How does one even try to bring perspective to this whole thing. I keep looking for ways to make all of us feel like this isn’t bad. I’ve failed.
Someone please write the date down; August 16th, 2011. I have a feeling ten years from now we’ll still be talking about today like it was yesterday. Same way I remember running down the block during a break in a summer sports journalism class to get a copy of the SI calling for Miami to drop football. At the time I never thought there could be anything worse than that story. Today I realize I was wrong.
I’ve covered this program for close to twenty years. The SI story. The deaths of Marlin Barnes, Chris Campbell and Bryan Pata. I was there for the brawl and for the firings of several coaches. Nothing compares to this.
Before you start to tell me these are just allegations, stop. There’s too much here and even if the NCAA can only prove 10% of what’s in that story, we’re looking at another major setback. Earlier today I thought, “it might be bad, but at least we won’t have that whole lack-of-institutional-control thing”. I was wrong. This is very, very, very bad and no matter how many times you try to tell yourself that this is coming from a desperate convicted felon and that it was more than four years ago, it’s not going to erase the fact that this is going to effect UM for a long time to come.
Yes, I believe Nevin Shapiro is an absolute tool. I’m sure I met him at some point, but my assessment is based on reading the Yahoo! report today. Still, my anger is directed at all the people who had a hand in this thing and aren’t here anymore. Kirby Hocutt bolted. Frank Haith bolted. Aubrey Hill bolted. Clint Hurtt was told to find a new place to get on probation. Jeff Stoutland? Gone. Equipment guys? Gone.
Meanwhile, Al Golden, Jim Larranaga, Shawn Eichorst and their staffs are all left to deal with the fallout and a mess they had nothing to do with. Donna Shalala is still here too, but at the age of seventy it wouldn’t surprise me if she decided to retire. I’m glad she got the academic rankings as high as she did because it might be a while before that success is matched on the field.
Today we learned that all those days spent yucking it up at the likes of Ohio State, North Carolina, Southern Cal, etc. was bad karma. This stuff goes on everywhere. Just so happens our kids live in the country’s playground. If Miami were Lubbock, it’d be a bit more difficult to rent floors of hotels for prostitute parties without the entire town being in the know.
Back to UM at 6am tomorrow, where I half expect Coach Golden to be dressed as a clown and fired out of a cannon onto the practice field. It will be an absolute circus and it’s completely deserved. This is arguably the biggest scandal in college sports since SMU and that’s not just my take – that’s the stance of every national writer I’ve read this evening.
One thing’s for sure – I care a lot less about Jacory Harris versus Stephen Morris as this point. Honestly, Jacory had over ninety calls / texts to or from Shapiro. This quarterback competition may soon become a one-man race.
Lastly, we’re still doing allCanes Radio this Thursday night from the Titanic from 7pm to 9pm ET. Tune in via allCanes.com or stop on buy as I could use some drinking buddies.