Panthers Dynasty Reminiscent Of Early Canes Championship Team

The Florida Panthers, who have won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships, have been compared to every other professional franchise in Florida which has won titles.

Florida has been compared to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Heat and the Florida Marlins. All of those teams have won titles and had their dynasty years, but none many fans were not alive to see the Dolphins who have not won a playoff game in 25 years.

The Florida Marlins, now known as the Miami Marlins play their home games before a stadium of empty seats. They might play where the Dolphins used to play their football home games, but they will never replicate the excitement of the Joe Robbie-owned team.

The scribes have left out one other team, which has had built a dynasty of their own. They seems to be the forgotten bunch, but they won more titles than any other team in the state.

The Miami Hurricanes won three national championships in football during the 1980's. They also won two national titles in baseball under legendary coach Ron Fraser in 1982 and 1985.

Like the Panthers, Hurricanes fans started jumping on the bandwagon after they won their first football title after the 1983 season.

Beloved coach Howard Schnellenberger and quarterback Bernie Kosar put Hurricanes football on the map with their 31-30 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl sealing the school's first football championship.

The Panthers were the laughing stock of the league based on attendance at home games before general manager Bill Zito came to town and started wheeling and dealing. He is the Panthers equivalent to Schnellenberger, who opened up recruiting in Florida for the Hurricanes.

The Panthers and Hurricanes could not draw flies before they started winning. The Canes were floundering under Lou Saban, but he did recruit Jim Kelly to come play quarterback for Miami and spurn Joe Paterno who wanted to convert him into a linebacker at home town Penn State.

The Hurricanes won football titles again in 1987 and 1989. Miami was the team of the 1980's. Three football titles and two baseball national championships.

Comparable to the Panthers? I would tend to think so. The Hurricanes deserve to be included in the dynasties referenced above.