Canespace

Miami vs. the Media

The University of Miami stormed onto the college football scene in the 1980’s. After winning the 1983 National Championship over Nebraska under coach Howard Schnellenberger, the Canes went on to dominate college football during the decade like no other team had ever done before, or has since. The U upset the “old order” of college football and revolutionized the way the game was played. A Pro-style offense, speed on defense and an intimidating presence on and off the field were all key ingredients in their rise to dominance.  Few liked those Hurricanes; cocky, flashy, and brash. The U quickly achieved the reputation as the bad boys of college football.  So how did Miami earn its image, U ask?

It really all began in 1986 under then Coach Jimmy Johnson.  The Miami Hurricanes were set to play the Penn St. Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship.  When Miami arrived in Tempe, the team disembarked from the plane sporting military fatigues. At a steak dinner between the two teams before the game, Miami players got up and left the table stating "We don't eat with the enemy".  These actions led to a flurry of media attention on the Canes.  People wanted to know "Who were these tough talking renegades?"

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Showboating and celebrating after big plays became a fixture at Miami, which led to the strict enforcement of excessive celebrations and unsportsmanlike conduct.  Participation in public trash talking, bench clearing fights, and fisticuffs in the tunnel before kickoff with other teams drew criticism from many.  Winning games and multiple National Championships certainly wasn’t going to stem the tide of national media attention. 

Miami appeared to have drawn the ire from the talking heads and much of the public. As a result, one has to ask: Do they, the media, have a negative bias toward Miami?  In the mid to late 80’s match-ups with Notre Dame were billed as, “Catholics vs. Convicts”. During that era, 2LiveCrew member Luther Campbell was accused of instituting a “pay-for-play” incentive for UM players.  A few years later, Miami was put on probation for players abusing the Pell Grant system. In reporting the scandal, Sports Illustrated printed a controversial cover story, “Why the University of Miami Should Drop Football.” 

Last football season UM’s program was dealt crushing blows in the media by a shooting incident involving three players, the infamous UM-FIU bench clearing brawl, and the tragic ending to defensive tackle Bryan Pata’s life. The magnitude of the negative media coverage that ensued was all too familiar to Hurricane fans.  We had witnessed this before back in 1986 and several times since then too.  The coverage of the fight between UM and FIU was unprecedented.  Did anybody know that there was another bench clearing fight that very same day in another game?

            

So, Legion, we ask U to be the judges.  Why is the University of Miami receiving so much extra negative attention from the media?  Have they been unfairly targeted, or have they brought it on themselves, or a combination?  And, does a bias exist actually and if so, why and who is behind it?

The U - Enigma versus Stigma

This feature article was written by CanesgirlNC for Canespace (copyright 2007).  For more information about her, please go to her page at www.canespace.com titled: U Really Got Me!

As much as I love Hurricane football (and I do!) I don’t know much about the technical aspects; you know the “X’s” and “O’s”of the game.  I mean, when people talk about “nickel back” I think of the rock band (one of my favorites)!  I know the basics, like you know, most of the players, down and distance, sacks and completions, etc., but not like some of my fellow bloggers.  Their knowledge is part of the reason that I like to read the posts; I learn so much from it. 

What I DO know is that these phrases: “Hurricane Football”, “the U”, and my favorite “It’s a Canes Thing” all refer to something that to me is wonderful and great and bigger than any one player, any one team or any one season.  It seems to have a life of its own, doesn’t it?  I mean what other school has done so much with so little - changing coaches, probation, losing players early to the NFL and still come out to rise again - an enigma, defying logic and reasoning.  Those of us fans know what I am talking about.  The happy craziness of winning National Championships, the agony of not getting to that level.  The Split U - a symbol of power.

And that leads me to “the haters”, and we all know there are a lot of those.  I hear it all the time “oh, bunch of thugs”, “thug U”, always wanting to attach a stigma, a symbol of disgrace to the U, our U.   To me, THEY are the enigma.  Some people have even criticized us fans for being too hard at times on our own the players.  But I wonder if they and the players realize that the fans get heckled by the haters too and always stand strong for their U? 

The bottom line is that most people will always see the U as either a stigma or an enigma.  As Miami Hurricane players and fans, we have learned that it is not always easy having the “U” on your helmet, or on the front of your car! But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  Would U?

The Beautiful Old Lady

Many players in the circles of power in South Florida have argued the merits of keeping the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange bowl or moving them to a Stadium that in its brief existence has been named  (fill in the blank) The Joe (Robbie), The Pro (Player), and now Dolphin Stadium.  However, true Canes fans want none of it.  They believe, plainly and simply, that the Canes belong in one place, and one place only, and that is in the historic old Orange Bowl.

In response to the debate over the future home of the Hurricanes, Canespace feature writer and editor Tom Popadak (86Cane) wrote this commentary about how it might look and feel if and when, the transition actually happens.  So we ask that you take a minute or two and put down your pencils, put away your thoughts on this issue, and just for a moment try to imagine this scenario as it plays out...

History will remember that the real difference between the two sides in the Orange Bowl Stadium argument was that one group had history and tradition on their side while the other group had modernization and money on their side.  From the beginning, it was really a no-brainer as to who would win that argument. In today's world, money trumps emotion hands down. Money talked and tradition walked.

But if you look closely, from there atop the upper deck of the Orange Bowl, you can probably see them now, a small throng of orange and green clad fans slowly moving west down NW 7th Street, looking lost and confused. Somewhere in the background the last remaining fans can be heard shouting from one of the OB ramps “Got some Canes over here… whoosh, whoosh!” 

As the fans turn north on 27th avenue, their beloved Orange Bowl and it's 58 game win streak no longer in sight, they just shuffle along, heads down, on their way to Dolphin Stadium behind the slowly fading drum beat of the UM Band of the Hour. 

As they cross under the 826 expressway, Sebastian the Ibis, now in tears, is followed closely by the few remaining west end zone crazies, dragging behind, still crying “Why? Why? Why?” all the way to their new home.  When they arrive it finally hits them; suddenly, shockingly, they realize it's too late.  Another September has come, and the games will be starting again soon. And it is then, only then, that they begin to collectively understand that things will never be the same again. 

The UM football games may move to Dolphin Stadium, but the fans, the true fans, will testify that the soul of the Miami Hurricanes and even the "U" itself was left behind, to always reside in the wonderful memories of the familiar and beautiful old place we called the Orange Bowl.

Culture Change

Written by Sam Shah, UM Student and author of Campus Connection for Canespace.  For more info on Sam and future articles check out his Canespace page at: http://canespace.com/_wsn/page7.html

A unique part of living on the University of Miami campus is that I have a chance to interact with players on an almost daily basis, especially in the off-season.  This is especially important now with a change in regime with Coker booted and The Boss in power. Below is a list of observations of differences between how the players seem to act since the change.

Residential Colleges:  A big thing was the lack of players who lived in the dorms. It seemed like they were very few players, and virtually no one above a freshman living on-campus. Since the arrival of Shannon, there are more players living on campus and many more slated to be next year. While I don't think it's a problem for athletes to live off campus, I must admit that living in the dorms is much more restrictive and keeps students from having too crazy of a lifestyle. Plus, there always seems to be much less opportunity for trouble living on versus off campus.  Remember the Pata and Merriweather incidents probably never would have happened had they been living ON campus.

Sticking Together:  I am an early riser, so I get to see a lot of players as they head off to the Spring and Summer workouts. In past years, the players seem to be fragmented and head out individually; a few here, a few there.  Since the Boss has taken the reigns I can't remember the last time I saw a player leave for workouts alone.The entire group of players that live on campus seem to leave together and come back together. You can literally feel the unity between the teammates, regardless of which side of the ball they are on.  Offensive players and defensive players living and working together in perfect harmony is a beautiful thing to see!

Academic Focus: We all know that graduation rates and such were stellar under Coker, but there to be even more focus since the arrival of the Boss. The players finally seem to trying to push beyond just getting the minimum needed to get by.  With perks like living off campus dependent on GPA, don't be surpirse if academic problems are significantly reduced if not eliminated.

While its still too early in the Shannon regime to determine success, I have got to admit that all signs point to just that. There appears to complete change in the mentality of the team. It feels like we are finally beginning to become a team again. I can't wait to see it translate on the field.

Go Canes!

If U Want To Be Great, U Have To Get On The Field...And Stay There!

Looking at the team as a whole, right now oUr biggest problem is DURABILITY. Too many players the past few years have gotten knicked up, or side lined with nagging injuries. Think about how Baby J was getting nursed along the latter part of last season when he was the only way we were moving the ball. When he was being saved for the 4th quarter teams routinely stacked the box when he got back in; or in some cases James just couldnt get back into the flow of the game.

Another example was the O-line last year. Wasnt always a matter of conditioning. As we all know those guys take the most punishment and get the least respect out of any position on any team, so injuries are a given.

When these boys are hanging out with The Swasey this summer slimming down- he better be toughening them up. Fat guys get hurt, tough guys hurt people.

Our boys out on the edge are not immune either. How many Scholarship recievers did we have available last year against FSU? U add the fresh crop coming in this year and get them up to speed early (get them reps, lock them in the film room, keep them doing the extra work with BOTH QBs) and that spot should be ok. More core training and explosivness training should help some of these guys toughen up and hopefully take a prospect like Adderly and turn him into a Jason Geathers/Andre Johnson sized reciever.

On the other side of the ball, everyone hits and gets hit on virtually every play. (Again, tough guys hurt people) Injuries are inevitable. Knowing your technique, lifting your weights, STRETCHING (a tight muscle is a muscle ready to pop) and maintaining your joint strength can keep you intact and on the field.

If U want to be great, U have to get on the field...and stay there!

Who DO YOU THINK will, and who won't, for the Canes in 2007?

By Popular Demand: The Off Topic Blog

This blog is for those Canes fans that want to chat about something else for a change.  No Hurricane Sports here, just culture, movies, music, current news issues and the like.  So have at it this is a free for all!!!

By the way, did you hear what happened to that poor Paris Hilton?  Yeah, she had to do hard time.  That is so unfair, don't you think?

The Dream Conference

So here you are, sitting in your new and shiny office, the newly appointed President of the NCAA.  You have been tasked with the challenge of competing with the NFL for TV revenue and creating the highest amount of profit ever for collegiate sports.  And, here's the kicker: you have been given the opportunity to change ANY and ALL of the existing conferences and team schedules effective immediately beginning in 2008 to make this happen.  So here is your initial task:

Make a made for TV, 10 team DREAM CONFERENCE with two, five team divisions.  You come up with an original name for your conference. Miami, of course, will be in one division, along with your choice of any teams from any conference which can be included in the "Dream Conference".

The divisions can be East/West, North/South, or anything you can imagine. You can pick what you believe to be the most competitive teams. You can pick every team you would like the U to whip UF, ND, PSU, LSU… it’s your choice. You can pick what you believe to be the most exciting teams to play in Hawaii, Louisville, USC etc.  Have at it!

Solarcane for the world's best place for Canes fans: www.canespace.com copyright 2007

What Is A C.H.A.M.P. Made Of?

This article was written for the UM Alumni Newsletter that was distributed this week.  It is about how to set and achieve goals.  After reading it I immediately wondered how we might find a way to apply it to The Boss, the team and the 2007 season in general.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try to come up with specific goals that meet these criteria for the Canes 2007 football team (photos courtesy of www.canespace.com).

The C.H.A.M.P. Goal Setting Process
(Controllable, Hard, Accountable, Measurable and Positive)

Controllable means that all of the goals you set have to be entirely in your control. For example, if I am a very good baseball player and my goal is to hit .300 for the season, is this entirely in my control? Before you answer “Yes,” think for a second. The fact is there are other people and factors involved (injuries, coaches, umpires, pitchers, other players, etc.) which have a direct impact on my ability to hit .300. Instead, my goal should be to swing only at good pitches. That is something that is entirely within my control.

Hard means that all of your goals have to be slightly out of your reach so that you continuously push yourself to higher levels of performance. Once goals are no longer hard to achieve, then we tend to become complacent.

Accountable means that you need to either hold yourself or find someone else to hold you accountable to the goals and plans you establish. If you have great self-discipline then fantastic, but most of us need to answer to someone in order to keep pushing ourselves to higher levels. Remember one approach is not better than the other because at the end of the day all that matters is if achieved reached your goal.

Measurable means that you have to be able to measure your progress. One basic way is by keeping a daily or weekly performance journal. This is critical so you can track your progress and increase, decrease or modify your goal as you work towards achieving it.

Positive means that you have to think about and state your goals in a positive light. For example if you say the following, “My goal is to not have lower sales numbers than I did last quarter” then this would not be considered a “positive” goal. Instead, reword it to something like, “My goal is to increase my production by 25% from last quarter.” Laugh if you want, but many people make the huge mistake of injecting negative thinking into their goals – and they do not even realize it. As a performance coach, I have yet to see an elite performer achieve greatness by thinking negative thoughts. Negativity adds zero value and only hinders your ability achieve your goals so be aware of your thoughts.

So Who's Coming With Me?

The phrase conjures up an image of the infamous meltdown scene from the movie "Jerry Maguire". Tom Cruise melting down in front of his former employees, running around the office taking the company goldfish, and disembarking on an adventure that returned him to top form while learning valuable life lessons.  For some reason I think of this phrase when I reflect on this first phase of the Randy Shannon regime. 

When we look at the answer to the question: Who is coming with me?"  we have seen that the answer, at least in terms of new recruits, is a resounding ME!!!  This is evidenced by the amount of early commits from some of S. Florida's top recruits. Since Shannon's hiring the Hurricanes have had one QB sign (Robert Marve) and have also secured two QB commitments (Taylor Cook and Jacory Harris) to the '08 class.

It seems like the local kids respect Randy Shannon and his integrity.  Honestly, what's not to like about Coach Randy Shannon. You've read the stories about how he grew up, how he overcame situations and persevered. He's got the rings (as a player and coach), NFL experience(as a player and coach), and now he's calling the shots at the most recognized college football program in the nation. He will "Show us the Money" when this thing is through.  So I have to ask U?

ARE YOU COMING WITH ME?

Written by Aqua for Canespace Copyright 2007

It's All In Your Head

How does the Hurricane defense show up rock hard and ready to play every game and the offense limps around in a constant state of Erectile Dysfunction?

I’ve given it a lot of thought the last couple seasons. I believe it is the defense hates to loose more than the offense loves to win.  The offense has sunk so low Shannon has to actually stick a defensive player next to an offensive player at every locker.  Kind of like a personal lifeguard.

But some of these offensive guys were the best players in the country in high school only a little while ago. What happened? How can you deteriorate from the best high school player in the country, to less than an average division one player in less than three years?  What goes on inside a players head to break his confidence in himself and his team? 

How can you catch every ball thrown your way on Friday nights and manage to drop routine passes at the next level?  What goes through your head as the ball is going through the air?  When the ball clanks against your hands, and falls to the ground, do you begin to doubt yourself and your own ability.

And yes, I know all about the claims of poor coaching, the infamous cancer, failing to develop players and all the rest. All legitimate points.  But if you were all everything in high school, it isn’t all coaching that brings you down to average in college. 

It’s all in your head…isn’t it?

SolarCane for Canespace 2007