Enjoy retirement, turnover chain. You were a beacon of the college football light.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal confirmed Thursday during his appearance at the ACC media days that Miami would no longer break out the iconic jewelry after forcing a turnover.
The revenue chain launched in 2017 and its various iterations have been a big part of the Miami schedule over the past five seasons. Former coach Manny Diaz was the team’s defensive coordinator when the chain made its debut. But the revenue chain era is now over, as is Diaz’s tenure as Miami head coach. And Cristobal really didn’t seem all that inclined to talk much about the chain being put out to pasture on Thursday.
“I think probably the media thought about it more than I did,” Cristobal said Thursday when asked why Miami pulled the revenue chain. “We’re just really focused on getting better as a program and we’ve focused on technique, fundamentals, regimentation, academics, strength and conditioning, exercise science, community service, and that’s been the focus.”
“It’s not a shot or any form of disrespect towards anyone or anyone. Certainly history is history, and whether it’s positive, whether it’s inconsequential, whatever it is, it’s still history and part of your program. We’re moving in a direction right now that doesn’t include it right now. That’s really the best way to go about it.
“Let’s put it that way. We worked so hard and paid attention to so many other things that I think are much more important for winning football games and being successful that it really wasn’t an issue or an issue. We’re going to Don’t use it. Are you ok with that? Are we okay now? Everyone’s got the chainmail? Okay. All right. Thanks.”
We won’t see a sales chain on the Miami sidelines in 2022. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Miami native Cristobal joined the Hurricanes from Oregon after the team targeted him as a replacement for Diaz. Cristobal played soccer in Miami and is intimately familiar with the outward expressions of Miami. He was part of the legendary Miami teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s that took the college football world by storm with their brash attitude.
But Cristobal clearly doesn’t think Miami should see defensive success with the chain. At least not now. Hopefully there will be a comeback in the future. The sales chain was fun. And Miami, being successful and having an attitude is also what makes college football fun.