The Long, Hard, Road Back to the Top

As the new millennium dawned, the Miami Hurricanes football program had returned to a position in the college football world they hadn't seen since 1992, second place.  The program had been almost completely derailed by NCAA sanctions that had taken effect in the mid nineties, resulting in several lean years by 'Cane's standards, with the bottom being reached during a 5-6 season in 1997.  Coach Butch Davis had shepherded the program through probation, using creative scholarship allocations to allay the worst of the recruiting damage, but the program had obviously fallen from the heights it had grown accustomed to.  A monumental upset of #2 UCLA on the final day of the 1998 regular season had ignited a spark however, and by 2000, only the BCS computer rankings had prevented Miami from playing for yet another national title in the Orange Bowl against eventual champion Oklahoma. With a veteran team set to return, it looked like 2001 would be the year of the Hurricanes, until the NFL came calling and everything was thrown into chaos.

Davis bolted for the Cleveland Browns job with just days to go before national signing day and now Athletic Director Paul Dee found himself in a familiar spot for his position, looking for a new coach in a short amount of time.  Complicating matters was the fact that several of the leaders on the team went to Dee and laid down a demand, promote offensive coordinator Larry Coker to the vacant coaching position, or they would leave early for the draft.  Dee acquiesced and as a result, Coker found himself helming one of the pre-season favorites to win the National Title while in the process collecting National Coach of the Year honors when all was said and done.

Junior Ken Dorsey returned under center for his second year as a starter, on his way to rewriting the Miami record books while assuming the mantle of leadership at Quarterback.  He fit the profile perfectly, accurate, smart, a consummate game manager and field general.  The young man from OrindaCalifornia would go on to win the Maxwell award that year but only finish third in the Heisman voting.  His backfield would provide the traditional "swagger" for the unit in the charismatic persona of Clinton Portis at running back with fullback Najeh Davenport opening lanes for the young man from Gainesville High.  All three would be NFL draft picks, with Portis becoming the offensive rookie of the year in the NFL 2002. 

Coming into the season, the question on offense was who would replace exemplary wide-out tandem of Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss.  The answer would be provided in the form of Andre Johnson on one side and Kevin Beard on the other.  Johnson offered size, speed, and athletic ability rarely seen in one combination for a player and would become one of Dorsey's favorite weapons.   It would be tight-end Jeremy Shockey, however, that would become Dorsey's favorite target in 2001. The excitable junior-college transfer would lead the team in receptions while being named a first-team All American.  In the trenches, Art Kehoe fielded his best five-man unit of his legendary tenure in Coral Gables, anchored by a pair of All-American's at tackle in the brainy Joaquin Gonzalez and the brawny Bryant McKinney.  McKinney, a true mountain of a man, would win the Outland trophy that year, be a consensus All-American, never give up a sack in college, and finish eighth in the Heisman voting.  Guards Martin Bibla and Sherko Haji-Rasouli would team up with Dorsey's roommate, Canadian Brett Romberg, in the interior of the line to do the dirty work for an offense that was virtually unstoppable both running and passing with coordinator Rob Chudzinki calling the plays.

As imposing as the offensive talent assembled for the Hurricanes in 2001 was, the defense was even more intimidating.  Up front they went eight deep along the line with ends Jerome McDougle and Andrew Williams surrounding tackles Matt Walters and William Joseph in the starting lineup.  Both Joseph and McDougle would go on to become first round draft picks in the pros.  The linebackers featured a pair of future first round starters of their own in the middle with Johnathan Vilma, a future defensive rookie of the year, and outside with D.J. Williams.  Chris Campbell was the third man in the unit and was tragically killed in a car accident shortly after the end of the year.  As loaded as the front seven of the 2001 defense was, the secondary was without a doubt the highlight of coordinator Randy Shannon's side of the ball.  Three first rounders were amongst the starters, as both corners Mike Rumph, providing size, and Phillip Buchanon, providing speed, would be taken 27th and 17th respectively.  Buchanon was a dangerous punt returner as well, earning All-American honors at that position while taking two back for touchdowns during the year.  Free safety James Lewis would line up next to the heart and soul of the 2001 'Canes defense, two-time consensus All-American Ed Reed.  Reed, a future NFL defensive player of the year, filled a valuable leadership role on the team while picking off nine passes during the year and setting the career interception record at 21.  Setting the tone with his impassioned play, Reed and the defense would turn in one of the greatest single season set of results ever seen from a college stop unit.  Todd Sievers would handle the kicking duties, and earn All-American recognition, while Freddy Capshaw would be on call for the occasional punt when needed.

Opening the season ranked number two in the country, the Miami Hurricanes would waste very little time in staking their claim as the best team in the land by traveling up to Beaver Stadium for a return match against Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions of Penn State in front of a raucous sell-out crowd of 109,313.  The largest crowd ever to see a Miami Hurricane's football game was quickly silenced and shown why this team would not allow another repeat of the BCS fiasco that had entangled them the year before as the 'Canes built a 30-0 halftime lead.  Coker pulled his starters and cruised to a 33-7 final score, handing the legendary Penn State coach his worst loss at home in his lengthy career.

In most states, mistreating a senior citizen in such a brutal manner would get you jail time, but in the state of speed, the abuse of JoPa earned the Hurricanes recognition as the number one team in the land.  They proved their worthiness next week at home, as not even a rainstorm could damper their performance against former Hurricane defensive coordinator Greg Schiano's Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  The 'Canes showed no mercy and sent the state packing with a 61-0 shutout.  Three days later, the Worl Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked on September 11th, as a result, the scheduled game against the Pitt Panthers was moved to occupy a former bye week two Saturdays later.  Showing slight signs of understandable distraction and disruption, the Hurricanes turned in a mediocre, by that year's standards, showing, winning 43-21.  As October opened, the Miami defense returned to it's exemplary ways, but some questioned the offense's aptitude after "only" a 38-7 victory at home over new D-I member Troy State.

Finding themselves moved down a spot in the polls back to where they started, the 'Canes traveled to Doak Campbell Stadium the next week to face the 14th ranked Seminoles.  The rivals from Tallahassee had been given the opportunity to forge a split title for both schools in the previous year's National Title game, only to be shutout on offense in the process of dashing Miami's claim to the number one ranking in the nation.  Now, with a 54 game unbeaten steak on the line at home, FSU was quickly torched by a ferociously charged Hurricane squad looking for revenge.  But Bowden's team rallied to pull within striking distance at halftime, not ready to go so quietly into the night at the hands of their traditional tormentors. In the Miami locker-room, an injured Ed Reed rose to address his teammates, imploring them to dominate the second half in order to send FSU, and by extension, the college football world, a message.  Coker's team did just what their captain asked, charging back onto the field and driving a stake through the heart of Florida State's home unbeaten streak in runaway fashion, 49-27, making it two wins in a row over the former girl's school after having lost the previous five during probation.  Having settled the score from last year's BCS computer slight, Miami was promoted back to the top spot in the polls and would turn in a pair of stellar performances at home versus less than stellar competition, first over West Virginia 45-3, then over Temple 38-0 for the second shutout of the season.

Heading into next week's game in Chestnut Hill against BC, it seemed everything was full steam ahead for Larry Coker's squad. Once inside the unfriendly confines of Alumni Stadium, however, it was a different story.  Dorsey struggled with turnovers, suffering possibly his worst game in a 'Cane's uniform outside of an actual loss, and late in the fourth quarter, four Todd Sievers field-goals were all the Hurricanes had to show for themselves.  BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre took over on his own 30 with little time in the game and the score 12-7, then proceeded to lead a masterful drive down to the 'Cane nine yard line.  Their backs against the wall, the Miami defense was on the spot as the number one team in the country found themselves on the ropes and grasping for anything they could get their hands on to save their perfect season.  Pierre dropped back to pass and rifled a bullet towards his receiver only to hit Mike Rumph's leg, the live ball flew back toward the line, into Matt Walters hands for an interception. Walters staggered down field, only to hear a voice in his ear calling for the ball.

The voice belonged to Ed Reed, as did the hands pulling the football out of Walters grasp.  Walters completed the exchange, Reed took over from the 20-yard-line, sprinted the length of the field and into the pages of Miami Hurricane lore as time wound down for the finishing touches on a victory over the Eagles that Miami fans could point to as an answer to Flutie's miracle in '84, still the last time the 'Canes had dropped a game to Boston College.  Coker and the Hurricanes returned to Miami for a two game home stand, still number one, but barely in the eyes of the college football public. Fourteenth ranked Syracuse came into the Orange Bowl on a tear, having won eight straight games and determined to finish the job that the Eagles had been unable to culminate the week before.  But the Hurricanes looked nothing like the mere mortal team that had taken the field wrapped in thermal wear just seven days prior.  A 59-0 shutout later, Syracuse left a broken program, still not having recovered to this day, while Miami had a third shutout in the books, and looked primed to face the team that had dealt them their only loss in 2000, the Washington Huskies.

Washington was ranked 12th and looking to make history much as they had the last time they had taken the field at the Orange Bowl, when they had ended the Hurricane's record home winning streak at 58, with the "Whammy in Miami". The only "whammy" being delivered this time was from the team wearing orange and green however, as Washington's President was left crying foul and accusing Coker of running up the score in another 65-7 program-derailing blowout.  The combined scoring margin over back-to-back ranked teams was an NCAA record.

The only record Coker's team truly cared about was the win-loss record and the 'Canes could ensure perfection there with a win in their season finale on the road in intimidating Lane Stadium against their hated rivals, the Virginia Tech Hokies next week on December 1st. Frank Beamer's team was ranked 14th as well, and though they fared better than the previous two teams to hold that unlucky number on Miami's schedule, they still found themselves dominated at home as halfway through the fourth quarter Miami led 26-10.  Still, the Hurricanes were unable to land the knockout blow and the Hokies would rally with a pair of late scores to pull within two, 26-24 with very little time to go.  Beamer went for two to force overtime and as often is the case, the 'Canes would find themselves on the right side of the breaks as Earnest Willford dropped a wide-open pass that bounced off his hands to the turf.  The drop would propel the Hurricanes out of Blacksburg Virginia and off to Los Angeles California for Miami's first ever Rose Bowl berth, and a shot at the elusive national title.  Just who would face the Hurricanes was still to be decided.

Nebraska had opened number one in the country at the start of the year and had jockeyed with Miami for that honor as the season progressed.  Jockeyed, that is, until they were unceremoniously dumped from their saddle by Colorado in a crushing blow-out loss that kept them out of the Big 12 title game.  Next in line was the Florida Gators, but Steve Spurrier's team lost at home to Tennessee in a rescheduled contest due to September 11th, sending Tennessee to the SEC title game.  Florida's loss promoted Texasto the on-deck circle, but again Colorado struck, defeating the Longhorns in the Big 12 title game.  Now Tennessee found themselves on-call for a shot at the 'Canes, but instead tasted defeat at the hands of the LSU Tigers in the SEC title game.  Finally, after the storm of upsets subsided and the numbers had been crunched, Nebraska, having lost by more than 30 in their last game of the season, having not even won their division much less their conference title, was tabbed as number two in the BCS formula and received an invitation to meet the Hurricanes on the field to decide yet another national title.  Eighteen years and two days after the Hurricanes had pulled the biggest upset in the history of the game and announced their arrival to the top of the summit of college football at the Cornhuskers expense, the two programs would tie it up once again on the other side of the country with the roles reversed.

In 1983, Miami had been the decided crowd favorite in their home stadium, but in the Rose Bowl, it was now a sea of red and the 'Canes were to be treated as the visitors.  Nebraska's quarterback, Heisman winner Eric Crouch, kept his team close for about half a quarter, then Dorsey and Johnson would catch fire, along with the rest of the Hurricanes, and the rout was on.  New Year's Day 1984 had gone down to the wire, January 3rd, 2002 saw the 'Canes up 34-0 at halftime.  The option was dead, the Hurricanes were transcendent, and claimed its fifth championship in less than two decades, 37-14.  The program's resurrection was complete, with Ed Reed, fittingly, summing it up after the game by noting that when he was a true freshman in 1997, Miami had gone 5-6.  Now he left a red-shirt senior, a champion, and the captain of perhaps the greatest college football team in history.  Portis would make the definite claim to being part of the best team in history that night, and Coker would be lauded as having led a dominating team that won with class, something that no one would accuse the previous Miami championship teams of.

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are a team whose legacy is not yet complete.  The team itself has exhausted its eligibility and its collegiate accomplishments are now set in stone.  Those are impressive enough as it is.  An average scoring margin of 42.7 to 9.8.  A turnover margin of positive 27 for the season.  Six first team All Americans, 16 first round draft picks.  A stingy defense that scored almost half as many points as it allowed all year.  An offense that went three deep in NFL talent at some positions.  A Broyles Award winner for assistant-coach of the year in coordinator Randy Shannon.  The list goes on and on.

However you want to quantify the on field accomplishments, the 2001 Hurricanes will stack up against any team you compare them to.  But it is at the next level in years to come that the team continues to solidify its claim as the greatest of all time.  Already, multiple Pro-Bowl selections have been garnered by its members. It had both an offensive and defensive rookie of the year in the NFL.  Already Ed Reed has been named defensive player of the year in 2004.   It is through these avenues that the 2001 Hurricanes will continue to solidify their already strong case for the honor of greatest college football team of all time.  Ironically it is the players’ individual, and the team’s collective, greatness that in many ways overshadows the achievements of the man who oversaw their rise to such lofty status.  For a man who spent the night of the 2001 Hurricane's ascension to historic status riding onto the field on his players’ shoulders, Larry Coker's ensuing legacy is just as conversely downplayed by a majority of his critics and casual observers.   This is a team that has assumed an aura of being so good, they were capable of coaching themselves.  If this were true, then it wouldn't have mattered who Paul Dee had decided upon those frantic days before signing day 2001, the same results would have been produced regardless.  But perhaps, the only person capable of getting those very results was someone who had been to the bottom with many of the leaders of this team, someone who had experienced the lean years of disappointment, who understood the sense of robbery that had been perpetrated upon the team the year before, who had earned the players trust, loyalty, and respect through his years of collaboration with them.  To simply suggest that anyone could be installed on the sidelines and lead a team to this type of performance in a season that included a disruption on the scale of a September 11th, and still remained unhindered, seems at best short-sighted and at worst, callous.  Better Miami coaches had taken supposedly better Miami teams through easier schedules and still not come away with a championship, much less with a season such as this to show for their efforts.

Perhaps in time the collective greatness of the roster at the professional level will bear the weight of that judgment, but as it stands today, the 2001 edition of the Miami Hurricanes appears to be the perfect storm.  A hungry team, led by a first-time college head coach hungry for recognition, determined to right the wrongs brought to bear against the program not only in it's recent past but upon it's historic reputation as nothing more than a hive of outlaws and cheaters, who won with both style and class, domination and a few bounces for good measure.  A team that will stand the test of time as it writes new pages in it's litany of accomplishments in the days to come. 

Copyright 2007 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace

Comments

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Hey, that was a good team that year. Portis is my favorite Cane ever.

[86Cane]

OGV...what was your favorite memory of that entire year or the players on the 2001 team?

[DallasTX Cane]

Excellent writing skills Christopher. Wonderful article. That was an amazing group of players having lived the despair of probation, then rising like a phoenix to claim the NC.

Remembering the close calls though reinforces just how difficult it is to win 'em all or to win a conference championship or national championship.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Aw man! I just got done actually READING that, and 86Cane edited out the part of the Portis statement where he claimed to be part of the best "Miami" team ever, not the best ever, but better than '91. Unless he did claim Football Team Ali status also that night and I never caught it. Actually, I wouldn't put it pass CP to just drop a stake to that accolade in the Rose Bowl awash with orange and green confetti while the sea of red quietly finished exiting, but I never heard him do so it, so I couldn't actually write that he did. But I'll make that case for you Clinton, now just get back to the Pro Bowl this year and stay healthy.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Favorite moment is tough, because you can take any individual 60 minute stretch during that season and it's all good, but I'd have to say the four seconds or so that it took Ed Reed to cover those 80 yards in Chestnut Hill are about as fun a four seconds you could ever get as a Hurricane's fan.

[86Cane]

"The four seconds or so that it took Ed Reed to cover those 80 yards in Chestnut Hill are about as fun a four seconds you could ever get as a Hurricane's fan."
Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | July 20, 2007 at 04:58 PM

OGV...Amen, brother, AMEN!

[86Cane]

Be back...going to add some really great photos I found!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

As for my favorite memory of the players, I go with Cinco De Mayo 2001, in the off-season, I had just gotten hired as a bouncer in the Grove at Iguana Cantina a week and a half ago. Since I was the new guy, I got the crap assignment of watching the exit at the front door to make sure that NOBODY came in that way on the busiest night of the year for the bar. So a couple hours in, the place is packed to bursting, there's an hour minimum line at both entrances, and I'm sitting at the exit, the only person with any empty space within five feet of them, bored to tears. Next thing I know, somebody is asking me for the umpteenth time if they and their friends can come in the exit. I start explaining to them just like everybody else, there's no way I can let them in, I'll get fired, yadda, yadda, yadda, when I look up to see who I'm talking to, and it's Bryant McKinney, flanked by Sherko, Gonzalez, Romberg, and Bibla. Halfway through me turning McKinney's request down, the line gets this collective sour look on their faces like I just took a cheap-shot at Dorsey after the whistle or something and now I'm wondering just how far a fall is it from the third story balcony to the ground and would I survive a drop like that when these guys chuck me over the railing? Joaquin drops the "we're students at UM with no money" plea on me and I counter with, "I KNOW who you guys are, you're the offensive line for the Hurricanes, I go to school at UM to." McKinney tries to argue that because of that fact, I should now HAVE to have some sympathy since we're all in the same boat in life and let them in for free through the exit. I tell them the exit's a non-starter no matter what, but try going in the other entrance for brevity and when they get there, have the doorman look to me and I'll give him the "let 'em in free" sign when they get there. So they thank me, the other four grudgingly drag McKinney to the 45 minute wait through the 2nd entrance and I get some time to reflect on how lucky I am that this isn't the 80's and these weren't members of the "Miami Vice" years of the program, or else I would probably get that chance to feel the breeze of a three flight drop over the railing on my cheek. They get to the front of the line, I give my coworker the sign, and the Dorsey Imperial Guard filed through for free where I assume they partied all night without incident. They came up and thanked me after they were ready to leave for hooking them up and I wished them luck this upcoming year and that was that. They all were polite, cheerful, and down to earth. McKinney was terrifying to me because not only was he two inches taller than me, rare unto itself, but he was about three times wider circumference-wise than me as well, which made him an unfathomably large person to have to say no to. No wonder they made him the point-man in their quest to get in through the exit, huh?

[aqua]

Omar would've never written anything like this...Finally a place to call home.

[aqua]

Legion, It's beer-thirty and I'm buying.

[aqua]

****Disclamer****

aqua encourages responsible drinking blogging. Sorry kids...

[DallasTX Cane]

Then I'm outta here aqua! LOL I started streaming radio margaritaville around 11am this morning! Not exactly in the working mood...

[86Cane]

Guinness draft please...

[DallasTX Cane]

"Outta here" meaning my office of course!

[86Cane]

Canespace encourages drinking and blogging, just NEVER drinking and driving!!!

[aqua]

My writing suggests I've had a couple, I swear I haven't, yet...

[aqua]

86,

Black and Tan, Half and Half, or straight Guinness?

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Omar would've never written anything like this...Finally a place to call home.

Posted by: aqua | July 20, 2007 at 05:24 PM

HOLY CRAP! Did aqua just give me props above and beyond the Big O? And my birthday isn't even here until another nine months? To what do I owe the honor? Seriously? Thank you aqua, glad I could bring a smile to your face my man.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

aqua, pure Guinness is where it's at. But those things put beer-belly on you like nothing else. I'm still trying to work off my accumulated Guinness weight from the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs to this day. It's almost gone though, four years later!

[86Cane]

Omar would've never written anything like this...Finally a place to call home.
Posted by: aqua | July 20, 2007 at 05:24 PM

Sad, but true? A wise person recently told me that: "It's the passion that makes the product."

Canespace has P-A-S-S-I-O-N!

[aqua]

my pleasure OGV, everytime I read your writing I get really fired up, I can't help it.. I like the half and half. Ever try Smithwix? I finally started seeing at Publix..

86, just shot u an email, highly classifyed national security stuff..

[mr troutman]

just finish reading the article and man this is what we all are fighting for as CANES! If every college student or player can read this they will have to go back to a comment I made a few weeks ago " U DON'T HAVE TO LIKE US BUT PLEASE RESPECT US".

I will always love my CANES, they are what life is all about. U go through your adversity and still prevail.

Miami has been through tougher times so I know we will BOUNCE BACK this year. The head coach has seen it all so he knows what it takes to get the job done. For those of U who doubted this man believe me it will come back to haunt U!! Just think, would any of the coaches such as SCHIANO, Spurrier or ALVAREZ would of recruiting this well so far. U see these recruits respect SHANNON and knows that he will give them a fair shot. He is more than a coach, he is also a FATHER FIGURE TO SOME OF THESE GUYS.

PEACE!!

[aqua]

Sad, but true? A wise person recently told me that: "It's the passion that makes the product."

Canespace has P-A-S-S-I-O-N!

Posted by: 86Cane | July 20, 2007 at 05:52 PM

That man is my hero.

[aqua]

I'm out for a couple Legion, drinks r still on me.

[DallasTX Cane]

later boys...will check in over the weekend. time to leave the office behind and detox...

nice work this week 86 and Co.

[Cavaleer]

Straight Stoudts for me and my man 86, thank you.

There's no doubt Omar would never write a piece like this, he doesn't know enough about Hurricane Football and he doesn't care. But neither would anyone from the Herald or any other rag. They're too busy being "journalists."

But in NY and Boston they've been writing things like this about the Yankees and the Sox since the 1920s

How do you think the newspapers cover ND, Michigan, TX and OSU??? Even the newspapers in New friggin' Jersey have enough sense to praise the home team.

Do you think they have cynical, johnny-come-lately hacks who want to do nothing but criticize, downplay and paint the worst picture possible about a college football miracle story??

NO. Those newspapers in those cities and towns bend-over backwards to show nothing but love to their teams and schools.

Helll, they even write pieces like this about the Heat.

That's why I say good riddance to all of those rags and the semi-talented hacks who write for them.

F 'em all. They've never done anything for the U.

Bravo 86 and the Legion.

And praise the U and all the players who've worn the helmet, especially since Schnell arrived.

[Hurricane Mitch]

Excellent article. Beating two ranked teams by a combined score of 124 - 7. Perfect Storm indeed. I miss Dorsey.

[86Cane]

Mitch...where you been? Email me when you have a chance.

WE all miss Dorsey! 124-7 are you kidding me? Can we order some of that to go? We could use some of that this season!

[pb]

We are a cool and collected quarterback away. Nothing spectacular needed, just no silly mistakes.

If Kyle can be that guy, this season we will shock a lot of "experts"...

[eastlansingcane]

nice piece....one question though...you referred to fsu and a former girl school....when did they allow men to start going there?

[86Cane]

On May 15, 1947 Governor Millard Caldwell signed a legislative act that returned the Florida State College for Women to co-educational status. Florida State University emerged, putting an end to the first and only state supported women's college in Florida. June commencement diplomas recognized both schools with the phrase: "The Florida State College for Women issued by the Florida State University." Four hundred thirty-two women and twelve men graduated on June 9, 1947, jointly representing the last graduating class of FSCW and the first graduating class of FSU.

[eastlansingcane]

thanks '86...i didnt know they actually used to be a girl school...that explains a lot.

[MDCane]

86, this is for you.

Giving readers what they want

Mike Florio defies almost every stereotype affixed to bloggers.
Florio had enough thoughts about pro football to launch NFLtalk.com, which caught the attention of some league executives. Those contacts led to meatier insight and an eventual gig as an ESPN.com "Insider.''

But Florio went independent again with ProFootballTalk, and a growing number of NFL players and executives started feeding him information. One source was a Dolphins player who forwarded to Florio the farewell e-mail Nick Saban sent his team before he left Miami for Alabama, allowing the blog to break a major story.

Florio has stayed on top of the most sensational pro football story of the year, earning props from radio/TV analyst Boomer Esiason, a former NFL quarterback.

Like Florio, Eric McErlain, 39, built a booming blog from scratch. In 2002, McErlain launched his Washington Capitals blog, OffWingOpinion.com, from his one-bedroom apartment in Reston, Va. He occasionally went to games and watched the rest on television, blogging whenever he wasn't "busy with stuff that paid the bills."

Three years later, his blog was ready to yield rent money.

As McErlain retells it, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis discovered it at the beginning of the 2005-06 season while doing a Web search on Washington left wing Alexander Ovechkin. Intrigued by the site, Leonsis invited McErlain to join him in his luxury box for a game.

"I asked him questions all night long and he was very forthcoming," said McErlain, who works in Web communications for the Nuclear Energy Institute, a policy organization. "As a follow-up, I wrote to him that blogs are a great way to reach out to the fans."

Eventually the dialogue between McErlain and Leonsis turned to the topic of a season-long media credential. Like any pro sports team, the Capitals already had a clear policy for mainstream media members, but not for bloggers. As a condition for access, the Capitals asked McErlain to write a "Bloggers' Bill of Rights" - bloggers must demonstrate a solid track record of covering the team, submit readership statistics, and act professionally while in press areas - before agreeing to issue a full-season credential in 2006-07.

"I wrote about anything I might see," said McErlain, who drew more than 50,000 unique visitors last month. "As soon as the game ended, I published my notes and then ran down to the locker room. More often than not, we were the first site with coverage up after the game.

"I'm to the point now where I have to declare income from my blog on taxes. The profits outweigh the expenses and the blog has driven other work to me that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten: a weekly column on NBCsports.com and I'm the lead blogger at NHL Fanhouse on AOL."

[dj moonbat]

If you don't think this is the best team ever, just think about some guys who hardly got to play until the guys ahead of them graduated:

- Willis McGahee
- Kellen Winslow
- Sean Taylor

Maybe -- maybe!! -- USC, which has been dominating recruiting talk for several years, has three guys in the league right now of that caliber who came out since 2000. Miami's got more than a dozen.

[86Cane]

MD...Thanks, that is just what I have been looking for! I forwarded it to the UM Athletic Department so they can now see that this media format has made its way into the professional sports arena.

I had previously sent them two articles from the Boston Globe and NY Times about bloggers gaining access to the Democratic National Convention and a White House Presidential Press Briefing to demonstrate that this format (blogs) in general and Canespace in particular are legit.

We will see what happens...

[Old Skool]

1947
Bobby Bowden must have been about 10.

[86Cane]

Photo essay is up to compliment this article. No need to comment there just thought I'd throw it in.

Photos courtesy of www.hurricanesports.com, fans, and other sources.

[LACane]

Orange & Green: U havent heqard of our new recruit Kelly Phillips? Yes that was a typo

LAcanefan: here is the final tally. cant wait for the marshall game

LACane:

Kenny Phillips
Antonio Dixon
Lavon Ponder
Chavez Grant

LAcanefan:

Randy Phillips
Calis Campbell
Eric Moncur
Glenn Sharpe

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Southern Cal wishes they could find a way to develop talent at the next level the way the 2001 team did. Between the marketing blitz (and it's a blitz with all 11 guys just rushing the American sports fan) for that pair of Heisman frauds in Scott Mitchell Jr. and Mr. $300,000, you'd think that 2004 was a team oozing NFL 1st rounders out of every pore. How many 1st rounders were from Southern Cal last year? Time's waisting $neaky Pete, you better make that up this year or else you're WAY behind the '01 team's pace.

[RandyCane]

Great Article on the 2001 team, mmo1 and myself were at the Rose Bowl for the NC and it was awesome. The pre-game party with Toretta and then the game. A sea of 75,000 big red fans were noisy and arrogant, then the game started and soon all you could hear was the UM section, yelling were NO.1 very early in the first quarter! The game wasn't as close as the score. Trev Alberts and the rest of the big red nation were truly humbled that evening. Couch had already won the Heisman but following the game many were wondering why? What a priviledge it was to watch them play. Thanks again for a well written article and the remembrance of true greatness.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

I want to hear from anybody out there for nominations for teams that could take the '01 Canes down on the field. Any school and any year is welcome, but give me your argument WHY they could take the '01 edition of the most dominant program of the last quarter century. Give some rationale why they could be the team to beat what I consider the best college team to ever take the field.

[solarcane]

I guess FSU was putting pads on way before they had a football team
(rimshot)

peace

[solarcane]

OGV
were not worthy, again great article man.
peace

[solarcane]

Maybe the 2000 canes
peace

[eastlansingcane]

nice one solar!!!

[dj moonbat]

"How many 1st rounders were from Southern Cal last year?"

First rounders are nice and all, but I could forgive all the USC hype if they had any second-rounders like, say, Clinton Portis.

[solarcane]

thanks eastl
peace

[solarcane]

RonMex:

sounds good. i'll ship those 2 out tomorrow. both are in great shape.

-Alex

20-Jul-2007 19:58 CDT

Message: Alex i paid for the next two games
please make sure they are the 2001 sugar bowl, miami vs florida
1984 kickoff classic
miami vs auburn
thanks again
peace

[norm]

I forgot how dominating Miami was that year. It really brings back memories.
Nice work Whelpton...Kudos to you.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

solar, 2000 Miami couldn't do it, 2000 Washington couldn't have done it either, so they're both out. Marcus Tuassiwhatever the rest of it is barely even got enough points with a boatload of questionable defensive pass interference calls to help him out in getting the win of 2000, no way the '01 secondary plays worse with Shannon making the calls instead of Schiano the year prior. And if 2000 UM couldn't beat 2000 UW, they're not knocking the '01 edition of themselves off either.