Miami Horror-canes get new coach, better chance at decent lives

Randy Shannon was announced as the Hurricanes new coach in January. Perhaps now the 'Canes won't be known as the Bengals' farm system.

Shannon's new attitude is of the "shape up or ship out" variety. Let's all thank the Lord for that.

His new rules include:

• Any player caught with a gun is off the team and dismissed from the University
• Players must wait two years before moving off-campus
• Players must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average to stay in the program

"Zero tolerance," Shannon told reporters Monday, as spring practice started for the Hurricanes. "You get caught with a firearm, you get dismissed from the university."

It's good to see but facts are facts: Someone should have done this before senior defender Bryan Pata was shot to death outside his apartment. It should have been done before the 'Canes got into a helmet-whipping contest with Florida International at the Orange Bowl. It should have been done before the Hurricanes went 7-6 and 3-5 in the ACC. It should have been done after the infamous "7th Floor Crew" released a song about "raping bitches" that most certainly was not done tongue-in-cheek.

Miami's been on the decline for years, and I must admit as a Hurricane-hater I enjoyed watching the ridiculousness unfold. Though I am twistedly sad to see the end of the chicanery. However, I'm very happy that the program seems to now to be heading back in the right direction, because there's way more than getting national attention and conference records at stake with some of these kids.

Just ask Jeanette Pata.