State of Miami 3/12/2008

I apologize if there hasn't been a whole lot of noteworthy posts on here of late. I've struggled to find something worth writing about that is really of any serious interest to anyone. The Canes basketball team has been on a break since losing to FSU, and awaits it's first round ACC tourney matchup with NC State. The baseball team has been rolling so far, but we haven't gotten to the heart of conference play yet. The football team has begun spring practices, but what we are allowed to see and hear is limited for now.

The good news is that all 3 of our major programs at UM are doing well, or at least seem to be on the rise. The same can be said for the most important team in Miami, the beloved Dolphins. Since free agency has started, Bill Parcells and Co. have added a slew of new players to the roster. Some look to fill gaps in our starting lineup, while some serve the purpose of improving a special teams unit that disappointed last season. There aren't any marquee guys left to sign, but there are definitely still players available that might interest all of you (another post on this in a minute).

Heat coverage has been pretty redundant as well. Aside from the controversial decisions by Pat Riley to 1) leave the coaching duties to Ron Rothstein in order to scout potential draft picks, and 2) shut down Dwyane Wade for the season, everything else has remained constant. The Heat continue to lose every game, with or without Wade. Some are blowouts, while some (like the recent Clippers game) are nail-biters that end up being heartbreakers. Slowly, but surely, the team is heading towards the worst record in the NBA.

Things don't look too good for the Marlins either. Despite having finally agreed on a deal to build their new stadium at the OB site, the team itself has been cursed with some bad luck. The pitching staff has been decimated by injuries, and the starting lineup continues to get hit with minor, yet nagging setbacks to its role players. The good news is that even with a fully healthy roster, the Marlins are still incapable of winning more than 70-75 games. So it isn't a big deal really.

I'll finish with some good news, rather than leave you depressed with the state of the Marlins. Guys, we might actually have a playoff team to root for. The Panthers, who had been left for dead two weeks ago after several 3rd period choke-jobs, have recently won 4 straight games and are now 7 points out of the playoffs. The problem is that Florida only had 11 games remaining to make up those 7 points. Essentially, they have to win 9 of their final 11 games to have any reasonable chance of sneaking in to the playoffs either as the 8th seed or as the Southeast Division leader and the 3rd seed.

Much like the last time I wrote a State of Miami, we have reason to believe that the pain and frustration of being a South Florida sports fan will be over sometime soon. All that we need is patience and a little bit of luck, especially come draft time for the Dolphins and Heat.