Time To Start Saying Good-bye

It's done. Over with. Finished. The Canes are leaving the Orange Bowl after this season.

I know some of you are in a world of pain right now. Others are rejoicing. The move to Dolphins Stadium was inevitable in my eyes. But like some of you, I'll be sad to see the Canes play anywhere else but the OB. There's just always been so much magic there, history.

As a reporter, it's been a pain in the rear to cover games there because the stadium is so antiquated. But I've never really minded. As a fan, I'm going to cherish so many great moments and memories.

For me, the best moment came in 2000 when I was there in person for the great finish against Florida State. When Ken Dorsey's touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey sealed the comeback and the day the Canes climbed back up from the dead and said they were going to be a college football champion again.

The most painful moment? Seeing Miami's 58-game winning streak snapped in a loss to Washington when I was 15 years old and allowed to enjoy games as a fan. I was flat out stunned and can remember the dead silence of the place as everybody was filing out of there.

I've only been around the OB since the mid 80s. I wasn't there for the '83 national championship game. But I was watching with my Dad at home when I was just five years old.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I just wanted to give you guys a forum for your thoughts on the decision, your greatest OB memories, etc. Also, just wanted to remind you I will be doing a Live Q&A on Canespace.com tonight. Leave your questions -- try to stay away from the OB only because I'm not reporting on it -- and I'll try to answer as many as I can tonight from 8 to 9 p.m.

Comments

[Hurricane Nick]

Gonna miss the old girl..

[Hurricane Nick]

One of my favorite Moments was watching Hester run back the opening kick off of the game versus the gators, B Berlin doing the Gator Chomp after Gore scored the come back game wining TD

[Paul M]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[green]

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/video/southflorida/?clipid=1657461&topVideoCatNo=78715&c=78715&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage tour our NEW home : )

[green]

hey paul m, University of Miami laugh$ la$t : )

[caness2006]

Now that it is offical that the hurricanes are leaving the the orange bowl for dolphins stadium wouldn't it just make sense if they are going to tear down the orange bowl for the marlins stadium that they re-name dolphins stadium the Orange Bowl and both teams could get back to thier roots?

[green]

FedEx Orange Bowl ; )

[caness2006]

Best memories are the UF game, it was the most exciting football game I have ever been to in person and also getting thrown out of a temple game when i was 15 for throwing a ball on the field after a terrible call.

[formulacane]

The seating at Dolphins stadium is so detached from the field of play unlike the OB It will be difficult to match the electricity inside Wayne's Lair

[green]

formulacane: Hurricane fans are passionate than dolfans. FACT

[PalmettoCane]

I just sent this e-mail to Shalala

----------------------------

To President Shalala:

I was distraught to see the news this morning that the Hurricanes were moving to Dolphin Stadium. I routinely fly from South Carolina to Miami to watch the team I cheered for growing up. I have no direct ties to the university except through a few friends, my hometown, and my love of the football program.

College home games in pro stadiums have no soul (take former Big East rival Pittsburgh, for example). None of the "best" college stadiums are shared with pro teams. Dolphin Stadium is not our stadium. It will never be our stadium. Any home game mystique is gone. The home-field advantage is gone. The Hurricanes might as well play up at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

However, my underlying hatred for everything Wayne Huizinga means I will never attend another University of Miami home game after this year. Thanks for saving me thousands of dollars a year.

Jason Zacher
Greenville, SC

[green]

palmettocane: 1) most college powerhouses reside in 1-horse towns; 2) the soon-to-be-renamed dolphin stadium is our NEW home; 3) Thank You, Wayne Huizenga

[BIG CANE]

It's a sad. What else can anyone say.

[green]

big cane: Happy Day for the University of Miami : )

[SkookCane]

If only Dolphin Stadium was half decent.

[green]

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/dolphin-stadium/mifl-dolphin-stadium-body.html our NEW home : )

[green]

skookcane: define decent ...

[green]

(www.hurricanesports.com) Home of the Miami Dolphins, the FedEx Orange Bowl, and four Super Bowls, the stadium is a state-of-the-art facility that boasts all-chairback seats, new high-definition video boards, among the largest in collegiate and pro sports, four 103-inch plasma display boards including one of the world's largest plasma TVs, over 1,600 television monitors throughout the stadium, and an all-new LED ribbon board. A $300 million renovation project, currently underway, will add 360,000 square feet of enclosed space to the facility, making Dolphin Stadium one of the premier facilities in the country.

[PalmettoCane]

green,

Remember your comment when a future Canes kicker misses a field goal because he can't get the footing on the baseball infield.

Remember when you go to a game and you can still read "Dolphins" in the endzone under the "Hurricanes" -- just like at Heinz field. It won't be our home. Not for a very long time.

And no thanks to Wayne. Thank you Joe Robbie.

[green]

palmettocane: 1) dirt infield = temporary inconvenience. the marlins lease expires after 2010; 2) our logo, name & nickname will appear. check the preceding link; 3) Thank You, Wayne Huizenga & Joe Robbie

[vince]

Donna S great move. The OB had turned into a dump and dade County was not going to find the funds to renovate the place. Time to start a new tradition!

[vince]

Heiz field is not the reason Pitt sucks. Remember when the Canes line up to kick in the dirt the other team will be lining up in the dirt also. At least at dolphin Stadium I will be able to use the bathrooms with getting a flu shot!

[green]

http://blogs.trb.com/sports/custom/business/blog/Kohlernew.jpg photo of our NEW bathroom : )

[orange 'n green in the vein]

God I hate that 15 year old teal box. The City of Miami should be ashamed. They had one of the most tradition rich American sporting icons yet they let it fall apart and disrespected it at every turn. I hate baseball and the idea of the site of the greatest college football game in the history of the sport being turned into a f'ing baseball park makes me want to throw something through a window.

[Canes!]

Does anyone care that this will actually improve UM's budget by 4 Mill a year? that is a huge amount of money! Being a private school makes it hard enough to come up with funding, At least this will help.
I do have to say, the Memories of the OB are great and will never be forgotten but that does not mean you live your life in the past, we will make new memories in a new stadium and we will rewrite history in a new stadium, if all you want to do is live in past memories, by all means be pissed off, if you look forward to the future of UM football dominating the NCAA, look to the future in a new 21st century stadium. New memories will be forged and old ones will be remembered. it is best for UM in so many different ways, Money, recruiting. If you were a recruit visiting the stadium seeing your name and face on a 106 foot HD screen, you will cream your pants.

[Canes!]

Everyone that is pissed, should be pissed at the city of miami for failing to keep one of the best college satadiums up to par and in line with all the other great stadiums. There is a reason everyone leaves the OB. The dolphins did, the Freekin orange bowl even left. It was time and the timing couldn't have been any better. to bad it is not this year. new coach, new stadium.

[green]

orange 'n green in the vein: absolutely blame the city of Miami politicos for neglecting the Orange Bowl. it's criminal. U deserve better. the soon-to-be-renamed dolphin stadium is better : )

[Kane07]

Now that where moving, I'm curious what options season ticket holders like myself will have in Dolphin Stadium...

[green]

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/dolphin-stadium/spec-rel/081607aae.html seating info, kane07

[green]

once the marlins leave, the soon-to-be-renamed dolphin stadium will transform into a football-only stadium. home of the Canes & dolphins

[Canester]

I wonder if there are any plans for moving the seats closer to the field. Probably not since good 'ol Wayne also wants soccer games to be played there, but would be awesome.

[Canes!]

there were soccewr games played in the OB too.

[green]

canester: yes

[DelrayCane]

It's not the stadium that defines the team - it's the quality of the program and the quality of the fans. Everyone that's so hung up on moving out of the physical building and losing the "Miami Mystique" should take a step back and realize that the FANS create the intimidation factor for the other team...What a novel concept!?!? 90k+ at UF get it, 100k+ at Tennessee get it, 100k+ at Penn State get it, 100K+ at Michigan get it, NU gets it, OU gets it...hell CLEMSON gets it! - FIGURE IT OUT CANES FANS!!!
Rather than bitching and moaning that UM is moving out of a crappy, embarrassing, rusty building, let's put the focus and pressure on encouraging CANES FANS to actually come out to the games. Encourage your family & friends to actually leave your homes & bars and come out to the stadium, get fired up, and root for the team you're so fanatical about!!! FANS create the mystique, FANS creates the intimidation factor, and it's the FANS that will take THE U into the next chapter of the Miami Hurricanes legacy. BUY TICKETS - ATTEND GAMES

[green]

http://www.dolphinstadium.com/content/architecture.aspx dolphin stadium renovation : )

[Canester]

Green, thanks for the link. I think I may have missed it, but I didn't see anything regarding making the seats closer to the field.

The more I read, the less I'm liking this move. Sure it would be really cool to just sit back, eat a nice dinner, drink some wine etc. But the last time I checked, I'm going to a college football game. Remember that? Rowdy, obnoxious, drunk fans, cursing up a storm. Can you imagine a fan dressed up in orange and green body paint, with some words scibbled "Team X sux!" and then entering a nice air conditioned luxury suite? WTF?!

[green]

canester: you can be as obnoxious as you wanna be. who's gonna stop you? a nicer stadium attracts the casual fan i.e. the single mom with the young son or daughter. plus, U will attract more broward, palm beach & west coast fans because of proximity, parking, & access/egress.

[Canester]

Green, no doubt those are some nice perks. Not taking that away. But you don't at all feel like this stadium is snobby? I don't know, it feels like a stick-in-your-butt stadium. But like I've said before, this won't stop me from traveling 950 miles to see my Canes on gamenight.

[green]

U will no longer endure: "our stadium is better than yours. nyah-nyah!" now, U can proudly say "our world-class, state-of-the-art stadium is better than all of yours. up yours!" (MASTER)STROKE OF A PEN

[FPToledo]

City of Miami officials should be politically castrated, blood will roll next election.

This is a sad day for all true Miamians. It is a sad day. But for those of us that still vote within the Dying City. I plan to vote for Chuchi Maguchi instead of the morons currently in power.

[Shalala should die]

Anyone saying that this move will benefit UM on game days is delusional. A UM-Temple game at noon in the Orange Bowl is louder and more emotional then even a Dolphins-Jets game. Yes you can argue that Dolphin fans arent as emotional but that is total bs. I went to Dolphins games when they were in the Orange Bowl and they were insane. Do you guys remember the Bears game in '85. As for recent evidence of how bad Joe Robbie is what about the UM-FSU bowl game? That game intensity was pathetic. Even when FSU was blowing us out at home we had more emotion,

There is no mystic and no fear for opponents at Joe Robbie and the team will suffer. Thanks a lot Shalala

[FPToledo]

City of Miami officials should be politically castrated, blood will roll next election.

This is a sad day for all true Miamians. It is a sad day. But for those of us that still vote within the Dying City. I plan to vote for Chuchi Maguchi instead of the morons currently in power.

[Canester]

Green wrote: "U will no longer endure: "our stadium is better than yours. nyah-nyah!" now, U can proudly say "our world-class, state-of-the-art stadium is better than all of yours. up yours!" (MASTER)STROKE OF A PEN"

LMAO, I'm sold.

[green]

hey manny navarro, 1,000+ posts elicited in the last 4 weeks; more posts than the preceding 8 months (nov 24 '06 - jul 20 '07) combined! 10 MONTHS! on a roll ...

[green]

(typo) 8 months! gotta run. like macarthur, I shall return ...

[LACanefan]

Liek everyone else, I am truly saddened to see the Canes move from the OB. However, this is not the wrong decision given the lousy way the city of Miami let the statiudm slide into decrepitude for decades. IMO Shalala made the right call. We will be giving up an advantage in the raucousness of the stadium, but tihs comes down to a cost-benefit analysis. I agree with Canes! that 1.5-4 mil a year in increased revenue for a program that is hurting for $$ outweighs the what the city of Miami was offering us. If we had deep pockets we could afford the luxury of playing in a stadium rich in aura and tradition but fiscally a huge drain. The problem lies with the inept city of Miami rather than with the OB herself. Notice that the Rose Bowl is alive and flourishing depite its similar age. This proves that the problem could have been solved with some foresight years ago rather than waiting till things reached a crisis. Unfortunately Miami is a private school and has to supplement its athletic budget in ways public schools don't necessarily have to. I am definitely sad, but am also ready to accept facts. It's time to build a new tradition and make the best of the situation.

[iLO]

I like the move. Anything to make JRS a 'football' only stadium. I loved the OB too but it has already ran it's course. 1937. C'mon. It's going to be weird at first but I think with all the amenities and technologies at the stadium, it will bring even more fans to the games. One thing I never got used to is calling JRS/DStadium the Orange Bowl. There should only be one Orange Bowl and the name should die with the stadium. I'm actually looking forward to this and the potential move of the Marlins (locally).

[86Cane]

Sad day for true Canes fans. Sure we will follow our team anywhere, even to (soon to be renamed) cold, sterile "Dolphin Stadium, but it just will NOT be the same.

And, yeah, yeah, yeah I get it: more $$$, more modern facility, helps recruiting, change is inevitable. Still, there is no other feeling that compares to walking up to the "Beautiful Old Lady" on game day for a big game.

I've been to the Joe, I mean Pro, I mean Dolphin Stadium many times for football and baseball games and it is not the same today, tomorrow or ever!

What is done is done, and we move on. But if I go there to the first UM game and start yelling on one of those concrete ramps "Got some Canes over here!" what do you think my chances are of hearing a resoundoing Orange Bowl "Whoosh, Whoosh"?

[dencane]

My favorite OB moment was game 1 in 1988 against then #1 FSU. It was my 1st ever college football game. The Canes absolutely trounced the Noles 31-0 and took that #1 ranking away. I was hooked from that moment on. Another great moment was we knocked UCLA out of the #1 spot and Edge ran for nearly 300 yards. The one and only time that I was able to run out on the field at the OB. We were on our way back to glory at that point.

I for one will be sad to see the OB go, but the fact is I now live half way across the country and haven't been able to get to a game at the OB in a few years, so I suppose I don't have much say in it. The OB will always be in my heart and the heart of all true Canes.

Go CANES!!!!

[86Cane]

Here is the link for tonight's LIVE chat with Manny at Canespace:

http://canespace.typepad.com/canespace/