By any standards, the University of Miami football team's record over the last four seasons has been anything less than stellar. Some fans would even go as far as to say that the Hurricanes' record was completely unacceptable given the level of talent on the team.
In looking back, apparently one of the early warning signs was when Miami lost to Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando back in December 2009. By that time it was clear that even the Badger mascot (seen below looking quizzical) appeared to know that something was up and that the end may be near for head coach Randy Shannon.
By the end of another disappointing season in 2010 the on the field results spoke for themselves and directly led to a head coaching change at the end of last season. Randy Shannon was out and Al Golden was brought in to replace the once loved and respected former Hurricane player and coach.
As a result many Miami football fans have felt a wide range of strong emotions about their team. Many still feel hurt, confused and disappointed. Some fans even feel jaded by the recent results of their beloved football team.
One of those so-called "jaded" fans is my good friend, kayaking expert, fishing guru and original Canespacer Solarcane.
Solar uses the Canespace blog for exactly what it was designed for: To promote the free and open flow of opinions,positive and negative, about UM sports. He often shares his insights about Hurricane players and coaches and occasionally speculates about past, present and future of the Hurricane Nation.
SolarCane (seen at L below with OcalaCane at C and Old Skool at R) loves nature, and mountains and waterfalls. Well, let's make that most waterfalls. He is a kind, patient, thoughtful and gentle man. There was a even time when he used to write "Peace" after every comment he made on the blog.
He is not the kind of guy who uses the word "hate" very often. But Solarcane pretty much hates the word: POTENTIAL.
He, like all Hurricane fans, wants to see results. He wants to see them on the field, and he wants to see them now. And he definitely wants to see them before he puts himself at further risk of drowning by jumping into the deep end of the pool of "potential" (seen below).
Solarcane is indeed a patient man but he, like all of us, has suffered through all of the hyperbole and hoopla from all of the hooligan's on Canespace over the last six seasons and to put it bluntly it now appears as though he has had enough of that nonsense to last a lifetime.
While most UM fans are currently interested in knowing IF the current players on the team (inculding some of the new recruits) are in any way different in attitude or have changed their previous poor work ethic or negative patterns of behavior, Solar has no time for that.
He could care less about any ridiculous predictions about which players will be stars or any completely unfounded prognostications related to the Miami Hurricanes' 2011 football season record.
SolarCane is jaded. He just doesn't have the time or energy to care about things that are beyond his control. Simply put,what Solarcane wants is this:
1. A respectable team that plays hard on every play of every game.
2. The Hurricanes to beat teams convincingly (but especially the Tar Heels).
3. Miami to finally win their first ACC title.
4. For UM to play in and win a meaningful bowl game in January.
5. A BCS title in the not so distant future would be nice too.
When you come to think of it, some may consider Solarcane to be a bit jaded, but then aren't we all?
When you come to think of it, what the kind, friendly, kayak fisherman who now lives in the rural mountains of Northern Georgia really wants is what we ALL want, isn't it? So, I guess that in the end, it turns out none of us like feeling jaded after all, now do we?
Ohio - LOL I have an empty Jagr peanut butter jar at home - do you remember that from the late 90's? LOL I keep change in it now
Posted by: CGNC | June 30, 2011 at 04:33 PM
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LOL, I sure do! That's awesome!
I have a Jagr rookie card sitting at my house. Maybe if I get to a home game early enough this year I can get him to sign it!
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | June 30, 2011 at 04:37 PM
Uhh. They all hated Miami Killian High School.
Posted by: Old Skool | June 30, 2011 at 04:23 PM
I expected better from U young man.
They all wore #6 at UM.
Duh...winning!
Posted by: SOUP | June 30, 2011 at 04:39 PM
They all wore #6 at UM.
Duh...winning!
Posted by: SOUP | June 30, 2011 at 04:39 PM
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Hey now! I was right too! Just because it wasn't the answer U were looking for, doesn't make me wrong! LOL
Posted by: Ohio_Cane | June 30, 2011 at 04:50 PM
Ohio_Cane, looking like a lawyer with that answer....
Posted by: Ungar | June 30, 2011 at 05:23 PM
soup thanks for ordering the shirts appreciate it.
i'll check emails in a sec.
Posted by: solarcane | June 30, 2011 at 05:58 PM
roach school welcome,
that was pretty awesome how every Lego worker moved and did his task completely during each scene.
the bus coming onto its route piece by piece was pretty clever too.
Posted by: solarcane | June 30, 2011 at 06:00 PM
Rmors of a Stefon Diggs commitment on the horizon. I am hearing from several reliable sources he has been a silent for about a week.
Posted by: Big Daddy Cane | June 30, 2011 at 06:42 PM
How many punts and kickoffs did Devin Hester return for TDs while at Miami?
Posted by: SOUP | June 30, 2011 at 07:10 PM
SOUP, idk but I saw him return 2 in that huge comeback at the OB vs Louisville..and he had one called back..my greatest game at the OB..I missed the earlier ones lol
Posted by: UMike | June 30, 2011 at 07:17 PM
Pro Canes - Ken Dorsey says he likes what he sees from the current Canes bit.ly/cW248Z
Posted by: OhioCane | June 30, 2011 at 08:02 PM
SOUP, Hester had 6 TDs from kick returns, and one blocked field goal return. He also scored one rushing and receiving touchdown, and recorded five interceptions as a defensive back.
Posted by: OhioCane | June 30, 2011 at 08:14 PM
Big that excellent news.
Posted by: Old Skool | June 30, 2011 at 08:40 PM
Primer on Stefon Diggs. Hope he recruits from the sounds of it...
Diggs is a very impressive, yet raw athlete that doubles as a wide receiver and running back. He possesses very good size, a thick build and some natural strength. He is a glider with quick feet and a physical nature. Will make some spectacular plays in the passing game and on the ground. When in the backfield he possesses an upright running style and is a pick and slide runner. Shows good urgency out of his stance and does not waste much time squaring up his shoulder pads and accelerating downhill. Displays deceptive lateral quickness to elude initial defenders at the line of scrimmage and bounce outside before cutting back. Does not show elite initial burst or explosion, but can pick up good north-south speed and is a load for smaller defensive backs to bring down when he reaches the second level. For a taller back, he runs with good lean and flashes great body control and balance after initial contact. His vision and running style make for a deceptively speedy receiving threat out wide. He is strong and imposing off the line, but not crisp or sudden as a route runner. In fact he is very raw in this area. Wins on athleticism, size and speed and in many cases because he is much better than the opponent and can be intimidating ... He can stem and weave as a route runner and eat up cushion. Uses his size to shield the defender and push away against tight coverage. Diggs catches the ball well and has shown that he can adjust to poorly thrown balls outside his catch radius. However, he is also a body catcher far more than he should be. Lets the ball get into his frame as opposed to extending and high pointing ...With further refinement he could be a great one.
Posted by: Felipe. | June 30, 2011 at 09:00 PM
JAntweil: Just ran into ART KEHOE at Circle K by my apartment,made my night. He was hyping up Golden so much and love B-Wash
Posted by: solarcane | June 30, 2011 at 09:19 PM
James Gaines V
I’m so grateful to be here. I just make sure to thank God every day that I’m here.
I wasn’t really heavily recruited. I was recruited to the University of Buffalo, University of Akron, and I committed to Buffalo. I de-committed because the coach left. Once he left, I opened up my recruiting again, and the University of Miami came in. I was like “oh man!” I didn’t even need to take a recruiting trip, but I took one anyway (laughs). I don’t tell many people that, but this is my dream school. I always wanted to come here. I would never tell Willis McGahee this, but he’s my favorite player. He’s always in the weight room and we always jaw at each other. It was amazing, when I heard that Miami was interested.
When I was six years old, it was my first year playing football. I played for the Buffalo Vets, and I quit. I quit football. It wasn’t fun, I didn’t like it. They were hitting me too hard (laughs). When I quit, I went home and my dad wasn’t too happy. The next year, I tried again and played for another team, the North Buffalo Rams. That’s when I fell in love with the game.
Playing football has given me many opportunities to get out of my hometown of Buffalo, New York. Not many people leave Buffalo, people tend to stay. So it’s given me an opportunity to see something new.
Getzville is a suburb of Buffalo. I moved there when I was probably 10 years old or so, because the school was better and neighborhoods were better. My mom and dad wanted me to grow up and get a better education. I ended up going to school back in Buffalo though, so it was kind of funny (laughs). I got an academic scholarship to go to Canisius High School in Buffalo, and that was probably the best decision of my life. Just to go there opened up so many doors. The coaches there really helped me out. I didn’t think I would play college football. That’s just what you do in Buffalo, really, you just go from sport to sport.
Buffalo is full of tough people, it’s hard-working, and it’s a blue-collar town. That’s what helps me out on the football field, hard work.
In high school, I was playing safety. A teammate of mine got hurt, and they didn’t have anyone else, so they moved me to linebacker. I couldn’t stand it. Back then, I liked to hit, it was fun, but I liked doing it on my own time. At safety, you don’t have to hit all the time. Linebacker, you have to strap it up every time (laughs). I’ve learned to embrace it.
Coach Barrow is tough as a coach. Sometimes, he’ll get to me. The man knows what he’s doing. He’s been through it, played in the NFL for 13 years. It’s perfect to come in under him, so I just try to soak in everything that he tells me. I just take it all in and do whatever he says.
Everybody can criticize but everybody can’t take criticism.
I secretly wish that I played basketball. Basketball is fun. I really like it. I’ve been playing it longer than I’ve been playing football. I can’t go out there and play all the time, because I can’t afford to lose weight (laughs). Kobe Bryant is my favorite player, and I let everyone know that in the locker room. I’m from Buffalo, New York, but I’m a Laker fan through and through.
I was raised with a religious background. My dad’s a deacon and my mom’s a deaconess. Music has always been a big part of my life since I was in the womb. My mother sings, my father sings, my sister sings, my grandparents, uncles, aunts, everyone sings in my family. I like to stand back and just listen. I grew up on gospel music.
The U is something I’ve been hearing about since I was a little guy, like I said, this was my favorite school. I would throw up the U with my hands without knowing what it meant, because I saw Willis McGahee do it. I didn’t know much about the school background or anything, but when I thought about it, when I was here, I was in it. I’m here now, I’m in the U, and I love it.
You never know when your last play is going to be. I don’t think about it when I’m playing, I can’t play in fear. I’m really deep in my faith, and I believe that God knows what’s going to happen. Why not play every play hard? Everything that happens is in God’s will. So I just play as hard as I possibly can.
Posted by: solarcane | June 30, 2011 at 09:32 PM
Off topic - For the Pens fans on here... Rumor around the area is that Jagr will be signed and be a Penguin first thing in the morning.
Posted by: OhioCane | June 30, 2011 at 10:14 PM
NEW BLOG IS UP!
Posted by: SOUP | June 30, 2011 at 10:26 PM
By the end of another disappointing season in 2010 the on the field results spoke for themselves and directly led to a head coaching change at the end of last season. Randy Shannon was out and Al Golden was brought in to replace the once loved and respected former Hurricane player and coach.
As a result many Miami football fans have felt a wide range of strong emotions about their team. Many still feel hurt, confused and disappointed. Some fans even feel jaded by the recent results of their beloved football team.
One of those so-called "jaded" fans is my good friend, kayaking expert, fishing guru and original Canespacer Solarcane
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