For me, deciding to become a Hurricane was a no-brainer. My uncle and two of my three older sisters all graduated from the University of Miami, which exposed me to The U from my early childhood. I visited UM many times with my sisters, and even sat in on a class when I was nine years old! Back then, the Canes were rarely on TV for any sport. One of the first football games I was exposed to was the Jim Kelly upset over Penn State. The game was on the radio in the Northeast, and I remember to this day listening to it and cheering when we had won. Then came 1983 and our Miracle in Miami, winning the national championship. That game clinched it. I knew I had to be a Cane. When the time came to apply to colleges, it was Miami and a handful of other "safety" schools. But I only wanted to go to Coral Gables. I was accepted to UM in 1984, and began my education at The U in the fall of 1985.
My very first home game as an official Hurricane was September 7, 1985, when the Canes played our hated rival, the Florida Gators. We lost that game in front of over 80,000 fans, but something incredible happened from that day on- - MIAMI NEVER LOST ANOTHER HOME GAME FOR THE REST OF MY ACADEMIC CAREER AT UM! In fact, Miami would go on to win 58 straight games at the Orange Bowl! I saw Vinny Testaverde beat Oklahoma while wearing my "F OU and the Boz" shirt. I saw us lay a beat down on Notre Dame in the "Run it up, Jimmy! Run it up!" game. I watched us leave Bobby Bowden speechless after the missed two-point conversion at Doak Campbell, which propelled us into the championship game versus Oklahoma (who else?) in the Orange Bowl. I was there to watch us win ring number two!
Something else historic happened in 1985. After a 14-year self-imposed hiatus, UM resurrected its basketball team. CanesHoops began play in November of 1985 and held its home games at the cozy James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami. A short time after the season started, I saw an ad in the Miami Hurricane that the hoops team needed student managers. That day, I went to the basketball offices and applied for the job. I was later hired by Seth Greenberg, the assistant coach who is best known for his 23-year run as a head coach, including at rival Virginia Tech, and now as a primetime basketball guru on ESPN. I spent my next four years working and travelling with the team, and to this day, some of my fondest memories are from those experiences. I was able to see first hand some of the cathedrals of college basketball like Allen Field House, Cameron Indoor and many others. It’s also a huge reason why I am probably one of the most rabid Miami basketball fans to this day (editor's note: probably?).
I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel from my home in New York to at least one Canes event every year since my graduation in 1989, in many instances, several in one year. My wife and children are all avid Canes fans (brainwashing works!) and travel with me to many games, something we look forward to as a family each year. We look at the football and basketball schedules and try to plan our activities around the Canes so we can either attend or watch on TV. I frequently download radio interviews with coaches and players during the season to listen while I exercise, and often hear Joe Zagacki reporting live when I’m in the car. My wardrobe consists mainly of Miami wear, for work and everything else, making me easy to shop for during the holidays, Father’s Day and birthdays. My family knows new Miami gear is always appreciated. I shed tears of joy when we won championships in football and baseball. as well as when we won the ACC in basketball. As other SOTU writers have said, I’ve made lifelong friends from either my days at Miami or through being part of the Canes Family (#CanesFam). Some may say it’s ridiculous at how much I bleed orange and green but I wouldn’t have it any other way!