The culture is 100% changing—but needs to be viewed on a macro level, not micro.
For all the fans who talk about Manny's social media prowess—the real story is how people choose to dissect every thing he posts, making more of it than they should.
Great. Guys are working out this weekend. That's what you're supposed to do if you want to become a contender.
Where this thing is going to go off the rails; that first lost of 2019. A lot of people are setting Manny up to fail due to their immediate expectations and desire to succeed / be relevant.
Seen lots of posts where people talking about having a good feeling about this year—and even one weeks back where dude was worried about Manny losing the team / fan support if the Canes fell behind against the likes of Virginia and North Carolina, coming back late to win—meaning Miami would have already beat #8 Florida in Orlando and would still get out to a 5-0 start; but falling behind against a few "lesser" conference opponents would be a death blow, of sorts.
Fact is, this team went 7-6 last season and lost it's way—just like it did at the end of 2017, when the close-call games, miracle finishes and comebacks were no more (re: FSU, GT, Cuse, UNC, UVA). Pittsburgh punched Miami in the mouth, to the point where the Canes didn't even show up against Clemson a week later—all the air was out of the balloon. A gift opportunity to play Wisconsin at 'home' for the Orange Bowl—and ****ed away an early lead, crumbling late.
Lost to LSU to start last season, beat up a few nobodies to get a win-streak going, fell in a massive hole against a ****** Florida State team and won by a miracle—only to drop four in a row after that.
Losing to Virginia was "forgivable"—night road game after an emotional win. Those games are tricky, but everyone gets a mulligan. The issue was losing at Boston College TWO WEEKS LATER and still looking shell-shocked. Toss in the following loss at home to a crap Duke team and then running out of gas against Georgia Tech and 5-1 became 5-5 in a flash.
THAT is what Diaz has to change immediately—and hopefully will; this all bark, no bite culture where guys weren't resilient or didn't see a bigger picture.
Yes wins and losses define seasons—but it's more about the type of team Diaz fields and their overall attitude in 2019. The goal is to win the Coastal and to get a crack at the defending national champs in the ACC title. Miami has won the Coastal once in 15 tries; an atrocious, unthinkable stat when this program joined the new conference in 2004.
Beating Florida would be gravy—but all these guys talking about how losing to the Gators would "kill recruiting". No, losing four in a row against mid-level ACC talent kills recruiting—not dropping a season opener. 9-3 and Miami would've won the Coastal last year. Going 7-5 put them third in a crap division. That won't fly.
Really hope people can evaluate the season come late December / early January and not before.
Curious how much of this pro-Diaz crowd wanted him fired after Miami lost the opener to LSU last year—as there was a lengthy thread on another Canes site calling for his head immediately after the game ended.
Fans need to breathe and start looking at the bigger picture, lest they lose their minds.
....so far looking very good!!
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