A Rambling Prose

Hello All,

Last week, I was probably GIF worthy in my anger over the 'Canes performance. Remember the face Vontae Davis made on Hard Knocks when told he had been traded for two measly Jeff Ireland draft picks?

Yep, that's the face. Jeff Ireland, ladies and gentlemen.

Yeah, that was me for about two hours after the anger abated and the alcohol kicked in.

I have learned not to write in the heat of the moment, because emotions can get the best of me.

So all I have to say is this: that was a nutless performance by the whole team, coaches included.

I understand what the coaches are doing. They have a system they want to run, and the kids they are playing now are the same kids, by and large, that will be playing for the next three years. So the thought is to put them out there and have them run the system they will be running for years; after all the best way to learn is by doing.

It is not a bad system, and when run correctly the results are great.

The problem, though, is that this team isn't there yet and I am a fan.

The program I am a fan of is one that, at its soul, is elite. It is difficult to continually be watching a "developing" team, because I have been told we are "building" for like 7 years now.

So while I stand by the coaches and understand the need for a system, I also want to have a chance at winning. And when your team is getting crushed doing the same thing over and over again, I think you need to not do that thing anymore.

For instance, our defense is softer than Charmin right now. Our d-line gets put on skates on pretty much every play, and as a result the entire scheme breaks down. Huge holes are left open as the young players struggle to maintain discipline in their zone; the result is 84 points and over 1000 yards surrendered in 2 games against less-than-elite competition.

Why not blitz? Why not pull the corners up in to man coverage and press at the line?

If you're going to lose, why not inflict as much pressure as possible on the opponent while doing it? Try to force a mistake on their part.

If the Titanic is sinking, would you rather rearrange the deck furniture or try to plug the fucking hole?

And that is what I mean by nutless. My fear is that this current regime is sacrificing this season as a learning experience.

I do not expect miracles, and I, being a rather intelligent fella, understand that you are not going to win anything major when 50-something of your 80 guys are in their first or second year on campus. K-State was an example of what happens when an experienced team plays an inexperienced team: grown men push high schoolers around.

But the high schoolers we are playing do have their strengths. That did not need to be a 39 point loss...or at least as helpless a 39 point loss as it was.

It is a weird juxtaposition these days for me. On one hand, I have the Baltimore Orioles. They are undoubtedly less talented than everyone else; they are playing Wilson Betemit for fuck's sake. And yet every night someone steps up. They find ways to win. Offense is in the shitter? Screw it, some no name pitcher will step up and get it done. Pitching had a bad night? No worries, Mark Reynolds will unveil the Hammer of God.

They fight and they claw and they scrap and most importantly, they ADAPT.

I don't think the fight has gone out of the Hurricanes, but I do know this. This morning, I woke up completely confident the Orioles will find a way to win their 82nd game tonight.

I cannot say the same about the Hurricanes.

This week we play Bethune Cookman, and to be honest, I don't think it is going to be a blowout. I think it is going to be a really close game, especially if this team keeps up the same kind of defense that we have seen so far. The players are learning, but learning does not happen overnight. We will not wake up tomorrow and have a disciplined, zone defense.

Eventually, the Miami talent should overwhelm the BCC talent. But look around the landscape of college football and understand that the margin between D1A and D1AA (or whatever they're called now) has never been smaller. This BCC team will not be afraid of Miami. I have a bad feeling in my gut about this one.

It might be that I have grown accustomed to my team going in the tank these last few years. I certainly hope at least THAT part of the program is in the rearview, even if the on field collapses are not.

But after last week, for the first time, I don't know. I will just watch the game and yell and curse and carry on like any other week; gone are the days of undying confidence.

And that is kind of sad.

-- --

Back by popular demand, the picks:

'BAMA over Arkie (+20)

No Tyler Wilson, no fucking chance.

VIRGINIA over The Wreck (-10)

I have no clue how this line got this big but remember folks: the ACC is the biggest Tire Fire there is.

NORTHWESTERN (-3.5) over BC

NERDS!!!!!!!!!!

USC over Stanford (+9)

Blowout, because the weekend that I DON'T have to hear about USC and/or UCLA winning during this shitbag season seems far, far away.

Michigan State over NOTRE DAME (-6)

Because Labia...I mean Le'Veon...Bell is too much for those little Irish suck sticks.

OLE MISS (+10) over Texas

There is no logic here. Ole Miss is Ole Miss. But I have this gut feeling that Texas ain't that good...and going on the road in the SEC is not their cup of tea. UPSET SPECIAL!

TENNESSEE (-3) over UiF

Because the next time I pick Florida to cover as a road 'dog will be the first time. Go 'Canes.

Boston College Preview

Hello All,

I realized that, once again, it is time to break down an actual matchup.

(Gone this year will be the predictions. I don't think anyone really cared.)

Here's the problem: I have no fucking clue who will do what in the first game this year.

Jacory out, Morris in.

I have never been less sure of what is going to transpire in a season.

Think about this: Miami is replacing its QB1, best running back, two best receivers, and best defender.

I am confident the production will be filled by someone, but I have no clue who. That's the beauty of this year's team and maybe the scariest for opponents: no one knows where we are attacking from.

You will hear this used as a negative from the national media, that this team is unproven. I recognize that there will be head scratching moments and probably some dumb losses; such is the life of a college football team relying on underclassmen.

However, unproven does not mean untalented. This team CLEARLY has talent. They are bigger, faster and stronger than they were last season, and last season they lost 6 games by a combined 31 points. One more touchdown a game, or one better defensive stand, or one WHATEVER per game, and this team easily could have been playing for a BCS spot.

So sure, the floor of this team might be 4-8. But the ceiling is 9-3.

Do I know who will do what against BC? Hell no I do not.

And quite frankly, after the last 4 years, that ain't a bad thing.

Because when you replace all those guys off a 6-6 team, what have you really lost?

Go Canes. Beat BC.

The Everyman's Guide to the 2012 Miami Hurricanes

Hello All,

I was on the phone with Papa Stein last night and gave him the following warning about this year’s ‘Canes: “You’re probably not going to know who 75% of the guys are.”

His response was something like “no shit, you haven’t written shit about the team in a while. Get your lazy ass on it so that I have a cheat sheet during the game.”

Well then.

Consider this the casual fan’s primer to this year’s Miami Hurricanes.

QB

Guys you should know: Stephen Morris, Ryan Williams

Morris is QB1 and, while untested, should be solid. In the limited time he has gotten he has proved to be a competitor with a strong arm and a feisty attitude.  Threat to run as well as throw, although Michael Vick he is not.

Williams will be the backup. He is accurate, although his throws to the sidelines and down the field leave a little to be desired. He is best when on the run, as evidenced by his roots as a shotgun quarterback.

Freshmen Gray Crow and Preston Dewey will serve as the third string / practice squad guys; hopefully, neither will be needed and both can redshirt.

Main Question: Can Morris avoid the big turnover?

 Morris has a little bit of gunslinger in him. This is good, because it means he isn’t afraid to test the defense and make throws in to tight spots. It is bad because sometimes gunslingers have a habit of taking undue risks (see: Favre, Brett). Whether this team succeeds or not will be in large part based on whether they can use the entire field on offense. There are no superstars on this squad like a Lamar Miller or Leonard Hankerson. You can win without, but you have to be able to wage guerilla warfare at times.  Jacory Harris was a very solid QB1 last year  but was unable to exploit certain parts of the field and route trees because of a limited arm. This is not the issue with Morris; his issue is that we do not know how his decision making will look against defenses designed specifically to stop him.

Morris must learn that a check down is not always a bad thing. His killer instinct will come in handy and ultimately make him an effective college quarterback. He does have to learn to harness it, however, and learn that sometimes the best play is the dumpoff to the running back.

RB

Guys you should know: Mike James, Duke Johnson, Eduardo Clements, Maurice Hagens

Can Johnson and James carry the 'Canes?

These three will open the season as the main three ball carriers. James is a workhorse back capable of great production; at worst he is reliable. Clements is the jack of all trades who is best used on third down, as he has great ability to catch out of the backfield. Johnson is the wild card, the “space player” so en vogue in the NFL these days (think Darren Sproles). He is the most exciting recruit to enter Miami on offense since Frank Gore.Hagens is the fullback. At some point this season, youngsters Dallas Crawford and Danny Dillard could see their numbers called.

Main Question: How do you replace Lamar Miller?

Miller was, without doubt, a stud. He had homerun ability and could be counted on to take care of the football. He did, however, have his limitations. A big percentage of his yards were picked up in huge bursts, meaning that there were also times he struggled to establish himself. He was an able receiver, although he was not used much in the passing game (part of this can be related back to Jacory’s limitations). He was not the goal line back.

This is all a long way of saying that, while the only back on the roster that can rival Miller’s burst is Johnson, this running game will be ok anyway.

James is underrated and coming off of an injury plagued year (turf toe); the last time he was healthy, in 2010, he averaged over 6 yards per carry. He runs behind his pads and takes on defenders for extra yards. Johnson will be moved around; he most likely will see time in the backfield, coming out for screens and swings, returning kicks and punts, and in the slot. It is easy to imagine James pounding away on defenses and wearing guys down, softening them up to set up Johnson for homerun plays. If both guys play up to their potential, they could be used similarly to the way the Cowboys used to use Marion Barber and Felix Jones.

The X-factor is Clements. A lot of people will knock him as a jock of all trades, master of none. Instead, I see a player that consistently made plays on 3^rd down last season and keeps the pressure on defenses.

While none of these guys is likely to crack Miller’s overall numbers from last season, I think they all can play a role in collectively replacing his production. They certainly are all talented enough to do so.

WR

Guys you should know: Allen Hurns, Phillip Dorsett, Rashawn Scott, Kendon Johnkins, Malcolm Lewis

Hurns is the leading returning receiver. He was great in the early half of last season but wore down with some injuries in the second half. Dorsett is the most improved player on the roster according to Golden and has sub 4.4 speed…he is probably the fastest man on the team; Dorsett will also be a primary return man. Scott was the star of the spring and could emerge as the go to guy, as he has a great blend of size and speed. However, he is only in his second year and has little in-game experience. Kendall Thompkins and Davon Johnson (I combined them above) are both fifth year seniors who have done little so far. Both apparently had big training camps and are looking for one last chance at making an impact. Lewis is the true freshman most likely to make an impact from day one, probably in the slot. True freshmen Robert Lockhart and Herb Waters both showed flashes of elite ability during training camp, but both need more time with the playbook. They could pay dividends later in the season. Jontavious Carter and D’Mauri Jones will both likely redshirt.

Main Question: Is there a go-to guy here?

For the last three seasons, Miami has had a receiver step up as the primary threat (Leonard Hankerson, Tommy Streeter). These guys provided security blankets for the quarterback.

Much like at running back, it remains to be seen whether any of these guys are up to the task this season. Hurns seems the most likely, but Scott and Dorsett will be heard from.

I think the group as a whole will see a lot of ups and downs. This is a very inexperienced group, and therefore there will be inconsistencies on a week to week basis. The hope is that when one guy is down, another will step up, and thus the emergence of one primary guy will not be necessary.

Personally, I would prefer one guy assert his claim to Alpha Dog status. It would make Morris’ job a hell of a lot easier.

TE

Guys you should know: Asante Cleveland, Clive Walford, Dyron Dye

Cleveland showed flashes as a freshman in 2010 but largely disappeared last year. Walford was the primary starting tight end last year and has a ton of potential. Dye is a defensive line convert who will most likely be used primarily as a blocker. David Perry and Corey White seem like longshots to contribute much this season.

Main Question: Who is going to break out?

My bet is that Cleveland and Walford will both have big games this year. Cleveland is certainly the more physically imposing (6’5”, 265 lbs) of the two and has improved his blocking. Walford is smaller (6’4”, 250 lbs.) but more athletic. Both are natural athletes and can be weapons in the seam. Jedd Fisch has been adamant that he will use the tight ends more; unless one emerges as clearly superior, I see that production being spread around fairly equally. We all know a tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend, so if one or both emerge as legitimate options this offense could really take off.

For fans of Miami who are used to Franks, Shockey, Winslow and Olsen, it is about time we found another tight end that can consistently make other teams pay.

OL

Guys you should know: Brandon Linder, Jon Feliciano, Shane McDermott, Malcolm Bunche, Ereck Flowers, Jermaine Johnson, Seantrel Henderson*

The first five will be the opening day starters. Linder is the best, but true freshman Flowers might be the most talented. Actually, Henderson is probably the most talented, but also the one who seems to constantly have a distraction surrounding him (whether his fault or not). He missed most of training camp so will start with the practice squad and hopefully work his way back up as the season goes. He is allegedly in fantastic shape from the summer, so to get him back going would be a nice boost. Bunche is the new left tackle, and a monster at that (6’7”, 320 lbs); in fact, that smallest offensive lineman will be McDermott, the new center, who comes in at a mere 6’4”, 290 lbs.

Main Question: Are they tough enough?

Last season, the o-line buckled when it was needed most. Instances of failing to get one pivotal yard against Kansas State and Virginia jump to mind. Last season’s squad lost 6 games by a combined 31 points; it is likely that a stronger o-line could have swung half of those games. This year’s edition certainly looks the part, but that has never been the problem at Miami.

Generally, elite college o-lines have a combined 80-100 combined starts among the starters. This o-line will have 18. To overcome this lack of experience, they will just have to be meaner than the guys across the li ne of scrimmage. That was where last year’s more experienced squad failed; the hope is that this generation learned from the mistakes of another.

DE

Guys you should know: Anthony Chickillo, Shayon Green, Kelvin Cain, Dwayne Hoilett, Tyriq McCord, Jelani Hamilton

This is a thin group, and that is scary. This is a position that will always suffer injuries; Hoilett,  Hamilton and McCord are true freshmen that could use a redshirt but might be forced in to major minutes.

Chickillo is the star and a possible future All American. His motor revs high and he gets to the quarterback through sheer will. Green is a coaching staff favorite and a workout warrior that can’t seem to stay healthy. Cain is a converted linebacker who could contribute as a flex rusher.

Main Question: Will they be able to generate pass rush?

A lot of that will depend on the defensive tackle production. If Chickillo and crew see a lot of one-on-one matchups, then the answer is probably yes.  Green will never stop coming when he is in the game, and Cain could be a sleeper. The freshman most likely to make noise this year is Hamilton…he is bigger than the others and very talented. And as we saw last year with Chickillo, this is a position freshmen can play.

DT

Guys you should know: Darius Smith, Curtis Porter, Luther Robinson, Olsen Pierre

This group is either really deep or has nobody at all. The coaches have made the point time and again that nobody has separated from the pack, and that either means everyone is at a high level or they all suck. I am on the record a million times over saying that this is the most important position on the defense and, therefore, perhaps the most important on the team.

The only guy here who has shown so far they have the ability to be a disruptive player is Porter, who seems to always be hurt (he will miss the beginning of this season after an appendectomy). Smith is known as “the plug” and is in much better shape for his junior year. Robinson is surging up the depth chart and could be a starter. Pierre is the wild card; he has beefed up from defensive end weight and has impressed in camp. Freshmen Earl Moore and Dequan Ivery could have roles in the goal line and will be heard from later in the season.

Main Question: Can they occupy all three interior linemen?

If this group is able to consistently chew up the middle three offensive linemen, it will open everything up for the rest of the defense. If both tackles are able to be single blocked, the defense will have a tough go of things. It is no miracle that every great Miami linebacker (with the exception of Sean Spence, which should make Spence even better in your mind) has had a great defensive tackle in front of him. If this group doesn’t get the job done, the impact of the improved linebacking corps will be minimal.

LB

Guys you should know: Denzel Perryman, Ramon Buchanan, Jimmy Gaines, Eddie Johnson, Thurston Armbrister

Perryman is a stud who coaches are saying is further along than Spence was at the same stage. He will be the anchor. Buchanan is back from injury and provides veteran presence. Gaines is versatile and will see time at all three spots. Johnson and Armbrister are battling for the staring SAM spot; both will play, but Johnson is the better physical specimen. Armbrister is an interesting story having come out of nowhere (only other offer: Northern Colorado) and converted from safety.

(Also, close your eyes and guess if a guy named Thurston Armbrister is black or white…you guessed white, right? YOU WERE WRONG)

 Freshman Raphael Kirby was a threat to start but got knocked out with an injury; if he can get healthy by midseason look for him to play a lot. Tyrone Cornelius and Gionni Paul will be big for the special teams.

Main Question: Can they cover an effing tight end?! How about a mobile quarterback?!

You know the scene in “Taken” when Liam Neesen says “I have a very particular set of skills that makes me a nightmare for people like you”?

If you were a quarterback with wheels or a tight end with a pulse for the last ten years, you could have said that to the Miami defense and been right.

 (John Phillips just caught a pass in the flat thrown by a scrambling Reggie Ball)

Aside from the fact that the whole team has to tackle better, the linebackers in particular have to be disciplined and not let stiff white guys run through the middle of the field unchecked. And if they could maybe keep an eye on the quarterback-that-should-be-a-slot-receiver, that would be a plus too.

CB

Guys you should know: Brandon McGee, Thomas Finnie, Tracey Howard, LaDarius Gunter, Antonio Crawford

McGee has apparently risen to the challenge of the coaches and gotten more physical. The book on him has always been that he has all the talent in the world but hasn’t translated it on to the field. Gunter came in from JUCO this spring and locked down the other job, but look for the highly touted Howard to make a run at both guys throughout the season. Howard is very physical and a pure football player….the coaches say their biggest problem right now is getting him to be less handsy with receivers.

(A thousand ‘Canes fans just smiled, because a corner being TOO physical is a welcome problem to have)

Finnie, a sophomore, will be the fourth corner, and Crawford, another true freshman, has impressed this fall. Look for both to contribute on special teams and make a bid for playing time.

Main Question: Can all these new faces produce right away?

Of the 5 guys I listed above, only McGee has legitimate playing time at a high college level. While they are all talented, even the Mike Rumphs and Ed Reeds of the world took their lumps early in their careers (see Fields, Chafie). The reality is that, while the secondary is much more talented this year than last, there will be mistakes made. The hope is that those mistakes are not crippling and the exception rather than the rule.

S

Guys you should know: Vaughn Telemaque, Kacy Rodgers, A.J. Highsmith, Deon Bush, Reyshawn Jenkins

Telemaque enters his 17^th season as a starter at safety with more competition than ever. Rodgers has locked down the other starting spot, for now, but Highsmith and the two freshmen, Bush and Jenkins, are going to play a lot as well. Highsmith is limited physically but is a smart football player; Bush and Jenkins bring unlimited upside along with their inexperience.  Having Ray Ray Armstrong would have made this position a strength instead of a question mark.

Main Question: Will they be smarter?

Let's dispel a myth held by too many 'Canes fans: Safeties do not have to be freaks like Sean Taylor to be good. You can win with guys who simply know where to be and the right way to get there. Witness JoJo Nicolas last year: he stopped taking bad routes, learned how to get in position, and as a result had a very solid final season.

Jenkins and Bush are ballhawks, but as with the young corners above, this can lead to bad gambles. Telemaque is a veteran but was TERRIBLE last season; he needs to get back to the form of two years ago. He has the potential to be a Top 100 pick in the next draft if he can. Rodgers and Highsmith have been in the program for a few years now; it is put up or shut up time.

They don’t have to be all world, but if they are going to make mental mistakes, the coaches might as well play Jenkins and Bush, who will make the same mistakes but have brighter futures.

K/P

Guys you should know: Dalton Botts, Jake Wieclaw

Wieclaw has extended his range out to 50+ yards. Botts is the preseason All – ACC punter. This is the strongest position group on the roster.

--  --

Alright Dad, consider yourself primed. Hopefully a few others learned something too.

Burning Up

Hello All,

It is hot out lately. Really hot.

Like, sweat up your boxers while driving hot.

You know that old Kerouac passage? “Burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.” 

Well, in this heat you are actually burning like an effing roman candle.

It is the twilight of the summer. Soon the heat of August will give way to the beauty of September and October, the earnest days of early autumn when the shadows get long and the leaves get pretty and the weather gets perfect.

For a boy from the south, winter is always the most painful time. Everything is gray and white and brown…the colors of summer are nowhere to be found.

(I guess I should say I live in Los Angeles where winter means “it is in the 40s a couple of times and it rains for a few days”. But I’m rolling, people!)

And yet, I wish I could fall asleep and skip these last few weeks wayward weeks of deep summer, because they are all that stands in between me and my college football.

This has been a busier summer than usual for me. Between a job at which I am seeking a promotion, and a move across town that has taken longer to execute than I ever would have thought, and new going-ons in my social life, I have not gotten a chance to write much.

But that does not mean I am not excited.

Remember all those freshman I wrote about in February, and how excited I was?

They are here.

Remember the ‘Canes that scrapped in every game last year, even though it only won half?

They are better and scrappier.

Not everything is peaches and flowers. Remember that NCAA investigation? Somehow, it still has not be wrapped up, and the black cloud still looms.

The ‘Canes will most likely struggle again as those enticing freshman go through their growing pains.

And yet, an imperfect season is damn better than the dog days of August.

So yes, I am excited.

When it comes to the actual product, I have some thoughts.

I think Stephen Morris has the potential to win a Heisman Trophy one day, and will be the next Miami quarterback to get drafted. He is a gym rat and a leader, plays with fire, and has a great arm. The only thing holding him back is his on-field decision making, which can get erratic. And personally, I think that after the season Jacory Harris had last year (minus one game), there is no reason to expect anything but improvement from Morris.

I think that we need new uniforms.

I think that the young skill guys on offense will be impressive, but sporadic. The hope is that the ebbs offset each other and each game some combination of guys will step up. At running back, Mike James is the rock, but Duke Johnson, Eduardo Clements and Dallas Crawford will add sparks. Ditto receiver, where old hat Allen Hurns gets help from Phillip Dorsett, Rashawn Scott, Malcolm Lewis, Robert Lockhart and others.

I think at this point Al Golden would win the presidential election if he threw his hat in as an independent.

I think the defense will swarm behind the leadership of Anthony Chickillo and Denzel Perryman.

I think at least 3 guys will be named to the ACC All- Rookie team, including Duke and Tracey Howard.

I think this team will not finish 5^th in the Coastal Division.

I think this team will beat Notre Dame.

I think that at some point this season, this team will block a kick.

Most of all, I think I will never tire of the ‘Canes running through the smoke.

Or Enter Sandman at Lane Stadium.

Or “Hook Em Horns”.

Or Yell Practice.

Or Fight On.

Or drinking a beer at 8am while watching college gameday.

Or the satisfying nap you take before you go out to celebrate a ‘Canes win.

Or taking a full Thursday off so as to not miss a snap of the Miami-Virginia Tech game.

There are hundreds of reasons why I love college football, and why every year is the most exciting year I can remember.

I would write more, but I am afraid I will start sweating. It is, like I said, the dog days.

But they are almost over.

I Love This Game

I love basketball.

I love everything about the game. I love 5 men moving on a string. I love making the extra pass. I love alley oops. I love the trash talk.

I played hundreds of hours of pickup basketball in college. If I didn’t live in a city with seemingly no hoops, I would play more now as a 25 year old.

I fell in love with basketball when I was 8 and living in Knoxville, Tennessee. My dad bought my brother and I a hoop that we perched at the top of our driveway. During the spring and summer, we would sit outside for hours shooting hoops and listening to the same Jimmy Buffett album over and over and over.

Our driveway was on the top of a hill, so anytime the ball would kick right off the rim we would have to dash to try and cut it off before it went down in to the valley between our property and the neighbors’.

It was on this driveway that I learned a lot of the fundamentals of basketball. Aiming for the top corner of the box above the basket gave you the best shot at making it. Forget the swish…that was for showboats who had talent. For guys like me, it was bank shots and tear drops and layups and finding the open guy. It was defense. It was all of the little things that you have to do to make yourself useful as a marginally athletic white kid in the CBFO 8-10 year old league.

(It was also learning that you couldn’t block the old man’s scoop shot, and to foul him on the arm was not the solution.)

Because I loved basketball and I was 8 and I collected sports cards, I became mesmerized by the NBA.

The Charlotte Hornets were my team, and I had a poster of “The Sting” (Alonzo Mourning / Mugsy Bogues / Larry Johnson) on my door. I loved Kenny Gattison and Dell Curry and a washed up Robert Parrish. I had Hornets wallpaper.

When the team transitioned in to the Glen Rice Era, which begat the David Wesley / Bobby Phills Era, which begat the  Baron Davis / Jamaal Mashburn Era, I went for the ride. I was Teal and Purple through and through.

(I remember LOVING when we traded for Vlade Divac and all we had to give up was some high school kid named Kobe Bryant. Also, teal and purple?! Really?! You couldn’t have made the colors something cooler than teal and purple?)

Then the Hornets moved. I wasn’t shocked as much as I was depressed. I had no team. Suddenly I didn’t care as much about the league; once the ball started rolling on the team’s relocation, which we saw coming a couple of years out, I became desensitized.. It also didn’t help that the players were less likeable. Baron Davis isn’t exactly the easiest guy to root for.

My love for the game, however, never changed. I still loved shooting baskets on the driveway. I still loved aiming for the top corner of the box, even though we were living in Wisconsin instead of Tennessee and our driveway wasn’t as fun. I still loved that Jimmy Buffett album.

Then, along came LeBron. Sure, I had no team. But at least now I had a player that sucked me in.

James became my favorite player the moment he stepped in to the league. I had never been as in awe of someone’s physical ability, except for maybe Sean Taylor or Kayden Kross. It was like rediscovering something that I had forgotten about.

I couldn’t believe a man of his size could jump and run and PASS like that. It was absurd. It was like a real life Monstar. And even crazier, he was only a couple of years older than me.

And so, last night, for the first time in forever, I was actually invested in a team that won the NBA Championship.

I don’t know if I can truly be considered a Heat fan. I started writing for a Heat blog in 2009. They were mediocre. Very mediocre. Being a free agent fan at the time, they obviously became the team I cared the most about, but by no means did their day to day success impact my outside world as, say, the ‘Canes did.

That summer, the Heat signed James and Bosh. All of a sudden Miami was the axis upon which the basketball universe turned. The only team I really cared at all about had suddenly signed the player I cared the most about. I might not be dyed in the wool, but you bet your ass I was rooting on the Heat.

I had defended LeBron against his (at the time) small group of detractors for as long as I could remember. Here was a likable superstar who played like a combination of Magic and Russell and Jordan and was, by all accounts, a good guy. He was the kind of player that would define our generation as Jordan had defined the previous.

To dislike him seemed inane to any true lover of hoops.

And inevitably, the reason for the hatred was not about basketball.

The Decision and the parade were in poor taste and more to the point, stupid. But he was a 25 year old kid. I do and say dumb things pretty damned often. I apologize and everyone moves on. LeBron apologized, and NO ONE moved on.

LeBron deserved some criticism and to be held to a higher level. However, he did not deserve to be held up to Mount Olympus, or the Mount Olympus sized heap of vitriol he received every single day.

And so, today, as a LeBron defender and fan, I feel vindicated.

This is not an “I told you so”.

It is important I say that, because pretty much all you will be reading today is people saying they were right.

I am here to tell you the exact opposite, in fact: we were all WRONG.

The Heatles won their first title last night. I expect many more, but even if they never come last night was a defining moment not just for the principals involved but for basketball as a whole.

The game has changed, and yet it has also remained the same.

When I say everyone was wrong, I mean that no one was right.

When The Decision happened, the nation was split evenly in to two camps. One side said the Heat would never win because they were too top heavy. The other side said it didn’t matter, give me three superstars (or two superstars and one mere All  Star) and figure the rest out later.

The former was always a ridiculous argument. Look at the history of the NBA. Before the reserve clause came down, you had stacked teams like Russell’s Celtics and West’s Lakers and Wilt’s 76ers.

Then free agency started and parity began to take hold, but the fact remained that the few dominant teams featured multiple superstars.

Magic had Kareem and Worthy.

Dr. J had Moses Malone and Mo Cheeks and the very underrated Andrew Toney.

Bird had McHale and  Parrish and DJ.

Isaiah had Dumars and the Bad Boys.

Jordan had Pippen and Grant / Rodman.

Duncan had Robinson, and later Ginobli and Parker.

Shaq had Kobe.

Kobe had Shaq and then Gasol.

Every definitive superstar relied on someone else to do a LOT of heavy lifting.

 Jordan’s dominance in the playoffs lead to a narrative that the best player won. That was often true, but he didn’t do it alone. No great player is an island. To say that LeBron teaming with Wade and Bosh was any different that Jordan teaming with Pippen and Rodman was just as ridiculous then as it is now. The only difference was the manner in which it was done. And that is a function of the times and our expectations, not the reality of winning basketball games.

The latter argument, that supporting cast doesn’t matter, was just as absurd. It is impossible to name a champion that didn’t have a shining moment from a reserve or role player. This year’s Finals was no different.  Take out the contributions of Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Norris Cole and the Thunder are NBA Champions. That’s just the way it is.

The bottom line is that basketball is at its core the same game that we have always loved. Its strategies change. The physicality and speed change. The rules change slightly. But “The Secret”, as Bill Simmons wrote effusively about in his Book of Basketball, is still the same. First, you have to have talent that sets you apart. Second, the guys that have that talent have to be willing to sacrifice individual accomplishments for team accomplishments. Third, you have to get a little lucky.

Everything that was talked about for the past two years was just chin music compared to this inevitable truth: the Heat were really fucking good, and as soon as they found their lane they would be unstoppable.

And so this championship was about The Secret. Like it always is. Basketball purists can smile today knowing that to be true.

However, there is no denying that it is also about LeBron.

LeBron is a player that truly embraced The Secret. In years past he would have been celebrated. Not for the way he switched teams, or the way he faded in the Finals last year, but for his overall body of work.

The problem with the Information Age is that everyone gets a take and there is no filter. I mean, you are reading this on a blog that was free for me to set up and is free to publish. I do not have an editor. There are thousands of people like me, and everyone wants to be unique. These “unique” takes pile up, and they can become crushing. It is easy to lose sight of the forest through the trees, and that sucks.

Last night, LeBron shut everybody up, finally. His team won, and they won because he saved his best for last. It was about basketball last night, and hopefully that will be the new narrative.

LeBron facilitated a true team effort.

He scored when needed, but also created scoring opportunities for his teammates, like Mike Miller’s corpse.

He rebounded.

He was the centerpiece of the best team defensive effort seen in years, the ultimate queen on the chess board, the guy who was able to defend five positions.

He stayed calm and made sure his teammates did too.

He was vindicated, far more so than any of his fans. And that is saying something, as I literally cannot stop smiling as I write this.

LeBron showed us that we all should maybe shut up and let things play out every now and then. Maybe it is important to stop looking for an angle and just watch the game sometimes.

He made me feel as happy as I did on that driveway in Knoxville, because it looked like that was exactly what he was doing. Playing basketball the way it is supposed to be played, in its purest form. He took The Secret, embraced it, and then made it in to a true art form.

He picked his team up and carried them to a title, not by taking every shot, but by playing the game the way it oughta be played.

Basketball is a beautiful sport, perhaps the finest team sport. And LeBron is the best at playing it.

(Okay, maybe this was a little bit of an “I Told You So”.)

The ACC as Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce

Hello All,

With recent rumors of a move for Florida State and the possibility that Miami would follow them, I find myself debating whether or not it matters what conference Miami is in.Trying to fill the void that is my life without college football, I have done a lot of thinking lately about Miami's place in the ACC. And I have been watching a lot of Mad Men.So of course I decided to figure out which ACC team is which character from the show. Yes, it is a bleak time.

Boston College is…Stan Rizzo

Rizzo, like Boston College, is a preppy yankee that really serves as nothing but comedic relief. Except for every now and then when he steals the scene. Eff you Flutie. Eff you.

Maryland is…Harry Crane

Harry thinks he is a big deal. He tries to dress hip and fresh and stay abreast of the times. He constantly is reminding people that “hey, I am important!”

Sound familiar?

Duke is…Lane Pryce

Lane is an interesting dude. On the one hand he is a British man of great decorum and manners. On the other, he does what he can to distance himself from his homeland and only truly embraces his heritage at times that he is overcome with emotion…like the 1966 World Cup. As buttoned up as Lane is, every now and then he gets his dander up, as witnessed when he beat the ever loving shit out of Pete Campbell in the boardroom this season. It was refreshing, good old fashioned British hooliganism.

Duke is a Blue Blood in every sense of the word. Because of their basketball team, they are conference royalty. The school is widely considered the “Harvard of the South”; most of the student body comes from the northeast, a spit in the face to the Southern as Grits ACC (nickname: Tobacco Road). When there is basketball to be played, this school resorts to good, old fashioned Southern hooliganism.

Wake Forest is…Joan Holloway

Joan is pretty much universally adored and is, by the way, one of the most beautiful women to ever grace this Earth…but in a “I believe I might meet a woman like that at the grocery store” kind of way. Joan also has a passive aggressive edge to her that results in some of the best verbal daggers delivered on the show.

The joke goes in North Carolina that Wake Forest is everyone’s second favorite team. They are a good school with a beautiful campus and don’t really do anything to piss anyone off. They know their place but every now and then do something really passive aggressive…like beating Florida State. Sometimes I really think I might be falling in love with Wake Forest.

Georgia Tech is…Bert Cooper

Bert founded the agency but now just kind of hangs out at this point. He used to be a great Ad Man but at this point is a relic of the past who does quirky stuff like get massages in his office or require everyone to remove their shoes upon entry. As he proved this season, however, he can still crack the whip if you take your eye off the ball.

Georgia Tech used to be an elite football program which has settled in to the middle tier at this point. They run the Triple Option offense, a quirky animal that fell out of vogue years ago but will burn you if you are not adequately prepared, as all Miami fans remember. They are probably  not a legitimate threat to win the conference, but they are always hanging around.

Virginia is…Megan Draper

Megan, the young, hot wife of the show’s protagonist, is just “good at everything”. She starts off as an actress, then decides she wants to work in advertising. Naturally, she is put on Don’s desk, and as always happens in these situations, she goes with Don and his children to California, finds out he switched identities with a dead platoon mate in the Korean War and has lived under an assumed name ever since, and accepts Don’s (Dick’s?) marriage proposal. She also earns a promotion to copy writer and then single handedly saves the Heinz Baked Beans account. She is fantastic with the kids, fantastic at making Don feel younger, fantastic at saying the right thing at the right time, and fantastic at having hate/makeup sex with Don on the dirty white carpet…that she cleans in her hot lingerie, which she is fantastic at wearing. She is now back to chasing her acting career, and if that doesn’t work out my bet is she becomes Mayor of New York City. (This was the right wagon to hitch your horse to, Henry Francis)

Virginia is considered by many to be the preeminent state university in the nation in terms of academics, and they ain’t bad at athletics either. Their football team is an up and comer with a guy at the helm (Mike London) that makes you think they could do anything. Now, will we be surprised if they backslide? No, just like we won’t be surprised if Megan fails at acting. But the ceiling is rather limitless for this program which has a fertile recruiting ground (The Tidewater) to draw from, the prestige of an elite academic institution and state school resources (kind of like Megan has time and money thanks to Don’s salary) to put in to its football program.

Clemson is…Pete Campbell

Pete is…well, he is a little bitch. He is obsessed with rising up and becoming Don Draper. He cheats on his smoking hot wife (Allison Brie) frequently, including raping the au pair next door. He is a talented guy but tries to do too much and therefore is perpetually disappointed.

Clemson is a talented program that wishes it was Florida State. Every year, they come out of the gate hot before raping their fans with a loss to a team they have no business losing to. In fact, “Clemsoning” is an accepted verb within the college football nerdosphere.  

North Carolina State is…Ken Cosgrove

Cosgrove is probably the only guy in the office that everybody genuinely likes. He is cool, calm and collected and lets everyone do their thing without interfering. Hell, the guy is even a published author. I wish he were my friend.

North Carolina State has a nice atmosphere and..yeah, that’s about it. Every now and then they put a solid team out there, but you always get the sense that they are good for at least 4 losses…in other words, no one has a problem with The Pack except for UNC, and that is a matter of too many chefs in the kitchen more than anything else.

Virginia Tech is…Peggy Olson

Peggy started off as an assistant and pulled herself up to the position of head copy writer. She essentially did what Megan did, except without marrying the boss first. She has become one of the power players on the show by virtue of her merit and nothing else. She is commendable in that sense.

VTech has become one of college football’s annual powers simply through establishing a rugged, workmanlike program that gets after it year in and year out. They will probably never win a national title, but they seem to make their way in to the Top 5 at some point every season. The minute they stop working, they will be gone, much like Peggy.

North Carolina is…Roger Sterling

Roger is an Alpha Male. His thirsts for women and booze are legendary. He is the son of the guy that co-founded the agency. He has delivered some of the best one liners in the history of the show. However, Roger now faces an external crisis. He got by for years on his ability to wine and dine clients; he did not rise in to his position, but had it given to him by virtue of being the son of the boss. America is changing though, and clients care less about your ability to down martinis and more about your ability to produce good work. Roger must adapt or die.

When I think about Carolina, I think about the old aristocracy. Carolina was the most important school in this conference for years, before the new blood from Florida (FSU, Miami) came along and relegated them to “basketball power” status. Tobacco Road is a thing of the past; in its place has emerged a super conference that has an eye for the bottom line and not tradition. UNC must start producing more on the gridiron, or it will find it has less power in a conference that cares more about football than basketball for the first time in its history.

Florida State is…Michael Ginsberg

Ginsberg is the rising star in the office. He is a little weird…okay, he is really weird. But the talent is undeniable.  If he can stay out of his own way, he is going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with. But here is the problem: I’m not sure he can hold it together. He seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder, which is good, but can lead him astray. For instance, he might have this exchange with Don, his boss, in the elevator:

Ginsberg: "What do I care? I got a million of them. A million."
Draper: "Good. I guess I'm lucky you work for me."
Ginsberg: "I feel bad for you."
Draper: "I don't think about you at all."

(Don drops mic  /hits the Diddy dance / shoulder shimmies…in my head)

Now what was the point of that Ginsberg? You want to be the best? Win. Just win. That is all you ever had to do. Don’t tell me about how great you are, just be great.

Florida State has so much talent they don’t know what to do with it. Literally. They have no clue what they are doing out there half the time. Every season it is something. It is an injury or a missed field goal or their quarterback developing Lyme Disease and running bareass naked down the highway proclaiming himself God or a missed field goal. Anyway, Florida State would have so many championship trophies they could use them as doorstops if #1 recruiting classes counted. But they don’t. So year after year, we get to hear about how this is the year FSU puts it all together. Could they? Certainly. They have all the tools. Will they? I don’t know, but something in my gut says no. And yes, of course they wish they were Miami.

Miami is…Don Draper

Don Draper is the legend. He came from nothing and exploded on to the scene. He took no prisoners and played the game with a swagger that had never been seen before. Draper was the guy that told Big Tobacco, and really Big Business, to go eff themselves in The Letter. He married a model, and when she started getting on his nerves, he stepped out on her with pretty much everyone. And good lord did that guy rock a suit. Was he perfect? No. Did he do some things that made you squirm a little? Of course he did. But we rooted for him anyway because he said things like “’She’s never been marriedbecause she’s never been in love.’ I think I wrote that to sell nylons.” He was the epitome of the American man: flawed, but he fought for his place in this world and didn’t take shit off of anybody, including his clients. However, the times are changing, and Don is off his game a bit. He doesn’t get The Beatles and more to the point, doesn’t care. He became content; now his competitiveness has kicked back in and he wants his corners. The only problem is, the pack has caught up and in a lot of cases passed him. The things that made him lovable before, namely his swagger (and willingness to alienate entire industries), are now being thrown back in his face. The question facing Don is “can he get his fastball back?”

Miami rose from the brink of cancelling the football program to the most dominant decade in the history of college football. The players played with swagger that had never been seen before; as a result they were labeled as “bad for the game”, but people loved them for it. As I have written thousands of words about, The U has fallen off, mostly because they got complacent. However, the competitive fervor has returned, and now the question on everyone’s mind is “how long until Miami strikes back?”

Hope Is A Good Thing

Hello All,

Ever since I was 10 years old, I have been legitimately obsessed with the NFL Draft.

Back in the day, I used to write down every pick as it happened. Then this little thing called the internet happened and I no longer had to write down each pick; instead, I could not only have that done for me but also read reams of data I never had available to me before.

Now, with the introduction of Twitter, I can have 20 different league writers, 50+ beat writers and probably 100 college football writers giving me their opinions and analysis of what is happening / has happened in one simple newsfeed.

To reiterate, the way I consume the draft has changed a lot in the past 15 years.

Everything about the draft changes, but there has always been one constant: The Dolphins are bad at it.

My favorite thing about the draft is the same thing that I love about college football recruiting: every year, you get to envision the future of your team which OF COURSE is going to be filled with championships. At least, that's the idea.

The problem is that the Dolphins have consistently robbed me of this one simple joy, because for as long as I can remember the Dolphins have been blowing their early draft picks like a Secret Service agent who just got paid in Cartagena.

*Waits a beat*

(Too soon?)

Nowhere has that been more evident than at the quarterback position. The truth of the matter is that in the past decade, the NFL has changed. You have to have a frontline quarterback or you cannot win the Super Bowl. Period.

Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson were able to win Super Bowls in the early part of the past decade on the backs of DOMINANT defenses. Since then, the NFL has manipulated the rules to ensure more points (and more interest from casual fans).

Not surprisingly, the teams that contend every year feature someone named Manning, Brady, Rodgers, Brees or Roethlisberger. Every year these teams have the chance to win the Super Bowl, and it is for a reason.Quarterbacks run the league.

(All of those guys were first round picks except for Brees, who was an EARLY second)

Running paralell to these rule changes has been the Dolphins slow descent in to NFL purgatory. Certainly not one of the bottom five teams, but RARELY a playoff team...dooming fans to a life of 6-10 / 7-9 / 8-8 types of seasons.

Dan Marino retired in 1999 and since then the Dolphins have started 16 quarterbacks. Essentially, the rest of the league is moving forward and the Dolphins are moving toward 1992 (not conicidentally, Bill Parcells' hey day).

Their names will go down in NFL hsitory. Cleo Lemon. Sage Rosenfels. Joey Harrington. Ray Lucas. I could keep going, but the point is that the Dolphins have tried to cure pancreatic cancer with a band aid.

And I tell you all this to say the following: the Dolphins finally did the right thing last night.

They found the quarterback they think could lead the franchise for 15 years and went out and got him.

It had been 29 years since the Dolphins drafted a quarterback in the first round. To put that in perspective, 29 years ago Ronal Reagan was a first term president, I was 4 years away from being born and The EFFING Soviet Union was still the Evil Empire, not the Yankees.

And in all that time, the Dolphins never tried to find the next Marino.

(Peyton Manning)

They never found a guy to develop and bring along.

(Aaron Rodgers)

They never even took a shot on a guy that they thought could do it and ultimately failed.

(Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Jamarcus Russell, Dan McGwire)

Instead, they simply saw a hole at the most important position on the field and decided not to fill it. They essentially have treated their roster as Wilshire Blvd.

Ryan Tannehill is by no means a sure thing. He struggles throwing in to the middle of the field and doesn't have the experience that you like to see coming out of college.

But he is a physical specimen, a guy who has been praised a leader and worker, and oh yeah,. doesn't look bad on tape either.

He is not the immediate answer. We might be bad for another year or two. He might never work out. But the point is that he has the potential to be a Top 10 quarterback in the NFL, and has drawn comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. THAT is the type of guy you take a shot at early on. You owe it to your fans.

This is essentially a no-lose scenario. If Tannehill doesn't work out, the current regime gets gutted and the Dolphins finally get to do the complete teardown they should have done 5 years ago.

If he does work out, he makes the Dolphins a Super Bowl threat, which is kind of the point of this whole thing.

After the draft, G.M. Jeff Ireland was gushing about Tannehill. He sounded like a normal human being for the first time I can ever remember. He sounded full of hope, like the plan he had in his mind was coming together.

If you can't sell winning, you sell hope, and if you are wondering whether that is true or not, I just bought a new t-shirt and shorts from the Dolphins team store.

As fans, we know that it is hard to win a championship. All we really want is the hope that this year it could be us that gets to walk in to work on a Monday morning early in  February with a shit-eating grin on our face because our team just won the trophy and everyone else has to suck failure.

That is what Tannehill gives this fan base. The hope that, sometime soon, it will be us.

Oh and also his wife is a certified smokeshow.

Always guard the inbound passer.