The last time we sat down to pen an allCanes-themed bio seems like yesterday. In reality, it was September 2003 and a piece called “Hurricanes Graceland” written for our friends at CanesTime Magazine.

At the time “The U” was still stinging from the “Robbery In The Desert” but the program was flying high, coming off of back-to-back title game appearances and three straight BCS games. If you were a fan of The U, life wasn’t just good – you were living the dream.

Soon after our write-up, Miami went 11-2, earned an Orange Bowl berth – a fourth straight BCS appearance – and beat Florida State for the second time in a matter of months. The Canes also opened the season with an ‘Instant Classic’ comeback against the Gators, leaving zero doubt to who was king of the Sunshine State. Still, for Miami in that era, it was viewed as a “down” year based on recent success. Amazing. What we wouldn’t give for such a “down” year these days.

It’s been a brutal run for ‘The U’ this past decade. Football. Baseball. Basketball. All have suffered on some level. Program heartbreaks, game day losses, coaching turnover and general turmoil. Not exactly what any of us would’ve predicted at the turn of the century. Still, as supporters of UM we press on, keep the faith and hang on for better days. Even more so for allCanes and allCanes.com.

As the #1 Canes Shop since 1959, win or lose, at allCanes it always remains business as usual. There is no off-season, no downtime and no distractions to take our mind off of our beloved program. It truly is all Canes, all the time – 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. We were on top of the world after nine national championships – five in football and four in baseball – and we suffered through the disappointment of losing seasons, probation, sanctions and personal tragedy that surrounded the program. It’s the nature of our business.

The term “U Family” is a feel-good slogan or hash-tag to some, but at allCanes, it truly is a way of life. We’ve been a local landmark for over fifty years, we’ve had the same owners since 1974 and the same general manager since 1991. Our employees are fans and we even have some second-generation allCanes family members involved in our business.

A lot of competition has come and gone through the years. The lesser ones have failed while many of the newer sites lack the history, product selection, passion and intangibles that have kept allCanes as the leader of the pack for several decades running. Time will tell how long they’ll survive, but there’s never any question when it comes to measuring true heart and commitment to this program and university. In that arena, allCanes will never be beat.

Where others simply get in and get out, selling merchandise and fulfilling orders, at allCanes we work to create the ultimate experience for our customers. Like you, were too are diehard fans who embrace the rich history of this proud program. Countless members of NFL U have shopped with us, during their time at UM or when back in town visiting, and a few even worked in-store. Administrators, faculty, coaches, athletic department members and players’ parents are weekly staples at allCanes – despite an on-campus bookstore that might technically be more convenient.

Our overall brand is something we’ve focused on tremendously these past few years, which is why we’ve gotten very media-heavy, creating our own allCanes iPhone mobile app, revamping allCanesBlog.com, launching allCanes Radio and putting time, energy and effort into strategic partnerships with the likes of CaneShooter.com, proCanes.com and CaneInsider.com.

The most tangible aspect of our unique brand – allCanes Originals. Be it swagger-touting t-shirts or classy designs for men, women and children, we work tirelessly to bring fans designs unavailable anywhere else.

As tough as the past half decade has been on the football field, diamond or hardwood, there remains a bright spot in this journey for allCanes; you, the customer. This fan base doesn’t always get the best rap nationwide, but after serving this community for half a century, we’re here to tell you that we love our U Family. Those of you we interact with in-store, those of you online or the folks who still prefer a live voice and call in their phone orders – you are the best fans in the game and we thank you for years of patronage and support.

This allCanes.com redesign was done with you in mind. We owed you a better, modern-day shopping experience, but wanted to make sure that graphically we provided out-of-towners with the same experience folks get in-store. We know the look on a newbie’s face the first time the walk in the front door at 5831 Ponce De Leon Boulevard and our goal was to create a similar ‘wow’ factor for online customers. We hope we’ve succeeded.

Should you have any comments, questions or that simple desire to talk anything Canes, shoot us an email or ring us up at 800.226.4247 (IBIS) as we’re always ready to hear from you.

http://allcanes.com/hurricane_graceland.html

Thanks, U Family and Go Canes.

The allCanes Family