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Rest In Peace, Luke DeBold...

2010-04-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Former Hurricanes' pitcher Luke DeBold lost his battle with cancer today. He would've turned thirty this coming June and is survived by his father Tom, mother Kay and sister Dawn.

Luke was diagnosed with a primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor with metastases in the lungs in March 2008 and has endured several bouts of chemotherapy along the way.

There isn't much online about this story. I read about it via J.C. Ridley, UM photographer, as he mentioned it on Facebook. I've since emailed J.C. to see if he can provide more information for the blog. We will post when we hear back.

Another one of those senseless life tragedies that can't be explained. Our condolences to the DeBold family and our prayers to all of those who knew and loved Luke.

Fine line between a series sweep and losing two

2010-04-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

I know when Miami and Florida State get together on the baseball diamond, it's always a dog fight. That said, it's been a while since I remember a series going down like this one.

The No. 9 Canes trekked to Tallahassee to take on the No. 6 Seminoles and after taking game one 6-5, UM lost the next two 8-7 and 7-6. Three one-run games are impressive in their own right, but how these games shook out - that's a completely different monster.

Trailing 4-1 after five in game one, Miami bats came alive in the middle innings, pushing the Canes to a 6-4 lead after six. UM's pitching remained strong on Friday night, giving up two hits the final five innings and most importantly, a three up/three down bottom of the ninth while clinging to a one-run lead.

On Saturday and Sunday, the complete opposite.

A 7-6 lead entering the Saturday's bottom of the ninth was gone within moments. Florida State stated at the top of the order, with Tyler Holt swinging at the first pitch from Daniel Miranda, singling to center. Stephen Cardullo worked the count and walked and Mike McGee reached on a fielding error, loading the bases before Miami could blink.

On Sunday, deja vu all over again. Down 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth, Florida State had the meat of their lineup ready to go. Miami's Sam Robinson walked leadoff batter Parker Brunelle. He was pulled in favor of Taylor Wulf, who quickly struck out Holt and Cardullo.

McGee, known as the "Hurricane Killer" came to the plate, worked the count and faced every boy's dream - 3-2 count, two outs, representing the winning run against your arch-rival and with the series on the line, smashed Wulf's pitch over the right center wall. 7-6, Noles win.

Some will blame pitching and the decisions made by the coaching staff, but when you lose two games by a total of two runs and strand 24 runners on base during that span, blame lies on bats going cold more than it does pitching not coming through.

It's a kin to those who blame the defense for breaking down in recent Miami football losses, when the offense continued going three and out, putting immense pressure on the D to keep the Canes in the game.

Jumping out to a 7-2 lead by the end of the fifth inning, only mustering up four more hits down the stretch and stranding five - that's how you lose ballgames. Florida State is a solid team. They're going to chip away at the stone, scoring more runs. A five-run deficit is surmountable, but the Canes had ample opportunity to push this thing out of reach, but didn't.

Sunday's rubber match had Miami leading 6-4 after six, outscored by Florida State 3-0 in the final two innings. Again the Canes went cold. One hit the final three innings and four left on base. Conversely, a two-run lead should've been more, with UM stranding eight between the second and sixth innings.

From a psychological standpoint, there couldn't have been a worse ending to this high-intensity, baseball-filled weekend. Halfway through Saturday, it looked as if the Canes had a legitimate chance to sweep Florida State (though in college baseball, that thinking is obviously premature).

A 6-5 Friday night win and Saturday 7-2 lead after five, the Canes were outscored 13-6 over the next thirteen innings.

Next up, what should be a Tuesday night breather against St. Thomas and a Wednesday night showdown with South Florida. Next weekend Maryland comes to town and following that, Barry visits for a three-game series.

Mid-May it gets hairy again with Miami playing three at Georgia Tech, ranked No. 8 in the current polls and after a one-game stand against Florida Gulf Coast, current No. 1 Virginia visits for the home finale.

Time for these newly ranked No. 16 Canes to get a little more grit as the 2010 regular season winds down. Mental meltdowns like the ones which took place this past weekend in Tallahassee - not exactly the mettle championship teams are made of.

Four Hurricanes headed to the NFL...

2010-04-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

A bittersweet day for Miami Hurricane fans as the concept of the NFL Draft has definitely lost its luster the past few years. But before going into that, a hearty congrats to Jimmy Graham, Darryl Sharpton, Jason Fox and Dedrick Epps, all of which are headed to the next level.

Graham was taken first (third round to New Orleans - 95th overall), followed by Sharpton (fourth round to Houston - 102nd overall), Fox (fourth round to Detroit - 128th overall) and Epps (seventh round to San Diego - 235th overall).

Available Canes not taken were Javarris James, Sam Shields, AJ Trump, Eric Moncur, Joe Joseph, Tervaris Johnson and Randy Phillips. Some of which have since signed on as free agents. (James to Indy... Shields to Green Bay... Trump to Pittsburgh... Joseph to Houston... Johnson to Kansas City.)

As much as I want to turn this into a rant - building a case for why Miami football has fallen into the lurch it's in, I'll avert the temptation to 'go there'. The proof is in the war room; where Hurricanes haven't been in the tips of many GMs tongues in a while.

Four Canes drafted in 2010 is the most since five Canes went in 2007. Three went in 2008, with Kenny Phillips the last Miami first rounder. In 2009, back up linebacker Spencer Adkins was UM's only pick; a sixth rounder. The last time a lone Cane was drafted? Cornerback Gene Coleman in 1980.

2009 proved to be the draft day low, just as 2007 was where Miami football, as we know it, bottomed out. Many gripe about that 5-7 start for Randy Shannon, on the heels of a 7-6 run that got Larry Coker fired. The new guy did worse than the old guy. Some couldn't get past that, but looking back Shannon lost out on three first rounders - Brandon Meriweather, Jon Beason and Greg Olsen - two of which have become Pro Bowl caliber players.

Addition by subtraction is part of the recipe when rebuilding, seeing players from yesteryear moving on while young, hungrier players awaited their turn. Four years back, Miami lacked the depth to replace superstars. These days the Canes are stockpiling the stars of tomorrow, the old regime now completely fazed out.

A program that's seen twenty-six first rounders since the millennium eventually got to a point where this year's first Cane off the board was a former-basketball-player-turned-tight-end with one year playing experience. That's not a knock on Graham in the least. It's simply proof how far a once mighty program has fallen, not to mention how easy a thirteen-year streak can be taken for granted.

Miami has a sure-fire first rounder in Allen Bailey next spring, while some others could play their way into a higher spot. One is a far cry from the six first round Canes seen in 2004 - but every journey starts with that initial step.

The on-the-mend Canes of the late 90s started with one. After a 9-3 season in 1998, Edgerrin James was the fourth pick of the 1999 NFL Draft. A year later Daniel "Bubba" Franks went number fourteen to Green Bay.

The Canes rolled to 11-1 in 2000 and sent four first rounders to the league months later - Dan Morgan, Damione Lewis, Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne. (It would've possibly sent two more had Ed Reed and Bryant McKinnie declared, as they were ready to before Butch Davis asked them to stay and win a title... before himself bolting.)

Five first rounders in 2002, four in 2003, a half dozen in 2004 and back to one in 2005. One in 2006. Three in 2007. One in 2008 (fittingly the final pick of the first round). None in 2009 or 2010.

Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas had 29 total players drafted this year; ten in the first round. For those keeping score, that's two national champions and two runner ups.

Even more telling, the Sooners went from title game front runner to 8-5 after losing future first rounders Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham front runners.

Merriweather, Beason and Olson may not have been as valuable as a Heisman-winning quarterback, but it helps justify a 7-6 to 5-7 slide in that Coker to Shannon transition. Though once a 'gimmie', first round talent is nothing to take for granted.

Congrats to the four drafted Canes, as well as the five who signed free agent contracts. This is your moment. Make the most of it.

The corner has been turned and after last year's draft day snoozer, Miami took one step closer to relevancy. Next spring a new first round streak begins.

Finally.

Time to get excited about Canes Baseball?

2010-04-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Thirty-six games in and the Miami Hurricanes are sitting at 27-9 and ranked No. 13, having picked up four straight wins. UM swept No. 21 North Carolina this past weekend after whooping Florida Gulf Coast, 9-0 last week, days after dropping the series at Virginia Tech.

At a distance, Miami has been good/not great in 2010. Swept Rutgers out the gate, but suffered an uncharacteristic loss a week later with a chance to close out Manhattan. After winning the first two games by a combined score of 25-4, the Canes were thumped 12-7 in the series finale.

A midweek 15-2 pounding of South Florida was followed by a 1-2 run against Florida the following weekend. The following week, a 19-2 beat down of Central Florida, followed by a 2-2 run the next four games, losing the opener to Boston College and the dropping one the following weekend against Fordham. Fourteen home games in just over a month and Miami had already dropped five at Mark Light.

A recent Manny Navarro blog was of the opinion that the '10 Canes are in much better shape than last year's squad. He wrote the article nine games ago when both teams had matching 20-7 records.

The current Canes were coming off a sweep of Wake Forest, in what would become a seven-game win streak, before dropping the series in Blacksburg and losing their then No. 9 ranking. The '09 Canes were ranked No. 2 last season when 20-7.

Navarro cites improved team chemistry, a deeper/healthier/consistent starting rotation and a stronger offensive attack as reasons for a deeper run this post-season.

As Miami runs towards the regionals, the schedule toughens up. The Canes got the lesser ACC foes out the gate, but closes strong with this year's heavy hitters - No. 6 Florida State, No. 4 Georgia Tech and No. 2 Virginia. After winning the ACC in 2008, Miami was run out after three games last spring and the March towards Omaha ended in the Gainesville regional where the Gators marched on.

After an early exit from Rosenblatt as the top seed two years back, and a punking at the hands of an arch-rival last season, this Miami squad should have chemistry and better be hungry. The window for the upperclassmen is closing.

Sunday's win over the Tar Heels could prove to be one of those season-defining moments (or at worst, a hell of an ending to an exciting game).

Cut short due to curfew, Miami entered the bottom of the eight down 7-5, knowing it was the final inning.

Zeke DeVoss cut it to 7-6 with a lead off home run and back-to-back walks put Frankie Ratcliff and Scott Lawson on first and second. Yasmani Grandal singled up the middle, loading the bases - but the Canes suffered a setback when Harold Martinez grounded into a double play. Lawson move to third and Ratcliff scored, tying the game with two outs. One pitch later Lawson scored on a walk-off wild pitch; Miami's second this year.

Lawson emphatically slapped home plate, later saying emotions got the better of him, knowing how bad his team needed this sweep. On paper that might not mean much, but for a team looking to bring it together during a tough stretch, the emotion showed could go a long way. The post-game, home plate pile up looked like something out of a Super Regional - not a mid-April conference game.

If you haven't tuned into UM baseball this year, now might be the time to start paying attention as there's a good chance this team has turned the corner. With the remaining meat on this schedule, Miami will be Omaha-tested before conference championship week. Three top six teams down the stretch - that's as close to a simulate College World Series experiment as you'll get during the regular season.

Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday night and then it's off to Tallahassee this weekend for a three-game stretch against Florida State. Tune in at 6pm ET.

Bill Clinton repping 'The U'...

2010-04-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Former president BIll Clinton was in South Florida over the weekend, giving a speech and helping some Miami Hurricanes and Dolphins rebuild a homeless shelter in Homestead.

Cool as the gesture was, still not as cool as seeing Slick Willie throwing up "The U" with a handful of current Cane players!

Thanks to Jimmy, Eric and Joe...

2010-04-17T13:20:00.001-07:00

Another signing session is in the books. Thanks to Jimmy Graham, Eric Moncur and Joe Joseph for dropping by today to meet and greet the Miami Hurricanes fans in attendance.

For those of you who couldn't attend, signed pics of #80, #94 and #91 are in stock for a limited time! Thanks to all who came out. Go Canes and good luck at the next level, fellas!

The Beast sits down with Bruce Feldman...

2010-04-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, Miami alum, accomplished author, ESPN.com columnist and all around good guy Bruce Feldman showered a lot of praise on the 2010 version of the Hurricanes.

We at allCanesBlog wanted to delve a little deeper, so our own Brian "The Beast" London sat dow with Bruce earlier this week, asking him to elaborate on the State of The U, the contract issues involving Randy Shannon, recruitment/development of players, how UM football alum feel about this crop of Canes, as well as what Miami has to accomplish for this to be deemed a successful season.

Thanks to Bruce for making the time. Check the link below for a good fifteen minutes inside the mind of friend-of-allCanes, Bruce Feldman.

For more on Bruce, check out his site, as well as his books - Cane Mutiny, Meat Market and The U of Miami College Football Vault. For more on The Beast, tune in at SoFloRadio.com.

More Randy Shannon contract talk...

2010-04-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

This time around it's Jorge Milian of the Palm Beach Post talking about the contract negotiation issues between the University of Miami and head coach Randy Shannon.

Milian states that one of UM's most recent offers remains in the $1.4M range, below the ACC media $1.75M paid the conference's 12 head coaches. He also points out that Butch Davis reels in $2.15M annually, sitting on a 20-18 record overall, while Shannon remains 21-17 overall, earning much less than his former boss.

Again AD Kirby Hocutt was quoted as stating that Shannon will remain Miami's leader for a "long, long time". For the detractors implying that UM is holding off, waiting to see how the 2010 season plays out - not the case. Randy is Miami's guy. The issue is money - not a 'wait and see' approach regarding the relationship and long-term future.

One more time, if Randy is Miami's guy, pay the man and let's end this standoff already:

Miami Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon awaits a new contract as punishing 2010 schedule nears
by Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post

CORAL GABLES — Where does Randy Shannon rank among the best coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference? That's open for argument.

What is irrefutable is that Shannon, who took over at the University of Miami in 2007, is the second-lowest paid coach among 12 ACC teams.

Shannon is entering the final season of his four-year contract, and while the coach and university officials insist a deal will get done this off-season — with one UM source saying something could be in place by Thursday, the start of an important recruiting evaluation period — so far nothing has been signed.

Any delay beyond the start of the 2010 season on Sept. 2 could provide a major distraction for a team that has a murderous three-game road trip scheduled — at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Clemson — after their opener against Florida A&M.

Shannon realizes the pitfalls that could befall his team if he enters the season as a lame duck.

"That's a tough thing during the season to go through," Shannon said. "You're going to get the question every day. If you're winning, the press is going to ask, 'Do they really want you?' And if you're losing, they're going to say, 'Well, the university doesn't want you.' It's a bad deal either way."

Orlando Alzugaray, the afternoon sports talk host on WQAM (560AM), said that 80 percent of his callers support Shannon receiving an extension. But that could change quickly if Shannon begins the season without an extension and the Hurricanes struggle out of the gate.

"That would put more heat on Randy Shannon than he already has," Alzugaray said. "The fans are expecting this team to take the next step and if they don't, the fan base is going to start expressing itself and saying they want to see a change.

"I'm already taking those phone calls. I've been taking those phone calls for the last year or two."

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations say that several proposals have been swapped between Neil Cornrich, Shannon's agent, and the university. One of the most recent offers called for an annual base salary of around $1.4 million. That remains below the ACC median of $1.75 million paid the conference's 12 coaches, a figure more in line with what Shannon's side has put forward.

The length of an extension — UM proposed three years and Shannon would like four — and terms of a buyout have also been obstacles.

But if you think the two sides are bickering more than a room full of Republicans and Democrats, that's not right, according to Shannon.

"Negotiating is always tough," said Shannon, whose paycheck surpasses only Boston College's Frank Spaziani, who just completed his first season with the Eagles, among ACC coaches. "You pull here, you pull there. But like I've said all along, it will get done. I have confidence in the university and (UM athletic director Kirby Hocutt). This is just how it is."

Supporters say that Shannon is deserving of a sizable bump in pay, pointing to UM's improving record, from 5-7 in 2007, to 7-6 in '08, and 9-4 last year. Shannon's backers point to former UM and current North Carolina coach Butch Davis, who is making $2.15 million a season even though he has a 20-18 record in three seasons with the Tar Heels. Shannon is 21-17 overall.

Detractors point to instances of poor game management by Shannon, including a time-out snafu at the end of the first half against Clemson last season that proved critical in the Hurricanes' 40-37 overtime loss. Others bash Shannon for UM's poor finishes in each of the past three seasons, including losing bowl games the last two years.

Some believe the lack of an extension has already hurt the Hurricanes in recruiting, hence the rush to get something done by Thursday, the start of a recruiting evaluation period that runs through May 31.

The 2010 recruiting class was easily the lowest ranked by Rivals.com and Scout.com among the four Shannon has overseen since he became coach.

"Their rivals are using everything at their disposal to get a recruiting edge on Miami," said Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. "If he's the guy that's going to lead the program, they need to get this done yesterday."

Shannon affirms his contract situation has been used against him by other coaches.

"I was getting murdered last year," Shannon said. "We filled our needs, but it was a challenge."

Hocutt, UM's athletic director, did not respond to messages seeking comment, but said recently that he was "confident that coach Shannon is going to be our leader for a long, long time."

Jimmy Graham ink at Yahoo! Sports

2010-04-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports recently penned the following piece on Miami Hurricanes basketball standout turned football star, Jimmy Graham. Check the article below and drop by allCanes on Saturday April 17th between 12pm and 1pm ET to meet #00 & #80.

Signed photos available on allCanes.com.

TE prospect adept at overcoming obstacles
by Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The muscles in Jimmy Graham’s sculpted neck and shoulders clench as his face gets darkly serious. As Graham sits in a restaurant roughly a mile from the University of Miami, where he played tight end last year after a four-year career there in basketball, he is getting ready to block.

The memories of his mother’s mistreatment of him, that is.

“I laugh when people say, ‘Oh, he’s a basketball player, let’s see if he’s tough enough [for the NFL],’ ” Graham said following a workout last Thursday. Earlier in the day, Graham met with Cleveland Browns tight ends coach Steve Hagen, one of many NFL types to take interest in him of late. “They don’t understand what I’ve been through.”

For most of an hour-and-half long conversation, Graham’s otherwise positive nature comes sparkling through. He is a story in achievement, a poor kid who bounced from one residence to another and was even placed in a group home by his mother. He was once a failing student as a freshman in high school in Goldsboro, N.C., yet went on to graduate college in four years with a double major in business and marketing.

At his graduation in May 2009, Graham received special recognition from UM for overcoming obstacles. He stood next to school president Donna Shalala, who had taken such an interest in Graham that she even advised him to give football a chance.

“You could see that he was passionate about what he was doing when he played basketball,” Shalala said. “He played with everything he had … he has a kind of inner spirit that, deep down, you get the feeling he thinks he’s the luckiest guy on earth.

“He loved school, loved going to class, loved playing, the whole thing. He didn’t just come here to play sports. He came here for the whole experience – sometimes you take chances on young people from troubled backgrounds and it doesn’t work out. Sometimes you take a chance and you get Jimmy Graham.”

Now, Graham stands roughly two weeks from turning his one season of college football into perhaps being a second- or third-round pick in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Graham, who ran a stunning 4.50 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, has a couple of lingering questions to answer for people around the league.

Can he parlay his superior athleticism into being another Marcus Pollard(notes) or Antonio Gates(notes), college basketball players who thrived as NFL tight ends? Can he make it through the rigors of the professional game, which is as much mentally draining as it is physically? Can he simply take a hit?

Graham doesn’t dismiss those questions. They are fair and his football résumé is too short for concrete answers. That said, there’s no pain he hasn’t felt already.

True adversity

Try as he may, there is no blocking out the memory of him falling asleep in the backseat of his mother’s car when he was 11 years old, then waking up at a group home to find his mother signing the papers to give him away, his older sister crying and yelling for his mother not to do it. There’s no forgetting his mother leaving after dropping off his clothes and belongings in a pair of garbage bags. Or the picture etched in his mind of him trying not to cry that night as he stayed in a room with two boys who were both at least two years older. Or how he was beaten again and again by the other boys, all of them older and some well on their way to delinquency.

One time, as 15 of the boys sat in a van during a field trip, the adults from the group home stopped, got out and left the children alone. One by one, the older boys took turns punching Graham until the biggest of them, a kid Graham remembers as Danny, readied to take his shot. As Danny loaded his fist, Graham decided to go pre-emptive, hitting the bigger kid first.

The first-strike set off a reaction. The rest of the kids wailed on Graham, pinning him beneath one of the bench seats. The last thing he remembered was Danny’s knee pinned against his temple. He heard a crack before the adults returned to break it up.

“I was in bed for like four days after that,” said Graham, who has never met his real father even though he’s named after him. “I called my mom to tell her. ‘Mom, I’m really hurting.’

“ ‘Sorry, I can’t do anything for you,’…” Graham said, mimicking his mother’s response and then hanging up an imaginary phone.

Graham’s dysfunctional family story is a common theme in the NFL. From Jason Taylor(notes) to Jeremy Shockey(notes) to Chad Ochocinco(notes), there are plenty of prominent players who have come from broken families.

For most of the others, there seems to be someone in their family who stood up for them. For Taylor and Shockey, it was their mothers. For Ochocinco, his grandmother.

Graham never found that kind of support until he left his family. His “grandmother” (Graham refers to the mother of his former stepfather that way) once told him in all seriousness, “Boy, you better learn to beg for quarters,” implying that he had no hope for a successful future.

Graham wasn’t just literally the redheaded stepchild. He was the redheaded stepchild who was also the product of a black father and white mother in a family where tolerance wasn’t a high priority.

“My grandmother was pretty racist,” Graham said.

After his mother divorced his stepfather when he was 9, she left him with the stepfather for a year. After she took Graham back, she gave him up again when her boyfriend, who Graham said beat him on occasion, told her to dump him.

“Here I am, 11 years old, and I had more common sense about who this guy was than my mother,” said Graham, who spent a year in the group home before his mother came back to get him. “It ends up that he was married, too, cheating on his wife with my mom the whole time.”

Graham isn’t looking for sympathy, just stating the facts at this point. These days, his connection to his mother is tenuous. They talk once every couple of weeks and Graham has a wall of mental blockers up against her.

“I tell her, ‘I forgive you, but I’ll never forget,’ ” Graham said.

Finding salvation via hunger

Graham’s thirst for emotional support as a child was quenched through his literal hunger. When he was a freshman at Eastern Wayne High School, he started attending a small church run by the family of a school friend.

“They were giving out food and I was hungry,” Graham said with a smile and a chuckle. “Hey, free food, I’m there.”

At the church, Graham met Rebecca Vinson, a youth counselor. As time passed, they talked and Graham shared tidbits about his life. Other clues were obvious.

“He’s showing up in the middle of winter in a tank top, shorts and shoes that had a bunch of holes in them,” Vinson said. “No one would choose to dress that way.”

The tipping point in their relationship was a prayer meeting the kids had one day. There were the typical requests by one kid after another: Say a prayer for my sick grandmother. Keep my aunt in your thoughts. Hope God looks over my cousin.

Then came Graham: Keep me from having to go back to a group home. My mom is thinking about sending me back there.

“He was petrified,” said Vinson, who quickly offered to take him in. “It was one of those moments that just snaps you up. How do you hear that, close your eyes, pray and then go home and think you never heard this and don’t do something?

“You could see potential in Jimmy. It was there. He just needed somebody to tell he could do it, that he was capable.”

Really, that’s all Vinson had to give at the time. This is not like Michael Oher(notes) running into some benevolent, rich family. Vinson, now 37, was struggling herself. A veteran of the first Gulf War after enlisting in the Navy as a teenager, Vinson had a young daughter she was raising on her own while going to nursing school and doing an internship. She lived in a single-wide trailer in a terrible area. By her estimate, she made roughly $3,000 on odd jobs the first year after Graham moved in.

“I was beyond poverty,” Vinson said.

“There were times she’d come back and say, ‘OK, what do we want, water or electricity, because I don’t have money to pay for both?’ ” Graham said.

While things got better after Vinson got a nursing job making roughly $50,000 her first year, life still wasn’t easy for Graham.

“My first year in high school, the first semester was really easy. They had me in all these easy classes so I’d stay eligible for football,” Graham said. “Then, I’m taking real classes. I get my first report card and it’s all F’s. I showed it to Rebecca and she got on me. It was school work first and I just worked every day.”

Graham’s focus on education became simple. He saw what a nursing degree did for Vinson. The same could happen for him. Even as he grew to be a top 100 high school recruit in basketball by his senior year – the school he transferred to didn’t have a football team – he kept his focus on getting a degree.

But even after graduating and getting a scholarship to Miami, Graham was barely getting by.

During his first semester at Miami, all he had for bedding was a sheet. He slept on the plastic cover of the bed, using the sheet as a blanket. Finally, a girl from the women’s basketball team made him a blanket.

Through all the shortcomings, Graham stayed focused with Vinson’s help.

“This kid has been through hell on earth,” Vinson said. “Most kids who grow up in an environment like that, they don’t make it or they go the other way. You have to be beyond tough, stuff that most adults don’t understand.

“It cracks me up when I hear people wonder about his toughness. He’s tough enough for football and anything that he wants to achieve in his life.”

The longer Vinson talked, the closer she got to breaking down in tears, her voice quavering.

“I love him as if he’s my own child,” said Vinson, who attended Graham’s graduation. Graham’s mother and other family members did not.

“I can’t imagine my life without Jimmy. My life is better because he’s in it … sitting at his graduation, I was a complete wreck. I was crying and words can’t describe how proud I was of him.

“I hope for the rest of my life, I never forget that feeling. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.”

Hardwood to gridiron

There are strong indications Graham has the right temperament for football. As he likes to point out, he had more personal fouls than made baskets during his college hoops career.

In fact, it’s not real close. As a power forward who specialized in rebounding and defense, Graham channeled the spirit of Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer, piling up 277 career fouls and 201 career baskets. At one point in a three-game span of his freshman year, Graham had 11 fouls in 30 minutes of game action.

“When you watched him play [basketball], he played more like a football player playing basketball,” UM head strength and conditioning coach Andrew Swasey said.

“He took more charges than anybody else on our team,” said UM basketball coach Frank Haith, whose team made the NCAA tournament when Graham was a junior and the NIT his senior year. While the Hurricanes went 20-13 last season, Graham’s absence was obvious to Haith.

“We missed his leadership, toughness and aggressiveness. All the little things that don’t show up in the stats that go into a team winning, he did that. … Jimmy could have been a better scorer, but he loved defending and rebounding,” Haith said. “No question, he’s my favorite player I ever coached because he was selfless … as a coach, those are the guys you love.”

Graham’s lunch-pail/enforcer mentality also played well when he showed up for football. This wasn’t some trash-talking hoops guy who thought he could walk onto the gridiron and dominate.

“That’s what the football guys appreciated most about him,” Swasey said. “He didn’t come in looking for a bunch of attention or talking about himself.”

Early on, the football coaches had to repeatedly tell him not to tackle people in practice. First of all, this was just practice. Second, he was playing offense, so it wasn’t really the point of what he was supposed to do.

Graham, who turned down several six-figure-a-year offers to play basketball in Europe, was also smart enough to know what he didn’t know about football. He hadn’t played since freshman year in high school and even back then didn’t do much more than get by on athleticism.

“I didn’t try to take it all on in one day because that was never going to work,” said Graham, referring to the small details such as hand placement, reading coverages and running routes. “I broke it down into little parts then did each part one day and then worked on the next part.”

It took awhile for all the parts to come together. The season opener at Florida State was a prime example. On the first throw to him, Graham looked back at the ball and went into basketball mode.

“He blocked out the guy defending him,” Swasey said, laughing. “He looks back for the ball and goes for the block out instead of jumping for the ball. The pass sails right past his head. It was hysterical. We were all laughing.”

By the end of the season, Graham made enough progress that he finished with 17 catches for 213 yards and, most importantly, five touchdowns. With his size and speed, NFL scouts, coaches and executives see X’s and O’s dancing in their head.

The Detroit Lions have shown serious interest in him, resulting in head coach Jim Schwartz spending a lot of time with Graham personally.

“He was talking about using me in a four-receiver set with me and [tight end Brandon] Pettigrew in the slot to help out [quarterback Matt] Stafford,” Graham said. “[Schwartz] said they want to do everything they can to help out Stafford.”

Plenty of other teams have similar thoughts.

“Trust me, this kid is climbing the charts in the draft,” an NFC general manager said. “You watch him from the beginning to the end of the season and the progress is unreal. He completely looks like a football player by the end.”

As Graham drove around Miami after his meeting with Cleveland, former UM and NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar calls for a full rundown of the day. Kosar, who still has strong ties to the Browns from his days with the team, wants to know every question the Browns asked and wants a review of the answers. Kosar, in fact, is one of the first to prep Graham.

Last spring, after Graham decided to play football, Kosar began driving three days a week from his home in Fort Lauderdale to the UM campus to throw passes to Graham and then talk about reading coverages.

“Bernie was telling me before I even got on the field that he thought I could be a big-play threat in the NFL,” Graham said. “Hearing that from a guy like him, man, you don’t know what that does to your confidence.”

Truth is, a little support is all Graham has ever really needed. He craved it desperately as a child and drinks it up now.

“He just needed somebody to tell him he’s OK and you see what’s happened,” Vinson said.

There’s plenty of residual damage when it comes to trust. Graham admits that his circle of friends is very tight, including roughly a half-dozen people he has met since high school. None of them are from before he went to live with Vinson. Forming relationships, particularly with women he wants to date, is a careful process.

“I tell every woman I meet, ‘If you’re interested in getting married, you better move on, I’m waiting a long time,’ ” Graham said. “I’m thinking probably 32. It started off at 30, but now it’s going up … and if a woman comes up to me wanting to go out, no that’s not happening. I have to pursue her.”

Graham puts his hand up slightly as he says that, putting up another block. His shoulders and neck don’t clench this time, but the line is still drawn. Graham is ready to protect himself from the pain.

And he’s willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.

“The level of appreciation this kid had for what he’s got was amazing,” Haith said. “This is a kid who easily could have been angry and taken it out on everybody around him. He never did. Instead, he just worked and worked and worked.”

Funny how the money was there in 2006...

2010-04-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my main man Dave Hyde for continuing to point out little tidbits that others let slide.

In a recent Sun Sentinel piece, he had a blurb about the much discussed contract status:

"Before Miami offered Shannon the job, it offered $2.2 million a year to Rutgers' Greg Schiano. He declined, obviously waiting on Penn State to open."

So... $2.2M was fair market value for a guy who pulled an 11-2 Cinderella season out of his arse in 2006, yet hasn't sniffed a Big East title and strung together seasons of 8-5, 8-5 and 9-4 since.

>>> Regarding 2009, Rutgers' nine wins came against Howard, FIU, Maryland, Texas Southern, Army, Connecticut, South Florida, Louisville and UCF. The Bulls were the highest-ranked team the Knights beat, at #24 in mid-November.

>>> In 2008, only one ranked foe on the schedule, #17 Pittsburgh, which Rutgers beat. The other seven wins came against Morgan State, Connecticut, Syracuse, South Florida, Army, Louisville and NC State.

>>> 8-5 in 2007 came with wins against Buffalo, Navy, Norfolk State, Syracuse, South Florida, Army, Pittsburgh and Ball State.

>>> An upset of No. 3 Louisville made Schiano's name in 2006, en route to 11-2. The other ten wins were against North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Howard, South Florida, Navy, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse and Kansas State.

Schiano deserves credit for turning Rutgers into a decent Big East team after years of being a perennial doormat. Kudos to him for the impressive turnaround... but $2.2M to take the reigns at The U after one good season? An absolute joke.

Schiano posted a 25-14 record the past three years, again inferior talent (compared to what Miami faced) while Shannon put together a 21-17 run over the same time, against better competition.

One last time, for whoever is listening, agree to terms and pay the man his money.

Another allCanes signing session on deck...

2010-04-08T13:58:00.001-07:00

Another signing session is on deck. This time around it's Jimmy Graham, Eric Moncur and Joe Joseph are headed in on Saturday April 17th from 12pm to 1pm ET. As always we'll have mini helmets, footballs and 8x10s available for signature.

Those who can't make it in, you can preorder any of the aforementioned items at allCanes.com and during the checkout process, let us know in the 'comments' section if you'd like something signed.

Any other questions, email us or call 800.226.4247.

Some fans DO see the forest for the trees...

2010-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Like a moth drawn to an open flame, or a bored housewife perusing the gossip mags at the grocery store checkout, for some reason I still read the Miami Hurricanes message boards to see where this fan base remains divided.

For the most part, it remains drivel. The same old arguments spun in different ways. Folks who don't support Randy Shannon spend every ounce of energy they have trying to build a case against the man, while the pro-Randy crowd finds themselves talking to a wall when attempting to prove their points.

Thankfully there are some good posters out there, fighting the case and seeing the forest for the trees. They can admit how far the program fell under Larry Coker and realize the uphill battle a private school like Miami would face, rebuilding against big time state powers with endless athletic budgets and high-price head coaches.

I came across a spirited rant on one of the message boards and felt the need to post here. Its author made some good points regarding Shannon, what was inherited, fair market value (regarding salary), improvement as well as desirability. Read on (edited for content and clarity):

"You dont have to be a mindless follower regarding Randy's resume. A reply for many of you people who insist on making idiotic comments in an effort to sound like you know whats happening. You're embarrassing yourselves for no reason.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but when you fabricate truths and twist facts to support your opinions, that's where a problem lies. Take facts and then form your opinion. There is no reason to twist facts to validate your opinions.

For those who insist on saying there is no market for Randy outside of Miami, you are too lazy to look around the world of college football for fear it wouldn't support your opinion.

Lane Kiffin (5-15 at Oakland and 7-6 at Tennessee) can land a $2M plus incentives contract at USC, Turner Gill (20-30 at Buffalo) landed a $2M contract at Kansas and Derek Dooley, 17-20 lifetime as a head coach before landing the Tennessee job (at an annual salary of $1.8M for a sub .500 record).

Common sense should tell anyone who's open minded that there is clearly a trend in college football. A trend that shows there are some coaches being hired to big time programs and given big time money with less-than-impressive credentials.

Not only are the credentials less-than-impressive, their resumes all show overall losing records.

Randy's team beat more ranked opponents last year than any team in the nation except Alabama. Randy's win/loss record has also increased/improved each of his three years as head coach.

He's done an excellent job replenishing the talent on the roster, to the point where national college football writers and "experts" feel that Miami is in position to be a team in the discussion for this year's national title contenders. Are there question marks? Absolutely. But every team college or pro has their share of questions.

Randy's local ties to South Florida are very attractive to other schools. Imagine Randy recruiting without having strict academics to worry about or imagine him recruiting for a school that didn't have a "checkered past", where he could operate a little more outside the lines.

Randy has put together an excellent resume as a defensive coordinator. He has NFL coaching experience, played in the NFL and has made football his life - just like all the other great ones. Bill Parcells. Jimmy Johnson. Joe Gibbs. In many cases it cost some guys their families, but you cannot deny their passion for the game and their job. Employers love that type of spirit.

Randy isn't Jimmy Johnson, but JJ wasn't thought of as a great coach his first three years at Oklahoma State, where he went 17-16 and didn't win his first bowl game until year five as a head coach.

Jimmy lost his first three bowl games at UM - further proof these things take time when you hire a first time head coach or take over at a big time program.

There is zero argument that Randy is a better coach today than he was in year one. Some will disagree, but to imply there is no market for him outside of South Florida, you need to come up with a better argument regarding both him and this contract situation.

For those who still don't want to believe, a reminder that Randy could've been the "coach in waiting" at Texas instead of Will Muschamp, the defensive coordinator waiting in the wings for Mack Brown to step down.

Miami needs to pay FAIR MARKET VALUE for Randy's new contract. Hell, use the three guys mentioned earlier as the model because there's no reason Shannon shouldn't be paid like Kiffin, Gill and Dooley.

It would really be a shame for UM to ruin these past three years of rebuilding. The talent is finally returning and we have reason to excited about this upcoming season.

If this contract isn't ironed out quickly, the 2011 recruiting class will make the 2010 class look like a Pro Bowl team."

Our spunky friend makes some strong points, though he went a little over the top at times. Most notably, the 'head coach in waiting' prediction. True, Shannon could've would up at Texas instead of Muschamp, but that doesn't mean he'd have been groomed to be the next Longhorns head coach.

Muschamp is a good ol' boy from Georgia, who did his time at LSU and Auburn (to name a few), before landing in Austin. Without playing the race card, this is Texas we're talking about and there are only a handful of African American head coaches in the game. Whether Randy would've made a name for himself at UT, we'll never know... so it can't be assumed he'd be in the same position as Muschamp. (Plus, Muschamp hasn't gotten the job. Until he takes over, it's speculation. Big money UT can obviously afford to buy out that contract if need be.)

Other than that, it's hard to argue his points.

USC, Kansas and Tennessee had zero issue paying their inexperienced, unproven coaches fair market value. Kiffin went 7-6 at Tennessee last year, with some bleeding heart anti-Randy folk actually praising his Lane's efforts last year for getting the most out of his team... while Randy still takes grief for 9-4.

Gill had some eventual success at Buffalo and Dooley did some good at Louisiana Tech, but both commanded hefty paydays in their first stints at big time programs. (Another guy that could've been added to the list was Virginia's Mike London, whose only head coaching experience came at Richmond - a program former coach Dave Clawson had already turned around.)

Forever lost on Miami's fan base, the situation Shannon inherited. What was referred to as a "checkered past" above was actually an all time low regarding the modern era of Canes football in 2006. The Louisville logo stop. The FIU brawl. The Bryan Pata murder. A four-game losing streak. A fired head coach - Miami's first in three decades. A bowl game in Boise on a blue field.

People also forget Shannon's ability to shine even while the program around him crumbled. Our friend points acknowledges that while Coker's teams fell apart offensively down the stretch, the defense continued to shine nationally - 6th (2001), 7th (2002), 3rd (2003), 28th (2004), 4th (2005) and 7th (2006) - often bailing out a stagnant offense that couldn't sustain drives.

For those who lump Shannon in as a holdover who was part of the problem, he's proven his mettle as a recruiter since taking over as head coach. Coker's recruiting woes between 2004-2006 aren't on Shannon. Every coach has their share of misses, but the overall recruiting culture under Coker was in shambles - right down to not even having a recruiting coordinator.

All of this is the polar opposite of what Coker inherited half a decade prior and a much darker situation that Kiffin, Gill, Dooley or London will face in their new jobs - while making more than Shannon.

The buzz has returned around UM. ESPN's Bruce Feldman compares the talent and depth to what Southern Cal saw a few years ago - again, a far cry from the team that was suiting up punter Brian Monroe as a back up wideout or one that saw starting quarterback Kirby Freeman going 1-of-14 in one of his handful of starts.

Hopefully as this new season gets closer, folks can start seeing the Miami program - and Randy Shannon - for what it is. Personal bias, illogical timetables and overblown expectations - it's time to let is all go. Appreciate this program's grown on Shannon's watch and get ready for another step forward this coming year.

More importantly, enjoy the ride. This is again a good time to be a Canes fan. The last few years were brutal and while Miami isn't necessarily "back" - regarding this program's standards - The U is on it's way.

Keeping fighting the good fight, you handful of logical message board enthusiasts out there.

The Beast: Spring Wrap Up...

2010-04-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hopefully by now you've taken the time to listen to my interview with Randy Shannon Hey you cool kids in Hurricane Nation, sorry it's been so long. For me, the last week or two has been about family. My parents have been down and my wife - a teacher - and my son have been off of school so it's been nice to play son, husband, and dad for a while. But, I owe you guys my thoughts on spring.

Spending time with my family made me realize how special we have it as UM fans that we belong to another family aside from our own at home. The U Family is a strong and powerful one and if any one thing is going to get this team back to the promised land, it's going to be that. Why?

1. Look, there is, without a doubt, a bunch of talent on this team, especially at the MONEY skill positions. However, talent alone does not win titles. Thanks to parity, there are a lot of talented teams out there. It's a matter of chemistry and who plays best as a team and a family.

2. Pay attention to all the recruiting articles you read - one of the most reoccurring things expressed by visiting recruits is that they are impressed by Miami's "family atmosphere". Not only is family important regarding this current team reaching their peak, but it's equally as important in keeping the stockpile of talent fresh and the next generation of players on board.

I know recently there have been a bunch of "experts" coming to the conclusion that Miami is close to being "back". Do I agree? Maybe it's the Boston cynic in me, but I'm not ready to proclaim this team ready to dominate quite yet.

Would I be incredibly surprised if this team went out there next year and reeled off win after win? 100% NO!

What I will remind you is the outlook Randy Shannon had on this program and his words when he landed that monster class in February 2008, led by Jacory Harris and a slew of Northwestern Bulls, as well as other top local talent.

Randy made it clear then that when that class reached their junior year, THAT'S when they would finally make an impact.

Guess what, they're all juniors this fall and we're about to see if Randy's prediction comes true. Time to stop living off old high school glory and to become those next-level, mature college football superstars.

There's a pretty good list of guys that need to start putting it together - starting with Jacory. I know he was hurt last year, but it's time to become that smart quarterback we know he can be, making less mistakes and more big time plays. Whether all those deep throws were at the urging of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple last year, or not, this team needs a 12-yard reception more than it needs a 40-yard interception.

As for Harris' go-to targets, LaRon Byrd and Aldarius Johnson have to become more consistent. As juniors, these guys need to be rock solid. The time for rookie mistakes has come and gone. It's no longer about "potential", it's about "results".

Same goes for the offensive line. Orlando Franklin and Joel Figueroa have to be leaders, not just serviceable players. Richard Gordon remains that prime example of an 'athletic freak' that needs to finally become a football player.

On defense, Sean Spence needs to become the boss out there, like many great Miami linebackers of yesteryear. The Canes have always had a key linebacker who was in charge. Micheal Barrow. Nate Webster. Dan Morgan. Jon Vilma. Miami needs a great linebacker to command the defense.

DeMarcus Van Dyke. Enough said. Another 'potential' guy that needs to make it happen this year.

The list goes on and by now you get the point. If the aforementioned guys come through and rise to the occasion, this could be a very special team. Should the maturation process now go off as it should, the advancement could be slower than most of us want.

A few more random thoughts to ponder as we go off into the off season:

1. Can UM please sign Randy to a fair, market value deal already? This is taking too long, it's impacting recruiting and it's time.

2. GO BUY SEASON TICKETS. If you live anywhere in South Florida, you have almost no excuse. You can get season tickets for as little as $99. As broke as I am, even I can scrounge that up. Take some pride in your school - whether you attended or adopted The U - and go to the games this year. Enough is enough.

As we progress in the offseason, let's not let the drought of football take our minds off of our favorite game. I know I won't. Over the next few weeks I'll be kicking out some interviews with media members, local and national, maybe some alum and other surprise guests.

If you have questions, email me and I'll do my best to take a stab at them and get them answered. Until then ... Go Canes!!

Brian "The Beast" London is one of the foremost insiders on all things Miami Hurricanes. He was on the Canes broadcast crew for more than a decade. He hosts a daily online radio show on www.SoFloRadio.com.

Cast your vote for CWS Legends Team...

2010-04-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Make sure you click here to vote for the CWS Legends Team. More info can be found in the release below. The University of Miami has three candidates in the running - Pat Burrell (third base), Alex Cora (shortstop) and Jim Morris (head coach).

INDIANAPOLIS---To commemorate the final Series being played in Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium during the 2010 Men’s College World Series, the NCAA is asking baseball fans to help select the College World Series Legends Team.

The Legends Team will represent those student-athletes who had the best CWS performances throughout the 60 years the event has been played at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The team will consist of 27 members: two former student-athletes per fielding position, four pitchers, two designated hitters, three head coaches and two “utility players”. The utility players will be determined after fan voting has completed, and will represent those student-athletes deserving recognition who may not have been selected by fans, media and coaches at a particular position.

“We could not think of a better way to celebrate the rich history of Rosenblatt Stadium and the fans that have made the NCAA College World Series the signature event it is than providing those who have long-supported the Series with the opportunity to select the College World Series Legends Team,” said Dennis Poppe, NCAA vice president for baseball and football.

The 95 nominees include every former student-athlete who was voted onto a previous CWS anniversary team (25th, 50th and all-decade teams), as well as individuals who played in the last 14 years as determined by a blue-ribbon panel from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the Omaha World-Herald and NCAA staff.

“It’s really remarkable when you stop and think about all of the great student-athletes who have participated in the College World Series for the past 60 years at Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium,” said Jack Diesing Jr., president of College World Series of Omaha, Inc. “CWS fans have come to love and appreciate the passion these student-athletes brought to the Series, so it is appropriate that the fans have this opportunity to help select the CWS Legends Team.”

The nominees and how to vote can be found by logging on to NCAA.com/cws, and each person logging on to vote will only be able to submit their votes one time. Voting for the team is to be based solely on the former student-athletes’ performance when they were competing in the NCAA College World Series, and not for any regular season or post-collegiate performances.

The final CWS Legends Team roster will be announced in early May.

Those CWS Legends Team members will be invited to attend the final College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium as guests of the NCAA. The members will be formally honored during the CWS Opening Ceremonies on Friday, June 18, and invited to attend the first day of CWS competition on Saturday, June 19.

Tickets for the 2010 NCAA Men’s College World Series go on sale April 3 and can be purchased by calling or logging on to www.ticketmaster.com. For more information on the Legends Team and the 2010 Men’s College World Series, log on NCAA.com/cws.

Thoughts on Barry Jackson's thoughts...

2010-03-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson always does a good job breaking down the nitty gritty regarding what's going on at The U. His piece this morning analyzed the ins and outs position-wise as spring ball is underway. His comments below, with our thoughts, as well.

• Defensive line: Only Allen Bailey is set as a starter. Andrew Smith (five sacks in three scrimmages) was the other starting end in Saturday's spring game, with Adewale Ojomo and Steven Wesley on the second team, and Marcus Robinson, Olivier Vernon and Dyron Dye behind them. How many ends will rotate? "Four for sure, and maybe more," assistant Rick Petri said. Ojomo could beat out Smith.

At defensive tackle, Micanor Regis was "consistently dominant," Ojomo said. "He could be an All-American if he keeps this up." Petri said he also is "very happy" with Curtis Porter. Injured Marcus Forston and Josh Holmes "are critical," Petri said; those four should be UM's best tackles. Petri has made a difference; players rave about him.

Great comments about the defensive line and the fact that depth and talent are returning - it means Miami as a program is one step closer to returning. All past great Hurricane teams have had dominant defensive lines - something that's been missing since the 2003 season. Who is the next Vince Wilfork or Jerome McDougle? Even if there has been the occasional standout, where have the other guys been? One dominant lineman will get doubled-teamed. You need four monsters out there creating havoc, while capable back ups are ready to go at a moment's notice.

The addition of Rick Petri is huge in so many ways. Starting with Petri's experience and resume, he's a great addition and will make this a tougher bunch, while getting more out of the younger guys in a way that past coaches might not have.

Furthermore, another feather in Randy Shannon's cap regarding the staff he's building. When you look at 2007, it was an unproven first-year coach taking over a sticky situation. Not exactly an easy sell to assistants who rightfully wanted to see if Shannon was going to be around a few years.

Patrick Nix was Shannon's fourth choice at offensive coordinator and Tim Walton was given a chance to prove he could run the defense. He couldn't and was let go after one season. Nix lasted two years before Shannon pulled the plug.

The experienced Bill Young lasted one year before understandably heading back to his dream job at Oklahoma State. He was replaced by veteran John Lovett, while Mark Whipple got on board in the post-Nix era, turning the Miami offense around in one season. For all the new additions - both with player personnel and coaches - the Canes pulled out a 9-4 season (and a huge 3-1 start) with first-year offensive and defensive coordinators on staff, as well as a first-year starting quarterback.

The Whipple addition paid dividends in 2009 and the pick up of Petri should help this defense get to new levels in 2010.

As frustrating as it was to watch the offensive line manhandled against Wisconsin, equally as painful was a front seven that applied zero pressure on the Badgers' quarterback or running backs.

If you want to help out your linebackers and secondary, it starts with a nasty defensive line. Petri knows that and will change the culture.

• Linebacker: Beyond Sean Spence (sharp all spring) and Colin McCarthy, questions linger. Coach Randy Shannon said improved Kylan Robinson is the third starter for now, but Shannon added he will open the competition in August, when Jordan Futch and Ramon Buchanan are healthy. McCarthy will move to the middle if Futch or Buchanan starts ahead of Robinson. Newcomer Tyrone Cornelius impressed Saturday but was inconsistent earlier; UM was disappointed with backups Shayon Green and C.J. Holton.

Who wants to bet that either Futch or Buchanan is starting at MLB by game two? Props to Robinson for making the most of this opportunity, but a former running back and journeyman seems more like a perennial back up than full time starter at such an important position.

As my cohort The Beast stated a few days back, the Robinson talk sounds like some motivational words from Shannon - something learned from Jimmy Johnson. Create competition. Build up hype.

Another thing that stands out is the depth at linebacker entering year four. The past few years, Miami hung its hopes on every recruit that came in, needing them to ball from day one. That's no longer the case. When you have depth, you are afforded some recruiting 'misses'. That's not to say Green or Holton are 'busts' - but these days there are other capable players ready to step in if others take more time to develop. Not the case recently.

Hearing that Spence and McCarthy are ready is a blessing, too. 2/3 of the linebacking corps are set. Need to fill in one missing piece as opposed to three missing pieces, which was the case the past few years. More depth is huge, too... obviously.

• Defensive backs: Ray Ray Armstrong, who started Saturday and picked off two passes, "was up and down, not where we need him to be'' this spring, Shannon said. He's in a tight battle with Jamal Reid -- not as good a tackler as Armstrong -- for the safety job opposite Vaughn Telemaque. Armstrong must improve in "being disciplined with the eyes, being in the right spot,'' defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff said. Telemaque, who's studying tapes of Kenny Phillips, "really elevated his play,'' McGriff said.

Starting cornerbacks Brandon Harris and DeMarcus Van Dyke are set, but Brandon McGee was beaten repeatedly Saturday; McGriff said "he's got to learn to finish the play.'' Injured Ryan Hill could be the nickel back.

Again I agree with Beast that Randy is trying to motivate, in this case, Armstrong. Reid is making strides, but I still have a hard time believing Ray Ray won't be starting opposite Telemaque come fall. He got the experience last year and should take a huge step forward this season.

It's old school Miami for coaches to motivate this way and Armstrong has the character Shannon believes he does (and recruited him for), he should answer the bell and work even harder this off-season.

Harris, VanDyke, Telemaque and Armstrong with capable back ups... Call me crazy, but is sounds like the Canes finally have a secondary again.

• Quarterback: A.J. Highsmith emerged as the front-runner to back up Jacory Harris. Spencer Whipple could be No. 3, allowing Stephen Morris to redshirt.

The quarterback position still needs to come along, but compared to where the Canes were at this time last year, there's not as much of a "Jacory or Bust" mentality.

Some were critical last year when Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith left the program. While many blamed Shannon, again the onus is on Larry Coker (yup, still blaming the man) and the empty cupboard he left. Shannon never should've been in a position where he had four underclassmen quarterbacks on his roster.

Coker dropped the ball for years. Derek Shaw. Pat Devlin. Daniel Stegall. Nick Fanuzzi. Not only did all spurn UM, but none have proven much since - meaning there was some poor evaluation from the get go.

Harris has the 'it' factor and entering his junior season - year two as a starter - huge strides are expected. We saw it with Ken Dorsey, going next level in 2001 after a solid inaugural campaign in 2000. Dorsey obviously had more surrounding talent out the gate, but Harris should benefit from another year in Whipple's system, new talent on the offensive line, experienced receivers and depth at running back.

Regarding a stable of back ups, it should also be noted that Dorsey never had much depth behind him - with Derrick Crudup and Troy Prasek holding it down. Had Dorsey gone down between 2000-2002, Miami would've been in hot water, just has the 2010 Canes will be if Harris goes down. (Look no further than Oklahoma without Sam Bradford last year or Texas in the title game after Colt McCoy was injured.)

Depth is a welcomed site, but you need your starting quarterback healthy if you're going to make a run.

• Tailback: Damien Berry is the likely starter, but if three backs share carries, UM must decide whom to exclude from the group of Berry, Lamar Miller (recovering from a separated shoulder), Mike James, Storm Johnson and, perhaps, Graig Cooper. Cooper's knee rehabilitation is ahead of schedule, running backs coach Mike Cassano said. Lee Chambers is a long shot. Does Miller need to play? "Yes,'' Cassano said. "He's a rocket ship. Defensive coordinators will hold their breath when he has the ball.''

Miami sports serious depth at running back - the most since 2001 when Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee and Najeh Davenport were in the backfield.

Damien Berry, Mike James, Lamar Miller, Storm Johnson, Eduardo Clements, Lee Chambers and if healthy, Graig Cooper. Not a boatload of experience, but a ton of potential and upside. Berry proved his mettle last season while both James and Miller turned heads this spring.

The Canes' ground game hasn't packed a serious punch since Gore left town after the '04 season. Harris will have the run support lacked last year and Miami should be an even bigger offensive threat this season than last.

• Fullback: Shannon has raved about Pat Hill's blocking and said it was missed in the running game after an ankle injury ended his season after three games last year. John Calhoun has made strides as the backup.

Hill was missed last season and Calhoun is still an unknown. The fullback was an integral part of the offense years back. Quadtrine Hill and Talib Humphrey, most recently. Blocking aside, would love to see a pass-catching fullback as an extra weapon out there... but for now would settle for Hill's blocking efforts, a la the 2008 season.

• Receiver: Tommy Streeter showed flashes early but faded late in his attempt to challenge starters Leonard Hankerson and LaRon Byrd and top backups Travis Benjamin and Aldarius Johnson. Slot receiver Kendal Thompkins impressed and is pushing Thearon Collier. "Kendal should be on the field. I can't figure out for the life of me why he's not,'' departing cornerback Chavez Grant said.

Hankerson, Byrd, Benjamin and Johnson will be downright scary with another year under their belts. Capable back ups make this Miami's deepest position by far.

Only knock here are the comments from Grant regarding Thompkins needing to be on the field. KT will get his chance, but is he any more deserving than Benjamin or Collier, two similar slot receiver types? If so, it hasn't been proven yet. Making a push in spring is great, but will he be ready come fall?

Whipple has made some comments about Thompkins blocking not being up to speed, which is a logical reason he'd remain behind others on the depth chart.

Either way, for current or former players to voice their opinions on who deserves to play - it undermines the coaching staff. Wideouts need to be the complete package. It takes more than speed. Route running is key, as is blocking. Get the best four in the two-deep rotation and let the back ups work their way up the ladder.

• Tight end: Starter Richard Gordon (just four career receptions) had a solid spring and will be "a really good tight end,'' assistant Joe Pannunzio said. Unsettled is whether Billy Sanders or junior college transfer Chase Ford, a summer arrival, will be the top backup; both are skilled receivers.

Hopefully Sanders or Ford can step up as the season progresses. Gordon has had a few years to make his presence felt and hasn't done so.

In 2000 Ivan Mercer was "the guy" until mid-October when Jeremy Shockey rose up and caught the game-winner against Florida State. Ford is a JUCO transfer, so hopefully he picks it the playbook and climbs the depth chart or tight end could be a weak link for the '10 Canes.

• Offensive line: Assistant Jeff Stoutland said Orlando Franklin is set at left tackle and Tyler Horn emerged at center, but three other jobs are open. Jermaine Johnson, who came on strong, must hold off Ben Jones at right tackle. Two starting guards should come from Joel Figueroa, Harland Gunn and Brandon Washington; Stoutland said Jared Wheeler also "put himself in the mix.''

The linchpin for the upcoming season; offensive line. Will it be addition by subtraction? Depth and experience are lost with Jason Fox, A.J. Trump and Matt Pipho moving on - but the position has been recruited well the past two seasons. Johnson, Jones, Gunn, Figueroa, Washington and Wheeler were all mentioned above, but the line goes deep. Orlando Franklin, Tyler Horn, Corey White and the mammoth Malcolm Bunche give Miami depth at a position that has been hurting since getting manhandled in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

A few years back Florida State found success with a freshman-heavy offensive line. Can Miami tap into that same magic? It better if this season is going to be a full-on success.

• FYI: Matt Bosher, who missed spring practice because of a shoulder injury reportedly sustained in a car accident, will return as punter/kicker. Jake Wieclaw improved his own previously shaky accuracy on field goals while filling in for Bosher this spring.

Bosher is Miami's all everything... but it's mindboggling that the Canes have struggled to find someone else to step up in the Shannon era. Always blows my mind when you see world class kickers at lesser programs, while big time teams sometimes struggle. Wieclaw needs to get up to speed so Bosher isn't pulling double duty again.

Poor kicking will cost you - as the Canes saw last season when back up Alex Uribe sent one deep to C.J. Spiller before halftime, Miami giving up the 90-yard return to Clemson and eventually losing in overtime.

Time for the Canes to elevate their special teams as it's cost them at least 1-2 games per year each of the past few seasons.

Bruce Feldman believes in 2010 Canes...

2010-03-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ye of little faith.

Many of you laugh off the notion regarding the "five-year rebuild" many called for regarding the State of Miami in the post-Larry era. With year four on the brink, former Canes and one national media member are ready to believe.

Bruce Feldman penned a post-scrimmage article for ESPN on Monday and in his opinion, the Miami Hurricanes as you once knew them are just about "back". Being a premium content article, I can't repost here without ESPN's permission, but for those of you curious, root around a bit online (specifically UM message boards) and you should be able to uncover it.

For those too lazy to do that, the Cliff Notes version of Bruce's piece, "The U Shall Rise Again":

>>> A different vibe surrounds present day UM football, with Feldman stating that UM looks and seems like a "legit powerhouse program" again.

>>> The receiving corps were praised. Feldman states that Miami is "seven deep" at the position and that LaRon Byrd, Leonard Hankerson and Tommy Streeter all cast an "imposing shadow". He also touted Travis Benjamin as the fastest wideout.

>>> Tailbacks were also a hot topic, with comparisons to the Clinton Portis/Willis McGahee era, as was the defensive line - a staple with great Miami teams and something that has been lacking in recent years.

>>> Offensive line, a recent weak line, is looking solid. Feldman praised offensive tackle Jermaine Johnson as "a lean up and comer who has insiders raving".

>>> Feldman states that the 2010 Canes passed the ever important "eyeball test" with the U Family and 100+ Hurricane Football alum in attendance. In recent years, past Canes had ripped the current state of the program. No more. Jimmy Johnson. Ted Hendricks. Cortez Kennedy. The old schoolers were out there and one unnamed 90s era Cane stated, "This looks like what Miami is supposed to look like. It hasn't been like this for a while, but we're ready now."

>>> Strength & Conditioning coach Andreu Swasey raved about not just the athleticism of this current team, but the maturity and work ethic. I've read a lot of Swasey bashing online the past few years and where many were quick to blame the coach, I oft said the issue was the talent, or lack thereof.

Swasey was good enough for the dominant Canes of the early 00s and current NFLers still come 'home' to train with him, even bringing NFL teammates along for the ride. If things are truly turning the corner as Feldman states, this validates Swasey, further proving that lesser, lazier talent was to blame for the recent drop off - not the S&C coach.

>>> Feldman isn't calling Miami a national title front-runner just yet, but stated that after seeing this squad up close, he's now thinking "a little harder about the Canes".

>>> Feldman expects Jacory Harris to thrive year two under Mark Whipple, due to his own personal development, the maturation of his body (physically) and the development of the current crop of wideouts. He also praised the situation regarding back up quarterbacks, a weak spot the past several seasons.

>>> He calls the first month of Miami football "treacherous", just like last year. This time around it's Ohio State, Pitt and Clemson all on the road after a home opener against Florida A&M. Despite how the first four play out, Feldman doesn't believe it'll impact Shannon's future at UM - nor does he feel it should. He also expects contract issues to be ironed out by then.

>>> Feldman states that Shannon inherited a "tricky situation" when taking over for Coker after the 2006 season. He praises Shannon for "instilling more discipline into the program" as well as squashing out off the field issues.

>>> Feldman did knock the Patrick Nix hiring, but failed to mention that Dirk Koetter turned Miami down at the final hour - as did Kevin Sumlin, John Bond and John McNulty. (Not all officially, some merely declined interest.) Still, it should be noted that Nix was a last ditch effort before Signing Day after several others didn't want in.

It should also be noted that the Nix experiment ended after two seasons, with Shannon going out and getting his guy next time around in the proven, experienced Whipple.

>>> Some former Canes originally felt that Shannon had too strong a hold on the current Canes, but feel that the culture has finally changed. Allen Bailey summed it up saying that Shannon has "lightened up" and that he's giving player "a little more leeway".

Truth be told, Shannon had to be a hard-ass out the gate. For those who don't remember, the wheels fell off during the 2006 seasons - Larry's last.

An embarrassing display of false bravado, jumping up and down on the Louisville logo mid-field, moments before being handed a 31-7 beat down. A month later national news was made with the battle royal with Florida International - the biggest black eye for this program since the probation era. A month after that, the murder of beloved teammate Bryan Pata cast a dark cloud over the Coral Gables campus and gave rivals some recruiting dirt regarding safety at UM, making the job that much harder for the next head coach.

Miami lost four straight before upsetting Boston College and eking out a one-point win over Nevada in the Blue Turf Bowl, en route to a 7-6 season - the Canes worst non-probation finish in three decades.

Players needed to earn their head coach's trust and entering year four, they have. Shannon now trusts they players and in turn, they trust him... which is why Feldman wrapped up his piece with a dig at the admin which hasn't show Shannon the same faith ("I think UM needs to show the same trust in its head coach and extend his deal.")

Another stellar piece by Bruce and another reason for fans to believe in the 2010 Miami Hurricanes.

Another allCanes signing session in the books...

2010-03-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to Darryl Sharpton, Jason Fox, Sam Shields and Javarris James for helping us put on another successful singing session and thanks to all the diehard Miami Hurricanes fanatics who turned out to support four of our own!

The Beast: Post-Interview, Pre-Scrimmage Blog...

2010-03-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hopefully by now you've taken the time to listen to my interview with Randy Shannon. First off, I really appreciate the time he gave me. After doing this for the better part of two decades, I sometimes forget how cool it is to sit across from the head coach of a major Division-I program.

As I walked in Randy's office on Wednesday, I looked around, saw all the trophies, looked down on the weight room and reminded myself that it was a pretty big privilege to have that opportunity. Randy seemed to be in a good mood that day and I think it came across that way in the interview.

Little did I know that defensive back - and fellow Bostonian - Albert Louis-Jean decided to leave Brockton, MA for Coral Gables. That news hadn't sneaked out yet, so it wasn't touched upon as we broke down certain positions during the interview.

I'm not going to sit here and say that Coach Shannon is the most media friendly coach in the country. At times I can be a homer, but in this case I won't see the world through orange and green glasses. Back to his days as linebackers coach he's always been great with me. Of course my agenda is different than most in the local media. I think he knows I'm not here to pull a fast one on him.

Before I switched on the "tape recorder" (these days we go digital), I ran down my list of questions with Coach. I realize I'm going to get better answers if he knows what's coming.

I started on offense, first talking quarterbacks. Then we hit the running backs, but skipped over receiver as I felt it was a position we could ignore for now. I wanted to get some information on Tyler Horn. but Randy covered it when I posed a general question about the offensive line. When I moved to the other side of the ball, I knew I had to touch on middle linebacker. Again, Randy made my job easy as he continued to praise Kylan Robinson.

I know you may not believe this, but coaches use the media in many ways. Sometimes it's to push a kid, as I think is the case with the recent praise of Jamal Reid. When talking about the safeties, I think the Reid comments were meant to light a fire under the butt of Ray Ray Armstrong. It's also my belief that he's trying to instill some confidence with the praise of Robinson at middle linebacker.

Sometimes you have to sift through this stuff and realize the coach is a lot smarter than your average bear (or fan). He knows this stuff gets back to his kids and it's a calculated motivational tactic.

After getting through the position groups, I hit Coach Shannon with questions about the coaching staff.

When you really look at it, Randy has put together a pretty freaking experienced staff. At this point I think Micheal Barrow is the least experienced guy out there. I think his experience as a player supersedes his experience as a coach. Barrow knows linebacker like I know the discount rack at allCanes.

Mark Whipple and Joe Pannunzio have been head coaches. Rick Petri and John Lovett are seasoned veterans. Aubrey Hill and Wesley McGriff are young, but are consummate professionals. Mike Cassano, despite the fact that he looks young, has been doing this a long time. This is a good staff. Like Eddie Murphy says, "trust me."

After touching on the coaches, I had to get to the contract situation. It was important to me to hear Randy's side. I know he's been asked this by everyone and I didn't think I was going to get anything that hadn't been said before, but it was a question I had to ask.

Aside from the basic, "where are we in the contract negotiations?" question, I wanted to ask him specifically if recruits have been asking about this. I'd been hearing for a few weeks that there were some big name recruits who were worried about Shannon not being there when they got on campus and Randy let me know it was becoming a problem.

To me it comes down to only one thing: market value. If Miami is striving to be one of the best programs in the country, there's no reason to not pay market value for their head coach. We can sit here and argue about Coach Shannon's progress as a head coach, but I can point to multiple coaches that you and I would agree are much worse, but making more.

To round up the interview, I wanted to hear from Coach Shannon regarding what the fans could do to help as this program tries to get back on top. He didn't hold back and was forthright in saying "attendance". It's a battle that's been going on for years. Most Miami fans want for the house to be done, before wanting to lend a hand in building.

We all realize that a mid-October game against Duke may not be the most exciting thing in the world (or in South Florida, for that matter) - but sooner or later people need to get it in their heads that going to a Canes game is about OUR TEAM, not the opponent.

You shouldn't want to be anywhere else on a Saturday in fall. Take some ownership of this program, already. Maybe you didn't graduate from UM like I did, but that doesn't mean it can't be your 'adopted' school.

Waxing the car or hitting the beach may seem more important than a UM/FAMU clash, but we're talking about a half dozen home games a year. Six out of fifty-two isn't asking a whole lot. Let the other stuff wait. Get to the game and bring some friends. Support your U.

As I left Coach Shannon's office, I filled him in on my new role with allCanes and he seems pretty excited. I think he'll be open to working with us and will give us some good scoop. He knows we're part of the U Family and as some of you commented on the interview thread, he seemed open and relaxed during our ten minute chat. As we get more comfortable, I expect him to open up even more, letting you guys see a different side of the program than is available anywhere else. I'm excited about the opportunity and I hope you are too.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Brian "The Beast" London is one of the foremost insiders on all things Miami Hurricanes. He was on the Canes broadcast crew for more than a decade. He hosts a daily online radio show on www.SoFloRadio.com.

Urban Meyer is a tough guy...

2010-03-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

For a guy supposedly slowing down and reducing stress from his life, Urban Meyer unnecessarily lost his marbles earlier this week.

The video above shows Urbie laying into the Orlando Sentinel's Jeremy Fowler for a story the reporter penned on Gators' receiver Deonte Thompson.

The feather-ruffling quote; "You never know with Tim,” Thompson said. “You can bolt, you think he’s running but he’ll come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything’s with rhythm, time. You know what I mean, a real quarterback."

Those words caused the sixth-year head coach to shower Fowler with the following gems on Fowler after practice:

A threat to ban the Orlando Sentinel from future Florida practices.

Telling Fowler he was a "bad guy" for writing the story.

Praising Thompson for staying out of trouble, suggesting Fowler calls his family to apologize.

Letting Fowler know that if it was his kin, they'd be "going at it", with physical violence his resolution.

Other media members are now speaking out and after half a decade, the Meyer love affair seems to be headed down a rocky road.

The media-friendly Tim Tebow story ended months back. The praise Tebow received as a Gator the past three seasons has been replaced with knocks on Meyer and the Florida staff for not developing the quarterback, having him NFL-ready entering this April's draft.

Prior to that, Meyer took his lumps for premature 'retirement' talk. Citing health issues, Meyer temporarily stepped down. Rumor has it former Florida defensive coordinator and current Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was interested in a return... which would've ended the Meyer era.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley presumably wasn't keen on defensive coordinator Charlie Strong taking over in Meyer's absence - temporarily or permanently - forcing Meyer to renege on his initial stepping down talk.

Meyer un-retired, saying he was "on leave" for a few months (*cough* cheap ploy to save his recruiting class *cough*), pushing offensive coordinator Steve Addazio to the forefront. Strong left for a head coaching position at Louisville and within weeks Meyer was back in the fold, supposedly feeling better than ever, but still ready to take it easy, keeping stress levels down.

Until this latest incident, which has media folk talking about Urbie's latest meltdown.

ESPN's Colin Cowherd feels Meyer should worry more about the twenty-seven Florida arrests on his watch, instead of scrapping with a beat writer. National columnist and TV personality Michael Wilbon chimed in, saying "If Meyer threatened me I could guarantee him the second swing because I'm taking the first swing."

Veteran writer David Moulton praised Florida's on the field accomplishments and athletic department, but made it clear he's no fan of reporting on UF; "Covering the Gators, unless you deliver pure propaganda, is one of the least desirable things you can do in this business."

Moulton points out a would-be, obvious solution; dealing with the reporter one-on-one instead of grandstanding, followed by cutting off all media contact with Florida football.

The Sun Sentinel's Shandel Richardson took this opportunity to draw a parallel between a recent rift he had with Miami head coach Randy Shannon. Unlike most northern Florida writers who report through orange and blue glasses (Pat Dooley, anyone?), Richardson is an Indiana native and isn't a self-proclaimed Canes fan. He's simply a beat writer who covers UM for a Ft. Lauderdale paper without an ounce of bias. (If anything, some Cane enthusiasts rip him for oft mailing it in and under-covering UM sports.)

On National Signing Day, Richardson states that Shannon was short with him during the press conference. While leaving campus, Richardson received a call from UM's athletic department, stating that Shannon wanted to meet with him - in private.

Turns out Shannon had issue with Richardson's coverage of how UM recruited local defensive end Todd Chandler, stating there was a rift brewing between the Northwestern staff and Hurricane coaches.

Voices were raised and harsh language was used - again, in private. There was no grandstanding or egomaniac head coach looking to keep himself in the spotlight. Man to man, Shannon and Richardson aired things out and moved forward. Weeks later at the next pressure, Shannon asked Richardson if they were OK, Richardson joked "no" and the rift was put to bed.

If the past few months have proven anything it's this; Urban Meyer is an attention whore. After this recent blow up, he's proven he's a bully, too.

Mark Kriegel of FOX Sports echoes this sentiment in his latest piece, "Meyer plays God, bullies reporter".

In other arenas of American life, limiting access to public institutions is said to have a chilling effect on free speech. According to the Constitution, it's a no-no. But in big-time football, in typically small college towns, it's business as usual.

Invariably, the coach is bashing the press – usually by singling out one reporter – to defend one of his "kids." Recall Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. The kid quarterback he so passionately defended thought Gundy was such a standup guy he transferred to Texas Southern.

But the man who delivered the "I'm a man" rant seems stable in comparison to Meyer. Recall that Meyer announced his resignation back on Dec. 26, citing his health and his family. Apparently, he'd been hospitalized for "dehydration" after Florida's loss in the SEC Championship game three weeks before. Then, on Dec. 27, Meyer said he wasn't resigning, but would take an unspecified leave of absence.

The occasion of his return sounds like another fun day. Here I quote Sentinel writer, Andrea Adelson: "Meyer stared down anybody who even attempted to pose the "How are you feeling?" question."

Sounds like a guy who could use a little more time off, no?

Preach on, brother Mark.

After years of unwarranted stroking, Meyer is starting the feel the backlash that comes from losing your perch a top the mountain. Success at Bowling Green and Utah paved the way to his run at Florida, which started when Ron Zook was fired, after stocking the cupboard nicely with top-flight talent.

Meyer won his first ring season two, in 2006. He followed it up with a 9-4 campaign Tebow's first season as a starter and won it all again in 2008 - the season the media love affair with Saint Timmy kicked into high gear. Images of Meyer and Tebow were everywhere, while stories of Florida players delinquent behavior remained back page news.

The tide has officially turned, literally and figuratively. Besides Tebow running out of eligibility and moving on, Florida loses over a dozen starters heading into spring ball. A bid for back-to-back national titles and any 'dynasty' talk ended when Alabama worked Florida in the SEC title game, 32-12. Images of Tebow's waterworks filled the screen, while Meyer was checked into Shands Hospital for 'exhaustion' soon after the team's return to Gainesville.

Two titles in three years combined with losing the core of the team that put Florida on the map, doesn't bode well for the Gators or their rabid, delusional fan base. Meyer set the bar extremely high, but inevitably this program will come back to reality in 2010. Especially with Alabama and several SEC foes taking a step forward. UF still boasts their fair share of talent, but they'll lack the chemistry and leadership that brought along the past four years.

Back to business for Ego Meyer and his thuggish Gators. Time will tell what this negative press does to a fragile coach and a program trying to rebuild/reload. Either way, nice to see the same sports media that slurped everything Meyer the past few years finally calling him on his bullshat.

The Beast interviews Randy Shannon...

2010-03-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Our very own Brian "The Beast" London sat down with Miami Hurricanes head coach Randy Shannon earlier today. Check out the ten minute interview and hear what Coach Shannon had to say about spring ball, current standouts, the recruiting process and assembling a solid group of assistants. More good stuff coming from The Beast this spring. Keep checking back!

Dave Hyde says UM is lowballing Randy Shannon...

2010-03-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've written many times here that I'm a fan of the Sun Sentinel's Dave Hyde. I've always dug his writing style and his ability to drive his point home. I also think the timeliness of his work is spot on and he's done it again with his latest piece regarding the University of Miami lowballing Randy Shannon, stalling contract talks.

Whether you're pro or anti-Randy, this one is on the University of Miami and the lack of cooperation in getting this deal inked is 100% on the notoriously cheap program.

UM top brass, you brought in Randy at bottom dollar and he's currently the lowest paid coach in the ACC - despite showing improvement each year and having his team in the conference title hunt two of the past three seasons. True, he hasn't gotten the Canes to the ACC title game, but he's getting closer and if you want to get over the hump, you have a decision to make.

Coaches are already recruiting for the 2011 class and current recruits want to know if they can count on Shannon being at the helm next season. Are you really willing to lose top-flight recruits over a couple hundred thousand dollars? What kind of message are you sending?

Get the deal done already. Don't penalize Shannon over blunders Paul Dee made with Larry Coker, Ferne Labati and Perry Clark. Shannon is a long-time Cane that has given heart and soul to this program for decades. If he was asking for stupid money, sure, negotiate away... but we know that's not the case. UM is simply being penny safe and pound foolish and in the end, the football program will pay in one way or the other.

Get the deal done... and read Dave Hyde's piece if you need the point driven home even further.

Hyde: University of Miami low-balling Randy Shannon on contract deal
Lack of extension is a thundercloud over next season

Let's say you're a young lawyer. You're given a bad caseload. You win more than most. You don't color outside any ethical lines. But when it's time to talk money, you're offered less than your peers.

How would you feel?

Or let's say you're a young salesperson. You inherit an underachieving territory. You do a good job rebuilding it. But when it's contract time, your boss gives you a low-ball offer.

How would you feel?

You're Randy Shannon. You inherited an empty cupboard at Miami football and have improved each year. You cleaned up the off-field issues. You put the graduation rate among the nation's best programs.

Yet when he's talked money with Miami over the past several months, four formal proposals have gone back and forth, according to a source. It has become the strangest of stories.

The latest offer remains less than new Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher's $1.8 million a year. It's less than new South Florida coach Skip Holtz's $1.7 million a year.

It's less than Duke's David Cutcliffe, who is the 10th highest paid coach in the ACC at a reported $1.5 million a year.

It's on par with the $1.3 million George O'Leary makes at Central Florida, the source said. This isn't to question that's a lot of money. It's to put that money in context of his peers.

How would you feel?

Shannon stays silent a moment. He looks across the practice field. He finally says in a measured tone, "I have faith in the university and hopefully, someday soon, it'll get done.''

Money evidently is the only holdup to Shannon and Miami's administration. But it impacts more than that. It impacts the future. It involves Shannon entering the final year of his current contract, which is something coaches never do for obvious reasons.

Take this past year's recruiting class.

"It had an effect,'' Shannon said. "I was asked point-blank by recruits, ‘Are you going to be there next year?' Some of the universities we were going against were saying, ‘Why go to Miami when my coach has a new contract?' ‘'

Shannon has taken Miami from five to seven to nine wins. He's building something. But he isn't perfect. When you hire a first-time head coach, there's a learning curve involved and he's lived it these past three seasons.

He's made mistakes. Clock management. Media. Boosters. He can do better. He needs to win bigger. He says so himself.

But if this was about performance, why not build a bonus into the contract? A real bonus, like Clemson's Dabo Swinney, who had a clause jumping him from $800,000 last year to the ACC median salary of $1.75 million next season for making the conference championship game.

Shannon is asked if he'd accept a clause like that and nods his head. "Yes,'' he says.

Everyone knows Miami athletics run on a shoestring. Shannon raised much of the money to improve the facilities from the Stone Age.

Shannon made less than $1 million the past few years. That's understandable for a first-time coach who had done nothing. But basketball coach Frank Haith is in the same neighborhood. He's made the NCAA tourney one time in six years.

Miami has the richest football recruiting pool in the country, and so the job always has attracted young, hungry coaches who make a name here and money elsewhere.

Jimmy Johnson. Dennis Erickson. Butch Davis now is the third-highest-paid coach in the ACC at $2.2 million despite having won less than Shannon with more drafted NFL talent the past few years.

No one is suggesting Shannon should be the highest paid coach in his conference (Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson is at $2.3 million a year). But should it be just above Boston College's Frank Spaziani for the worst?

These things usually are worked out behind closed doors. This one isn't yet. It's gone on and on and on. It wasn't just a recruiting story against Miami. It's a storm cloud on the coming season, too. A college coach and his staff entering its final year?

"It'll get done,'' Shannon says.

That it hasn't by now is weird enough.

Arthur & Bryce; back where they belong...

2010-03-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Randy Shannon took a lot of grief for pulling Bryce Brown's scholarship offer back in February 2009. The more time that passes, the better Shannon's decision looks.

The younger Brown gave Miami his verbal commitment after Signing Day 2008, before his senior year of high school, based on older brother Arthur becoming a Cane days before.

Little Brown continued playing the recruiting game, taking visits and remaining elusive. Come February, no signature as the running back wasn't ready to commit. Rumors swirled - from others schools, to a proposed jaunt to the CFL instead of college. Something stunk, Shannon didn't care for the smell and Miami was out of the Brown running.

Bryce rolled into Tennessee, carried 101 times, found the end zone thrice and didn't even amass 500 total yards on the year. Scary as those paltry stats are, they're still more impressive than brother Arthur's two-year run at the University of Miami.

Big Brown spent two years at The U and never cracked the starting line up at linebacker. A few special teams plays and seventeen tackles in mop up duty were his Hurricane legacy before bolting back to Kansas a month ago, citing 'family issues' like Little Brown. Arthur enrolled at Kansas State, where many expect Bryce to go after heading home.

Need a picture of everything wrong with college football recruiting, look no further than the Brown saga in Wichita these past few years. From overhyped five-star rankings, achieved by beating up on lesser talent, to handler Brian Butler - talking Jesus one minute and extorting money on his recruiting website the next - these brothers proved to be an absolute disaster.

I'll give my standard disclaimer here; we're dealing with kids - kids who were put on a pedestal and coddled, no less. An incoming college sophomore and junior who have had their asses kissed since day one and had the media banging down their door before they even sprouted their first chest hair.

The system is partly to blame for the sense of entitlement shown by the Browns - and other highly-touted recruits - over the years. The recruiting game is absolutely out of control and teenagers are no longer being given that chance to be kids. Youth traded for instant superstardom, thanks to Internet recruiting sites and an overzealous sports media.

I don't know the Brown family, outside what I've read online the past few years,as their sons played the recruiting game like a fiddle. Arthur Brown Sr. proved to be the family's spokesperson during the recruiting sagas, quick to give a soundbite, supporting his sons, as well as advisor Butler. It's a shame so much focus was put on the 'process' instead of the meaning of the word 'commitment'.

Webster's defines 'commitment' as "an agreement or pledge to do something in the future". Big Brown signed his letter of intent with Miami, Little Brown gave a verbal commitment weeks later, broke the commitment within a year, then signed a letter of intent with Tennessee, which has since been broken... weeks after Big Brown ended his pledge to Miami.

Lots of players have a change of heart and transferring is a casualty of the college game. Especially when recruiting potentially homesick kids from out of state. Doesn't make it right, though. The older you get, the more commitments you'll make in life. What lesson is taught by parents when you tell your kids it's alright to throw in the towel? In the game of life, there is no 'reset' button. There are repercussion for our actions, yet neither Brown will learn that here as Father Brown has encouraged his sons to return home, playing ball at Kansas State.

Both Browns rolled into their senior years regarded as big time talent. Big Brown was the top strongside linebacker in the land, ranked the No. 11 overall athlete. Little Brown was the top running back and was said to be the second-best high school prospect.

Arthur couldn't crack the starting line up at Miami, yet his freshman year lesser touted and supposedly undersized Sean Spence was all over the field, eventually named to the All-ACC freshman team. Spence played for Miami Northwestern, went up against the nation's best talent week in and week out.

Northwestern won the 'national championship' in 2007 and eight Bulls on that squad became Canes, with several freshmen seeing action. Marcus Forston, Jacory Harris and Aldarius Johnson earned immediate playing time with Spence. (Others were redshirted and Brandon Washington went to prep school.) From Miami's Booker T. Washington, several other freshmen saw instant playing time - Brandon Harris, Davon Johnson and Thearon Collier - the wideouts, working their way to a starting job at arguably the most overcrowded position on the field.

The linebacker corps has clamoring for the next superstar since Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams took their skills to the NFL after the 2003 season. Years back, Willie Williams was thought to be that guy, but the troubled high school star never got it together mentally. Even after leaving UM, he bounced around and never gained traction elsewhere on the field.

Romeo Davis. Glenn Cook. Darryl Sharpton. All serviceable backers - nowhere near as highly touted like Brown - yet all saw significant playing time, due to heart, passion and a head for the game.

Some referred to Davis and Cook as "Shannon's Boys", feeling seniority was the name of the game and that kids like Williams or Brown got the shaft. This mindset always puzzled me as there's no logical explanation for coaches not wanting the best players on the field. Coaches are fired after every season for losing too many ballgames. Why would a third-year coach purposefully do something that will get him one step closer to a pink slip?

Simply put, if Arthur Brown was ready to play ball, he'd have been on the field. Same for Willie Williams or any other high school superstar that tripped out the gate once getting to the next level. Uber-hyped Bryce got his chance with the Vols and didn't overimpress anybody year one.

Many a lesson to be learned from this fiasco for players, coaches and their football families. First and foremost, further proof that recruiting rankings don't mean squat. Those of you obsessed with five-star, "can't miss" prospects - news flash, a few more just missed. As did Willie. As did Kyle Wright, Lance Leggett, Reggie Youngblood and a several others the Canes rolled the dice on over the years while other 'lesser' prospects made a name for themselves and are still playing in the NFL today.

Physical talent is important, but it's not as important as the competition these players face on a weekly basis, their overall attitude or how much they have between the ears. You can't put a star ranking on heart and desire.

Cane coaches and some of Brown's teammates let it be known to the media that Brown struggled to learn the playbook over the years. If that was the case, then the biggest issue here is a lack of effort. Watch more film. Study harder. Other players were able to comprehend the playbook after a few months while others still don't "get it" after two years.

A successful NCAA career and shot in the NFL are for those who work the hardest, not for guys who are living off past high school accolades.

Miami loyalty aside, I personally hope both Arthur and Bryce turn it around. As a sports fan I'm a sucker for a feel-good story and this is real life. Cane or no Cane, nothing good comes from seeing young people fail. Best of luck to both kids.

That said, I worry for college athletes who turn tail and run back home. If your end goal is a job in the NFL, outside of playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Brown brothers will need to take their show on the road. Being displaced from your hometown is part of the game.

For years we read about Edgerrin James feeling lost in Indianapolis or a Miami guy like Willis McGahee not being thrilled with a slow-paced life in Buffalo. Still, they were dedicated to their careers and realized a NFL season isn't a full year. Spend your off-season at home and make your team's town your second home.

Arthur - and most likely Bryce - heading to Manhattan; it comes across soft. Two guys who went to big time programs, couldn't hack it and ran back home, tail between their legs. They'll be 'local' heroes for a program that went 6-6, 5-7 and 5-7 the past three seasons. A soft program with a soft head coach in Bill Snyder, known for loading his schedule with cupcakes to build up a win total.

Just about anytime the Wildcats have been on the main stage, they crapped the bed, underachieved or proved they didn't deserve to be there, earning their way to the top by beating lesser opponents and rarely shining when faced with a big challenge.

Further proof of Snyder's soft ways? One of his first orders of business after reassuming head coaching duties last year? Dropping Miami from Kansas State's upcoming schedule. The Canes and Cats were slated for a home and home in 2011 and 2012. Snyder wanted no part of it, running from a rising Miami team and making room on the schedule another Sisters Of The Poor.

To Snyder's credit, he turned Kansas State from a nobody into an almost somebody and his coaching tree is impressive - Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops, Brent Venables, Mark Mangino, Jim Leavitt and Bret Bielema, to name a few. A great resume, but it doesn't make Kansas State a powerhouse or the type of program that takes on all comers. Basically they're the anti-Miami, a perfect fit for the Brown brothers.

Manhattan seems like a great fit for Team Brown, appearing the type who prefer to be big fish in a little Kansas pond. Based on competition and talent, both should see immediate playing time (after sitting out a year) and can continue building their home state legacy.

Where things go from there is anybody's guess, but a safe bet that no one in Coral Gables or Knoxville is going to care.

Another allCanes signing session on deck...

2010-03-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

allCanes has lined up another signing session which will take place in store next Saturday. Come on in to pay homage to some outgoing Miami Hurricane seniors as they embark on their journey to the NFL.

Slated to appear are linebacker Darryl Sharpton, offensive lineman Jason Fox, running back Javarris James and wide receiver/cornerback Sam Shields.

Action kicks off Saturday March 27th at 12pm ET. For more information call 800.226.4247 or email us.

Go Canes!

'The Beast' interviews Damien Berry...

2010-03-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

'The Beast' caught up with senior running back Damien Berry after practice on Friday. Check out the audio interview:

No. 4 Duke 77, Miami 74

2010-03-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the Canes, who gave it a hell of a run in the ACC tourney.

Wins over Wake Forest and Virginia Tech set the stage for a Saturday semifinal match up with top-seeded Duke. Miami gave it a run, fought back from large deficits and gave the Blue Devils all they could handle.

In the end the team that was supposed to win did, but the Canes proved they were better than their 4-12 conference record this season.

Next up a NIT bid and hopefully a few more wins. Congrats on a great run in Greensboro.