They opt for quite the unusual training method. A hill and a weighted vest.

By Josh Baumgard

176 yards and two touchdowns later, Tommy Streeter was nearly in tears. And not the happy kind you see at weddings, but rather of deep disappointment. Of regret.

Despite the greatest individual game by a Miami Hurricanes receiver since Andre Johnson, the riveting 6’5 specimen felt he let his team down. The play was a 45-yard bomb from Jacory Harris threaded into double coverage in the final seconds which bounced off of Streeter’s shoulder pads and violently fell into the Sun Life endzone.

“I had an opportunity to catch the ball, I just didn’t make the play,” Streeter said after the 28-21 loss to Virginia. “I’m supposed to make that play.”

The words were so faint, my recorder barely picked it up.

Had Street caught that ball, not only would it have put Miami in potential position to win, but it would have put him at 221 yards receiving on the game. That’s one yard more than Eddie Brown’s single game record, an accolade that has stood for 27 years and counting.

Streeter currently ranks second in the conference in yards per catch (21.6) and fourth in touchdowns (7).

What tells you all you need to know about the junior receiver isn’t the fact he caught 176 or nearly had 221, but that it meant nothing to him. He wanted the win. He didn’t care about the gaudy numbers many other players would have hung their hat on, win or lose.

His humility is extreme and that’s what will make him special. Blessed physically with a good head on a hard working body and his ceiling is stratospheric. Oh and it’s his first season of actual playing time.

On the grand scale it’s probably a good thing he didn’t make that play because he will work that much harder to ensure he is never feeling that way again. Tears of joy are more fun.

By Josh Baumgard

CORAL GABLES – While Irene steadily pounded the hurricane-oblivious states to the north, the football Canes down south assembled in Coral Gables for Media Day. Scattered across the James L. Knight Sports Complex were several dozen orange-clad student-athletes with the same giddy, big-eyed expression inked across their mugs.

These kids are itching to get out there and put a chaotic offseason to rest. Finally they will have their chance to garner some recognition for their play on the field, and not for the much-publicized allegations off it.

Out of all the players I had a chance of speaking to, none were more confident than a sophomore running back with blurs for feet and some eye-opening predictions.

“I’m going to try to break Willis McGahee’s record,” Lamar Miller insisted  Saturday afternoon. “Me and Mike James, we are trying to be the only two running backs in UM history to have two running backs go for over 1,000 yards.”

Considering the McGahee record Lamar was referring to was the 1,753 yard monster season back in 2002, it’s clear this is a kid shooting for the moon. Better yet, make that Pluto.

“I feel that we are the best offense in the nation,” Miller continued. “The minimum yards I say we’ll have a game is probably like 500.”

To recap, that’s a 1,753 yard season, two 1,000-yard rushers, and the best offense in the nation to the tune of at least 500 yards a clip all crunched in about 20 seconds from the bold tail back. In comparison to last year, Miami’s leading rusher was Damien Berry with 899 yards, while the team ran for 2,372.  The Canes placed 31st nationally in total yardage, averaging 421 yards a game. Only six teams in the nation averaged more than 500, with Oregon leading the way with 531.

Hear what else Miami’s future star had to say in the full interview below.

[audio:http://miasportsguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/milla.mp3|titles=L.Miller with JB 8-27]

Sam Shields made his victory visually permanent.

Fresh off winning a Super Bowl in his rookie season with the Green Bay Packers, former Hurricane Sam Shields has officially received his ring. On his neck.

This may be the greatest neck tattoo on an athlete since Kenyon Martin’s lip tattoo.

Since sports is currently in hibernation with only baseball in action (yawn), let’s have some fun and rank the top ten athletes from the major sports teams in South Florida.

How does one compare two players across different sports? There’s no blueprint and it wasn’t easy. I simply measured their importance to their respective teams and the type of impact each player makes in their respective sports.

July 2011

1. LeBron James (Heat) - The greatest athlete in the world. Will own the top spot for a very long time.

2. Dwyane Wade (Heat) – Still dominant, but how much of his prime does he have left?

3. Jake Long (Fins) – Will continue to be a dominant tackle for the next decade.

4. Cameron Wake (Fins) – Shook the NFL up last year with 14 sacks. This man needs a raise.

5. Sean Spence (Canes) – The leader of what should be a ferocious defense.

6. Chris Bosh (Heat) – Solid first year down south. Needs to improve: Inside presence.

7. Brandon Marshall (Fins) – Will he bounce back from a nightmare season?

8. Josh Johnson (Marlins) – Always superb…when he’s healthy.

9. Mike Stanton (Marlins) – On pace for a 30/90 (HR/RBI) in his first full season.

10. Lamar Miller (Canes) – Has the tools to be an all-time great.

Bubble: Ray-Ray Armstrong (Canes), Seantrel Henderson (Canes), Anibal Sanchez (Marlins), Gaby Sanchez (Marlins)

Mr. What Happened? Hanley Ramirez

Rising: Mike Stanton

Falling: Josh Johnson

Mike Irvin was amped up

Canes legend Michael Irvin spoke to the current crop of Miami football players at this year’s spring game.

It was an intense, and sometimes unintentionally comical speech. Skip to 1:45 for the real good stuff.

There’s also some cool highlights and post-scrimmage remarks from the likes of Al Golden, Sean Spence, and Lamar Miller.

University of Miami football some hope, again.

Al Golden has injected adrenaline into the dwindling heart of a once prestigious program. You can’t help but believe in the guy, with his good-willed nature, organized approach and above all, potent words.

I must have listened to over 15 interviews by Golden over the last two months. Each time I come away shaking my head. How can he say the right thing every time?

Roughly 300 former Canes players showed up in Miami last weekend to watch the annual spring game. Seeing that type of tradition and wide array of former and current NFL stars had to have a major impact on the young high school recruits in attendance as well as the players with that distinct U on on their helmets.

There’s finally some buzz again. But does this hopeful feeling fans have each spring actually have some substance this time around?

How quickly this program turns around will likely correlate to the quarterback play. After all, it’s the top spot, the position that has the greatest impact on a football game.

Jacory Harris (Sr.) and Stephen Morris (So.) bring different elements to the table. Both were inconsistent in the spring game last Saturday, throwing for two interceptions a piece. One will be the guy and one won’t.

Naming Morris the starter is a no-brainer.

There is no reason Harris should start unless he’s head-and-shoulders the best guy. It’s year one for the new regime and it’s going to be a process. This team isn’t winning a national title next year. Sorry to pop the ultimate fan’s fantasy bubble.

Although both quarterbacks were turnover prone last season (combining for 24 interceptions), I think Harris is too far along to break out of his bad habits, namely throwing into triple coverage and tossing soft, floating balls up for grabs. No matter what he does this spring, in the heat of the game he will likely fall back on instinct, and thus far his instincts have failed him.

Morris is young and any young player can still be molded to an extent. He has a bigger arm, quicker feet, and a moxie to his step. Going with him isn’t necessarily about this season, it’s about the next three years of this program. When Morris was on the field, the offense had life, whereas with Harris you didn’t know when the catastrophic decision was coming, you just knew it was indeed coming.

Was there any question who the better quarterback was in the bowl game against Notre Dame? The Canes’ offense showed zilch until Morris replaced Harris just 19 minutes in. Harris finished with 37 yards and 3 interceptions in just over a quarter of action while Morris completed 22 of 33 for 282 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Yes Morris threw more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (7) last season, but considering he was a true freshman who wasn’t supposed to see the field, he had his moments.

With the support of a rushing attack that could easily be among the nation’s best, the quarterback will have help.

Miami returns the electric Lamar Miller, the bruising Mike James, and the explosive Storm Johnson. You won’t see a more talented and diverse crop of running backs in the college game. All three have NFL written all over them and bring different strengths to the field.

The key for the quarterback next season will be to manage the game, take smart, calculated risks, and most importantly, take care of the football. Does that sound like Jacory to you?

Although coach Golden may have a tough time announcing the starter for next season, the choice is in fact an easy one. Jacory’s time has sadly come and gone. The guy who was once considered a Heisman candidate never capitalized on his opportunities, and there were many of them.

It’s time for the Stephen Morris era to officially prepare for liftoff.

By Jason Zabludowski

With the fruit baskets and Hurricane gear well on their way to University of Missouri AD Mike Alden’s office, the debate turns as to who will replace Frank Haith as head basketball coach at the University of Miami.

As one prominent UM trustee put it, “Frank leaving is the best thing that could have happened. The program has become stale.”

During Monday’s press conference, acting AD Tony Hernandez said money will not be an issue but the ideal candidate must have a proven track record of coaching at the Division I level. This all but rules out assistants such as Duke’s tandem of Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski or FSU’s Stan Jones. If you can recall, then-AD Paul Dee made the mistake of hiring a supposedly “rising star” in Haith seven years ago without any head man experience.

But at the same time, a “splash hire” is also not seen as a priority, so don’t go buying green and orange blazers for much-maligned Bruce Pearl to wear just yet. While it would be naive to believe that Hernandez isn’t using this coaching search as an audition for the vacant athletic director position, he also feels that the right hire doesn’t need to be a household name – even if that doesn’t jive with a largely apathetic basketball fanbase.

I for one can appreciate Hernandez’s sentiments. The right man at Miami will utilize an already strong commitment to the basketball program (we actually do have very nice facilities) and recruit high-IQ players who will then be developed correctly.

With all due respect to Coach Haith, while he succeeded in landing highly rated recruits during his seven years here, they often fizzled out during their careers (James Dews, Dwyane Collins) or worse, were total busts altogether (Dequan Jones). Furthermore, Haith did a marginal job of keeping the top talent in the state of Florida home, opting instead to raid states like North Carolina and Georgia.

Traditionally, our state has not been considered a hoops hotbed, but the 2011 NCAA Tournament suggests otherwise. Of the teams who advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, Florida had more players represented than any other state. “Selling” the program and putting butts in the seats at the Bank United Center means winning basketball games. Frank Haith was a nice guy who worked the media and fanbase as well as anyone, but ultimately, the hideous product he put on the court and lack of consistent success made college basketball an afterthought in Coral Gables.

The new head coach will have the challenge of making the program relevant again and winning over legions of people.

According to Hernandez, their was as many as twenty names on his preliminary list, so the names below are ones that I believe could or should be on that list. In the days (and hopefully not weeks) to come, I will be narrowing down that list, but for now, this is who I feel could be a good fit at UM (in no order of preference).

It should be noted that personal favorites like VCU’s Shaka Smart, Richmond’s Chris Mooney, and Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall signed new deals to stay at their respective schools and are not considered candidates at this point.

The List:

• Fran Dunphy (Temple) – At 62, Dunphy is a bit older than the ideal candidate, but his success at Penn and now at Temple speaks for itself. He’s been to the NCAA tournament 13 times in 22 seasons, winning the Ivy League 10 times and has won the Atlantic 10 – 3 years in a row. East coast recruiting ties and the ability to sell a program located within a professional sports city like Philadelphia make him an attractive candidate. You would have to wonder, however, whether a coach who has spent his entire career in one city would be receptive to making the move to South Florida.
• Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech) – A longshot most likely, there are indeed some rumblings that Greenberg would be receptive to the job he coveted seven years ago while he was still at USF. A Miami assistant in the mid-80’s, he’s done a masterful job of making the Hokies an upper-echelon ACC team. While he seems to be on the NCAA tourney bubble practically every year, he’s made the Big Dance just once in 7 years. Factor in the unwritten, “gentleman’s” agreement that frowns upon coaches taking other head coaching jobs within the conference, and I would consider Greenberg’s hiring a remote possibility at best.
• Frank Martin (Kansas State) – If you are looking for the big name catch, look no further. Miami born and bred, Martin has firmly rooted the Wildcats as a Big 12 power – and at a football school no less. In just 4 seasons, he’s taken K-State to 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight last year. A tenacious recruiter, Martin has hit the local, South Florida trail as hard as any coach in America and has also made inroads into the Washington D.C. area, considered to be one of the most talent-rich basketball regions in the country. The $64,000 question is whether President Donna Shalala will approve of someone who brings the baggage that Martin does. A fiery, almost psychotic personality, coupled with a sketchy past while coaching at Miami High in the mid-90s makes bringing him home potentially complicated. In the end, Martin would have the backing of the predominantly Cuban-American community and that ultimately has catapulted his name to top of UM’s wish list.
• Blaine Taylor (Old Dominion) – While he’s not quite as ancient (57) as Dunphy, Taylor is hardly a spring chicken. But with 7 postseason appearances in 10 years (including 4 NCAA tourney bids), and 3 conference titles, he’s made the Monarchs the model for consistency in the tough Colonial Athletic Association. Comfortable and having seen runs to the Final Four made by VCU and George Mason in recent years, you would have to think that Taylor feels that his program is capable of the same. But with the lure of the ACC and a substantial pay raise, the Miami opening could intrigue him.
• Donnie Jones (UCF) – With coaching bloodlines that includes 11 years as Billy Donovan’s lead assistant at UF, Jones knows the local basketball landscape as well as anyone. After spending three years at Marshall and winning a school-record 24 games in 2009-2010, he proceeded to win 21 games his first year in Orlando and reached the postseason. While he’s barely been at UCF for 12 months, the Hurricane job presents itself as quite the promotion and good fit to boot. Don’t discount the presence of current Golden Knight AD Keith Tribble, who is a leading candidate to take over in Coral Gables in the same capacity.
• Rob Jeter (UW-Milwaukee) – A name that is a bit of left field, Jeter has established himself as one of top up-and-coming coaches in the mid-major ranks. The Panthers reached the second round of the tournament his first year (’05-’06) in Milwaukee. While he’s only been back to the postseason once in five seasons since, Jeter’s squad won the Horizon League this past year over two-time national runner-up Butler. A Bo Ryan protégée from his days as an assistant at Wisconsin, he would come with high recommendation from one of the best basketball coaches in the land – who also happened to work with Shalala while she was president up in Madison.
• Rick Byrd (Belmont) – A mainstay at a program you may know nothing about, Byrd brought Belmont from NAIA National Champion to NCAA Tourney regular over his 24 seasons in Nashville. With 633 total victories, he’s no stranger to winning and he’s done quite a bit of it even after moving to Division I just 10 years ago. He’s been to the postseason 6 times since then, winning the conference four times and punching tickets to the Big Dance. This past year, Belmont won a school record 30 games, going 19-1 in conference play. Sure the Atlantic Sun is no ACC, but Byrd has been linked to high-level jobs in recent years and was a finalist for the Tennessee opening last month. A legend as he might be in his home state, you can bet that the itch to prove himself on a larger stage might be too much to handle if Miami comes calling this time around.
• Tommy Amaker (Harvard) – Keep an eye on this name. At age 45, Amaker achieved success at Seton Hall but underachieved at Michigan, only to resurrect his career in the Ivy League at Harvard. A star player and then an assistant at Duke for Mike Krzyzewski, he’s no stranger to the ACC and what it takes to be successful in the conference. While he’s only been to the tournament once in his career, he’s reached the postseason nine times in fourteen years as a head coach, winning the NIT with Michigan in 2004 and playing for the title again in 2007. While his resume may have underwhelmed before taking over at Harvard, what he has done with the Crimson is nothing short of remarkable. In just three seasons, Amaker has taken a program that was last in the league when he took over to new heights. He’s won 20 games two years in a row and won Harvard their first-ever conference championship this past year. In addition, he has been able to attract national recruits to a university known for having the most rigorous academic standards in the country. Enamored with the relentless pursuit of the best possible combination of academics and athletics, Shalala would see Amaker as an ideal candidate.
• Ben Jacobsen (Northern Iowa) – Last year’s version of Shaka Smart, a “down year” by UNI standards makes Jacobsen a tad more attainable right now. Indeed, the Panthers sent shockwaves through the college basketball world in 2010 when they upset #1 seeded Kansas and reached the Sweet Sixteen. In just five seasons, Jacobsen has reached the NCAA’s twice, winning 30 games during that magical ’09-10 campaign. As with candidates such as Byrd and Jeter, Jacobsen doesn’t have east coast ties which could potential be troublesome, at least at the outset, on the recruiting trail. In addition, UNI extended his contract after last year’s run through through 2020, but with a relatively modest annual base salary of $450,000, Miami would easily be able to outbid for his services.
• Billy Kennedy (Murray State) – A former Miami assistant in ’05-06 under Haith, Kennedy has led the Racers to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference titles. In 2010, Murray State won a school record 31 games and upset Vanderbilt to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Before his arrival in southern Kentucky, Kennedy won two Southland Conference titles at Southeastern Louisiana. He would more than likely jump at the chance to come back to Coral Gables to take the Miami gig, but the step up from the OVC to the ACC is substantial in terms of competition. Also, while he’s only 47 years of age, Kennedy is at his 11^th coaching stop, making him a risky candidate to bolt for a better job should the situation arise.
• Anthony Grant (Alabama) – The guy Miami waited too long for. After spending 10 years as Billy Donovan’s assistant and recruiting whiz at UF, Grant took over at Virginia Commonwealth and won 76 games in three seasons. He took the Rams to two NCAA tournaments in three years winning the conference all three of those seasons. A former star player at Miami High in the 1980s, Grant was linked to the UM position in 2009 before ultimately taking the Alabama job. There, he’s led the Crimson Tide to a major turnaround in the SEC, winning 25 games (12 in-conference) this past year, yet somehow was left out of the tourney when Selection Sunday rolled around. Perhaps the best recruiter of the State of Florida anywhere in the country, Grant makes more money at Alabama than Miami could probably offer, but will still likely be pursued by Interim-AD Tony Hernandez. Whether he listens to overtures is another story.
• Mike Jarvis (Florida Atlantic) – I definitely would not call him “washed-up”, but at 65, Jarvis has been around the block a few times. After tremendous success during stops at Boston University and George Washington, he took over a St. John’s Red Storm program in 1998 that was considered one of the premier jobs in America at the time. Despite three NCAA Tournament appearances in six years (including one Elite Eight), Jarvis was fired for paying a player and the Red Storm placed themselves on probation and were forced to vacate wins. After a five year stint at ESPN, he took over in Boca Raton in 2008, and in three seasons, has taken the Owls from a 6-win team to a 21-win team that also won the Sun Belt this past year. It appears that Jarvis’ issues are behind him, and he would definitely bring Northeast recruiting prowess and marketability to the Miami program, but given his age, I probably wouldn’t take a flier on him.
• Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s) – Bennett has quietly built one of the best programs west of the Mississippi. A candidate for head jobs at Cal, Oregon, Oregon State and Utah in the past, he’s chosen instead to stay in the WCC. The Gaels have been to the tournament three times under Bennett’s watch and have won 25 games or more the past four seasons. His recruiting ties extend all the way to Australia and he’s consistently brought some of their best young talent to Moraga in recent years, including current NBA player Patrick Mills. The consummate definition of a West Coast guy, the odds of Bennett leaving a cushy job in NoCal are slim, but Miami would be wise to at least put a feeler out.
• Jeff Capel (Formerly Oklahoma) – While I would encourage UM to stay clear of retread coaching candidates, Capel, at just 36 years old, should be the exception to the rule. Like Tommy Amaker, Capel played at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski and set the likes of Anthony Grant and Shaka Smart up for success at VCU. After winning an average of 20 games in four seasons in Richmond, he took over for Kelvin Sampson at Oklahoma in 2006. The Sooners reached the tourney twice his first three years, winning 30 games and making the Elite Eight in 2009. Capel proved to be a fierce recruiter while in Norman, landing multiple McDonalds’s All-Americans including Blake Griffin. Unfortunately, OU suffered two straight losing seasons and one player was accused of receiving improper benefits from a wealth management advisor. Capel was subsequently fired last month. Despite his departure from Oklahoma, he has more than proven himself to be a promising young head coach with tremendous recruiting ability. The ‘Canes job could present a nice redemption opportunity.

Jason Zabludowski is a contributor MIA Sports Guy

• New tight-end transfer Blake Ayles ready to make some noise (Herald)
• UM basketball can salvage their season in the ACC Tournament (Herald)

• Pat White may have to start looking for job outside the sports world (ESPN)
• Miami has booked a private workout with draft prospect Cam Newton (ESPN)

• The Heat are where the Lakers were a few weeks back (LAT)
• They are also avoiding television (Sentinel)
• Spoelstra dismisses Bosh’s comments (ESPN)

• Marlins grooming Matt Dominguez at third base (USA)

• Cam Newton had a less-than-stellar workout today (PFT)

The city that never sleeps.

• AD Kirby Hocutt leaves Miami for Texas Tech. Huh? Don’t let the door hit you man. (Herald)
• Canes women’s basketball is rolling and faces FSU tonight (Herald)

• The front office is testing fans’ patience with the Dolphins (Herald)
• Drafting a QB could be complicated (Sentinel)

• Previewing Wizards-Heat tonight (MIA)
• Chris Bosh gets hit with the phantom elbow? (NBA)
• Udonis Haslem nearing return? (MIA)

• Mike Stanton is quite the physical specimen (Post)

• Dwight Howard to the Celtics in 2012. I think i just crapped myself (ESPN)
• Jerry Jones takes dual responsibility for Super Bowl fiasco (PFT)