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to other parents and listing to coaches comments I learned that last year these kids played with holes in their pants, out of date helmets and on a muddy, dirty field.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

[UMike]

Ocala...got your donation..thanks so much!

[calGaryCane]

Vinny in a Penn State sweater circa 1986???

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/28SyLC/i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/global/swapper/201007/100726.16.jpg

What's the story behind this?

Miami lost to Penn state that year, NC

[OCALACANE]

Mike Call me @ 352-816-0302 Have a great idea of a fund raiser for U. Great American Coffee Roasters is proud to help if we can...

My son is 12 he

[OCALACANE]

My son is 12 he is currenlty in the conditioning program for the MCYFL Cowboys.
His nickname is "The Blur" This is the result of an official team 40 yard dash time of 5.3 seconds.

Boys got wheels...

[RBLCane]

Posted by: calGaryCane | July 26, 2010 at 05:53 PM

That I know, but why is he wearing a Penn State sweater? Some bet he lost, I presume?

[RBLCane]

Posted by: CanesFanStuckInCali | July 26, 2010 at 06:12 PM

Put it this way: "Did the Americans wear Japanese sweaters after they bombed us as Pearl Harbor?"

[UMike]

GEEZ...I thought my 5.7 seconds was blazling fast! lol

[j.w.]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5411741
Why? I thought Kirby was better than his predecessor on scheduling, maybe I was wrong.

[RBLCane]

Posted by: j.w. | July 26, 2010 at 06:33 PM

I was about to post about the same thing. Toledo?!?!?!?! Seriously?!?!?!?!?!

[SOUP]

I FOUND THIS ON ONE OF THE INTERNETS:

HSN: Eli there have been some rumors going around that even though you verbally committed to the Canes you may still end up signing somewhere else at the end of the recruiting process? How would you like to address those rumors?

Eli Rogers: Cane Fans do not have to worry. That is a false rumor. I’m going to the University of Miami. There is nothing else to be said. I’m a Cane.

HSN: Eli, Teddy and yourself appear to be pretty good friends. Can you tell us about a funny experience that the two of you have had?

Eli Rogers: Teddy and I are very close. Every practice Teddy and I make fun of each other every chance we get and we always have a great time.

HSN: Tell us a little bit about your experience during the 7 on 7 camps. Have you met any other players from South Florida? If so have you spoken to any of them about joining you at Miami?

Eli Rogers: 7 on 7 camps are great. You get to know your quarterback even more. The competition is great and you get to go against the best players in the nation, which only makes you better. Teddy and I have met so many great players who are just waiting to take visits to the University of Miami. We are going to have a great recruiting class.

[RBLCane]

Posted by: CanesFanStuckInCali | July 26, 2010 at 06:36 PM

RE: The Toledo game:

"The [Toledo] Rockets play at the Glass Bowl, which has a capacity of 26,000 but can hold another 10,000 with extra temporary seating."

So the Canes are playing in a venue that only holds 36,000 (with extra seating)? You sure we aren't talking about baseball or basketball?

[j.w.]

Cali- I didn't beleive the story when I first read it- Couldn't we at least get a Mountain West or C USA team?

[SOUP]

FROM ESPN:

The Tennessee Titans have sued Southern California and its new coach Lane Kiffin after the school hired away Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court, claims that Kiffin "maliciously" interfered with Pola's contract with the NFL team in inducing him to leave.

Kuharsky: Titans Defend Turf
Jeff Fisher's stinging comments about Lane Kiffin's lack of professionalism in luring Kennedy Pola away from the Tennessee Titans' staff were only a first step in the team's discontent, ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky. Blog

• Blog network: AFC South | NFL Nation

Pola was hired as running backs coach of the Titans in January but left to become the Trojans offensive coordinator and running backs coach over the weekend.

The Tennessean reported that the lawsuit claims: "as a result of USC and Kiffin's tortuous conduct, Tennessee [Titans] football has been damaged in an amount proven at trial."

The lawsuit also accuses USC and Kiffin of violating Pola's contract that required him to have written permission to discuss a job with anyone other than the Titans.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher was not happy with Kiffin's role in Pola's departure.

"I am very disappointed in Lane Kiffin's approach to this," Fisher said on Saturday, according to the Tennessean. "Typically speaking when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant.

READ MORE HERE:

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/post/_/id/13287/defending-turf-titans-sue-kiffin-and-usc

[SOUP]

MORE FROM ESPN:

Steve Kragthorpe has resigned as Texas A&M's wide receivers coach to deal with unspecified family medical issues, the school said Monday.

Kragthorpe was in his first year at A&M as an assistant under Mike Sherman. He previously coached at Tulsa and at Louisville, where he was fired following last season. He also served as assistant under R. C Slocum at Texas A&M from 1997-2000.

"My family is dealing with some medical issues and they need me at home," Kragthorpe said in a statement released by the university. "The timing could not be helped and I hate to leave Coach Sherman and the guys at this time."

Sherman said he had hoped Kragthorpe could return this season once his family's health issues were resolved.

"Ultimately, he felt his wife Cynthia, and his three boys, required his undivided attention and I respect him for that," Sherman said. "Steve is not only an excellent coach, but he is an even better person. We will keep him and his family in our prayers."

Kragthorpe went 15-21 in three seasons at Louisville and was fired at the end of the 2009 season. He came to Louisville from Tulsa, where he went to three bowl games in four seasons.

[SOUP]

FROM ESPN ON THE "ACC DAYS" MEETING:

"There were a lot of conferences that certainly were more active in terms of what was done or potentially being done than we were," Swofford said. "But rest assured, we were quietly evaluating that landscape and our internal discussions to determine what's in our best interests moving forward, and what ramifications on the [ACC], if any, might come from expansion by other conferences.

"Without question, at the presidential level of this league, there continues to be a strong commitment to each other, a strong commitment to the ACC, the belief that 12 is the right number for us, but a willingness, if the world changes around us, to take a look at what those changes mean. ... We're very comfortable with, not only 12, but the 12 that we have."

The league's powers-that-be spent the first of its two-day preseason media gathering to look ahead to not only the season's beginning -- but also its end. After five years in Florida, the ACC championship game moves closer to the center of the conference's footprint when it comes to Charlotte -- roughly a 90-minute drive from league headquarters -- on the first weekend in December.

"The road to Charlotte is going to be something that's very special," said Michael Kelly, the league's associate commissioner for football.

[Sebastian]

Anyone

I have to bust over to see the Dr. for a bit so if Cat 5 Cane comes on and sees my post. I will check back later to see what his reply was

I cant check email from there so it wont do me any good

If he says he wont be able to make the game or anything like that. They are open to anyone who would like them(3 tickets)again not the greatest seats but thats all I could get them to come off of for that game

[WindyCane1]

***
Kragthorpe went 15-21 in three seasons at Louisville and was fired at the end of the 2009 season. He came to Louisville from Tulsa, where he went to three bowl games in four seasons.

Posted by: SOUP | July 26, 2010 at 06:58 PM

When the Canes hired Shannon, some fans wanted Kragthorpe or Mike Leach from Texas Tech. Glad we went with Shannon.

[WindyCane1]

Although many pundits are picking the Canes this year, I am happy the to see that the ACC sports writers did not pick the Canes because that might jinx us, as it did the last few picks they made.

The only ACC team that really has a shot to make a BCS title run in terms of talent and strength of schedule is UM. The last ACC team to make the BCS title game was a Bowden-Richt-led FSU in 2000, and the last ACC team to win it was FSU following the 1998 season. Since then, the ACC has fallen off (Miami was in the Big East in 2001 and 2002).

If Miami can go 11-1 or 12-0, it will have done so against one of the toughest schedules any Miami team ever faced.

Miami is set to return to prominence and dominance this season.

[DZ8]

I was one of the Leach supporters until it sounded like Shannon would go be DC at Texas if he didn't get the job. Glad it worked out the way it did.

Who knows... maybe when Whip goes pro Leach will still be playing pirate in the Keys and we can get him to commute north for a few months each year.

j/k I want Miami to run as close to pro style as possible.

[DZ8]

FSU has as tough a schedule OoC and they have a lighter conference schedule.

They do have talent.

The media has always loved them.

[DZ8]

VT could always make a run if everything breaks right for them but Beamer has never won the big games.

UNC has a top flight defense but their O might keep them out of the loop.

If Parker does come back Clemson could make some noise IF everything breaks right.

[Caniak]

Why are we going to play Toledo, I mean a home and home series?? what the heck is Kirby smoking

[DZ8]

Recruiting inroads in Toledo? I got no clue on this one. Maybe the Toledo AD has some dirty pics of Kirby?

[DZ8]

Why can't we play Boise St?

[solarcane]

Was there a substitute teacher here today?

[DZ8]

Don't forget to get the negatives Kirby!

[DZ8]

U were a popular topic today solar:)

[Caniak]

That one really got me, this is just crazy. Kirby needs to know that we are the U. A top flight national program. This is BS

[solarcane]

Troy
La Tech
Georgia Southern
E Carolina
Charleston Southern
Connecticut
McNeese St
East Tennessee St.

We weren't biching when we were beating cupcakes during the NC years.
Kirby knows whats up
He will grease the schedule to make sure Randy and the boys have a couple 12-0 11-1 seasons sprinkled in with the heavyweights.

[Ungar]

TEECHUR IZ BAK!! 8-)

solar, you owe us a few jokes....

"All we are saying, is give PEACE a chance!"

8-)

[DZ8]

Point being is what is there to gain from the location? U can find cupcakes all over the USA. Find the cupcakes with a proximity to high school talent to assist in recruiting.

Look at your list above... all in good recruiting spots except for Connecticut (no offense Canez1) and UCon was coming into the Big East as we were leaving it so I think that was required.

I got no problem with a cupcake here or there, my question is Toledo. Maybe we'll practice playing in the cold against them. No big deal either way.

[DZ8]

We should schedule San Diego State again!

[Ungar]

"The Hurricanes will travel to the Mid-American Conference school on Sept. 5, 2015, and then host the Rockets the following season."

Have you guys noticed that we are usually the team to get the home game last?

Florida, Oklahoma, OSU, ND, and now Tulsa (and I am sure there are others) all get Miami on the road before coming to our stadium.

I guess we figure if we win, we can get the sweep, but if we lose, we get the revenge game at home (like OU lost to us last year).

Not that we are in danger of losing to Tulsa...

[Ungar]

We should schedule San Diego State again!

Posted by: DZ8 | July 26, 2010 at 08:54 PM

Or Houston. Get the Texas recruits to notice us, and remind folks of how the Canes single-handedly snuffed out the run and shoot offense with their defensive scheme.

[DZ8]

Tulsa or Toledo?

[Ungar]

solar, you left SOUP in charge. You should have left 86 in charge instead.

[DZ8]

Houston won't schedule us. They just got their program back to relevancy again after that shellacking way back when... they had their chance in 2006.

[Ungar]

Tulsa or Toledo?

Posted by: DZ8 | July 26, 2010 at 08:58 PM

Eh, same thing! 8-)

[solarcane]

A man and a friend are playing golf one day at their local golf course. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course. He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer.

His friend says: “Wow, that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You truly are a kind man.”

The man then replies: “Yeah, well we were married 35 years.”

[DZ8]

Out for the night guys.

[DZ8]

Good one.

[solarcane]

ungar good point

[Ungar]

ungar good point

Posted by: solarcane | July 26, 2010 at 09:07 PM

Which one? I made a TON of good points today. 8-)

[Ungar]

That reminds me of my favorite golf joke, but I can't tell it here. Tender ears you know....

[Ungar]

Oh well, off to be with family. See you guys manana...

'ese OUT!

[UMike]

canechic...got your donation..well..pretty sure it was you...thanks so much!

[Native]

An outdoorsy couple lived near Anchorage. One morning, the wife said she was going kayaking in the bay. The husband told her to be careful. When she didn't return that night, he called the authorities, who searched the bay. They next day, two state troopers appeared at his door. "We have some bad news for you, some good news, and some great news." "What's the bad news?" asked the husband, steeling himself. "Your wife drowned in the bay." "What's the good news?" he asked. "When we pulled her up, there were a dozen king crabs and 8 Dungeness crabs clinging to her." "What's the great news?" "We're pulling her up again tomorrow!"

Go Canes!!!

[CGNC]

U Mike, it might have been my donation? I am not afraid to use paypal - LOL. Wish it could have been more

[UMike]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University says former football star Maurice Clarett has been granted re-entry to pursue his degree after he spent more than three years in prison.

Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch says in a statement that Clarett started classes on Monday after he was readmitted by the College of Education and Human Ecology, where he was originally enrolled.

Clarett says in a statement that it is a "surreal feeling to be back at Ohio State" and that he doesn't want to be a "distraction or nuisance" to the football team or other students.

Clarett led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship in his only college season. He pleaded guilty in 2006 to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, and served 3½ years in a Toledo prison, where he took college-credit courses.

[solarcane]

Native
LMAO x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!