Probably the worst sporting event of any type that I've ever attended. The execution was only slightly less inept than the format. Nobody was paying attention. There was no reason to pay attention. It was disjointed and irrelevant and I wanted to strangle whoever decided not to have a clock counting down the quarters. At least that would have given me something to root for: All zeros.
The hilarity was when the PA announcer said during the 4th quarter that ESPNU would show a replay of the spring game Monday at 1 PM. I was in disbelief. I said out loud, "They're going to show THIS?" Everybody around me laughed. A lady three rows ahead turned around and said, "No kidding."
Absolutely brutal. I have reference points. This is the 7th consecutive spring game I've attended. Others have included basics like a full field, 11 men on each side, anticipation and reaction from the crowd, a competent PA announcer. Things like that. None of it was in place on Saturday. I left early and I never leave early. But this felt like such an insult I couldn't dignify it by remaining to the end.
I can't believe I ever criticized the eccentric high school announcer from Traz Powell who did one or two spring games a few years ago. At least that guy had energy. The goof who handled Saturday's event had nothing. He would occasionally blurt out a name. He never highlighted the new players or anything of consequence.
Maybe the pregame was handled differently. I arrived 10 minutes prior to kickoff. I never would have attended if I had known the format would be like that. The first quarter was a farce, with 9 man football and no running plays. That set the tone for doldrums and bewilderment in the stands. It never improved.
Otherwise:
* I checked out the new uniforms at close range. Fans were snapping pictures of them. The standout aspect was that virtually all of those fans were wearing Canes attire. The attire looked much better than the uniforms. I couldn't find an exception. As long as you were wearing a solid color and it was relatively clean it's superior to anything Nike designs. Naturally we have a black on black concept to satisfy the ultimate simpletons. When you go that route you know you've fallen completely off the wagon, succumbing to the lowest denominator. You might as well approach recruiting with your thumb in the air.
* Sun Life Stadium is bland enough without cutting off 30 yards. Actually it was somewhat apropos because that venue always delivers 30% less home impact than a competent venue. Maybe we have a subtle sense of humor somewhere in the university.
* When you attend a spring game you accept that it's going to be pseudo football. But to handle it that way was disgraceful. The only highlight was the one on one receiver/defensive back battles prior to the start of the game. Those were feisty. Our defensive backs were making contact deep downfield. Apparently trying to emulate the Seahawks. The way a standard college game is called, it would be flags galore.
* I take it back. Malcolm Lewis was the one highlight. He's not close to his 2012 form but there's been an amazing transformation in four scant months. Now he's serviceable and not an embarrassment out there, with promise of more improvement to come. I'd really be kicking myself for attending that event and not watching the Masters live, if not for witnessing Lewis' big leap.
* The quarterbacks simply can't play. That's largely what made Saturday a waste, along with the format. Any time rooting for Olsen or dissecting his game is wasted energy. I'm certainly not going to participate. Olsen and Crow are overmatched on this level, at least the level we aspire to for this program. They would have been normal for the caliber of the '70s Canes. Olsen has a weak arm and very little field presence. He's essentially a clone of Williams but less polished at this stage
* In watching the pregame passing drills, the only quarterback who had any threat of spark and bounce and rare qualities was #16 Garrison Lassiter. I was immediately intrigued by him. I'm convinced you don't need to watch full games or full seasons to get a feel for the upside of these kids. The plodders show themselves almost immediately. Olsen and Crow are plodders. No rescue available. I don't know anything about Lassiter but he has spunk and athletic arrogance. Nice mechanics. I hoped to see plenty of him in the game but it was obvious from the outset that the coaching staff has already botched the handicapping toward the quarterback crop. The plodders received all the snaps. Lassiter got exactly one snap. Not surprisingly, he demonstrated unique skills on that one snap but apparently it wasn't what the coaching staff wanted and he was banished to the bench. Lassiter grabbed an errant shotgun snap effortlessly with one hand, scanned the field, and then took off running downfield, finishing with a perfect slide and then executing a swagger golf-type swing when he bounced upward. That's rare stuff. Manziel type stuff, although I'm hardly comparing the two. I don't know anything about Lassiter's overall game but at least you have something to work with and if it connects you really have something on the college level. The other kids simply can't compete when you've got the likes of Florida State to deal with. I realize that Lassiter managed the nice run largely because it was a 9 man game and that side was open. Maybe that's why the coaching staff relegated him to the bench. Shouldn't matter. We already suffered through an idiot with no field presence the past couple of years. You've got to be able to recognize special traits.
I hated the rest of the game largely because Lassiter on the bench without an opportunity seemed symbolic toward the low level of coaching and coaching instincts we've experienced in recent years, if not nearly an entire decade.
* The lady who sang the national anthem should have been given the hook midway through, the first time she turned one word into 20+ seconds.