Many thought they saw it all when Miami’s coaching staff pissed away the final 2:41 minutes of the Emerald Bowl -18 plays amassing 17 yards, blowing the final timeout and utter chaos on the sidelines – with the game on the line.
A day and half later, offensive coordinator Patrick Nix is released and message boards light up like a Christmas tree. Knee-jerk reactions. Insults hurled. Armchair coaches quick to tell you what they’d have done, pretty much chastising Randy Shannon for continuing to exist.
Before the dust could settle regarding Nix, Robert Marve stole the spotlight and today’s headlines, officially requesting permission to transfer from the University of Miami.
Marve’s departure isn’t a surprise, though the drama surrounding it is. Names being dragged through the mud soap opera-style. Lines being drawn in the dirt. A situation that didn’t have to turn ugly officially has.
Eugene Marve granted a slew of interviews today, letting anyone within earshot know that his son got a raw deal. He painted Junior as the victim, Shannon as the villian and has turned the focus on himself by taking the low road, pouring his heart out for the Miami Herald… and anyone with a mic.
For those who want the short version… Robert is headed elsewhere after Miami granted his release. Marve cannot transfer to (1) an in-state program, (2) and ACC program or (3) and SEC program, which is proving to be the sticking point. Rumors swirled for weeks that Marve could end up at Florida, Tennessee or LSU. If Shannon has his way, Marve will end up at none of the three.
Not allowing Marve to transfer to a Florida school or a conference rival makes complete sense, but the SEC is a head-scratcher. That doesn’t happen without reason.
If there is more to that story, papa Marve isn’t sharing. His one-sided version of this story paints Shannon as a big ol’ meany, out to do nothing more than ruin Junior’s career. The Marves clsim to want the best for their son and lay no claim to any wrongdoing.
The rumor mill says Mr. Marve and/or Junior’s high school coach Robert Weiner, did some behind the scenes recon work Seems there’s been some talk with folks in Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa and/or Knoxville, gauging the interest level regarding the freshman QB.
The heart may have been in the right place, but the head knows better and this is an NCAA violation. The elder Marve is starting to look like the ultimate stage parent, while Weiner simply can’t let go and is trying to meddle regarding the career of his protegee, who graduated Plant High over two and a half years ago.
If all or any of the above proves true, Shannon has reason to be miffed. Blocking and SEC transfer isn’t the opposite of turning the other cheek, but it fits his ‘tough love’ approach and sends a message that the University of Miami isn’t playing any games.
Eugene Marve warns other recruits to pay attention to the treatment of his son. If they’re smart, they’ll instead focus on the mistakes of his son. Had Robert stayed out of trouble the past 18 months, no one is having this conversation today and Shannon’s hand isn’t forced by a player’s disgruntled family.
Randy-haters are using all this to fuel their argument that the second-year head coach isn’t on the right track, blaming their leader instead of the former quarterback who turned his back on the program and bailed on his commitment.
When does anyone remember a first-year quarterback requesting a transfer after starting 11 of 13 games? A perfect 13-for-13 had Marve not smashed a car mirror, missed four classes and continued to put self in front of team.
Anyone painting Shannon as the bad guy, reevaluate your processing skills. That, or quit your gig and earn a living as a defense attorney.
In this case, the plaintiff, Miami’s second-year head coach. A former player, assistant and current head coach that’s given 20 of his 42 years on this earth to the University of Miami.
The defendant, a first-year player who was originally Bama Bound, yet flinched at the final hour. Partly because Nick Saban took over, partly because he and his family were sold on Shannon.
Over the past year and a half, Marve showed his immaturity. A busted car mirror and run from the cops summer 2007 and this fall, benched for skipping class/showing up late. As the quarterback and leader of this team, looking to secure the starting job, Marve never got his priorities straight, on the field or off.
Instead of returning to prove he’s “the guy”, Marve chose to turn tail and run – again putting self over team. 11 starts to the 2 of Jacory Harris and Marve felt slighted. Fifty more attempts than the true freshman, yet claims of being ‘disrespected’.
A question for anyone blaming Shannon, where does personal accountability play into this equation? How is this on the disciplinarian instead of the disciplinee? One one side, a coach who lives and dies with this program and has for half his life, versus a kid who made his share of mistakes and never truly owned up to them?
Marve broke the mirror and ran from the cops. Marve showed up late or skipped enough classes to warrant a bowl suspension. Marve only mustered up 9 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, never separating himself from a true freshman with one less year in the system.
Marve felt he earned the starting job with 212 yard, 2 touchdown, 1 interception performance at Texas A&M. The rout of the Aggies proved the high point of Marve’s short career.
Whatever was ‘earned’ at aTm, Marve gave away when he regressed the next three weeks. Seven interceptions in his next three outings and a 1-2 stretch of football.
A potential game-winning touchdown sailed a few inches high in a loss to North Carolina. Pull ahead in the final seconds and Marve would’ve officially had ‘his’ moment and a legit claim as full-time starter. Instead, a 2-of-8, 6-yard, one interception performance in the first half against Florida State the following Saturday and a three-interception outing against lowly Central Florida a week later.
Marve proved he was serviceable, but never that he was a star in the making. While he proved to be a gamer, he never looked like a student of the game. Marve isn’t polished and needed to be coached up, which proved to be another task Nix couldn’t handle. Though Harris is a true freshman, there seems to be better instinct. Checking at the line. Calling audibles. Looking off receivers and finding his second and third options.
Harris also earned some signature moments, be it a game-winning drive at Virginia or proving he was the spark in a second half comeback at Duke, with a four-touchdown, 35-point performance. Against Cal, Harris showed poise – thrust into his second start in a long-distance, supposed no-win bowl game.
There were boneheaded mistakes, but there was also no quit when Miami was down 14-0 in the early going. Mistakes can be fixed over time and through repetition. You’re born with instincts and that innate desire to want it more than the other guy. Harris prove he has that. Marve never did. It may be deep within, but he got in his own way and as a result it was questioned.
Shannon stated on WQAM that he personally wishes Marve stuck around to compete. Regardless of all you just read above, so do I. In the short-term, the Canes were better with a Harris-Marve duo than without. Harris-Smith and Harris-Cook don’t seem to breed the same level of confidence and hope. No disrespect to Cannon Smith and Taylor Cook, but neither beat out Marve, so it explains the current opinion.
The only ones who wanted out were the Marves. The best man is going to win the starting job. There is no popularity contest, despite popular belief.
If Shannon wants to stay employed, he needs to win ball games. Whoever puts him in the best decision to do so, that man in your starter and he needs to take care of business on and off the field. Your quarterback is your leader and what is your leader saying if he finds his way to the doghouse on two occasions in one season?
Robert, we hardly knew ye. In time, hopefully you grow into the quarterback Miami hoped you’d be. All things being equal, you’re not that guy today. This rebuilding project is for a man, not a boy. Someone who is ready to roll up their sleeves and get dirty. Talking about leading the Canes – it makes for great headlines, but it means nothing if your actions prove otherwise.
As disappointing the Grove incident and bowl game suspension, you topped it with the decision to transfer. No desire to battle it out this spring, you waved the white flag, conceded and it appears you’re looking for a ready-made type program already in the hunt, instead of rebuilding where you committed.
Worst of all, blame others instead of looking within. Coach is too hard to work with. Feelings of being disrespected and not given a fair shot, though you were the starter every game this year. (Except the two you got yourself suspended for.) All your answers to these problems lie in the mirror, #9.
The good news? You’re a kid. You have a lifetime to get it right. The bad news? Only have two more years of eligibility to prove you can get it done on the football field. For what it’s worth, good luck. I pulled for you as a Cane, but now you’re a non-factor around here. As a supporter of The U, there are bigger things to focus on than the one who got away.
To the jaded portion of this fan base, before you rush to judgement, let this one settle in.
Only one person involved in this fiasco has the University of Miami’s best interest in mind. He’s the guy who’s still here and the one who will work tirelessly to fix what his predecessor broke.
For everyone else in this production, it’s completely personal.
comments
The constant re-litigating of the winning-cures-all-while-losing-exposes-warts sentiment rolls on as Miami faithful continue flailing in…
Josh Pate gets it... and I'm not just saying that because he dedicated an entire…
Tyler Van Dyke may very well have thrown his last meaningful pass for the Miami…
We can debate the merits of winning-curing-all and losses-killing-perspective at another time. For now, focus…
Winning might not cure everything, but it certainly can shift a narrative overnight—immediately lightening…
The only remedy for a gut-wrenching loss to Georgia Tech would've been the Miami Hurricanes…
View Comments
It's amazing how you nail it everytime. You so often say exactly what I would if I could.
Newspapers and other sites remain blindly loyal and need to keep the advertisers happy, so they bite their journalistic tongue. Not you.
This is a fan's site and it's run by a fan who actually knows what the hell he's talking about and isn't an embarrassment, like most of the mongoloids who troll message boards just to start fires.
This is all on the shoulders of Robert Marve. He proved he's a quitter and not a fighter. Even worse, the stage parent of a father Eugene Marve is proving to be.
Loving your son is commendable, but all the sour grapes spewed to the media and the personal attacks on Randy Shannon? You're only making yourself look like an asshole, sir. Great job by Coach Shannon taking the high road and not getting into a childish war of words.
This program didn't fall apart in a day and it can't be rebuilt with two classes. Miami needs the type of depth Butch built over six seasons. With no probation this time around, that can happen in 4-5 years. People need to exercise some patience.
Fight the good fight, Canes305.
A.R.
Amen!
he should have stayed and earned the job that was already given to jacory? just like he earned the job this year and jacory still split the snaps?
come on man, you can't be this much of a homer, shannon played marve. he did the "the backup needs experience" crap so he could keep his promise of PT to jacory, and give jacory the job next year.
now if next seasons back up get's a ton of snaps too, then i'll buy randy's story, some how i doubt that's going to happen.
Like it or not, randy handled this situation poorly. Sure it's easy to blame a 19 yeard old kid, but for all of the "randy took the high road" comments, he took the low road throughout the year.
it's also nice to see "he started 11 of 13 games" as if that means something. Randy wanted to give the job to jacory, and couldn't find a way to excuse it, so he found a way to drive out marve, just like he drove out tons of players last year.
This looks awful for recruiting, and we'll probably never see another Plant player while randy is here, which thankfully won't be much longer.
True, the things you say regarding Marve. Cannot disagree.
What I do see though, is a complete bias on your part towards Shannon. Marve made his share of his troubles no doubt, but you paint Shannon as being perfect, without any fault whatsoever. You take it to the exact polar opposite of that which you attack the Marves for.
So,,,, that makes you better than them too??
I don't live in Miami any more, but I do watch the 'Canes whenever I can. I've watched Randy Shannon the past two years to see how he's progressing as a first-time head coach and it seems as if he is always a clueless bystander on the sidelines. Most head coaches are wearing headsets and actively talking to assistant coaches and players. Shannon always seems to be just watching, as if he's a third-party participant rather than the man in charge of the whole operation. The last two minutes of the Emerald Bowl were soooooo painful to watch, I almost turned my television off. I was thinking back to the days when a UM team would have had a precision attack and marched downfield to score the winning touchdown. Instead, we witnessed the most pathetic two-minute offense I have ever seen. And again, Shannon looked befudled on the sidelines as if he didn't know what was transpiring. Shannon was a great defensive coordinator but he's in over his head as head coach. I can't blame Marve for wanting to leave this mess. Unfortunately, it will take another painful season or two before U-Miami administration admits its mistake.
I'm not going to attack Marve, since it really serves no point at this time. He's gone by HIS choice. I would just say that if a player wants things handed or promised to them and is afraid of competition, then Miami is not for you. If you're worried about the depth chart, worried that you may not come out on top, then Miami is not for you. If you want to be respected but not give respect to those who have actually put in the time, then Miami is not for you. As far as the SEC transfer denial, there has to be some behind the scene reason for this, and if Daddy Marve was trying to pull some covert strings, then I guess that would be the reason. To me, I'd refuse to let him stay within the ACC, and no in-state school. But obviously Shannon is sending the marves a statement for something they must have done behind his back. I'll just say that if you really don't want to be part of getting back to glory, by putting in the time and sweat, regardless of depth chart, then Miami is not for you.
-Columbus Cane
Great entry. Chris! I agree with A.R. - you always seem to hit my thoughts exactly! Happy New Year and here's to another solid recruiting class and more improved 2009 UM football team! Cheers!
This jsut proves that Robert Marve doesn't have heart and that is what the U needs. i'm just glad he showed us he is a quitter with no heart via a transfer and not on the football field in 2009. He knew his starting job was in jeapordy after some impressive play from Harris. A part of me wants him to transfer to an in-state or ACC rival so we can show him in person what he walked out on. Then another part of me wants him to find a team where he can find success. I'm just glad I didn't drop the $60 on his jersey like I was going to.
Dear Marve Family...Do me one favor...Take out your computer...go to Google...type in "Brian Fortay"...thank you....enjoy the arena league (if one still exists)..Either you're a Cane, or you're NOT a Cane...you obviously, are NOT a Cane!
---
Here's a serious tip, Go to APP. State....Yes it's 1AA but they just graduated their QB and contend EVERY year..and you can play right away...(well, if you can play that is)
Great Post AllCanes!
I really think that Marve was Academically ineligible for the game, & I also think he has been flirting with academic probation since he has been at the "U". This is why Shannon insisted that Harris had to play because he knew Marve was not cutting the mustard!
We must remember that Miami is one of the toughest schools to get into from jump street. Once you get in, you have to tow the line on the feild & off. Marve has not done that since he has been there, & Shannon did us all a favor as fans & made sure we had someone in the wings when Marve's own skeletons started to fall out of the closet.
I have NEVER observed anyone leave this program, go some place else, and exceed or even equal what they did at Miami!
Marve's parents need to realize that he is not 12 years old anymore, & if they don't soon let him grow up, he will end up serving a LONG prison term somewhere!!!
Shannon is doing it by the book, not taking short cuts for any of his players or staff. It will take a little time, but the foundation will be Cane SOLID!!!
Let's keep our heads up & Go Canes!!!