S on the team

[alf]

basically wahta galagos said

[2002nemo]

He plans on doing it if the ncaa places sanctions against Miami. He's doing it on behalf of the 90% of the team that didn't do anything wrong.

If 10% did something wrong, we deserve sanctions.

[TLuv]

If 10% did something wrong, we deserve sanctions.

Posted by: 2002nemo | August 19, 2011 at 07:38 PM

Hard to refute

[alf]

He plans on doing it if the ncaa places sanctions against Miami. He's doing it on behalf of the 90% of the team that didn't do anything wrong.

If 10% did something wrong, we deserve sanctions.

Posted by: 2002nemo | August 19, 2011 at 07:38 PM

Taking a scholarship offer away from kids, punishing kids that were 100% not guilty. Ruining a kids dream is not deserved.

If guilty, punish the people not the school, not the innocent players.

NCAA needs to change from punishing a school to punishing the culprits

[pbcfrcane13]

Its about a somebody is going to do that! Im sick of kids/coaches who had nothing to do with anything get the punishment. The kids at USC didnt desrve it for something Reggie did! NCAA needs to start hitting the coaches/players who are proved to be guilty! Coaches get banned from coaching from NCAA sports for w/e time period fits the crime if your a coach in the NFL you get fined an amount of money same goes to players who have left the school! If you can not affod the money you do community service where ever you live. If coach or player or AD or Prez is still at the school you get fired and a cant come back to a school for some time......I bet if we start holding the people accountable this sh*t would slow down!!!!

[pbcfrcane13]

ALF im with you as you can see sorry if spelling is off a few capt and diets in

[alf]

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/08/michael_huyghue_denis_paying_p.php

[solarcane]

Texascane
your man might be gaining ground

Texas Supreme Court wants more info in Leach case

CBSSports.com wire reports

Aug. 19, 2011 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said it wants more information in Mike Leach's lawsuit against Texas Tech, a fresh sign of life for the fired coach's claims against the school.

The state's highest civil court asked Leach and Texas Tech to file briefs on the merits of the case by Sept. 19.

In 2009, the university fired Leach two days after suspending him amid allegations of mistreating a player, receiver Adam James, who had a concussion. Leach denied the allegations and later sued for wrongful termination.

Leach has said he suspects an $800,000 bonus he was due the next day was the reason he was fired. He said it was good news the high court wants the sides to more fully explain their positions.

"We just want our day in court, like anybody would," Leach said. The justices "clearly believe it requires a second look."

Texas Tech spokesman Dicky Grigg said the request from the court was expected. Texas Tech attorneys have argued that the university is a state entity with sovereign immunity, meaning it can only be sued with permission from the state Legislature or a waiver based on a defendant's conduct.

A decision in January from the 7th Court of Appeals upheld Texas Tech's assertion of sovereign immunity and derailed Leach's pursuit of monetary damages. Texas Tech is appealing the lower court's ruling that Leach could pursue a non-monetary finding that he was wrongfully fired.

"We firmly believe that the Supreme Court will follow the law and dismiss coach Leach's claim and that coach Leach was terminated because of his irresponsible treatment of a player diagnosed with a brain concussion and his unwillingness to work with Tech leadership to resolve the issue," Grigg said.

Leach attorney Paul Dobrowski said the court wants to look at whether Texas Tech conduct in handling the former coach's dismissal warrants a waiver of sovereign immunity.

"It is unfair that the state can breach written contracts with private persons with impunity and the private party has no recourse in the judicial system," he said.

The justices won't rule on whether to accept either side's request for review of the case until about two months after the September deadline, said Osler McCarthy, the court's staff attorney. Four of the nine justices must ask for a review, he said.

An attorney in Lubbock not associated with the case said he believes the request for more information bodes well for Leach.

"The fact that both sides asked for [a review] and the court asked for briefings on the merits says there's unsettled law," Tommy Turner said. "I think the court ought to recognize that there ought to be certain situations where a state agency can waive immunity by its actions."

In a separate case, Leach has also sued ESPN Inc. and a Dallas public relations firm, accusing them of libel and slander after he was fired. James is the son of ESPN analyst Craig James.

[Daddeh]

U

[TLuv]

Good for Mike Leach. I hope he gets his day in court and is cleared.

[mi@mic@ne]

Its not the penalty for the offense that i am concerned about but its the power that these authorities use to enforce the penalties. Just because a person signs a contract does not mean he loses his rites under the constitution. First of all if your going to judge the kids for breaking their contracts then you got to look at all the contracts that are backed out of by corporations... the tax shelters they use to avoid paying taxes... the adage is that in todays world contracts are made to be broken. But when it comes to young 18 yr olds who bring in millions to the people who hold unjust punishments and no rewards over the heads of these kids then who would want to sign a contract like that. Its not a contract is the price for slavery.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Thank god the worst AD UM ever had didn't interview Mike Leach before he took that Lubbock job, it would have completely made him off limits for his future place of employment and UM might have ended up with a new head coach with a winning record to replace the last one with a winning record he fired.

[mi@mic@ne]

These great college coaches like Butch Davis and Sweater Vest have been positive influences on a lot of kids ... led them to excel in their lives and helped them to move up to the next level. They havent abused the kids.. by physical violence.. angry outburst etc. All they did was be in a situation where everyone is basically an adult and should be responsible for their own behavior .. unlike high school kids.. shoot Butch recruited a defense in NC that was filled with NFL players.
So Butch has not broken a rule purposely but was the coach who is an older man who has a lot of history and experience in his field but because there were some rules .. not threatening offenses.. Butch loses his job .. even tho if you look at all the things he has accomplished it means nothing compared to a few rules. Thats just nothing but good old boy network stuff there .

[2002nemo]

Shapiro  told Yahoo! Sports he provided millions of dollars  in impermissible benefits to at least 72 of the school's athletes from 2002 through 2010. Among the benefits he made avalable to Miami players were "cash, prostitutes, entertainment in his multimillion-dollar homes and yacht, paid trips to high-end restaurants and nightclubs, jewelry, bounties for on-field play (including bounties for injuring opposing players), travel and, on one occasion, an abortion." CNN said it "could be the biggest scandal in the history of college sports."

72 PLAYERS -  Miami recruits character(s).
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS - The swag is back.       
BIGGEST SCANDAL - We're number one!

[mi@mic@ne]

All accusations that are unsubstantiated... and without cross examination

[CGNC]

CC - I couldn't finish listening to the Beast - he is gawd-awful to listen to and mostly stated the obvious.

Back to watch the Fins-Panthers

[solarcane]

Bosher just knocked the crap out of another returner, the kids fearless or insane.

[solarcane]

The snitch tee is available now

http://allcanes.com/shop/smartphn/product_info.php?products_id=11931&osCsid=c2db84369893dbcd16c1f51fefea13c6

[solarcane]

Letter from The U board of trustees to the Community

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/ncaa_investigation

[orange 'n green in the vein]

"Bosher just knocked the crap out of another returner, the kids fearless or insane.

Posted by: solarcane | August 19, 2011 at 10:04 PM"

Both. Simultaneously. The last five years have convinced me of this.

[2002nemo]

Will The Miami Hurricanes Get The Death Penalty? Vegas Weighs In

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/8/19/2372790/miami-hurricanes-football-death-penalty-betting-odds

[solarcane]

Donna tells students she is goung to be here for a long time

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2011/08/19/miami-president-says-shes-staying-put/

[solarcane]

OGV it's amazing how Bosher is directly in front of the returner every time he punts, I dunno if he anticipates where the runner is going to cut but he is there every time.

[Texascane]

Solar...really funny coincidence...after my son's Facebook post went viral (Inside the U; Billy Corben and CBSSports.com), he got a call today that Mike Leach (yeah...that one) and Jack Arute liked the article so much that they want to interview him on air next week on their show on SIRIUS. Yahoo Sports radio is interviewing him live tomorrow...who'd a think it...?

[solarcane]

Solar Zone Hit of The Week
Even More Pong Magic

http://solarcane.net/

[2002nemo]

TAIWAN VIDEO: Miami Hurricanes Scandal In Animated Form

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/8/19/2373341/miami-hurricanes-scandal-taiwan-animation-nwa-world-edition

[solarcane]

Texascane,
Thats great, you never know what doors will open, good for your son.

and The Waiting Is The Hardest Part
was classic btw

[solarcane]

Man the electric chair scene was a bit cold... funi as hell but cold.

[solarcane]

Nissan's latest electric car will power your house if your electricity goes out, pretty ingenious.

[Texascane]

Tell Highsmith if he really wants to sue, Adam has his law degree and we all know how he feels about the NCAA and the "U"...

[solarcane]

players parents speak out

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/19/2367268/parents-of-implicated-miami-hurricanes.html

[CGNC]

Texas - LOL if Adam needs a paralegal give me a shout out!

[2002nemo]

Speaking of lawsuits . . .

If the NCAA imposes the death penalty on UM, I predict that the ACC files a civil suit for money damages against . . . UM.

[CGNC]

Solar thanks for posting the Luther Campbell interview - I missed it first time around.

[TLuv]

Paul Dee looks like he's placing blame on Shannon

“At that point, if our coach is uncomfortable with someone, he should tell the compliance officer, ‘There’s something about that guy I don’t like,’ and then we can check him out, keep an eye on him, and maybe ward him off if we need to. Maybe even hire a private investigator. The key to preventing all this is leadership and compliance. But you always question how much is too much enforcement.’’
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/19/2367230/former-canes-ad-paul-dee-shapiro.html

Wow...the AD trying to place the burden of this on other people. This truly baffles me. You were the AD! We needed leadership from you fat phuk.

[CaneRock]

Exactly, and this was the most interesting quote out of all that:

"and then we can check him out"

REALLY?! I guess 150 Gs goes a long way, they would've probably let Pete Rose be a booster given Dee's explanation.

Posted by: TLuv | August 19, 2011 at 11:22 PM

[solarcane]

cg welcome, this has been a long week

[solarcane]

DVD gets his rookie haircut

http://lockerz.com/s/131197583

[solarcane]

practice report

The Hurricanes held their 17th practice of fall camp Friday morning under typically warm conditions on the Greentree Practice Fields. With its 2011 season at Maryland in 17 days, Miami now has six practices remaining before the team moves into "game week" mode.

On Friday, the Canes practiced in full pads but limited contact in most drills as the team is set to hold its final two-a-day of camp on Saturday.

HORN, JAMES TALK BEFORE PRACTICE
Senior center Tyler Horn and junior running back Mike James met with members of the media prior to Friday's practice. The message from both players was about the importance of the team staying focused and not letting outside distractions affect their preparation for the upcoming season.

"We're here from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., so we don't have time to focus on anything but football," James said. "Football is like a soothing sport. It keeps us going, keeps our mind off everything."

Horn echoed his teammates' sentiments...

"Honestly, I think it's going to be us against the world," Horn said. "That's all we can focus on. All that matters are the people inside that Hecht, the people on this football field playing every day. Those are my brothers, and we're going to stick together."

HIGH PERFORMANCE PLAYERS
Throughout camp, HurricaneSports.com will highlight some of the best performers in each day's practice. While there are certainly other players who stood out throughout the course of the session, these student-athletes in particular caught our eye.

Offense
RB Lamar Miller- The Miami native has been breaking off big runs throughout fall camp and Friday was no different. Miller was finding even the smallest holes up front and getting to the second level where he would pick up big chunks of yardage in 11-on-11 action.

OL Joel Figueroa - Playing at both guard and tackle, Figueroa was arguably the most productive lineman in both the running and passing games. He was consistently staying in front of his man and late in practice, made a key block for Miller on a screen to the left side. The big block even drew praises from offensive line coach Art Kehoe, who shouted "nice job Fig, nice job" after the play.

Defense
LB Ramon Buchanan- One of the more underrated performers this fall, Buchanan had another solid day with several "tackles" in the limited contact practice. The Melbourne, Fla. native has been a vocal presence throughout camp, a sign that he appears ready to take on more of a leadership role in his final season at Miami.

LB Kelvin Cain - Cain collected a number of stops on Friday, including solid support on rush defense. With good pursuit on the outside, Cain had stops against Eduardo Clements and Mike James and was in on several other stops on intermediate passes up the middle.

CANES NAMED TO SOUTHERNPIGSKIN.COM ALL-ACC TEAM
Brandon Washington, Marcus Forston, Sean Spence and Ray-Ray Armstrong have been named to SouthernPigskin.com's Preseason All-ACC Team. The honor adds to the ever-growing list of preseason accolades for all four Canes.

Last week, Armstrong, Washington and Spence were named to ESPN.com's All-ACC squad. Last month, those three, along with center Tyler Horn, were voted by media members to the conference's preseason team.

[CGNC]

Canesteeler - I wore my canes stuff today too - we have casual Fridays. And I am wearing it to bed. Goodnight all

[solarcane]

Reggie and Cam support Miami players

Cam Newton, Reggie Bush weigh in on Miami mess
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
24 minutes ago

tweet0EmailPrintMIAMI (AP)—Cam Newton and Reggie Bush have plenty of parallels. Both have held the Heisman Trophy. Both have celebrated national championships. Both have endured scrutiny, scandal and NCAA investigations.

And now both are wishing the Miami Hurricanes well as they face a mess that could tear the program down.

Newton and Bush spoke out Friday night about the Miami situation, brought on after convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro detailed to Yahoo Sports allegations that he provided 72 players with cars, money, gifts and even prostitutes at times between 2002 and 2010. The NCAA is investigating the Hurricanes and serious sanctions are possible.

“Obviously a lot of things going on right now are terrible, moreso for the college players,” Bush, the Miami running back, said after the Dolphins beat the Panthers and Newton 20-10 in a preseason matchup. “It’s tough when you can take a college player’s career and dream away from him at the snap of a finger. Something needs to be done.”

Bush is no longer recognized as a Heisman winner, losing that privilege after it was determined he and his family accepted improper benefits from would-be sports agents while he played for Southern California. That situation also cost the Trojans their 2004 Bowl Championship Series title.

Newton’s 2010 season at Auburn ended with the school winning its first national title since 1957.

The NCAA ruled his father, Cecil, had sought money from Mississippi State when Newton was being recruited out of junior college. The quarterback signed with Auburn and was deemed eligible after a one-day suspension when the NCAA’s reinstatement staff found he didn’t know about the pay-for-play scheme. He was cleared to play in the SEC and national championship games.

Asked Friday night what Newton would tell Miami quarterback Jacory Harris— one of a dozen current Hurricanes implicated by Shapiro—the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft offered his advice.

“Sky’s the limit for him,” Newton said. “He has made big plays and hopefully he makes some big plays this year.”

The current Hurricanes also include safeties Vaughn Telemaque and Ray Ray Armstrong, receivers Travis Benjamin and Aldarius Johnson, defensive linemen Marcus Forston, Olivier Vernon, Marcus Robinson and Adewale Ojomo, tight end Dyron Dye, defensive back JoJo Nicholas and linebacker Sean Spence—many of whom are expected to play key roles for the team in 2011.

Miami joined a growing list of schools with major football programs to be investigated by the NCAA for rule-breaking in the past 18 months. Others include Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and LSU, and this week, NCAA President Mark Emmert said the Hurricanes’ situation may prove that major changes to the system are needed.

“I don’t have the perfect answer or the right answer for it. But something needs to change,” Bush said. “I don’t know what it is, but hopefully it changes soon, and hopefully it changes for the better.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[TLuv]

CaneRock...Exactl., So far every adult linked to the situation has done nothing but cover their own ass and pass blame to someone else.

[elliott]

Screw ESPN and all the haters for being so "death penalty" happy. Constantly blaming UM for allegations which have not been validated by the NCAA. Again if we did committ violations when did they happen and did the staff know about them? These are the biggest questions and for the 12 players I hope they get cleared and are good to go for the season. Seriously with all this hate and the media outlets blaming our kids, trying to make the U look bad, and vigoursly slandering players, and coaches you WOULD think if everybody is fielded we can cause some serious damage on the field.Mark my words Maryland better hope we R not 100% for the battle on the 5th because I have a feeling our D is going to be fire!

[Willie Will in Nashville]

Can't we opt out of the ncaa, and go the notre dame route?

[solarcane]

Maryland coach not happy with Terps effort

Maryland football Coach Randy Edsall upbraids Terrapins for lackadaisical play

Marvin Joseph

/WASHINGTON POST - Randy Edsall is willing to get his point across in a forcefull manner.

In the middle of Friday morning’s football practice, Maryland Coach Randy Edsall abruptly stopped action for a few minutes, gathered his players around him and assailed them for what he considered to be lackadaisical play.

The outburst by the first-year Terrapins coach was heard loud and clear even outside the fences surrounding Maryland’s practice field. And it offered the handful of media members observing inside the fences an early glimpse of how Edsall, who some players have said takes an almost militaristic approach to his job, reacts when players slack off on the field.

1
Comments

Weigh InCorrections?

inShare..Edsall started to boil after watching return man Tony Logan, standing near the end zone, catch a long field goal attempt that came up short. Logan started running the ball upfield and found open space because offensive players were slow to pursue him.

An irate Edsall quickly lit into his team and continued when he had players huddled on the field. At one point, he simply yelled: “Do it my way! Don’t do it your way!”

The Terrapins apparently got the message. Practice ended in lighthearted fashion, with offensive lineman Max Garcia catching a punt, much to the delight of his teammates, who likely avoided running wind sprints because of Garcia’s soft hands.

After practice, Edsall made clear that there is only one way to practice: his way. And the primary point he wanted to make was that players had to exude a “will to win” rather than “the effort to just endure” to merely “go through the motions” in the middle of preseason camp.

“Those things, the one drill we did there [with Logan and the field goal attempt], that’s a legitimate drill in a game that could happen,” he said. “The offensive line is not used to tackling. If I see something that I didn’t like and I don’t address it, then I am cheating the kids. I am not going to cheat the kids.”

Edsall said his anger stemmed from a combination of the play as well as a buildup from several plays that had bothered him.

Players have said Edsall never passes on a moment to emphasize persistence and consistency.

After Maryland’s first preseason practice, linebacker Kenny Tate was asked how often he is reminded of Edsall’s no-nonsense vision.

“Every second,” Tate said.

Defense still behind

One area where Maryland has been slow to progress has been the defense. Todd Bradford, Maryland’s defensive coordinator, said Tuesday that the Terrapins had not been playing at the tempo that coaches would like and that the following eight days of practice would be critical.

Edsall said Friday that the defense remained inconsistent.

At times, Edsall explained, “it’s like they are sitting at home in their La-Z-Boy. You’ve got the chips over here and the soda here and the feet are up. They are watching the game. And that’s what they are doing out here. They are just watching the ball instead of reading their keys. That makes for trouble on defense.”

Safety first

An FBI agent from the District spoke to the team Thursday about a variety of issues, including gambling and social networking. Edsall said the meeting had been planned for some time and that he had similar government officials address his teams in previous years.

“It’s about having these young men hear from someone else about what’s out there,” Edsall said. “That they have to be careful with who they associate with. One thing I want to do with our program is every year have people come in.”

’Canes in limbo

There has been no ruling yet on the 12 current Miami football players who were implicated in the Yahoo Sports investigation of former booster Nevin Shapiro, who said he supplied more than 72 current and former players with money and gifts.

According to reports, quarterback Jacory Harris, one of the players named in the report, was a player-coach during Thursday’s morning practice but was back in full pads for the afternoon session. Harris is competing with sophomore Stephen Morris for the starting job after he started at least part of the past three years.

Edsall said the scandal does not affect how the Terrapins are preparing for the Hurricanes, who will visit Byrd Stadium on Labor Day night for the season opener.

“We just have to worry about Maryland and being as good as we can be,” Edsall said.

[solarcane]

Vegas pulls Miami vs Maryland game from its boards Miami was a 5.5 point favorite

[TLuv]

Mark my words Maryland better hope we R not 100% for the battle on the 5th because I have a feeling our D is going to be fire!

Posted by: elliott | August 20, 2011 at 12:14 AM

No doubt elliott. We had a defense in the top 30 last year. No reason why we shouldn't have a top 20 D this year if we have a full team. Big "if" though.

[solarcane]

Washington Post ranks Marylands harderst games this season

How do you view the strength of Maryland’s schedule? I think the most difficult game on the schedule is clear. But it gets tricky when you try to separate those three teams — Clemson, Boston College, N.C. State — expected to battle with Maryland in the Atlantic Division. Here is my ranking of all of Maryland’s games in order of most difficult to easiest:

1) At Florida State, Oct. 22

This is clearly Maryland’s toughest game. The Seminoles are the class of the ACC.

2) Vs. Notre Dame, Nov. 12 (FedEx Field)

By most accounts, this is a Fighting Irish team that could crack into a BCS game in the second year of the Brian Kelly era.

3) West Virginia, Sept. 17

Quarterback Geno Smith and receiver Tavon Austin should thrive under first-year Coach Dana Holgorsen. Questions loom on the defensive side.

4) Miami, Sept. 5

Their front seven are stout. They’ll be able to run the ball. Biggest question is whether they’ll cut down on all those interceptions. But this is a winnable game for the Terps, for sure.

5) At North Carolina State, Nov. 26

We’ll see what Mike Glennon can do at QB now that it is his offense in Raleigh. I think the Wolfpack will be formidable, but I’m not sure it can reach last season’s nine-win mark. This may be a toss-up game.

[solarcane]

Can't we opt out of the ncaa, and go the notre dame route?

Posted by: Willie Will in Nashville | August 20, 2011 at 12:20 AM

great line!

im out

[Sarasota 'cane]

U

[elliott]

NCAA is desperate and annoying ready to see some live action. Got a whole week of work to ponder about the roster until gameday.

[SOUP]

NEW BLOG IS UP!

[CaneRock]

NUEVO SUZANA (NEW SUSAN):

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/19/2367268/parents-of-implicated-miami-hurricanes.html

[SOUP]

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