Overzealous ‘Realists’ Can’t Live In Moment

Hours after the NCAA’s verdict was handed down on Tuesday, the “realists” were in full force. Godforbid you were a Miami Hurricanes fans showing any enthusiasm yesteday afternoon, a portion of this fan base was front and center, ready to throw cold water on any exuberance you were exuding.

“We may have gotten off for now, but the NCAA isn’t done with us yet!”

“Don’t you dare breathe a sigh of relief. This is just the current team. The hammer is still gonna fall!”

Another Canes site goes as far as to blast a headline, telling us not to “throw a parade” of the NCAA ruling.

Thanks, cynics. Those of us in the “relieved” camp had NO idea the investigation wasn’t over. Almost a decade worth of allegations and you assume we’re dumb enough to believe that it will all go away in two weeks simply because we’re content with the current ruling.

Anyone with a brain knows that this thing isn’t over – but unlike those of you who choose the pessimistic, glass-half-empty viewpoint, the rest of us are focused on the silver lining. The fact that Miami won the small battle and will now prepare for the pending war. The fact that the 2011 season no longer has a dark cloud hovering over it.

Some of you wrote in letting it be known there’s “nothing” to be happy about right now. The Doom & Gloom patrol has been out full force, looking to squash out any joy found in this recent victory.

It’s like sitting at a card table in Vegas, winning a big hand, expressing some joy over the moment and having some jackass leaning over your shoulder reminding you that the house has the advantage and that you’re still going to get smoked.

So just because some hits are forthcoming, you’re not allowed to enjoy a break that comes your way? If that’s truly your mindset, I feel sorry for both you and your life outlook. Honestly, why even bother being a fan?

Do note that these are the same folks who will gladly put you in check in the wee hours Labor Day night should Miami beat Maryland. “Yeah, we took down the Terps, but Ohio State will be light years tougher. We have NO chance on the 17th!”

Fan is short for ‘fanatic’ and the point of following sports is an attempt at enjoyment. A break from reality and a reason to cheer. Instead, there are those who treat it like life and death, over-analyzing every aspect of the process and never finding pleasure in what should be a lighthearted side passion. Even in a win, they harp on the mistakes. What could’ve been done better. Where the opponent slipped up and “had that not happened, we never would’ve won”.

Even worse, the aforementioned fan can’t live alone in his or her own misery. No, they have to make sure to burst the bubble of any in earshot who remain optimistic. The only joy they truly have – bringing others down to their level as they attempt to “tell it like it is” and “keep it real”.

One more time for the record, Tuesday August 30th was a good day for Al Golden, his assistants, his players and for University of Miami football. Period. End of story. Not up for debate. You are absolute fool if you disagree.

Just days ago there was the fear that this current UM squad could get smacked up the way last year’s North Carolina squad was. Guys booted from the team. Others lost for the majority of the season. Double-digit suspensions. The fallout was disastrous and the Tar Heels were out of the ACC Coastal hunt before the season opener even got under way.

Miami opens at Maryland and will be seven key players short for one game. To that point, in a few cases there are capable back ups who can step in against a middle of the pack ACC opponent and from there, a relatively normal season should resume.

Stephen Morris has been battling Jacory Harris for the starting quarterback slot and all season we’d heard it’s the flip of a coin, so Morris gets the start at Maryland, Golden no longer has a “quarterback controversy” (for a week, at least) and now you’re six guys down.

Travis Benjamin will be missed at receiver, but the Canes are deep at the position and with the emergence of guys like Tommy Streeter, LaRon Byrd and Allen Hurns, it’s not detrimental to success on the opener. Now you’re five guys down.

You always hate to lose a leader like Sean Spence, but with Jimmy Gaines stepping up at middle linebacker, the capable Jordan Futch can step in for Spence. It’s definitely a drop off, but for one game it’s not the end of the world. On to the other four.

The loss of Ray-Ray Armstrong hurts, but it’s countered by Vaughn Telemaque being deemed eligible. (Again, see the good.) At one point there was a fear that both would be out. There is a lack of depth and experience without Armstrong, but the return of Telemaque is as big, if not bigger than the loss of Armstrong. The backups will rely on Telemaque’s expertise and leadership out there instead of nothing but newbies at safety.

At cornerback, Miami welcomes back Brandon McGee and JoJo Nicolas, both cleared in the investigation, putting less pressure on the loss at safety. Another bright spot.

The biggest hit comes at defensive line where Olivier Vernon, Adawale Ojomo and Marcus Forston are all sidelined. Good news in the form of Micanor Regis and Marcus Robinson being cleared, but still a huge hole depth-wise and talent-wise. No real way to sugarcoat this other than saying that guys will need to step up.

Ojomo and Forston will be back by Ohio State, but for Maryland, the defensive line – arguably a strength for the Canes this season – will definitely be a weakness.

In the end you had five cleared, five with one-game suspensions, two who will sit for four games and one who is out six games. In the grand scheme of what could’ve happened in 2011, this is a huge bullet dodged. Especially regarding Golden’s initial impact.

Miami’s first-year coach arrived on campus the end of 2010 and has been working non-stop to right the ship everyday since. The Canes have twenty-four verbal commits for the 2012 class and even in the wake of the Yahoo! story, no one has wavered to date.

Thought some might trivialize it, getting off to a huge start is imperative for Miami’s future with Golden. Especially if / when any sanctions come down.

This is a time to build some momentum, to stockpile talent, to build confidence and to get back to winning ways. Rebuild the Miami foundation properly so that if / when the NCAA cracks the whip, the Canes are battle-tested, have achieved some success and are as ready (as anyone can be) for what might be coming.

Insult to injury would’ve been a decimated squad for 2011. Morale would’ve gone in the toilet and there’d be no true way to gauge the Golden effect on the program as there’d be an asterisk next to every game played with a team full of holes.

Instead a Canes team that is playing with one arm behind its collective back for one lone game against a good, not great, opponent. From that point, three games down two key guys and five games missing one guy.

Miami will have Harris, Benjamin, Spence, Forston and Ojomo back for Ohio State and Armstrong will return for the biggest ACC game of the season – Virginia Tech. Come November, Miami will have a full squad an almost a season’s worth of experience when heading to Tallahassee to take on Florida State.

None of that erases the fact that the NCAA isn’t done sniffing around, but at minimum it should give this fan base some much-needed reprieve. Kickoff is four days away and this season, for all intents and purposes has been saved.

What does that mean for next year or the year after? Sitting here today – who cares? There is always something to worry about. Golden could leave. Players could get hurt. Miami has been through the ringer before, be it sanctions, huge losses and the deaths of beloved student-athletes. In each case, predisposed worry would’ve done nothing to change the outcome, aside from making one crazy.

Hope for the best, cross that bridge when you get there and for now, live in the moment. This is the time of year that makes a fan base tick and the season the Canes are about to embark on is full of possibility.

Choose optimism and when it’s time to worry about tomorrow, there will be time to do so then. There’s always time to deal with the harshness of present reality. – C.B.

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