Growing up in Florida, the only sport is football. We don't have any traditions, so baseball is out of the question. We have no ice, so hockey is out of the question. And we think lacrosse is some card game resembling canasta that the old people play to pass the time.

As a boy in Miami, I would always play backyard football with my friends and the neighborhood kids. The quarterback we imitated most was always a toss-up between Dan Marino and Gino Torretta (you know, the 1992 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Miami and perhaps one of the best collegiate quarterbacks of the past decade).

Back in the day, UM was unstoppable. In the 1980s, under Jimmy Johnson (yes, that Jimmy Johnson), the 'Canes won two national championships and had an unbelievable 35-game regular season winning streak. Then, Dennis Erickson took over the helm and led UM to the title in 1989 and 1991. The Hurricanes dynasty of the 80's was shaping up to continue well into the 90's.

But then disaster struck. In 1995, the NCAA found Miami guilty of recruiting violations and suspended 31 of the school's athletic scholarships. Unlike Ivy League football, large Div. I-A programs live or die by their ability to recruit with scholarships--and Miami effectively died.

To understate things, the mid-to-late 90's was a dark time for 'Canes fans. Gone was the glory of always being in the hunt for the national championship. Gone was the thrill of rooting for a team you grew up watching and admiring. And, worst of all, Miami started losing to FSU.

The depth of the depression came in 1997, when Miami lost to the hated Seminoles by an embarrassing 47-0 score in Tallahassee. Tallahassee, by the way, is like New Haven, but worse.

Perhaps many of you don't understand how much losing to FSU pains the soul. If I can draw an analogy to local baseball, Boston's "Yankees Suck" is our "FSU Sucks." And yes, we also make bumper stickers and shirts to advertise the truth.