Canes must face the music…

The emails and comments have poured in this past day after Beast’s recent piece, focused on the debacle that was Tuesday’s media day at ‘The U’.

Responses have been all over the map – some feeling that players / coaches not talking to the media isn’t a big deal, while others see it as yet one more reason to crucify head coach Randy Shannon.

I’ve supported Shannon from the get go, but there’s little defending his implied stance that the media is an enemy instead of an ally.

Letting players off the hook, sheltering them after an embarrassing loss? It’s cowardice and all comes back to one word; accountability.

It’s a word Shannon loves to put out there in his quest to mold young men. Go to class. Keep your grades up. Hold the door open for a lady. Take your hat off when indoors. Earn your degree and go out into the world a productive member of society.

Fail to do things of that nature and there’s a price to be paid. Miss practice and you don’t see game time. Skip class and your riding the pine. Tote a gun and you’re off the team.

Again, being accountable for one’s actions.

On one level there’s a method to Shannon’s madness and he’s done a tremendous job cleaning the a long-time image problem at UM and turning the culture around. No one can argue that. This university isn’t a football factory and succeeding in the classroom should be right up there with winning on the field.

That said, the wins aren’t piling up and he’s absolutely failing with the media. By not forcing his players to face the music, he’s doing both them and this program a disservice.

Two weeks back Miami players were on cloud nine after whipping North Carolina. Sean Spence rode Brandon Harris off the field like a horse, playing grab-ass after an interception while impromptu sideline dances broke out during stoppages of play all night.

Chest bumping. High fives. All was well in Canesville and as soon as the game was in the books, there wasn’t a player on this squad who didn’t want to shout from the rooftops how good it felt to get that win. For Randy. For the program. For themselves.

Tons of storytelling weeks back about Antrel Rolle dropping by to rally the troops. Talk about how players knew what they needed to do moving forward. How this win was for Coach. How they “got their dog back”. How this win was going to set the tone for the season. How the Canes controlled the destiny and an ACC Championship remained their goal.

Then Virginia happened.

A face plant of epic proportions. Sure, there’s been talk of Pat Hill trying to fire up teammates at halftime – which meant a lot as the senior fullback is a quiet, reserved family guy. (Kudos to No. 30 for taking action.)

There was also the comment from LaRon Byrd that this team “underestimated” the Cavaliers and talk that the hit on Jacory Harris rattled the team’s cage a bit – both of which sure as hell sound rather weak coming from a team whose mantra is “no excuses”.

It all sounds like vintage Randy media day double talk, with the players seemingly taking cues from a head coach who shows little tolerance, patience and respect for local media trying to do their job.

Those who haven’t heard a Shannon-led press conference, dig into the allCanes Radio archives. Beast’s 11/3 show has some post-Virginia footage where you hear and impatient leader wanting nothing to do with this aspect of his job. (Tune in at the 13:25 mark.)

Regarding the injury to Harris and the impact it had on the team, Shannon said the following; “You’re trying to get everybody going but it needed someone to step up and we didn’t have that guy to step up. But I was searching for it, seeing if somebody could step up. It wasn’t that I could say `you need to step up.’ I can’t do that. Someone has to step up and say, `listen, follow me, Jacory’s going to be OK and we’re going to be OK and pull this game out.’

“We needed that to happen earlier in the game, we needed that to happen in the second quarter and we didn’t have that from this football team. Somebody, a senior, a fifth-year guy, a fourth-year guy to step up and say, `come on, let’s go.'”

Another hollow answer from a coach being passive instead of proactive.

How long do you stand idly by waiting on kids to ‘get it’ before you find another way to motivate, deliver the message and get results? You’re the teacher, they’re they pupil. Give them better material to work with if you want them to make the grade.

If one or two students are failing, that’s on them. When the entire class isn’t getting it done, that’s on the instructor.

Byrd stating that this team again underestimated an opponent – identical to J-Harris’ comments in the wake of the Wisconsin loss last year. Ten months later, same excuse.

Isn’t that in itself Einstein’s definition of “insanity”? Doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results?

One reason I supported Shannon these past few years – besides being a life-long Cane and local product – was due to chartable growth and the fact he was holding kids accountable.

5-7 with a dog of a team became 7-6 and 9-4, with some signature wins in 2009. Talent and depth was returning, meaning another huge step was expected in 2010.

Stay competitive and be in every game. Play with passion. Show progress instead of regressing. Making a legit run at an ACC title. Climb in the rankings. Win those must-win games.

At 5-3 and in a lurch, where is the growth? Where is the accountability? Why do old habits continue to die hard?

Should the losses continue piling up, will the mantra at year’s end be “injury-plagued” instead of “no excuses”? Sure sounds that way based on some recent quotes.

Beast wrote that senior defensive back Ryan Hill was one of a handful of Canes to face the media on Tuesday afternoon. Back in the day you had a dozen players out there glad-handing and playing the game. Yesterday it was five of eighty-five – including Eduardo Clements, up there talking about bolstering the running game to take the pressure off of Stephen Morris this weekend.

A fifth-string running back who hasn’t seen action since Florida State (with eight carries on the year) is the mouthpiece of the offense on this most recent media day? What sense does that make?

To R-Hill’s point that he showed up because the majority of his teammates didn’t want to, I ask both Shannon and his players, why? You couldn’t say enough after soundly beating the Tar Heels, but after a loss to the Cavaliers cat’s got your tongue?

If Coach Shannon isn’t going to take this opportunity to share a life lesson with you guys, I will.

Win or lose, man up. Don’t cower because you failed to get your job done last weekend. Own it as this is a lesson you’ll need later in life.

Screw up at work and there’s hell to pay. Let a friend or family member down and there’s a price to pay. Very rare in life that when expectations aren’t met you can just stick your head in the sand or hide under the covers.

This fan base will forgive solid effort, heart and the acceptance of responsibility.

What it won’t do is forgive excuses, a lack of growth, the same mistakes week in, week out and not fessing up.

If you’re gonna bark after a win, take your freakin’ medicine after a loss.

As Beast mentioned, Mike Rumph rolled into that media room a few days after getting burned and giving up the game-winner to Chafie Field and No. 2 Penn State back in 1999. Because Rumph owned it, the Miami media was easy on him and had a heart for a young kid who messed up.

The local media can actually help if those inside this program treat them with respect and are welcoming. Let’s be honest, the University of Miami football program needs the Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post more than those papers need UM – a squad that’s lost twenty games in 3.5 years under Shannon.

Miami football doesn’t want to talk? Fine. That’s more coverage for LeBron. D-Wade. Bosh. Brandon Marshall. Ronnie Brown. Dmitry Kulikov. Hanley Ramirez. Josh Johnson. The list goes on.

No shortage of professional athletes in this city ready to talk their trade and shine in the spotlight.

It’s also more press for other local college programs, as well as Miami’s state rivals are there are more Florida State, Florida, Central Florida and South Florida alum in the Tri-City area than there are UM grads.

You can shine the media when you’re one top – defense winning championships while the offense puts asses in seats.

When you’re 5-3 and the remaining outlook is murky, you need all the free press you can muster up.

If Shannon chooses not to see that, then Donna Shalala and Kirby Hocutt need to step in and demand a change on the PR front.

Al-Queda isn’t as cryptic as Miami’s head honcho behind a podium after a loss.

An improved graduation rate and kids staying off police blotters is more than welcomed and is truly a feather in this program’s cap, but winning game is what builds hype, sells season tickets, moves merchandise and gets boosters drunk on success, ready to open their checkbooks.

Something continues to stink in Coral Gables and it isn’t the three-day old stench of Virginia’s upset.

I’ve carried the Shannon torch since day one and in the wake of what’s been happening lately, even I’m losing faith in the process.

Get it together UM’s top brass. The clock is ticking and the diehards are beyond restless.

Comments

comments

15 thoughts on “Canes must face the music…

  1. Hey guys – You've talked about Tuesday's media day a lot. Can you shine a light on the usual practices of media day? Essentially, does any player have permission to talk to the media? I realize some do not (ie Jacory) but generally speaking? In the past, have coaches said, "So-and-so, you need to go out there."?

    Over the past couple of weeks a lot of the bloggers have been complaining about the lack of available players. What was it like before? How does it usually work?

  2. Great stuff, 305.

    Have followed your stuff for years and like you, supported Randy Shannon from day one.

    Also like you, I'm beyond frustrated and was curious to see your take as this year started slipping away and similar mistakes kept occurring.

    You've tactfully pointed out Shannon's shortcomings and issues in a way that even he would have to respect.

    Great job.

  3. The Diehards are DONE! F#$K!! year 4 bro, thats all a coach should get in big time College Football to win big. I drive 3 hours to every home game for the last 5 years, however i did not go to the unc game and i will not go to the maryland game! IF the Canes can win the next two games i MAY go to the vt game. Win out or get a new coach, that is the only way i renew my season tickets. 3 hour drive home sucks after a lose!!!!

  4. Randy needs to win out to salvage this season. Its beyond missing the ACC again. He's lost the casual fans and he's lossing the die hard fans. Plus, the second half of FSU and most of UVA it looked like he's lost the locker room.

    A football program is bigger than the team, if no one shows up for a game does it even matter?

    I wanted to see Randy succeed because he's a cane, but its very difficult to justify the losses with the talent on the roster.

  5. I once heard that eventually a team takes on the personality of its head coach. Looking at the Miami Hurricanes you can tell that the team is taking its cue from Shannon. In my opinion, avoiding the media is just like banning players from Twitter. Ohio State players were on twitter before and after they beat us. The truth is Randy behaves like someone who has something to hide. How is it that the media cant ask Whipple what he is thinking calling pass play after pass play is beyond me. When the cry for his head becomes very loud Randy shouldn't be surprised if no one has his back. At the end of the day, results is what counts. Here is how Randy stacks up against our past coaches and why most fans want him gone.

    Howard Schnellenberger FOUR YEARS at Miami: 41-16

    Jimmy Johnson FIVE YEARS at Miami: 52-9

    Dennis Erickson SIX YEARS at Miami: 63-9

    Butch Davis SIX YEARS at Miami: 51-20 *ON PROBATION*

    Larry Coker SIX YEARS at Miami: 60-15

    Randy Shannon THREE & HALF YEARS at Miami 26-20

    Nuff said

  6. you know what? Frustration is a fact of life. None of you know what it's like to run a university, football team, offense or defense (at this level) or to play on this team. So shut up! stop bitching. It's not democracy, and you can't vote him out. YOU suck it up. I GUARANTEE that if any of you could hold a jock to what these players can do and do on the football field; you wouldn't want to be criticized about your football career by professional writers…I'm not an angry person.

  7. In my opinion, this coaching staff doesn't possess the skills necessary to develop or motivate these players. What we've seen from this team this year is a mirror image of this coaching staff. Lack of emotion, passion and leadership. Lack of identity, confidence, consistency, motivation and discipline on the field. It pains me to see juniors and seniors who have been coached by Shannon for 4 years now, playing football at this level. The players aren't being developed properly from year to year and it shows on the field. There is no sign of progression at all from previous seasons being shown from players this year. In fact, it looks to me like they've regressed, especially on offense. Numerous drops by recievers, an ineffective ground game, poor play calling by Whipple when he knows his quarterback struggles with deep balls, turnovers and a ridiculous amount of penalties. As for leadership, we saw it from certain players for one game and then POOF! it vanished. Sorta like Shannon's cooperation with the media

  8. I have been a Shannon supporter from day one. The problem is that Shannon is his own worst enemy. In your blog you quoted him saying Shannon said the following; "You're trying to get everybody going but it needed someone to step up and we didn't have that guy to step up. But I was searching for it, seeing if somebody could step up. It wasn't that I could say `you need to step up.' I can't do that. Someone has to step up….." This is complete BS! He sure as hell can grab a player by the ears and tell him the time is now, step up and lead this team. If he doesn't know who those players are that can step up and lead, then he might as well resign. I am so frustrated with this team. The emotional and financial investment that I have made as a season ticket holder really seems to be wasted. I honestly don't know if I can justify spending this kind of money next year when my family shows up to the games more fired up than the team.

  9. Just a thought but when Shannon talked about how devistated this team was after Jacory went down maybe he wasn't making an excuse, maybe he was just telling it like it is. Maybe he was saying this team is fragile. Maybe that's his way of motivating and trying to get someone to stand up and be accountable. If he were to say, "Ryan Hill you're the leader now" it wouldn't work. Leaders are born not assigned.

    What do you think?

  10. I want Randy to succeed so bad but it doesn't sound like he gives his players enough credit to be able to handle things. Cmon coach! I heard that interview on Joe Rose show and he implied losing jacory effected the outcome of the game. You mean to tell me these guys are so mentally fragile that they can't do press conferences or bounce back from tough situations? Take the leash off these guys and let them grow and show emotion! Otherwise we could be looking at 2007 revisited.

  11. I realized something last night. Because of the mystery of how they will play, I am going to use my ticks for this weekend's game.
    Hope for the REAL CANES to show up against the Terps

  12. Randy is simply making excuses when he says the players were affected by the loss of Jacory. The score was 0-0 when he left. Losing Jacory the reason the defensive cordinator chose to stay in a base defense while one of the worst offenses in Div 1 moved freely down the field on us? Jacory's loss wasn't the reason why after getting 3 straight gains on the ground Whiple decided Spencer needed to throw the ball. So, Jacory's loss is the reason why on a fade route, you make your QB throw to a 5'8" receiver matched up against your opponents best Corner? Or, Jacory's loss is the reason you refused to blitz the Virginia QB? Maybe Randy needs to just not speak to the media at all. Cos when speaks he makes no sense.

  13. I as a Cane supporter is as much concern about the graduated rates of this football team as winning football games. As bad as it is with this current coaching staff, I wonder what would happend if Shannon were to get the AXE along the way. Coach Randy has done a great job so far, in getting his players to focus on their schooling and graduating at the same time. And if he goes down, then so are the graduation rates, I would fear. The "U" is currently in the top 20; with 81%. (FSU, UF and even FIU doesn't come close.) I would love to see the University increase its rankings so it can be up there with Notre Dame. What better way to show those Catholic, goody two-shoes up in the Midwest than to be rank neck and neck with the "thugs", "convicts" and "Purse snacthers" from the 305? 

    Who is going to keep pushing these young men to keep getting their education AFTER Shannon is gone? 

    That's is a valid reason to support Coach Shannon MORE than ever, and hope he can still turn this football program around by next season. I want this program to win as much ball games as everyone, but I would also like to see Miami in league with the squeeky-clean, hollier than thou, who thinks they can walk on water, Fighting Irish football program, as far as graduation rates are concerned.    

  14. I would rather the players concentrate on the next game in order to give them the best possible chance to win.

    Having to rehash a game, about which they can do nothing more to win, 3 days later and only 3 days prior to their next game, only serves to unnecessarily diffuse their efforts and for what? So the media can tell their editors they got a good quote? No thanks.

    Canes Football Fans since 1976

  15. I have been critical of your opinion in the past but this is spot on.

    My question is: Who is behind the way Shannon interacts with the media? I have heard that Shalala held Jacory off limits to the media, is it her and the administration that wants him to act like this or is this all Shannon doing?

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