For the record: Patchan III is a "Cane for life"; his son is a Gator

GAINESVILLE -- In case you haven't noticed, Miami fans are pretty upset about a story I wrote today in The Miami Herald. The story is about the art of persuasion and how Florida coach Urban Meyer has built a reputation as an expert of this art.

What better way to explain this than to offer the example of a Matt Patchan, a talented offensive lineman who committed to Florida. Patchan's father, Matt Patchan III, played for Miami. Patchan, the son, grew up a Hurricanes fan but chose to play for Florida. This background offered a perfect example of Meyer's ability as a recruiter. And since I work for The Miami Herald, obviously, I wrote it. Miami fans took great offense to this example and have lashed out at Matt Patchan's father for not steering his son to Miami. Hurricanes fans have also lashed out at me for writing it but, frankly, I don't care. What I do care about, however, is the reputation of Patchan III. For the record: Patchan III is a good man, a great father and a loyal former Miami Hurricane.

I have spoken with Mr. Patchan III today and he is upset about the article and thinks it portrays him as some sort of traitor to the University of Miami. This couldn't be further from the truth. Matt Patchan III is a "Cane for life" and loves the Miami Hurricanes. (I didn't write this in the article because that's not what the article was about. As I've already state, the article was about Florida. Also, I don't write headlines.) Patchan III says he is friends with Miami head coach Randy Shannon. While Patchan III loves Miami, he also loves his son. He is a good father and wanted his son to make his own decisions during the recruiting process. Patchan III removed himself from the recruiting equation and his son chose Florida.

Patchan's choice had nothing to do with his father, Randy Shannon or the University of Miami. Florida began recruiting Patchan when he was a sophomore (long before Shannon was the head coach at Miami). Patchan III should be commended for being a good father and not letting his convictions interfere with his son's decisions. While Patchan is now a Gator, his father remains a "Cane for life."   

-jo-

Comments

[davey]

Great great article about life and sports and football. Univ of Florida is a great institution, with great academics and great sports and great city - gainesville. So what if Urban Meyer is a great recruiter? More power to him and UF. Remember, Miami has had some great players go there also. So lets cheer for each other's universities and employers who are doing the best they can.

[NY Miamialum]

Hey Joey how about doing an article that would have had the Miami side of it to balance your article more?? How about you say that Randy Shannon has put on a clinic in recruiting and Meyer isnt the only good recruiter in the state?? How bout including the most important quote from MP3 "...where I told you that none of Florida's recruiting prowess mattered for Matt? He had a set of criteria and stuck to it regardless of the hyperbole." In the end it wasnt that he got the offer first or Meyer's slickness it was MP4's choice of which school he liked better.

[Colaracha]

You poorly researched your subject and you pretty much know nothing about the actual situation.

Even Patchens daddy, is offended by your article and I don't really trust the guy worth a damn anyway, nor like him.

[Daniel]

What is amazing is the you wrote an article about recruiting and failed to mention that the coach who lives 5 miles from your office (Randy Shannon) will likely finish with the #1 class in the country. And he did so following a 5-7 year with national media claiming Miami could NOT attract kids anymore.

That's a hell of a lot more impressive than anything else going on right now in the recruiting world, and that's not a fanatical stance, that's reality.

And that's how poor your article was, that an article about great recruiters didn't praise the guy who's doing the best job in the country right now and he's literally a few miles from your office.

That sort of speaks volumes of your work, and how poorly researched or slanted it is. I'm glad it's the first and last time I've been exposed to it

[Gaytors Can't Beat UM]

have spoken with Mr. Patchan III today and he is upset about the article and thinks it portrays him as some sort of traitor to the University of Miami.

It's pretty obvious if the old man has to call you about a one sided story then you owe an appolgy to the Patchan's and South Florida, nice work homer.

[canethang25]

i'm a cane's fan and disappointed that patchan is not coming here but you gotta admit that it's pretty amazing what's going on in the state of florida right now. everyone's talking about um and uf but fsu has a great class coming in too. i think in a few years the state of florida is going to return to the dominance of college football. and although urban meyer is a great coach and innovator, i think he is one of the shadiest characters in college football and recruiting and i think it's a matter of time before he gets into trouble. maybe not for carl moore but for something eventually

[canesforlife]

Face it urban is a dirty recruiter and a crook who pays his players

[HurriClown]

Daniel? You serious? You haven't looked at the polls recently which you should do before stating the rediculous. The canes are not ranked #1 in any poll on the planet pal. Look at the average talent rating (stars) and it' s not even in the top 10. Keep wishing.....Shannon the best recruiter in the country????? OK....if you say so.....

[Canesjunkie]

Patchan Sr. and stick his 'canes for life' up his ass...if he was a real cane he would've kept his kid in the family. How are you gonna say you're a cane for life and have Urban Meyer cooking in your kitchen...only way Urban Meyer is in my kitchen is if he's in the oven with an apple in his mouth...lol.

Meyer is dirty as hell...they are all dirty, but these kids should be getting paid anyway.

[UM Graduate]

Can anyone figure out why huriclown is so upset ? Wait, I already know. The CANES are bringing in a fantastic class and huriclown can't handle it.

[Cane Esq.]

From Patchan III on rivals today:

I was never going to say anything about all the chatter going on with my son Matthew choosing to attend the University of Florida over the University of Miami.

The other day I did an interview with The Miami Herald and it turned out to be a mistake. I answered questions honestly and I felt they used them differently than the way I answered them. The answers as they were printed were to different questions than I was asked. They made it sound like I was degrading University of Miami football. I have never felt so deceived in my life.

I am a 100% Cane, a 100% Cane for life. I have been that way from the minute I ever set foot on that campus as a recruit myself. I was a guy who went out there and busted my ass to help the University of Miami win two national titles. When I hear someone question my loyalty to the program, it angers me because they don't know the truth.

This gator homer goodman is a joke.

[Canes rule! CO09]

Who cares about Patchan, I'm sick of hearing about this Gator ex UM punk! If the father is a true Cane, then who will he be rooting for next year? I hope they show SR. in the stands, will he have a Gator or UM shirt on?

[realist]

You are probably speaking to the deaf and banging your head against a wall here. If Washington fans attack the Seattle Times for reporting on documented and confirmed crimes including rape spousal abuse theft and drugs use by Huskies players around the year 2000, what do you think Canes fans or any college sport fan is going to do after a perceived slight to their program.

Whether he likes it or not Patchan's dad is going to get hated on for not steering his son to play at UM. Seems to go with the business. You write an article praising a Cane's rival for their recruting prowess in stealing away one of their "sons" and you're gonna get it too. No point in rationalizing to an angry mob. You weren't wrong and neither was the Seattle times, but take what comes with the territory.

Oh yeah, and Go Canes, no one player makes a team.

[Ron Burgundy]

1 Florida 22 4 13 3 3.86 2,693
2 Notre Dame 22 3 15 4 3.95 2,680
3 Alabama 27 2 16 7 3.67 2,544
4 Georgia 25 2 14 8 3.68 2,388
5 Oklahoma 20 3 11 5 3.80 2,317
6 Florida State 24 2 12 7 3.54 2,212
7 Miami 27 2 11 6 3.26 2,114

Miami #1 Class???

Got a little work left to do. Shannon is doing a great job, but lets put the Kool-Aid down til all is said and done.

[Canesjunkie]

Who cares about these rankings, these people don't know anything...its why they are on the outside looking in. Miami didn't have the no.1 classes in 98 and 99, but I think they managed to get a little talent.

I hope we don't get the no.1 class, its like a kiss of death. Notre Dame has had the no.1 class for a couple of years, look at their team.

[rogperu]

urban myth = used car salesman

[rogperu]

u dont raise ur voice in someone elses house
and thats exactly was patchan jr did
he came on his visit and criticized the U as if he was one of us. and hes not

nothing he or his dad have done now has any value
he is a complete traitor
and his father is worse

i never want to see patchan sr wearing orange and green again
he is never welcome back to see a hurricane game unless we are playing his UF gators
burn all hurricane gear or put it for sale on eBay
the same way u whored out ur son!

we should all pass around a bucket and buy back patchan sr NC ring
im sure it wouldnt be too much
probably $20 is all that will be needed

[Joseph Goodman]

This is all very silly guys. I'm a homer now? You guys obviously don't read my blog much. Or, as people often like to say when they don't know what to say, "Get your facts straight. You're a joke to journalism. You should be ashamed." Yada, yada, yada. Heard it all 20,000,000 times. I wrote a recruiting article which wasn't even entirely about the Patchans. Has anyone actually read the article? This doesn't seem to be the case because if you had you would realize these accusations are nonsense. Why? Because the story isn't even about Miami. It's about Florida and recruiting. Did the kid grow up a Miami fan? Yes. Is his dad a former 'Cane? Yes. Is the kid now a Gator? Yes. Why? Urban Meyer.

[rogperu]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RGJdNPiWZzQ&feature=PlayList&p=3802C274C582FE77&index=1

urban the badger !

[Laughin' all the way to the BCS in 09']

Rogperu. Take a tranquilizer or chew on some coca leaves or whatever cools you off. You sound like a moron!

Go Gators !!!

[True Cane]

Both Patchans are Gaytards, we have decided to revoke p3 Cane card. You gaytards can have both patchans. Daddy Patchan is a traitor. GO CANES

[UM Graduate]

Right, we realized just how much of a CANE Patchan Sr. is the day his son announced his college choice.

[Gatorbait]

Typical UM response to an article that was well written and praised Coach Meyer's abilities as a recruiter, which is quite possibly one of the most important requirements to success in college football these days. I'm a Gator alum, and I'm forced to read about UM and Coach Shannon every single day in the Herald, and the one good article about the Gators that gets published gets hammered by the UM homers, who have nothing better to do than count how many recruits they've lost to UF so far this year. Hey UM, keep all that rage inside until early September, you're gonna need every ounce of it if you plan on bringing down Tim Tebow. Go Gators baby.

[UM Graduate]

gatorbait

You live in South Florida where UM is located. If you want to see a real biased, venom filled, misinformation, read any newspaper in gator country.

Your bretheren defecate all over UM everyday on message boards. Have you ever seen this: scUM.

Now go phuck yourself, you self-righteous pompous , gator spincter!