CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami sideline was loaded with talent this past weekend. Michael Irvin was there, just like he’s been all season no matter where the game is. Ray Lewis did his trademark dance. Edgerrin James, Jessie Armstead, Bryant McKinnie, Rohan Marley, Bernie Kosar and Clinton Portis all showed up as well.
Today’s Hurricanes clearly have the attention of the program’s best from yesteryear.
When the big names show up at Miami games, it tends to be a pretty good indicator of what’s happening on the field. Getting the alumni — particularly the Miami greats — more involved was a priority for Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal when he came home in 2021, and he’s seeing the payoff.
“Some of those guys look like they can still play, and probably can,” said Cristobal, a Miami alum and national champion as a player himself. “Look at the old games, back in the ’80s and ’90s, look at that sideline and how littered it was with real-deal dudes. Like, into it, passionate, love Miami, bleed orange and green, dudes and how much of an attraction it was. I used to kill to get over here to watch these guys go at it.”
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Some are expected back on the sideline this weekend, when No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) plays host to Duke (6-2, 2-2) and former Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz on Saturday.
There were well over 100 recruits at this past weekend’s 36-14 win over rival Florida State, and they all got to see the big names from the past. Time will tell if it left an impact on their upcoming decisions.
But for the current players, having the alumni back is a big deal as well.
“I always talk to those guys, and those guys are all saying they wish they could be in our shoes on the team that we have,” wide receiver Xavier Restrepo said. “So, that really means a lot, coming from those guys who have done so much in the game of football. I have unlimited respect for those guys and any time I can get a word with those guys, it’s just amazing and I really pay attention.”
If there’s a sideline alumni MVP this season, Irvin would seem to be the frontrunner by a wide margin.
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He’s been in huddles on the sideline, yelling his head off in some cases. Irvin went viral for getting on his hands and knees during Miami’s wild 25-point comeback to beat Cal 39-38. He slapped Restrepo — who has passed Irvin on Miami’s all-time catch and receiving yardage lists this season — on the sides of the helmet in celebration after one of those catches.
And when Miami held on to beat Virginia Tech 38-34 — a game where the Hurricanes prevailed when a Hail Mary touchdown by the Hokies was overturned by replay of the game’s final play — Irvin was absolutely drenched in sweat on the sideline, the white shirt that he wore emblazoned with Miami’s famed orange and green “U” logo stuck to his skin.
“I’ve never worked so hard in all of my life for a victory,” Irvin said in a video he posted online that night, “even when I was playing football. … Every guy in that locker room came to me and said, ‘Michael, way to bring that energy. Way to pull it out of us.’”
Cristobal isn’t the first coach to welcome Miami alumni back to the program — all his predecessors have done it on some level — but it sure seems like more of the greats are around on a regular basis these days. Lamar Thomas is always around, players say. Reggie Wayne chatted with some players before a game this month. Alums stop by practice on occasion, and on game day, home or away, they’re not hard to find.
Cristobal has made it clear: The more the alumni are around, the better.
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“This was always an unbelievable brotherhood and that’s what made it what it was,” Cristobal said. “It’s 2024. We’re not going to go backwards. We’re going to go forward, tighten this thing up and bring everybody together so that people understand that when Miami comes together, it’s unbreakable. So, it’s really, really important and significant.”
Video shows bright orange flames still burning at a warehouse in Northwest Miami-Dade on Friday, almost 24 hours after crews first responded.
The flames broke out before 11 a.m. Thursday, sending towers of thick black smoke into the sky, and crews have been attempting to put the fire out since.
Officials said the structure located just east of Red Road and south of Florida’s Turnpike Extension is more than twice the size of a Costco warehouse and contains hazardous materials inside.
More than 200 firefighters from both Broward and Miami-Dade counties have been fighting the blaze, which officials say could burn for days.
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The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Lives spared, livelihoods lost
Miami-Dade Deputy Fire Chief Danny Cardeso said no injuries were reported.
The driver of an 18-wheeler told NBC6 he was at the warehouse, which stores inventory for shipments, when the fire alarm went off.
He said everyone immediately evacuated, no one was hurt, and everyone inside was accounted for. Still, some workers and business owners fear they lost their livelihoods.
Benny Monción, who owns DBenny Sazón, one of the food trucks parked at the facility, was in tears when she spoke to NBC6 at the scene.
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She said a friend of hers who also owns a food truck called to tell her how he fared.
“He called me just now, we were watching the news, and my truck was still intact, but his, the fire got it,” she said, her voice breaking as she put her head in her hand. “It burned it all up.”
She said she wasn’t sure what had happened to her truck, which normally operates on 50 North University Drive in Pembroke Pines, as the fire raged.
“I ask God that mine at least can be OK, but I feel so bad [that his didn’t make it], because these are hardworking people, looking to earn their daily living that in this country is too hard,” Monción said. “It’s so many things.”
Air quality concerns
A public safety alert was issued at one point Thursday due to the heavy smoke. The alert recommended those with respiratory problems and medical conditions to shelter in place if possible.
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Dr. Donny Perez, a medical director at Memorial Regional Hospital South, said fires like this can send fine particles into the air that can irritate the lungs and cause coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, sore throat, chest pain and palpitations.
“Even their eyes can get irritated, the sore throat. So the best thing is to stay indoors with the windows closed, avoid outdoor exercise. Wear an N-95 mask if you must go outside. Use your rescue inhalers as prescribed if you do have lung disease,” he said.
Resident Gloria Downey said the smoke was concerning, especially with the uncertainty about what materials could be burning.
“I mean I don’t know what’s in that building, but I have lived here since before that building was built off and on, and God knows what’s in there,” she said. “We have the house completely sealed. We have air filters running in both rooms. The air condition is off. It’s a little hot in Miami, but we’ll be all right.”
Drought and wind may hinder firefight
Winds on Friday are blowing consistently at 10-20 mph toward the northwest, pushing the smoke over a nearby landfill and out over the Everglades.
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“Just a couple of spotty little showers here, not enough to really help with the fire,” NBC6’s meteorologist Adam Berg said. “But the winds certainly don’t help.”
Traffic impacts
Officials asked people to avoid the area while they worked to put out the fire. Northwest 47th Avenue is closed between Honey Hill Drive (Northwest 199th Street) to Northwest 207th Drive.
A mother in Miami Gardens has been sentenced to five years of probation after her 2-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in her purse.
According to police, the incident happened last summer at an apartment complex in Miami Gardens. Authorities say the toddler grabbed his mother’s firearm from her purse and accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the leg.
Video captured at the scene showed the child being rushed to the hospital on a stretcher. The boy survived and has since fully recovered.
The child’s mother, 35-year-old Christina Monique Doyle, was arrested and charged with child neglect and culpable negligence for allowing easy access to the weapon. Prosecutors said those charges carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
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During a court hearing, the presiding judge, Alberto Milian, emphasized the responsibility that comes with gun ownership.
“I am a very pro-gun person, but along with the right and the privilege of having a gun comes responsibilities,” Milian said.
Doyle ultimately accepted a plea deal where she pleaded no contest, allowing her to avoid jail time. Instead, she was sentenced to five years of probation.
Her attorney, Dustin Tischler, said Doyle has no prior criminal record and described the incident as a mistake.
“She’s 35 years old, never been in trouble whatsoever in her life,” Tischler said. “She’s a very good mother, a very caring mother to several children. This has been a nightmare, and she’s happy to get it behind her.”
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Tischler also said the case should serve as a warning to gun owners about keeping firearms secure around children.
“Even though she had it in her purse and thought it was secure, the child was able to get to it when she was distracted,” he said. “If you have a firearm, it’s important to keep it locked away.”
Tischler said Doyle has completed a parenting program through the Florida Department of Children and Families and how she is allowed to have contact with her children, including her son who is now doing well after recovering from the injury.
NBC6 reached out to DCF about the case but we haven’t heard back yet.
Miami’s own pays tribute to former teacher on SNL Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez brought a piece of home to SNL for his latest performance, giving a tribute to his hometown and a special teacher in that classic Miami accent.
NEW YORK CITY — Miami’s own Marcello Hernandez brought a piece of home to SNL for his latest performance, giving a tribute to his hometown and a special teacher in that classic Miami accent.
During his performance, Hernandez definitely brought the character of “Mr. Fronzi” to life.
The over-the-top teacher with a big heart was a character inspired by his real-life theology teacher at Miami-Dade’s private Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Angie Fernandez.
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And Hernandez even flew her up to New York City to see the skit live in person.
“When I saw the skit, I was flabbergasted. I laughed from here to eternity. It was so good,” Fernandez said. “I am so honored that he chose to imitate me. That’s the best compliment you can give somebody!”
Fernandez said that while Hernandez drove her crazy in her classroom, he was also always humble, honest and she calls him one of her favorite students.
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Jenise Fernandez
Jenise Fernandez is a six-time Emmy award winning anchor and reporter at Local 10 News. Currently, she anchors the 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. news, Monday through Friday.
