‘Til Tuesday when Pat Dooley and Israel Gutierrez decided to chime in on a subject discussed ad nauseam on Sunday and Monday.
Dooley’s article, “UM’s Shannon should watch game tape” and Gutierrez’s piece, “Shannon’s rant unnecessary” both ran this morning and had Gators abroad forwarding both articles as if they were gospel.
For those who missed it, the No. 5 Florida Gators beat the Miami Hurricanes, 26-3 on Saturday night. UM hung tough, fell late and UF pulled away after a few questionable calls went their way.
The point of contention; a late field goal by Florida with :25 left on the clock, a half-hearted handshake from Randy Shannon when he met Urban Meyer midfield and Shannon’s anti-Gator rant Sunday morning when the dust had settled.
Dooley and Gutierrez put together different, yet similar anti-Shannon/pro-Meyer articles, which caused dissent among Canes enthusiasts and unity amongst Gators.
“You see, even these writers are calling Shannon a whiner. Florida was in the right!”
If the two were unbiased parties, I’d have let it slide. Such isn’t the case. Dooley is a long-time beat writer for the Gainesville Sun, while Gutierrez writes for the Miami Herald, yet sports a journalism degree from the University of Florida. Gator fans nationwide have been forwarding these articles around as their form of “proof” that Meyer did the right thing.
There might’ve been some valid points in all their drivel, but both media men left out key details and missed Shannon’s point, prompting this Cane’s rebuttal.
Dooley wants Shannon to ‘get a grip’ and encouraged readers to fire a block of cheese to the Miami skipper, so he’d have something to go with his “whine”.
Shannon is taking grief for a post game presser where he made the statement, “Sometimes when you do things and people see what kind of person you really are, you turn a lot of people off. Take from that what you want. (The field goal) helped us more than you will ever know.”
Meyer explains his final shot at three, stating that he wanted his young kicker to get game experience before Florida headed to Knoxville after this week’s bye.
Ahh, yes. Nothing like a meaningless kick up 20, in front of your home crowd with :25 on the game clock to get your guy ready for a meaningful kick in front of over 100K at Neyland.
For the record, I don’t have an issue with tacking on three extra points if you think it’ll help you in the polls. Welcome to big time college football and top five rankings. Bring it on.
My problem lies in keeping your Heisman winning quarterback, Heisman candidate receiver and entire first string offense in the game after getting the ball back with 1:56 remaining and trying to fire one in the end zone on 2nd and 1, trying to make it 30-3.
Try that stunt against an SEC foe or a coach with less class and Florida will watch Mr. Heisman leave the game on a stretcher. Some coaches are classless enough to consider it ‘open season’ for their defense, regarding a starting quarterback left in the game with under 120 seconds and hucking it towards the end zone while sitting on an almost-three touchdown lead.
What’s more important, keeping Tebow healthy or trying to dupe voters into thinking 23-3 was really 26-3 or 30-3? It’s all moot if your star player gets hurt.
Florida took over possession from the Miami 16-yard line with 1:56 remaining and attempted two passes before a 3rd and 1 run went for a four-yard loss. If it was all about the field goal, run three times and kick on 4th down.
A week ago, Miami is up 45-3 with 6:25 remaining, a third-string quarterback and fourth-string running back are in the game and the Canes are pounding the rock. Five of the six plays were on the ground and the other, a two-yard pass. One rush went for 31 yards and from the one-yard line with 2:33 remaining, Miami punched it in with it’s fifth rush of the drive.
Pull the first string when you have a big lead and let your second string try to run your first team offense. Put your Heisman trophy winner back in the box and play with another toy.
The win was in the bag. Insert the second string team, rest your star players and run your second and third teamers, with the intent of scoring.
It’s called Sportsmanship:101, though neither orange or blue writer sold it that way, going as far to say Shannon ran up the score in week one.
Dooley twisted those facts and some others, using them to fit his Gator agenda; most notably playing the ‘age’ card. All the talk was about Miami’s youth, but this Gainesville Sun reporter used his crack skills (i.e. – opened a media guide) and pointed out that the Canes were actually the younger team.
True, Miami started 13 seniors and juniors to Florida’s 12 sophomore starters. The Canes had four seniors on defense and eight total senior starters, while the Gators sport no defensive starters.
The U was younger, on paper, but green where it mattered most – at quarterback and wideout.
Tim Tebow is year three into Meyer’s offense and working on timing with wideouts. Three years ago, Robert Marve is in 11th grade, balling at Plant high. This year’s freshman receivers were playing 10th grade ball when Percy Harvin stepped on campus as a freshman and started to dazzle.
While both defenses came to play, you can’t trivialize the impact Heisman-winning upperclassmen will have on an offense, compared to a r-freshman taking his first ever snaps behind center.
No comparison, Pat.
Another Dooley cheap shot came when he boasted that Shannon should “know the rules” before he complained about Carl Moore’s overturned catch.
Shannon argued that if you’re body is out of bounds, you’re out of bounds. He also mentioned getting both feet inbounds, which is incorrect in the college game (only one foot is necessary.)
As for knowing the rules, Dooley might want to do a little homework of his own.
According to the NCAA rules on “Catch, Interception, Recovery”, Article 7 – section 2 states, “Loss of ball simultaneous to returning to the ground is not a catch, interception or recovery.”
Moore left the ground for a the ball and while his elbow might or might not have landed in bounds, he obviously lost the ball ‘simultaneous to returning to the ground.’ It was a no-catch and the call on the field stands if anyone other than SEC officials are working that game.
Both Dooley and Gutierrez chastised Shannon for his Sunday morning rant, after sleeping on it and still feeling the same way – yet both writers did the exact same, penning their pieces for Tuesday’s edition and continuing to beat a dead horse. Oh, the hypocrisy.
Miami and Florida will continue to see this situation with their own brand of tunnel-vision. There is no gray area when you’re on the winning side versus the losing one. We can agree on that much.
But it seems Gator faithful – and their sportswriters – are missing the key component. The three points aren’t the point of contention. It was the ‘pour it on’ mentality with a Heisman-winning quarterback going for six and throwing twice on that final drive, instead of inserting that second-string, attempting to run the ball and settling for three.
Meyer can rant and rave all day about helping his kicker, but running the ball late might’ve been a more prudent choice being that UF’s three tailbacks rushed nine times for a total of seven yards. The running game needed more of a tune up than a kicker who already drilled three extra points on the night.
Curious to see how the football gods let this one play out. Oh the irony if Florida misses an important kick at Tennessee next week, or somewhere down the road this season.
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
Everyone SHUT UP! What happened to "NO excuses"? Have some dignity we lost they were the better team on that day. I don't even see it as running up the score we had the best team in the state of Florida and a national tile contender on the ropes for 3 Quarters, We had the Heisman trophy winner Confused and looking ordinary. They were scared of a team that had 5 wins a year ago! If I was Meyer (thank god i am not) I would do the same thing. Why run to run out the clock when you haven't been able to run all game. If that is running up the score then we are as guilty as any of doing it. Just what comes to mind is Ed Reed Stripping his own player against Boston college and returning it for a TD when the INT Iced the game. We didn't need the points, A knee wins that game. that may be a bad example but you get the drift. It is our job to stop them and we didn't you think they want to see us next year or even in a bowl this year, Didn't think so. we want respect we have to take it.
Cane in tally
It is all drivel. Vols are next.
GAME OVER!!! Remember, it is now over. Stop the whining (Shannon and whomever). I guess I’m too use to the old Miami Cane days. We did no whining or apologizing, for that matter, in those days. All this bitching over nothing is getting to be too much now! We lost already.
As a Canes fan, I admired Jimmy Johnson and hell even Steve Spurrier. In those days, you lined up against UM or UF, you know you’re going to get you’re a$$ kicked (score ran up, you name it). Especially if you don’t do what you’re suppose to do for ALL 60 minutes. Stopping them on defense or score on them on offense.
I’m sure there’s an example out there somewhere of teams coming back even down 3 touchdowns with only 3-5 minutes left. With that in mind, an offense has to keep trying to score or put the game out of reach. What exactly is “out of reach”, well that’s the gray area that is big time college football.
But I agree, if I were a coach I would not have Baby Jesus (Tebow) in the game at that point. That was Urban’s decision, so be it. We all have an opinion of what his intent was in doing so. Just speaks to why I don’t care for him as a coach. Spurrier was an a$$hole and didn’t care who knew it. You don’t like it, try and beat him. I personally, Hurricane and all, respect him for that. This Urban joke is just that. He reminds me so much of Dennis Erickson. Let me not even go there right now.
So the point is fudge it, a 1 point loss or 23 point loss shouldn’t matter to UM as it’s still our loss. It obviously matters to Urban. But he’s not our concern. Right now Texas A&M is. Our players know regardless of the score, they hung with the Gators. Take this new knowledge and confidence and go kick some A&M butt. Hell, run up the score if you wish as well. They need to STOP yoU.
As for Gutierrez, I mean come on, what the buck is he really doing writing for the Miami Herald. His coverage of our local teams just leaves one to wonder. Don’t get me wrong, be objective (which he’s not). If we suck, we suck. And if we’re good, we’re good. But he writes with such disdain for UM it’s not even funny. If he really wants to advance his career, move back to Gainesville and write for the Sun since they seem to love his articles so much.
Again, we’re getting real U characters/players back on the field. I am beyond impressed with Spence / Marve / Bailey / Forston / B. Harris. I doubt any of these guys can define excuse, much less make one. GO CANES!!!
We did need the points when Ed Reed took off with the INT. They were about to score and take the lead you Tally Moron
AllCanes - great article/commentary. I completely agree with you and posted similar on Canespace earlier today before I was referred here (sorry, hadn't gotten to your link in my favorites yet).
Hoping I'm not late, but did anyone see this editorial from Israel Gutierrez?
UM football coach Randy Shannon doesn't score points with his argument (http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/679737.html).
This is the same guy that just a couple weeks ago wrote an article about how the Canes are now irrelevant? Please tell me why this clown is still employed at the Herald outside of the mailroom. Irrelevant? Is that why the Canes were the primetime ESPN game? Irrelevant? Is that why ESPN went to Canesville with GameDay for a CANES vs. gators game? Irrelevant? Is that why he felt it necessary to devote another article to the Canes?
He ends this most recent article with, "Unfortunately, (Shannon) will have to wait until 2013 for his next real shot at the Gators. His most recent shot at Meyer can only be considered another loss." Now, I realize that inflammatory garbage and drama sells (e.g. MTV, TMZ, etc...) but maybe, just maybe, it's Izzy that's making himself irrelevant with these unfounded, ridiculous articles. People can pick up a copy of anything printed by American Media if they want to read schlock and stories lacking true substance or applicability to anything realistic.
Thoughts?
GO CANES!
Posted by: DelrayCane | September 10, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Waaandy Shanon says.....WaaaaaWaaaa
GAME OVER!!! Remember, it is now over. Stop the whining (Shannon and whomever). I guess I’m too use to the old Miami Cane days. We did no whining or apologizing, for that matter, in those days. All this bitching over nothing is getting to be too much now! We lost already.
As a Canes fan, I admired Jimmy Johnson and hell even Steve Spurrier. In those days, you lined up against UM or UF, you know you’re going to get you’re a$$ kicked (score ran up, you name it). Especially if you don’t do what you’re suppose to do for ALL 60 minutes. Stopping them on defense or score on them on offense.
I’m sure there’s an example out there somewhere of teams coming back even down 3 touchdowns with only 3-5 minutes left. With that in mind, an offense has to keep trying to score or put the game out of reach. What exactly is “out of reach”, well that’s the gray area that is big time college football.
But I agree, if I were a coach I would not have Baby Jesus (Tebow) in the game at that point. That was Urban’s decision, so be it. We all have an opinion of what his intent was in doing so. Just speaks to why I don’t care for him as a coach. Spurrier was an a$$hole and didn’t care who knew it. You don’t like it, try and beat him. I personally, Hurricane and all, respect him for that. This Urban joke is just that. He reminds me so much of Dennis Erickson. Let me not even go there right now.
So the point is fudge it, a 1 point loss or 23 point loss shouldn’t matter to UM as it’s still our loss. It obviously matters to Urban. But he’s not our concern. Right now Texas A&M is. Our players know regardless of the score, they hung with the Gators. Take this new knowledge and confidence and go kick some A&M butt. Hell, run up the score if you wish as well. They need to STOP yoU.
As for Gutierrez, I mean come on, what the buck is he really doing writing for the Miami Herald. His coverage of our local teams just leaves one to wonder. Don’t get me wrong, be objective (which he’s not). If we suck, we suck. And if we’re good, we’re good. But he writes with such disdain for UM it’s not even funny. If he really wants to advance his career, move back to Gainesville and write for the Sun since they seem to love his articles so much.
Again, we’re getting real U characters/players back on the field. I am beyond impressed with Spence / Marve / Bailey / Forston / B. Harris. I doubt any of these guys can define excuse, much less make one. GO CANES!!!
im shocked no one has brought up the most important aspect of that field goal. the gators were 20.5 point favorites and the field goal was the difference between covering and not covering. with all the gambling scandals in college sports, im surprised no one has even broached the topic.
on a personal note, i would like to thank urban meyer for helping me win my bet on saturday. your decision to kick a field goal with under a minute left and cover the spread was the difference between ramen noodles and steak on monday.
allCanes...what is your address? I want to send you some cheese.
Sorry, this is off topic but I want to defend myself since this guy wants to fling insults.
"We did need the points when Ed Reed took off with the INT. They were about to score and take the lead you Tally Moron"
They cant score when we have the ball, and the lead with like 15 seconds left. the ball was intercepted by a DL and all he needed to do was sit on the ball. we didn't need the points all we needed was the ball. with a knee or two the game was over. What if Reed stripped the ball and lost it in the exchange neither of these guys carry the ball on a regular basis. BC gets the ball 1st and goal with time ticking down. I love that play cause it worked, it is probably my all time favorite moment from a regular season game. If the gamble didn't work and BC got the ball back because a Safety striped the ball from a DL Reed is a goat. style points is all that is. If you watch the game even the coaches are telling Reed to go down till he breaks free.
Cane in tally