ESPN 30 for 30: The U

An article by WhoDey    No Comments

Brash, brazen, and bold.  These words describe the the University of Miami Hurricane football team in the 1980s and early 90′s.  They might very well also describe Billy Corben’s documentary about that team, called The U.  Possibly the most anticipated film in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series so far, The U gives a look at the Hurricane dynasty through game highlights and former player interviews.  It was a fantastic romp through the evolution of Miami from a football laughingstock to a dominant team and possibly the most feared and intimidating squad in college sports, though it was not without its shortcomings.

The documentary begins with a punch – fast-paced hip-hop music, interspersed with some highlights from The U’s glory days.  It dives quickly into the story of coach Howard Schnellenberger, who started Miami’s ascent into the national spotlight.  The picture of early 80′s Miami painted by The U is not a good one – poverty, violence, and racial tension.  Still, the film leaves no doubt that there was a large amount of raw talent in local high school football.  Players talk about how football was a way of life from an early age in the area.  Schnellenberger was the first Miami coach that was able to harness that local power and bring it to The U.

The film moves quickly into Miami’s success – it wasn’t long before the story moved onto Schnellenberger’s resignation and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson.  An especially poignant moment comes when Schnellenberger looks back on his decision to leave for a USFL job that would never materialize and he’s brought to tears by what he still sees as a mistake some 25 years later.  Once Jimmy Johnson arrives, the focus of the film shifts from the building of the program to the building of its reputation.  Johnson was a contrast to Schnellenberger – not only did he put up with the players’ bold celebrations and hit-you-in-the-mouth attitude, but he encouraged it.  This is where Miami became “The U”.

Football highlights and player interviews abound throughout the program, as it moves further forward through the Johnson era and into the Dennis Erickson-led teams.  As much as we are led to believe that the team was in a state of controlled chaos under Johnson, under Erickson it seems to be teetering on the brink.  Still, they continue to win despite shooting themselves in the foot with their attitude and their “below the belt” play.

In its goal of telling the story of Miami football, the film definitely succeeds.  The viewer is left with a great sense of the evolution of the program, and it is quite impressive how success was maintained through not just three different head coaches, but three completely different coaching styles and attitudes.  The player interviews give you a sense of just how much pride alumni of the program have in their team, and how much the team meant to the city of Miami.

The sensory impact of the film is outstanding as well.  Old highlights are played with in-your-face music.  At the end of the program, talk of the end of the winning era at Miami is set against a backdrop of bulldozers tearing down the Orange Bowl, longtime home of the Hurricanes.  Finally, an ending montage of player intros from “The U” reinforces the pride of the players.

Its two hour running time still left a little to be desired, however.  As well as it did in telling the story of the “The U”, it did not totally fulfill its potential of explaining the impact of Miami football off of the football field.  The topic of racial tension in Miami and the Hurricanes’ role in easing that is broached, but not expanded on.  But even more disappointing is how little explanation is given of how Miami changed college football as a whole – the types of athletes that were recruited, the style of the game, and the way the players acted on the field.  Corben touches on the NCAA’s anti-celebration rule changes briefly, but does not discuss how the showtime act that Miami displayed has spread like wildfire throughout all levels of football in the 90s and into today.  Miami also helped start the demise of the “three yard in a cloud of dust” era of college football and bring about fast, agile, athletic teams.  You obviously get that impression from watching the film, but further analysis of that could have made for a more complete film.

All in all, The U, while not without its shortcomings, was an extremely entertaining romp through college football history.  If you missed it on Saturday or don’t have it on your DVR, I’d definitely recommend checking it out on one of ESPN’s replays.