If Momma's Not Happy, Nobody's Happy

When national signing day comes around for high school seniors to choose a school parents are normally happy to see their kid move on to the next phase of their life. Sometimes they'll choose a school close to home, go to where their parents went, or move far away as possible to see how it is at a place different from where they came from. Parents won't always agree, but are usually so proud they don't care. This past week there was a player whose name escapes me right now, his mom forged a letter of intent. Now we have the case of Jacoby Brissett.

Brissett is highly thought of in recruiting circles and a very talented athlete. He was called the best uncommitted quarterback and was being recruited by Florida, Miami (the U), Wisconsin, and North Carolina to play basketball. So you know he's good, at least at the high school level. He made his announcement during his senior night basketball ceremony. He chose Florida. And mama's not happy.  

Ellicia Brown, Brissett's mother, wanted him to go to Miami. Brissett won't send his letter of intent until Monday, so maybe mom figures she can "talk some sense into him". Brown isn't too thrilled about how Florida handled the process of Brissett's recruitment.

“Not my choice,” Brown said. “I’m very disappointed. I didn’t like the way Florida handled the process. I’ve never been able to meet the head coach … I’ve never met (Will Muschamp) face-to-face and I find that very disrespectful and I’m just hurt with the whole process with the Gators. I was hoping that he would respect me and go to ‘The U’ because ‘The U’ showed respect to his mom.”


“He knew I would be hurt and disappointed,” Brown said. “So he texted me.”

There was a mixture of boos and cheers from the crowd, some decked out in Hurricanes gear, left the game.

I see she realizes that it's his choice, but it is what it is. He's doing what he feels is in his best interest, since he wants to play both basketball and football in college. Florida has a better program in both sports than Miami at this point. Also, maybe if Randy Shannon was still coaching the Canes maybe Brissett would be "taking his talents to South Beach".  Just support his decision and give him the unconditional love only a mother can give her son.



  

Trump Stumps For Leach

Donald Trump is getting in the agent business. Kind of. He has been politicking for former Texas Tech head man Mike Leach to be hired for the vacant Miami job. Trump wanted school president Donna Shalala to hire Leach when they canned Larry Coker. Trump also sent this to Shalala.

When did Trump get involved in the coach hiring process. If all it takes to get some backing is to post his mug on the wall and quote him in a halftime speech or a speech of any kind maybe I ought to do the same. Maybe the Donald can get me hired at Eastern Michigan or a Division III school. 

Trump thinks Leach was wrongly fired at Texas Tech and says that Leach might not be the easiest guy to get along with but is a brilliant guy and a brilliant coach. Leach thinks it would be a great job and a great fit for him. He's already promising ACC championships and full stadiums.

My question is why Minnesota hasn't jumped on this guy yet. That is a team that can really use him. Maybe he doesn't cheat enough for them since it seems that's the only time they're good at anything.

Shannon Was The Fall Guy For The Losses

My personal opinion. Randy Shannon was fired unjustly by Miami. I know there are lots of folks who will disagree, especially fans and supporters of The U. 

Shannon simply didn't win enough to satisfy the appetite of school president Donna Shalala and I would guess numerous boosters. This was after he got the dreaded vote of confidence that seems to doom every coach that gets it. Here's the problem with college athletics, especially football. The president wants to win big. He or she will have boosters and regents in their ear telling them how much the school needs to win. All the while they don't want too much off field controversy and want a decent graduation rate. Shannon fulfilled the last two ( 1 arrest and 3rd best graduation rate), but couldn't win when it mattered most. I'm no great game planner or x's and o's master, but the players were just as responsible for the losses as he was. I know the coach is ultimately the fall guy for what happens on the field. Think about it, the players have admitted they were at fault for Shannon being fired. It wasn't Shannon who threw the game away at Ohio State. I know there was an embarassing loss to Virginia, but if Jacory Harris doesn't get hurt they win that game. The only game I question is the Florida State game where it looked like they didn't show up.

Shannon will get another oppurtunity he will definitely get a look as a defensive coordinator. I think he deserved one more year at Miami. 

The Canes Need to Show More Fight Than Their Fans

The Miami Hurricanes had a lame performance Saturday but their fans made up for their lack of a fighting spirit during the game.


 


If their players showed more heart and fire like this, their fans wouldn't be subject to ridicule by opposing fans.

Wake Up The Echoes

Word on the street is that the Notre Dame-Miami rivalry will be restarting in 2012.

 The Hurricanes and Fighting Irish will play Oct. 6, 2012, at Soldier Field in Chicago, then play a home-and-home starting in 2016 at South Bend, Ind. They play in Miami the next season. Even though the series dates back to the 1950s, this rivalry really got going in the 80s with Miami's emergence as a player on the national scene.Notre Dame leads the series 15-7-1.

In 1985 the Canes whipped the Fighting Irish 58-7 in coach Gerry Fast's last game. I personally enjoyed it as Miami blatantly ran up the score with no regard. On the flip, if you can't stop the backups, don't complain. That's why I couldn't be a broadcaster. I'm a bit biased. Going into the 1988 game Notre Dame supporters coined the contest 'Catholics vs. Convicts'. Notre Dame won the game and that was also the last time the Fighting Irish won the national title. During the 80s and early 90s this was a game that was a deciding factor in the national championship race. Notre Dame won the last game in the series in 1990, 29-20.                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm anxious to see this series get started again. I hope both teams are nationally relevant by the time this game rolls around. I would love to see the pregame trash talk and pushing and shoving that teams aren't allowed to do these days. Wake up the echoes.

A retrospective moment

I was watching the ESPN 30 for 30 special on the University of Miami football team.It was entertaining and insightful and it was good to see former Hurricanes coaches and players talk about their experience at "THE U".Going from the Schellenberger era to now it was good to get an inside look at what made them what they are.To me they were unfairly branded as thugs,convicts,outlaws or whatever.Even though they embraced that image,they also didn't like being called that by outsiders.Overall it definitely was a must see.There was one moment that stuck with me though.I forgot who said it pissed them off and called Florida State a Miami wannabe,but it was this seminole rap video,that even i didn't know existed.I thought it was pretty funny.

   

I can't believe Bobby Bowden let them make this.I remember the first game of that season,the Canes whipped them 31-0.Guess that's where Deion Sanders got his rap career started.