Maybe Nobody From The Sunshine State Had "It"…

Last week this time, Florida and Florida State were flying high; both hosting a Super Regional, facing supposedly ‘lesser’ competition and two wins from Omaha – while the Canes were sent packing in the opening round of post-season play.

Funny how much can change seven days later.

Miami’s bid for a fifth national championship ended prematurely, causing a ruckus amongst the message board know-it-alls. Head coach Jim Morris has been shredded and some are calling for change, discarding the overall body of work and recent success, basing their frustration on one down year. Obviously, I disagree.

Morris has earned himself time to right the ship after an expected rebuilding year and while he might want to think about mixing things up regarding his staff, there is no one more cut out to run Miami Baseball than #3. The Canes have arguably one of the better coaches in the history of the game. 

Those quick to cast stones, get your facts in order and attempt to employ some logic. Miami rolled into Omaha 52-9 last June, behind the bats and leadership of Yonder Alonso, Jemile Weeks, Blake Tekotte, Adan Severino, Mark Sobolewski and Dennis Raben – none of which returned in 2009. On the mound, the Canes also lost Carlos Gutierrez and Enrique Garcia. The result? Eleven more losses this season and the inability to reach the Super Regionals for the first time since 2007. 

Welcome to college baseball, critics. 37-24 in 2007 and a year later, the No. 1 seed at the College World Series. A year after that, gone after four games in the Gainesville regional. It happens. 

Florida earns the No. 8 seed, brings a 42-20 record into the Super Regional and gets punked by No. 17 Southern Miss – at home as a favorite. The Golden Eagles are headed to their first College World Series and overcame a 6-1 deficit in the fourth inning, eventually taking the lead in the bottom of the eighth – down 6-4 to up 7-6 in the blink of an eye. The shell-shocked Gators went four up, three down and pissed away another shot at their first ring.

The day before, Florida State suffered a similar fate. No. 23 Arkansas had some come-from-behind magic of their own. Down 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth, a walk, single and double gave the Razorbacks a 9-8 win. A 45-16 pre-Super Regional record wasted and another 0-and-2 BBQ for Mike Martin, still title-less after all these years. The Gators and Noles didn’t just lose both were swept at home with a CWS berth on the line. Nice work, guys. 

I won’t deny that Miami’s 2009 campaign was disappointing, but anyone who didn’t acknowledge this was a rebuilding year was lying to themselves. The Canes overachieved early in the season, against lesser competition. When the meat of the ACC schedule was upon them, a 12-12 record from mid-April through the conference tourney. Last year over the same span, a 20-5 run and a 4-0 record in the conference tourney, en route to ACC Champs and a ticket to Omaha.

Florida and Florida State were both primed to make a run this year. Neither was in rebuild mode, both hosted two rounds of regional action and faceplanted. Some Cane fans might not take solace in that, but I do. The second best thing to winning is seeing your rivals not only lose, but squander important moments on the big stage. Miami also went 3-2 against Florida this year and 2-2 against Florida State, earning a right to have an opinion over this weekend’s action. 

Thanks Gators and Noles for failing just when Canes fans needed it… and for those keeping score, it’s stlll four titles to zero for our Gainesville and Tallahassee brethren.

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9 thoughts on “Maybe Nobody From The Sunshine State Had "It"…

  1. Preach on, brother.

    F@%k Florida and Florida State every day and twice on Sunday.

    So what, Miami didn't make Omaha. They lost the first round of a regional, another rarity. The bar has been set high and a year like this is a letdown, for sure.

    Like you alluded to, if your team can't win you root for your rivals to lose. My favorite teams are the Canes and whoever is playing the Noles or Gators.

    Seeing both those assbags choke away a shot at the College World Series and getting swept this past weekend? Absolutely priceless.

  2. …F@%k Florida and Florida State every day and twice on Sunday.

    Classic miami fan…ALWAYS HATE'N!

    If not for UF & FSU "the u" would not be 5h!t. You guys need the state schools to be good u idiots! That's when college sports are at it's best.

  3. Ahh, such brilliant logic from another Anonymous rival.

    Miami won it's first four football titles before Florida State or Florida even got one. The Canes also have four baseball titles to the Noles and Gators' goose egg… but yeah, UM *needs* FSU and UF.

    Brilliant logic.

  4. allcanes…so u want FSU & UF to suck??? That makes no sense. Cane fans should want rival schoosl to be good when they beat them right?…im just say'n

  5. Don't put words in my mouth, champ. I never said anything of the sorts…. but since you mentioned it, I could care less if Florida and Florida State are good. The *rivalry* aspect of it doesn't mean a thing to me.

    UF didn't care that UM was down this year, en route to that 26-3 win. In their eyes it was a win over a rival — their first since 1985. Their fans were as happy with that win as they would've been in 2002 when they were mopped up by No. 2 Miami. Beating your rival is all that matters. You don't care where they're ranked because you know the pendulum will eventually swing back. College football is cyclical. Nobody stays on top forever, so kick your rival while they're down and wish misery on them.

    Of course all of this is off-topic and your question has nothing to do with my original post. As a Cane, I took solace in seeing both the Gators' and Noles' run at a baseball title die — both swept at home in a Super Regional. The next best thing to winning it yourself is seeing your rival piss it away in dramatic fashion.

  6. Both anonymous bloggers, please put down the pipe and exhale. Are you two crazy???? Who in their right mind would want any rival to win at anything, no matter who they play? I don't care if it's football, baseball or intramural floor hockey. You can call it whatever you want. Do Gator or Seminole fans want Miami to win when they have faltered? Hell NO!!!! What Gator or Seminole fans do is not even my point at all. Cane fans ALWAYS want to beat our rivals, and could care less whether they are good or bad. When they are good and lose, it just makes the enjoyment that much sweeter. It's called bragging rights. The Cane objective is to smash and dominate all those who stand in front of us, and ESPECIALLY RIVALS. So please, take that "you should want your rivals to be good and succeed" garbage mentality to your own blogs.
    -Columbus Cane

  7. I don`t care if either F-U or Free Scores University ever win at any sport

    I can`t stand either..Never have and never will

    I don`t cheer for them if they are playing some other team

    When they play each other I won`t watch and don`t care what the heck happens

    Thats what being a fan is all about

    So…Holes and F-U fans youcan spoon and have your love fest

    From this old skool Cane fan I hate both schools and any other college out there

    DAU!!!

  8. here is how i feel about it…screw all the other schools in the entire state…florida, fsu, central florida, south florida, fiu….whoever…there is only one school in florida…THE U…who is this clown acting like it should mean more if we beat florida when they are up or fsu when they are up…who cares…i would want to beat them in every sport even if they were the two worst schools in the country…and dog the shit out of them…i was watching the tube when fsu lost and was pulling like shit for arkansas to beat them…and then loved seeing florida punk out…coach will get the baseball team right…he lost a lot and still had a nice season for most…just cannot wait for football to start…i am excited to see what we are building…and want to see all the critics of jacory shut the f@*k up..all canes i saw your comments going back and forth with heath mcgruff on bleacher report…i want jacory to shut clowns like him up…i like how you stated he was not a fan and he never responded..just said he was at the fsu game…what a tool bag…we are on our way back..i am not worried…and we are going to shock some people this year…

    I want to beat all teams…especially all teams in florida…what the fans of other schools want us to be nice…tailgate with them at games…have some sweet pillow talk…what a bunch of tools…just shows how they still fear us…even though we are down

    VA CANE

  9. va cane…u need a life buddy! stop taking the $h!t so personal. the u does'nt give 3 fcuks about U!!! those kids play at miami, fsu, uf to make it on to an nfl roster some day,,,all u guys including allcanes, are too scared to admit when the big three (uf, fsu & the u) are on top top college football is at its best,,,i agree with u guys. i hate the noles & the turds but please stop hating like little hoes…

    love,

    anonymous

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