Canespace

The Short List To The Superdome: Week 5

October sees only 45 teams left on the Shortlist to the Superdome in the 2011 season and once again, they read grouped by conference affiliations as follows:

Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Clemson, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, California, Southern Cal, Arizona State, Utah, USF, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Syracuse, Boise State, and Houston.

Five teams overall lost games I didn't call for them to lose last week and find themselves looking to next year before month one of this one is even done, four of the them from the ACC and the fifth across the ocean in a erector set aluminum stadium:

1) NC State gets destroyed 44-14 by the Bearcats on Thursday night in their first trip to Cincinnati.  In hindsight, this was an ominous portent of things to come in the ACC this week on the Shortlist, we all should have heeded the signs, as well as Tammy Flores' warnings but were too haughty to even consider it.  For that, we all owe someone a big apology.

2) Maryland decides to let Temple of all teams construct a woodshed in College Park for a 38-7 thrashing behind it.  That about sums up the sorry current state of Hurricane football right there nice and succinctly better than any clever quip I could come up with instead, doesn't it?  At least the NCAA can help keep them marginally respectable despite being the worst dressed football team in history.

3) Miami can't cross an extra three feet of football field as the clock winds down at home, and as a result, loses to Kansas State 28-24 as the Al Golden honeymoon period is now done in just under a month.  Hi, I'm BCS auto-qualifier football, Al Golden.  You might remember me from such classic seasons in Charlottesville as when you lost seven, five, five, four and five games from 2001 to 2005 as the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS play.  I'm here today to inform you that the vast majority of your fan-base now officially has better things to do with their leisure time in Miami this year than watch your team play and you'll be lucky to have 30,000 fans cheering your team on the rest of the season at home.  While winning seven ACC games, the conference title game and playing in a BCS bowl this year would settle everything down, your coaching history and the continuing trends your detractors were worried about when you came over from Philadelphia initially suggest that things will instead begin to spiral down the drain as NCAA sanctions hinder your recruiting, on field results, and fan support in a vicious reverberating cycle that will only end when you take another job somewhere else higher up the food-chain, though the likelihood of that happening when you fail at UM is null and void.  While no sane person could reasonably expect you to cook dinner without getting your own ingredients, you coach at Miami, which is never noted for having sane people as fans and thus, will most likely not be afforded multiple opportunities to assemble several more underwhelming recruiting classes in order to grind out Big 10 (plus two) style victories while playing a 3-4 defensive front and qualifying for some backwater hamlet bowl game like they were happy to accept at your previous coaching stops.  Basically, you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, is there a chapter in Deserve Victory, with orange and green on the cover of course, that covers this situation and if so, what does it say exactly?  Thanks for listening and enjoy the rest of your coaching career in Coral Gables, preferably by hanging half a hundred on Bethune Cookman's version of the Wildcats in the manner you should have done on the Kansas State's version instead.

4) Virginia is now 0-2 against traditional FBS power Southern Miss as they fall in the friendly confines of Scott Stadium 30-24.  The signature win of Mike London era so far?  The 16 point underdog win against Randy Shannon's Miami Hurricanes of course in 2010!  Come on, you weren't expecting that big road upset of Indiana this year to be the answer were you?  Miami is everybody's national championship, even 10 years removed from its last one!

5) FIU makes sure the Hurricane's upset loss isn't the worst one last week in Miami as they fall to the surprisingly competitive Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 36-31 at FIU Stadium.  Mario Cristobal's 19-34 career record in only five years as a head coach still compares very favorably to Al Golden's 28-36 record in six years and if he goes on a long-shot run to finish 11-1 in the regular season this year the incremental heat on the head coaching seat in Coral Gables is only going to increase with each win that closes the gap.  Did I mention welcome to BCS auto-qualifier football yet Al Golden?  Just checking.

Two teams come up with blowout victories at home last week to stay on the Shortlist as they send the visitors packing with their tails and fighting spirit tucked between their legs, as usual, and they are:

1) Arizona State reminds all the, "Southern Cal is the new Miami," parrots out there just how right they really are as they dominate the mediocre, for a very long while now, Trojans 43-22 in Tempe.  Dennis Erickson's now gang insignia laden team delivers a big win and I'm sure he had a few to celebrate the occasion afterwards if history is any reliable informer here, as the race for at least second place in the Pac-12 South now heats up as conference play ensues with ASU holding a big trump card they weren't expected to have in their hand at the start of the year.

2) Butch Jones routes the Wolfpack in the Thursday night rematch of the game that got away early in the 2010 season and set the tone for a down year in Cincinnati.  His team now appears poised to stay on the Shortlist almost all the way through October and could reach the final month in they can pull off one upset in the Sunshine State thanks to two bye weeks and a manageable schedule otherwise in what will be a bowl season with BCS possibilities.

I call for six teams this week to fall off the Shortlist including last year's champion and a highly ranked top 25 team as conference play is joined in earnest.  The six teams in question list as follows:

Auburn, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Kansas, Utah, and Syracuse.

The Shortlist begins the process of grinding down the BCS contenders at an increasing pace as October begins in 2011.  Enjoy the games this week and join me back here next week as the Shortlist to the Superdome gets within striking distance of the magic number of only 25 left on it.

Copyright 2011 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Unrealistic Expectations

Many if not most Miami Hurricane fans believed that first year head coach Al Golden would walk in the front door of the Hecht Athletic Center and almost immediately proceed to:

1. Instill his core values;
2. Manage the process effectively;
3. Improve the quality of coaching and player development;
4. Improve the overall conditioning and strength of the team;
5. Utilize the available talent more efficiently; and
6. Quickly produce a better product right out of the gate in 2011. 

Sure some may have been more openly skeptical than others but all Hurricane fans wanted to believe that their beloved Hurricanes would start winning again, maybe even win early and often this season and possibly even become a dominant team again sooner rather than later.

Well, not so fast my friend!

Apparently there is either less talent and depth on the current roster than anticipated or there is more work to be done in the areas of working the process, changing the culture, improving the conditioning and coaching up the players now wearing "The U" on their helmets.

Still it was Golden himself who was the first one to tell UM fans NOT lower expectations for this football season. So we listened, we believed and we set our expectations high as requested by our new eloquent and seemingly fearless leader.

In the season opener against Maryland on the road and even with several key players suspended most Hurricane fans still considered it a "realistic" expectation for Miami to beat the Terrapins.  The odds-makers agreed.  Miami lost that game to Maryland 32-24.

Then this past Saturday, in a stunningly "unrealistic" turn of events the Temple Owls, a team that had nobody thought had a "realistic" expectation of beating the same Maryland team that had beaten Miami, destroyed the Terrapins by the resounding score of 38-7.  Temple was up 31-0 at the half. 

One can only imagine how totally "unrealistic" that was for their fans?

 
Coming home to Sun Life Stadium in week two Miami faced #17 ranked Ohio State.  The Hurricanes had extra time to prepare but still some "realistic" UM fans did not really expect a Miami victory against what was seen as a quality opponent with a strong national reputation. 

The Hurricanes went out and made a statement by beating the Buckeyes by an "unrealistic" 18 points in a dominant 24-6 victory.

In the latest turn of events on another exciting college football Saturday the Miami Hurricanes faced off against the Kansas State Wildcats at Sun Life Stadium.  Most Miami fans felt that after beating #17 OSU the previous week that demolishing the un-ranked Wildcats at home the following week was very "realistic".

Even former 'Cane WR Lamar Thomas was on hand and moving among his many fans to both predict and witness the victory over the Wildcats.

 
Yet as has become their unattractive habit over the last few years Miami lost to Kansas State, a team most experts and 'Canes fans alike thought they should and would beat, by four points and the score of 28-24 at Sun Life Stadium.

Miami trailed 14-3 at the half and for almost the entire game. In spite of a strong second half comeback by the often criticized Jacory Harris on offense the Hurricane dreaded swiss cheese defense just could not hold off the Wildcats simple but effective QB zone read attack. 

Some Hurricane fans apparently now feel it was an "unrealistic expectation" for the Hurricanes to win against Maryland and over the Wildcats.  Some of those fans say this is simply the "new reality" so we should just get used to it.

Surely, you can't be serious?  How can expecting to beat an un-ranked team at home that was a 13 point underdog an "unrealistic expectation"?   Even coach Golden would disagree with you and basically has admitted that much after the two unexpected early season losses.

 
Sure maybe those fans were actually referring to a few predictions of undefeated seasons every year or 40 + point wins by a few joking or seriously over-zealous bloggers that had crossed the line of "realistic" expectations. 

But a win at home over K-State is unrealistic?   Child please!

I say it is "unrealistic" for Miami fans to simply accept the results anytime the Hurricanes lose at home to any un-ranked team that comes in as a 13 point underdog on any occasion.  Certainly the players and coaches are not happy or satisfied with the outcome so why should the fans be?

I guess the only question left now is: Is beating Bethune Cookman College next Saturday at Sun Life Stadium considered a "realistic expectation" for this Miami team?

Game Day: Miami vs Kansas State

This week your Miami Hurricanes face the Kansas State Wildcats at Sun Life Stadium at 3:30 PM in a game that has some very interesting implications.

After a big 18 point win over the Ohio State Buckeyes last week in Al Golden's first of what Miami fans all hope will be many, many home games in Miami for Golden, the Hurricanes may have finally found some much needed confidence in their step on their way back to regaining their infamous swagger.

 
The win by the Hurricanes knocked the Buckeyes out of the Top 25 and possibly set up a chance for Miami to move into the polls if they can manage another convincing win over the Wildcats this week. 

Here is Canespace blogger Christopher Whelpton's analysis of this week's offensive and defensive match-ups for both teams:

As most if not all Hurricane fans know one of the interesting side notes for this week's game is that "The Brothers Brown" will be playing for Kansas State instead of Miami. 

Brown The Elder (Arthur) once was the most sought after recruit in the entire Country.  He eventually committed to and played for the Hurricanes but for some reason failed to ever break into the starting lineup.  After two years in Coral Gables Sir Arthur decided it was time to pack up and head back to his native Kansas.

Brown The Younger (Bryce) was at one time verbally comitted to Miami but then shockingly left the Hurricanes waiting at the alter on National Signing Day as he decided to see what Rocky Top looked like.  Apparently it was not long before he decided that the view from the Top was not to his liking and he too high tailed it back to the more familiar surroundings of Kansas.

The UM coaches and players have all been very cautious and politically correct this week to downplay the Brothers Brown and any impact that they or their relationship to Miami will have on this game. 

 
But we think that when the defecation hits the rotary oscillator at Sun Life Stadium this Saturday there will be some payback on the minds of some of the players wearing the orange and green uniforms. 

Join us at the game to see the Canes beat the Wildcats this week by the score of: UM 34, KSU 13.

Canespace Game Plan: Kansas State

Here is the insider report on the Canespace game plan for game day against Kansas State.

On game day we will meet at the Hampton Inn in Plantation which is located near University Drive and 595 and about 20 minutes from Sun Life Stadium. The Hampton Inn phone number is: 954-382-4500.

For the hotel's street address, directions and map please click here:

http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/maps_directions.jhtml?ctyhocn=FLLPTHX

We will meet at 11 AM in the lobby , leave the hotel and be at the stadium at 11:30 AM when the gates open.  As always we will park in the ORANGE lot on the EAST side (near East 22). Since we will be there early we will likely park very close to the stadium although it is directional parking so we have no idea where they will send us.

There will be other activities on Friday night from 7 to 9 PM at Duffy's Sports Grill on University Drive just north of I-595 which is also near the hotel. Here is the address and the phone number: 811 S. University Dr., Plantation, FL, 33324 PHONE: 954-473-0477.

OK, so we know it is not South Beach with the neon lights, the art deco hotels and the thousands of half naked women running around. But we guarantee that you will not get sand in your shorts and that you will have a good time.

Duffy's is a really upscale and classy sports bar with great food and as many large screen TVs with various sports events on that you could ever want to watch. And the scenery isn't too bad either if that's your thing.

All Canespacers will get 10% off of their bill at Duffy's because I know people who know people. The hotel will take us all there in a shuttle so nobody has to drink and drive IF you are staying at The Hampton.

Also on Friday night from 9-11 PM there will be a Canespace "Party on the Patio" at the Hampton Inn for TALKING TRASH with other UM fans after dinner at Duffy's Sports Grill.

Any questions? If so, email me at: [email protected].

GO CANES, BEAT THE WILDCATS!!!

Live Chat Tonight With WVUM's Chris Whittyngham

As the student voice of the University of Miami, WVUM radio fills an important role in keeping UM students and Hurricane fans alike informed about what's happening on and off campus and inside the world of UM athletics.  Here is a brief summary of the station from the WVUM web site:

"WVUM is the non-commercial and fully student-run radio station broadcasting out of the University of Miami. Since its inception in 1967, as a pirate radio station hidden in the Mahoney dormitory, "The Voice” has evolved into a nationally recognized leader in college radio, broadcasting eclectic music programming, public affairs/news content and excellent sports programs."

 
Over the last four years Canespace and WVUM have developed a very positive relationship that has proven to be mutually beneficial to Hurricane fans not only in South Florida but literally all across the United States and around the world.

Justin Antweil, the previous Sports Director at WVUM, was a good friend of Canespace and a solid partner in providing sports coverage for Hurricane fans.  With Justin's recent graduation from Miami (he returned to his native New York where he has become a serious Tweetaholic) the radio station was required to conduct an extensive search for someone to fill his position.

The radio station eventually selected UM Sophomore Chris Wittyngham for that important role at WVUM. Almost immediately we looked to form a new relationship with Chris to continue our excellent partnership and to ensure that we keep bringing you the news you can use when it come to UM athletics from our exclusive on campus connection at WVUM.

Just last week Canespace agreed to become an underwriter for WVUM sports programming and will be sponsoring part of the pre-game segment of all UM football games this season.  We are excited about this new venture and hope that all Canespacers will tune in to listen to WVUM before, during and after UM football games this year.

WVUM has lively weekly sports talk shows such as their signature Ibis Sports Weekly which will be on the air every Friday from 6-7 PM. They will debut the all new "WVUM Sports Saturday" airing Saturdays from 11 AM to Noon and also return with Beyond The Scope, Sundays from Noon to 1 PM.

Hurricane fans can tune in to all things WVUM on 90.5 FM or http://www.wvum.org.

Tonight at 8 PM we will have a chance to catch up with Chris for one of our now famous Canespace Q&A sessions.  Please post your questions on the blog comments section beginning at 8 PM and remember to hit your browser's "refresh button" to keep up with the fast paced LIVE chat.

GO CANES, GO CANESPACE, GO WVUM!!!

The Short List To The Superdome: Week 4

As the first month of the season ends, only 56 teams are left on the Shortlist to the Superdome and they read when grouped by conference affiliation as such:

Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Florida State, Clemson, NC State, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, California, Southern Cal, Arizona State, Utah, Pittsburgh, USF, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Syracuse, Boise State, San Diego State, Wyoming, Houston, Ohio, and FIU.

Four teams escaped from my predictions to fall from Shortlist contention last week and they were:

1) Iowa ignites a huge fourth quarter comeback to stave off elimination at home against Pittsburgh 31-27. Welcome to ACC football 2012 Panthers, you'll fit right in no problem with games like this!

2) Utah posts a Holy War massacre on the road at BYU 54-10 as Norm Chow shows no mercy to his old employer for passing him over after Lavel Edwards retirement. The Pac-10 still made the wrong expansion choice even with this result but it's not like BYU would have been the better choice either.

3) Wyoming barely dodges overtime and escapes with a win in Bowling Green, Ohio, in what could end up being the difference in going bowling during the holidays and staying home for Dave Christensen's Cowboys. Enjoy this week on the Shortlist in Laramie guys, for Saturday you will be purged at the hands of the Cornhuskers of Nebraska.

4) FIU makes it two weeks in a row as Mario Cristobal's Panthers become 2011's Shortlist team you most don't want to see on your schedule as they take down UCF in the state of Florida under-card showdown of the week. If Cristobal continues like this he might have an offer he can't refuse luring him away from his hometown very soon.

Four teams lose and get removed from the Shortlist and the new roll call of infamy looks like this:

1) Northwestern travels to West Point and ends up on the end of the bayonet of the Cadets 21-14. Dan Persa's Achilles tearing celebration continues to wreck havoc on the Wildcats play, I hope the win was worth it last year for them as it holds them back in this one.

2) Shortlist traditional prediction nemesis Connecticut goes 0-2 against BCS teams and falls off the Shortlist quickly this year by losing at home to Iowa State 24-20. At least Paul Pasqualoni will get to avoid some uncomfortable road games every other year with Syracuse's jump to the ACC next year. Oh, wait, that might not be avoidable either now.

3) UCF loses the Florida Shortlist Elimination Showdown with FIU in Miami 17-10 as the Golden Knights still can't find a way to break through against anybody from their home state other than the Owls in Boca. George O'Leary won't get to 11 wins this year but still can make some noise in the conference if they find a way to put this behind them quickly.

4) Bowling Green has a tying extra point try blocked at home against Wyoming to fall 28-27 as Dave Clawson's team now moves on to the daunting part of the schedule this year where they will be underdogs the rest of the way. Letting a chance at a win slip through their fingers such as this one again will destroy any hopes of bowl rewards for the Eagles very quickly down the line.

I call for nine teams are on watch for Shortlist elimination this week and they are the following:

Kentucky, Missouri, Florida State, Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Wyoming, and Ohio.

As the eliminations begin to pick up into month two the Shortlist will begin to pare down entire conferences quicker and quicker until the pecking order for this final season of relative football stability gives way to even more wild chaos than on the field of play any given week.

Enjoy the games this week as your Miami Hurricanes try to stay in the race for another week and join me back here next week as the real separation between contenders and pretenders begins to rearrange the roster here on the Shortlist to the Superdome.

Copyright 2011 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com

Walk This Way

Since his arrival first year University of Miami head coach Al Golden has preached relentlessly about the importance of returning to the proud history and tradition of Hurricane football.

 
It seems that Golden has talked about the remarkable legacy and incredible tradition at Miami of winning National Championships, producing All-American players and dominating the NFL draft at every possible opportunity.

 
On Saturday at Sun Life Stadium for his first home game ever Golden may have actually started a new tradition of his own that could eventually rival the tradition of running out of the tunnel through the smoke: The Hurricane Walk.

Manny Navarro, our good friend from The Miami Herald, was on hand to capture the event on video (SEEN ABOVE).  He also took the time to interview a long-time Canespacer (known here on the blog as Canezilla) about what he thought about the new tradition of The Hurricane Walk before home games.

"It's about time," said Canes fan Will Boehmer, who drove down from Margate outfitted in green and orange for the game and inaugural Hurricanes Walk. "We need to get closer to the players. We feel so far away at times. It gets the players pumped up before the game."

Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/2011/09/video-first-ever-hurricanes-walk-at-sun-life-stadium.html#ixzz1YPnNJ8U5

 
Canezilla and his hard core crew of Miami Hurricanes fans go way back in Canespace history and tradition as well.  In fact, all the way back to June of 2006 when we first started the Canespace blog. 

 
He and his crew can be found on a regular basis before games tailgating in the East side parking lot at Sun Life Stadium.  We have had the opportunity to meet at a few UM events, several tailgate parties and even at some away games like at the UCF game in Orlando.

 
So if you want to meet Canezilla (and his lovely wife), other Canespacers or maybe even former 'Canes like Lamar Thomas before the game, then meet us at "The Hurricane Walk" on the West side of Sun Life Stadium about two hours prior to kickoff to welcome the Hurricane coaches and players.

Be like Canezilla: Get off the bench and get into the game!

Hurricanes Share A Golden Moment

The main theme on a warm, humid and beautiful September day in South Florida should have been that first year University of Miami head football coach Al Golden was coaching the first home game of his career for the Hurricanes.

 
Yet under the surface there was a strong current of other themes for this game that swirled around and permeated the humid air that hovered over Sun Life Stadium on this sultry night in the 305.

Some Hurricane fans wanted revenge for the 2003 Fiesta Bowl Fiasco in Tempe.

Others simply wanted to avenge Miami's unfortunate loss in Columbus last year.

 
What is completely undeniable is that every fan of the Miami Hurricanes wanted their football team to beat the snot out of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the worst way for one reason or another on Saturday night at the always sunny and warm Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. 

 
On this Saturday night in September your Miami Hurricanes came through and delivered one of their biggest wins in recent history as UM beat #17 ranked Ohio State by the score of 24-6. 

It was just the first of what many Hurricane fans hope are many Golden moments that will soon follow.

 
It was a game that was dominated by the UM defense that shut down OSU especially in the red zone and a Hurricane running game that was not powered by The Home Depot but by the speedy and productive Lamar Miller.

 
Miller Time accounted for 184 yards on the evening as he ran around, over and through the weak and confused Buckeye defense much like an ice sculpture might survive on a 90 degree day at a tailgate party.

 
It was a truly a Golden moment for the new head coach, the team known simply as "The U" and their many loyal fans.

And it left Hurricane fans just begging to come back for more Golden moments at Sun Life Stadium.

Game Day: Miami vs Ohio State

If you can find a way to remove some of the tarnish recently acquired by the athletic departments of both of these highly respected institutions of higher education then this game still shines brightly on the big stage that is college football.

This week Canespace blogger Christopher Whelpton, also known as Orange and Green in the Vein (OVGV) on the blog, compares and contrasts a few of the two teams' strengths and weaknesses. 

UM coach Al Golden enters the biggest game (so far) of his head coaching career and his first home game as the Hurricanes lead dog.  The Miami coaching staff will have to dial up the intensity level for this game against the Buckeyes if the Hurricanes are going to have a chance to win the contest.

 
Miami lost to OSU last year in Columbus as QB Jacory Harris threw four interceptions and the Hurricanes self destructed in front of the hostile Buckeye crowd in spite of scoring twice on special teams via long returns by Lamar Miller and Travis Benjamin.

 
Harris returns this week after serving his one game suspension for NCAA violations related to receiving special benefits from some Leprechaun who apparently liked to toss around gold coins when he wasn't picking four leaf clovers. 

 
If J12 can find a way to stay away from the costly turnovers and the 'Canes can limit both penalties and any related mental errors they should win this all important home game against a Top 20 opponent.

I know this for a fact because the lovely and talented Heather Dinich from ESPN told me so.

Canespace Prediction: Miami 34, OSU 20.

Inside The Canespace Game Plan

Can U smell what The Rock is cookin'?  It is almost game day and that means it is time to strap up, lock and load and get your game face on!

 
Here is the insider report on the Canespace game plan for game day against Ohio State:

On game day we will meet at the Hampton Inn in Plantation which is located near University Drive and 595 and about 20 minutes from Sun Life Stadium.  The Hampton Inn phone number is: 954-382-4500. 

For the hotel's street address, directions and map please click here:

http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/maps_directions.jhtml?ctyhocn=FLLPTHX

We will meet at 1 PM in the lobby and leave the hotel at 1:30 PM and be at the stadium at 2 PM and park in the ORANGE lot on the EAST side.  Since we will be there early we will likely park very close to the stadium although it is directional parking so we have no idea where they will send us.

If you want to hook up at the hotel or tailgate email me your cell number to: [email protected].

 
There will be other activities on Friday night from 6 to 8 PM in Plantation at Duffy's Sports Grill on University Drive just north of I-595 which is also near the hotel.  Here is the address and the phone number: 811 S. University Dr., Plantation, FL, 33324  PHONE: 954-473-0477. 

OK, so we know it is not South Beach with the neon lights, the art deco hotels and the thousands of half naked women running around.  But we guarantee that you will not get sand in your shorts and that you will have a good time. 

 
Duffy's is a real upscale and classy sports bar with great food and as many large screen TVs with various sports events on that you could ever want to watch.  And the scenery isn't too bad if I do say so myself!

All Canespacers will get 10% off of their bill at Duffy's because I know people who know people. The hotel will take us all there in a shuttle so nobody has to drink and drive IF you are staying at The Hampton.

 
Also on Friday night from 9-11 PM there will be a Canespace "Party on the Patio" at the Hampton Inn for TALKING TRASH with other UM and possibly even some OSU fans after dinner at Duffy's Sports Grill.

Any questions? If so, email me at: [email protected].

GO CANES, BEAT THE BUCKEYES!!!