U feeling Randy yet?

Twelve games into the Tim Walton era, the plug has been pulled.

I love it.

No disrespect to Walton. He gave The U his all these past four seasons. Heading to Coral Gables in 2004, taking over for the recently departed Mark Stoops, Walton assumed the role of defensive coordinator and helped mold some Hurricane superstars.

Year four, the promotion to defensive coordinator and a full on face plant. 51 points given up game two at Oklahoma. A 27-0 halftime deficit weeks later at lowly North Carolina. 48 points surrendered in the Orange Bowl finale in a shutout against Virginia. 44 more a week later in a loss at Virginia Tech.

Even more insulting, the way Miami was getting worked by the opposition. True, there was a lack of depth and the playmakers weren't what they have been in years passed. But the inability to make changes on the fly and to adjust to what was coming the Canes way - that's what did Walton in and forced the hand of Randy Shannon.

Even though this defense took a huge step back, losing Brandon Meriweather, Jon Beason, Kareem Brown, Baraka Atkins and Bryan Pata, Walton was let go for not being able to do more with what he did have.

A 5-7 season is unacceptable at Miami. As is the trend of steadily declining year after year. This fan base is starved for something successful and is temporarily content with any step that seems to be in the right direction. Hurricanes abroad have turned their sights towards the future, hanging on every word that comes out of a 17-year old recruit's mouth.

That being said, this is a thin-skinned and damaged fan base right now. Nothing is good enough. The sky is always falling. Every decision is being second-guessed. Armchair quarterbacks abroad have a million and one opinions regarding the handling of situations; most emotionally-fueled and lacking any sense of logic.

Welcome to Miami Hurricanes football after only winning 13 of the past 28 games.

I do my best to remain cautiously optimistic regarding the present and future of the program. I try to see the sliver lining and do my best to call out the wrongs while also praising what's done right. I focus on the long-term goal and the end result. I worry less about what's said, judging the efforts - and more importantly, the results.

Shannon deserves a ton of praise for ending this Walton experiment here and now. End of story. I keep reading nonsense about double talk or criticism regarding Walton even being promoted in the first place.

Unreal.

Shannon took a chance on a third year coordinator. It didn't work and that era has since come to an end. For a guy who takes a lot of grief for being stubborn and stuck in his ways, Shannon sure as hell shed that stigma this week. Not many first year coaches are canning their first year defensive coordinator after one season. Shannon did.

I don't care what he mumbled in the wake of the Boston College loss. Stability. Talk of keeping the staff in tact. Commenting that some guys might leave voluntarily, yet three weeks later letting his defensive coordinator go.

Randy Shannon is guilty of a little bit of coachspeak here and again I say, so what. Do you want to dwell on the process or focus on the end result? Walton was proving to be a liability and now he's gone.

Miami coaches hit the recruiting trail hours after the season-ending, 28-14 loss at Boston College. This staff went the separate ways, focusing on their particular recruits and getting a head start on the rebuilding that starts with the 2008 class.

There is one job for every Miami coach right now; locking down their verbal commitments and swaying some last minute, on the fence kids. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not about appeasing a loudmouthed, opinionated, jump-to-conclusions, sensationalized sports media community.

The last thing Miami needed these past three weeks were any more distractions. Northwestern and Booker T. Washington were playing their final few games. Big time recruits like Arthur Brown were set to announce their intentions mid-December. Other bowl-bound programs are gearing up for their post-season while Miami coaches were doing all they could to ensure they see a post-season in 2008.

Ask yourselves, was three weeks ago really the time to pull the plug on Walton? Should that have been the first move made after the season ended? Did it not make more sense to stay the course, focus on recruiting and when things mellowed then address the situation?

The more illogical reactions I see, the more I realize each and every member of this fan base has their own way of dealing with the now. Everyone sees the program in their own separate way. You have you bleeding hearts on one end and the harshest critics on the other. Some folks are logical, some react solely on emotion and others change their opinions every hour on the hour.

Things have been down so long right now, most don't even realize which way is up. People have forgotten how to get excited and are so numb right now they refuse to let themselves feel anything good when the program takes a positive step in the right direction.

Walton gets fired, a new defensive coordinator will be in place next year - yet some want to focus on a media comment from three weeks ago and what was said instead of what was done.

I look at the current state of the program and I'm finding myself "realistically optimistic". Miami is still a few years away from being a major player again, but I'm seeing some building blocks being laid. The foundation is being poured. There's a formula and Shannon is following it to a T.

I've said it in the past, championship caliber teams aren't made or born . They're grown from the ground up. Seeds are being planted. They'll be nurtured, brought along and soon enough there will be a plentiful harvest. Do it the right way, with the right caliber of players and you'll reap the rewards.

Believe it or not, it's a great time to be a Cane. 2007 was rock bottom. The kick in the shorts comes in the fact most of us believed 2006 was the low point. We wanted instant results year one of The Shannon Era. We refused to acknowledge how low everything sunk this past half decade. That denial made this year's 5-7 campaign sting even more.

The phoenix hasn't risen from the ashes yet, but we're seeing some movement. Slowly but surely. One small achievement at a time. This week it was the addition of Arthur Brown and the departure of Tim Walton - not to mention seeing our Northwestern and Booker T. Washington recruits winning their championship games and building upon their legacies.

Next up, the hiring of a new defensive coordinator and the red carpet being rolled out for some early enrollees as they start their collegiate careers. Six weeks later, Signing Day and what should be a top three class in the nation.

Not to mention an undefeated basketball team who just cracked the top 25 for the first time in five years.

Cheer up, people. Can the doom and gloom for now. Christmas was around the corner and we just got a few early presents this week. Times are a-changing. Enjoy these little moments. As we've learned before, the ride itself is as important as reaching your destination.

After spending the past five years wandering the desert, take solace in knowing Miami is at least pointed in the right direction and is walking towards the Promised Land.


.:Canes305:.