Yes, this was originally the link to a piece on Miami Hurricanes incoming freshman wide receiver Lawrence Cager. If you missed it, don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. The article has since been scrapped for a few reasons, in no particular order:
1. — I lack the time, desire and energy to debate matters like this anymore. A decade ago I’d have poured a cocktail and dug in for an evening of debating on message boards, trying to tally up some virtual wins.
All these years later, no chance. I just don’t care enough to engage in the back and forth. Instead, I’m logging off in ten minutes and jumping back into a book about the history of Guns N Roses. Welcome to the jungle, baby.
2. — I (obviously) didn’t lay out a strong enough case or get my point across the way I intended to, based on the social media comments that were coming in—including a few incoming football freshmen who definitely have better things to do than debate social media with me (or read biographies on aging blued-based rock bands. You’re in college now. Get offline and go find a party.)
Again, all that’s on me, but based on that, back to the first point; no time, desire or energy to blah, blah, blah.
3. — I’m not an 18-year old collegiate athlete clowning around on social media and can’t pretend to know the context in which said comments are made, so I won’t.
I’m twice Cager’s age (plus a few) and work with a few professional athletes regarding social media platforms, brand building, media opportunities and PR; which helps explain any critical nature of the since-scrapped piece.
What unfortunately came off callous was actually intended as tough love in the same manner I look out for the guys I work with. Seriously.
4. — Seeing rivals programs popping up in the allCanesBlog social media feeds using the article as an I-told-you-so to Cager, regarding why he should’ve come to their preferred school instead; felt like dumbed-down, dirty politics and in case you missed it, I lack the time, desire and energy, et al.
I’m not Frank Underwood making a bid for the White House in ’16 and this isn’t “House Of Cards”.
5. — Lastly, and most-importantly, actually, this site wants what’s best for “The U” and if the piece was causing a stir with fans or players, then it should go and have no integrity issue with making it vanish.
This isn’t a true media site and never had any aspirations to be; especially these days.
There’s no standing on any trumped up “journalistic integrity”. If an article flops, sucks, or flat-out doesn’t sit well, it can get deleted without second-guessing. We reserve the right as we’re not part of a network and answer to no one but ourselves and fans of this program.
This site and this business is run by lifelong fans with an unmatched passion for the University of Miami; living and dying with all aspects of this program.
Our shop has been around since 1959, has had the same owners since 1974, the same general manager since 1991 and in an era where big-box retailers are trying to take over, we buckle down and keep fighting our good fight, bleeding orange and green, win or lose.
The past few hours brought some bad juju to what’s been a great couple of weeks as Canes fans; new recruits arriving on campus today, a good pick-up for Jim Larranaga and Miami basketball, a tennis squad taking care of business and most-exciting, a proud baseball program returning to old form and giving a starved fan base something to cheer about.
If there was any reason to bitch today; it should’ve been directed at the ACC for snubbing junior slugger David Thompson out of ACC Player of the Year honors—not one of a zillion hard-to-interpret 140-character rants flooding the Twittersphere.
Miami baseball is set to take on Virginia and looks to make a run at the ACC Tournament this week, before prepping for the regionals, hoping to land a Super and getting in position to be two games from its first trip to Omaha since 2008.
In short, priorities got sidetracked this evening. Hitting reset and shifting all current energy back towards Durham Bulls Athletic Park and what is hopefully the start of something special for the Canes this week.
Truce.
#CanesFam
#UNITED
#ItsACanesThing