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What were your best moments watching the Canes with your father (or as a father)?

Not so much a single memory, but for me it’s being raised a ‘Cane.

I live in AL now (I know, I know) but born and raised in Miami. Thanks to my dad, I was never going to be anything but a die hard ‘Cane. I have fond memories of him taking me to no blockie no blockie, then tailgating, then upper deck Orange Bowl with shirts off toasting in the sun. Hard to think of better times. **** that place was special.

My pops worked in sports radio, and he covered ‘Canes sports. I have the fondest memories of going to Miami baseball games, running around pre-game and meeting players, hanging out in the dugout before and after games, and running the bases while my dad interviewed the likes of Ron Fraser. My dad from time to time always set up meetings with players so they could encourage me on my own baseball journey, and they always seemed to have keen wisdom to pass along about the virtues of hard work, discipline, and excelling in school before sports…I have a pretty good idea where that was coming from. I knew it was awesome, but looking back I had no idea how lucky I was.

Playing wall ball at the field (I kind of remember a tile wall design somewhere, can’t be sure). My brothers and I playing around the big tree just outside the left field fence in the outfield.

Just great times. And I was around champions and legends, at that. None of whom could ever stand taller or be more of a hero to me than my dad.
 
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My dad passed away September 30th this past year. First game since his passing was Cal. It was the darkest week of my life and I remember packing up my stuff to move back down to FL and watching the game on the Auto train. I dozed off towards the end and woke up to @Peter Ariz instant reaction of the Cardiac Canes and thought to myself, “am I dreaming?” That was a little light I needed at that point in time.
 
So far, watching the Canes pounce the gators in the swamp last year. 41-17. My son was just 3 months old at the time but loves watching football. I remember all the canes games I’ve watched with my dad over the years. I was just a year old when we won the national title in 2001. Suddenly I realized I was making those same memories with my son. A lot of emotion that day. Love you pops!
 
This is an odd one, I remember my dad and I working on a deck for the house we were building during the UCLA game (my mom still lives in the home to this day, my dad died in the mid 2000s). Up in the mountains, with no TV, we were literally listening to score updates every 15 minutes on sports radio. To the credit of the guy giving the updates, he was living the game with every news break. We’d be sure to shut off the saws and drills every 15 minutes on the dot, just so we wouldnt miss the update.

Went ballistic when he came in with the final score. Everything about that day was a time capsule of our family that lives with me until now.

My dad was an amazing storyteller. Some of my other memories are similarly odd, like him retelling the Michigan comeback after their fans started singing “hey, hey, hey, gooodbyyyye” (I was a baby), the Nebraska Orange Bowl, and so forth.
 
AUcane said:
My dad took me to the 87 ND game. My dad was not a big football guy but he got extra tickets from a friend and it was my first OB game.
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My first OB game as well. Holtz thought there would be revenge for the 58-7 shellacking in 1985 as he his offense had Tony Rice, Tim Brown, and Rickey Watters.

Old lispy was wrong though. All Canes 24-0.
 
With my dad:
Miami Notre Dame 1989; sitting on top bleachers by the fence in the WEZ. Remember looking straight down and thinking how cool it was being so high ip
With my kids:
Miami Notre Dame 2017; the pick six by Bandy; third loudest I’ve ever been in a stadium (loudest for me was Hester KO TD vs UF; second loudest was Shockey’s TD over FSU)
 
My first OB experience with my Dad was the 1987 National Championship at the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. JJ's national championship with the Canes. Had a pregame dinner at the Holiday Inn at the corner of 11th St and 12th Ave. Great times.
 
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There really isn’t a single memory, I’ve had many good ones with my kids. This one sticks out to me because my daughter was absolutely thrilled. She got to pose with the cheerleaders.

They were all raised right though - big UM fans.

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I’ve told the story several times about my father being the Orange Bowl Stadium Manager from 1960 to 1979. He knew nothing about football and was probably just as well as during Canes and Dolphin game days, he didn’t have time to watch.

For me, it was a helluva perk on Canes and Dolphins game days to be able to park in front of my fathers office - southeast corner of the OB - and wander through the bowels of the grand old lady before I would take a seat on the rail in the upper deck on the 50 yard line. I would often head down to the old lower press box for free beer and hot dogs.

After the game, I would head back to my father’s office and he was usually not there as you can imagine, had a lot going on. I’d hang around a while and usually got to spend a little time with him before I headed home. Football was never the topic of conversation. LOL. Getting to spend those few minutes with my father is what I cherish most.
 
DMoney said:
For me, it was 2000 win over FSU in the West End Zone with my dad.

As a father, it was watching the Cal comeback with my kids in Berkeley.
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2000 Miami FSU. I was 16. This was pre 911 and he had a camera bag being searched while wearing a Miami hurricane cat in the hat hat with a 6 pack of beer to sneak in. Mission accomplished. Didnt move his head. We split as my "first beers".

Epic
 
DMoney said:
For me, it was 2000 win over FSU in the West End Zone with my dad.

As a father, it was watching the Cal comeback with my kids in Berkeley.
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2003 Vs UF took a bus down from Daytona w my dad and a friend of mine, full of Gators. We were running late so we actually had the bus let us off before parking so we could run and make the opening kick off. Barely made it and saw Hester’s return TD. Ended up surrounded by Gators in the stands but the come back W by Berlin and squad was awesome.

Finding the bus afterwards was a challenge but the bus ride home was awesome especially surrounded by miserable gator fans.

Can’t wait to take my 5 year old Kane down to a game in the coming years. His first time in the stadium will be in July to see Morgan Wallen w my daughter and wife who will be rolling in there 37 weeks pregnant 😂

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92 against FSU. My dad was so into that game, I’ll never forget. I played MLB my freshman year of Hs and tried to recreate the Barrow hit on Vanover all season 😂.
 
this is tough lost my dad 3 years ago an aint over it. so shed 1 writing this.

But he made me a cane.

Dont remember the date but i could remember back to Lamar Thomas being ran down an stripped by George ***n TeagueZ(ive hated bama since then). I remember being really young n actually crying we lost that game. I think up until then i dont remember um losing.

My old man would watch every saturday religiously. So that stuck even the bad habits of the dolphins.

I know the 2000 year i got to go to um vs bc on a semi recruiting trip since they were recruiting my teammate. Me and my dad and two of my close friends went and had a good time...tim hasslebeck i believe was the qb

Its been great being able to indoctrinate my daughter similarly. Even thanks to guys like @SpikeUM ive shown my daughter n her lil friends to a game or two. They are locked in as canes.

Also feels good having kids ive coach like CJ Ewald..Zayquan Patterson commit to being canes. Since ive seen them since so young n make it up to this level.
 
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Have season tix with my Son, so every home game is a memory. But, the greatest memory was before my son was born. My kid brother and I, went to a local bar in Marietta, ga where we lived to watch the Canes vs Nebraska in 83’. Needless to say it got nutty and we were loud, they were threatening to cut us off and throw us out. Then the Canes won the NC and we went cra-Cra. My Bro headbutted me and opened a cut above my eye, which didn’t deter our celebration. Then they threw us out. We were happy, tho.
 
2024 Beat Down of UF in the Swamp. My 13 year old son I were in attendance for the slaughter, one of my best friends is a UF Booster and gave us tickets on the 48 yard line 18 rows up from the Gator bench. Would have took my son to the 2017 Notre Dame slaughter, but didn’t want him to see any violence between fans at the ripe old age of 6 years old. 😂
 
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