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"The Return" Exposes Miami Hate as Other Blown Calls Ignored

By Larry "The Amigo ®" Milian
Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

It has become obvious that the Miami Hurricanes are just not liked.

In the past, I never bought into this. I always felt this was a myth, wildly exaggerated by select Canes fans. The persecution theory would explain so much. It would make it easy to understand why the Hurricanes were hated.

Heck, I enjoy rooting for the villain. I love the fact that the Canes are EVERYONE'S SUPER BOWL, yet most deem them irrelevant.

I am, however, beginning to take umbrage to some of the hate and find it uncomfortable how comfortable others are in hating the Miami Hurricanes.

This includes their own conference.

The ACC has suspended the officiating crew from last night's Miami/Duke football game for infractions on the final play of the game as specified by the conference in a press release today.

I find this troubling.

I am finally on board with the notion that the Miami Hurricanes are hated by most.

By Paul Finebaum.

By Robert Smith.

By Rob Lowe. The cable one. He's cheesy.

By the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The NCAA.

(insert your own example here, you have plenty to choose from).


ENOUGH!

Anyone watching last night's game knows the officiating crew was awful.

Brutal.

They flagged they Canes 23 times compared to "squeaky clean" Duke who was penalized just five times.

So in a "bold move", the ACC suspends them for what occurred on the final play? So, Commissioner John Swofford didn't watch the final Duke drive. Of course he didn't.

Because had Swofford actually watched, he would have cited the wrongdoings by his crew on that drive which resulted in three terrible pass interference calls and a phantom touchdown that, unlike the final play which was the longest reviewed play in college football history (hyperbole alert - fits the moment), was NOT looked at by the booth.

Duke "allegedly" scored a touchdown on a QB keeper by Thomas Sirk in which he clearly never crossed the plane of the goal line.



Clearly.

Now, if you want to dispute my claim of this play being obvious and clear, then isn't that what instant replay is there to clear up? Instant replay is there for plays like that touchdown!

What am I missing here?

I mean, they were quick to use it to help determine the result on the final play. They took ten minutes to decide on the field that it was a touchdown.

Then, the ACC and all their brass sat around this morning reviewing all sorts of film and angles on the last play in order to conclude that the officiating crew got it wrong and they would be suspended for two games.

My question is, at any point last night or this morning did ANYONE feel the need to review the quarterback keeper?

Anyone?

Bueller? Bueller?

After all, if that Duke play was not a touchdown, the game would have ended and the Canes would have won. End of discussion. Isn't that right, Commissioner John Swofford?

I'd also like to ask the same question of @roblowe, Ohio State alum @ESPNRobertSmith and @realmikewilbon.

There are no eight laterals.

There are no questions about a knee down or an illegal block.

If after all the errors made by the officials on Duke's final drive with the clock and questionable calls, you simply decide to review the touchdown, what would have been the end result?

Miami wins. That's what.

What is blatant to me is, when Swofford is given the opportunity to look everything over and do this correctly, he only concentrates on the final play.

By the way,  there's also this:

But the good ole boy network at work in your Atlantic Coast Conference couldn't care less.

If I were Blake James, Miami's Athletic Director, I would make a clear statement to Swofford and the conference to ensure that the ACC's review of last night's officiating crew include Duke' go-ahead touchdown (and a few other mistakes outside the last play).

It's that simple. James needs to put the onus on the ACC.

James also needs to accept the same fact many Canes fans have known for years and I finally realized last night.

People do not like the Miami Hurricanes.

That's fine. It's a Canes thing anyway.

I wouldn't expect anyone to understand anyway.