As you may have heard, the NCAA finally wrapped up its flawed, fraudulent investigation this of the University of Miami Hurricanes football team for its dealings with Nevin Shapiro, coming away looking like the hypocritical laughingstock everyone already knows it is. And while Miami got off with no further postseason bans and what essentially equates to a slap on the wrist, the Canes didn't necessarily win from this whole ordeal either given the turmoil that's gone on over the years.
But, as CBS Sports' Jeremy Fowler points out, one man did in fact win in this whole ordeal: Miami head coach Al Golden.
Golden has said and done all the right things since unknowingly walking into the firestorm in Dade County, and even amid the scandal and investigation, he's gotten the Hurricanes off to a 6-0 start and No. 7 ranking, a mark that likely will improve to 7-0 with a home game against a not-so-good Wake Forest squad tomorrow.
Golden has risen up the coaching ranks, doing the impossible and actually making something of Temple football before heading to Miami. The former tight end at Penn State who had long been rumored as a potential predecessor to the now-deceased Joe Paterno — for whom Golden played in college — Golden decided to forge a new path instead only to be hit with sanctions upon his arrival in the hot Florida heat.
No matter. All Golden has done is restore the Miami tradition of winning, and now he has the Canes right in the thick of ACC contention thanks to a huge victory in the second week of the season against then 12th-ranked Florida that propelled Miami back into the national discussion.
While Florida State looks to be the class of the ACC and Clemson still remains very dangerous, Miami should not be considered an afterthought anymore. Not with the way Golden and his Hurricanes have persevered and forged forward, bringing Miami football back from the brink of the grave.
Link time …
The Undoing of a Can't-Miss Kid - Grantland
Ban on plate collisions seen as likely - ESPN The Magazine
'Delay of Game' is apparently only frowned upon in the NFL - Philly.com
Time For An ’80s NFL Poster Break - Kissing Suzy Kolber
Oakland nonprofit CyArk makes 3-D backups of world landmarks - San Jose Mercury News
Andrew Wiggins: Next Year's #1 NBA Draft Pick - GQ
What Happens When A Boxer Is Beaten To Death, And How We Can Stop it - Regressing
No New Friends: Derrick Rose Has Returned to Destroy the NBA's BFF Culture - Grantland