The 25 most hated teams in sports list was recently released.  Many I agreed with and some I did not understand why they were even on the list, then I came to the team ranked at #11 which was the 1990 University of Miami Football team. I obviously was not surprised that Miami was on the list because that is all you ever hear from people who THINK they know about college football.

Here is an excerpt of what was written about the 11th most hated team of all time in reference to their Cotton Bowl appearance.

“Seldom has a team been so undisciplined … and unstoppable. Miami had a Cotton Bowl record 132 yards in penalties. At halftime the ‘Canes finished with 202 yards in penalties, a bowl record that still stands. They also won 46-3. “If they aren’t the best,” ‘Horns coach David McWilliams said: “I don’t want to play the best.” — Austin Murphy (www.cnnsi.com )

I thought that was interesting that it seemed their entire basis for being ranked the 11th most hated team of all time was based on one game, a woodshed beating of the Texas Longhorns.

So I noted that and continued to scroll up the list wondering what teams were in the top ten. I look through the teams and I am passing the 2007 New England Patriots at the sixths spot (can’t argue with that one), the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons at the number two spot.

Then I get a look at who is picked as the MOST hated team of all time, and it is the 1986 Miami Hurricanes football team. Here is the entire passage that was written, so you can see their reasoning for ranking the Hurricanes in the top spot.

“His players were visionaries, early practitioners of an in-your-face brand of football that went out of its way to belittle and intimidate opponents. It was, in a lot of ways, the opposite of sportsmanship. It was a ‘Cane thing. To say that Jimmy Johnson (pictured, left, with Michael Irvin) gave his players free reign was an understatement.

The ’86 Hurricanes were caught up in “fights and fraud and alleged shoplifting and other unsavory shenanigans involving more than 40 players,” wrote SI ‘s Rick Reilly. “Miami may be the only squad in America that has its team picture taken from the front and from the side.”

It was also flat-out loaded, an NFL developmental squad, and not inclined toward modesty. The top-ranked ‘Canes showed up in Tempe, Ariz., for the national title game rocking military fatigues, in stark contrast to the coats and ties sported by the charges of “St. Joe ” Paterno, as Johnson dubbed his counterpart. In that famed Fiesta Bowl game, Heisman Trophy winner

Vinny Testaverde threw five picks and Miami turned the ball over seven times in a 14-10 Penn State upset that made a lot of people across the republic very, very happy.” — Austin Murphy (www.cnnsi.com)

First let’s point out the obvious Miami was the ONLY team to make this list twice, the Pistons, Yankees, and Chicago Black Sox were all on there even the 2005 USC Trojans.  None of them made this list more than once. The other constant with that list is that most of the teams on that list were very successful, or champions in their respective sports. What this says is that people don’t hate the Hurricanes just because of their Bravado; they hate the Hurricanes because they win championships with a chip on their shoulder.

If you look at the majority of the teams on that list the Pistons were known as the Bad Boys, even the Jimmy Johnson led 1992 Dallas Cowboys were on there. If you look at it all of these teams were highly successful, and people hated them because they won without being nice guys.

They went on the field and looked at the team across from them as an opponent not a group of friends who they were going to hang out with after the game.  Those Miami Hurricanes teams played football the way it should be played, with heart, emotion, and a general dislike of the team they are playing.

People always bring up all the “off the field” stories about those Miami teams, but what they do not talk about is hardly any of those players ever missed a game on Saturday because of an off field issue.  If Miami players were committing as many crimes blatantly as all the rumors say they would have surely been caught multiple times over a four year period.

The players at Miami just feed that stigma and over exaggerate all of it because they are proud that people were against them, and the succeeded despite people objections. Thinks of the genius in all of this, teams from 1986 and 1990 were so polarizing that they shaped the perception of an entire football program.

The perception remains today even though Miami has hardly had any players arrested over the past five seasons, which just proves all of the media hate is based off of personal bias more than fact.  Were those Miami teams in your face, cocky, and intense? You bet they were.

But Michael Jordan was just as bad, and if you believe the stories he was even worse and not one Chicago Bulls team made this list. Jordan is loved by millions, and he played the game of basketball much the same way as the Miami Hurricanes played football, but he gets nowhere near the same level of hate.

There was also a section talking about teams that barely missed the cut for making the top 25 most hated list, and the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes were listed.  There were appropriately named “The Luckeyes” for that good fortune filled season they experienced which can only be described as something of a dream.  Well at least in South Florida the Gators and Buckeyes are fighting for the top spot of most hated team by Miami Hurricanes fans, maybe it will be a tie for first!

On Wednesday Randy Shannon signed a new four year deal to re-up as the Head Coach of the Miami Hurricanes Football Team.  Many people speculated and debated on whether Shannon deserved an extension or not because although the team has improved every year under his watch, there are still some questions.  This is a good move for the football program, but I believe it was made for bigger reasons than just the X’s and O’s.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the most of the speculation in many circles believe that Shannon settled for less than the ACC minimum of $1.75 million per year.  The most likely reason Shannon chose to take less may be seen in his quote shortly after he signed the contract, “There’s no other place I’d rather be than coaching Hurricanes football” (www.sun-sentinel.com).

Randy Shannon truly does mean that when he says it and the fact that he has so much support from former players probably had a lot to do with it as well.  At some point the details of the new contact will be release and the speculation can end, maybe it is incentive laden, but at the minimum there better be some bonuses built into the contract which is standard for coach’s contracts at big schools.

Now the interesting part of all this is the sudden “Randy Shannon is the greatest thing that could happen to Miami Football, and we are happy to have him” mentality that is being displayed by Hocutt and Shalala.  But over the past few months they were going to nickel and dime him into taking less money than the coach at Duke?

I think they have fragile confidence and support for Shannon that could change a moment’s notice should the Hurricanes falter at some point.  The offered a contract extension because they HAD to, the effect on recruiting was obvious, and that factor alone could derail the rebuilding process.  I am sure they have a favorable buyout, so they can jump ship if things do not go well.

While I do not believe Shalala and Hocutt are 100% behind his efforts on the football field, they could not be happier with what he has accomplished off the field.  When Shannon took the job Shalala wanted to get rid of the “Thug U” image, and wanted excellence in football like Miami was used too, but with the added excellence in the classroom and off field behavior.

Shannon has accomplished that with flying colors, the University of Miami football team received a Public Recognition Award for the 2009 – 2010 season by boasting one of the highest Academic Progress Rates (APR) in the country.  There were only 25 other football teams in the country to receive this award, Duke, Princeton, Rice, Yale, Villanova, and Brown University just to name a few.

For all of you detractors out there let me hammer this point home for you, this is what the current administration wants more than National Championships.  If you notice the University of Florida, University of Alabama, and Ohio State are not on that list, I am not saying those institutions are not committed to academics, but each one of them has pushed their resources towards having powerhouse football programs.

“Miami’s team also has been recognized for a strong performance in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR), which combines graduation and retention numbers. Under Shannon, the team has been in the top 10% of major college programs. “Randy has done it all,” said Shalala.” (www.mkrob.com)

Hocutt also made a statement, “We are very proud of the positive steps our football program has taken under the leadership of Coach Shannon,” Miami athletics director Kirby Hocutt said in a news release. “With a commitment to excellence in the classroom, in the community, and in competition, we are well on our way, once again, to the top of the college football world.”  (www.sun-sentinel.com)

If you notice Hocutt said classroom and community before he mentioned competition, I believe that is the order of their focus for this program.  Unlike some of the Miami coaches in the past Randy has chosen not to fight with the administration and do thing 100% his way.  Instead, he has complied with the administrations wishes and in the process passed on several high profile recruits because of potential character issues.

All of this does not mean Miami cannot return and maintain the former glory it once had, but it will be a bit more difficult when those good players who have character problems are signing to play with rival schools.  Randy Shannon said he will be more than willing to discuss the details of the new contract on Thursday, so maybe we will have a bit more information come to light very shortly.