The latest at The U...

Geeks unite. NCAA Football 2010 is a few weeks away. Available on July 14th, it's not a bad way to kill some time this summer as we wait for the real thing, come Labor Day. Especially if you're doing that video game thing in high-def. I buy one game a year and this one is it. Checked out some screen shots/videos and I'm already thinking Tallahassee in early September. Can't wait.

I chatted with Evan Rosenfeld of Rakontur Productions yesterday. Evan is one of the guys who worked on the "Cocaine Cowboys" documentary and he's involved with the piece they're doing on the Canes, airing on ESPN early December after the Heisman trophy presentation.

I've read a bit online about this documentary and saw some Miami fans chatting about the intent of this piece. Because ESPN is associated, many fans assume there's an agenda there and that it will be an anti-Canes piece. According to Evan, nothing could be further from the truth.

Not only is everyone involved with this piece a U of M alumnus, but they're Canes fans as well and they're on a mission to clear the air and paint UM in a good light. Evan talked about wanting future recruits to see this piece, to understand the UM athletics culture and for this documentary to change people's perception of The U.

In an effort to make this a top flight piece, the Rakontur guys are covering all bases and they're putting out a call to Miami fans. If you have any interesting pieces of Hurricanes swag - they'd like to include them in this documentary. Vintage photos from yesteryear. Classic apparel. Memorabilia. The kind of item that would make even the most diehard Cane step back and say, "wow".

If it's a special piece, ESPN might even pay you a licensing fee and/or your name could wind up in the credits.

Any fan with some old school Canes garb, email me and I'll sync you up with Evan. Again, we're talking about something vintage here -- not a ticket stub from the 2001 season. Dig deep, people. Raid your parents' attic. We're talking early 1980s or older. Find it and get it to Evan and the crew.

That sound you just heard was a another state rival arrested for being an idiot. Florida State linebacker Maurice Harris was hit with grand theft auto on Monday. Harris was arrested after he was unable to explain his obtaining a motorcycle with an altered vehicle identification number and improper tag. Whoops. Harris was released on $3,500 bond early Tuesday morning and has since been suspended indefinitely.

I'm not here to throw rocks at these dirty Seminoles or Gators who have been arrested as of late. My issue lies in how these incidents are perceived by the media. Most of this news is swept under the rug. Sportswriters are too enamored with Tim Tebow to call out Urban Meyer for letting players run amok. The Tebow angle is a good subplot for college football and in Tallahassee, no one wants to paint the legendary Bobby Bowden in a poor light.

Andy Staples of CNNSI.com - a Florida grad, ironically enough - chimed in regarding his alma mater and some other SEC programs chock full o' hoodlums:

"The Gainesville Sun dug up some interesting numbers last week. During the same four-year period, Georgia has seen 30 players arrested. Tennessee has seen 21, Florida State 12 and Miami two. Yes, two. That might be the real under-reported story here. Turns out the Hurricanes are some of the NCAA's best citizens -- and that's probably because they know coach Randy Shannon will boot their butts if they misbehave."

If the media wants a real feel-good story this upcoming season, how about making Miami's LACK of arrests front page news? Shannon has turned things around, yet few are giving him the credit... which will most likely be the case until he starts winning ballgames. Meyer gets away with murder because he wins and conversely, Bowden is finally starting to feel some heat because his win-loss record isn't what it once was.

Former Canes running back Charlie Jones shared his thoughts with Shandel Richardson at the Sun Sentinel. Jones defended the 2004-2005 recruiting classes and blamed the decline on the decrease in family atmosphere and pressures that came from losing ballgames. 

"When I first came to Miami, I think the coaching was fine," said Jones, rated the nation's No. 5 running back while at South Dade High School. "There was no problem with it. We were learning something new everyday .... "They were always preaching family this and family that, but after coach Coker left, it wasn't a family. Everything changed. A lot of guys felt they were screwed over."

Jones transferred to Memphis after the 2007 season. In one breath he mentions staff turnover as the culprit, but truth be told Jones was frustrated over losing his starting job to freshman Javarris James and losing reps to the other back ups.

"Graig Cooper came to the University of Miami in the spring of 2007, and [the new coaches] put him first on the depth chart the first day of spring practice," Jones said. "Nobody had seen him play. I mean, they had only seen him on film."

This sounds like a case where Charlie should just pipe down, focus on where he's at today and attempt to turn his career around. A highly-touted back coming out of South Dade, Jones never lived up to the hype. His talk of players being "forced out" when Shannon "cleansed" the program. The belief that Shannon "screwed over" a lot of upperclassmen. It all reeks of sour grapes from a player who not only underachieved, but turned tail and left the program. 

Truth be told, Jones never had "it". His best year to date was a 507-yard campaign in 2005. Last year at Memphis, Jones ran for 255 yards on 53 carries and had a half dozen touchdowns. His most impressive outing, an 11-carry, 57-yard performance against Nicholls State.

Jones is a 23-year old kid, so I'll cut him some slack here. In time, maybe he'll have a better understanding for how the world works and why certain decisions are made. Right now, it's personal. He came to Miami and left frustrated, unwilling to shoulder any blame and quick to put the onus on a coaching shuffle instead of his lack or results.

Add this to the long list of what went wrong at The U the past few years, leading to the decline. I haven't heard a rant like this since Ryan Clement blamed past Canes for the probation his teams suffered through.

Miami Football Vault : The History of the Hurricanes

Occasionally I throw a shameless plug in here, though I try to save them for when they really count. This is one of those times. 

For those who've heard of the "College Vault Book" series, you know what I'm talking about. The University of Miami version of this book was recently released and it's one of those rare must-have items for the diehard Canes fan.

'Cane Mutiny' author Bruce Feldman provides the written content - the ultimate authority on all things The U. Over the span of 144 pages, this book packs an intense Hurricanes-themed punch, both visually and aesthetically. 

Opening with a spirited foreward from head coach Randy Shannon, the journey begins with a chapter entitled "Shaky Beginnings" and spans 1926-1947. Vintage images from yesteryear. Team photos. Game notes. This book goes as far as to even include replica programs, postcards, stickers... you name it. No detail was spared and the term "vault" is used appropriately. 

The first surfaces on page fifteen. a reprinted program from the January 2nd, 1933 "Gridiron Palm Festival" at Moore Park, where Miami took on Manhattan College. A page later, the first Orange Bowl program, a flyer, coaches' game notes and a reprinted Western Union telegram to Cane legend Walt Kichefski, offering him a scholarship to attend UM.

Every few pages, this scrapbook-style book features tangible bits of Hurricane history. It's almost impossible to explain.

The written word plays almost second fiddle to the smorgasbord of Miami memorabilia. The vintage image compilation seems like it took decades to compile. Every Canes book I've seen in my lifetime combined... every program or newspaper clipping I've come across... my handful of trips to the Tom Kerns Hall of Fame on campus... it still doesn't add up to what this book squeezed into twelve dozen pages.

For the semi-old school fans, things get interesting on page fifty-six when we get to "The State Of Miami" -- the 1977-1983 run which was inspired by Howard Schnellenberger -- complete with a bone-chilling quote from the Canes coach: "Some day we are going to win a national championship at Miami", a statement uttered back in 1979, when it seemed nothing more than a pipe dream. Who knew Howie was a prophet... 

A little factoid from page sixty, one of "10 Big Games Remembered" from that era : November 3rd, 1979 (Miami 26, Penn State 10) - Ten minutes before kickoff, Howard Schnellenberger informed redshirt freshman quarterback Jim Kelly he would be making his first start. The Pennsylvania native vomited repeatedly but then settled down to throw for 280 yards and three touchdowns against a star-studded Penn State defense, in front of a sellout crowd of more than 77,000 in Happy Valley.

That win was another step towards a Peach Bowl berth a year later, highlighted on page sixty-four with a replica game program and game ticket, accompanying the story of Miami's rise to prominence.

From there, arguably the most exciting era of Miami football is highlighted on page seventy-six in a chapter called "The U" Against The World, the 1984-1988 run with Jimmy Johnson at the helm and a cast of exciting, interesting characters who invented the word 'swagger'. More classic images, more commentary from Mr. Feldman and a replica Vinny Testaverde promo poster from his Heisman run. A page later, some replica game programs from the 1986 season in the form of postcards.

The "Miami Rules" chapter highlights the two National Championships of the Dennis Erickson era. More photos, replica programs, stickers and history from another amazing Canes run, complete with some Gino Torretta Heisman-related schwag.

"Hurricane Watch" goes into Butch Davis era, from probation to redemption to modern day. Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl images. Classic shots of Miami versus Florida State. Right up through the game-winning overtime catch reeled in by Aldarius Johnson at Virginia last season (screen shot below).

The final piece, an afterword by the legendary Ted Hendricks and a fitting way to wrap things up.

I'm absolutely geeked out over this book and I recommend it to all and any Canes fans. Great for the coffee table or the office, this is one of those things you'll pick up two dozen times and you'll find something new each and every experience. Decades of Miami history all in one place. Check out some of the screenshots below and click here if you're interested in ordering.

Recruiting: A Mid-June Hot Topic...

I'm not a fan of the circus college recruiting has become. I give that disclaimer every time I wind up writing any piece featuring the word 'recruiting', but it's true. That being the case, when Randy Shannon and staff are making some summertime moves, it deserves some discussion.

Verbal commitments are piling up, offers are being doled out and old is becoming new again. Resting on some post-championship laurels, Miami slacked half a decade ago. Summertime commits were few and far between. Everything Butch Davis preached in the late 90s, Larry Coker forgot within weeks of that early '03 robbery in the desert.

ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill chimed in regarding Shannon's new "old school" approach. Like Jimmy Johnson two decades back, his protege doesn't give a damn about player rankings. In 2009, a player's worth seems to be determined online instead of under the lights. At Miami it's not about padded stats - it's about competition, desire and production on the field.

"In my opinion, you've got to stay true to your own evaluation, your own blueprint," said Luginbill. "Don't worry about what everybody else is saying... but that's a very difficult thing to do."

Recruiting coordinator and former Miami defensive lineman Clint Hurtt took it a step further.

"I'll always take a kid that is highly productive in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County," said Hurtt. "If you give me a running back that runs for 1,000 yards in Florida, I'd take that over a kid that runs for over 2,500 in a lot of other states."

Safe to say there was a little dig there at almost-Cane and Kansas-bred tailback Bryce Brown.

Shannon and staff are not only focusing more effort on under the radar, non-overhyped kids -- but they're staying closer to home and putting the emphasis on local talent, which has always been Miami's bread and butter.

Offers are going out on a daily basis and kids are again hyped up about the Canes. While Florida has the most recent in-state success, kids who are high school seniors today all recall growing up on Miami. The dominance UM showed between 2000-2004 took place when next year's college freshmen were playing Pop-Warner and entering high school. Marcus Forston echoed that sentiment last year as a true freshman.

"The Canes were gladiators that never could get beat," said freshman Forston. "They always found a way to win. When I was growing up, those were my heroes, my role models."

Naples Lely High running back Darion Hall committed to Miami this past week, wanting to stay close to home and to be a part of something special. Other recent players offered - TE Clive Walford (Belle Glade), listing Miami as his #1. OL Brandon Linder (St. Thomas), who has 29 scholarship offers and is in contact with Jeff Stoutland on a weekly basis. Pahokee DB Raheam Buxton, wowed by the fact UM is such a small private school with an intimate environment.

Shannon has even sent Micheal Barrow into Gator Country in an effort to lure LB Kevin Nelson and DB Devont'a Davis to Coral Gables. Both grew up life-long Canes and want to attend the same college.

Cane coaches are looking out of state at Atlanta CB Darius Robinson, a three-star who wants to get his folks to campus for a visit - which is always Shannon's goal.

"They don't understand that Miami is a private school, that we only have 8,000 students. They think Miami is 40,000 students. That perception you have to knock down real quick," said Shannon.

"If we can get the parents on campus with the kid at the same time, I think we have an 80 percent shot that we're gonna get him."

Washington D.C. linebacker Javarie Johnson isn't a homegrown product, but he lists The U as his "dream school", which fits Shannon's criteria of Miami-style players.

Signing Day is over half a year away, so it's too soon to get over-excited about the potential influx of talent. The point to be made here is that Cane coaches are working tirelessly to rebuild this program and stockpile talent.

Weeks back, the Herald's Manny Navarro penned a piece that threw Cane Nation into a frenzy, stating that Miami was no longer top choice for a handful of local kids. UM local recruiting wall had supposedly been 'breached' and the fear was that the tide would turn on the recruiting front.

Based on the action we're seeing during these dog days of summer, I wouldn't bet on that happening anytime soon. Shannon, Hurtt, Barrow and the rest of this staff absolutely have their thumb on the pulse regarding what it will take to get the right kind of kids back on board.

2009 Nike Gear Rolling In...

I've received several emails this week about Nike jerseys and what's in stock. The #12 and #31 replicas are now in, as are a slew of other Nike items. Click here to check out the latest.

Regarding the authentic jerseys, it looks like #2 and #5 will be carried over from last season. Until Nike moves all those, they're not going to commit to new authentic jersey numbers. Just a heads up. Go Canes.

Maybe Nobody From The Sunshine State Had "It"...

Last week this time, Florida and Florida State were flying high; both hosting a Super Regional, facing supposedly 'lesser' competition and two wins from Omaha - while the Canes were sent packing in the opening round of post-season play.

Funny how much can change seven days later.

Miami's bid for a fifth national championship ended prematurely, causing a ruckus amongst the message board know-it-alls. Head coach Jim Morris has been shredded and some are calling for change, discarding the overall body of work and recent success, basing their frustration on one down year. Obviously, I disagree.

Morris has earned himself time to right the ship after an expected rebuilding year and while he might want to think about mixing things up regarding his staff, there is no one more cut out to run Miami Baseball than #3. The Canes have arguably one of the better coaches in the history of the game. 

Those quick to cast stones, get your facts in order and attempt to employ some logic. Miami rolled into Omaha 52-9 last June, behind the bats and leadership of Yonder Alonso, Jemile Weeks, Blake Tekotte, Adan Severino, Mark Sobolewski and Dennis Raben - none of which returned in 2009. On the mound, the Canes also lost Carlos Gutierrez and Enrique Garcia. The result? Eleven more losses this season and the inability to reach the Super Regionals for the first time since 2007. 

Welcome to college baseball, critics. 37-24 in 2007 and a year later, the No. 1 seed at the College World Series. A year after that, gone after four games in the Gainesville regional. It happens. 

Florida earns the No. 8 seed, brings a 42-20 record into the Super Regional and gets punked by No. 17 Southern Miss - at home as a favorite. The Golden Eagles are headed to their first College World Series and overcame a 6-1 deficit in the fourth inning, eventually taking the lead in the bottom of the eighth - down 6-4 to up 7-6 in the blink of an eye. The shell-shocked Gators went four up, three down and pissed away another shot at their first ring.

The day before, Florida State suffered a similar fate. No. 23 Arkansas had some come-from-behind magic of their own. Down 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth, a walk, single and double gave the Razorbacks a 9-8 win. A 45-16 pre-Super Regional record wasted and another 0-and-2 BBQ for Mike Martin, still title-less after all these years. The Gators and Noles didn't just lose both were swept at home with a CWS berth on the line. Nice work, guys. 

I won't deny that Miami's 2009 campaign was disappointing, but anyone who didn't acknowledge this was a rebuilding year was lying to themselves. The Canes overachieved early in the season, against lesser competition. When the meat of the ACC schedule was upon them, a 12-12 record from mid-April through the conference tourney. Last year over the same span, a 20-5 run and a 4-0 record in the conference tourney, en route to ACC Champs and a ticket to Omaha.

Florida and Florida State were both primed to make a run this year. Neither was in rebuild mode, both hosted two rounds of regional action and faceplanted. Some Cane fans might not take solace in that, but I do. The second best thing to winning is seeing your rivals not only lose, but squander important moments on the big stage. Miami also went 3-2 against Florida this year and 2-2 against Florida State, earning a right to have an opinion over this weekend's action. 

Thanks Gators and Noles for failing just when Canes fans needed it... and for those keeping score, it's stlll four titles to zero for our Gainesville and Tallahassee brethren.

According to Athlon, "We're # 35... We're # 35!"

Every year I say the same thing; I'm not going to get sucked into the preseason rags. Whether your team is on top or unranked, the commentary is arbitrary. One mag will have you a top your conference, another thinks you're middle of the pack. In one, your team boasts a few All-Americans and in another, you're completely void of talent.

Even worse, the fact that the writers in question barely scratch the surface regarding your preferred team. With 120 teams to rank, I'm sure it's difficult to legitimately break down and analyze every aspect of a program. Still, humor me. Get your facts straight. Learn a little about up and coming players or who a capable back up will be. Factor in the intangibles. Dig a little.

I know all this, yet every June I'm so starved for anything college football-related, I'll fork out the $7.99 for any and every publication I can get my hands on. First up this year, Athlon Sports - arguably one of my least favorites over the years.

Athlon ranks Miami #35 out of 120 programs and picks the Canes fourth in the ACC Coastal, behind Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Ouch.

Athlon makes reference of Mark Whipple taking over the Miami offense, though limiting this huge addition to a one sentence - "has a long history of success in college and professional football". When discussing Jacory Harris taking over, the sophomore quarterback is described as "not having the greatest physical skills in the world" though they mention he "minimizes mistakes" and "was a strong leader, even as a freshman".

The best could be yet to come from Graig Cooper... Javarris James needs to stay healthy... Six receivers return, but could be a year away from dominating... question marks at tight end... starting offensive line is good, but back ups are untested. Nothing we didn't already know, but definitely sounds like commentary from someone who doesn't follow the program.

Anyone who doesn't think that Aldarius Johnson and LaRon Byrd can't dominate year two, weren't paying attention last season. Both have "it" and both could be legitimate go-to threats in 2009. Also, no mention of the influx of talent at running back? Mike James has turned heads in practice and Lamar Miller should do the same when he arrives on campus. If you're going to hype what Bryce Brown 'might' do at Tennessee year one, why not show some other talented true freshmen backs the same love? Especially one who actually tore up spring practice.

An expected dig that Miami is on its fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons... though no explanation as to why. Randy Shannon promoted to head coach. The Tim Walton experiment failing year one. Bill Young headed back to his alma mater for his dream job, which led to the hiring of John Lovett.

Talent at defensive line, though no one has emerged yet... concern at linebacker, though a healthy Colin McCarthy and a solid year two from Sean Spence will help. An attempt at a dig regarding Darryl Sharpton being a man in the middle that "won't make anyone forget Ray Lewis or Jonathan Vilma", yet nothing about last year's superstar recruit Arthur Brown waiting in the wings behind Sharpton. In all the hubbub about Li'l Brown, the Tennessee-based Athlon forgot all about big brother.

Matt Bosher gets his props and Travis Benjamin was referred to as "the second coming of Devin Hester", which sounds sexy, but is a bit premature.

Regarding unit rankings within the ACC, Athlon graded Miami out as follows: Quarterback (9th), Running Backs (6th), Wide Receivers/Tight Ends (1st), Offensive Line (7th), Defensive Line (6th), Linebackers (3rd) and Defensive Backs (10th).

(Do I even have to note the inconsistency with ranking the receivers best in conference, yet a few pages later stating that they may be too experienced to make a difference this year? Go Athlon!)

The final analysis states that Miami is as talented as anybody in the ACC, but lacks the experience necessary to make a run at a conference crown. Logical on paper, I guess... but again, another stale analysis from outsiders who don't "get" what's going on.

I'm not really a betting man, but I'd gladly take the over on Miami finishing fourth in the Coastal Division. Any Athlon folk want in on that action?