Stay Classy Miami!

Many of you may have seen video of the fight that occurred in the third quarter of the University of Miami and the Florida International University football game on Saturday. It is easy to find if you haven't. Needless to say, it was despicable. (Note the ridiculous comments of one Lamar Thomas, who I will discuss further later.)

Miami has a notorious reputation. It has long been the school of thugs, jerks and bad seeds. I mean, 2 Live Crew was on their sidelines at one point in their history. And all was forgiven because they won football games. Let's review the last 10 months of Miami football....

The 2006 Peach Bowl versus LSU. Miami evidently instigates a brawl. After get annhiliated on the field. And by all accounts, they lost the brawl. I mean, Miami can act like they are the filthy, dirty of the NCAA but a bunch of cajun boys from near the Big Easy smacked them around on and off the field.

So they clean out the coaching staff and declare the dawn of a new era. Larry Coker manages to survive as head coach. So the season starts. What appears to be a pretty bad Florida State team beats them. They beat Florida A&M.

They head to Louisville, make a big to-do about stomping on the middle of the field and on Louisville's logo. Cocky, brash, arrogant. And then, they get whupped 31-7 by a Conference USA team that is playing their back-up tailback and quarterback.

Then the brawl happens on Saturday. First, Larry Coker has lost all control of the program. I would like to think that had I been the head coach of Miami, I would have ended the game immediately. Forfeited. Explain to my team that if you want to play, then you act like men. Injured players using crutches as weapons isn't what I would want my team, my school and my conference to be known for.

Then, if I got any crap out of the players about it, I would end the season. Immediately. And if they fired me, then so be it. I hear all the time about how the joy of college football is the passion and enthusiasm because it is amaeur athletes. The truth is different and because it is big business, it will never happen. But maybe it is time to remind all student-athletes that their first and primary obligation is to behave like men. I would be ashamed to have anything to do with the University of Miami today.

(Side rant: Email CSS which covered the game and ask them to fire Lamar Thomas. There is dumb, there is stupid and then there is Lamar Thomas. Unbelievable. UPDATE: I got an excellent reply email from the VP of CSS and not long after this was posted on CNNSI.com)