FanHouse Miami

WASHINGTON -- Colby Cohen saw it before anyone in the building.

WASHINGTON -- Enrico Blasi believes in mission statements to the point that he probably doesn't eat breakfast without figuring out how that bowl of cereal fits into his 10-year plan.

And while Miami University is just the second No. 4 seed to advance to college hockey's national title game, the coach has no room for Cinderella in his mission statement.

So don't even mention that fictional princess. Heck, don't mention any princess. Don't hand him any lines about glass skates or being happy to be here. He'll smash everyone of them like he's taking a baseball bat to that famous slipper.

Enrico Blasi's mission statement is only about being the best. Every moment. Every breath. Every day. Cinderella had a night. Blasi wants a program.

WASHINGTON -- They were happy to be there, they wanted everyone to know, going so far as to thank the media in attendance, the fans and just about everybody who gleefully mangled the University's unusual name at some point. But they weren't happy to be here, exactly. Not now, not first at the dais, less than 15 minutes after the final goal horn of the season, in the loser's spot, wearing a hurt not even a Stanley Cup-worthy collection of playoff beards could hide.

Bemidji State senior Travis Winter had his jersey on still, the rest sat only in their undershirts, answering question after question.

After their 4-1 loss to Miami, even their words seemed to drip with sweat.

And the realization that midnight had come for this hockey Cinderella.

---

---

Before March was mad, the ACC was already basketball crazy.

Since 1955, the granddaddy of all conference tournaments has put one heck of an exclamation point on the end of the season, the twist ending to an Oscar-worthy film. Even in an era when six bids out of the league are as routine as Billy Packer ripping apart mid-majors or Mike Krzyewski having a colorful conversation with the referees, the ACC tournament still matters.

And in 2009, the ACC tournament has a to-do list the size of Barack Obama's.

March started days ago. The Madness started Wednesday night.

On an evening where bubble teams could've punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament and boosters could've started humming bars of "One Shining Moment," teams turned down invitations like they were to a wedding without an open bar or the People's Choice Awards.

A memo, fellows. This isn't an invitation to a candlelight dinner with Randy Johnson. "Big Dance" doesn't mean you're cutting a rug with Mark Madsen or waltzing cheek-to-cheek with Mike Tyson.

You actually want to go to this thing.

For some, "balanced reporting" and "The New York Times" are mutually exclusive terms. Last weekend's notebook item titled "Enthusiasm Cools for Hockey's Foray Into the South" did little to dispel that notion; here was a doom and gloom report on the NHL in non-traditional markets -- an indictment of Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, Florida and Carolina -- that contained not a single interview with any of the defamed. Instead we have two financial consultants, a crackpot Marcel Dionne and NHLPA president Paul Kelly, keeping that Canadian wet dream of the NHL's return to Winnipeg alive.

There are some basic misconceptions and ingrained hypocrisy throughout the piece. Let's explore them together, shall we?

After reading out Salt Lake Tribune beat writer Phil Miller's recent travel nightmare, I was feeling kind of sorry for the Jazz, who recently lost at every stop of a "four games in five nights" road trip. Traveling through the night hopping from one city to the next can be tough, no matter if you're flying coach or a chartered plane.

But from the sounds of it, maybe the Jazz didn't try make it any easier on themselves, enjoying a night on the town last Monday on the eve of their first game in Miami. From the Miami Herald:

Visiting from Sin City, the expert in champagne wishes and caviar dreams, Robin Leach, had dinner at Prime 112 on Monday night. In the house, all the Utah Jazz players with, according to Leach, ''a collection of UM blond beauties.''

Maybe I'm jumping the gun -- players need to eat, don't they? -- but I'm curious just how many of those players immediately hit the sack after dinner or perhaps joined the University of Miami co-eds for a nightcap at one of Miami's numerous hot spots (and I'm not talking Wi-Fi). On the other hand, it's hard to blame them if they did -- a night in South Beach must feel like an exotic vacation after being cooped up in Salt Lake City for most of the winter.

(I admit, this post isn't exactly heavy in substance ... but Miller's piece is an interesting read, and at the very least I got to use that pic of Robin Leach and Monique Benevento.)

Maryland hasn't blown out anyone this year. Every win has been hard fought and close until the end. Except for the West Virginia loss, the losses were close too. It didn't matter if the wins were on the road against strong ACC teams -- Clemson -- or at home against a drained team -- Miami -- the games were close until the end. In fact, the two games I just mentioned were both one point games. So does this style of play help or hurt Maryland?

Ralph Friedgen mentioned that in these close situations, his players have confidence. Actually, he called them "cocky." Confidence is always a plus. I don't expect this team who has played in so many pressure situations to be easily rattled on the road in a big game. This team is different than the team that was wowed by the big lights of a Thursday night game against WVU. They will not be affected by the situation tomorrow. In that sense, the team has matured greatly over the season.

On the other hand, the Terps keep putting themselves in these pressure situations. When the Terps were bad, their MO was that they would get a lead and blow it late in the game. They're still blowing leads, just not enough to lose the game. At this final stretch of the season, the Terps cannot do that any more. Their luck is going to wear out. The team has used so much of it that it can't last forever. They lead Miami 14-0 but won 14-13. They lead FSU 27-14 but won 27-24 (on a blocked kick.) Soon or later, one of these teams is going to come back enough to rout the Terps. This is a huge game for both BC and Maryland, so if Maryland gives the momentum to BC, they'll run with it.

Finally, the legacy of Nik Caner-Medley is gone. Well, at least his legacy as last Maryland player to be good and have two last names is gone. Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Terps stud wide receiver, will become the next Terps star to take that title. And I'm thankful. Nik Caner-Medley, the basketball forward, was way over rated. He was a ball hog who could ruin a game with poor shots. I'll admit that he had some good games, but all in all, he was not that good. When ESPN talked Terps basketball the last three years, they talked Caner-Medley, when there were always more consistant players. Plus, I heard that he was a jerk in real life from people who had been around him.

Darrius Heyward-Bey will be a star. He runs a 4.21 40 and as we all saw against Miami, speed kills -- in this case, killed the defenders. Heyward-Bey and Quarterback Sam Hollenbach hooked up twice for long passes, the only scoring all game. The better news? Both he and Ralph Friedgen think he's going to get much better. They want him to improve his style of catching and to make his routes crisper.

Imagine next year when Heyward-Bey improves his techniques. As long as Jordan Steffy can improve to a decent QB, Darrius will be a star. Plus, he seems like a personable guy. Watch the segment on FridgeTV where he takes you through his "crib." He's got a down-to-earth personality that fans can get behind. Everyone kind of had the idea that Caner-Medley was a jerk. Even if he wasn't, he gave away that cocky personality -- remember his public drunk tantrum in Maine where he screamed "I'm from Maryland! No one can beat me!"? I just don't see that from Heyward-Bey.

So look out, Terp fans. We've got a potential superstar on our hands, and if he stays most of the time, I bet they'll be Heisman talk his final year. Heyward-Bey is what's in at Maryland. Deal with it Caner-Medley.