Steve Mitchell USA TODAY Sports
Ever since the Miami Hurricanes football program (led by big time wideout Michael Irvin) invented “swagger” in the 1980s, it’s grown to be a great phenomenon in sports. It’s grown to be a term used to describe the pinnacle of confidence. Embodied in the term swagger are the attributes of talent, focus, character, and culture. Well, in 2013, history is repeating itself.
As Coral Gables is often credited as the birthplace of swagger, we are learning in 2013 that there is another attribute to be used in conjunction with swagger. Apparently, swagger is “contagious”. When a school that is never thought of for their basketball program is able to demand the presence of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in the front row of their game, you know you’ve done something right. We’ve seen all kinds of swagger from Miami this season. We’ve seen dazzling assists, highlight dunks, big time three point shots, and blowout games.
Most importantly, we’ve seen a group of kids ignite an entire city that has been maligned for not supporting local sports. And we’ve seen them do it with a smile on their faces. Miami is providing college basketball fans and America in general with another feel good story. It’s the ultimate underdog that has risen from the ashes into national glory. Unless you have a particular beef with Miami, it’s hard not to cheer for them to be successful this season. They’ve done it well, and they’ve done it with swagger. The Gonzaga Bulldogs may need to move over; it appears there’s a new candidate for “America’s Team”.
