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.

State of Miami: February 16th, 2008

My, how things have changed. In the month since I wrote my first State of Miami entry, our beloved teams have undergone huge transition phases. Last month, South Florida sports fans were the quintessential laughingstock of the sports world. Today there is renewed hope.

In January, the Heat were in the midst of a devastating tailspin. Until a January 26th victory versus Indiana, the Heat had lost 15 straight games. That stands as the lone victory of the 2008 calendar year, as Miami has gone on to lose 9 more in a row. One might think all this losing would have the franchise in panic mode.

But fear not, Heat fans. Pat Riley once again has saved the day. In a move that might prove to be as much of a steal as the trade that brought Shaq to Biscayne Boulevard, Riley shipped the Big Diesel to Phoenix for All-Star forward Shawn Marion. Now the Heat have a plethora of options with which to work with.

They can keep Marion and use the lottery pick to help build a "Big 3" of our own in Miami to rival that of the Boston Celtics. Or perhaps Shawn Marion will prove to be a rental and Miami can bring in a marquee free agent. Who knows? Ironically, for a team that sits on the bottom of the standings, things are beginning to look up (though I suppose there is nowhere to go but up after hitting rock bottom).

Likewise, our last-place Dolphins have begun their slow crawl towards relevance. It's been a month to the day since we hired Tony Sparano as our new head coach. The latest regime has begun the cleansing process that Nick Saban and Cam Cameron should have had the guts to do long ago. As of this moment, the Dolphins have $35 million in cap space, the #1 overall pick, and 4 of the first 64 picks in the NFL Draft with which to build a new future.

Of course, progress can't be made without some sort of compromise. This week marked the sad end to Zach Thomas' career as a Miami Dolphin. Though it is a bitter end for many fans, he will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greats to wear the aqua and teal. Hopefully Zach can continue playing at a high level while staying healthy for himself and his family.

Another team of ours poised to rise from the ashes is the proud Miami Hurricanes football program. Left for dead by rival fans and national media pundits, Randy Shannon nailed the #1 recruiting class no more than a week after Sporting News ran a piece on how his class was falling apart. Some real foresight there, guys.

Perhaps it's foolish to proclaim this incoming group of young men as the saviors of the program. We had similarly high ranking classes in the early 2000s that ended up initiating this steep decline on the field. However, there is something to be said about a group of 33 young men who have committed themselves to a team that fielded a 5-7 record and has had high profile deaths of both current and former players within the last 2 years.

These aren't the kids riding the wave of success and 1st round NFL draft picks. That's why Miami began to fall apart. People saw this place as a stepping stone towards the NFL rather than a breeding ground for competition. Kids would come here and go through the motions as they eagerly awaited what they felt would be NFL paydays. Someone forgot to tell them that the U on their helmets alone wasn't going to get them drafted.

The 2008 class is instead a group of young men who want nothing more than to rebuild this program and win a National Title. That's the kind of hunger we need in Coral Gables. Combine that with a stunning level of talent that some of these guys possess, and you've got the right formula for success.

Of course, not all is well in South Florida. It would be too much to ask to see a complete turnaround in just over a month. The Florida Panthers have made a recent surge, but continue to hover around mediocrity. However, the disappointment in the standings quickly became unimportant this week as forward Richard Zednik suffered a terrifying injury that could have potentially ended his life on the ice. Thankfully, he has recovered and the Panthers can rest assured that their teammate will be ok.

Hopefully they can make some sort of push into the postseason. There are only 20 or so games remaining, and the Panthers are only a game out of the division lead. A late surge would mean the first playoff hockey we've seen in South Florida in nearly a decade. With the way everything else has gone of late, Miami might yet find a team to rally around.

Finally, the Florida Marlins. They continue to depress us with their mere existence. Having traded it's only two remaining players from the 2003 World Series, the Marlins have officially become a AAA team. It's only a matter of time before they trade away Hanley Ramirez as well, probably to the Red Sox franchise where he was acquired from. Spring training is coming right around the corner, but I have to admit I couldn't be less excited. I'd challenge even the most loyal of Marlins fans to recognize half of this roster. What a shame it all has become, really.

What's worse is that as I write this, the Marlins have finalized a deal with all parties involved for a $515 million ballpark at the Orange Bowl site. What a sad day it will be when they tear down the Orange Bowl and begun construction on a new park that the Marlins will only be about 1/3rd responsible for financially.

Luckily, the general trend of Miami sports is a far more positive one than that of the Marlins specifically. I have to say I'm excited for the future of our other franchises. It won't be long before we can take the paper bags off our heads and beam with pride about our sports teams.

State of Miami: January 14th, 2008

If this were a State of the Union address, nobody would be standing up and clapping at the conclusion. The sad reality is that it has been a tumultuous 18 months for sports in South Florida.

Since the Heat won the title in June of 2006, seemingly nothing has gone right for any franchises or schools down here. None of our teams have made the playoffs, excluding an embarrassing sweep of the Heat by the Chicago Bulls. Most of our teams are hovering around last place not just in their respective divisions or conferences, but their entire leagues.

The Dolphins have yet to recover from the failed drafts of the Dave Wannstedt Era, and the damage done by Nick Saban and Cam Cameron have left this roster a smoldering train-wreck. The lack of talent on this team is reflected in it's 1-15 record---worst in the NFL.

However, a ray of hope has shone through with the addition of Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland. Every day is one day closer to the NFL Draft and the beginning of the turnaround this team and this city desperately needs.

Things don't look so good (it's tough to comprehend the fact the Dolphins might have the brightest future) for our other professional franchises. The Heat are in a massive tailspin that even a Hall of Fame coach and two future Hall of Fame players can't seem to turn around. This team has lost 10 straight and are probably working on who their representative will be at the NBA Draft Lottery.

The Marlins are probably one of the saddest stories in sports. They have an excellent front office that continues to milk top prospects out of the deals they have been forced to make by the cash-strapped ownership. Every year until a stadium is built, they will field a last place, glorified AAA team. Even then, I don't trust them to spend money to field a competitive ballclub.

Once the young kids grow up and become productive, they'll be traded for newer prospects. It's tough to root for a team that has such a high turnover rate. Not one Marlin remains from that magical 2003 season. Funny how sometimes it feels like the ticker-tape parade happened just yesterday, but sometimes it feels like so long ago. We can only hope now that Loria either sticks to his word, or sells high after the stadium is built and the franchise's value goes up.

The Panthers actually are only 4 points out of the playoffs and a 3 seed at that. Thanks to a weak division, all they need is to hover around 500 and make a push in the final 2 weeks or so. However, they too haven't been the most generous team when spending money on players. The club might finally make the playoffs after long absence, but they don't have enough talent to make an impact.

The only thing anyone really has to look forward to is probably the one team that doesn't enjoy a majority following in South Florida: the Miami Hurricanes. Thanks to a bevy of transplants in the area, there are many UF, FSU and other fans down here who don't support the Canes. And those who do "root" for Miami rarely end up going to either football, basketball, or baseball games.

The basketball team is an upstart bunch that has the potential to make some noise in the postseason. This is the best team we've had in nearly a decade, so I would try to support them as much as possible. The baseball team has enormous potential as well, and should again be vying for a spot in the College World Series.

But of course, the football team is the moneymaker. After 3 consecutive years that ended in disappointment, things can only go up for the U. The incoming recruiting class is a consensus top 5 ranked class. ESPN has us 1st nationally, and there is room for even more talent.

Obviously, one has to be careful on relying on recruiting class rankings to project our future, case in point being the 2004 class I wrote about last week. However, this class has the makings of something special. Next year will be rough as well, but the rewards will come in 2009 and 2010 when these kids are ready to take the team back to the top.