Canespace LIVE: Hurricane Season Kick-Off Party

We are LIVE from Miller's Ale House on Yamato Road in Boca Raton with Ben Leis and Mary Clark from the Palm Beach Canes Club at their annual football season kick-off party. 

Joining us are the voice of the Miami Hurricanes and event emcee Don Bailey Jr. and special guests Steve Walsh and Lamar Thomas (seen here with Canezilla). 

We will be blogging LIVE from the event and hoping to get some of your questions answered by Steve and Lamar as the evening progresses. Post your comments and questions on the blog and we will do what we can to get you the news you can use. 

Here is a summary of the Q&A session with DBJ and Steve and Lamar:

Don Bailey Jr.:  Let's get straight to the point: Talk about Jacory Harris.  What does he have, where is he at and what does he need to do to be great?

Steve Walsh: "A lot has been made recently about some of the quarterbacks (at UM) lacking some of the intangibles over the last several years.  One of the things about Jacory, one of the things that Randy Shannon loves about him, is that he is a leader.   And leaders can come in a lot of different forms and fashions.  The leader can be the rah-rah guy getting up in your face and screaming, Jacory is not that guy." 

"But Jacory Harris in that locker room, and Jacory on the field in the Summer when the players are working out, he can go up to any player and just lay it on the line.  He has seven other team mates from MNW high school on that team, so he has built up a lot of trust among his team mates.  He can tell somebody look, you are either with us or get the heck out of the way." 

"And Randy Shannon shared a couple of stories with me that that is what Jacory did.  And he really changed that attitude in the locke room and established his position as a leader this Summer, which quite honestly the last few quarterbacks were not willing to do.  Now when you combine that with a kid who is very talented then you have something."

"I remember the first game last year against Charleston Southern where Jacory got the surprise start and on the first TD and I am on the sideline watching and they blitzed him and he could have thrown the ball away real quick, but he stepped to the side and he ran for 25 yards and scored.  It was like the first drive of his college career and they scored.  And to me that was, well that said something that this player has a great amount of poise, and he's patient, and that's what you have to have as a QB."

DBJ: Lamar at the WR position you are an expert. You did a fantastic job at The U, you had a great career in the NFL, you have Aldarius Johnson and thearon Collier, you just go down the list, Hankerson is the only guy that has been there three years, how tough is it to come in and start as a freshman and when do you get your feet under you as a receiver?

Lamar Thomas: "Well to start as a freshman back in the day was almost unheard of but for these kids to come in and get that experience, well it is incredible to watch them mature.  And watch them go into practice now and growing up right in front of you is amazing.  I watched these guys in HS and I went to a couple of games.  Aldarius everyday is getting better, I watched him in practice.  Streeter, last year he redshirted, now the guy is out there making plays in practice."  

"I talked to Aubrey Hill the receivers coach and he talks about each one of them being able to do something different.  So when I talk to these kids I say to them hey you have got to separate yourself you have to be able to do something extra special.  Those kids, like Hankerson, he's gonna be a play maker.  They just have so many kids who can make plays it is impressive to watch all of them."

DBJ: When you talk about offensive coordinators I guess Miami has had three in the last four years. Whe you talk about Mark Whipple the new OC now who tutored Ben Rothlisberger, took them to the Super Bowl, he went to coach at the Eagles, what do you feel the impact is going to be that Coach Whipple will have on the team this year?   How long does it take?

Walsh: "When you look back at Randy Shannon and who he has hired, Patrick Nix was one of the last guys he hired on his staff, and lets be honest he did not want Patrick Nix, that was not his first choice. They were never comfortable with each other, Nix wanted to run a certain style of offense, Randy wanted something else, but they had to work together.  But it blew up, it blew up in the bowl game in California, the Emerald Bowl, and after that game I knew something was going to happen."

"But now Randy had a chance to sit back and really interview people and ask them hey this is what I want, can you do this and Mark Whipple is able to do those things.  Now I think you are going to see an identity on offense.  And as a former player, that's what I see immediately.  there has to be a logical strategy about changing your personnel groups. "

"You think about the great teams in the 1990s and the 2001 team, those guys could come at you.  You had guys like Portis and McGahee.  But the last several years you didn't know what you really had.  Now maybe that's skill, the players we were dealing with, but I think it had a lot to do with the system.  Now Randy Shannon has somebody that he's comfortable with and they know who they want to be." 

"Now they gotta go out and execute."

DBJ: Lamar there is nothing that helps the passing game more than a good running game.  You have Javaris James who has been banged up, he hasn't been able to be himself, now he's skinnier, faster, how important is he to the offense?

Lamar:  "Well I think he is very important to the offense.  It think it took him over the Summer to realize how important it is to be THAT guy.  I mean I talked to him a couple years ago and he just kinda said yeah, but now he's a Senior and he realizes this is the year I have to put it all on the line and make this a better team."

DBJ: Steve are you jealous that Jacory is going to break your single season TD record at 29 (laughter)?

Walsh:  "First of all it's 31 TDs because of the bowl game!  But yeah, it has been an on-going friendly wager with all of the QBs that came after me at Miami about who was going to break it.  Going all the way back to Crag Erickson who told me he was gonna do it.  Gino Toretta said he was gonna do it too. I challenged Kenny Dorsey to try to break it.  But yeah, Jacory has a shot at it, but I think the running game is going to work so well this year that he will not have a real chance at it.  He could do it, it's possible, but probably not."

Comments

[SebastianDaIbis]

Sounds like its going to be a great event Palm Beach Canes Club. I wish I could be there

Welcome Mary, Steve, and the original pimp
Lamar T.

Thank you all for joining the `Space for the Kickoff Party

I look forward to all your insight to everything Canes

[86Cane]

MM01...U are in BIG trouble, that's all I'm gonna say.

NO CAKE FOR U!!!

[JCane]

Don't know if I'm first, but wish I could be there tonight....

[1kestrel]

1st?

[1kestrel]

darn...close

[drtycane21]

5th daaaamn

[drtycane21]

much respect for 561....tell DBJ he needs not to jinx this team.
someone go a little north and pull some belle glade, central recruits...offer them a beer or 2.
go Canes!

[JCane]

For Steve Walsh, a few questions:

What does he think about the U's developing QBs at this point, Jacory and T. Cook in particular?

How is he enjoying his new life venture as a head coach? What are the areas that have surprised him the most regarding job expectations?

[j.w.]

arghhhhhhhhh!

[86Cane]

Good crowd, about 100 people here so far.

Waiting on the stars to show.

Harry from allCanes and David Siestma from UM stopped by top say hi.

Canezilla and his lovely wife are here at the Canespace table.

Mary and Ben are here to coordinate and sell stuff.

It's all good...

[solarcane]

Leis and Clark

that sounds vaguely familiar from 9th grade American History.

peace

[Hurriphin]

Delaware....the U.

SOUP, you got this stuff on SMASH man!! Congrats.

Blame my absence on my stupid molar. It felt like someone had a lighter to my gums. But I got that tooth pulled a couple of days ago.

I'm back baby!!

[SebastianDaIbis]

I have just 1 question for Mr. Steve Walsh

Be honest now....Have you ever seen a more talented group of WRs here at the U?

I wont tell any of the crew you had ;)

[Gin & Tonic]

86, ask Mary if she has an affinity for married middle aged accountants that drink too much.

[Hurriphin]

Someone ask Mar' if he wouldn't mind if McCartney rocks his #36 when he gets here.

Lamar was the original "Sticks."

Still one of my very favorite old school Canes. (How crazy is it, that to me, Thomas is an old school Cane.

[dj moonbat]

"86, ask Mary if she has an affinity for married middle aged accountants that drink too much.

Doesn't every woman?

[86Cane]

Dyrty...DBJ just stopped by and took the photo with Canezilla and his wife Jennifer. He's a good sport.

JCane...I'll ask your question if I get a chance. I was gonna ask this one to Lamar:

Is AJ the BEST WR ever at Miami?

LOL

[Hurriphin]

Ask Walsh if he's a little jealous that Jacory is gonna break his single-season TD pass record (29) in 09'

[86Cane]

86, ask Mary if she has an affinity for married middle aged accountants that drink too much.

Posted by: Gin & Tonic | August 19, 2009 at 07:35 PM

G&T...Neagtive, but she stated that will do a Jello shot and take a photo with U if U make it to the FSU game!

[Gin & Tonic]

Doesn't every woman?

Posted by: dj moonbat | August 19, 2009 at 07:42 PM

lol

[Gin & Tonic]

A man can dream.....Won't be in Tally this year but will be throwing down some shots pregame @ UCF.

[SebastianDaIbis]

Can you ask either of them if they are happy with where RS has this program today or record wise should we be better?
No matter what do they think RS deserves another shot next year(which I believe he does)
Last but not least. Have they seen Whips system and is it something they would have loved to play in?

[elliott]

Ask of the depletion of D LINE and how that is going to effect us?

[SebastianDaIbis]

`86 this ? is for you

Say the injuries at DE are serious is there any chance we could see AB get some time there at all?

He has decent size(maybe to undersized?) and does know how to get to the ball and will hit you hard

Am I reaching on this?

[86Cane]

Walsh and LT#36 are here...first question:

Where is Jacory Harris at as a QB at UM?

"The number one thing is he's a leader. Shannon trusts him, his teammates trust him and he has a lot of stock in the locker room."

Second question:

LT, tell us a about the WR group at UM?

"Hankerson is gonna be a playmaker. There is a load of talent at WR now. Aubrey Hill says they all bring something diffrent. they are gonna be special as a group."

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Soup, first of all tell Steve Walsh that he's one of the main reasons I'm a Cane for Life. When I saw them comeback and whoop MEEEECHIGAN, I knew they were my my team and he's still my favorite Canes QB. If Stephens had been hired as HC he'd own all the records.

Now, does he think Jacory is ready to take full command of this offense and team the way he, Bernie, Vinny, Erickson, Gino and Dorsey did?

Also, what does he think of Whipple's approach and style??

Many thanks.

[86Cane]

Third question: Steve what's going on with the offense at Miami?

"Well NIx sucked."

That was NOT Steve, that was me! LOL

Steve: "Well Nix was not the first choice and abviously it didn't work out. Shannon and Nix were always at odds with the type of offense they wanted to run. It all fell apart in the Emerald Bowl. Now the Canes are going to have an identity."

[Captain Optimist aka Cavaleer]

Sebastian, that is the definition of a reach. AB ain't moving, and I'm nowhere near CG but I can see that from afar.

Elliot, what is this "depletion" talk?? Did we lose three or four DEs in the last 10 hours??

We have six DEs ready to roll, and while Wesley isn't Ojomo, and Vernon and Dye are green, I personally think we'll be quite alright. If anything this is the door Dye and Vernon were waiting on to open. Both of them are studs, they're just young.

[Canefantasy]

86 is this party really happening or are you all alone in the house bored with your cut outs acting like you are talking to them. I mean I am here with Dan Marino..

whats that dan... oh yes he says that he hates Brett Farve and Vick kills dogs.

[86Cane]

DBJ: What about #1 recruit Ray Ray Armstrong?

LT: "When U get to The U, college ball, it is a lot different than HS, It is an awakening. I'm sure he (Ray Ray) got an awakening too. I was a freshman and we were playing FSU first game and they were ranked #1. We were in warm ups I was a Freshman and trying to do my thing and Steve Walsh said who the heck is that skinny guy, get him out of here!"

[solarcane]

just checkin in

so far canefantasy is the hi light by far. lmao

Soup drink a couple for us, tell LT to be LT and tell us how he really feels, give us something he sees we never read about

"There is a load of talent at WR now. Aubrey Hill says they all bring something diffrent. they are gonna be special as a group"

LT that sounds like something we read on Rivals.
be more specific please

peace

[dlu]

That former player was defensive lineman Tyrone Ballard.

And Ballard had just been part of a locker room incident that left Cane end Adewale Ojomo with a broken jaw that could cost him the season.

"He's a young man - he said he was provoked," Dunn said. "Now it doesn't mean he was right, but I heard he was provoked."

Dunn denied rumors that it was a hazing incident.

"I think it was playing around in the locker room, guys challenged each other and it went too far," he said. "The young man (Ballard) probably didn't like what was going on."

He says Ballard has tremendous remorse about the incident, but said the UM freshman wasn't going to be talking about the incident publicly.
IT ALWAys comes out anyway, why draw it out.

[busy_cane]

Ask LT... "What would you do to George Teaue if you ran into him in a dark alley?"

just kidding

LT should kick my ass for typing that.

Question LT and SW - what do they think of Mark Whipple and what they've seen of the offensive schemes so far this year?

-cheers

[86Cane]

Legends of the Fall:

Steve Walsh: Cooper and Spence

LT: Hankerson and Phillips

[JCane]

86:

How about asking LT who the best WR ever at UM was (as a college player, not including pro career).....and same for SW about both WR and QB? I can make it interesting and say they're allowed to include themselves..... :)

[solarcane]

LT tells soup AJ wil be the greatest thing since sliced pizza.

Legends of the fall

LT Hankerson lol!!!

peace

[mm01]

What, I can't have cake and eat it, too???

:(

[86Cane]

Did I mention that Steve Walsh and LT#36 now wear Canespace?

No? How could I have not mentioned that?

Tee Hee

[1kestrel]

86 - Why don't you ask Steve and LT for their LOF picks and impact freshman?

[1kestrel]

man...sorry....slow refresh

[busy_cane]

Ask them which game are they most excited to see this year?

-cheers

[mm01]

Steve's favorite WR or TE and why?

Steve's favorite game memory and why?

[CanesAddiction]

LT is gonna say it was LT of course! He might be right.

Ask LT why he thinks Hank is gonna break out. Last year he found himself buried behind freshmen.

[mm01]

CF, seriously dude?

U can come up with something better than that...

PBCC... I like my jell-o shots strong, please... Oh, it's on...

[solarcane]

fantasy ezzzz brah

don't get crazy

peace

[1kestrel]

86 - Ask Steve how he feels about Jimmy Graham at TE, and if he wished he had a target like that when he played.

[86Cane]

Fantasy...I got the pics to prove it. Wanna see?

Lots more interview, I recorded the whole thing. Check back in tonight at 11PM.

[86Cane]

MM01...I was just kidding. U are in like Flynn! She is a doll and just GREAT!

We confirmed our FSU meeting time and spot. It's ALL good!

[86Cane]

It's over. I got some questions in that U wanted asked and will post responses later.

Gotta get back to the hotel in FLL to put something together. Much more to follow...

[moneycane]

Thanks 86 for the hard work and detication that you put into this website.