If you are anything like me then you have been very impressed if not completely mesmerized by listening to new Hurricane head coach Al Golden speak to the media during his press conferences and interviews that he has conducted since being hired at Miami a few weeks ago.
It seems as though Golden has completely restored and re-branded "The U" in less time than it took the Black Eyed Peas to ruin halftime and most certainly less time than it took Christina Aguilera to completely destroy the National Anthem at the Super Bowl last Sunday.
Yes, of course, we are talking about the same Super Bowl that was won by former Hurricane Sam Shields and his Green Bay Packers. But we digress.
There is no denying that Golden's public speaking skills are far superior to his predecessor and that his ability to communicate his message to his players, the media and Hurricane fans alike is nothing short of exemplary. He is open, direct and accessible.
He is a dream come true to a the South Florida media starved for anything more than the usual "they were flying around out there" or he has an "upper extremity injury." Some fans have even gone as far as saying that if Golden coaches only half as good as he talks we definitely have a winner on our hands!
Golden also managed to land a solid if not spectacular recruiting class with only 15 days to work with. He held onto the Canes top target In Anthony Chickillo and flipped eight other players who had verbally committed to other schools but instead wound up signing Letters Of Intent with Miami on National Signing Day.
Unless you are OGV it is hard to criticize or find fault in anything Al Goden has done so far in his time at Miami. According to 98% of Miami fans Golden has been a dynamic, driving force behind what appears to be a complete 180 degree turnaround in the Hurricane football program.
But we do have one concern and a few words of caution to the Golden-tounged one: Do not be naive enough to believe that all high school recruits will buy the product that you are selling.
This concern is centered around the fact that Golden may be spending too much time living in the past and even possibly suffering from "ethnocentrism".
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion. These ethnic distinctions and sub-divisions serve to define each ethnicity's unique cultural identity. The term was coined by William G. Sumner, upon observing the tendency for people to differentiate between the "in group" and others. He described it as often leading to pride, vanity, beliefs of one's own group's superiority, and contempt of outsiders.
Golden has repeatedly stated the "The U" is a well known, easily recognizable brand that literally sells itself. He has continuously recited the glorious history of the Miami football program and the five national titles, the number of players drafted by the NFLU and the accomplishments and awards achieved by former UM players both at the collegiate and professional ranks.
But these current Hurricanes are clearly not your father's Hurricanes. In the 10 years that have passed since Miami's last national championship the Hurricanes have literally become irrelevant on the national college football scene. Don't believe me? Ask any opposing team's fans and see what answer you get.
These Hurricanes have lost twice as many games in the last 6 years than they did in the 16 years between 1986 and 2002. Miami hasn't even won their division of the ACC much less a conference championship or a BCS bowl game recently.
In fact, in the last four years Miami has lost three straight non-BCS bowl games played before January 1 and even failed to qualify for a bowl game one year. Does that sound like the Hurricane swagger to you?
To assume that the current 17-19 year old high school teenagers of today even know about or buy into the Hurricane history, nostalgia and folklore of the past is bordering on being ethnocentric.
Golden needs to understand that some of these high school players do not want to be in "small classes on a small, intimate campus" where they are known and seen. They want to hide on a 30,000 to 50,000 student campus where they can remain anonymous.
Some of the most talented athletes are simply not student-athletes at all. They are admittedly on the "three and done" plan with their eyes firmly fixed on the quickest and least difficult way to the NFLU, and definitely not on getting an education much less a college degree.
Some players may not share your "core values" and may not be interested in having access to a "world-class city" just outside of campus.
Sure, I know what you are thinking: "Well if any recruit doesn't buy what we are selling then we don't want them at Miami." If only it were that simple.
For the Hurricane legacy to have any relevance to the current generation of high school players, Miami must win again, win big and win soon. That, and not packaging and selling the past, is the biggest and most immediate challenge in front of Al Golden.
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Warren Sapp, Jon Beason, Bernie Kosar, Vinnie Testaverde, Steve Walsh, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Jeremy Shockey and Andre Johnson could all come back and represent "The U" but until Miami wins a big game again or a current player dominates the ACC or the NCAA there will be no resurrection of the Miami football program.
So the Golden Child should be careful about how he markets his current product to the teenagers of the Internet age of Facebook, Twitter and various recruiting web sites and blogs.
The kids of today are without a doubt a very different breed of ballers and recruiting them is a challenging and tricky endeavor to say the least.
And living in the past or being ethnocentric about "The U" surely will not help.
College Park, Md. 8:00 p.m. ET