People to Root For: Miami Coach Randy Shannon
College Football, Drugs September 25th. 2009, 2:15pm
Randy Shannon was three when his father was murdered. Randy Shannon was 10 when two of his older brothers became addicted to crack. Randy Shannon’s brothers died of AIDS, as did his sister. Randy Shannon became a father at the age of 16. How can you read that and not root for the man? Shannon, who started on thoroughly-enjoyable 1987 Miami Hurricanes championship team (Blades brothers, Bratton, Stubbs, Irvin), takes his ‘Canes into Blacksburg for Saturday’s most anticipated game. With another sterling performance, Miami QB Jacory Harris probably vaults into the top seven contenders for the Heisman. He’ll be going against arguably the best defensive line in Virginia Tech history. Vegas thinks highly of the Hurricanes, as they are a rare visiting favorite Lane Stadium. Worth noting: There is a 90 percent chance of rain. We’ll take the Hokies. [Sports Illustrated]
54 Responses to “People to Root For: Miami Coach Randy Shannon”
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September 25th, 2009 at 2:17 PM
It’s raining all weekend…so the question is, is wearing swim trunks to tail gate acceptable?
September 25th, 2009 at 2:18 PM
The Blades brothers!! I remember that one of them “accidentaly” shot or stabbed his cousing to death.
/good people
September 25th, 2009 at 2:18 PM
you had me on everything but that. all the other situations were beyond his control. this? not so much.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
ssmiac – Shot.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:19 PM
So you root for teenage parents?
September 25th, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Miami players not used to rain? ha
Great article. So many things he does goes unnoticed
September 25th, 2009 at 2:21 PM
The Hokies are anywhere from 2 to 3 point underdogs in this game. The Hokies have been home underdogs just three times this decade. The first time was in their 26-24 loss to #1 Miami in 2001, and the other two times were 31-7 and 24-7 whippings handed down to Top 10 Miami and Clemson teams in 2003 and 2006. The Hokies always show up and play well when they are underdogs at home.
Not the best line in VT history with only 3 sacks on the year.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:23 PM
I will agree that Jason Worilds may be the best DE in VT history by the time he leaves but he isn’t there yet.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
i thought it rained damn near everyday in south florida
September 25th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
bruce smith?
September 25th, 2009 at 2:25 PM
you’re right sparty we should root against him because he made a mistake at 16.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:25 PM
you had me on everything but that. all the other situations were beyond his control. this? not so much.
not that I don’t agree with the sentiment, but it’s like this guy had a lot of advice and guidance to avoid it.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Great story about a positive role model. This good start has quieted the talk of him getting canned (unrealistic expectations from the locals here). He deserves whatever praise he gets.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
He’ll be going against arguably the best defensive line in Virginia Tech history
really? really? you wouldn’t win that argument against a wall, much less a football fan.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
I think Al Blades died in a car wreck in 2003. That sucks. His nephew, HB, who played for Pitt and now for the Redskins (?) is pretty good player.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
TBL has an odd idea of what an outstanding story or cheer-able circumstance is today.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
resisting urge to link team america video
September 25th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
I think sparty’s point is that TBL words this as a reason to root for the guy. if he’d have said “Randy Shannon became a father at the age of 16 and has never avoided his parental responsibility.” then it’d be a little different.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
did i say root against him?
September 25th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
i thought it rained damn near everyday in south florida
sure does
@duder- BRUUUUUUUCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEE was the best
September 25th, 2009 at 2:29 PM
bingo miz.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:30 PM
I remember when people threw him under the bus last year. Good to see the U is back. They need to fuck VT up. I dont know why but I never really liked VT.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:31 PM
1 because he is coaching miami
2. because as stated before im racist
September 25th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
From the sounds of the story, he was actively involved in his daughter’s upbringing. I’ll cut the guy lots of slack if that is indeed the case.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
I can respect that.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
The Blades brothers!! I remember that one of them “accidentaly” shot or stabbed his cousing to death.
/good people
shot, not stabbed. Im glad you were amused by that
September 25th, 2009 at 2:34 PM
They’ve always had ugly uniforms.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:36 PM
because they put you to sleep.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:36 PM
The Blades brothers!! I remember that one of them “accidentaly” shot or stabbed his cousing to death.
How the hell do you accidentally stab someone to death?
September 25th, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Clown stole my words. Anyhow, purpleishbrown whatever is nasty.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Enter Sandman.
My Hokies can pull this one off.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
One other thing to keep in mind about the rain is that VT has one of the better fields in all of football, which includes NFL. They have a suction system that can pull water out of the field at the rate of a few inches an hour.
So the field will be wet but it won’t be muddy. The BC game in 2007 it rained all day but the field stayed in great shape. The biggest issue will be the wet ball which will slow down the canes passing game, advantage VT
September 25th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Their basketball coach, the thugs said basketball coach brings in, and the fact that UVA is a much cooler school.
That’s why I don’t like VaTech.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Virginia Tech is my favorite Big East team.
/TBL’d
September 25th, 2009 at 2:39 PM
That turf management program is the tits
September 25th, 2009 at 2:39 PM
//Fixed
September 25th, 2009 at 2:39 PM
this is when a passing game actually becomes more effective than the run. a lot more fumbles when you are running it all day long when it is raining.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Easy wahoo, lacrosse season is starting soon.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Shannon became a father at the age of 16.
People knocking him for this one, but how many other people can say this and yet still be considered a success story. From the looks of it, he didn’t exactly have the best role models growing up, so one should take this into consideration before bashing him.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:42 PM
How can you not root for Beamer, his face looks worse than Norv Turners.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:43 PM
Good point.
/doesn’t give a shit
September 25th, 2009 at 2:44 PM
nobody bashed him. how he handled the responsibility of being a teenage father is definitely commendable. becoming a teenage father is not. that is how it came across (yes, i know he linked the story).
September 25th, 2009 at 2:44 PM
pki – I’m not sure anyone is bashing Shannon for becoming a father at 16. I think all the noise is TBL’s using that as a reason to root for him. Shannon’s taking responsibilty for his actions at such a young age and with so little guidance is reason to root for him.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:45 PM
i didnt see anyone bashing shannon for having a kid at 16 they just said that isnt necessarily a reason to root for someone just because they had a kid when they were a teenager.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:46 PM
One other thing to keep in mind about the rain is that VT has one of the better fields in all of football
has anyone seen their concession stands? That is one impressive hot dog delivery system
September 25th, 2009 at 2:53 PM
this man knows his stuff.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:08 PM
I think that this misses the point, that at a young age adversity is adversity. I’m guessing that most of the guys here weren’t playing it safe at such a young age, and if you wind up in a situation like that and come out the other end you’ve done a pretty good job for yourself whether its admirable or not. Speaking for myself, I doubt my life is as good as it is with a kid at 16, and I’m not the HC of the U.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:26 PM
I dunno if I’m remembering this right, but SI did a profile of him last year that suggested he is anything but involved in the lives of his *multiple* children.
I recall that because it stuck out; seemed bizarre and at odds with the rest of the story, because otherwise he does seem like a pretty solid fellow.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:59 PM
@ gerard
the story is from 2007.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1107978/index.htm
September 25th, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Not a wahoo, and I hate lacrosse.
September 25th, 2009 at 4:06 PM
I’m amused that he “accidentally” shot his cousin. Twice.
/fuck miami
September 25th, 2009 at 4:08 PM
wow. A lot of hate buddy
September 25th, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Ah, OK. Knew it was relatively recently.
September 25th, 2009 at 8:20 PM
#1- What exactly is cool about UVA? Is it that they call Thomas Jefferson “TJ”, or is it that they drop his name once a minute when talking about their school.
#2- Duke fans have not ability to decide if a program is “cool.” For all of the GREAT things about Duke (great BBall program, great education, VERY nice campus if you are into that style) it is not a “cool.”