Yamma Yamma The Legend Lives On
Today I got the time to reflex back in time and give major props to a LEGEND. A lot of old time Canes will respond to this post simply because the name Yamma Yamma brings back great memories. The dude was Cane football, a diehard fan a great conversation piece, and a great ambassador to our program. (Omit Tad Foote a former University of Miami President that banned Yamma Yamma from doing his patent Skit Skat How Bout That Cheer on the sidelines during football games in the Orange Bowl).
For me it started my first year at the U 1973 to be exact. Yeah, I know I am an old fart. Miami was playing the University of Texas at the Orange Bowl I believe it was the first game of the year. Texas was rank number one in the country. Miami was not given much of a chance to win the game. It was Pete Elliot first coaching game at the U. To the younger board member on this site you all are now wondering who the heck is Yamma Yamma.
Miami back in the day used to play home games on Friday nights. Texas had a star running back name Roosevelt Leaks, a beast; he was Earl Campbell before Earl Campbell. The start of the 4th quarter back in the day there was no holding four finger in the air to signify that we owned the 4th quarter. Miami is holding on to a slim lead, as the 4th quarter is getting underway all of a sudden a giant roar explodes on Miami side of the field. My first experience of the Legend Yamma Yamma. I see a guy with a flower shirt brown khaki pants and yes white leather loafers a strong breeze blowing his hair all over the place. I thought it was one of the Beach Boys getting ready to sing. Yamma Yamma grabs a microphone and yells Skit Skat How Bout That, then takes the microphone and points to the crowd, the place is rocking I mean you would of thought he was a rock star. The noise level just kept elevating to a higher level. I turn to my date and ask who the **** is that? Here exact words to me was that’s Yamma Yamma the number one Cane fan and former Miami Cheerleader, they bring him back every year to do his famous cheers a lot that he just made up on the fly. He's is known as Mr. Hurricane.
Well, I never saw an entrance of a Cheerleader like that. The placed is electrified I mean it was like going to a rock concert.
The Miami players on the sidelines were turning around pointing at Yamma Yamma the players were jumping up and down high-fiving one another. You would have thought Elvis enter the building. I know I am dating myself. I have never ever seen one-person rock the OB as Yamma Yamma did that night. The dude would make coffee percolate.
Miami ended up upsetting number one Texas that night. The football world in South Florida was shocked. When the game was over Yamma Yamma was doing his dance and his Skit Skat How Bout That. The players were coming up to him and high-fiving. The players would later state he was instrumental in getting the fans buying what he was selling. It’s great to be a Miami Hurricane.
Over the years, I have seen him at various tailgate parties, both home and away. When the Dude walks around prior to the game, he would do his thing Skit Skat How Bout That. About 10 years ago in Atlanta there was a pep rally at a sport bar on 10th street I do not remember the name. The place is packed all of a sudden in walks Yamma Yamma, the place goes nuts, Melvin Bratton has the microphone and announces here come Yamma Yamma one of the best diehard fan around. He has his fame football jersey with the name Yamma Yamma on it back. Melvin Bratton ask Yamma Yamma to pump up the crowd in the bar with his patent cheers, the place goes nuts, the dude went on for a good 15 minutes nonstop with cheers and that dance of his. This time I am with another girl and she ask me who is that I replied that what is being a Hurricane is all about family. Yamma Yamma proceeds to the C-A-N-E-S cheer needless to say he knocks overs some chairs and tables. Some things never change.
I know other posters will have some off the wall stories about Yamma Yamma and I will never doubt any of them. The dude was a LEGEND.
One year we were playing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama was having a pep rally before the game in the French Quarters in walks Yamma Yamma he heads to the bar gets up on a chair and belts out Roll Tide Roll. The Bama fan base yells back Roll Tide Roll. Yamma Yamma proceeds to yell out “ In the bowl around the bowl down the hole roll tide roll”. He then gets off the chair and walks out of the bar at a very rapid pace into the French Quarters the Bama did not know what that was all about. Heck, after all the years they are still trying to figure out what just happen that night.
At his funeral in Bonita Springs former players, coaches alumni, friends and admires pack the placed. Jim Flemming aka Yamma Yamma is well known in Bonita Springs. Jim Kelly could not attend the funeral but sent the biggest flower arrangements those in attendance every saw with orange and green with the U in the middle of the flower arrangement. I am only going with what I heard that it cost a couple of thousands of dollars for a man that former players loved and respected. I tried to make it but I was out of town on a business trip. The outpouring of respect from the Cane Community overwhelm his family he is greatly missed. When you bring up his name to former players they, will all smile and state what a great person he was and they would reflect what he meant to them as a former players.
Does anyone know how he came up with the name Yamma Yamma? Knowing Jim it probably was something off the wall that stuck in head and he just ran with it. He would come up with cheers off the top of his head. He even had a cheer about the gators “Alligator Bags, alligator shoes. If you’re a gator your born to lose”. Every time we played the gators he ran with that cheer. He really got under their skin no pun intended. There was a game in the Orange Bowl
where Yamma Yamma gets attack by the Head Coach of Notre Dame Ara Parseghian during a game in the Orange Bowl
In 1965 a game in the Orange Bowl the cheerleaders were on the visitors side. During the start of the game Yamma Yamma for 3 quarters yells in the microphone AAARRA, AAARRA, along with the crowd by the 3rd quarter Ara confronted Yamma and said to him “Listen you little SOB shut up”. Ara was hot and he grabbed Yamma by the throat a little. He was hot. His veins were popping out. Others coaches had to restrain Ara.
Another cheer that got band by the school was “Grind them in the dirt, mash them in the mud, we want blood. The best one yet which was band from the school which was Classic Yamma Yamma, when the ref made a bad call Yamma Yamma would chant Hey, your momma… {fill in the Blank]
I hope I made some of you remember what a great guy Jim was R.I.P.
