I've Got Something New For You

Let me take a second to further explain what I hope to accomplish with this blog.  Cane football has always had a significant following of fans who are not only interested in the Canes' on-field performance, but who are deep into the recruiting game as well.  They can tell you about the best eighth graders going to Miami Northwestern or Booker T. in the fall, and they'll tell you which kids from up in northern Florida are thinking of transferring to Gulliver Prep.  We're talking 14-year-old kids here, remember.    

Regardless of how weird that might seem, these guys know their stuff, and we look to them at times like Signing Day for any kind of inside information as to who might be heading where.  In an age where knowledge is power, and at a time when knowledge is accessible at the click of a single button, these guys prove to be demi-gods of sorts.    All recruiting knowledge is secondary in their loyalty to the Orange and Green on Saturdays.  Internet degenerates?  Eh.  Maybe.  What does that say about me that I like to read their thoughts at least once a day?  Knowledge is power, right?  

Don't get me wrong - there are forums where Cane basketball is discussed thoroughly, and those who know their stuff...well, they certainly know their stuff.  They were here when Cane basketball sucked, when the school dropped the basketball program completely, then when it rose back to prominence but had a few bad seasons, and are still here, with the team now back in contention.

As a program improves, so too (typically) does fan turnout.  Many of those posters were impressed with student attendance at games last season, and not just contests where the opponent was either Duke or UNC (which still remain the biggest headline acts).  More and more Miami students found themselves heading to the BankUnited to watch their Canes play amidst a disappointing football season.  

On second thought, maybe "disappointing" is a little light, given the circumstances.  "The Last Slaughter" at the Orange Bowl had seniors crying and freshmen wondering what they were going to do for the next three years.  This is Miami football?  Why the hell am I getting on a train and then a bus just to get written up in the parking lot for underage drinking if my team is going to lose?  It made no sense.

Fans took notice when the Canes advanced to the second round of the tournament last year.  Fans now know who James Dews is, that Jimmy Graham is the animal walking around campus, and that Dwayne Collins isn't some oversized linebacker or tight end for the football team.  The guys are recognizable now, and so is the team's talent.  As such, fan turnout will be a very interesting trend to follow for '08-'09.

Now's the time when something is needed to satisfy the knowledge hunger of the growing hoophead fanbase around campus and beyond.  

Will the "Miami Bandwagon" title prove true if the Canes lose a few games early?  Will people jump ship?  Let's see.  

Do the fans deserve the benefit of the doubt?  No, probably not.  These are the same New York prep girls, dressed up like they're going to South Beach and whining about the weather at Dolphin Stadium.  These are the frat dudes who head to football games just to pre-game and blackout before they ever get to see a Sean Spence tackle (or Marve interception).  

So where does that leave the state of Cane Hoops Nation?  In a good place.  Trust me.  A real good place.  This is going to be a fun ride.

I hope, to the best of my abilities, I can help preserve this positive state and further contribute to it.  T.H.T.J.B. will be a place to turn to for any type of news on the Hurricanes - whether it be interviews with coaching staff or players, game summaries, pictures, anything at all.  As John Legend once put so beautifully, "Once you take a hit of this, you won't ever wanna quit/You'll be so addicted." 

Oh yeah, and according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com, Lance Hurdle's out for Saturday.  Just doing my job, right?