Shocking defeat has ‘Canes seeing red

UM football fans circulate petition for national title
By
Hurricane News Editor
When the UM football team returned home from the Tempe Tostito Bowl game, they were greeted by over 200 orange and green fans outside of the Hecht Athletic Center.
“I really didn’t expect a reception,” head coach Larry Coker said in an interview with The Miami Herald. “We would have liked to have won, but I think these people appreciated the players, and that’s nice to see.”
Many Hurricane fans who watched the game on t.v. said that it was one of the most exciting games in the history of college football.
“The only reason the game was considered an epic was because UM had 5 turnovers and yet managed to take the game into overtime; other than that, my stomach was upset for several days,”said Saul Cacal, a 1991 UM graduate.
“I was celebrating my birthday in Puerto Rico when the game was on,” freshman Jose Salgado said. “I wasn’t able to watch the end of the game so I called all of my friends in Miami to find out the final score.”
“When I heard we had lost, I couldn’t believe it so I called everyone I knew to make sure it was true that we had lost the game,” Salgado said. “We all had very high hopes of a consecutive national championship win.”
Junior Guadeloupe Peraza watched the game at home with her family.
“I felt so bad for all of the players, especially for Ken Dorsey, because they had so much pressure on them,” Peraza said. “I wish the season had ended differently, but the team played a great season anyway.”
Senior Oscar De la Pena went to Tempe, Arizona with the Band of the Hour.
“All I saw was an endless sea of red – it was like a big nightmare,” De la Pena said. “I think we won that game.”
De la Pena says he shared a few words with former UM offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie after the game.
“We talked about the game and about the lack of intelligence displayed by the Ohio State fans,” De la Pena said.
“It was unfortunate that the championship couldn’t have been decided on the field and without controversy, but that’s football,” Sean Baribeau, UM class of 1995, said. “I guess we just have to get used to the fact that everyone external to this institution loves to see the ‘Canes lose. . . too bad those people will be miserable for the foreseeable future.”
Recently, a petition has been circulating around campus with over 5800 signatures, asking ‘Canes fans to voice their outrage over the controversial pass interference call against Miami in the first overtime session of the Tostito Bowl NCAA National Championship game.
“In the early hours of January 4, 2003, the Miami Hurricanes showed the hearts of champions,” the petition reads. “Sign this petition to voice your support of the protest against this officiating travesty that ended Miami’s historic winning streak.”
The petition goes on to say: “Because the call resumed a game that should have been over, the Hurricanes should be awarded a National Championship.”
Marcos Zapata, UC evening supervisor, says he understands why people may have been upset at the call.
“Bad call – there’s nothing else to say,” he said.
A complete copy of the electronic petition can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/UM2002/petition.html.