'Canes Fans Distracted But "Positive" As Season Opens
CORAL GABLES (CBS4) - The University of Miami football team last won a national championship on January 3rd, 2002, dismantling the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Rose Bowl. The bloom is definitely off the rose.
As the Canes prepared to open their season Monday night at Maryland, the faithful were trying to keep a stiff upper lip amid the distraction of an on-going NCAA investigation that could end with severe penalties being imposed on the program. Convicted con man Nevin Shapiro has claimed he lavished Cane players for six years with parties, ladies of the evening, cash and cars. Eight Cane starters are suspended for tonight's opener, and some have been suspended for at least six games.
At the All Canes Sports shop in Coral Gables Monday fan Nicole Scott picked out a Hurricane dress and tried to maintain a positive outlook as the scandal hung over the program.
"It is on everyone's mind, but we hope that the team's going to play well despite the bad things that have happened and play through it," Scott said.
Sales of Canes paraphernalia have suffered since the scandal broke. The All Canes shop has tried to make lemonade out of lemons, with new items like a t-shirt with a statement of solidarity: "I stand with the U!"
"It's our own design. We're doing great with this t-shirt. We need to take a negative and make a positive and that's what we're doing," said All Canes retail sales manager Katrina Witt.
There has been talk of the "death penalty" for UM's football program, but some think the harshest punishment should be for Shapiro.
"He preyed on young kids," said Nicole Vitier as she shopped with her husband and three children. "The kids shouldn't be the ones taking the blame, they're just kids trying to play football and trying to have fun after a game."
The NCAA in a statement last week made it clear though that UM "athletic personnel" were also involved in the alleged scandalous behavior.
"I think there are a lot of people involved and they all will feel the repercussions," said Diana Tershakovec, another shopper looking for a shirt at All Canes.
UM president Donna Shalala has been criticized by some for her inaccessibility since the Shapiro scandal broke.
"If they have nothing to hide, I think they should call a news conference and let people bring things out, whatever needs to be brought out, and come clean," said sports fan Jessica Rios at the Miller Ale House in Doral.
Shalala, once photographed accepting a $50,000 donation from Shapiro (subsequently returned), has brushed past reporters and issued only canned statements in the wake of the scandal. She has declined to take questions, saying that "the integrity of the investigation needs to be protected."
But the most basic of questions have gone unanswered, including some that would seem to go to the integrity of the school's administration. Among them: Why did UM hire new head coach Al Golden without informing him of the potential scandal waiting on the sideline? Golden has said that he should have informed of the Shapiro allegations if the school knew about them when he was hired in December.
In a statement issued last month, UM said it became aware of Shapiro's claims a year ago.
