This week it’s "Overworked U"?

A few days back the Miami Herald’s Israel Gutierrez is calling Miami “irrelevant” and this week it’s the Palm Beach Post’s Jorge Milian who feels the Canes are overworked.

Shouldn’t the Canes at least catch a break with their beat writers?

Where Gutierrez labeled the Miami Hurricanes a non-factor, Milian at least posed the question, based on some recent Greentree practice field casualties.

At the time of Milian’s piece, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon was thought to have been overcome by dehydration. A day later, downgraded to ‘overexcited’.

“Dixon was hyperventilating,” said Randy Shannon. “He got excited during practice in the drill he did, his adrenaline got going and he got short of wind, short of breath. His body temperature wasn’t beyond and above the normal.”

Wednesday’s excitement, combined with Javarris James cramping up on Saturday has some crying “overworked”.

I say welcome to life after 5-7.

Miami was knocked for throwing in the towel last season. The “Q” word. Sort of sounds like ‘quitters’.

That won’t cut it in ’08. Not with so many valuable, impressionable freshman on board; the building blocks for the resurgence.

The country club mentality is gonzo. Winning ways are going to return and any long-time Cane knows those battles start on the practice field. New blood means new competition. Starting jobs up for grabs and the return of a type of hunger that can’t be fabricated.

Last I checked, football is one of the roughest games out there. Dehydration? Cramps? Child’s play in comparison to what happens for three-plus hours on Saturday afternoon.

Miami’s bread and butter; always been being stronger, tougher and better than the other guy. The rougher the conditions, the more conditioned you are come Saturday. The heat and humidity are the Canes’ main ingredient. It’s no accident South Florida athletes are one step ahead the rest of the best.

Yes, we’re living in an age where heat exhaustion and dehydration have found their way into preseason football, with some tragic results. Which is exactly why UM had an ambulance ready to roll when Dixon showed signs of dehydration. Proactive, not reactive. Get their student athlete necessary medical attention — care infinitely better than that of newspaper columnists and sports bloggers.

The result, a false alarm. Tests were run and Dixon should be back to action by week’s end.

Milian calls for Shannon to ‘loosen the reins’ during two-a-days. I say, let ’em play. Build that endurance now because there’s a lot of football ahead these coming months. If these Canes are tired come August, it’s going to make for a long season.

Adrenaline alone should carry these kids until October.

Get those juices flowing. Game one is three weeks away and Miami needs to steamroll into 2008 with some energy, optimism and much missed excitement.

This team’s motto is “no excuses”.

This year’s schedule poster theme is “Built To Win”, featuring Canes wielding construction tools, rolling up their sleeves and ready to kick off a rebuilding project.

When you’re on top, there’s room to cruise. When you’re trying to reclaim you place and plant your flag a top the mountain, you’re playing catch up.

Up earlier than the other guys. A few extra reps in the weight room. A little more effort on the practice field. Talking, living and breathing football. Possessing an excitement that only comes on the way up, but gets buried when you finally achieve your ultimate goal.

The Canes are in a unique, yet familiar position; rebuilding mode. The stage is set. It’s time to dive in head first. Let’s party like it’s 1999, when the last renovation was underway.

The opener is three weeks out, but Miami’s season started a week ago.

Put the pedal to the metal this pre-season, because the Canes have a lot of ground to make up.

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