Another one is movin' on...

Kirby Freeman is movin' on. His playing days at The U were numbered and with three new quarterbacks being added to the roster come February, Freeman has wizened up and is looking to use his last year of eligibility back home in Texas instead of riding the pine at Miami.

I've read some mixed feelings regarding losing a senior and the only experienced quarterback on the roster. I say, good riddance. Nothing personal against Freeman. All I've ever heard and read is that #7 is a stand up kid. That said, he was never Canes material as a quarterback.

How much leadership could Miami really expect out of an upperclassman whose career has been an all around disappointment? Does anyone really believe that Robert Marve, Jacory Harris, Cannon Smith or Taylor Cook would really benefit from Freeman's tutledge?

A few weeks ago Freeman spoke about returning even though Randy Shannon let him know that Marve or Harris would most likely be penciled in as the 2008 starter. Freeman said all the right things about competing for the starting gig and doing what he could to help the quarterbacks of the future. In the end, it looks as if the semi-recently engaged Texas native will return home with degree in hand and is rumored to be heading to Baylor, near his hometown of Brownwood.

Freeman's career numbers at Miami were 92 completions on 197 attempts for 1,311 yards, 12 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His signature moment, going 3-of-3 for 49 yards and throwing the game winning touchdown at Florida State midway through the season.

One game later, Freeman found himself 1-of-14 with three interceptions in an overtime loss to N.C. State. The polar opposite of his heroics in Tallahassee and inevitably, the end of Freeman's career at The U. 

A hearty thanks to Freeman for his time spent at Miami. While he certainly bottomed out late in the season, the kid is still a Cane. He gave it his all, took a beating at times and went so far as to get a giant-sized "U" tatted on his back in spring 2006 amid rumors of a potential transfer. Freeman definitely bled the orange and green. 

That said, it's all about the fUture from this point forward. There's no need for a fifth year senior to return when the cupboard will be full, albeit young. It's time to throw some dirt on the recent era of Miami football. 

Bring in the young blood and let these kids start making a name for themselves. The Canes need to start distancing themselves from the Larry Coker era and the program gets one step closer to doing so each time one of those kids moves on. 

Merry Christmas, U Family...

Canes305 here, wishing the 'U Family' a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

Hardly the year we were all looking for or expecting, eh? I recall my thoughts this time last year and was of the belief that things "couldn't get any worse" after the murder of Bryan Pata, a bowl game in Boise and a 7-6 season.

Who'd ever have expected that a year later we'd be coping with the murder of Sean Taylor, not making a bowl game and dealing with a 5-7 campaign?

None of us. But that's life sometimes. Expect the unexpected. Don't prematurely call something "rock bottom" or the "pinnacle" as we never really know what's in store. All we can do is have faith, roll with the punches and remember to pinch ourselves during those good times and attempt to soak them up that much more.

It wasn't the year most of us were hoping for, but I'm sure we can all find some silver lining and individually had some very special moments in 2007. This holiday season is the time to dwell on the good, right any wrongs and gear up to start fresh in 2008.

A very happy holiday season to all Canes fans out there. Here's to better days ahead. - Canes305

6th Annual Shopping Spree for Kids...

On Wednesday December 19th, allCanes hosted the 6th Annual Shopping Spree for Kids. For those unfamiliar with the event, we shut down the store one evening during the holidays and invite a few dozen at-risk Miami youngsters in store to shop amongst former players, coaches and other local personalities.

This year, allCanes teamed up with The Bryan Pata Foundation and in honor of the former Hurricanes, gave each child $95 to spend in store on merchandise and apparel. Representing the Pata family at the event, Bryan's mother Jeanette, sister Ronette and brother Edwin Pierre-Pata.

From our family over at The U, allCanes welcomed some of the UM cheerleaders and Sebastian The Ibis, as well as linebackers coach Micheal Barrow and former wide receiver Lamar Thomas. Former Dolphins great and NFL Hall of Fame member Larry Little was in attendance, as was Canes baseball coach Jim Morris and announcer Don Bailey Jr. 

NBC6's Tony Segreto was involved again, co-hosting the event with the Patas.

Upwards of 30 youths selected by the City of Miami Parks & Recreation Department, the Hank Cline Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Pata Memorial Fund participated.

More to come on this story. For now we wanted to bring everyone up to speed before the holidays and to get the photos posted.

Finally in stock...

Our tribute shirt to Sean Taylor is finally in stock. It took some work, but we were able to pull it off before the end of 2007. For those interested in ordering the new tee, click here. Also available in kids sizes.

A lot went into getting this shirt made. Outside of the standard discussions with the university, allCanes wasn't going to move forward with this design until we had spoken with the Taylor family and determined where a portion of the proceeds would go. 

Our GM Harry Rothwell finally caught up with Pedro Taylor this past week and got his blessing regarding the new design. Mr. Taylor also told us of one of Sean's charities in Tampa and that's where we'll be making our donation. 

I know many of you were asking about authentic or replica jerseys for Sean, but that wasn't doable right now. More time, energy and effort will go into making that a reality in 2008. We'll need to get Nike behind it and will find out if the are willing to recreate a 2002-2003 era Miami jersey so the authenticity is there. 

'U Family' is a design we concepted late in the 2006 season regarding the state of the program and a way to rally the fan base together. Days before the shirt was set for release, Bryan Pata was murdered - bringing even more perspective to an already down season. 

We chose to dedicate the shirt to Pata and helped raise over $10,000 for The Bryan Pata Foundation thanks to the help of our customers. A year later, we've unexpectedly relaunched the shirt for Sean. Another Cane taken too soon and hardly the way we wanted to bring a legendary shirt back for the fans.

We saw several Redskins-themed items out there, but there was a void for the Canes fan base who considered Sean Taylor a Cane first and an NFL superstar next. We hope we've done just that and will do all in our power to get Nike to produce a jersey in 2008.

Almost a month has gone by since Sean's passing and the Christmas season is upon us. While most of us might not dwell on this tragedy every minute of every day, please remember the Taylor family in your prayers over the holidays. This wound is as fresh to them today as it was November 27th. They have a huge, unfillable void to deal with this time of year and need all the support they can get.

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:.

Arthur Brown says "I do" to The U...

Arthur Brown of East High School in Wichita, KS has decided to play his college football at the University of Miami. Come February, Brown will sign his letter of intent and is headed to Coral Gables to join a long line of superstars at the new Linebacker U.

Miami's play at linebacker has dropped off immensely since Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams took their skills to the NFL in 2004. The Canes have had some misses with supposed "can't miss" guys like Willie Williams and James Bryant as well as losing a guy like Ali Highsmith to LSU due to poor grades or a Nate Harris to Louisville after an attempted armed robbery.

The linebacker position at Miami almost seemed cursed this year, losing starters Romeo Davis and Glenn Cook for the year. Darryl Sharpton was banged up most of the season, though Colin McCarthy is a star in the making and will benefit from the infusion of new talent.

Randy Shannon and staff have been recruiting big time. Adding Brown to the mix bar none gives Miami the strongest class of incoming linebackers in the nation, with Sean Spence, Ramon Buchanan and Marcus Robinson - all four-star recruits - already on board.

This is an exciting day for Hurricane Nation. With no bowl game in site and still reeling from a 5-7 season, Canes fans are searching for any bright spot they can find right now. When the present is murky, it's time to look to the future and recruiting.

Following the likes of Miami Northwestern in their championship run and pulling for Booker T. Washington to take care of business has been a welcomed distraction these past few weeks. Miami has upwards of eight verbals from those two schools combined and come Signing Day, could have even more on board.

As most know by now, this is a package deal. Brown's younger brother Bryce Brown is a junior and whichever school landed Brown would have the inside track on little bro, already projected to be one of the top recruits in the nation this time next year.

Kudos to Shannon and linebacker coach Micheal Barrow for pulling off the amazing feat of bringing Brown and his family to Miami. This decision was bigger than football. It was a life decision as the Brown family is headed to Coral Gables to follow their son. The rapport the Browns built with Shannon and Barrow was your deciding factor here.

Focusing on the University of Miami as a school, the education received and all that the city of Miami has to offer - that is what brought Brown to this decision today. Shannon knows there's more to life than football. He believes it and doesn't just preach it like some other 'football factory' coaches out there.

We're one step closer, people. Get excited. A top talent just did the "hat trick" and Miami came out on top.

To Arthur and the rest of the Brown fam, bienvinedos a Miami!

Moving on...

As expected, both Calais Campbell and Kenny Phillips are NFL bound and have declared themselves eligible for the 2008 Draft.

Yet another bittersweet moment in Hurricanes history. Two more stars playing days have come and gone. Both are off to greener pastures (literally), projected as first round picks.

Randy Shannon persuaded both to return for their senior seasons, with the caveat that both needed to do what was best for them if they liked what they heard regarding their projected Draft position.

Campbell is said to be a top ten pick and due to a lack of safeties on the board, some feel Phillips will be a top fifteen pick.

Obviously going pro was the right call here with that kind of money on the table. I don't fault the guys for bailing. I'm just disappointed in how it all played out.

In my opinion, Campbell and Phillips never reached their potential at The U. Both had good, not great careers at Miami. Both are tremendously talented and both will now benefit from the path those before them laid at NFL U. This is a world where one can earn first round status through potential, upside and the legacy of the program played for.

Miami has more active players on NFL rosters than any other program out there. NFL coaches flock to South Florida before the Draft to check out these kids at the combines. Hurricanes in the league have a good rep as being top notch players, hard workers and future superstars.

A good showing at the combine by Campbell and Phillips, combined with their legacy at The U and their natural talent will earn them millions of dollars. It doesn't matter they spent the past two seasons at Miami with a 12-13 record and no bowl game this season.

It's disappointing to me that 'potential' is now as valuable a commodity as actual results. I long for the day when one had to 'prove' themselves instead of skating by on the potential upside.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for two more Canes heading off to live the dream. I'd never take that away from them. Both spent their whole lives playing ball and are now ready to try it at the game's highest level. That's a dream come true.

Still, I am saddened that Shannon's plan didn't come to fruition. This off-season he spoke of guys returning for their senior years, a la Ed Reed or Bryant McKinnie. Guys that came back, led the program in the right direction, nurtured the younger players and left the program a better place by doing so.

It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but you have to think that Campbell being around would've in some way benefited a kid like Marcus Forston or Jeremy Lewis on some level. There'd have been a passing of the torch after 2008.

Same to be said for Phillips working with and teaching guys like Ramon Buchanan or even Patrick Johnson, if he still signs with The U. Those types of relationships are key ingredients regarding building championship caliber teams. Shannon has preached it for a while now and I'm in full agreement.

Reed and McKinnie obviously returned in 2001 for a shot at the title and not necessarily to coach up the underclassmen. I realize that. If Miami were in a better position entering 2008, maybe one or both of these guys return to make a run. Of course, we'll never know.

The future aside, I am thrilled for our two first round bound Canes and appreciate their time at The U. The streak stays alive another year and come April, Miami will be able to boast FOURTEEN straight years with at least one first rounder.

Remember that one come Signing Day, potential signees.

Sunshine State Dominates...

Anyone nationwide questioning why Miami, Florida State and Florida are so concerned with locking down the Sunshine State (especially the Tri-City area) and keeping local kids home, look no further than what went down in Orlando this weekend.

Miami Northwestern took home the Class 6A State Football Championship and most likely, the mythical National Championship when the kicked the ever-loving-hell out of Orlando Boone, 41-0.

The Bulls won their 30th consecutive game, breaking the Miami-Dade County record for the longest winning streak - previously held by Southridge and Carol City. They became the third team in Dade history to win back-to-back state titles since 1963 and if (when) Northwestern is voted national champions, it'll be the first Dade has seen since Coral Gables in 1969.

Future Cane defensive tackle Marcus Forston was named game MVP.

The previous evening, St. Thomas Aquinas won the Class 5A State Football Championship, beating Osceola, 35-20. After years of heartache, the Raiders finally brought home their first football title since 1999 and fourth overall after 11 finals appearances.

Hours before Northwestern took Boone to the woodshed, it was Booker T. Washington putting the smack down on Nease, 23-15 for the Class 4A State Football Championship. Miami fans took notice to this one thanks to incoming recruits like Davon Johnson and Thearon Collier. The Canes are also making a late push for Brandon Harris.

Another high school football season and another set of Sunshine State champions all from the Tri-City area. South Florida was well represented this past weekend and now that the celebrating is over, it's time to see where these talented kids wind up next year. Several on track to bring their skills over to The U.

Let's hope that come February, we see a lot of these champs in the orange and green.

Sean Taylor T-Shirt :: Coming Next Week

I wrote a few weeks ago regarding allCanes' attempt to do something for Sean Taylor. The Redskins and the NFL did their thing and we've been working behind the scenes to get something Canes-related set up.

Many of you were asking about jerseys, but that wasn't doable at this time. One option was custom ordering a #26 replica jersey, but it'd have been the 2007 version. Getting a 2002-2003 era jersey was not doable.

I am personally going to start a petition in the next week or so to get Nike to release an authentic 2002-2003 era #26 jersey next year. Whether that does anything or falls on deaf ears, we'll see. I still want the fan base to voice their opinion, so when the petition is live, please make sure to sign it.

Regarding what we went with, we brought back the U FAMILY concept we did for Bryan Pata last year. "Family" always seems to be the theme in times like these. The University of Miami football fraternity is a "family" and will always be. This pays tribute to that.

On the back, we added Sean's #26 (in that '02/'03) font and an "ST" helmet sticker emblem.

We expect the shirts in store in the coming week or so and we're working on the charitable aspect of things, either giving a portion of the proceeds to the scholarship foundation already set up for baby Jackie Garcia or doing something different with the University of Miami.

As most of you know, allCanes always tries to step up in situations like these. We are crushed when anything as tragic as this happens to one of our own. We spent the past few weeks not really knowing what to do. We looked into many options and wanted to make sure that whatever was done truly paid tribute to Sean and was done for all the right reasons.

We've received hundreds of emails regarding what we could do and in the end, we felt the U FAMILY shirt was the strongest play. There is a grip of Redskins-related Taylor items available, but there was a real void regarding anything honoring his time with the Canes. That was the deciding factor in the end. Doing something for the Miami fan base who loved this kid and wanted to pay tribute to him.

Please check back with us in the coming week.

Decommited and it feels so good...

I love the message being sent. Miami recruit Lerentree McCray messed with the bull and got the horns. As of Monday, McCray is no longer being recruited by the University of Miami.

The talented four-star linebacking prospect out of Dunnellon (FL) High had his scholarship offer revoked when coaches lost faith in his commitment. Randy Shannon and staff seem to have no issue with recruits going on visits and checking out other programs, as long as their commitment is a strong one.

McCray seemed to be wavering and wasn't telling coaches what they wanted to hear, so he's gonzo. For the first time in a long time, the Canes staff is playing offense instead of defense.

Deonte Thompson burned Miami last year. Before that, guys like Preston Parker and Antone Smith bailed The U last minute. Same can be said for several quarterback prospects on the Canes' radar.

In the past few years under Larry Coker, Miami lost Nick Fanuzzi, Daniel Stegall, Pat Devlin and Derek Shaw over the span of three seasons. In all cases, these quarterback prospects committed early and bailed in the final hour, leaving the Canes in a big time lurch.

The new Miami staff has flipped the script and the message has been sent. Either you're with The U or you're against it. If you're committed, enjoy your other visits but stay committed. Stay in touch. Remain on board. The minute you're wavering, you're no longer with the program and the Canes need to go another direction.

In the past few weeks, Miami closed on on linebacking prospects Brandon Marti, Zack Kane and John Calhoun. Marti and Kane are projected to play linebacker and Calhoun, most likely fullback. All three appear to be solid Miami commits and kids who aren't wavering. All about The U and ready to jump on board.

Adding them to the mix with incoming linebackers Sean Spence, Antonio Harper, Marcus Robinson and Jordan Futch and it's pretty obvious that Miami's staff is prepared for an unexpected hiccups along the way.

McCray would've been a great addition to this class, but this program isn't going to be strung along by a teenager feeling things out. You're in or your out. The message has been made clear, not just to McCray but to any on the fence recruits.

You're either with the University of Miami or you're against it. You choose.

Root for the Bulls like U would the Canes...

It's fun to sit on the sidelines and watch the message board meltdowns the final two months of recruiting season. I used to let myself get sucked into the roller coaster. No mas. Not after being burned by guys like Antone Smith and others who pulled the 'hat trick' against the Canes, leaving The U at the altar on Signing Day.

A few years ago I decided to no longer let the decisions of 17-year olds get to me and like a light switch, I stopped 'caring' about recruiting. I love the two dozen future signees Randy Shannon supposedly has on board... but until that ink is dry, I expect the unexpected. I no longer lose sleep over it. Whatever will be, will be.

I don't pretend to be a recruiting guru. I read up on the kids, follow the rumor trail and eventually get a gut feeling. Sometimes I'm right. Other times, not so much. I have no inside scoop.

This year's class intrigues me as it's really year one of The Shannon Era. On board one month before Signing Day 2007, Shannon didn't have the previous summer and fall to make his presence felt. The goal once taking over was simply to save the class and add a few more crown jewels like Robert Marve and Graig Cooper.

I'm also digging the storyline of Miami Northwestern; the No. 1 high school team in the nation. The Bulls have a half dozen kids pledging to become Canes on Signing Day. They attended home games during the 5-7 campaign of 2007 and vowed to be part of the rebuilding process. Hometown kids who want to resurrect the hometown program.

They call themselves "Shannon's boys" and if they help get this thing back on track, they'll forever be embedded in Hurricanes folklore. Looking back in a few years, this could be the class that puts Shannon on the map. If some hometown kids are the main ingredient? Dial up Disney and start writing the screenplay.

The leader of the pack is quarterback Jacory Harris and now many are losing their lunch over this kid visiting Oregon, loving the scene out west and hints he could be the heir apparent to Dennis Dixon.

For the past half a year, Harris has pledged his love for all things The U. One trip to Oregon and the wheels are falling off for Miami's faithful.

Everyone's speculates, but no one really has a clue besides Harris. Same for every other recruit in the nation who is riding out the recruiting game. They all hear the pitch and in the end, all go with their gut. There's no inside scoop. Sometimes folks forget these are teenagers. Their opinions change like the weather.

These Northwestern kids have a heart for the University of Miami. Growing up watching the Canes, it's pretty tough to turn down that lifelong dream for a prettier weight room and fancier facilities. Hard as it seems, folks just have to be patient and let the chips fall where they may. Worrying and engaging in a war of words with rumor mongers isn't getting anyone anywhere.

Ride it out. Have fun with it. Get excited regarding who signs on and try not to sweat the ones that get away.

Miami Northwestern is my new team since the Canes season ended in Chestnut Hill the end of November. They've become a pleasant distraction regarding Miami failing to make a bowl for the first time in a decade.

I now find myself following their program as much as I can from press clippings and Internet rumblings. I'm emotionally invested in a high school team. Talk about the last thing I needed.

Still, how could a Canes fan not fall for this team. I love the Bulls' attitude. Reminds me of how things used to be around The U. Faced with adversity, this team responds. They're winners. They have swagger. They play like a team. They snatch victory from the jaws of defeat instead of giving games away.

Northwestern was 13-0 entering Friday's contest with Deerfield Beach for the Class 6A State Semifinal. Down 14-12 for the better part of the evening, Northwestern rallied in the final 2:31 and drove 99 yards for the game winning touchdown.

A No. 1 ranking and 28-game win streak on the line, these kids delivered and are one game away from State Champs and well as going down as possibly the best team ever in Miami-Dade County high school history.

Along with Harris, Miami also expects the following Northwestern alum to sign in February - Marcus Forston, Aldarius Johnson, Sean Spence, Kendall Thompkins and Brandon Washington. Winners from a winning program. Cream of the crop from the 305.

Same to be said for kids like Thearon Collier and Davon Johnson, straight outta No. 4 Booker T. Washington in Miami. Shannon and staff was a certain breed of football play for the rebuilding project and all the aforementioned names fit into that mold.

These kids are the foundation. Make no mistake about it. Whether they all end up sporting the orange and green next year, remains to be seen. I do believe this, though. The better Northwestern does, the better the Canes' chances of landing the six pack named above.

Harris may be flirting with Oregon, but come February when his boys sign with Miami - will he really want to head 3,000 miles away to the Pacific Northwest? Let's be logical here, people. If he does, more power to him - but I can't see that happening.

Harris and the rest of "Shannon's Boys" at Northwestern are either going to win the championship this Saturday, or they'll fall one game short of their goal. That'll mean one of two things.

If they win, they'll want to keep the party going, remain teammates and bring their winning ways to The U. Should they lose, they'll want to do what they didn't accomplish with the Bulls this year and win a ring with the Canes. Harris isn't breaking off from the pack. Don't sweat it.

Hell, don't sweat any of it. The holidays are upon us, Signing Day is under two months away and it's time to decompress after a rough season. Enjoy the Northwestern game this weekend and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. This whole thing starts up again soon enough. Time to appreciate the down time.


.:Canes305:.

Learning from mistakes of others...

Nothing like seeing the youth of today learning from the mistakes of others. Three days after Sean Taylor was put in the ground after being murdered in a botched home invasion, we hear this uplifting news out of College Station, TX.

Two players for the Aggies, Yemi Babalola and Brandon Joiner were arrested for robbery. Babalola was charged with two aggravated robbery counts and one count of misdemeanor marijuana possession and Joiner was hit with three drug possession counts, one a felony.

One resident suffered minor injuries during the robbery attempt in which one of the two Aggies brandished a semiautomatic pistol. The drug charges came when the suspects' homes were searched after the robbery.

Babalola is a junior offensive lineman who played in nine games this season and Joiner is a freshman defensive end who took a redshirt this year.

The robbery occurred on November 29th - two days after Taylor was shot. One can only imagine how stupid these kids have to be after seeing 48 hours of news coverage regarding this robbery gone wrong and a NFL superstar murdered.

Grabbing a gun and robbing someone's home would be the last thing you'd expect a college football player on scholarship to do at at time like this. Especially at Texas A&M, where they're supposedly stand up folks down there in College Station.

And yet the Canes are the thugs, right?

Proof that it's a Canes thing...

Sean Taylor was buried Monday morning and the three hour ceremony shouldn't even be considered a funeral. It was an absolute celebration of life. I've never witnessed anything like it.

As private as Taylor was, the young man was front page, nationwide news for three hours on Monday. For a few hours it seemed all the media's slandering of this kid was erased and his good name restored. Every ounce of negativity was wiped clean with that 180 minute outpouring of goodness.

Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood, but it's still all good.

Biggie Smalls penned the lyrics. Ironically I heard "Juicy" on an iPod playlist at the gym Monday morning prior to the funeral. The words replayed in my head as I witnessed 'The Real Life and Times of Sean Taylor' unfold in a FIU's packed Pharmed Arena.

The media misunderstood what proved to be a stand up kid - but with the show of love from thousands of loved ones, friends and fans - it was still all good. The truth was spoken.

Dan Le Batard wrote a strong piece regarding what we refer to as the U Family. He commended Miami Football Alumni for their presence which was felt Monday. He let it it be known the efforts these kids went through to honor a fallen brother less than 24 hours after leaving it all on the field for the NFL on Sunday.

Most of the media chose to name-drop faces in the crowd like O.J. Simpson or Andy Garcia, uncle to Jackie Garcia, Taylor's high school sweetheart. The national version of the story needed some A-list names to grab the attention of the masses.

I don't write this blog for that crowd.

My calling here is to point out and acknowledge the "A-list Canes" who found a way to be in Miami come hell or high water. They weren't missing this for the world. I want to acknowledge them out one-by-one here. Bear with me.

Baraka Atkins. Jon Beason. Kareem Brown. Philip Buchanan. Vernon Carey. Najeh Davenport. Bubba Franks. Frank Gore. Orien Harris. Devin Hester. Edgerrin James. Kelly Jennings. Andre Johnson. William Joseph. Marcus Maxey. Jerome McDougle. Rocky McIntosh. Bryant McKinnie. Santana Moss. Sinorice Moss. Chris Myers. Greg Olsen. Buck Ortega. Roscoe Parrish. Clinton Portis. Antrel Rolle. Jeremy Shockey. Jonathan Vilma. Reggie Wayne. D.J. Williams.

Those are just your current NFLers, give our take a few. How about some former players?

Robert Bailey. Micheal Barrow. James Burgess. Jason Geathers. Carlos Joseph. Javon Nanton. Chris Napoli. Jon Peattie. Jeff Popovich. Mike Rumph. Ethenic Sands. Brandon Sebald. Greg Threat. Carl Walker Jr. Jarrell Weaver.

Throw in the coach who recruited #26 (Butch Davis), his former head coach (Larry Coker) and his former defensive coordinator (Randy Shannon) and you find me a stronger bond in sports than the U Family. Ain't gonna happen.

Upwards of thirty former Canes currently in the NFL made the trek back to the 305 to pay their respects. A few Seahawks and a 49er. A Jet, some Cardinals and Texan. The Brothers Moss. A Colt, two Bears, two Broncos, a Viking and a Giant. You weren't stopping this crew, unless they were playing Monday night like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, Brandon Meriweather and Vince Wilfork.

Even with that, the Canes on the field for the Pats and Ravens wore their pain on their faces and found a way to honor their fallen brother come game time.

Hell, I believe if Kevin Everett could've gotten a doctor's note, I bet he'd have left physical therapy and been in the thick of it with at least fifty former Canes, a slew of current ones and the past three Miami head coaches. Not to mention adopted U Family members like Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress and LaVar Arrington - guys either with Miami ties or part of the NFL crew who heads south in the off-season to train at The U.

I'm sorry, but you don't get that kind of a turnout if you're a 'bad seed'. Dozens of folks don't get up and speak in such a heartfelt manner about a perceived 'thug'. Sean's funeral was a three-hour effusion of love and proof that Taylor was a good seed. The media couldn't have been more wrong about this kid if they tried.

Family and friends didn't hesitate to use this forum to give it right back to the sportswriting community for jumping to premature conclusions. Judge not lest ye be judged yourself, Michael Wilbon and Colin Cowherd. Your big mouths and rush to judgement ruined your reputations in the eyes of many.

Pathetic as it is, we live in a world where headlines are more important than the story or the truth. Better to falsely accuse and ask for forgiveness later than to miss the opportunity to sensationalize. Welcome to Journalism: 101 in the modern era.

Easier to label someone a thug, call it retaliation and blame everything on a so-called shady past. Give it that 'Dateline' tale-of-revenge angle day one instead of having the respect to let the real story surface and the truth present itself.

These vultures didn't even have the respect to wait until the body is at least in the ground before their smear campaign.

Godforbid the first story the nation heard was the truth; that Taylor died a hero.

The only news we deserved to hear was that this 24-year old kid most likely saved the lives of his girlfriend and daughter, not backing down to four or five legitimate thugs who broke into his home and put his family in harm's way.

The truth always comes out. I just never expected so much so fast. In the matter of a week, the world lost Sean Taylor, the scumbag killers were taken down and the battle of good versus evil was temporarily won when the media was embarrassed by the truth surfacing while they were still piling on and questioning Taylor's character.

The media's foot remains in mouth, eating their collective shoe right now. Hopefully in time this lesson in humility will cause some loudmouthed, opinionated egomaniacs to think before speaking.

It's a Canes thing. We all say it, bleed the orange and green and if we're in the know, we completely get 'it'. Most media folk don't get it and never will. Nor do most opposing fans. "The U" has become a trite marketing cliche. Outsiders are sick of hearing it, but they need to know there's something to the phrase. Respect it.

These guys don't come back to Coral Gables in the off-season for the weather, weight room or sandpit. They return for the camaraderie. Their NFL cohorts see the bonds their new teammates have with their Miami brothers from the past. They see the love and they want a piece.

Ask any Cane in the league which bond is stronger - the ones with their current team or their ties to The U. It's a no brainer.

An army of Canes headed home Monday to pay tribute to a fallen soldier. It was their duty. In battle on Sunday and straight to their nearest airport to put a brother in the dirt within hours of that clock hitting 0:00.

The fraternity of Miami Football rarely gets the credit it deserves. I want to give it to them. The U earns its fare share of criticism. When something goes wrong, the critics can't wait to pile on - be it Taylor, Bryan Pata or an on the field brawl. The Canes are oft referred to as thugs - but bad seeds don't turn out in droves, showing the love and proving their loyalty like these kids did on Monday.

If the media is going to kick the Canes when they're down, you better damn well praise them at a time like this. It goes both ways.

I've followed this program religiously for 25 of the past 33 years of my life. I've seen five national championships won and equally as many lost. I've seen these kids display heart on countless occasions and I'm already as proud of a Miami fan as you'll find.

All that said, I've never been more honored to be a Cane than on Monday and I've never been more proud of our kids than their efforts to make their presence felt at Taylor's funeral.

God bless the Taylor family, Jackie Garcia and Sean's daughter Jackie. Their future life was stolen by a bullet and will no longer play out as it should've. No one deserves that tragedy.

On top of that, God bless this University of Miami's football fraternity. A bond stronger than all and deserving of more credit than it receives.

Rest in peace, Sean.


.:Canes305:.