Well, Decent Guys that Play in the Same State as the REAL 'Thug U'.
Miami can no longer be called Convicts, even in a I-miss-the-rivalry kind of way. Randy Shannon didn't win a ton of games, but he ran a pretty clean program and seemed to bring in some decent guys.
So while I agree with most that the Sun is a good destination for ND, and I'm excited to see us suit up against Da U, the rivalry just isn't what it once was.
Forget that both teams are 'meh' in terms of Wins and Losses. Forget that there are no national titles on the line. What made the rivalry of the past exciting was the difference between the schools. Flash and Swagger vs Hard Working Blue Collar. East Coast vs Midwest. Barely Qualified vs Scholars. South Beach vs South Bend. Catholics vs Convicts.
It was great theater, and an awesome story back in the day. And while it's less intriguing along those lines today, I'm glad for it. It means that Miami has made significant strides, and for that Coach Shannon deserves some credit. He didn't embrace the Thug Culture that Urban Meyer lives by/survives on. He took the right path and tried to run a good, clean program. The wins didn't really come for the man, but you have to respect that approach. While Urban Meyer racked up ~30 arrests and 2 MNCs, Miami quietly played some okay football and let Florida have all the national Thug headlines.
It's a shame that Shannon won't get to coach against ND, but the game should be exciting nonetheless. New Year's Eve, a national audience, some good weather, and a classic matchup of Blue and Gold Pride vs Miami Heat. Let's do it.
By Steve in Iowa December 6, 2010 - 12:37 pm
I would have spared no expense to see the Irish face off against the Hawkeyes (7-5) in what would have been my dream match-up, but alas the conference tie-ins made that incredibly unlikely and ultimately impossible.
Going against the U should be a very good game. Not the same as in the 1980s, like you mentioned, but a good test for our squad and some good prep for the resumption of the series in 2012.
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By tjak December 6, 2010 - 3:01 pm
I remember the 1988, 31-30 game as if it was yesterday. I hated them then and I will have no problem hating them now. Beating Miami even in these lean times will be just as sweet.
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By Tim December 7, 2010 - 10:27 am
(I’ve edited this because the act is old.) -dmq
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By tjak December 7, 2010 - 11:52 am
Yes Tim, you have the Irish pegged. This is a dirty program rife with scandal. Even though Notre Dame is a Catholic school headed by Catholic priests you can hardly call it a Catholic school. A bunch of religious phonies. Some of the problems you have mentioned have never happened at Miami or anywhere else. Meyer’s 30 odd kids have been framed I tell you. If Notre Dame needs to “get off its holier then thou act”, you need to get your head out of the sand.
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By Ryan December 7, 2010 - 12:48 pm
I’ve been refering to this game as “Catholics VS Rehabilitated Convicts.” The Miami program seems to be a much cleaner ship than the last time we played them. Hats off to Coach Shannon and his staff for that. I can’t wait for this game.
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By Jarett December 7, 2010 - 4:15 pm
+1. These are not the same two programs as they were, but it looks to be a solid matchup anyway. Looking forward to the HLS breakdown of how it should shake out.
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By Erik '04 December 7, 2010 - 4:32 pm
Catholics vs. EX-cons?
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By daybreakboys December 7, 2010 - 4:47 pm
You win. +1
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By Jack Fromm December 7, 2010 - 4:35 pm
TJAK ..Are you saying Notre Dame is a dirty program? Or am I reading you wrong.
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By daybreakboys December 7, 2010 - 4:48 pm
Me thinks Tjak’s comments were drenched in sarcasm.
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By tjak December 8, 2010 - 1:17 am
Jack, read me wrong dude, it was sarcasm. Out of respect to HLS I did not say where I would really like timmy to pull his head from. I think my last sentence was a clue.
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