GOOOOO 'CANES!!!!! For Scott

It was just weeks after Hurricane Andrew had devastated South Florida. Life had just begun to get back to normal for most Miamians. I had spent a little over a month with the reconstruction of my parent's home and other post-hurricane work. It was the first Saturday that I had nothing to do, no work, no chores, no fixing roofs, no inspections...nada. I was looking forward to one thing and one thing only that saturday afternoon: the granddaddy of Florida college football games. The Florida State Seminoles against the University of Miami Hurricanes.

It was, and still is, the rivalry of rivalries in Florida sports and there I was at my little apartment in the Gables with a refrigerator full of beer and the TV on to the pregame shows. I usually go to that game every year but in 1992 I was too busy with all the post hurricane work. I popped open a beer and sat down in front of the television waiting for the game of games to begin in two hours.

The phone rang and I figured it was one of my buddies that needed beer and a TV to watch the game, calling to ask if he could come over.

"Hurricane Football Headquarters," I answered.

"Hi Val. What are you doing for the game?" It was my high school friend Nancy's voice on the line.

"Beer and TV," I said.

"I have an extra ticket, wanna go?"

I was dressed and ready to rock in two minutes. If you have ever been to college football games you know how rowdy and emotional they can be. But this game, this Seminole/Hurricane game, is by far the most hyped, anticipated, rowdy, emotional and downright crazy game you could ever go to in the state of Florida. I donned my Hurricanes shirt and hat, downed a few beers and waited for my ride.

Now, my friend Nancy didnt know squat about football until her brother started college at Florida State. She had gone to a game the year before and had instantly become a football and Seminole fanatic. I knew we were going to be ribbing each other the rest of the day, but it was OK. I was going to the FSU-Miami game and that's all that mattered.

We got to the Orange Bowl with enough time to do a little tailgating. We hung out with some Miami fans despite the fact that Nancy and her brother were both donning the enemies uniforms. We drank, we ate, threw the pigskin around. It was a beautiful football Saturday afternoon.

A few minutes before game time, Ray, Nancy's brother, hands me my ticket and smiles. I take the ticket from his hand, thank him, and look to see where it is that I'm going to be sitting.

Endzone seats, first row. Not the best seats but not bad seats either. But then this little disturbing thought pops into head. No. Please tell me it's not in.... I look at the ticket once again and my fears were confirmed. Here I was in full Miami Hurricane dress and regalia and I would be sitting in the Seminole student section.

We made it to our seats and from that moment on I was the object of scorn and ridicule. I was the only Hurricane fan seated at that section. Orange in a sea of burgundy. I got booed. I got yelled at. I became the target of football rivalry hazing. I was heckled and heckled and heckled.

I fought back, of course. I mean, regardless of the fact that I was in the Seminole section, this was still Miami, and there were a good 50,000 or 60,000 Hurricane fans there to back me up. I remember I kept pointing to the goalposts and shouting WIDE RIGHT!!! WIDE RIGHT!!! in reference to the previous year's field goal miss by the Seminoles. In 1991 the Seminoles had missed a field in the last few seconds of the game to give the Hurricanes a victory by the score of 17 to 16. I surely wasnt going to let these rowdy Seminole fans forget about that.

Then both teams came out onto the field and the stadium held their breath for the kickoff. There on the field was my favorite college football team, lined up at the 20, ready to kickoff from our end of the stadium. Kickoffs at the Orange Bowl start with a low hum from the crowd and then the noise and the stomping on the metal floors increases as the kicker approaches the ball and turns into a roar once the ball is kicked.

It was a beauty of a kick too. The Seminole kick returner caught the ball inside his own 5 yard line. The Hurricane crowd went absolutely wild. The stadium shook it was so loud. But there was a problem. The roar from the kickoff didnt die down. It kept going and going and going. There was still alot of movement on the other end of the field. Something was wrong.

The Seminoles ran the ball back 94 yards for a touchdown. Had I been in any other section of the stadium, I would have heard a pin drop. But, alas, I was not. I was getting hammered by screams and hooting and yelling. Cups were flying at me, peanuts, ice, anything anyone up in my section of the stands could find to hurl at me. It was going to be a long game.

The next four quarters of football was one of the best I have ever seen. It was one of those football games that was a grueling back and forth. It was true footyball. And while the Hurricanes prevented the Seminoles from getting into the endzone the rest of the game, the Seminole's defense squashed the almighty Hurricane's offense. We ran the gammut of emotions. It almost came to blows a few times between me and some of the Seminoles fans throughout the course of that game. Beer and football induced courage.

In the fourth quater, with minutes to go, Miami scored a touchdown to bring the score to 17-16 Miami. Reminiscent of the previous year's contest. The Canes kicked off and drove the Seminoles deep in their own territory. Then an illegal forward pass in the endzone gave the Canes a 19-16 lead with 2 minutes left to play.

The Seminoles then drove the ball down field into Hurricane territory determined to score. But, the Miami defense hadnt allowed atouchdown all day and with seconds left in the game, the Seminoles decided on a field goal attempt for the tie. The Seminoles would be kicking right at me. Both teams lined up. The Orange Bowl was loud. Really loud. I have never been at a game with so much noise and tension. The suspense was palpable as I felt the stadium rumble under my feet.

The Seminoles hiked the ball, the holder held it and then the kick went up. The ball was coming right at me. It seemed like that ball floated up there forever. Everyone around me followed its arc. The din of the stadium grew quiet.

Going...going... and then...the kick missed by inches. WIDE RIGHT!!!!! WIDE RIGHT!!! WIDE RIGHT!!! The Orange Bowl exploded as the Seminole fans around me just completely deflated. I turned around to face them, raised my arms in victory, and did a happy dance at their expense.

Man, what a game. I dont think I'll ever witness one like that again..

This year's 'Canes-'Noles game is Monday September 6th, live from the Orange Bowl. I can't wait.

Scott, my happy dance is coming, but don't worry, there's always next year. Or the year after that. Or the one after. Or after that. Or...Maybe some day.

GOOOOOOO CANES!!!!!!!!

Posted by Val Prieto at August 31, 2004 11:36 AM

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Posted by: WB at August 31, 2004 03:24 PM

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Posted by: j.scott barnard at September 1, 2004 07:18 AM