I hate Miami. I've always hated Miami. I moved to Pompano Beach in late August of 1982. I had no allegiance to Miami, Fsu or the Gators. In fact, if I was pushed to pick one, I'd have picked Fsu (They had Redskin colors and wore a helmet like the Skins did in the mid-60's). The local papers at the time were full of stories on the upcoming UF/UM game. Being a big college football fan I got drawn into the game and looked forward to watching. As the game started I decided to pull for the "hometown" Canes. This didn't last long. For some reason about mid-way through the second quarter I started cheering for the Gators. Maybe it was their cool orange jerseys. Maybe it was their "strange" looking stadium. Maybe I just liked their fight song better. Regardless, by the end of the game I was delighted that the Gators won. As the 1982 season wore on I grew more tired of the Cane propaganda machine. UM went 7-4 that year, beat no team with a worth a crap, and had pathetic home crowds, but still Tony Segreto and the local media boys thought it was an injustice that UM didn't get a bowl bid. The following summer I started seeing billboards advertising the Canes' 1983 home schedule. On the boards was a big picture of Howard S. with this quote: "It takes everyone to be #1". I laughed out loud at the thought of UM being number one. I laughed even louder the next week when the Gators crushed the Canes 28-3 to start the season. The three points by the way came via a last-second FG ordered by Howard so his team wouldn't be shut-out. Poetic justice I thought. Considering the pr$%* tacked on a last-second field goal in the Canes 1980 win in G'ville (BTW, Howard said he did it because his team was pelted with oranges, ice and manure. Manure? If there was any manure in the stadium that day, it was all in Schnellenburger!). Much to my chagrin, UM did end up #1 that year, despite the fact they beat nobody worth a damn the rest of the regular season (and were lucky as hell that two ECU receivers collided instead of catching what would of been the winning TD) and the fact that they got to play their bowl game in their home stadium (and that they leap-frogged Auburn to boot!). 1984 rolls around and Schnellburger has left for the USFL (for a team that never played one game) and the Canes hire an even bigger a-hole, Jimmy Johnson. The Gators had them beat this year, but Charley Pell ordered a squib kick and gave UM decent field position and they scored at the end to beat us. They were 2-0 (both over SEC schools),defending national champs and sitting on top of the world. Their world crashed soon there after. They blew a 31-3 lead to Maryland (on the same day that UF ended their 7 game losing streak to UGA). The next week Doug Flutie did his magic (with myself in attendance and cheering madly) and then in the Fiesta Bowl, UCLA kicked a last-second FG to beat them. In 1985, the Canes came out in all-orange. It was Vinny Green-balls first game and the Gators won in the Orange Bowl (it was the Canes last home loss until well into the 1990's). In 1986, I not only saw the Gators loss to UM, I got to see the fine representative of the Cane nation, Melvin Bratton, pretend to wipe his ass with a UF t-shirt. It wasn't hard to miss. He stood up on the Cane's bench and did this in front to the UF student section. I was there for the debacle in '87. We scored two safeties on two snaps that went over the punter's head and out of the endzone. It was close to 100 degrees that day. They sold beer in the Orange Bowl that day, but by the time you got back to your seat it was warm. When I lived in South Florida I attended Miami games. I love college football and think the Orange Bowl is a terrific place to watch a game. I couldn't (and still can't) understand the apathy of the S. Fla fans. My hatred for UM has subsided over the past 16 years. Maybe subsided isn't the right word. It's just kind of simmered. But believe me, when I see that hideous combination of orange and green on Saturday night, it will be back to full boil. Stats