Some U news and other info...

With the Orange Bowl flag football finale this weekend and the old girl set to be demolished in the near future, allCanes has temporarily gotten in the memorabilia game. We've secured a decent amount of Orange Bowl memorabilia for our customers. The margins weren't that great and we're not thrilled to hear that proceeds are going to help The City of Miami pay for the demolition, but you wrote/called us and the demand for memorabilia was high... so we're doing our part.

I know many of you are still struggling with saying goodbye to the OB. We all are. I'm also disappointed the city is using proceeds to pay for the demo, but I can't let that stop me from owning my own piece of history. My ass was in a plastic Orange Bowl seat Saturdays in fall for the majority of my life. That chapter may be closed, but I want a memento hanging on my wall to commemorate a special part of my life.

To each their own, but for those of you like me - struggling with what the city is doing vs. owning you piece of history - go with the latter. The City of Miami is corrupt in so many ways, shapes and forms. Don't let that keep you from nabbing a keepsake.

Those interested in checking out what OB memorabilia we're selling, click here. Those who simply want to bitch and cry the blues, check out this classic OB memories clip on YouTube.


Some early enrollees are finally on campus after much drama and speculation. I've read that up to nine Canes have officially enrolled early and word is we're talking about Arthur Brown, John Calhoun, Marcus Forston, Jacory Harris, Patrick Hill, Aldarius Johnson, Cannon Smith, Sean Spence and Jake Wieclaw.

Harris and Smith are huge, being that quarterback is this program's weakest link. Great to see these kids getting a leg up and getting ready to battle Robert Marve for the starting spot.

Also great to see four of the Northwestern kids on campus as they can play an instrumental role in recruiting other local talent that will be visiting campus these next two weekends.

Kudos to the Miami staff, the admin and these kids for doing what they needed to do regarding getting on campus early.


Big recruiting weekend on deck and only one more to go after this. Up this weekend, Miami welcomes Thearon Collier, Taylor Cook, Brandon Harris, CJ Holton, Davon Johnson, Alonzo Johnson, Jeremy Lewis, Brandon Marti, Brandon Moore and Martavious Odoms.

Guys like Collier, Cook, Holton, D. Johnson and Marti are all but done deals for Miami. This weekend is about swaying the on the fence kids and longshots.

Obviously the top target is Harris and thankfully his Booker T. teammates Collier and D. Johnson are headed to Coral Gables with him. Not to mention other local talent who have early enrolled. These kids need to sell, sell, sell Harris on The U. Miami needs Harris on board to ease the pain of losing Patrick Johnson to LSU.

The Canes also need to re-sell Lewis on The U. Lewis has been flirting with Clemson as of late and this is the time for Miami players and coaches to lock down the defensive tackle from West Palm Beach.


Starting to hear more rumblings of Canes linebacker Allen Bailey moving to defensive end. One would assume new defensive coordinator Bill Young will be working around the clock to convince the freakish 6'4" and 270 pound linebacker to make the switch. Miami currently has five LBs geared to sign on in a few weeks, as well as a few ATHs who could wind up playing the position as well. Bailey seems a natural for DE. Let's hope the kid realizes this is best for all parties involved.

University of Washington Associate Athletic Director Jeff Compher is deep in the recruiting process regarding taking over as the new Miami Athletic Director when Paul Dee is officially out of office. I have no inside scoop here, nor do I really know what kind of AD Miami will land. I just pray it's someone who knows how to fundraise as well as realize what a priority and revenue stream a successful Miami football program is around these parts.

I shelled out the $15 to watch Miami basketball go down like dogs to #5 North Carolina a few nights back. Talk about a downer. I hadn't seen a Canes game televised since the Puerto Rican Tip Off Classic and after hearing and reading so much about this team, I wanted to see it for myself.

Sadly, the Canes are nowhere near the Tar Heels' league and never will be. That said, this is a pretty good basketball team and playing against UNC isn't the benchmark regarding how good this team is and can be by year's end.

Definitely felt for Jimmy Graham as he was playing tight. The North Carolina native had a lot of mental errors that cost the Canes and at times was simply trying too hard.

That said, it was great to see basketball fever take over Miami for a night. The student section was rocking, the stadium was electric and there were even scalpers out front hawking game tickets for a program that usually can't give tickets away.

Frank Haith has this team on the right track. He just needs to keep them focused. After starting out 14-1, Miami has now lost three straight - all in conference. The schedule also doesn't get any easier with Clemson, at Wake Forest and at Duke all on deck. If the Canes are going to make a splash in the ACC, winning ways need to return pronto.

Shannon lands Young & Hill...

A little bit o' action on the homefront since our last blog. Let's jump right into the action instead of making excuses about the lack of posting these past few days:

Bill Young was officially named defensive coordinator last week, much to the chagrin of Jayhawks fans as well as some Miamians who swore off the rumor being that CSTV broke the story. The same CSTV that reported 'Steve Spurrier to Miami' winter 2006.

Regardless of who broke the news, the story proved true. Young is Miami-bound and ready for a new challenge after spending the past six seasons at Kansas under Mark Mangino. Young was a finalist for this year's Broyle's Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach. KU went 12-1 this past season and beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl Classic.

Young has been in the coaching game for 39 years and was ready for a new challenge. He's never won a national championship and was quoted as saying he felt Miami was a place that would give him a great shot to bring one home. Young runs an aggressive defense. Expect a lot more blitzing and different looks than the Canes' D has seen in forever and a completely different defense than the one Randy Shannon ran 2001-2006, which leads us to...


... a big ol' glass of "shut the hell up" to Shannon's critics. Seems a lot of the 'know it all' crew swore the second year Canes coach was all set up to either 1) stubbornly run the defense by himself or 2) bring in a young, low-cost up and comer who would essentially run Shannon's standard Man Cover Two defense and act as the head coach's puppet. Not quite.

People were miffed when Miami didn't land some of the bigger name guys out there like DeWayne Walker (UCLA DC who stayed on when Rick Neuheisel was hired), Ron English (took the Louisville DC gig after leaving Michigan) and Charlie Strong (Florida DC who is staying put for now). The critics quickly blamed The U's top brass for being cheap and not being willing to pay for a top name guy.

Days later, Young is lured away from KU. A coaching veteran. A big name guy, thanks to the Jayhawks recent success and hardly someone who will play Shannon's puppet.

My mantra to this fan base has been and still is this - be patient. Things take time. Young first talked about the Canes opening at a recent coaching conference in Anaheim, CA. Days before that he was having the interior of his Lawrence, KS home repainted and played to remain at KU in 2008. Within days, signed on with The U and headed to Coral Gables.

That's how the game works, people. The right guy at the right time was willing to get on board. Walker, English and Strong knew of the Miami opening and didn't bite. Young heard about it an it was the perfect time in his life to make the move and take on the new challenge.

It took a little longer than expected, but Shannon got his guy. Next time around, let's can the criticism. As I've said a million times here - who gives a damn about the process? Worry about the result. In this case, the result is a very solid defensive coordinator headed to town to right the ship.


Early last week, the hammer dropped again and this time it was wide receivers coach Marquis Mosely who got the boot. Safe to say the wideout position at Miami has taken a hit in the post-Andre Johnson era. The Canes have lacked that big time receiver for five years now. Guys like Ryan Moore, Aikeem Jolla and Lance Leggett were never developed and didn't pan out.

Mosely spent 2006-2007 at Miami and while the cupboard was hardly full, he didn't do much with the talent he had during that two year stint.

Within days of the Mosely firing, Shannon tabbed former Gator, Carol City high grad and Miami native Aubrey Hill to take over coaching wide receivers. Hill spent the past three seasons coaching the Pittsburgh Panthers wideouts and jumped at the opportunity to return home to Miami.

Hill played under Spurrier in the early to mid-nineties and was featured in the 'Fun-N-Gun' offense. He stayed on as a grad assistant with Florida (1996-1998) and spent the next five seasons as receivers coach at Duke. The next two seasons were spent interning with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins before taking the job at Pitt.

Hill is the second new addition to the Miami coaching staff this off-season.


Bet the house after two firings/hirings, some will point out Shannon's statement about no off-season firings and that continuity was the name of the game. Smarter, more on the ball Canes fans will realize that Shannon is simply doing what needs to be done.

I do agree that Shannon shouldn't make these 'absolute' type statements - i.e. no off-season firings and the fave of the critics, "I'll shoot myself if we go 8-4" months before wrapping up a 5-7 season. I praise Shannon's off-season work, but one thing to work into his head coaching repertoire is better dealings with the media. Knowing what not to say is equally as important as what not to say.

Miami fans are a tough nut to crack and believe they want to win at all costs and want to see tradition restored in the worst way. News flash, people. Add up all your love and pride for all things The U and times it by a million. That's how much Shannon wants to win.

Forget all your hours logged tailgating or ranting and raving on message boards. With Shannon, you're talking First Team, All Cane. A four-year letterman as a Canes linebacker in the 80s. Winner of the Christopher Plummer Award for most inspiration player as a senior in 1988. Fourteen years as a University of Miami coach - starting as a grad assistant, a position coach, an award-winning defensive coordinator and now head coach. Three national championship rings - one as a player and two as a coach.

Again, next time you're stroking yourself for being Super Fan #1, bleeding the orange and green and criticizing 'the process' of your supposedly stubborn head coach - remember who you're talking about. Some of you say I get a little 'rah-rah' for Shannon and cheerlead to much. Maybe so, but that's because 1) I need to combat all the idiotic negativity we're seen year one into the rebuilding process and 2) because I believe this man earned this job and deserves some time to right the show.

Amazing to me how so many fans will blindly follow, support, pull for or believe in any former Cane in any walk of life - yet in the same breath will tear Shannon a new one at any given moment because he couldn't right several years worth of wrong in the matter of one season.

Be patient.


Speaking of all things Shannon, add another member of the family to the official U Family. Xavier Shannon is headed to The U from crosstown rival Florida International. The younger Shannon recently wrapped up his undergrad degree at FIU and with a year of eligibility left, he'll have to apply for a waiver to play for Miami in 2008.

Randy has oft stated he would never coach his own son, fearing he'd put too much pressure on him - but obviously has changed his stance. Xavier will compete for the starting job at center this coming season and will be considered a walk on as offspring of University of Miami employees are offered a free ride.


The world of recruiting is still the circus it was when I bitched about it a few weeks ago. Another defect and a few more ready to get on board.

The latest casualty is Ramon Buchanon of Palm Bay Senior High in Melbourne, FL. Last we heard from Buchanon he was all over the Canes. Shandel Richardson echoes this in his Sun Sentinel blog, staying that Buchanon was very pro-Canes after the Under Armour game a few weeks ago and all he talked about was arriving in Coral Gables, reaffirming his commitment, etc.

A few weeks later, he's in Gainesville standing next to Tim Tebow and being reluctantly forced to do the Gator chop while UiF fans and Buchanon's pro-Florida family rooted him on.

Buchanon is a stud and it's a shame he won't be a Cane. That said, Miami is chock full of linebackers entering 2008 should the rest of this class stick. Kids like Arthur Brown, Jordan Futch, Sean Spence, Antonio Harper and Marcus Robinson will more than make up for the loss of Buchanon and a Lerentree McCray to Florida.

I don't know if it's a fear of competition, a fear of letting down family members or a combination of that and more. Either way, the recruiting game is a joke and it's a shame to see these early commits get wrapped up in 'the game' instead of being true to their word. That goes for Miami defects Buchanon and McCray the same way it does any other decommit who winds up at The U after committing to another program.

I'm all for less early commitments that aren't written in stone and seeing more kids sticking to their word, moving forward. A man is only as good as his word and all this decommitment crap, white lies to the press, silent commitments elsewhere and stringing coaches along - they're character flaws that will hopefully be righted while these boys grow to men in their four years at the respective university they eventually choose.

Thank God we only have a few more weeks of this nonsense.


For those recruiting buffs longing for some positive news, Miami coaches wowed potential recruits who were on campus last weekend. Vaughn Telemaque, Gavin Hardin, Aaron Hester and Herman Davidson all enjoyed their time spent in Coral Gables. None committed on the spot, though some commitments could be forthcoming.

Telemaque and Davidson - both safeties and teammates at Long Beach Poly - gave Miami high marks and are going to make their decisions sooner than later.

Hardin is a three-star linebacking prospect out of Tennessee who is currently committed to Ole Miss. There was some question as to if Miami had room for him, but with the decommitment of Buchanon, Hardin could be in the right place and the right time. For the stat buffs out there, Hardin is an inside linebacker measured at 6'5" and weighing in around 225 lbs.

Last but not least, Hester is a cornerback out of Compton, CA and a current UCLA commit. One would think with the Neuheisel hiring, as well as Walker sticking around to coach the D and Norm Chow hired today to coach the offense, Hester is beyond a long shot and actually reaffirmed his commitment to the Bruins soon after his Miami visit.

More potential Canes headed to town next weekend for their official visits. Stay tuned...


I don't cover much Miami Basketball here and for that I apologize. I've followed the Canes as much as I can from the left coast, but with few nationally televised appearances, it's been rough. The Canes are riding their first two-game losing streak of the season after falling to Boston College and N.C. State, both on the road.

At 14-3, Miami gets a shot at redemption this Wednesday when No. 4 North Carolina heads to town and again on Sunday when No. 25 Clemson visits. Both are formidable ACC foes, but here's hoping the confines of home help The U get back to winning ways.

Pretty pathetic that no one is choosing to pick up any Canes games nationally until February 2nd when Miami heads to Duke and ABC will broadcast the action, but I guess that's life as an up and comer.



.:Canes305:.

'U' know what's up...

Tidbits of "U" related stuff going on halfway through this first month of 2008. 

All things being said, I haven't been in the mood to talk Canes. The lack of a bowl game made December through February drag like never before. No fun having your season end while still eating Thanksgiving leftovers. 

Recruiting season had some perks, but also its lulls. It was great seeing Randy Shannon reel in Arthur Brown, with Micheal Barrow getting the assist. Pure garbage to get strung along by Matt Patchan, in favor of Florida, while the Patrick Johnson renege and sideshow circus was just one more strike against an already pathetic recruiting process.

Don't think I forgot about the antics of Lerentree McCray. It just doesn't deserve anymore thought or convo. Good riddance.

In a surprise move, Shannon canned Tim Walton and has been on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator ever since. No 'official' hire yet, but during the process, wide receivers coach Marquis Mosely was also shown the door.

Sort of a ballsy move thisclose to Signing Day, but hard to question the process and mindset of the guy sitting on ESPN's #1-rated class. Shannon is either en route to Jimmy Johnson incarnate, or this city's next Cam Cameron. When you're this bold, there's no in between.

I believe the former, not the latter. Randy will turn this around. He's too driven and well-schooled not to. Surrounded by all-time Canes as a player. Coached by Miami's best and years later assistant coaching it. 

Almost two decades around this program, learning the blueprint for success. Learning from what didn't work. Shannon just needs to restock the talent. Give it time. 

As for what's going on Canes related, here's the Cliff Notes version from a burned out, "counting down 'til Signing Day comes and goes" fan of all things The U:

> Talk of a new defensive coordinator surfaced this evening. Bill Young of Kansas. CSTV is reporting and everyone else is denying it. Critics are pointing to their wrong call regarding 'Steve Spurrier to Miami' prediction late 2006.

A pretty random rumor and under the radar type of name, so I'll buy it for now. Sounds like a good fit and Shannon saw Kelly's defense first hand at the Orange Bowl weeks back. There was the coaching convention which wrapped a few days ago where paths again could've crossed.

We'll see how it plays out, but I'm all for the hire. It's not a lame duck candidate coming in as Shannon's puppet. Young had the 12th ranked defense in the country last season and was 4th in the nation in scoring defense with 16 points-per-game. He spent the past six seasons at Kansas under the tutelage of Mark Mangino. This could be a promising hire. Now about that receiver's coach...

> ... speaking of which. Every time a position coach is hired, can people stop throwing our random names of Miami alum for every gig? When we're out a quarterback's coach or offensive coordinator, folks start throwing out Bernie Kosar. With Mosely gone, today's hot topic is Michael Irvin.

Great players don't always make great coaches. Furthermore, there should be some gauged interest before throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Kosar is loaded. Hell of a businessman. In his spare time, he likes to help the Miami quarterbacks and play cheerleader on game day. Same can be said for Irvin. His first love is running that mouth in front of a camera in an overpriced suit and collecting a hefty salary for giving his opinions - and like all media members, not being accountable for those opinions.

Why sign on with a private university and deal with all the red tape and bureaucratic nonsense? Infinitely easier to help on your own watch. Especially when you don't need the cash.

Those quick to cite Barrow and his efforts, let's not confuse great recruiting with great coaching. Funny how some praise Barrow, yet trash Shannon. Miami's linebackers didn't set the world on fire in 2007 and 5-7 falls on every coach on the staff.

Barrow is showing promise and is reeling in recruit after recruit, but he's still inexperience. Before the one-year stint at The U, it was a year at Homestead High and before that, over a decade in the NFL. 

The staff doesn't have to be 100% Miami Football alum to get the job done.

> Recruiting news - short version. Northwestern kids didn't early enroll due to finals hold up. Some kids flip-flopping. End of story the next few weeks. All the real-deal, Miami lovin' kids are in. Solid commits and vocal about it. Those still taking trips will talk out of both sides of their mouth until the wee hours of February 6th.

Recruiting sites make their bank this time of year, so they lay it on thick and play on the suspense. I'm over the game. Wake me on the 6th.

>  I don't talk enough Miami Basketball here, but I need to give some love to the only winner in South Florida these days. 14-1 going into yesterday's loss at Boston College. Two losses mid-January is huge and a weekend win over Georgia Tech in the ACC opener was a good start.

The Tech game was sold out and the next home match up is against #1 North Carolina on January 23rd. Maybe the Canes can return the favor on the hardwood and stick it to the Tar Heels.

With Miami football, the Dolphins and the Heat all in the toilet - it's time to enjoy the lone winner in South Florida. Get out there and support Hurricanes Basketball. 

> I stumbled across the pic above out of the hundreds I took during the Orange Bowl finale. I'd see the ying-yang "U" chest guy on TV and needed that moment saved to digital memory. I also liked the fired up kid in the "305" shirt menacing like he's in the WWE. To me, it was the last electric moment of 2007.

Coming off the OT loss to N.C. State, the air was sort of let out of the balloon. The Virginia game lost its luster all week, but once it was night time and almost kickoff, it was all about the finale. The record went out the window. This pre-game was three decades of big time memories all reenacted one last time.

The Canes laid and egg and then rolled over the final two road games. A four-game losing streak ended the season. It was pathetic. But for a good half hour before kickoff on November 10th, it felt like Miami was good again. There was something in the air that hadn't been that way in forever. It was gone within minutes, but it was enough to let me know I want it back.

Time for Miami to get it together and turn this thing around. Down too long if I'm celebrating electric pre-game warm ups. Right the ship, Randy.

Is "Stoops to The U" really dead?

Yeah, we all hear big brother Mike Stoops and his 'blood is thick' speech regarding Mark Stoops returning to Miami as defensive coordinator - but what does that mean? If this is a dead deal, how come Mark hasn't spoken? How come the former Canes secondary coach hasn't denied interest in the position? How come Arizona hasn't come out and offered little Stoops a long-term deal or a pay increase to secure his sticking around?

We'll know more in the coming days. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't - but I'm being lead to believe "Stoops to Miami" isn't as dead as big brother is making it. There's more to this story that we're all hearing and with the coaching conference coming to a close, we should know more by early next week.

As mentioned a few days ago, this should be a no brainer move for Mark. DC at Miami versus DC at Arizona? No contest. The U is on the mend and the talent is returning to Coral Gables. Especially on that defensive side of the ball. Arizona? Already sucking hind teet to USC and Cal the past few years, now they're dealing with Dennis Erickson in Tempe and battling the desert state power for local and national recruits.

Oh yeah, and don't look now but Rick Neuheisel just headed over to UCLA - planting Arizona firmly in the middle of the pack regarding the rest of the Pac-10 programs.

Stoops could still choose family over the U Family - and it'd be tough to blame him. Family is a big deal, but in the coaching profession making moves and trying to climb that ladder is all part of the game. The Stoops clan knows that.

Especially Mike, who spent a few years on the Kansas State staff with Bob Stoops. Bob left for Florida and Mike hung around Manhattan until Bob came calling and brought him to Oklahoma in 1999. Four years later Mike bailed Bob for the Arizona gig and offered Mark a spot on the roster, bringing him to Tucson from Coral Gables.

Mike made the necessary career jumps to further his career and needs to get the hell out of little brother's way if he's looking to do the same. I guess 'blood is thick' only refers to skipping out for coordinator positions. If we're talking head coaching material, THEN it's OK to move on to greener pastures, eh Mike?

If this doesn't play out, here's hoping Randy Shannon hangs on to the gig for 2008 and finds 'the guy' in 2009. No need to bring someone aboard for the sake of bringing someone aboard.

More to come....

Five years later, justice must prevail...again

It was half a decade ago (time flies...), but I still want justice. I'll never forgive Terry Porter for throwing the late flag and I still curse all things scarlet and gray after seeing Will Allen go low on Willis McGahee late in the fourth quarter of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, ending the Heisman finalist's night early, almost killing his career and making Miami's challenge that much hard after seeming to turn the corner and take control of the game. 

I still hate fat ass Maurice Clarett too. Tubbs averaged 2 yards per carry with 47 yards on 23 carries, yet his 5-yard score in overtime gets about as much TV time as Flutie's Hail Mary. I wonder how #13 will enjoy the game from the pokey this evening?

Five years after the fact, Miami faithful are still bitching. True, the Canes are beyond down and out while the Buckeyes are on their fourth BCS game since that fateful night in Tempe. No disputing which program is up and which is down. 

Ohio State can boast back-to-back title games entering tonight's contest against LSU in the 2007 National Championship. Meanwhile, the U is sitting home licking its wounds after a 5-7 season - on the heels of 7-6 last year. Pathetic. 

Some could call the Canes' venom "sour grapes" but that'd be trivializing it. This whole feeling comes from wanting to seeing a wrong righted. The only thing worse than losing a championship is having one stolen, as well as a 34-game win streak ending prematurely. 

That and a late flag in overtime... and seeing a dirty program continue to get away with murder... and seeing guys in the black hats continuing to achieve success at all costs. Doesn't seem right, does it? 

Something's gotta give. Justice has to prevail... again. 

#2 Florida did their part a year ago this week, dismantling #1 Ohio State to the tune of, 41-14 in the title game. A dream crushed. A team embarrassed. Temporary relief for Buckeye haters nationwide. Things got really quiet for a way-too-loud and arrogant fan base. 

Can we expect the same this year? We'll find out in a few hours. Ohio State enters tonight's contest ranked #1, but an underdog to #2 LSU. A heavy favorite last year, the underdog more than got the better of the favorite. The Buckeyes have played that card in the post-season, but tonight the world will find out if it's lip service or if they're really the more motivated team.

Motivation is the key. Look no further than Michigan working Florida in the Citrus Bowl or West Virginia upsetting Oklahoma in the Fiesta. Both victorious team had something big to play for and proved it. The Wolverines' senior class was 0-4 against rival Ohio State, 0-3 in bowl games and their head coach Lloyd Carr announced it'd be his last game. It proved the be the difference maker. 

Same with a hungry Mountaineers squad facing the Sooners in the desert. WVU choked in their season finale against Pitt and cost themselves a slot in tonight's title game. Weeks later, head coach Rich Rodriguez bailed his alma matter for Michigan.

WVU was more than ready to stick it to an OU team who is now 0-4 in their last four bowl games. No mystery who wanted that game more. 

We all know LSU is the tougher team in the better conference. OSU plays in the Big Ten. They didn't beat a ranked team all year and lost to an Illinois team who USC worked, 49-17. How good can Ohio State really be if they lost at home to this same Fighting Illini bunch?

Conversely, the Tigers are a two loss team thanks to a pair of triple overtime games in 2007. As for the 11 wins, LSU worked some big time teams. 48-7 over then-#9 Virginia Tech. 28-16 over then-#12 South Carolina. 28-24 over then-#9 Florida. 30-24 over then-#17 Auburn as well as a 21-14 win over then-#14 Tennessee in the SEC Championship game.

LSU faced more challenges on any given Saturday than OSU saw all season combined.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no LSU guy by any stretch of the imagination. I'll never root for a team who worked Miami 40-3 as recently as 2 years ago. That said, my favorite teams are Miami as well as whoever is playing Ohio State or Florida. That made last year's title game a lesser of two evils, but this year is a no brainer.

The Tigers may be a two-loss bunch, but have this year's 'team of destiny' stamped on them. Thrilling late comebacks again South Carolina, Florida and Auburn sealed this team's fate in my book. Even after losing the regular season finale to Arkansas, 50-48 - you had to give LSU a shot at sneaking back into the title game on championship weekend. Winning on the field in their own conference title game, while Ohio State backed in by watching from home and praying for losses.

Miami faithful are sick to see Ohio State back on top the mountain, but the saving grace will come in another loss this evening. Let's all raise a glass to that, the same way the '72 Dolphins might celebrate the last undefeated going down at some point every year.

Seeing Ohio State exposed on the grandest stage again tonight will be poetic justice. Karma for 2002 and all the revisionist history and grandstanding that's occurred since. You stole a title. Smile and say 'thanks' instead of seeking validation and convincing yourselves the flag was legit or somehow made up for a missed call earlier in the game.

A Buckeyes loss is more than just a "L" tonight. This would be a huge blow to the Big Ten and weak out of conference scheduling. Jim Tressel is going to take a ton of heat if his team is worked tonight and for a guy whose integrity has been questioned at times, again, nothing would make me happier.

Playing for pride. Talking about a tougher attitude. Silencing the critics. Proving they have just as much speed as the other guys, despite the 0-8 bowl record against the SEC. Ohio State is saying all the right things, but can they do them? Will they pull a Michigan or West Virginia and use motivation as a springboard to a national championship?

God, I hope not. I don't want to cheer an LSU win tonight, but sure as hell want to celebrate back-to-back title game losses for OSU. If the 'football gods' have any heart, the Buckeyes won't win another championship until the Canes get back to a title game and rightfully earn what was taken away five years ago. My call? LSU 27, Ohio State 16. 

Geaux "team-who-is-playing-the-Buckeyes". Keep another title out of Columbus, ruin some more dreams this evening and give the fine people of New Orleans something to cheer about with a home state victory tonight! 

01/03/03 - NEVER FORGET!

Stoops back to The U?

Let me start by saying, I have no real conformation here. This is simply a gut feeling based on what a few 'in the know' folks have mentioned to me. Mark Stoops name has recently been linked to the defensive coordinator opening at Miami and I'm hearing there could be some legs here.

Stoops is currently defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of Arizona, where's he's coached since leaving his post as secondary coach at Miami after the 2003 season. Older brother Mike Stoops was named UA's head coach in 2004 and lured little brother west with a promotion to DC.

On paper, this jump would be a lateral move as it's one defensive coordinator position for another. That said, DC at Miami is absolutely a step up from DC at Arizona. Especially in an effort to climb the coaching ladder.

We'll see what surfaces, but time is becoming of the essence. Tim Walton was let go three weeks ago and signing day is less than a month away.

A few rumored former candidates didn't remain on the market for long, like Brian Van Gorder (took the DC gig at South Carolina) and DeWayne Walker (stayed on board as DC at UCLA).

Pickings are getting slim and Stoops would be a good hire. He has proven skills as a recruiter and spent 2001-2003 at Miami; in the thick of the most recent glory days. Stoops did a bang up job with the Canes secondary during that era and spent the past three seasons sharpening his skills as a defensive coordinator.

Another reason 'Stoops to Miami' makes sense is the fact that 2008 is year five in big brother's tenure as head coach for Arizona. 

Mike Stoops isn't officially on the hot seat, but sitting unpretty at 17-29 since 2004, the heat will be on soon enough if the Wildcats don't significantly improve next season. Team Stoops could be on their way out of the desert and a Miami-like opportunity might not be in the cards for Brother Mark if Arizona doesn't turn things around over the course of 2008.

'Stoops to Miami' seems insanely logical right now (which means it probably won't happen.) Let's see how things play out over the next few days. This would be the best move for the Canes at this point in time. Should it not come to fruition, we could be one step closer to seeing Randy Shannon step up and handle defensive coordinator and head coaching duties in 2008.


.:Canes305:.

Everything wrong with the recruiting game...

Yeah, a little immature to play the "public enemy" card regarding two teenagers spurning Miami during the final hour, but I'm in a ball-breaking mood after watching Matt Patchan and Patrick Johnson play the recruiting game and burn the Canes today.

Patchan announced in a Saturday press conference that he'd pledge his allegiance to the University of Florida while Johnson declared for Louisiana State University during today's U.S. Army All-American game.

Days ago Patchan narrowed down his options to Miami and Florida while Johnson recently eliminated Miami and a three team race remained between Florida, Florida State and LSU.

Johnson's elimination of Miami came after spending the past six months committed to the Canes while Patchan chanted "Cane since birth" these past few months, due to Matt Patchan Sr. and and an uncle playing for Miami during the Decade of Dominance era in the 80s.

Unlike most, I "get" why these kids get so wrapped up in the recruiting game. Football is a team sport, but this process is all about the individual. It's a hell of a moment in the sun for a kid barely old enough to vote, see an R-rated movie or drive a car. Who wouldn't milk it on some level?

Still, I'm amazed with the venom spewed when a kid turns down one program for another. We saw it a few weeks back when highly touted linebacker recruit Arthur Brown chose Miami over Florida, LSU, North Carolina and USC.

Log on to any Canes message board a few weeks ago and a slew of grown-ass men were fawning all over Brown, post after post. The kid was a bona fide genius for believing in Randy Shannon and was going to single-handedly turn things around, cure Cancer, play two positions at once. You name it.

That same day, head over to a Gators, Tigers, Tar Heels or Trojans board and it was Chernobyl. Full on meltdown mode and in each case, more grown-ass men wanting Brown's head on a platter and calling him a moron for not choosing their respective university.

Today you can flip that script. The Canes contingent praising Brown's genius is now the same bunch throwing stones at Patchan and Johnson for leaving Miami at the altar and making the "biggest mistake of their lives".

For the record, I have no issue with either of these kids' actual decisions. My bone to pick comes with their individual recruiting processes, what they said versus what they did and what I perceive to be a lack of character in both Patchan and Johnson.

Johnson picking LSU isn't the issue. It's the double talk and spin job he's put on the topic which have Miami faithful frustrated. A real man would state the change of heart and has every right to flip flop on a big time decision.

Instead, Johnson chose to blame Miami's coaches not showing him enough love or contacting him as frequently as he expected. As many 17-year old do, they place blame on others instead of accepting responsibility and let his meddling father stir up a boatload of unnecessary drama.

Besides the recruiting "gurus" bumping their gums during today's games or on ESPN U, does anyone really believe that Miami's coaching staff would stop calling their highest profile recruit? Come on now.

Shannon and staff have owned the recruiting world the past half year and will bring home one of the nation's top classes. Johnson was a priority and if the relationship deteriorated, it's pretty easy to figure out who stopped calling who and started the game playing. The young man committed way too early, was in over his head, had no clue how to get out and went about doing so in a very classless manner.

Regarding Patchan, he found his way on to the average Canes fan's radar on Sunday November 11th, the morning after the 48-0 drubbing Virgina laid on Miami in the Orange Bowl finale. Some of Patchan's post-game gems when being interviewed moments after the debacle:

- "They played terribly. That was extremely tough to watch. Guys after the game - there's too many guys that just it doesn't bother them that they lost the game. There's too many guys now at the U that 'It's okay we lost, well what am I going to do tonight?' Like it doesn't mean anything. They need to get rid of those type of guys. One of the guys not like that is Robert Marve. Marve's a high character guy."

- "Half those guys in Miami uniforms shouldn't be there. They physically don't cut it. A lot of those guys were wasted scholarships. That was Miami's fault in recruiting. You can't take a guy who doesn't know how to play football and ask him to do things that are expected out of University of Miami players."

- "I've always been a Cane. I grew up watching them. All I've heard growing up was Hurricanes."

News flash, Matt. Once a Cane, always a Cane will never be argued.

The caveat? Signing on with Miami's oldest, most hated rival. No one with orange and green pumping through their veins would sellout The U for the orange and blue. Miami is in the Patchan family's blood and this was Junior's chance to step in and put this beloved program on his back and lead the Canes to the Promised Land.

Patchan Jr.'s Miami "legacy" will always be that of a blowhard. To come in and run your mouth about all wrong with The U was extremely bold - and borderline legendary if he completed the puzzle, signed with the Canes and pledged to help right all these wrongs he called out. The kid would've been all time, old school throwback Miami if he simply had a 'pretty good' career.

In the end, lip service. Patchan chose the front runner, citing Florida's current success. He proved he didn't have the grit to roll up his sleeves, get dirty and fix all the problems he pointed out two months ago. The kid took the easy way out.

"I wanted talent around me," said Patchan. "I wanted a good relationship with my position coach. I wanted a good strength coach and I wanted to compete for a national championship every year. I think Florida met all of those the best out of any them."

As we're seeing, some of these kids are leaders and builders, while others want to ride that gravy train, living off of their predecessors' success.

Both Patchan and Johnson proved they're the latter. They're the anti-Marcus Forston, Sean Spence, Jacory Harris, etc. Kids that will take pride in putting Miami back on the map and believe in the new coach's vision. The types of players who know that true success comes when you see a project from start to finish, winding up on top.

For true Canes, it's not about riding someone else's wave of success - it's about creating one's own legacy. Some of Miami's best came to town smack dab during the probation era. Santana Moss, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne and Edgerrin James all got on board in the mid 90s. A few years later, it's guys like Ken Dorsey, Andre Johnson and Clinton Portis signing on during the tail end of the probation era, knowing something special was in store.

Contrast that with some of the kids who signed on in February 2002, a month after the Canes brought home the hardware. Akieem Jolla. Ryan Moore. Marc Guillon. Terrell Walden.

Sure, there were some gems and future first rounders in the '02 class, but you also see a list of underachievers and non-Miami kids who rolled into Coral Gables simply expecting to be part of championship caliber teams, replacing the stars of yesterday, instead of coming on board for all the right reasons.

The silver lining? Patchan and Johnson aren't Shannon-type players. Both are talented and both would instantly help Miami on its climb back to the top. That said, if they're the wrong 'type' of kids, they're never going to fit into this concept of 'team' that Shannon is preaching. There's no room for individuals or frontrunners.

Miami needs the right type of players to right this ship. Shannon and staff know that. Now it's time for the fan base to let it sink in and realize that character is as important as on the field talent.

Good riddance to any kid who doesn't 'get' what's going on at The U. The Canes don't need game players and bandwagoners. Not with a half dozen national champs from Northwestern saying what they're saying about the legacy of The U. These kids are honored to be part of the tradition and long to put Miami back on the map, where it belongs.

I'll take a three-star kid with five-star heart over a highly touted double talker any day of the week.

Miami was delivered a small blow today, but it needs to be taken in stride. Don't sweat the ones who got away when there are 27 kids on board who can't want to make their presence felt in Coral Gables. More scholarships are available and the right players remain. This is going to be as good a class as Miami has seen in over a decade.

Weeks ago linebacker Lerentree McCray and Miami stopped their talks an some panic set in amongst the fans.

Within days, the Canes landed Brown and a few other linebackers. Now with Patchan and Johnson off the radar, it's on Shannon and staff to make sure guys like offensive lineman Ben Jones and defensive back Brandon Harris make the right choice in the coming weeks.

Both would absolutely soften today's blow as solid replacements as well as local ties to the hometown team.

Things will play out the way they are supposed to. The sky is not falling, but Shannon has to close strong this next month. There are some studs still on the board and it's time to get them to sign on the line that is dotted.

Until then, patience is the name of the game.

Cream rises to the top. The rest wind up in Gainesville or Baton Rouge. Come February, the character kids who are supposed to be in Coral Gables will be on board and ready to begin the rebuilding process while 'the ones who got away' are going to miss out on on something very special.

Get on board with The U or get ready to get beat by The U. It's that simple.


.:Canes305:.

Bowl game chatter & New Years perspective...

A very Happy New Year to my Miami contingent and all who come across this blog. Here's hoping that 2008 is a banner year for all.

I spent the better part of the 31st, 1st and 2nd in front of the tube and taking in the action, like most college football freaks. Some might call me a masochist, watching others teams rewarded for a stellar season while Miami sits on the sidelines, licking their wounds after a 5-7 campaign.

Hardly the case.

As sick as I am over the Canes version 2007, I had a feeling several other teams and coaches falling flat on their face this new year. Look at the state of college football. Upsets all seasons long. Teams looking Super Bowl one week and Toilet Bowl the next. There was no 'sure thing'. Ask your buds who bet online.

Inconsistency was the name of the game. Miami saw it firsthand as much as the next letdown team this year. Worked by Oklahoma early on, followed by a Orange Bowl-style beatdown of Texas A&M a few weeks later. Mid-season, the first win over Florida State since 2004 and two weeks after that, an overtime loss to N.C. State with a quarterback who went 1-of-14 with three interceptions.

Icing on this crap cake came in the form of four straight losses to end the year, en route to a five-win season and no bowl invite. Yum.

The 'sort-of' silver lining came in the form of extra time in the weight room and a coaching staff that spent the month of December, recruiting like champs. Outside linebacker Arthur Brown chose Miami over USC, Florida, LSU and North Carolina the same day Randy Shannon decided to sever ties with defensive coordinator Tim Walton.

Double score and bonus points. 

Reeling in big time recruits while watching other bowl bound teams fail is making the post-season a bit more tolerable.

The zest, enthusiasm and countdown to the bowl game were all missing, but I rolled into year's end rooting for upsets, drama and losses. Sick as it sounds, it felt cathartic watching the 'right' teams losing certain games. Some situations, good for college football and others simply made it easier to tolerate bleeding the orange and green right now. 

The biggest downer? The message board rants.

There are some qualified and knowledgeable fans with solid insight on the program, posing logical questions and providing solid scenarios regard the past, present and immediate or long-term future.

Then then the are the rest. The opinionated folk with tunnel vision, zero patience, ever changing opinions and choose to comment before logically working something out in their heads.

A big group of the doom and gloomers appeared the minute Texas Tech's game-winning field goal sailed through the uprights against a Virginia team that whooped Miami, 48-0 in the Orange Bowl finale. 

As expected, many rehashed the Shannon hire and waved their pirate flags in favor of Mike Leach, the Raiders head coach who interviewed for the Canes' opening last December.

Leach has been running his high octane offense in West Texas for eight season now, yet no big time college program has lured him away and no NFL offensive coordinator gigs have been offered either.  Texas Tech hasn't finished any better than T-2nd in the Big XII South and hasn't seen better than a three-loss season since the Leach era kicked off in 2000.

The Red Raiders have seen a five-loss season on four occasions, six losses once and wrapped up this year 9-4. The 2008 Gator Bowl was a step forward for this program for a team losing six seniors. Texas Tech is a young team that's been 'under construction' for a while. It didn't happen overnight. Leach has been working this thing for eight years.

It's absolutely moronic to believe that Leach was going to roll into Coral Gables and implement some high octane, flashy offense in one year and with this current squad. Any new coach would've struggled big time with the 2007 Miami Hurricanes. Bank on it. 

Another thing Leach wouldn't do? Recruit the living hell out of South Florida and the nation the way Shannon and staff have. Leach lovers, where do you think Pirate Boy has Miami fighting this recruiting war? Nowhere close to where a Miami native and long-time Canes head coach, who has been part of this program in every facet since his playing days two decades ago. 

The majority of the 27 future signees are on board because of Shannon. The six Northwestern kids? Some of the biggest supporters of the one-year coach you're gonna find. Arthur Brown? Put that 100% on the relationship forged with Micheal Barrow as well as current recruit Marcus Forston, out there selling The U and this coaching staff to any other All-American who will listen.

It takes time to build a 'team'. Some Canes enthusiasts fail to realize that - either in denial regarding how far this program sunk, or simply bitter and delusional as a result of said plummet.

Shannon absolutely cannot be judged year one after inheriting a depleted 7-6 team any more than Leach should be praised for beating some mid-level ACC team who handed the Canes one of their seven losses this season.

Look across the nation. It's no mystery what's going on in house regarding this year's BCS teams. Locking down the nation's best talent. Developing players. Implementing a belief in ' team' and driving home that winner's mentality. 

Southern Cal. Oklahoma. Georgia. LSU. Ohio State. Wins and losses aside this bowl season, all are fully loaded.

Talent in/talent out. Good players being replaced by better ones. Depth at so many positions, it should be illegal. Second stringers as good as the opponent's starters.

It's a pretty simple formula - and one Miami used to know all too well.

Watching USC manhandle Illinois in the Rose Bowl, all I could do was think about Miami's most recent run. The U should be exactly where the Trojans are. If the Canes had a Pete Carroll building the program up instead of a Larry Coker tearing it down, Miami would be exactly where Southern Cal is today.

Carroll started building his winner the same year Coker started dismantling the Canes he inherited. Carroll went 6-6 year one and continued to improve while Coker topped out his first attempt and backslid each of the next five seasons, thanks to poorly judging and recruiting talent, as well as failing to develop the players he brought in. 

USC's six-year run since that .500 campaign Carroll's inaugural season proves one thing; teams that go on 34-game win streaks, make four straight BCS games and win a championship, sandwiched between a snub and highway robbery shouldn't be insignificant a few seasons later.

Absolutely criminal. 

The lengths one has to go to destroy such a dynasty? It's virtually impossible.

I call it 'The Imperfect Storm'. 

Watch the BCS games. Anyone in denial or burying their head in the sand over the state of Miami football the past few years - the past three days are living proof. The recipe to success is playing out game after game. 

The Trojans team who pounded the Illni reminded me of the 2003 Canes. Scary-good and loaded on defense. A talented running back. Good receivers and an up and down quarterback who will cost you a few key games. 

USC forced turnovers, punching at the ball and always looking to strip. They played aggressive and with a bounce in their step all day long. The Rose Bowl was won before the Trojans even took the field.

With all that top local and national talent, who outside the Land of Lincoln didn't expect that lopsided blowout?

Difference is, the machine keeps chugging away out in Tinseltown. Carroll has been the constant, keeping things flowing smoothly. Steve Sarkisian is competent running an offense once headed up by the supposedly irreplaceable Norm Chow. 

The same Chow who is yet to turn the Tennessee Titans around after three seasons.

Miami reached a fork in the road in 2003 and Coker took this program down a dead end path. The next three seasons slowly set The U back to the depths as low - if not lower - than the probation era of the mid to late 90s. 

We'll find out in time if Shannon can coach this team and build a winner - but the clock doesn't start until 2009. Until then, sit back, take it all in and exercise some patience. These aren't Shannon's players and this is his first head coaching gig. 

A lot was done on the fly this year. Mistakes were made. Some over-the-top coachspeak has fans digging up random, six month old quotes and wanting heads to roll. Goals were set and not reached and in the end, an assistant was fired, signaling Shannon's official return to the drawing board. 

Amazing some choose to focus on what is 'said' in a media room rant instead of what is done to fix a problem. It's time to see the bigger picture. Does it matter that Shannon originally said no one would be fired and soon thereafter, fired Walton? The right decision was made and it was a tough one.

I'll take the right outcome and a poorly handled explanation any day of the week over saying the right things and not following through when the rubber meets the road. Talk is cheap. We need action, not words. 

Miami needs talent. Period, point blank. If there's anything I've taken from bowl season is that talent is as important, if not more, than great coaching. Look at Hawaii. June Jones takes over an 0-12 team and a few years later, they're 13-0 and in the Sugar Bowl. Sure, they play a bunch of bums... but they played the same bums pre-Jones and were going winless. That deserves some credit.

Mark Richt, a good enough head coach at Georgia, but has also lost some big time games over his tenure with the Bulldogs and has faceplanted with the money on the table. This year's Sugar Bowl was no chess match. It was David vs. Goliath; literally. The Dawgs out-talented the hell out of the Fighting Chanting Dancing Rainbows. Not much can trump superior talent. 

Of course, it's a balance of the two. Oklahoma couldn't out-talent a fiery West Virginia tonight, nor could Florida play the 'speed' card against a supposedly slower Big Ten team. 

Here in lies another piece to Miami's rebuilding puzzle; motivation and heart. 

West Virginia choked down the stretch against Pitt and was the last team to bow out of the National Championship race, handing the title game to LSU on a platter after Ohio State backed in thanks to Missouri losing the same evening. 

The Mountaineers wanted it more tonight, whereas the Sooners seemed to be going through the motions and Bob Stoops looks like less of a genius, losing his last four bowl games and fielding a defense that allowed 349 yards on the ground, mostly to a scrambling quarterback and second string, freshman tailback.

On the Michigan front, a senior-heavy team winless in their bowl careers - not to mention, 0-4 against arch-rival Ohio State - willed themselves to victory over a supposedly savvy Florida team and Heisman winner Tim Tebow.

The Wolverines had Lloyd Carr coaching his last game and his squad saved their best for last after losing to Appalachain State in the opener and getting throttled by Oregon a week later.

Urban Meyer was outcoached and outclassed and a cocky defending national champion was put out to pasture with four losses and no BCS berth a year later. Even with the 'second coming' behind center.

The message here may be lengthy, but it's loud and clear. After a half decade of dominating, Miami went way off track. Recent success had this fan base in denial regarding the gradual decline. It was actually more logical to believe the program was maintaining than to believe so much could be lost so soon.

It takes time to build a champion. Howard Schnellenberger needed four years. Jimmy Johnson lose five games year one, choked away a title year three and won his ring year four. Dennis Erickson inherited a juggernaut, bringing home two rings in three years, before leaving a third on the table and sending the program to probation.

Butch Davis needed five years to turn things around during probation and Shannon will need a few years to bring in his kids and clean up the mess Coker made. There is no quick fix here. It's not 'ground zero' but there's some serious structural damage.

Have faith. Realize it's a process. Miami will be back. Recruits are lining up, ready to put the Canes back on the map. Let nature take it's course. Things are gonna jell and a few Januarys from now, BCS games will be in the cards again. 

We've seen it before at The U. This is officially 'rebuilding mode'. Give it time, be patient, knowing you'll see it again.


.:Canes305:.

Stay classy, Urban Myth...

Yeah yeah, I know Miami fans really don't have a leg to stand on right now regarding busting on Florida. The Canes lost seven games this year and didn't make a bowl, while the Gators were a three-loss team entering bowl season as defending champs.

Toss in the media slurpfest of Heisman winner Tim Tebow and right now everyone outside of Gainesville is sick of all things UiF, so it's almost my duty to point out any anti-Florida nonsense I come across.

Everyone's least favorite coach Urban Meyer had some choice words after Michigan upset Florida in the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day. Steve Babik of the Gator Network attempted to interview The Myth about this being the last game for the 2007 senior class, their impact on the program and how hard it is to say 'goodbye'. The Myth responded with the following: 

"Well, for those guys who just put in their time and didn't make any real contributions, it's time for you to go. It won't be hard to say goodbye to some of those guys who just went through the motions. Now for those kids who actually bought into the program, and who made some sacrifices and contributions - you know, like Bubba Caldwell....he's a graduate of UF and had a great career - you'll really miss those guys. But just because you're a senior doesn't mean you have any value."

Hey Urban, tell us how you really feel! Seriously, I can almost 'get' where The Myth is coming from regarding frustration with kids who were recruited, on scholarship four years for football and failed to produce on the field. That has to be a big time frustration of most coaches in the game.

Now all that said, those comments should be filed under 'innermost thoughts'. Shooting off at the mouth and speaking the unspeakable a month before Signing Day? File that one under 'moronic'.

UiF recruits, there's some proof regarding how your future head coach values you if you aren't a superstar Gator. Screw your education, you have no 'value' unless you dominate on the field. Perform consistently or you're deemed worthless.

Sounds like a hell of a way to spend the next four years.

Stay classy, Urbie.