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The Streak
2008-04-24 23:49:00
For 13 straight years, a Miami Hurricane has been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Some years we've barely made it, like when Kelly Jennings was the 2nd to last pick of the draft a couple of a years ago. This year we've got a projected 1st round pick and a borderline guy in Calais Campbell. Should we be concerned about the streak, and does the streak even really matter?For one, I think the streak will remain intact for another year. Safety is becoming such an important position in the NFL today that somebody will take Kenny in the 1st round. The Steelers or Giants will probably snatch him up before the 1st round is over. If not, then I would consider taking him with the #32 pick, which while technically not in the 1st round, it would be in the first 32 picks so I would consider the streak alive with an asterisk in that case.If not Kenny, then our only hope is Calais. And those hopes are dimming by the day. The poor guy should have left last season when he would have e...

Don't Pick Flacco
2008-04-24 08:24:00
Word is that the Dolphins are trying to trade JT for a mid-late first round pick to go after either Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves or Joe Flacco. Groves should be available at the #32 pick but I wouldn't mind selecting him earlier. I'm no fan of Harvey due to him being a Gator, but he has value in the mid-first round. However, I would be seriously pissed if we drafted Joe Flacco.Some sportswriters have advocated selecting him in the 2nd. Specifically those at the Sun-Sentinel. They are entitled to their opinion, but I'm having a problem with Flacco being a potential selection. He has got a cannon arm, that's for sure. And he's got all the confidence in the world. However, he might have the wrong kind of confidence. We saw a guy with all the physical tools coming out of Washington State a few years ago. He got cocky and ended up failing miserably. I think his name was Ryan Leaf.I don't want Flacco. I've heard bad things about his interviews at the combine and don't want any p...
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Fins Shopping JT
2008-04-24 00:26:00
I guess this was to be expected. At least the Dolphins aren't going to give him up easily. If Chris Chambers can demand a 2nd round pick on the market, then surely Jason Taylor merits a 1st or at least a 2nd and a 4th. Trading JT would mean the end of the old Dolphins era--- the one that won so many games in the late 90s and early 2000s, but never enjoyed any playoff success. That's fine. He deserves to move on to greener pastures at this point. A 1st round pick in return would be fair and would put the organization in a position to continue to improve this roster.Jake Long is the first step. A mid-1st round pick could turn into a guy like Brian Brohm (if they are interested) or the Talib kid from Kansas. There are dozens of players that would fill needs for the Dolphins in the late first round. We'll likely scoop one up with the 32nd pick, but getting an additional one would let us play around with our options. Groves in the 2nd, maybe Lawrence Jackson (the guy I really like). M...
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TO Loves Porn?
2008-04-23 21:42:00
Apparently Terrell Owens loves porn? He appeared on a recent photo on the Bangbros website. It got cropped out from the main site, but I do have a copy of the photo here.That's definitely him. Looks like the dude recognizes him and it's hard to miss the Dallas receiver in the background.

Preston Parker Arrested
2008-04-22 20:49:00
Continuing the theme of this site, I am posting something anti-FSU. After this past season for Canes football, and for South Florida sports in general, I need the occasional laugh to keep me going. So tough luck, Noles fans.Anyway, Preston Parker got arrested for gun and drug charges today. The 21 year old receiver was one of those Bobby Bowden specials I often talk about here. He was all but a Cane but somehow out of the blue committed to FSU at the last second. He's been their best receiver recently, so this is going to hurt big time. Unless of course the Noles manage to sweep this under the rug and not punish him at all. I would hope they know to act quickly especially with the spotlight on them after the recent academic scandal.
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Jake Long is the Man
2008-04-22 19:12:00
About time. We can finally stop dreaming up fantasy scenarios of trading down or passing on the #1 pick. Forget the "Freudian Slip" that cast the doubt on the possibility of selecting Jake Long . And definitely forget the rumors that Long had no interest in playing for the Dolphins. ESPN and the Sun-Sentinel are reporting that Jake Long has agreed to a contract with the Dolphins and will be the #1 overall selection come Saturday at 3pm.The press conference should be in about half an hour. I suppose they might release the terms then. For now it's unknown how much the contract is for. I don't really care. It's going to be a huge number that will restrict us financially if Long doesn't produce at a high level. I'm just happy we have our LT and can move on to other pressing needs in the draft.This makes the Dolphins offensive line one of the finest young lines in the league. For once we'll actually have a good offensive line. I hope. Look for a pass rushing OLB/DE and a QB to be se...

Marlins Win 3rd Straight, Remain Atop NL East
2008-04-22 18:58:00
19 games through the season and somehow the Marlins are still chugging along in first place at 12-7. They currently hold a 1.5 game lead over the Mets, which is impressive for now but is something that could be wiped out in a matter of days. The success is relieving for South Florida sports fans, who literally have had nothing to cheer for but baseball these past few months. Alongside the top-ranked Canes, the Marlins are all we've got now, both literally and figuratively until August.I'm not entirely sure how they are winning so many games yet. They have been batting relatively well, though much of the team seems to enjoy striking out quite a bit. And the pitching staff is one of the 5 worst in the majors statistically. It's mind-boggling as to how Mark Hendrickson is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA this season. Mark Hendrickson? Who?But hey, I'll take it at this point. The Marlins have currently allowed 7 more runs than they've scored, yet are 5 games over 500. Go figure. Whatever it is ...
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Jake Long Nearing a Deal?
2008-04-21 22:35:00
This is interesting, to say the least. There had been suggestions that Jake Long wasn't interested in playing for the Dolphins. I felt that if this were true, then Miami needed to stop negotiating with the guy and go elsewhere. Then again, it could have been a ploy to confuse other teams. Then we got the "Freudian Slip" that suggested we were going defense with the #1 overall pick. Again, this appeared to be legitimate, but now that also has been twisted into a smokescreen.Now, there are indication that Jake Long is nearing an agreement to be the Dolphins #1 selection. Hopefully, this is true. I'm not sure Jake has anything against playing for the Dolphins. It might be true, but frankly all the top 5 teams suck and Miami is the best place to play out of any of them. There would be no reason for him not to want to play for the Dolphins. I don't think motivation will be a problem with him. I'm more concerned about his pass blocking ability, which while not suspect, isn't at an el...
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Canes Edge FSU for Series
2008-04-21 02:36:00
I for one am not a fan of shortened games. If you have travel restrictions, then schedule the damn games earlier or not at all. Ending game after 7 or 8 innings is foolish unless the weather is to blame. One of our 4 losses this season came to a premature finish against NC State. However, today the Canes benefited from the shortened game in a 11-10 victory over FSU in 7 innings.Topping the #2 team in the country proved difficult. Miami won the series 2-1 but did not prove themselves as the clearly superior team. What they did do was prove to the world that they can play with the very best and still produce at a high level. This indeed is the best baseball team in the country, particularly when they are hitting on all cylinders. The series with FSU proves it and this should give us some more confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.Today's victory was largely in part to eventual 1st round pick Yonder Alonso, who belted 2 home runs--one a grand slam, in driving 5 runs ...
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JT Wants Out?
2008-04-20 05:25:00
Here we go again. Apparently, Jason Taylor has made a quiet and polite request to be traded from the Miami Dolphins.We heard some of this before, with the Dolphins addressing the rumors as journalistic irresponsibility. This report again comes from Jason Cole, a former Dolphins beat reporter who probably still has some connections down in Davie. Cole was the one who broke the original report that came out a few weeks ago.I don't know what to make of this really. It could be true that Jason wants out and wants to win a title. Acquiescing to his demands would probably result in the Dolphins going with either Chris Long or Vernon Gholston at #1 in the draft to replace Taylor's pass rushing abilities off the edge. If he does get traded, it definitely has to be done this week before the draft. We also have to get at least a 2nd round pick for him. Maybe a 2nd with a condition to bump it up to a first. If Chambers fetched a 2nd, then JT deserves more value.It could be another smokescree...

Noles Even Up the Series
2008-04-20 05:10:00
The Canes jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 3 game series between the #1 and #2 teams in the country by dropping 10 runs in the 6th inning yesterday. Freshman Chris Hernandez had a tough time with the FSU lineup but still pitched well enough to keep the Canes in the game and pick up the win to go to 6-0 this season.However, Enrique Garcia again struggled and got rocked today by FSU in a 9-5 loss. His 6 earned runs cost the Canes dearly, especially with a late 5-4 lead. It also gave him his first loss of the season (2-1). Miami did jump on the Noles early with a 4-0 lead but couldn't solve the relief pitching after FSU pulled started Geoff Parker.Tomorrow is the crucial rubber game that will probably determine who will be ranked #1 next season. Bragging rights would be nice as well. It should be a climactic finale to this series, with sophomore Eric Erickson making his long-awaited return. I'm not sure it's the best idea to throw him in there against such a good team after a month o...
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Playoff Predictions
2008-04-20 04:59:00
I couldn't be less interested in the NBA Playoffs this year, now that the Heat are god-awful and aren't participating. In any case, here are my predictions. And yes I'm aware I'm cheating since 4 of the series already started.EastBoston over Atlanta in 4Detroit over Philly in 5Orlando over Toronto in 6Cleveland over Washington in 7Boston over Cleveland in 5Detroit over Orlando in 7Boston over Detroit in 7WestLakers over Denver in 5Hornets over Mavs in 7Spurs over Suns in 6Utah over Houston in 5Lakers over Utah in 7Spurs over Hornets in 6Lakers over Spurs in 7Final:Lakers over Boston in 6I have a feeling that Boston has been overrated for a long time. They have the best record, but I just have a hunch about them.
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Position Changes
2008-04-19 20:44:00
You might have heard about a few position changes on the UM football team. I'll go over them one by one here.Luqman Abdallah was moved to offensive line, which is an interesting move. We are already pretty thin at DT, but I suppose with 2 more guys coming in this summer (Regis and Lewis), Abdallah was considered expendable at the position. The guy hasn't really shown all that much yet, but then again he wasn't the most heralded recruit either. It should be interesting to see if he can contribute to our line, which supposedly is looking pretty solid right now.The Ryan Hill move is one I am grateful for. I personally thought it should have been done last year. Hill hasn't shown any promise at WR and we are hurting pretty bad at corner. The addition of Brandon Harris was crucial, but it should help to have some depth at the position. Hill is a great athlete and should he pick up the defense quickly enough, could contribute. He is probably better off because he wasn't going to see ...
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Marlins Stumble, Lose Division Lead
2008-04-19 20:38:00
1/10th of the way through the new season and the Marlins have pretty much played up to their expectations, and more. This team is probably capable of playing 500 ball for stretches at a time, but ultimately I think their lack of quality starting pitching and a lineup that refuses to bat for average will hurt them. I think I'll stand by my prediction of 68 wins.A few days ago the surprising Marlins did have the division lead, but lost it late last night after blowing a 4-3 lead to the last-place Nationals. Heralded prospect Andrew Miller pitched an average game against Washington, but the frustrating thing is that it was his best outing of the season. Miller has posted a terrible 9.68 ERA in his first 4 starts. I'm aware that he is a young player, but there are other rookie pitchers out there showing better stuff on the mound. He better pan out after having to trade our best player.The biggest problem on offense continues to be that nobody is batting for average except Hanley Ramir...
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The Slip
2008-04-18 16:19:00
Much has been made of Jeff Ireland's "Freudian slip." Some are going to call this a smokescreen. I'm going to go ahead and say that Ireland made a legitimate mistake here. This isn't the first time he has misspoken in front of the media. Don't forget the hoopla he created by effectively admitting that Bill Parcells was the real GM of this team, something that would have prevented the Dolphins from hiring him away from Dallas were it true.Apparently he needs a refresher course in PR management. That or he is a brilliant actor. In either case, I don't think it matters much for now. Everyone knows the pick is down to one of the Long's or Gholston. Dorsey doesn't seem to fit and I'm repressing the possibility of drafting Matt Ryan for now. Slip ping up and telling people you're going after one of the DE/OLB isn't necessarily a huge deal. However, that sort of stuff needs to stop if Ireland wants to be an effective GM. That or Parcells will have to put a leash on him and stash h...

Heat Win Finale Against Hawks
2008-04-17 04:22:00
And so the 2007-2008 season has come to a merciful end. We've seen every major player on this roster (other than the immortal Ricky Davis) get shelved for the rest of the season due to injury. We traded Shaq in exchange for a future and saw our star player go down yet again. Riley took his hiatus and now his future seems uncertain. All in all, the Heat matched their putrid 15-67 record from their inaugural season.It takes a pretty big combination of bad luck, bad play, and bad decision making to do as badly as an expansion team. Especially considering we just won an NBA title 2 years ago. It's a little embarrassing to be honest, but thankfully the NBA Lottery might give us a chance to return to form. This year's team, with the addition of a DeSagna Diop and a Derrick Rose easily makes the playoffs next year. Heck, with the way the East has been of late, that might be good enough for a 4 seed. The future isn't so far away.I really hope Riley returns next year because I do think t...
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Somehow Canes Remain #1
2008-04-16 21:22:00
I guess the pollsters were more impressed by our series sweep of #10 GT than I was. Frankly, I was pretty certain that the loss to FAU would drop us out of the top spot in the country, but most polls kept us at #1 with FSU in at #2.That leads up to this weekend's monster series at Tally against the Noles. Like I said before, this matchup will be Miami's first true test of the season. They've played some very good ballclubs, losing only 3 games all season. However, FSU is an elite team and presents a major challenge for the Canes .In terms of predictions, I couldn't tell you what I think. I don't follow college baseball all that often outside of the Canes and the CWS, so I don't know how we fare against the Seminoles. What I do know is that the Miami lineup is ridiculously balanced and the pitching staff is excellent when it is at its best. That should be enough to win a series against anybody, even the #2 team in the country.Before that though, the Canes have to stick it to the...

First Pick Discussion
2008-04-15 22:03:00
I think there's a lot of important stuff going on with the Dolphins' #1 overall pick. The draft is only 11 days away and we don't have a deal set with any of the available players yet. Many have suggested we go with Matt Ryan, a ridiculous choice that only a desperate front office would make. Others want to trade down, the most logical option, but definitely not the most realistic.Some have even suggested passing on the pick to save some money. I've somewhat advocated that. Not necessary condoned it, but I think it was worth looking into. You should read a very good piece by Omar Kelly at the Sun Sentinel, maybe some of the best stuff I've seen him do. He shoots down the idea of letting the pick slide and offers half a dozen very valid points, one of which I have mentioned before: even if we slide to 3 or 4, that guy's agent will want #1 money or close to it.Now comes the news from Armando Salguero that the Dolphins are pitching a discount deal to Jake Long. They aren't inter...
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Fins Prediction...
2008-04-15 21:53:00
...They're gonna stink. Today the new schedule was released and it looks alright. Having the worst team last year gave us easy games against last place teams, but we still have a long way to go. I'll make an official prediction game-by-game after the draft. We can't really know what the deal is yet.Here's the schedule if you guys are interested. We have 5 home games in 6 weeks, but also finish off the season with 4 road games in 5 weeks. Pretty balanced schedule. Thankfully no road game at New England in December.We also play the Bills in the much-anticipated Toronto game. It would be a shame to see a fanbase lose out on it's franchise (the Sonics situation is pretty depressing), but screw the Bills.
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Gators' Trophy Breaks
2008-04-15 18:53:00
Haha.
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Rose and Beasley Declare for Draft
2008-04-15 18:43:00
Shockers of the century there. In any case, it's official that both top prospects for this June's NBA Draft are ready to make the leap to the next level. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they wouldn't turn pro, but you never know. Beasley had no reason to return to KState, but that national title collapse by Memphis might have convinced Rose to stay and win a championship.Had either remained in school, then we really would have needed that #1 overall pick. As it stands, I am rooting for the 2nd selection so we won't second guess ourselves in the future. Just take whichever is left over. Save a little bit of cash too I guess.The final decision between Beasley and Rose would be a tough one. Most of the fans seem to want Rose after seeing his NCAA Tournament play and I would have to agree. Beasley is ridiculous and I would be just as happy with him, but as it's been said many times on this blog, we need someone other than Wade to take the ballhandling duties. Marion/Hasle...

Haith Secures New Transfer
2008-04-15 03:10:00
Could we be looking at Jack McClinton the 2nd? Apparently the Canes will be getting much needed backcourt depth from Villanova in the form of scorer Malcom Grant.Personally, I've never seen the kid play. So maybe one of you will have to tell me what the deal is. Supposedly he is a streaky shooter that can score in bunches. Sounds an awful lot like Jack. Which frankly, isn't a bad thing. McClinton has helped breathe new life into this program and I'd take a player off a Sweet 16 team any day.The problem is that he'll have to sit out the next season, so we won't get that instant boost. What we will have is some insurance once Jack leaves, in case DeQuan Jones doesn't pan out. Hopefully he will and that will just mean we'll have that much more depth. In any case, good news continues to stream in for the Miami basketball program. If the Kansas home-and-home goes through as planned, that will be another huge step. Facing the defending national champs would be a huge honor, even if...
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Canes Sweep Yellow Jackets
2008-04-14 03:33:00
Tough weekend to be a Canes fan. Yes, Miami dominated the 10th ranked Georgia Tech team, topping them 10-5, 15-5, and 9-3. However, the victories come with a heavy heart as the series initially had to be postponed due to the premature death of GT pitcher Michael Hutts.You never want to play teams facing this sort of situation. Either they'll rally around their fallen teammate and beat you, or their heads will understandably not be in the game and the victory means little. There are more important things sometimes than W's and L's. My condolences go out to the GT family.Game 1 saw the return of freshman Chris Hernandez's excellent form, as the lefty pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 earned runs. Not quite the dominating stuff of earlier this season, but certainly an improvement from his last outing. His outstanding arm was backed up by the Canes bats that had disappeared earlier this week. Five different players managed to collect 3 hits each.Game 2 was played later that day and pr...
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Juggernaut in Trouble
2008-04-13 00:48:00
I'll preface the post by saying I really don't give a crap about this situation. I've heard of athletes doing much worse to people who deserved it. Whether or not Reagan Mauia is guilty or not is irrelevant to me. He's a 23 year old who got hot-headed at a bar and made a mistake. Whatever. Sometimes people make too much out of the actions of athletes.Should he be punished? Yes, of course. We can't have players running around beating people up for looking at them wrong. Let Reagan know this type of behavior is unacceptable and bench him for a game or two once the season starts. Losing a pair of paychecks will certainly get through to the young fullback. But cut him? Come on. If you don't think he's got the talent or skill sets you want at FB on this team, then fine, release him. But how many of us would be out of a job if our employers dumped us after one of our indiscretions on our own time?There is something to be said for keeping up the image of a quality organization in th...

Noles Land 7th 2009 Commitment
2008-04-12 00:26:00
Since February's post regarding the CJ Mizell commitment, the Seminoles have gotten verbal commitments from 3 more local recruits. Chris Thompson and Brandon Jenkins committed on consecutive days a little over a month ago and just this week FSU received a commitment from Georgia safety Gerald Demps.The former two are rated 4 stars each by Rivals, while Demps is unrated for the time being. I don't know much about them specifically, but that now makes 7 total commitments for the 2009 class, all of whom are highly regarded.What this means is that Randy Shannon and his staff have to increase their recruiting efforts to make sure there isn't a run of talent into FSU. It's extremely early to be panicking, especially considering Miami already has a great foundation set for their own 2009 class. However, kids like jumping on bandwagons and right now FSU's is looking really good.I don't know that we have any guys who are ready to commit to the Canes anytime soon. Other than TE Orson Ch...
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Patrick Johnson and Other Buzz
2007-12-19 15:12:00
The recruiting game has heated up of late. Arthur Brown is two days removed from the biggest decision of his life and in the aftermath things are looking up for the Canes. Matt Patchan is one guy that may be swayed to come to Miami, as rumors were he had a vested interest in where Mr. Brown went to college. Another might be Patrick Johnson , the most controversial recruit of the class.Patrick, a 5 star CB, seems to be a sure-fire 3 and done kind of player. He committed to the Canes early on in the recruiting process. However he has been surrounded by recent rumors of decommitment, academic failures, as well as nasty rumors of bribes and payoffs. Recently he has told people he is still committed to UM, and now major recruiting gurus are confirming this. Tom Lemming has Patrick quoted as loving the Brown commitment and will be going to UM, and Scout.com has him at 90% committed to us, only being disappointed in the poor play of the team this season.Randy Shannon needs to find a way to ...
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Huizenga to Sell 49% of Team?
2007-12-18 23:45:00
The saga continues and seemingly is drawing to a close. Wayne Huizenga is in talks to sell 49% of the franchise to real estate developer Steve Ross, who will in turn will sell a piece to Jorge Perez, who as you remember was supposedly out of the deal. What happened to Michael Dell? Well apparently Ross recently received 1.4 billion from investors, including Dell.With Wayne's asking price of 1.1 billion, it is curious to see why so much is being put together to what amounts to only a minority stake in the team, with future intentions of buying out the remaining 51% in time. Wayne wants to keep the decision making to himself for now and doesn't want completely out. However, I was under the impression his 1.1 billion dollar price tag included the full franchise and stadium, not 49%. Seems pretty steep otherwise.Regardless, this development seems like it could be the resolution to all this week's talks. Read on more detail at the Herald.
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Sean Taylor Makes Pro Bowl
2007-12-18 23:11:00
Our beloved #26/21 has become the first player to ever be posthumously selected to the NFL Pro Bowl . Sean Taylor was selected as the starter for the NFC squad, having led the NFL in interceptions at the time of his death and clearly heading towards his best season as a pro. I can't say how thankful I am for all the thousands of people who voted for him and giving him the respect he deserves. Rest in peace Sean.In addition to Taylor, 5 other former Canes were selected to the Pro Bowl . Reggie Wayne, Vince Wilfork, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Devin Hester all made their respective rosters. Kellen Winslow II will probably be able to sneak in as an alternate, and Andre Johnson only missed out because of his injury. Good to see the U representing in the NFL as the best of the best.Jason Taylor was the only Dolphin to make the Pro Bowl. Can't say I'm shocked there. Nobody else on the roster is remotely deserving of mention, except the injured Ronnie Brown who almost certainly would have been...
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Walton Done as Defensive Coordinator
2007-12-18 18:59:00
In a surprising move, Randy Shannon has fired first year defensive coordinator Tim Walton . I say surprising because Randy has been quoted not too long ago as desiring to keep stability in the coaching staff, something the Hurricanes have not had in several seasons. The coaching carousel continues though, as reports came in that the two coaches had a falling out during the offseason.Though that's entirely possible, I believe this has more to do with the fact that the defense vastly underperformed this season, the first that Randy did not have control over since 2000. Randy has been known to use a predictable defensive scheme, typically just man 2 under, relying on his playmakers to lead the defense. However, the defense was top 10 in all but one of his seasons as defensive coordinator and took a noticeably steep dive with Walton in.The problems started with Oklahoma and continued on as teams like Duke, UNC, and GT had their ways with us. Finally came the 48-0 rout at the Orange Bowl...
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Noles Suspended; Coach News
2007-12-18 16:58:00
UPDATE #2: Apparently now it is 25 players facing suspensions.(5:39PM)UPDATE: ESPN does the right thing and posts this on the front page after initially letting it sit elsewhere for most of the morning. (1:08PM)Despite my allegiance to UM, there is an undeniable Seminole fan base down here in Miami, so I feel obliged to report some updates and news for them. Particularly if it's bad news.Apparently, there is a scandal surfacing in Tallahassee involving 20 football players cheating on some online course. Suspensions have been handed out and these kids will not be able to participate in the bowl game vs Kentucky, nor will they be on the field for the first 3 games of 2008. Sadly for Miami, our game won't be included, though I must say I would take more pleasure in beating FSU with each team at their best. This latest scandal proves that every school in the country is dirty on some level, but if Miami were the one facing it, this would be front and center on ESPN.com, not stashed awa...
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