F.I. Who?

There really isn't much to write about a Miami/Florida International match up on Saturday outside of former senior associate athletic director Pete Garcia bailing the Canes for the Golden Panthers earlier this week.

Well that and the fact that it's not even Saturday and I'm already sick of FIU. It's been a while since I've seen a program with a Napoleon complex like this. I get it, they're fired up about getting Pistol Pete on their roster, but the "legacy" is not outgrowing the actual accomplishments. Visit a few college message boards and you'll see FIU faithful crediting Garcia with rebuilding Miami during the probation era, saving the Canes 2006 recruiting class, splitting the atom, curing cancer and they're petitioning to send him to Iraq to end the war.

OK, the last three are false but FIU fans are definitely feeding into the Pete Garcia Hype. There was an article on the Miami Herald Blog a few days back titled, "FIU 1, Miami 0" and it was an utter joke. Here are a few excerpts followed by my take:

FIU 1, Miami 0 - That's what the scoreboard at the Orange Bowl should say before the Hurricanes and Golden Panthers hook up Saturday night for their first football meeting ever. Tuesday afternoon, FIU made its biggest move on the gridiron ever when it inked former UM associate athletic director Pete Garcia to be its next athletic director.

Wrong. The University of Miami didn't lose here. Pete Garcia was the senior associate athletic director. He was in charge of ticket sales and Internet relations. He assisted with recruiting last season, but that's not part of the former job description. Garcia didn't choose FIU over Miami. It can't be measured that way because he wasn't offered the same position at both universities. The head gig at FIU pays Garcia twice the salary he was making at Miami. That's a no brainer. Strictly a business move and resume builder.


In its first five years, FIU has never beaten UM to a single football recruit the Hurricanes have wanted. But that may start changing soon because the guy FIU got not only knows how to recruit, but he knows how to build champions.

Again, the legacy is bigger than reality. Garcia knew how to HELP build a championship caliber team as he assisted Butch Davis, Larry Coker, Bill Miller, Greg Schiano, etc. recruit for The U in the late 90s.

FIU isn't going to steal anyone or recruit better than Miami. I don't care if they had ten Pete Garcias there. Win five titles and establish 20 years of solid play and then MAYBE they can talk about 'outrecruiting' the Canes. At best, FIU will get some Miami rejects who don't qualify academically.

It's Signing Day in February, you're a big time recruit and you have a Miami cap and FIU cap in front of you. Who are you REALLY going to choose?


But Garcia likely won't end up as part of UM's future now because FIU president Modesto Maidique seized the moment and nabbed Garcia for his own school's future. Pistol Pete was happy Tuesday. And it was more than the fact he was getting a 5-year contract worth over $200,000 a year. It was because he's getting the chance he's always wanted to build a winner.

Notice how the writer throws "likely" in there. Paul Dee is on contract with Miami until 2010 but poor decisions and worse health could force Dee to the sidelines before then. If so, bet the house that The U calls on Pete Garcia. Being that the Dee era COULD run four more years, Garcia had to seize this opportunity. This wasn't a lateral move. It was a big time promotion in the same city where he already worked. He could go from Miami to FIU and back to Miami without breaking a sweat.

Garcia has a shot at making FIU the fourth best team in state. They're currently somewhere around seventh, behind the big three, South Florida, Central Florida and Florida Atlantic. He can help FIU improve and he can help Miami win National Championships.


If you look at it, FIU really has a bright future. They've got a new on-campus stadium and new facilities on the way, an alumni base that reaches over 100,000, a city that produces more NFL talent than anyone else in the country and a president that clearly has made a move to build a winner. Last I checked, the only things UM had among those was the fact it was still in the same city and a president that says she wants to build a winner.

Not only does this writer try to credit Garcia for "building champions" but here he attempts to piggyback on the amount of NFL athletes the city of Miami has produced. True, the city produces big time talent - but all those kids wind up at big time programs. If not Miami, then it's Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, USC, Georgia or elsewhere. They don't end up at the likes of an FIU.

I'll give credit for the on-campus stadium deal and new facilities - but as Miami has proven, you don't need an on-campus stadium and new facilities to win National Championships. Oregon might have some of the best facilities in the country and they can't even win the Pac 10. The Canes have proven that an on-campus stadium and top notch facilities is overrated.


Tuesday, Garcia said his goal was to "wake up a sleeping giant" at FIU. Maybe, if Canes fans are lucky, Garcia's move to FIU will do the same for his former employer. Maybe this will finally get UM to think about building its own stadium and upgrading its own facilities.

Doesn't the phrase "wake up a sleeping giant" imply that there's a giant involved? FIU is no giant. They're not even the gum on the bottom of a giant's shoe. They're a runt who suffers from a severe case of Cane Envy.

Miami doesn't need a stadium. It has the Orange Bowl and has been its only resident for years since the Dolphins moved north and the Orange Bowl Classic was moved to Dolphin Stadium. The OB is going to get a facelift soon enough and all this talk about Miami's facilities is blown out of proportion.

First off, where are you going to put a stadium in Coral Gables which holds 60,000+ people? We're talking about a city which fines you if your shrubbery isn't groomed and manicured. As for those dilapidated facilities, if they're that shoddy how come the University of Miami weight room looks like an NFL Pro Bowl team in the off season?


All of this FIU crap this week really has me hoping the Canes put a pasting on little brother this weekend as they need to be put back in check. There is only one state power in Miami and that's how it's going to remain. Pete Garcia is a feather in their cap, but let's not blow it out of proportion. It was a business decision and the minute something better comes along, another business decision will be made and he'll be gone.

Things will improve on Garcia's watch, but FIU couldn't become the "next Miami" if they followed the blueprint to perfection. The U was built through a mixture of the perfect players, perfect coaches, perfect athletic directions and perfect timing regarding the state of college football in the early 80s.

Saturday night should see a semi-packed house for a night game - especially with the "enemy" residing just down the road.

Smack 'em up, Hurricanes. Remind them who the king of this jungle is. Eight quarters until Georgia Tech. Keep tightening up your game and stay healthy 'til then.


.:Canes305:.