Robert Marve is suspended for the season opener against Charleston Southern this coming Thursday.
The university hasn’t released an official statement, but rumor has it Marve shared the news with his high school coach and family members. This morning the story was confirmed by Barry Jackson at the Miami Herald.
The suspension is said to stem from an incident last Halloween in Coconut Grove when Marve was arrested on two misdemeanors; criminal mischief for breaking a car’s side mirror and resisting arrest by briefly fleeing police.
I spent some time on a few Canes-themed message boards today, as a fallout was guaranteed.
Par for the course, a slew of knee-jerk reactions from Miami’s fan base. The sky is falling. Randy Shannon should be fired. A quarterback controversy is now fait accompli, due to a one-game suspension.
Hold the phone, people. We’re talking about a redshirt freshman and a suspension against Nobody U, during a rebuilding year. Let’s keep things in perspective.
First things first, anyone blaming Shannon for consistently pressing on with his role of disciplinarian is off base. If you want to assess blame, look no further than #9. Marve’s actions landed him in hot water and a one-game suspension for a run in with the law is hardly out of line.
The redshirt freshman quarterback also blew off counseling appointments that were either part of his probation, or university implemented – which are rumored to be the bigger reason a suspension was handed down.
Attend the court-mandated meetings and Marve is suiting up on Thursday. Mess with the bull, get the horns and ride the pine.
Timing-wise, this is somewhat hard to fathom. I don’t disagree with that.
For an incident that occurred almost ten months ago, handing out punishment less than a week before the season opener doesn’t seem prudent. Especially with early reports that Marve was set to be named started tomorrow morning when depth charts are released.
Then again, maybe Shannon’s timing is perfect and he knows something about the psyche and demeanor of this particular player that the average fan doesn’t.
How would Miami’s quarterback battle have played out this spring if Marve knew he was missing the season opener? Would there have been resentment? Would he have worked as hard, or would he have checked out and remained bitter?
How would freshman quarterback Jacory Harris have responded? Would the suspension news have been a distraction? Would he have worked as hard if he knew game one was handed to him on a silver platter?
We’ll never know, but is sure sounds to me like Marve was been 1a to Harris’ 1b since day one and the long-term goal was not to disrupt the on-the-field battle with an off-the-field distractions.
What is known is that both quarterbacks battled day in and day out for the starting position, which Marve seems to have locked up. While he’ll sit out the August 28th opener, Marve will be back behind center on September 6th when Miami heads to Florida for the big time rivalry game.
Shannon has made no bones about doing things his way, punishing players when and where he feels it’s necessary – in an effort to mold young men and teach them some Life:101-type lessons many NCAA athletes aren’t receiving.
While this seems to go over the heads of many armchair head coaches, it should resonate with mature adults, concerned parents and anyone who sees a world where professional and college athletes have become entitled and above the law.
If this were the NFL, Marve would be slapped with a fine that wouldn’t even put a dent in his weekly check, let alone his bank account. Where’s the lesson there – taking a few bucks from an uber rich athlete?
If he were at some collegiate football factory elsewhere in this country, it’s a slap on the wrist and conformation that NCAA starting quarterbacks operate by a different set of rules and standards than other players or classmates.
Marve is in his formative years and coach Shannon is hitting this kid where it hurts; by taking playing time. Leaders don’t want to watch from the sideline, nor do they want to let their teammates down. This Thursday, Marve will do both.
”Robert is upset. Robert’s family is upset. We were having trouble seeing the wisdom of how an incident from last season is being handled,” said Eugene Marve, Robert’s father and a former NFL linebacker. “But at the end of the day we have to say that his actions created this.”
There might’ve been a better way to handle this situation, but the end result most likely would’ve been the same if the news broke in April or August. A one-game suspension for this infraction is impossible to argue and that should remain the focus. Not the timing or delivery of the punishment.
Robert Marve is going to learn from this and will become a better person – and player – as a result. You can take that to the bank.
In the grand scheme of life, what is one game? An evening. A few measly hours? It’s the blink of an eye – though the fallout and lesson learned have the potential of being monumental regarding a young man at this stage of his life.
The next time Mr. Marve gets so mad he could punch something, guess what? He probably won’t. Not when he knows the price tag attached to such an immature and selfish act. This suspension is going to help Marve grow, the same as the car accident which almost claimed his life last summer.
This isn’t a time for Marve to ask, “why me”? It’s a time for self-refection. Look within. Realize that there are repercussions for our actions and that no one is above the law. At least not at this point of his collegiate career and not during his tenure at the University of Miami.
Those of you frustrated with Shannon, what would you have done? Do you sweep this under the rug? Does the first-time starter run some stadium stairs and get a slap on the wrist? Where’s the lesson learned in all that?
Sometimes punishment has to be painful and just as a parent tells a child, “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you” – the same goes for a second-year head coach on somewhat of a hot seat after a 5-7 season.
You make a statement while you still can. You do so while your quarterback can still be housebroken and before his arm and ego takes him places you can’t bring him back from.
The actions of these players impact the lives of their coaches and families of coaches. It’s big business. It’s bigger money. It’s real life. Does anybody really believe that Shannon and staff want to bench star players? Hell no. Coaches’ jobs and paychecks depend these kids winning ballgames and Miami is better off with Marve behind center.
That said, Shannon is all about right and wrong. Right is rewarded and wrong is punished. It’s a black or white issue, there is no middle ground and it takes some serious integrity to stand by your principles in situations like this. Personally, I applaud it.
As much as any Cane, I wish Marve were under center on Thursday, earning some valuable playing time for game two at Florida.
I also wish he never broke the damn mirror.
C’est la vie.
Rally behind Harris, gear up for some Miami Hurricanes football and think logically before directing your venom as The U’s skipper. In the end, Randy did the right thing here. ‘No Excuses’, remember?
This may be a small step back for a young football team, but it will be a huge step forward in the growth and development of a young man.
That was very well written. You spoke the truth and I applaud you for it.
I'm 100% with Shannon on this one. He's sending a message and setting the example. We are rebuilding this thing. Some people are so obsessed with the Gators they are losing focus of becoming competitive again in the ACC and developing young disciplined players. I will say it right now: The Florida game is meaningless. I want to go at least 4-4 in the ACC this year and as long as we beat UCF or Texas A&M we'll be 6-6 and make a bowl and point this thing back in the direction it should be going.
awesome blog post…Agree with all of your points mentioned about Marve.
Yes, the timing is questionable. Yes, on the surface, we don't like this kind of attention. Yes, we'd like a green QB to have a patsy before the oft vaunted vortex in Gainesville….
But this is a laudable move by Shannon. Simply paternal & very clear. Timing sucks, but it should be obvious that this isn't necessarily a move for you, me & whatever pride we hope to have after leaving the Swamp, but an attempt to set a standard within an organization that needs many standards in place before it gets drunk on victories.
How are we still not punching holes in the ceiling that The Saboteur is off the sidelines? You've said it several times 305, Coker took years to cultivate such ineptitude & failure. Get behind Shannon already & stay the freak there for a few seasons.
Or did we all forget that Barry Alvarez was the second choice for this position–& he removed himself. NOBODY WANTED THIS POSITION. Nobody lied to get here. Not one "mysterious super candidate" even flirted with us. We are a sub-.500 program. Get it. We'll win again. A lot again. National Championships again. With Randy Shannon? This decision with Marve is hardly going to let us know. It's Charleston SOUTHERN. Half of you were muttering "O, well obviously he should pick Harris as the starter" yesterday anyway. So today he did. Let the man play his team.
Anybody who is seeing today through 1983 or 2001 eyes… go find a seat in South Bend. They're blind up there & can yell a lot too.
When I originally heard this news today, I can honestly say I was pissed at Randy Shannon. After reading your blog, I’ve completely changed my mind.
Like you, I still sort of question the timing of all this, but the end result is that Robert Marve screwed up here. Not Coach Shannon. Randy did the right thing and Robert Marve is learning a very valuable lesson.
Good work again 305.
Everything for this guy since highschool has been pretty much a trainwreck.Throwing him to the wolves in Gainesville isn’t the way you want start a career.Hats off to Shannon,it all starts with accountability.
I agree 100% with you…Trust Shannon!
On another note…glad that the U made the headlines at ESPN and other national sports publications…its sad that our rebuild or other positive things about the team get ignored, but at first blood, they’re all over it!
Bravo! Your blog is the voice of sanity in the darkness.
see….braking a mirror really is bad luck!!!
Mad at Randy for disciplining young men??? Why? Discipline is important in anyone’s life and should be welcomed, as well as learned from, especially if rightfully deserved. His parents and others, should be grateful.
Coach Shannon should be applauded for HIS character! After all character is doing the right thing no matter what the cost. All coaches should take a page from Randy Shannon. While at it, go look at Rich Brooks at U. Kentucky and his recent QB situation. In the end, men like these are worth emulating, and they must be valued and praised.
I know Marve’s character will be strengthened and Miami will be better for it. Marve will not be the only one to learn a lesson from this, but so will the rest of the team, as well as future Canes.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpen another.”
Provers 27:17
Marve screwed up simple, these athletes need to realize that they r not god and if it was me i would give 3 games,iam a die hard cane probably longer than most of u on here but we r only going to get back to the top with people with character so good for u coach Shannon.
On one hand I like this – but give me a break, the guy got pissed off after a fight with his girlfriend and broke a mirror. The case was dropped for gosh sake. I am sure many other students all across the country make silly stupid mistakes. This went to court, the DA decided not to press charges. This is a PERFECT case where running the steps is the right punishment.
If a regular student did it, it would have already been forgotten. This is not an alcohol induced event or something much more flagrant. It’s a freshman getting mad and hitting something – big whoop.
Now I agree that football players and especially Miami ones need to be held to a higher standard. But c’mon – I certainly think making Marve run and run til he pukes would have been an adequate punishment.
Not to mention the fact that this brings up all the bad imagery of Miami again for a small issue that had all but been forgotten. What good does this serve dragging Miami’s name back through the mud again. This all seems kinda silly for a transgression that the courts deemed unnecessary to worry about.
My God you just keep hitting the nail on the head with your blog. You seriously need to be working for Newspaper or Television Station. In today’s society, discipline, manners and respect is slipping away and if we don’t take control and teach our youths right from wrong, where will be in the coming years. I give Coach Shannon respect for his decision of doing what other coaches through out the country would not do.
Thank you.
561CANES !!
My only question on the issue is why is this just now being announced for an action which happened in October 2007? I trust Coach Shannon has his reason but that was the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw it scroll across the bottom of ESPN.
I also saw that 6 or 7 other players are also suspended for this game as well. The guys really hurt the team in the reps they would have gotten against Charlston Southern team in preparation for Florida. It hurts in the short run, but hopefully lessons will be learned and they will grow in the long run. Time will tell. I just can’t wait for Thursday!
-Columbus Cane
What we are witnessing is a coach that gave HIS player a set of things to do. 1) Attend Counseling, 2) Keep your nose Clean, 3)Follow whatever the system said. He (the player) knew that if ANY of the above were not followed, he would face at least a one game suspension.
He was also given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to see it through until the end of the process. Thats why punishment is being dished out now & not back in November.
All of this sends a message that Shannon is fair in his dealings with his players, & will be consistent in dealing out punishment. Miami will have the best practices these next few weeks than it's had in sevral years!!!
Everyone is bitching because of what happened to Marve, there were 7 other players suspended. Why doesn’t anyone care about how they are finding out? Stop trying to pretend that this is about being fair to our players. We just want Marve to be ready to give us a chance against the hated Gaytors.
I am a diehard CANES fan, but I’m realistic as well. We simply are not going to beat the Gators (lucky bastards) this year regardless if Marve got to play against Charleston or not. We have the talent but lack the experience. The Gator game for me is a game that will give us tremendous momentum for the remainder of the season. As, if we can play well (even in a loss) against a top 5 opponent, the rest of the season and the ACC should be a breeze.
Case in point, if this UM team is as cyclical as say fashion trends, we’re in good shape. Quick history lesson:
1983 Miami Hurricanes Football Season (lead by redshirt Freshman Bernie Kosar)
The Hurricanes started the ’83 season with a big 28-3 loss to the Florida Gators. The ‘Canes would bounce back though to win their remaining 10 games. Finishing the regular season at 10-1 put the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the National Championship. The ‘Canes pulled off a 31-30 win for their first National Championship.
Florida L 3-28
Houston W 29-7
Purdue W 35-0
Notre Dame W 20-0
Duke W 56-17
Louisville W 42-14
Mississippi St. W 31-7
Cincinnati W 17-7
West Virginia W 20-3
East Carolina W 12-7
Florida State W 17-16
(Orange Bowl) Nebraska W 31-30
After being redshirted in 1982, Kosar started all 12 games as a freshman in 1983. He completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,328 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the Hurricanes to an 11–1 regular season and a berth in the Orange Bowl against top-ranked Nebraska, which had won 22 consecutive games. In the game, Kosar passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hurricanes topped the Cornhuskers 31–30 for Miami’s first national championship.
Now, it’s important to note I’m not living in the past, I learn from it. I’m only saying it is probable that Marve will take his lumps in the Gator game and be a better player as a result (no National Championship in ‘08).
So stop the bitching people, and let’s get ready to cheer on our Hurricanes. As for Randy Shannon, I don’t think it was handled in the best way possible. He doesn’t have to tell the media or us fans jack-$hit. But at Fall practice he should have informed Marve of his punishment weeks before the season opener.
Regardless, I have an opinion but he is paid to be the head coach. So be it! I like him, but if we go 5-7 in ’08 and ’09, he is out of here anyway.
I think I just read a first: an ESPN analyst had something positive in an article about our beloved Canes. Kirk Herbstreit picked us to win the Coastal Division in the ACC and picked Coach Shannon as one of the coaches who will exceed expectations. Mark this down – August 25th 5:40pm. I have to make sure I’m not dreaming. I will say that, being in Columbus, he is one of the more objective (overall) analysts they have on nationally. Lou Holtz should be fired for claiming Notre Sham will win 11 games this year. He loses any remaining respect he had for that. The guy is not objective or realistic at all when it comes to either of his former teams (ND and SC). But I hear Kirk often on the local radio station and he really is not a homer overall in his analysis of games – and even gets heat from locals for not drinking the Suckeye Kool-aid. But I just wanted to mention some actual non-negativity from a national person for once. T Minus 3 days!
– Columbus cane
Well written, thoughtful and true.
You cannot let the little things go and expect to have discipline, standards or excellence.
As Vince Lombardi said:
Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
Glad to see what worked for a legend still applies today…
Go ‘Canes
Gboyotis
Class of ’92