Sidelined By Irma

We have been sidelined without power since Hurricane Irma blew through Central Florida.

We had limited damage, thankfully, only without power for four days.

Some of our neighbors here in Central Florida were not so lucky.



In other parts of the Sunshine State, the damage has been far worse than what we ran up against here in the home of Mickey.

Pretty much everyone has been impacted in some way. UCF cancelled two home football games, Miami, Florida and Florida State each one and the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a weekend,

But with no apologies to ESPN's racist host Jamelle Hill, we use football in these parts to escape.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, we have much more important things to deal with.

Please keep our Sunshine State friends and neighbors in your prayers, and don't forget about those tough Texans, still reeling from Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricane Breeze

The once proud University of Miami football program, winners of five national championships since winning their first in an upset of Nebraska in 1983, is in shambles.

For starters, sanctions from a recent NCAA investigation involving improper benefits hangs over the program. When handed out, they will be harsh.

Success on the field, even with highly rated recruiting classes, is absent as evidenced by the Canes mediocre performances. On occasion, it has appeared the team has quit on the field, which is a very poor signal about the state of the program.

Miami is again off to a poor start, getting blasted at Kansas State two Saturday's ago. Former Hurricane and current talk show host Dan Sileo is not at all pleased, going on a classic rant on radio the other day:





Miami has always had fickle fans, with 35,000 showing up for Maryland and fans of every language imaginable showing up when Florida State comes to town. The hard core Cane fans are a very small number, and dwindling, and this is cause for concern.

the home opener last weekend, as Tomahawk Nation reported, an announced crowd of 39K was actually about 20K, being kind. It was noted many Hurricane players played in front of larger crowds during their high school days. That old home field advantage the 'Canes used to have at The Orange Bowl is gone.

 

Why would recruits want to playing on front of just about nobody at a place facing harsh sanctions with marginal facilities? You got me.

 

If I in charge at UM, I would immediately look to build a 50K seat on campus stadium, which would be user friendly for the students.  But that is not on the drawing board, and from what I can see, the future is bleak. 

The Hurricanes of old are nothing more than an ocean breeze.

Global Warmists Turn Up The Heat

You would think with the hockey stick phenomenon, the central basis for much of the global climate change argument, being exposed, the environmental alarmists may move on to something more worthwhile. It it were about the climate, they may have. But, as we have noted, it is not about climate but rather a tug at the heart strings vehicle to spearhead and implement the global transfer of wealth.

Like wounded animals, and with the mainstream media remaining steadfast in support, the global warming crowd has accelerated the elements of advancing the cause. No longer satisfied with efforts to nudge the public for support, the movement is now shoving, and hard.

If your like me, your wallet is fairly thin these days and the thought of increasing taxpayers expenditures advancing this hoax, or actually transferring our wealth, is appalling. Enter the National Science Foundation.

As reported by The Heritage Foundation, The National Science Foundation (NSF) is “an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 ‘to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense.’” It can now add “fund plays on climate change” to that list.

The Heritage Foundation cites an article in The New York Times which reports that the NSF will advance $700,000 to help find the production of “The Great Immensity,” which aims to "explore the emotional and psychological aspects of the current environmental crisis.”

Not a stranger to the Great White Way, I always enjoy an evening on Broadway. However, I do not appreciate my tax dollars footing the tab for a production to promote the crisis of global climate change.

Usually, Europeans trend ahead of Americans, as we have noted in the recent riots over entitlements in Greece. In England, the global warming alarmists are simply out of control, and one can only hope this nonsense is thwarted before hitting out shores. Get a load of this series of commercials:



That is a sick effort indeed to try to shove someone into reducing their carbon footprint. Presented by the folks at 10:10Global, the outrage over the short film advertisements has caused the group to issue an apology, and rightfully so. The Blaze has more.

I got a news flash for everyone. Global warming is a hoax and there is no current environmental crisis!

Therefore, in an effort to expand my carbon footprint, I plan to test run some 0-60s in the Pontiac Grand Prix V8GXP this weekend before shooting down to Miami in the Chevy Trailblazer for some football. Miami? Hey maybe I'll tow the boat down there, fire up the V8 MerCruiser on my 23 foot Regal and hear some voices.

Gators Escaping Media Scrutiny

Just this past week, from a perspective of the Miami Hurricanes, Sun Sentinel Columnist David Hyde wrote a column blasting the media for not playing fair when covering the states police blotter.

While over time Miami has a well deserved reputation as a team some real unsavory characters, it is Florida that is the states problem child these days. And, you would never know it. "Florida players have punched women, stolen property and been involved with guns and drugs. Yet nobody on ESPN is so much as reporting this. Nobody at Sports Illustrated is saying the Florida team picture should be taken from the front and the side" opined Hyde.

Since Randy Shannon became coach, the 'Canes have had only one arrest. Just prior to that, a player was murdered and there was that hideous brawl with FIU on the field. Miami will have to really work to overcome their reputation.

Sadly, Florida State has had several recent issues, with most members of the receiving corps having been arrested. Preston Parker, perhaps the Seminoles best player as 2008 approached, was booted from the team after a second arrest. But, Florida State does have a Rhodes Scholar defensive back in Myron Rolle and graduates more football players than any other BCS state school.

While Florida has a great story Heisman winner Tim Tebow, Florida does lead the state in arrests over the last couple years and added to the list last night as cornerback Janoris Jenkins was tasered and arrested. It will be on page 5 above the classified ads in Tuesdays Orlando Sentinel. Hyde issued a warning to Urban Meyer and Florida: "You're one ugly story or video moment from turning those 23 arrests under Meyer into national fodder. He better get a handle on this."

Well, there is this. As reported by larrybrownsports.com, Tim Tebow was sitting courtside for Saturday nights Orlando Magic win over Cleveland in seats you and I cannot afford. And, he is unemployed, for the time being. As you may imagine, those courtside seats down there in Tiger Woods neighborhood are rather expensive. But, hey, its all good in Gatordome. At least for now, but all good things come to an end, and it can't come soon enough for us anti-gators here in O-Town.

H/T THE WIZ OF ODDS BLOG