During the Florida International-Miami game this Saturday, a brawl ensued unlike anything brawl I’d ever seen in 30 years of watching college football (see the video here). Players stepping on opponents’ legs with cleated shoes, other players using helmets as weapons, and other unseemly and unsightly activities took place during this horrendous fight.
On top of all this, former UM player Lamar Thomas broadcasted the game on CSS. Instead of diffusing the situation, he showed no class in the booth:
Now, that’s what I’m talking about. You come into our house, you should get your behind kicked. You don’t come into the OB [Orange Bowl] playing that stuff. You’re across the ocean over there. You’re across the city. You can’t come over to our place talking noise like that. You’ll get your butt beat. I was about to go down the elevator to get in that thing.
Even as the fight died down, Thomas’ comments did not.
I say, why don’t they just meet outside in the tunnel after the ball game and get it on some more? You don’t come into the OB, baby. We’ve had a down couple years but you don’t come in here talking smack. Not in our house.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in South Florida and just being a college football fan in general, the University of Miami has a certain reputation of thuggery — and for good reason. In the last seven games, including the Peach Bowl from the end of the 2005 season, they have engaged in three brawls. When they came up here to play the University of Louisville (go CARDS!!!), they came out before the game and began dancing on the Cardinal at midfield. They proceeded to get thumped by the Cards 31-7.
When we woke up Sunday morning, 18 FIU players and 13 UM players were suspended in definitely. Larry Coker, the coach of UM, has lost control of the team and needs to be gone next week. I admire Coker’s work over the last four years in cleaning up the program, but it all unraveled in two minutes — made even more clear when the players after the brawl came to the sidelines, got together with helmets in the air, and began jumping and hooting together as if they had done something admirable and respectable.
Brandon Merriweather, the Miami safety who came in and used his helmet as a weapon, is a co-captain on the team. He needs to not only be suspended, but I agree with Lou Holtz that he needs to lose his scholarship.
In light of the Albert Haynesworth debacle, this brawl made Haynesworth’s actions look like school children playing tiddlywinks in the driveway. Emotions do run high, but this is Miami — a nationally-acclaimed program who was playing a far inferior team who is just 9 miles up the road and whom they beat 35-0. What was to be gained by all this?
For a University of this stature, Miami has shown no class. Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio is right, “People and places deservedly earn their reputation.”
There’s a sermon in here somewhere. Pray for me as I see how God would have me to use this to unlock His truth!
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