Meet Me In The Parking Lot

As I have told you time and again on this blog, the Canespace rules are: (1) You have to show up; (2) You have to stay to the end; (3) You can't by shy.  If you follow these rule good things and good luck are bound to find you sooner or later.  Saturday was once again one of those times.

After the Spring game had ended and the fans tried to make their way out of the Stadium the traffic was absolutely horrendous.  So rather than trying to fight it, I decided to spend some time talking some Canes and some trash with Canespacer Cat5 (Ron) in the parking lot.  Little did I know at the time that this would turn out to be one of the best decisions I had ever made. 

As Ron and I stood in the parking lot discussing his latest ideas on how and why I should improve and expand the blog we were soon joined by two other fans who arrived at their car that was parked next to ours. 

One of the guys, seeing Ron with his trademark Budweiser in hand, asked if he could borrow some ice.  As we gave him some ice and a Canespace card and told him about the site we talked and became friends. 

Then he introduced himself.  Turns out our new friend just happened to be Sam Shields' father [who is seen above with Canespacers Cat5 (L) and 86Cane (R)].  We shared a beverage, chatted a while and the questions came naturally as did the candid responses.  Here is our conversation...

Cat5: So how does Sam feel about moving from wide receiver to defensive back?

Mr. Shields: He says he feels like a kid in a playground!  He really likes it.  Sam has played offense all his life so moving to DB was a big change.  But now he says he can read and react; there is less thinking involved. 

Sam (seen here with Ryan Hill signing the now famous Canespace limited edition ST#26 T-shirt) told me that he feels that it allows him up to use his athletic ability and make plays.  And if he gets the ball on defense, he's gone, trust me, he's gone (for a pick six)!

86Cane: How did you feel about the position change?

Mr. Shields: Coach Shannon called me after he talked to Sam about it (the position change).  He asked me what I thought about it and I told him: "If Sam thinks it's OK, if he wants to do it, then it's OK by me." I told Coach Shannon that Sam would probably play Center if you asked him to (laughter all around).  He just wants to play and be on the field and contribute to the team.

86Cane: Sam and Shannon have not always seen eye to eye.  How is their relationship now?

Mr. Shields: Shannon is a serious guy.  Coach Coker was much nore relaxed in the way he treated players and ran the team.  I used to joke with Susan at The Miami Herald to ask Shannon if there was a door to get out his dog house.  Because once Sam got in there he could never seem to get out.  Shannon doesn't forget or let things go easily.  That's not a criticism, he's just that way.

86Cane: Sam came in with such high expectations.  Do you feel he got a fair shot or that maybe Shannon may have been to hard on Sam?

Mr. Shields: No, that's not it at all.  Listen, don't get me wrong, I respect Coach Shannon and understand what he is trying to get done at Miami.  I am a fan of the Hurricanes, partly because of Sam, but I have always liked the Canes and I want to see them win and do well.  But I don't think the image that some people got of Sam was accurate.  Shannon is a good coach but Sam is also good kid and I want people to know that.   I won't deny that there were some issues between Sam and Coach Shannon during his first two years at UM but we feel that's in the past.  We're moving forward. 

86Cane: So does Sam think he has a chance to play or possibly even start at CB this season?

Mr. Shields: Sam told me he is confident that he will get a fair shot at CB and he plans to make the most of his opportunity.  I'll tell you this, he's excited again about playing football.  The position change may actually help him later on because the more versatile you are the more chances you have to make an impression (on NFL coaches).  Coaches want to know that you can do more than one thing and contribute on special teams too (to increase the chance of getting drafted).

Cat5: We all know that Sam has the speed and talent, but tell us what we don't know about Sam?

Mr. Shields: I never played football, but I was a pretty good basketball player.  I wanted Sam to play basketball but he wasn't really good at it.  He would steal the ball and then miss the easy layup.  He was so fast he'd run up on the basket too fast and the ball would bounce off the backboard.  So he switched to football and that was his sport. He was always good at football from the first day he stepped on the field.  On the football filed, his speed was always his advantage.

As our conversation ended we said goodbye we provided our new friends some Canespace T-shirts and watched them drive away.  Cat5 and I looked at each other with some sense of disbelief that we had such and rare and unique opportunity to get a candid, exclusive interview with a player's father. 

But that only lasted for a few minutes until our next visitor walked up.  Then we immediately started our next interview with WQAM radio personality and UM color comentator Don Bailey. 

Yeah, I know what you are thinking, but no, I am not making this up!  We talked with Bailey for about twenty minutes and even got him to make a 2009 season prediction, talk about national championships and select his Legends of the Fall for Canespace. 

But that was only until the cheerleaders arrived.  And yeah, we have the pictures to prove it... 

Comments

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Apologies for the double....

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

From Sheldon at the SS on our next Mike, Shayon Green from GA.....

>>>>>

Tifton County coach Jay Walls begins to chuckle before answering the question.

He's thinking back to the most impressive play made by linebacker Shayon Green in his career. There were many memorable moments, considering Green was a three-year starter and one of the top players in Georgia.

But one play will always stick out.

Tifton County was playing Brooks County in the regular season. Green's assignment from the outside linebacker position was to hit the quarterback on the option. As expected, Green carried out his assignment but the quarterback pitched to the running back just in time.

"After he hit the quarterback, we had a breakdown in our pitch coverage," Walls said. "He got up from knocking the quarterback down, ran down the (running back) and tackled the kid. It was just a special play."

That about sums up the athleticism of Green. At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he's quick enough to run the third leg of his high school's 1,600 relay team. He's agile enough to compete in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. And he's intelligent enough to learn one of the game's most complex positions in just one season.

Last year, Green moved to linebacker after starring at defensive end the three previous seasons. Despite the newness, he still was able to record a team-high 120 tackles, two sacks and force five fumbles at weakside linebacker in his team's 5-2 defense.

"I think it was a great move for me," said Green, who last ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds, but said it has improved. "It was good for me to be able to stand up (at linebacker). It was my first time playing. It took me a good two weeks to learn it. I had to learn my steps."

Green said the learning process was complete when during a game he read the guard's movement and it led him right to the ball-carrier. Since that moment, he's been earning strictly extra credit.

"What really stands out to me is his ability to run to the football," said Walls, his high school coach. "He's going to get to the football. I see him playing MIKE or SAM linebacker in college."

Tifton County is a town of just 20,000, but competes in the state's largest classification. The team was 8-4 last year and advanced to the second round of the Georgia Class 5A playoffs. So Green wasn't playing against small-school competition.

It is likely Green is an extreme talent if he receives Walls' endorsement. Walls is the former coach at Suwannee High in Live Oak, Fla. Sound familiar? Yes, he coached former UM cornerbacks Kelly Jennings and Bruce Johnson. Jennings was a first-round NFL draft pick, and Johnson is expected to be a late-round selection in April.

"Now, this is my third Miami guy," Walls said. "I think Miami would be pretty happy if he can get down there and be like the last two. I think that (Green) is going to see a lot of playing time at Miami. He's just got that ability to play on that level."

[Six]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_eu/g20_protests

"Bolder financial workers leaned out their office windows Wednesday, taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them."

Umm, is that smart to do?

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Canesluvr, that's a very good point about the DEs. I'd have to watch the LSU highlights again to see if they crashed or penetrated straight ahead. Again, the highlights were so scanty.

Either way though, once the middle is crushed the defense can take much more control.

This year we'll have Ojomo, M-Rob, Vernon, Wesley, Andrew Smith and Moncur at the DE. Our DBs will be VT, Randy, JoJo, BH, Ryan, Sam, DVD and McGee. OLBs will be Spence, Futch, C-Mac, Buchanon and Holton.

That's going to be a serious bunch on the outside, with the only real ??? being DVD's willingness to hit a RB. As a unite, I expect them to be well-versed in the ways of the Johnson option by the time we face them.

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Six, those fukfaces are so stupid. They weren't complaining six years ago when they were rolling in dough and buying whatever the hell they wanted. I bet they weren't saving for that eventual rainy day either.

And if they're so mad about it and jealous of the bankers, who's stopping them from becoming a banker??

Stupid punks, typical whiners and losers, especially the so-called "anarchists". They should paint a big L on their foreheads instead of that candy-azz A.

Idiots, all of them.

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Some more great quotes from the Leon Searcy interview at ProCanes....

>>>>>>>

pC: You went up some big-time defensive tackles in your day, who would you say was the toughest to up against in practice?
LS: Easily Cortez [Kennedy] and Russell [Maryland]. Absolutely those two. They were immovable objects in practice. You know, I did an interview on the radio about two weeks ago and Russell was on the show. I told him that a lot of our offensive success had to do with our demise in practice. I told Russell that the offense might have won 18 practices in five years against the defense because our defense was that good. I mean, they were so good that when we played other teams come Saturday it was easy for us. We would go up against Russell, Cortez, Michael Barrow, Darrin Smith, Jesse all of these guys and we had a good secondary. You’re not going to see that kind of talent on one team back then. Russell and Cortez were easily the toughest guys to go up against.

pC: Who was one leader during your years that really stood out? An emotional leader?
LS: We had so many. Everybody on the team was vocal. I mean we took classes in trash talking. Everybody in there was vocal. Who was the emotional leader? I don’t know. It’s difficult to say. We turned to each other. Everybody cared enough about the program that they spoke up when they thought things weren’t going right or we weren’t practicing right or getting it done in the weight room or in class. Everybody spoke up. Russell was the type of guy that when he said something, because he was so quiet, everybody took notice.

[OCALACANE]

CGNC...
SpaceCadets...
Spring game photos at
http://www.myspace.com/ocalacane

[Six]

ANYONE who was recruited to play football in college, PLEASE tell me if you guys did this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDe-Z_wH84&feature=related

Why are they all standing around with their shirts off? They're recruits, they're not even on the team.

If you watch, Pete Carroll is the one in the white shorts behind the guy that is yelling.

What ..in .. the hell .. is .. this?

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Six it looks/sounds like a Samoan, non-athlete's version of this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeexDrlNx5E

[Six]

Cav - it looks like a homoerotic, "Billy have you ever seen a grown man naked/Gladiator movie" get together.

I can possibly understand if they all just got done lifting and were taking a goof picture like people always see college teams doing .... but, like I said, these are recruits - not even players.

I thought on recruiting visits, you'd have a room full of college girls with their shirts/clothes off for the recruits to hang with, not a room full of other recruits and coaches with their shirts off.

[Six]

If they want to do a real war chant to pump themselves up, this is how you do it ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcN-fKEWzFQ&NR=1

The All Blacks have been doing it for years. The best is when Tonga plays them and they try to intimidate each other at the same time on the field with their Haka.

[raizecane]

DO NOT TACKLE the other players hand warmer while your chasing him from behind.

Posted by: DZ8 | April 01, 2009 at 09:48 AM

Thats some funny sheeet right there.

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Six, those were recruits??? Haha. If so, that's the corniest shyt I've ever heard of, even cornier than T-Bone trying get Cookie to do the Gator Chomp. lol

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Six, that's a nice clip....very ancestral for them, and good because of this.

[CanesgirlNC]

Thanks Ocala

[CanesgirlNC]

Six - I think I know why people can't drive in the rain in FLorida - most of them are from somewhere else - and those places it doesn't rain like it does in FLorida. Didn't realize it till I moved to Charlotte - LOL what they consider hard rain is not hard rain in Florida

[Esteban]

honestly, tackling by the hand warmer worked better than most of the other attempts.

[SOUP]

From www.hurricanesports.com:

The 1999 National Champion University of Miami baseball team will be honored prior to Saturday night's game between UM and Florida State at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

Ten years after the team won the school's third national title, members of the championship squad will be on hand and will be recognized in an on-field ceremony prior to the 7 p.m. game between the seventh-ranked Hurricanes and 23rd-ranked Seminoles.

Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt will be on hand, in addition to UM head coach Jim Morris. Morris led the 1999 team to an overall record of 50-13, including four-straight wins in Omaha over Rice, Alabama (twice) and FSU in the championship game to claim the first of his two national titles as the head coach at Miami.

UM's three other national championships in baseball came in 1982, 1985 and 2001.

This year's Hurricanes (20-7) will face Barry Wednesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park before hosting the Seminoles this weekend.

[canesteelers]

ST

[SOUP]

Players that missed the spring game but are expected back for fall camp: TE Dedrick Epps, DT Allen Bailey, DE Adewale Ojomo, TB Lee Chambers, TB Javarris James, CB Brandon McGee, LB Colin McCarthy, DE Eric Moncur, LB Ramon Buchanan, PK/P Matt Bosher, TE Tervaris Johnson, OL Joel Figueroa, WR Travis Benjamin.

The first summer football opportunity for fans will be the Summer BankUnited CanesFest scheduled for Saturday, July 25 at Dolphin Stadium. UM players will be on hand to sign autographs. UM players will also be featured in a dunk tank. Sebastian and the UM cheerleaders will also be on hand while fans will be treated to several infatables in the fan zone.

[SOUP]

Head Coach Randy Shannon:

On what areas need improvement:

We won’t know until you evaluate the tape. But I think everybody improved. I told coaches this – I watched Damien Berry from when he first started to where he is now. I watched Sam Shields from when he moved over to now. Are they improving? Yes. They both got a lot better. Those are things you want from a football team. There's improvement everywhere. What we stress is don't slack off because spring is over – get ready for a great season.

On where the team is now as a whole, including with the two new coordinators:

We're a whole lot better. We've got more players. We feel we've done a great job in recruiting – our numbers are up. My first year and second year we played a lot of freshmen. Now those freshmen are sophomores and juniors, and you can see the difference from the last two years to now. Guys coming in [early] like Mike James, Brandon Washington, Olivier Vernon – are going to make a difference this coming season because of what they've learned.

[SOUP]

Jacory Harris comments:

On the style of the offense:

This offense schemes everything well. Instead of doing plays that go against that defense, we make the defense play against us. They have to adjust to us instead of us adjusting to them.

MUSIC TO MY EARS!!!

[solarcane]

Not an April Fools Prank

Stallworth to face DUI Manslaughter charges.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9378392/Report:-Stallworth-to-get-DUI-manslaughter-charge?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

peace

[solarcane]

Cop does the wrong thing, then does the right thing.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9403378/Cop-who-stopped-Moats-in-hospital-lot-resigns

peace

[solarcane]

a guy here was asking me if Georgia had the best looking football uniform combinations in college, I admitted they do look all buisness.

I told him Canes,Hawaii,Georgia,Texas Tech, Auburn in that order.

He asked who I thought the most plain or forgettable were

I told him Penn State, Alabama with a special award to the Cleveland Browns for the most forgettable football uniforms of all time

Most Halloween like football uniforms:
Oregon any combo, with Syracuse a close second when they wear the fluorescent all orange ensemble.

peace

[canechic]

Former Gator player - playing a little too much overseas, hmm, hmm:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/04/former-florida-gator-brent-wright-caught-in-compromising-pic.html

[solarcane]

canechic

The action in the picture is to be commended, especially for a Gator to pull it off.

He should although be slapped for that shirt he's wearing.

Cibona Zagreb... that sounds like a real sports entertainment mecca.

peace

[canechic]

yeah solar but it is Croatia so maybe that's the fashion. I think more guys will want to play overseas now. The girls are much more open over there, ha, ha!

[Six]

Croatia is still buzzing about those new tv shows they are finally enjoying ... Miami Vice, Dukes of Hazzard, A-Team and Knight Rider.

Everyone over there wants to be Sonny Crockett or Michael Knight.

Axel-F is the big hit right now on the radio.

[Canez1]

That pic is the true meaning of life right thur!!

Reminds me of the good ol days.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[bg1906]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/977752.html

Based on Lovett's comments here is what the starting Defense looks like if all are healthy on Labor Day.

DE - Eric Moncur
DE - Adewale Ojomo
DT - Allen Bailey
DT - Marcus Forston
MLB - Darryl Sharpton - Now (Arthur Brown when he can do it consistently)
WLB - Sean Spence
SLB - Colin McCarthy- Healthy (Likes Ramon Buchanan if McCarthy is not healthy)
CB - Brandon Harris
CB - Demarcus Van Dyke
FS - Vaughn Telemaque
SS - Randy Phillips

Based on Lovett's Comments Ray Ray will have an opportunity to get in rotation immediately. At CB, Grant seems to still be Nickel and Sam Shields/Ryan Hill/Brandon McGee will probably all see time at both the Nickel and Dime. Also Marcus Robinson is probably the 1st DE in the rotation, and probably a pass rush specialist. I'd assume Vernon will be in the same role.

I think that D has some serious POTENTIAL. I like it. I think the big key will be staying healthy and then consistency of the players.

On offense, my guesses would be

QB - Jacory Harris
FB - Patrick Hill
RB - James/Coop (Interchangeable)
WR - Aldarius Johnson
WR - Laron Byrd
TE - Dedrick Epps - Healthy (Richard Gordon if not healthy)
LT - Jason Fox
LG - Orlando Franklin
C - AJ Trump
RG - Joel Figueroa - Healthy (Harland Gunn/Brandon Washington if not healthy)
RT - Matt Pipho

I think we'll also start with this offense, but I anticipate that B. Wash will establish himself in the fall, and foster the move of O. Franklin to RT. We'll see. RB is a position of strength. I figure Coop and Baby J will get the 1st looks. I think Mike James and D. Berry get some carries as well, especially if there are injuries. Lee Chambers and Lamar Miller could also get some totes. WR will be plenty of shuffling. After spring I think Aldarius is probably running behind Leonard Hankerson, but I anticipate that wil change in the fall. In the slot, I think you can play multiple guys there. Pimp, T. Benjamin, and K. Thompkins all can excel there and I believe will have opportunities. I think Streeter and Hankerson also play alot. I like this unit and there is a lot of potential and matchup/situational advantages my mixing and matching them.

If stay healthy, execute, and stay consistent, I think we can have a 9-10 win team, and a BCS calibur team in 2010.

We'll see....

[solarcane]

bg nice post.

I think what we are finally getting back to is interchangeability with out a drop in talent.

I mean at wide receiver or running back you could "start" a lot of different combos.

The idea of starting will be more a prestige thing " I started for the Canes" when in fact a bunch of guys rotated in and out the entire game.

peace

[Chinese Punisher aka Cavaleer]

Solar, hat's off to that cop. Stallworth should make some sort of monetary gesture to the family of the person he killed. Then he should do about 20 years of community service talking to adolescents about drinking and driving. He should do some prison time though, a few years.

[The Truth]

Right on the $$$ Solar - great post bg

And I'd have totally missed my flight too.

[Cane Since 1982]

That that was a great top half of the first. 4-0 Barry

[solarcane]

Chi,
yea when you make a mistake and reconcile it by resigning your job in these difficult times, it shows your a man with a set of values and a conscience.

I feel bad for Stallworth.
I'd be a real hypocrite if I judged him, after all the bad decisions I made with alcohol and motor vehicles

I agree with everything you said as far as his punishment.

peace

[Cane Since 1982]

Top 2nd 4-0 Barry

1st batter: Home run

5-0 Barry

[Cane Since 1982]

Still top 2 (0 out, 0 runners)

2nd batter: Fly out to right field warning track
3rd batter: STRIKE OUT #1
4th batter: Fly out to left field wall

5-0 Barry going to bottom 2nd

[solarcane]

wad up Truth?

I can always tell when you are sitting perfectly still while blogging as opposed to when:

yowr tr6n$ to post sum thi7g whi|}e u r mov`'ng

Have a safe trip

peace

[Cane Since 1982]

Bottom 2nd

JASON HAGERTY: Walk
-Wild Pitch, Hagerty to 2nd
CHRIS HERRMANN: RBI ground ball single to left, Hagerty SCORES

5-1 Barry

[Cane Since 1982]

Still Bottom 2nd (0 out, Runner on 1st)

YASMANI GRANDAL: Fly out
-Herrmann steals 2nd
HAROLD MARTINEZ: Sac fly to right, Herrmann to 3rd
JONATHAN WEISLOW: RBI line drive single to right

5-2 Barry

[Cane Since 1982]

Still Bottom 2nd (2 out, Runner on 1st)

RYAN JACKSON: Ground out to 3rd

5-2 Barry going to top 3

[j.w.]

The comebacks are always nice, guys, but how about just pounding one of these teams from start to finish starting this weekend? :)

[DZ8]

Who the heck is Barry?

[canefan3]

I don't think they are going to move Franklin. They like Phipho and want to keep Orlando and Fox on the same side.

[Cane Since 1982]

Top 3

1st batter: Walk
2nd batter: 3-6 double play
3rd batter: STRIKE OUT #2

5-2 Barry going to bottom 3rd

[bhamcanesfan]

canes

[Cane Since 1982]

Barry University Bulldogs out of Miami Shores. Their a D2 school.

[SOUP]

Who the heck is Barry?

Posted by: DZ8 | April 01, 2009 at 06:40 PM

Just Google: Manilow

[SOUP]

1982...good to see you back in action! U better be wearing Canespace? Who's pitching for UM?

GO CANES!