Canespace

The 2012 NFL Draft: The Miami Hurricanes

Just in case you were living under a rock over the last few days and missed it the University of Miami had a total of six football players selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

It was the 25th time in the storied and illustrious history of "The U" that six or more Hurricanes have been drafted in one year. With the six newly selected NFLU draftees Miami has now produced 309 drafted players since 1938.

The Canes' six draftees ranks tied for third among the nation's football programs behind only Alabama (8) and Georgia and Oklahoma (7). Cal, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Boise State each had six draftees.

CANES IN THE 2012 DRAFT
DE Olivier Vernon - 3rd round (72nd overall) to the Miami Dolphins
LB Sean Spence - 3rd round (86th overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers
RB Lamar Miller - 4th round (97th overall) to the Miami Dolphins
WR Travis Benjamin - 4th round (100th overall) to the Cleveland Browns
WR Tommy Streeter - 6th round (198th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens
OG Brandon Washington - 6th round (200th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles

Offensive players who were signed were OL Harland Gunn (Cowboys), OL Tyler Horn (Falcons), TE Chase Ford (Eagles) and WR LaRon Byrd (Cardinals).

Defensive players who signed NFL free agent contracts included DL Adawale Ojomo (Giants), DL Marcus Forston (Patriots), DL Micanor Regis (Falcons), DB JoJo Nicholas (Giants), LB Jordan Futch (Bucs).

In addition former UM players QB Jacory Harris and OL Joel Figueroa also recieved invitations to rookie camp tryouts with the hometown Miami Dolphins.

Gentle Breeze

The NFL 2012 Draft began on Thursday night in prime time on ESPN with first round activities being completed in the speedy and maybe even record time of just over three hours.

Yet throughout the great Sunshine State it was more like a barely detectable gentle breeze rather than a strong draft that was felt by college players sitting and waiting for their names to be called by an NFL team in an effort to fulfill their life-long dreams.

Surprisingly not a single player from a major college in Florida was taken. That's right, your Miami Hurricanes along with Florida, Florida State, USF and UCF were all shut out of the first round action.

In fact it was not until DL Olivier Vernon was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the third round with the 72nd pick of the 2012 Draft that a Hurricane was selected.

Later on UM LB Sean Spence would be the second Hurricane drafted on Day 2 when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers later in the third round.

Several Miami players who were projected to go higher in the draft slid down the draft board and are expected to go today in the fourth through seventh rounds. Perhaps the most shocking fall was that of UM RB Lamar Miller who many pro scouts had listed as a second round pick.

There was some speculation that doubts about Miller's often injured shoulder, his inability to make defenders miss or pick up yards after contact and his average blocking ability may have hurt his draft stock.

At this point of the later rounds many draft experts consider the speedy Miller a great value who could turn into the steal of the entire 2012 NFL draft.

In the later rounds WR Tommy Streeter, WR Travis Benjamin, OL Brandon Washington, DL Marcus Forston and others are still hoping to hear their names called today.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all former Miami Hurricane football players health, happiness and much success in the NFLU!

Start Me Up

When it comes to earning a starting position on the 2012 University of Miami football team there are several key jobs still in question after Spring practice. In this article we will analyze the post-Spring battles for the following starting positions on offense:

Quarterback: Who will replace the graduated Jacory Harris and become the starter at the most critical position on the field? Will it be the apparent favorite in strong-armed Stephen Morris or will there be a surprise in the Fall? Or will the accurate Ryan Williams takes the reigns of the UM offense?

Answer: I think neither Morris nor Williams will start and that contrary to popular opinion true Freshman QB Gray Crow will be named the starter in the Fall. That's right I said it!

Running Back: Senior Mike James has battled against the hard running Eduardo Clements and the speedy Dallas Crawford all Spring for the starting role at RB for the Canes in 2012. With incoming Freshmen Duke Johnson and Danny Dillard soon to show up in Coral Gables the competition will be fierce to see who will tote the rock for the Hurricanes this season. We like competition and we like Mike to take the starting position with Duke and Dallas being used in multiple positions as dangerous weapons in Jedd Fischs' offensive scheme.

Answer: Mike James will start game one but Dallas Crawford will play a MAJOR role in the UM offense in 2012. True Freshmen Duke Johnson and Danny Dillard may surprise many UM fans this season when Duke starts a game. That's right I said it!

Offensive Line: The starting five seem fairly well define and as UM offensive line coach Art Kehoe appears the have settled on his best five OL: Bunch, Feliciano, McDermot, Linder and Henderson. But the question is why did they perform so poorly in the Spring game? And also who are the second five and will Eric Flowers and Taylor Gadbois push past Bunch and Henderson at the OT position?

Answer: To be honest Henderson looked clumsy, awkward and awful in the Spring Game and if I were the head coach would move him to another position (OG, DT or DE). That's right I said it!

Wide Receiver: Who is going to be a deep threat? Who is going to go over the middle? Who will be the possession WR? Most Hurricane fans say: "We have no clue!" Well, that is not exactly true after the Spring. Sure Rashawn Scott had a bad Spring Game but he was overall the most significant performer this Spring. Phillip Dorsett and Allen Hurns are reliable returnees this Fall.

Answer: We expect that D'Mauri Jones, Malcolm Lewis and Jontavious Carter will play in 2012. We project that Jones and Lewis will SPLASH big time on the big screen. Lockhart and Waters will likely redshirt and later on in their careers, if they stick, we will see.

Size Matters

Now that we have wrapped up and put a pretty little bow on Spring football we want to turn our focus to the high school football recruiting process and one of the many variables in that process:

The measurables (size, weight, strength, speed) for players who will be high school Seniors in 2012 and will be part of the 2013 recruiting class.

So let's pretend for just a moment that you are a college football coach at a major BCS conference school. You are well aware of the fact that recruiting is the life blood of your football program.

Now fast forward to early January, only a month before the annual fiasco know as Hat Picking Day, I mean National Signing Day, as you find yourself on the road somewhere in Florida on the recruiting trail and in hot pursuit of "Joe Stud" high school football player.

Stud you see is one of most highly rated linebackers in the State and he not only has scholarship offers from ever major college in the State but also in the entire Country.

So you check out Joe's high school career statistics along with his academic qualifications and character references and find out that Stud is a player that meets all of your criteria and a player you desperately want on your team.

You quickly discover that the "Big Three" recruiting services, Rivals, Scout and ESPN, all have Joe Stud rated as one of the top 100 players in the Nation.

But something is just not right. Something is simply not adding up.

One recruiting service has Joe listed at 5-11, 215 and running a 4.4 forty.

Another has Stud listed at 6-1, 225 and running a 4.6 forty.

Still another web site has Joe checking in at 6-0, 220 and 4.5 in the forty.

If you have been around a while and have been paying attention then you know that this is how the game is played on every level of football. The facts are surprisingly hard to find in an area that should be very evidence based and not subjective at all.

Is someone out there at Rivals, Scout or ESPN just guessing about these critical measurements? Do they stand next to each other on the sidelines at football camps and say: "Well he looks about 6' and 220 to me, what about to you?" or "That guy wearing #5 just seems really fast to us!"

From high school, to college and all the way up to the NFL, recruiting services and coaches often stretch the truth or in some cases even intentionally provide false and misleading information about the real measurables - the size, weight, strength and speed - of the players who are on their teams or who are being hotly recruited by the major college teams each year.

The fact of the matter is that these measurables of the individual players matter greatly during the recruiting process as college coaches try to determine which of these young people have the best current measurables and also try to estimate which ones have the greatest potential to grow and develop their bodies as they mature into young adults.

What seems to be the case is that certain high school players may have reached their personal peak performance levels too soon. Coaches can sometimes be fooled by players who are extreme weight room junkies and look the part or those who have been playing football for basically their entire lives from Pee Wee to Pop Warner leagues and have matured early.

Some of these players have very possibly already reached their maximum potential and hit the proverbial performance ceiling or wall with no more room to go or grow.

In addition, on the college and professional levels these measurables matter even more so as teams specifically game plan to attack what they see as potential weaknesses on another team with the perceived strengths of their players based on advantages in size, weight, strength or speed at key positions.

The problem is that unless you are actually standing there during the actual measuring process the average fan has no clue about what is or is not true and/or accurate when it comes to a specific players measurables. In fact, the facts may not be known until the public NFL combine when the real truth comes out.

The bottom line is that the measurables - size, weight and speed - matter.

Yet it appears to this fan that sometimes size can be relative and that the true measurables may only be in the eye of the beholder.

That's Going To Leave A Mark

This weekend your Miami Hurricanes traveled all the way up to the State Capital in Tallahassee to play a three game series against their arch rival and undoubtedly their most heated ACC foe in the Florida State Seminoles.

Well, on second thought, Miami probably should have just stayed home.

FSU took their tomahawk chop right to the head and heart of this Hurricane team by beating UM pitchers Eric Erickson and Eric Whaley as the Seminoles easily won the first two games of the series by the scores of 11-2 on Friday night and 6-1 on Saturday.

If Miami thinks they can go on the road and score less than three runs and win against tough ACC competition then they are sadly mistaken.

Yes, we know that the Hurricanes are in Tallahassee without star catcher Peter O'Brien in the line-up due to a fractured bone in his wrist but still they definitely have to have better run production than that to have any chance at all at rowdy Dick Howser Stadium.

Talk about taking it on the chin, the UM starters and relievers got smacked around by the FSU sluggers worse than a pinata at a Hialeah backyard birthday party.

The Hurricanes will try to prevent the dreaded series sweep by the Seminoles on Sunday by throwing Steven Ewing (4-0) against Scott Sitz (2-2). Ewing will have to bear down and do what Erickson and Whaley could not do in going against the high powered and highly dreaded Seminoles line-up.

If Miami does not score more than three runs once again then it could be another long day for head coach Jim Morris, pitching coach JD Arteaga and hitting coach Gino DiMare.

Of course in spite of the outcome of the game we can always find some sunshine in the midst of the gloomy cloud cover that obscures the game.

There are Canes fan every where we go and we enjoy meeting fans like these that we met and celebrated with on this trip up to the State Capitol.

And after all that travel and attending the game, all we can say is:

LET'S GO CANES!

The Sky Has Officially Fallen

Go ahead, I dare you to listen to all of the reports from the main stream South Florida media about your Miami Hurricanes. Don't try to cover your ears, just open wide and soak in all of the negativity they have to offer, and then if it makes you feel better, embrace it as your own.

It's not so much that the media wants to say the sky is falling on your team, it is that they have gladly and willingly accepted it as a fact that it has already fallen on our collective heads. If you don't believe me then go listen to their podcasts after the Spring Game last Saturday.

One reporter was so negative in his regular Monday podcast that you would think the Canes may not win any games in 2012. He basically said we have no play-makers and not a single player who could start on a top 5 team. And he said it with such ease and confidence that you could hear it in his voice.

I certainly hope he feels better now that he got that off of his chest.

Not to be outdone another reporter went right past ballistic and straight to nuclear on Miami right after the Spring Game. In his digitally recorded report he said that IF the Canes win 6 games Golden should be extended to a LIFETIME contract because it would basically be a miracle.

You would think that any seasoned, experienced, veteran reporter who has access to UM coaches and players would know a thing or two about Spring Football and the purpose that it serves. You might also think that they would reserve their opinions until the Fall practice when the entire 85 man roster is intact and all the players are healthy.

You would be wrong. No, these hard core "reporters" want to go all Tony Montana on Hurricane fans with their guns blasting away as they spray your brains onto the scoreboard at Sun Life Stadium and then walk away and smile while saying: "Look at U now!"

Well I am here to tell you that all is NOT lost my fellow Hurricane fans. There is hope and optimism to be found for THIS season and I am here to tell you why. So lets get started, shall we?

Defense: Tell me how you want it: Do you want to good news or the really good news first?

Here's the good news: The defense was clearly the stronger side of the UM team this Spring, which I might add, is exactly the way things are supposed to be. The tackling was consistently and significantly better than last year. The defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and played well against the run and the pass. The linebackers looked excellent and even had some new found depth with several players showing that they will contribute in 2012.

The move of Denzel Perryman to the middle, a move I was initially openly skeptical about, proved to be without a doubt the best position switch among many made by Defensive Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio this Spring. No fewer than five defenders found new positions this Spring and each one of them made the team better according to what we saw on the field and heard in recent interviews with both Golden and D'Onofrio.

Yet it was the defensive backs that were the surprise of the Spring with solid coverage and a new "attack the ball" mentality that led to them collecting more interceptions and forcing fumbles. Brandon McGee, Thomas Finnie and newcomer Ladarius Gunter all had impressive Springs at CB.  Highsmith and Rodgers are clearly pushing Armstrong and Telemaque to become better players at Safety.

Maybe the best news of all is that they will soon be joined by the top rated CB in the Nation in 2012, my new friend Tracy Howard, and a top rated Safety in Deon Bush.

What you didn't know is that Bush has already been spending 3 to 4 days a week on the UM campus learning the defense and working out. Golden said recently that Bush is "An amazing young man" that "studies the game". After some of our recent experiences with former players of the 2008 class and others that sounds very refreshing wouldn't you agree?

Howard, who is still a student at Miramar high school, was quizzed by Golden at the Spring game to see if he was learning his new UM playbook.  Howard proved once again that he is an elite talent in all aspects of the game. The exchange at Sun Life Stadium went something like this:

Golden: "What do you do in Tiger 9 defense?"

Howard: "Is it single X or are there two WRs to one side?"

Golden: "Two to one side."

Howard: "Alert double seam."

Golden: "That is exactly what we are looking for.  Smart players who intellectually understand and can talk about the game of football."

Is there a single fan or reporter out there who doesn't think these two players, along with LB Raphael Kirby, LB Gabe Terry, DE Jelani Hamilton and DE Tyriq McCord (who are also very likely to play in 2012 for UM) are going to make the Hurricanes a better team this year?

Here is more good news: There are 18 players that did not play this Spring that will play in the Fall. Five who are were injured in the Spring and 13 fresh bodies that will arrive in the Fall and were recruited to play multiple positions specifically for the style of defense run by UM Defensive Coordinator Mark D'Onofrio. Let that soak in and marinate for a while.

That's right I said: EIGHTEEN players! That is seven more players than actually start the game. That is most of your depth and several players who will likely be on the 2-deep roster right there.

Of the five that were injured two were potential starters in Ramon Buchanan and Shayon Green along with young but promising backups LB Josh Witt and DT Corey King.

Those 18 players will obviously add to the always desired depth and competition for starting spots. We all know that competition is what drives performance among the older, more established players who do not want to get passed by the young talent arriving on campus.

Offense: How do you try to run an offense with basically two healthy WRs and a couple of green Freshman QBs? How do you try to evaluate an offense that is running less than 50% of their playbook and intentionally trying to be as vanilla as possible?  Well that is basically what you saw this Spring from the Hurricanes and Offensive Coordinator Jedd Fisch.

Yes, yes I know we all wanted to see big plays and lots of scores and maybe most of all we wanted Ryan Williams to be the second coming of Ken Dorsey in his first real action as a Miami Hurricane. But as a wise old rocker named Mick Jagger once sang:" U can't always get what U want."

Williams, a Sophomore who played as a Freshman at Memphis before transferring to UM last year, was a bit of a disappointment to those Miami fans who had already projected him as the starter in the Fall over the returning, strong-armed Stephen Morris.

What all three quarterbacks that were available this Spring proved was that the guys named Williams, Dewey and Crow are not ready for prime time - not yet. What they also proved is that none of them looked out of place or appeared to lack the skills and talent to play at this level. That is encouraging and bodes well for the Fall when Morris returns from his minor back injury to compete with the other QBs after a Summer of learning and growth for the younger QBs on the roster.

With WR Allen Hurns banged up and still recovering from injury, the Hurricanes were left to play most of the Spring with two just healthy wide receivers in Phillip Dorsett and Rashawn Scott. Scott simply turned out to be the biggest surprise and the most sensational player on the offensive side of the ball. Not too shabby if you ask me.

This Fall there will be as much of infusion of talent at the wide receiver position as there will be at defensive back which is saying quite a lot. The Fab Five arriving on campus this Summer are: Malcolm Lewis, Jontavious Carter, D'Mauri Jones, Herb Waters, Robert Lockhart.

Yes, I know they are all Freshman, and yes not all of them will be All-Americans in their first season in Coral Gables. But any fan or reporter has to admit that adding that much size, speed and talent will be a huge boost to the currently depeleted UM receiving core in the Fall of 2012.

At running back Miami is searching for the replacement for the departed lamar Miller who opted for the NFL draft. To be fair, the Spring did not produce any player who stood out as the answer at this position. There is the dependable team leader in Mike James, the tough but only moderately productive Eduardo Clements and the speedy and elusive Dallas Crawford.

What most Miami fans do not know is that during the public scrimmages Crawford was not used as he is in the private practices on Greentree Field. There are several surprises involving Crawford, and even possibly another player (who shall go unmentioned), that await opposing teams and UM fans come this Fall when the games actually matter.

Trust me on this.

Arriving in Coral Gables this Fall at the running back position is the highly under-rated and often over looked Danny Dillard. Dillard is nothing less than my sleeper recruit of the 2012 class. Write this down: This man-child is big, strong and fast and will turn heads come this Fall.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there is some kid, what's his name, yeah some young stud that goes by the name of Randy "Duke" Johnson who might also have something to say about the RB position this Fall.

So cheer up Hurricane fans and stop with the negativity.  Do not bury your head in your hands but instead hold your head up high and have a little hope and faith in Al Golden. 

Now please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that this team is going to add another trophy to the already crowded case that holds Miami's other five but I am saying that this coach, these players and this 2012 team as a whole will be just fine.

And don't forget that much more talent and depth (albeit young and inexperienced) are on the way. Ten members of the large and highly regarded 2012 class have already enrolled at "The U".  Seven more are expected on May 17th and the rest are scheduled to be on campus on June 28.

That is when it gets real and the men will get separated from the boys.

There are no excuses being made in Coral Gables.

And neither should there be.

Spring Forward

On Saturday at Sun Life Stadium your Miami Hurricanes ended their second Spring practice session under second year UM head Coach Al Golden.

Depending on who you ask the progress the team has made from year one to year two can vary greatly. We will try to give you one perspective about the transition between coaches at Miami and the prospects and potential for the upcoming season later this week.

But not now, that will come tomorrow when I am rested and focused. Tonight we are just going to give you a brief glimpse into the events and activities of the day. And oh what a day it was!

First of all the tailgate was well, relatively average and subdued but not quite regular season strength. Sure we found CutlerRidgeLaz and his party hardy crew at West 13 and shared some time and drinks and quality time together.

But the mood was somewhat subdued and the early crowd on hand appeared dampened by the clouds, rain and wind from the passing morning storms. Some places in South Florida received as much as three inches of rain, in the early morning hours of April 14th.

When I approached Laz about the inclement weather and what impact it may have on the offense during the Spring Game he just said: "What did you come to watch a ballet or a football game?"

Then we had a beer and I walked away quietly to the comfort of my friends. Like some guys I know named Cat5, Tracy Howard and 3G.

Well to be honest Cat5 has been a friend for many years, 3G we met about a year ago and Mr. Howard we met this day. But still they look good together, like a winning team.

We also met our friend and recent Canespace LIVE chat participant Jesse Marks from the UM Hurricane Club and went all in on the 40 for 40 fundraising effort that we hope ALL Canes fans jump in on!

Anyway about the game itself, well it is true that they had one. It was mostly boring with the defense showing the offense the business end of the BIG stick especially in the early going.

While many people who allegedly attended the scrimmage stated that they felt the QBs and the offensive execution in general were poor at best I tend to disagree.

Without a doubt the Hurricane defense is certainly ahead of the offense at this point but then isn't that what you would expect in Spring?

Tomorrow night we will break down the Spring session and tell you what to expect in the Fall when the real bullets start to fly.  Stay tuned and stay in touch with Canespace!

Is That A Spring In Your Step?

The 2012 Miami Hurricanes Annual BankUnited CanesFest and Spring Game will take place at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, April 14th. The event, which caps off the spring season, is free and open to the public. 

The day will be filled with activities for the entire family like tailgating and some quality time with our good friends Fran and Jean (notice the shirts!).

A complete guide to the BankUnited CanesFest and Spring Game follows:

The Game: The annual BankUnited Spring Game will kick off as soon as the serious tailgate party buzz wears off which is otherwise known as 2:00 PM.

Parking Lots: Parking is free and the lots will open when CutlerRidgeLaz gets to West 13 to set up the #CanesFam tailgate which also known as 10 AM.

Stadium Gates: Gates? Who needs any stinkin' gates, it's a Spring Game! We will go around, pole vault over, tunnel under or simply avoid the gates altogether. But if you do need to enter the stadium in a traditional fashion then Gates F, G and H will be open for fans to enter Sun Life Stadium. The gates will open at 11:30 AM.

Select-A-Seat: In conjunction with the BankUnited CanesFest, the UM Ticket Office will be hosting the annual Select-A-Seat event. As a special incentive this year if you buy more than 20 seats you will be eligible to take home Sebastian The Ibis or any Hurricane cheerleader of your choice.

The best available season ticket seats will be on sale for the first time on Saturday morning at 11:30. The UM Ticket Office will tag prime seats for fans that want to upgrade, switch sections or pick out tickets for the first time. Any ticket purchase comes with a free bottle of Patron tequila.

Canes fans are invited to arrive early at Sun Life Stadium and select available seats for the upcoming season that features home games against Florida State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, USF and Bethune-Cookman.

As for Bethune, recent transfer and current UM catcher Peter O'Brien could beat their entire football team all by himself with only with his pinky finger on his left hand. I'm jus sayin.

If you would like to speak with a ticket sales staff member about available ticket options before the event, call 305-284-2263 during standard business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) this week. They will not give you directions or talk dirty to you but they will sell you tickets, I can promise you that.

Radio: The game will be broadcast live on the Hurricanes flagship 560 WQAM. Joe Zagacki (homer) and Don Bailey Jr. (major homer) will have the call and Josh Darrow will report what it smells like on the sidelines. The game will also be broadcast on UM’s student station, 90.5 WVUM.

Television: The game will be televised on CSS on Sunday, April 15 at 4 PM. ESPN3.com will have a live stream of the game beginning at 2:07 p.m.

Autograph Session: The 2012 football team take part in an autograph session from 12:15-1 p.m. on the north side, 100 level concourse. Players have been advised not to sign any body parts but the Hurricanes will supply autograph posters to be signed and fans are asked to only bring one extra item for autographs. I am bringing four just in case J12 and Kenny Dorsey show up!

Raising Canes: The third episode of the series, “Raising Canes” will be shown on the video board in the stadium beginning at 11:30 a.m. The episode will also be on a continuous loop throughout the concourse. 

Breaking News: If you have seen these two men and their gorilla please report them to your nearest law enforcement official as soon as possible.

Trust me, the gorilla thanks U!

Spring Fling

The title of this article isn't about a certain disgraced and recently fired SEC football coach, or his lurid affair with a hot, young, blond mistress or about riding Harley Davidson motorcycles.  Although when you put them all together, they do make up one rather juicy and interesting story, and one with a valuable moral lesson to learn: Don't ride motorcycles.

No this story is about our annual love affair that seems to happen each year in the Spring with our Miami Hurricanes football team. You see during Spring football practice there is always an endless amount of hope and dreams of another season that offers yet another opportunity for winning and glory and national championships.

This Saturday at Sun Life Stadium your Miami Hurricanes and head coach Al Golden will wrap up their second Spring Fling together with the annual Spring Game. There will also be a select-a-seat event, tickets sales on-site and a Hurricane Club membership drive all going on during the event.

The parking lots will open at 10 AM and fill quickly with orange and green clad fanatics at West 13 who desperately want to work on their tailgating skills and also catch a final glimpse of their beloved football team before the long, hot days of Summer.

The months of May through July, a time of year often referred to as the "Dead Period", are the toughest part of any year for rabid college football fans. With nothing happening on the field fans only have their memories of Spring and their dreams of the coming Fall to hold onto. 

The magic of Spring is that all 120 major college football teams are undefeated and all have high hopes of what is to come next Fall when the scores and the games actually count in the won/loss column.

Around 11:30 AM when the team arrives at Sun Life the Stadium there will be an opportunity for the fans to get up close and personal with their young heroes.

An autograph and picture session will be held inside the concourse at the stadium for fans to get their priceless collectibles or maybe just their T-shirts signed by their favorite players.

The Spring Game itself will actually start around 2 PM and the two squads will face off as individual players look to earn the starting role going into the Fall and maybe even some swagger and lockeroom bragging rights. 

And no matter what happens during the Spring Game or which side wins just remember one thing: Don't ride motorcycles!

Lee County Love Fest

Now that well over a week has gone by since so many Miami Hurricane fans took a trip over to Fort Myers on Florida's Southwest coast we want to reflect back on some of the lessons learned and some other major findings from that scrimmage before we go to the Spring Game this Saturday at Sun Life.

First of all as I have said before it is obvious to us that it is good to be a Catholic at a private school in Fort Myers. The combination of a quality education and a solid spiritual foundation must be a popular and positive aspect in many young people's lives in the Southwest Florida area.

Now let's move on to some lessons learned and then talk about some other general observations.

Lesson #1: There are a LOT of Miami Hurricane fans in and around Fort Myers. Before the scrimmage the Bishop Verot high school Athletic Director, who also happens to be the head football coach, projected that at least 5,000 people were expected to attend. Then the night of the event it was reported that over 6,500 fans showed up to support the Canes. The other day on the Joe Rose radio show UM head coach Al Golden stated that as many as 8,000 may have attended the event, the first ever of it's kind in Southwest Florida.

Now I know that not all of the fans that went to the scrimmage are from SW Florida but if only some of those fans can make it across Alligator Alley to Sun Life Stadium (we hope the do) then that would help fill some of those empty seats that we saw last year.

Lesson #2: This is a case of good news/bad news: Most of the Hurricanes coaching staff are terrible golfers. the day after the scrimmage there was a big-time fund raising event for the UM Athletic Department in Naples just south of Fort Myers. A golf tournament was held that paired up UM fans and Hurricane Club donors with UM coaches. My good friend and tailgate buddy Kenny, who lives in Fort Myers and consistently makes the two and half hour drive to Sun Life Stadium, was paired with UM running backs coach Terry Richardson. Let's just say that he was not impressed with Terry's golf game.

The fact that UM football coaches cannot play golf is bad news because they lack athletic skills but good news because it demonstrates that they are way too busy and have no time to work on their golf game.

Apparently football is easy, golf is hard.

Lesson #3: Let's talk about the media. Most of the media members I know actually hate their job. No, really they do. One would think that if it was your full-time JOB to cover the Miami Hurricanes that you would absolutely love your job. I mean how bad can it be to go to and write about sports events right? You might also think that they would know more than the average Hurricane fan on the street and maybe have some of their own thoughts or opinions on the team, players and coaches. Well what I have found in most cases is that they don't and they don't.

Before the Spring scrimmage I caught up with Brian "The Beast" London to ask him some casual, informal questions about a few specific players. Well let me say that The Beast is a great guy to hang out with but as it turns out that all he could say was: "It's just Spring."

Now for some of my general observations from Fort Myers:

I met several good people, new friends and even a few Canespacers at the Fort Myers scrimmage.

This included several Fort Myers area high school football players like the one seen below. When I told him and the people sitting around us the story about how Dallas Crawford wound up at RB instead of CB this season (because the UM defense could not stop him on the scout team last year) he quickly said: "We played against him and we couldn't stop him either!"

I also met some of the SWFL crew that I tailgate with at UM games and several other hard core Hurricane fans. This included long-time Canespacer IraqiCane and his lovely wife seen below.

I saw my good friend and another former Canespacer SarasotaCane who is related to UM kicker Matt Goudis. SarasotaCane also regularly makes the long hard drive across the Alley to attend UM games at Sun Life. He predicted an improved team and an 8-4 season for 2012.

Finally, we will end this article by paying our respects to the lovely UM cheerleaders. God bless them!