Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment (Hardcover)

by Bruce Feldman (Author) "Dear Nigger,'' the letter began..." (more)
Key Phrases: national title game, signing day, recruiting class, Orange Bowl, Notre Dame, Penn State (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Sportswriter Feldman (ESPN The Magazine) reports on the Miami Hurricanes' legendary success story without sugarcoating the team's notorious problems off the field, which include substance abuse, violence and scandals. The author shows how the team, which has been one of college football's powerhouses for 25 years, put the "nasty" in dynasty. Its players became the bad boys of college football, epitomizing the image of the academically underachieving, macho, entitled athlete; taunting their opponents and, as Feldman demonstrates, committing personal fouls basically for the fun of it. (Indeed, the statute prohibiting such behavior has become known as "the Miami rule.") Not that everything always came easily. With a frenetic, fast-moving narrative, Feldman tells how Miami's coaches stayed consistently ambitious and hungry, always looking to make a name for their team. Several Hurricanes players have gone on to the NFL, more often than not as first-round draft picks (notably, Vinnie Testaverde and Bernie Kosar). The 'Canes' success, says Feldman, lies in their ability to replace departing stars with players of equal or greater talent. Whether he's writing about Ray Bellamy becoming Miami's first black player (in 1966) or the team's amazing track record (they've won more national championships over the last 20 years than Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Florida State combined), Feldman's knack for storytelling will draw readers in.
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Product Description
How the Miami Hurricanes rose from a laughingstock to a college football legend-and reshaped American sports.

When fans think of college football, they think of Miami-the cool school with street cred that all the kids dream of playing for. A powerhouse unlike any other, they are a dynasty fueled not by individuals but by the aura of "The Miami Vice"-a swaggering, trash-talking, us-against-the-world mentality. But less than 25 years ago, the program faced extinction. Now, five national championships-and five different coaches-later, Miami is the preeminent football factory, boasting such high-profile NFL alumni as Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, Clinton Portis, and Jeremy Shockey.

Nothing is typical about the 'Canes. Not the brutal, "voluntary" 6 a.m. workouts in July. Or the merciless drilling of teammates who show fear. Not the constant pressure from their Godfathers, the ex-Canes who want them to uphold the legacy-and will make them pay if they don't. And certainly not the reputation that has made the Hurricanes synonymous with excellence-even among superstar athletes. Now, an award-winning sportswriter gives us a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the Miami program-after more than ten years of special access as a former UM student and beat writer. This is the amazing story of how Miami has won more national championships over the last two decades than Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Florida State combined-and gone from near-death to dynasty.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: NAL Hardcover; First Edition, First Printing edition (August 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451212975
• ISBN-13: 978-0451212979
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #349,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining look at Miami's football program, November 10, 2005

By	King Yao - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 'Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment (Paperback)

This book describes the history (mostly recent) of the football powerhouse of the University of Miami Hurricanes. The author, Feldman, describes the beginnings of the Cane attitude, the former players and how they still feel part of the team, the problems that the team and the program have gone through, and the misperceptions. There won't be any incredible insights in the book, but it is a fun, entertaining, easy read. Good for a long plane ride.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a 'Cane thing, but you'll still understand this book, May 18, 2005

By	M. Johnson (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It seems the Miami Hurricanes fall into the same category as the New York Yankees. Either you love 'em (and I love both teams) or you hate 'em. Whichever category you fall into, you can't deny their importance to their sports. Bruce Feldman (who attended "The U" as it's called and also served as a writer while there) gives a complete rundown of the 'Canes rise to prominence from the dredges of the late-'70's through the wining and dining of Willie Williams in early 2004.

Mentioned in great detail along with the National Championship seasons are the bowl game losses to Boston College and Penn State (Jimmy Johnson says the Penn State loss was the toughest of his career). Also, the late-'80's-early-'90's "Catholics vs. Convicts" games against Notre Dame are expounded upon. The Fighting Irish hated the rebel, thug-like image of the 'Canes while Miami hated the stuck-up, we're-better-than-everyone-else image of Notre Dame. These games are considered some of the best in college football history. A humorous story of Brian Bosworth being woken up by a late-night phone call to his hotel room is also included.

But Feldman makes special note of the camaraderie between teammates and between current and former players. The phrase "It's a 'Cane thing, you wouldn't understand" was directed towards those who didn't like the program or didn't get the closeness of the team.

If you're a Hurricanes fan, this is a must-read. If you're a college football fan and not a 'Canes fan, it's still an easy recommendation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for serious 'Canes fans, August 5, 2007

By	M. M. Davis "Matt Davis" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are NOT a fan of the Miami Hurricanes, you should really be a sports junkie to invest the time in reading this. But if you are, this book will be endlessly entertaining, even though it's a little (maybe a lot) rough around the edges.