Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
There are few sports entities as polarizing as The U. ESPN has capitalized on that by airing another Billy Corben documentary. The U, Part 2 picks up where the original left off, and covers the rebuilding of the program, and the painful descent to mediocrity. The U was an outstanding documentary, the sequel lacks many of the unique elements of the original and is mediocre at best.
If you've seen "The U" you will feel very comfortable because all of the colors and most of the sounds are back. Billy Corben did an excellent job of making subtle graphical changes while keeping the feel of the original. The list of interview subjects is nothing short of amazing. Former players Randy Phillips, Philip Buchanon, Jeremy Shockey, and Ken Dorsey were all interviewed. Former coaches Larry Coker, Butch Davis, and Don Soldinger were interviewed as well, their recollections were very compelling, especially in regards to the rebuilding of the program following the exit of Dennis Erickson. The film centered around Butch Davis' attempts to repair Miami's image following the Pell Grant scandal, which resulted in Miami facing unprecedented sanctions. Butch Davis was given a fairly soft portrayal, his departure from the University was glossed over. His successor, Larry Coker was portrayed as a chaperone who had no business running the program. What Corben forgot to note was the fact that Coker was forced into the position, due to Davis' departure. The man who should have been head coach, Greg Schiano, had taken the Rutgers job right before Butch left for Cleveland. That possibility should have been explored.
Corben glossed over the end of the Coker era, and most of the Shannon tenure, choosing to spend a significant portion of the film discussing the Nevin Shapiro fiasco. Shapiro's misdeeds should have been discussed, but the discussion was far too lengthy, especially seeing how many of his outrageous claims were dismissed as outright falsehoods. Corben took an unnecessary shot at University President Donna Shalala, by pointing to a picture of her and Shapiro. The filmmaker infers that Shalala should have known that Shapiro was a shady character, due to his behavioral patterns. It's a flawed inference because the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission couldn't identify Shapiro for years. Why would a University administration be able to expose a ponzi schemer? Shapiro was an renegade booster, an unlikeable character, but there's tons of boosters who fit that description. This part of the movie showed that Corben hasn't forgiven Shalala and the University leadership for not supporting his film projects. It came off as petty, and vindictive.
The U, Part 2 lacks the interesting stories that made the original so incredible. When one watched The U, they were not only viewing the rise of a football program, they were viewing the rise of a community, the rise of a region. This sequel didn't have a compelling narrative, it seemed like a hastily done expansion. This film could have been an hour-long special and had the same impact. Instead, viewers were treated to an overly long production that didn't shed any legitimate insight into the run of dominance, or the players who made it happen. Pivotal games were barely mentioned, it was just a blur of dominance. There were many iconic moments in Miami's latest run of excellence, and Corben ignored all of them. Billy Corben is a very good filmmaker, this wasn't something befitting his immense talent. Frankly, this is one of the weakest "30 for 30" films ever produced.
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