With all due respect,this guy needs to get a clue. Wasn't he the one in a UM player's face after he made his second field goal?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Xavier Beitia has received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls since missing what could have been a game-winning field goal for Florida State against top-ranked Miami on Saturday.


Some positive, some negative.


The one he will always remember is the call from Matt Munyon - one of the few who really understand what Beitia is going through.


Munyon missed a possible game-tying, 49-yard field goal in the final seconds of the 2000 Florida State-Miami game - Wide Right III.


Beitia missed a 43-yarder Saturday, becoming the fourth Seminoles kicker to miss in the closing seconds against Miami, which won 28-27.


"Matt told me that I don't realize it now, but I'll be so much better because of it," Beitia said Wednesday in his first public comments since the miss. "He uses it every day for motivation. He said he's gotten so much stronger and just works so much harder.


"I thought the challenge was making the kick, but the real challenge has been getting over it."


Beitia has struggled to move on. He sobbed for more than an hour after the miss and wasn't able to talk to reporters. His mother, father and several police officers escorted him to the team bus, and the tears still flowed.


A few Florida State fans applauded Beitia as he made his way to the bus, but it did little to erase his sadness.


The flight back to Tallahassee probably would have felt like an eternity. But the team plane had engine trouble, so Beitia drove home - making the trip much longer.


The seven-hour ride gave him plenty of time to dissect the kick and try to rationalize his role in the rivalry's history.


On Wednesday, he explained the tears.


"In that moment, there wasn't anything that anybody could tell me because I thought it was my fault," he said. "I wanted to be in that situation and I felt like I let everyone down."


Each day is getting easier, and being back on the practice field has helped. The biggest test will come when he gets another shot at another field goal, possibly Oct. 26 against Notre Dame.


"Notre Dame is coming up and life goes on," he said. "What can I do? No matter if I make 15 game-winners, Miami 2002 will always be there. I can't dwell on it. ... It was just my turn to miss. I can't have flashbacks. I've got to be stronger than before."


Beitia watched replays of the kick - and came up with a few possible reasons for the miss:


-He forgot to make the sign of the cross, a pre-snap ritual he usually completes.


-There was no wind before the snap, then a gust came up just as he kicked the ball.


-The snap was a little low, something that might have been caused by the holder setting up 8

I see the Miami Athletice Director has made a public apology, for the
classless act of a Member of the Miami staff taunting him after he missed
the kick!

Real Class Act, these 'Canes!

They remind you of unemployed school teachers..."They have no principal
and no class!

Paul,
leave it to you to make an ignorant comment like that. First of all, in the same situation, FSU fan, or any other fan would have done the same and maybe worse. Secondly, I invite you to watch the re-broadcast of the game tonight (assuming you have cable in your trailer) and notice Beitia's reaction to his second field goal. He runs up to a Miami player and starts running off at the mouth. Imagine what he would have done and said if he did make the last field goal. So please spare us all. If you want to find classless fans, please go over to the Florida page. Otherwise find something constructive to contribute. Oh, in case you were wondering, Paul Dee issued that apology hiding all the sarcasm he could. Yeah, we're real sorry that Bobby mis-managed the clock, that he played right into Coker's hands by running one more play, and that once again an FSU kicker failed like a loser. Once again I would like to express my sadness to all you honorable FSU fans for Paul trying to be one of you. We know the real quality of FSU Fan and have great respect. Forgive him Father for he knows not what he does or says.


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

"O Wise One..."

Trash Talking on a football field...was refined to an art
by football players from Florida Universities.

You are posting on a bulletin board that has football
fans from all over the country. And to an individual
they likewise would tell you, that the taunt did not
come during the game, but after the game.

It did not come from a fan...it came from a member of
the Miami staff.

I've watched Florida and Florida State "fight" three
straight years at midfield, before the game had even
begun. I've seen Florida State and Miami square off at
midfield before the game had even begun. I've watched
all three talk bigtime trash during games...but I have never
seen any Player or Member of a Staff taunt a rival
when the game had concluded. Never!

I've seen players and staff, shake hands, I've watched them
embrace, and I've seen them kneel and pray together,
but I've never seen them taunt after the game had concluded.

"Pretty Classless Act!"

I will admit though, that after the "tralier and cable" remarks
have subsided, you have me "topped" in one area.

Certainly we are all envious that because Miami's school colors
are Orange and Green...The orange vest you wear to work
cleaning up America's Highways, you can also wear to the games.

do svidaniya, durack!

Yeah, I agree with what you say Paul. I, too, have witnessed many games between us & Miami and Florida and have never seen anything like that. It is expected to happen before the game and during, but not when it's over with. I even remember a Florida player who tried to hit BB in the back of the head before a game and was ejected. I understand everyone is quite excited and pumped up, but come on guys, it's only a GAME!!!

Paul:
I love the fact that you have chosen to focus your brain cell on such an insignificant event. I would think that you would be more interested in the fact that for the fourth time, your kicker lost the game for you. That once again Bobby Bowden was out-coached in the 4th quarter, oh, and that FSU LOST AGAIN!

Fact 1 Xavier Beithia was running around the field, getting in our players

I know this is a dead issue but I thought I'd chime in with an outside opinion. Beitia taunted a Miami player after making a field goal. Fair enough. The "staff member" (UM officials deny his current employment) was not taunted by Beitia so he had no business addressing him. I say if the Hurricane Beitia taunted came up to return the favor, that's his right to respond. Besides "staff members" are not supposed to address opposing players in a negative manner. I see that as the main reason for the anti-Miami sentiments, other than the usual bitter ones.

:bang: Lets move on, Irish are up.....GO NOLES

~NOLEY~ :wave: