Miami’s new dressing room is sparkling – it would be really cool if its name, The Rock, came up from time to time
There’s a reason this guy definitely chose Miami in Deadspin’s Redraft scholar university conference. In the past, Miami has battled through all odds to become one of college football’s most recognizable brands. It’s a private school that competes in a professional stadium, away from campus, in a city that enjoys warm weather year-round.
A similar problem USC has, except it’s uncomfortable to watch a game at the 90,000-seat Los Angeles Arena, at least on campus. The trip lasted when Miami was playing at the Orange Bowl, but now ‘Canes plays at the recently renovated Hard Rock Stadium, more than 20 miles from the university. In addition, much of USC’s alumni base and sponsors are in the entertainment industry. Billionaire maker and seller of headphones, Dr. Dre donated $70 million to the school in 2013. While in college, he wore shiny coats as part of World Class Wreckin’ Cru .
Miami is a school that was once so in dire need of money that they once turned to Nevin Shapiro, whose occupation turned out to be theft. He is still serving a 20-year sentence for federal financial crimes.
Financial problems seemed to be a thing of the past for The U. In 2013, the changing room was named after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, after he contributed the largest sum a former student had ever made. available for sports programming. It has since undergone some renovations, but what the players were introduced to in their dressing room yesterday, is the SEC way of life.
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That is giving off South Beach vibes. This is something to introduce to a local five-star recruit from Central, Booker T. Washington, or St. Thomas Aquinas, and at least it can compete with what they will see on their trips to Tuscaloosa and Athens. Mario Cristobal — two-time national champion at Miami, one of those won with Johnson as a teammate — left the Nike cocoon of Oregon to return home. As much as he loves his alma mater, he wouldn’t have left Phil Knight’s side to lead a program with the financial struggles of his time there.
As much as Johnson’s initial donation helped, that’s actor money from a different time in his career. The money being poured into the program now is cryptocurrency money. It’s all over South Florida, with the Miami Heat’s home stadium being renamed from American Airlines Arena to the FTX center. Last season, Yummy Crypto provided each male basketball player gets a $500 per month NIL deal.
I’m sure that whatever Johnson donates, and can be used as a tax break, would be appreciated, but what that show needed was for him to be the center and front. He keeps a busy schedule as Hollywood’s highest-grossing actor, every Forbes, but now he’s 50 years old. It’s time for him to step into his Jack Nicholson years. Nicholson is one of the great artists who ever graced the screen, but he spent many nights sitting in his chair at The Forum watching the Los Angeles Lakers. He keeps a tight schedule in his 40s and early 50s but Jack is still part of the show alongside Magic Johnson and the Laker Girls.
That April-June commitment is more than necessary for Johnson and Miami. The college football season features 12-13 regular-season games. With about half of that at home, if Johnson gets to watch on TV at a couple of home games each season that would be a huge boost. It’s one thing Saban can’t offer, access to Hollywood’s ultimate A-list artist. Imagine The Rock hanging around in the glittering new dressing room that bears his name from time to time. When the legendary Howard Schnellenberger coached in Miami, he would leave his cherry tube behind after home visits with top rookies. It’s 2022, let the players at the top of the list give Johnson time.
He won’t be scouting, but the best players should hang out with him. An afternoon with The Rock. They can go to the gym with him, go out to dinner and maybe meet Kevin Hart or some other famous person. Miami has been in need of a new Luther Campbell for a while. Luke and his team, 2 Live Crew, deserve all the flowers, but at their peak, he’s still not Denzel Washington. That’s the kind of celebrity Johnson has. Even more than his own money and Crypto Bro’s money, it’s the fame that Cristobal’s former teammate achieved that will be able to win the Miami championship with 6th place and beyond.
That new locker room, and some of the new recruits Cristobal unleashes, suggest a new day has arrived in Coral Gables. If they get back to the winning ways of the ’80s, ’90s and early years, it won’t be a business anymore. Those are Prime 112 and Joe’s Stone Crab for the Hurricanes. If Johnson raises more money by ramping up his presence with the program a bit, Miami will once again have the best performance in college football.
