For The Love Of The Game

This article was written for Canespace by blogger UMike

 

Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you there isn’t much I love more than Miami Hurricane football. 

For as long as I can remember I've bled orange and green.  From watching as a child when my grandmother would yell at the TV whenever the Hurricanes were playing to cheering my beloved 'Canes on to victory at the historic Orange Bowl as an adult my love for "The U" never faded.

 

But over time, and as you grow older, you find out that there are some things you love maybe even more than the 'Canes...like children.

 

Some of you here on Canespace have meet my son in person, and to some he is just UMike’s kid, but his love for Canes football runs just as deep as mine. As a lot of you may know, he is in the process of trying out for his middle school football team and is just about a lock to make it.

 

I can’t express the joy I feel watching him play or talking to him about football. I feel closer to my son now more than ever and football is a big reason for it.

 

I have been part of the Canespace family for a few years now and I have received personal advice, legal advice, football knowledge and more on here. Whenever I have posted something non-football related, people were always eager to help out.

 

I have tried to return the favor by writing articles when I can and telling anyone who will listen about “Da Space”, but now I need to ask for a huge favor.  Plain and simple, my son’s football team needs help. 

 

The help is not just for my boy, but all the other kids busting their humps every day out there in the heat to get better. This team reminds me of our ‘Canes in a lot of ways. They are a team with a rich tradition that has recently fallen on hard times with a new coach bringing in old school discipline and hard work to turn things around.

 

 

In 1976 and 1977 the Soddy Daisy middle school team went undefeated and were HCL champs both years.  In 1984 they were the HCAC champs and the runner-up in 1987, 1992 and 1993. However in recent years there has been a steady decline as evident by the JV’s 1-7 record a year ago.

 

Not only haven’t they played like winners as of late, they also didn’t look like winners. From speaking to other parents and listing to coaches comments I learned that last year these kids played with holes in their pants, out of date helmets and on a muddy, dirty field.

 

 

The school hired Coach Ron Cox to turn this program around and I firmly believe he will. Parents like myself and the players have all bought into his system and style of play. Coach Cox is from the old school and is a disciplinarian, much like coach Shannon. He has put academics and hard work first and is doing all he can do to build these kids into winners.

 

And just like coach Cox, I believe these kids deserve more.  After all, it is the kids’ fault they live in a small town with limited revenue or that the economy has caused a lot of budget cuts? These kids love football and their team just like we love our ‘Canes and they are putting in the work every day in practice to get better.

 

They don’t care that the field is a mess, or that the bleachers may fall apart at any moment. They don’t even care that their pants and jerseys may have holes in them.  They just want to play.  They want to play because they love football.  These kids play football for one reason and one reason only:

 

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.

 

For that they should be rewarded. They deserve to look like winners, because they are certainly acting like winners. They deserve a nice field to play on, new and safer helmets and uniforms that don’t have holes in them.  These kids deserve our support.

 

Since the start of practice we have had a car wash, sold t–shirts and Coke-Cola products and stood outside of Wal-Mart and begged. We even spent a few hours cleaning up an old run down cemetery to help out the community. 

 

These kids did all this without hesitation, for the community, for their teammates and for their love of the game.  Although they managed to raise some money, they need more. They are trying to install a new sprinkler system, refurbish the bleachers and buy new pants, helmets and jerseys.

 

I think we can help. In fact I know we can.  

 

I know that here on Canespace we don’t always agree on a lot of things, but we can always agree on one thing: our love for football. 

 

I’m asking you to help these kids, because they deserve it. Not because they asked, but because they have earned it with their hard work and dedication.  Let's help these kids become winners again.

 

You do not have to give a lot, but I encourage you to give what you can.  Please follow the link below to donate to the Soddy Daisy middle school football program.  And, to make it easy, you can donate via PayPal, credit card, check, money order or cash. 

 

To donate, and make a difference in the lives of these kids, please visit:

 

http://www.centralvacuumplanet.com/sdms.htm

 

Thank U!

Comments

[ChicagoCane]

wow

[SOUP]

UMike...great article. I'm ALL in!

If the rafting trip did not convince U that there is more to life that UM football then this article SURELY will.

And if it doesn't...well then I feel very sad for U.

[Canez1]

Mike great job!

The little man does a nice job out there.

Just put in my donation.

Keep up the good work!

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[francis w]

UMike wish you well. I went through it with all 4 of mine, 2 boys 2 Girls. They all played some sport in Highschool. One soccer girl, one softball girl, one baseball and soccer boy and the youngest a football field goal kicker. Just keeping them in sports shoes sapped the budget. Plus all the other expenses but it was all worth it. No college scholarships for any of mine but they all made friends that remain till this day.
The activity is most helpful in taking up their extra time but make sure school is #1
Fran

[87' canes]

The "U"

[SOUP]

CANEZ1...That's what I'm talkin' bout:

Soddy Daisy Middle School Football

$50.00 USD

[Canez1]

Soup, good man!

I'm always here to help a fellow brother out!

Great job and a great cause.

Our pop warner was always well funded in my hometown so it is time to pay it forward.

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[solarcane]

UMike

Good stuff

email me at [email protected]

I'll be happy to make any fund raising signs for car washes, bake sales, convenience store cash donation jars, church raffles etc.

Heck I'll even make each player on your team a sign for his front yard with his name and team on it just like the Titans, the Friday Nite Lites teams or the White County Warriors right here where I live.

I'll make them and pay the shipping to your door.
Tell me what you need and how many of each.

[solarcane]

canez1,

I take back even more crap I say about you behind your back.

[solarcane]

Is Soddy Daisey, Upsy Daisey's youger sister?

[SOUP]

Is Soddy Daisey, Upsy Daisey's youger sister?

Posted by: solarcane | July 25, 2010 at 07:26 PM

DUH! How obviuos is that!

LOL

[Canez1]

Solar LMAO!!!

I am sure whatever it was I deserved it!!

Great idea with the signs!

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

SOUP, VT is nothing but an average team across the board. What have they ever really won? Nothing, due to the fact they are an average program and nothing special. I mean, when your coach is scar-face, the very definition of a good but not great practitioner of his profession and you revere him like he's one of the best ever, as just a step down from the likes of Paterno and Bowden, you're program is drowning in unwarented self-importance. Win something of value first then push the guy as a legend, Osborn had to, Bowden had to, Paterno had to. None of them punched a player because his team sucked and was getting blown out on national TV that I can remember either.

Of course the real overhand right knockout is coming this year from the guys wearing the home jerseys.

[Zakkee]

Good post and great cause!

DZ8, I do have Streeter on my mind, its just a hunch (that he'll play more), and attempt to get the blog jumpin. If my posts do anything...they get responses..mostly bad...lol.

I wasn't trying to say that opponents don't come out and hit us in the mouth or that they don't win if they do. I'm just saying that I notice, that in sports, when a team or individual comes in expecting to win easily, strikes first, admires their work (excessive celebrating, relaxes, or loses intensity) and then the underdog team regroups to fight back and show some resistance...the team (favorite) who had won the game in their heads already, usually folds to some extent. Thats all I was saying. Expect resistance and forget what the media says about us being favored or the underdog...we are gonna get everybody's best punch..every Saturday. No one is scared of us anymore.

[UMike]

Thank you guys for suppoting these kids..and thank you SOUP for letting me post that article. I just got home from a pool party, sorry I wasnt on earlier....Thank you so much for the people that have already made their donation..it is greatly appreciated...

solar...this is the last fundraise, I believe..we have done the car wash, pizza hut, stood outside wal-mart and all that. Were still selling coke-cola products for another week, then the season is almost here. They did get the sprinkler system in...now were trying to pay for the new helmets and lumber to redue the bleachers and stuff among other things. But I admit...thos signs for the front yard sound awesome lol

[solarcane]

aight Umike
I'll send you a check then.
Plus i'll whip up a few things for the kids.

[UMike]

solar...thank you very very much...I was just telling a buddy of mine about you. He is a GT fan and he plans on taking me to the GT game for my birthday...I was telling him that we should stay at your place..I know were only 2 hours from ATL..but the idea of getting away into the counrty sounds nice lol

[solarcane]

uhhh

As of January 3rd, 2010, Frank Beamer is the second-winningest active coach (tied with Jim Tressel) behind Joe Paterno.

[solarcane]

i was just looking to see how average Beamer has been lately

62 wins in his last 6 years, how many D1 coaches have averaged almost 11 wins a season over that same time span?

You don't have to like the man, but I think he is one of the best active college coaches.

[solarcane]

Umike you are welcome to stay here for GT.

You already know how beautiful it is in the fall,it gets pretty amazing around our place.
I don't know what the record heat is going to do for the color change this year, we will have to wait and see.

[UMike]

solar...i think we will have to make plans..no sure if my wife will be making the trip, but me and my buddy from church definitly are..maybe we can make a weekend out of it..come up friday night...leave sunday morning..just relax a bit...that would be awsome!

[Six]

UMike - the best part is at the very end when the little Welker unstraps his helmet, looks right at the camera and says "University of Miami" and then just tosses the helmet to the side and walks off, like WHAT NOW BEOTCH

[UMike]

six...yeah...hes definitly got some SWAG! lol

[solarcane]

ACC Media Day group pic

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/solarcane/grouppic.jpg

[solarcane]

Bosher and the Basher

http://www.theacc.com/view.gal?id=73612

[WindyCane1]

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

"I didn't realize how big he was," said Ponder of Bailey's chiseled 6-foot-4, 285-pound frame. ..."

Bailey promises to leave a similar impact on the rest of the ACC's quarterbacks this season. Normally as quiet as he is large, Bailey said on Sunday that he is aiming to double his 2009 totals of seven sacks and 11 tackles for losses.
...

"I'm capable of double digits (in sacks),' Bailey said.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/hurricanes/hurricanes-defensive-end-allen-bailey-sets-big-goals-822795.html

[WindyCane1]

Heather Dinch at ESPN is picking the Canes to win the ACC.

Many national publications are high on the Canes this pre-season!

[solarcane]

My favorite sports celebrity name right after Boomer Philbrick

Will Power
Australian born Indy car driver

(no not William just Will)

out

[SOUP]

As of January 3rd, 2010, Frank Beamer is the second-winningest active coach (tied with Jim Tressel) behind Joe Paterno.

Posted by: solarcane | July 25, 2010 at 09:47 PM

Yeah, but I am almost SURE that he sucks, right?

[SOUP]

and then just tosses the helmet to the side and walks off, like WHAT NOW BEOTCH

Posted by: Six | July 25, 2010 at 10:23 PM

That's what I'm sayin'...

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Scare-face has been grinding it out a lot longer than most others too. Tressel is almost a decade behind him though and has already caught him in active wins if you add his lower division wins as well is a news flash to me. Besides, the best coach not in Happy Valley these days is Petersen at Boise, if the turkey's ever dumped average scar-face for him we would have trouble on our hands.

But they won't just because he's a little better than Bill Dooley.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Here it is 4 in the morn... woke up, made some coffee and reading the Space as if it were the news paper. 3 years ago I was watching ESPN... LOL, times have changed!!!

[Cat 5 Cane]

UMike... Good stuff.

Bailey "The Beast" wasn't kidding when he laid down the challenge to take the ACC and NC during media day... Vows to double his QB sacks in 2010. ACC coaches stopped smiling as ESPN's eyebrows lift... Hummmmm

Streeter has said he's coming to play in 2010... AJ needs to get off his fat azz and get real or get passed up.

As much as I love Coop... Berry is the better back. If Coop is healthy, I say healthy... use him in the slot position to block or catch or take a hand off and alternate Berry with Lamar, MJ and Hill
Berry/Lamar
Berry/MJ
Berry/Hill
Lamar/MJ
Lamar/Hill
Berry
Lamar

Need a Tight End... Where's my TE... Hey Ford, get your azz up here!

[Cat 5 Cane]

Damn, things are looking good... here I am, thinking of the new bucks coming in and 2012

[solarcane]

Heres how we have dominated average Beamer teams lately.
I guess we are lucky he isn't any good

95 L
96 L
97 L
98 L
99 L
00 W
02 W
03 L
04 L
05 W
06 L
07 L
08 W
09 L

[canechic]

Good job UMike!

[roachcane77]

Nice work Solar... don't know why o'ngitv is bashing Beamer so bad. He's NOT my favorite coach BY FAR, but he's hardly a hack.

Not real impressed with the "institutional control" of his players, and the Hokies seldom come through with the REALLY big wins... but they certainly have been spoilers as far as the Hurricanes are concerned.

[Ungar]

We will lose to OSU and either FSU or VT.

I dont know how to vault anything, but you best vault that Soup

Ryan Braun gets a game winning hit to go along with a HR to lead the Brewers over the Nationals 4-3

.282 15 HRs and 60 RBIs
Now to get him over here in a Rays uniform

Posted by: Sebastian57 | July 25, 2010 at 12:51 AM

Why the Rays? The Marlins are a much better fit.

Closer to Coral Gables.
NL Team so he is familiar with the teams.
His salary of 1.2 million is in our range.

Cmon, he belongs with the Marlins, not the Devil Rays!

[DZ8]

Posted by: WindyCane1 | July 25, 2010 at 05:24 PM

Good break down of the tiers of wide outs. Thats what Randy was talking about as far as getting the #s in and letting the cream rise to the top. Starting to do it at all positions now.

[DZ8]

Beamer isn't a big game coach but he definitely isn't average. He's got a good program there, the ceiling being an ACC championship while we shoot for a NC. We haven't even hit their ceiling so I don't see why ogvd call him average.

[Ungar]

That Elvis is real good outside, on the side,burns his opponents frequently... take that Ungar!

Posted by: DZ8 | July 25, 2010 at 01:15 PM

Ohhh! You cursed DZ8! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a bad little pun like that could destroy my wicked coolness! Ohhh! Look out! Look out! I'm going! Ohhhh – Ohhhhhhhhhh!

(You would think that a wicked witch would have said a few curse words on her way out.)

[SOUP]

Streeter has said he's coming to play in 2010... AJ needs to get off his fat azz and get real or get passed up.

Posted by: Cat 5 Cane | July 26, 2010 at 05:35 AM

Now that was uncalled for.

[87' canes]

Hahahaha

[SOUP]

FROM THE BLEACHER REPORT:

Florida tight end Nick O'Leary just got done showing off his elite receiving skills at the Gridiron Kings event in Orlando, where he won offensive MVP.

He's favoring in-state schools Florida State and Miami and considering Alabama and Georgia...but which will he choose?

The Hurricanes are putting together a solid wide receiver recruiting class to complement passer Teddy "Heisman" Bridgewater...but Florida State is putting muscle into its offensive recruiting after a dominant defensive year.

I'd put the battle between the Noles and Canes at 40/40, with Alabama holding a decent shot at scoring the upset.

[SOUP]

"This is 64 of the best players in the country, all in one location," said Greg Biggins, ESPN RISE Director of Player Personnel. "This is huge. Typically, with the all-star games like Under Armour and the U.S. Army All-American Game, you have the top guys split up. All the talent is here this weekend. This is the best of best. There will be some amazing athletes out there."

The players will be coached by former NFL and CFL players Jeff Blake (QB), Stacie Bailey (WR), Terrence Mathis (WR), Lamar Thomas (WR), Natrone Means (RB), Adrian Murrell (RB), Chris Gizzi (LB), Lonnie Marts (LB), Hardy Nickerson (LB), Louis Oliver (DB), and Michael Fletcher (DB).

ESPNU 150 members
James Wilder, LB Plant -- Tampa, Fla. No. 8 Southeast
Tony Steward, LB Pedro Menendez -- St. Augustine, Fla. No. 10 Southeast
Quandre Diggs, S Angleton -- Angleton, Texas No. 17 Southwest
Karlos Williams, DB Ridge Community -- Davenport, Fla. No. 21 Southeast
Nick O'Leary, TE William T. Dwyer -- Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. No. 22 Southeast
Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, ATH Dr. Phillips -- Orlando, Fla. No. 26 Southeast
Savon Huggins, RB St. Peter's Prep -- Jersey City, N.J. No. 31 Midwest
Devon Blackmon, WR Summit -- Fontana, Calif. No. 38 West
Curtis Grant, LB Hermitage -- Richmond, Va. No. 44 Midwest
Tacoi Sumler, WR Columbus -- Miami, Fla. No. 47 Southeast
DeAnthony Arnett, WR Saginaw -- Saginaw, Mich. No. 53 Midwest
Victor Blackwell, WR Marter Dei -- Santa Ana, Calif. No. 56 West
Nick Waisome, DB South Lake -- Groveland, Fla. No. 64 Southeast
Doran Grant, DB St.Vincents-St. Mary's -- Akron, Ohio No. 67 Midwest
Jarvis Landry, WR Lutcher -- Lutcher. La. No. 68 Southwest
Kasen Williams, WR Skyline -- Sammamish, Wash. No. 62 West
Josh Turner, CB Millwood -- Oklahoma City, Okla. No. 87 Southwest
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE Gig Harbor -- Gig Harbor, Wash. No. 88 West
Demetrious Nicholson, DB Bayside -- Virginia Beach, Va. No. 91 Midwest
Herschel Sims, RB Abilene  Abilene, Texas No. 100 Southwest
Clifton Richardson, RB Menchville -- Newport News, Va. No. 105 Midwest
Sheroid Evans, S Dulles -- Sugarland, Texas No. 120 Southwest
Rashad Greene, WR St. Thomas Aquinas -- Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. No. 123 Southeast
Christian Conley, WR North Paulding -- Dallas, Ga. No. 134 Southeast
Anthony Wallace, LB Dallas, Texas 141 Southwest

[Sarasota 'cane]

u

[solarcane]

dz has is right in my opinion,
Beamer isn't a big game coach but he is way better than average.
He isn't my favorite coach but I think he is a lot like Randy in caring about his kids.

Think about the places he recruits and what a laughingstock the Hokies were before he got them turned around.

[solarcane]

AJ needs to get off his fat azz and get real or get passed up.

or he could just quit like Arthur Brown

[Ungar]

Put Beamer in place of Coker in 2001, and we win three titles and keep in the ACC hunt.

Look at it this way:

In terms of team weaknesses:

Are his teams unprepeared? No.
Are his teams caught off guard? No.
Are his teams wasting their talent? No.

In terms of team strengths:

Are other teams nervous to play them? Yes.
Does he hide his team weaknesses well? Yes.
Do teams have to make special plans that week? Yes.
Are his assistants loyal to him? Yes.

They guy has less talent to choose from than Miami pulls in, yet he can use a little cold rain to make matchup differences against us that lead to blowouts.
2009 lost by 10 to Alabama, by 5 to GT, and by 3 to UNC.
2008 surprise loss to ECU (who turned out to be pretty good) by 5, at BC by 5, at FSU by 10, and to Miami by 2. ACC Champs.
2007 blowout loss to #2 LSU 48-7, to BC by 4, and to Kansas by 3. ACC Champs.

1 blowout loss in thess years, against a BCS title caliber opponent.

Wins?
2003 8
2004 10
2005 11
2006 10
2007 11
2008 10
2009 10

70 wins in 7 years with 3 star talent. 6 years straight of 10 win seasons. Miami has only done that once, with 8 years straight in 1985 to 1992. Who else has that long of a current 10 wins streak? Not Florida, LSU, Alabama, USC, or even Boise State. Texas has nine straight 10+ seasons preceeded by three straight 9 win seasons. That is rare air indeed.

Now I gotta go wash my eyes and fingers off, this praise of Beamer has made me feel dirty.

[solarcane]

for Canez1

man robs bank in clown pants and fake breasts

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38410262/ns/us_news/?GT1=43001