It really was all about the U..

[Editor's Note: I wrote some of this right after I saw the documentary the night it aired...but then I went looking for a couple of things to add to it and the blog got lost in the shuffle and the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season.  I'm sure it'll be on the ESPN's again...it's too good not to be on..]

I'm not going to try to sit here and pretend I remember a lot about the University of Miami from back in the day but I still found The U to be compelling television.  Extremely well done.  I've seen bits and piece of a lot of the other 30 for 30 documentaries and they've all been good, but I found The U to be exceptional.  These guys just didn't give a shit, and that totally revolutionized college football and their talent trickled up to the pro game in the same way.  I was much to young to remember the Jimmie Johnson days at Miami but I was certainly old enough to know all about the bad boy Dallas Cowboys, chock full of U alums.  I was a Florida State fan in this era.  Always have been, always will be.  I've still got my Warrick Dunn jersey.  I bought it new when he was a junior, now I'd certainly call it a throwback.  That's how I do.  But, this was back when players could be themselves and show off a good play, not necessarily because they wanted to draw attention to themselves but because they were proud of what they were doing.  They were proud of their school.  And they were proud of being the baddest bunch of dudes on the block.  And they were the trend setters in this regard.  If you can't respect that then you have a big dump in your pants. 

I don't know when this is on again but if you have a chance watch it.  It talks a lot about how recruiting south Florida makes you a successful college team and also shows how their success brought together the community of greater Miami when they were going through some serious shit.  I never knew about any of this because I was still pee-pee-ing in my pants for much of their hey-day discussed here.  Ya, I had an accident or two in'87, I'm sure.  Happens to the best of us...

Still, on this subject Bobby Bowden was the man and easily my favorite college coach of all time.  Unfortunate he had to get forced out  after such a low season but he certainly looked out of his element more than once this season.  He still MADE Florida State the dynasty it was from the late 80's through the early 2000's.  Just unheard of success for 15 years.  This guy was the man.  Back in his heyday papa Skip was kind enough to use his connections to get me a personalized Bobby Bowden 8x10.  Which, of course, I have no idea of its location.  Some folder on some shelf, I'm sure.  O well.  I gots Lou Holtz' too, but I probably wouldn't had been so excited for that one if I had ever heard him in an interview...How the hell could he recruit with that lisp?  Just because with that lisp he was able to win a national title he should go down as the best coach in the history of sport.

[Editor's Note: I was looking for those pictures...sue me.  To continue..]

I do remember much of Larry Coker's era, and that 2001 Championship.  Sixteen (16!) future FIRST round picks were on that 2001 team.  Look it up.  1-A college have 85 scholarships to give out at any one time.  Sixteen of those players on scholarship that year were drafted in the first round.  Twenty percent.  That's just gross.  Stupid.  Best team ever.  Bar none.  Period.  End of story. 

That was all sort of fluff, I guess, and I'd like to get back to the documentary.  What struck me most was how fresh their moves seemed.  It wasn't scripted for the most part, it was just original.  And when people came into the Orange Bowl they shit their britches.  I happened to read Bill Simmons' basketball book right after I saw this documentary

sidenote: If you've read a lot of Simmons' blog already then I wouldn't say the book adds much...except for descriptions of decent 70's players that I thumbed over.  Some of his NBA and ABA history was OK...but go to a library, don't support his candy ass.  He frames it around him "learning" the secret of basketball from Isiah Thomas...which is a load of shit that any 5th grader already knows (well any 5th grader who was born around my time or before...I can't speak for the knee-high me-me-me miscreants that are roaming around these days..).  So, Bill, William, I give you a -C.  You could have been a contender.

 But anyways to continue Bill mentioned a story in the book that he loves to recount because it involves Michael Jordan in Vegas on All-Star weekend because this makes Bill seem cool for ESPN comping him a trip to Vegas(this is more sour grapes than anything...but I promise, ESPN, if you comp me a trip to Vegas I wouldn't STILL BE TALKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME TODAY.  Bill Simmons is a cock knocker in my eyes.  That's just the way it is.  Damn, I keep getting of track.  But this involves Charles Oakley being around Jordan, so Bill is reminded that at one time he asks a pretty high quality NBA'er why everyone was scared of Oak and the player said something along the lines of "There are a lot of bad dudes in the NBA.  But Oak just doesn't give a fuck."  Ladies and gentlemen, that was the 80's and 90's Miami Hurricanes football.  A lot of guys at that time talked tough.  A lot of programs at that time talked tough.  But Miami?  they just didn't give a fuck.  It cost them a couple of titles but that's who they were.  And I'll take not giving a fuck, missing out on a couple but winning a few over giving a fuck and not winning any.  Hope you followed me there. 

If you're not able to see The U on TV then just watch this 3 minute clip and you'll see what it was all about:

Cheers (And if you don't go around for the rest of the day repeating, "It's all about the U!  It's all about the U!" after watching these then, like usual, you have a big dump in your pants.).