2009-102009-10 OrOrangangee BoBowlwl FFestiestivvalal LetterLetter frfromom thethe OBCOBC PrPresidentesident && ChairChair Antonio L. Argiz 2010-11 Orange Bowl Committee President & Chair of the Board Spring is a time to reflect, re-energize and re-strategize, and the Orange Bowl Committee is doing all of that and more to prepare for the upcoming 2010-11 Orange Bowl Festival. Let us take a moment to reflect on yet another successful Orange Bowl Festival. Under the leadership of immediate past president Phillis Oeters and CEO Eric Poms, the Committee hosted two successful athletic programs from the University of Iowa and Georgia Tech, along with the tens of thousands of their fans who flocked to South Florida. I would like to congratulate and thank our partners, volunteers, committee members and staff, who worked hard to maintain the Orange Bowl Festival among the preeminent events in South Florida and nationwide. By bringing events that create significant economic impact and visibility to South Florida, the Committee defines what civic organizations should do for a community. Not only do we host two of the top rated football teams in the country at the FedEx Orange Bowl, but we also produce the successful MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at the BankAtlantic Center. In addition, we have the Seminole Hard Rock Orange Bowl Halftime Show that continues to carry on the Orange Bowl tradition of providing world-class entertainment. Furthermore, both the AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon and the Baptist Health Orange Bowl Prayer Breakfast in support of the FCA sold out filling Miami’s Jungle Island. But none of this would matter if we didn’t make a difference in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Last year, the Committee invested more than $750,000 in the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance benefitting nine leagues across eight Florida counties. And the upcoming season marks the 12th for the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance, home to some 15,000 youth football players and cheerleaders who depend on our contributions. With a record field of 731 participants, making it the largest youth regatta in the United States, young sailors came from from 24 countries as well as 26 U.S. states to Miami to compete in the 33rd Annual Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, a USA Junior Olympic Sailing event. Additionally, the Orange Bowl International Tennis hosts top players at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, home of the Sony Ericsson Open, and draws more than 1,000 international players to compete for one of the world's top junior titles. And since we understand how our support impacts youth and raises our community’s profile on an international level, we look forward to continuing our efforts with youth sports this year. Following the success of the 2009-10 Orange Bowl Festival, it is time to re-energize, and kick it up a notch, to take this organization to the next level. The Orange Bowl Committee must remain at the forefront of the community. The Orange Bowl Festival and its more than 50 annual events are not owned by anyone other than the people of South Florida. And we can’t let anyone forget that. As president, I plan on increasing the Committee’s year-round relevance in the community to further strengthen our position as a leading civic organization and in turn create revenue opportunities. Mr. Antonio L. Argiz received the gavel from Ms. And that’s only the beginning! Also in 2010, we will continue to build strong relationships with key Phillis Oeters, who served as President & Chair dur- ing the OBC’s 2009-10 Festival, on January 28 during stakeholders like the BCS, the Atlantic Coast Conference, our annual ticket patrons, community and an evening gala reception held at the Riviera Country corporate partners, and our new television partner, ESPN. Club in Coral Gables. The 72nd President & Chair, But before we begin the strategic planning for the 2010-11 Orange Bowl Festival, let’s take a moment Mr. Argiz is in his 10th year with the Committee and is to remember the sights and stories from the most recent Orange Bowl Festival. This issue of the the Chief Executive Officer and managing partner of Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra LLP. The upcoming Orange Bowl Insider will not only close out the 2009-10 Festival, but also give a glimpse of things to 2010-11 Orange Bowl Festival includes the 77th come this year. Enjoy! Annual Orange Bowl game, the 17th Annual Sincerely, MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic and the 12th season of the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance. The Orange Bowl game, the crown jewel of the Festival, will be played on Jan. 3 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. Antonio L. Argiz 72nd President & Chairman of the Board Jeffrey T. Roberts O. Ford Gibson Andrew P. Hertz Lee E. Stapleton Luis E. Boué Phillis Oeters Eric L. Poms Chair-Elect Vice Chair Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer Immediate Past Chief Executive President & Chair Officer Board of Directors: Timothy A. Battle, Shawn D. Crews, Alfonso A. Cueto, Larry Gautier, Sara B. Herald, Laura Morgan Horton, Edgar C. Jones Jr., Christopher E. Knight, Peyton White Lumpkin, Charles O. Morgan Jr., Matthew E. Morrall, Jeff E. Rubin, John P. (Jack) Seiler, Roberta B. Stokes, Hope G. Victor, and J. Hayes Worley Jr. 1 20102010 FFedExedEx OrOrangangee BoBowlwl In a game that featured one of the most dynamic offenses in the nation against one of the country’s stingiest defenses, it was the #10 Iowa Hawkeyes solving the #9 Georgia Tech’s triple option attack for a 24-14 victory at the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl. Despite a temperature of 49 degrees at kickoff, the coldest in the 76 year history of the football classic, the Hawkeyes had the Yellow Jackets feeling the heat from the start. Iowa (11-2) earned its first Bowl Championship Series win, matched the school record for victories and claimed its highest final ranking since fin- ishing No. 3 in 1960. Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech (11-3) totaled nine first downs and 155 yards, both season lows. The Yellow Jackets were first in the nation in time of possession, sec- ond in rushing and 11th in scoring. But they sputtered against an Iowa defense that held four bowl-bound teams to 10 points or less during the regular season. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn led Iowa's defensive charge with two sacks and nine tackles, including two for a loss, and was chosen the game's most outstanding player. With the victory, Iowa earned its first Orange Bowl win after losing in its previous appearance, a 2002 loss to Southern Cal 38-17 in the Hawkeyes' only other Orange Bowl appearance. The game marked the sixth appearance for Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl game and its first since 1967, the final game coached by the legendary Bobby Dodd. The Hawkeye offense was led by quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who went 17 for 29 for 231 yards and threw two early touchdowns in his return from a sprained ankle that sidelined him in the season's 10th game, and true freshman running back Brandon Wegher, who carried the ball 16 times for 113 yards and one score. Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt went only 2 for 9 for 12 yards for Tech, which had a season-high seven punts. Jonathan Dwyer, a 1,300-yard rusher the past two seasons, netted only 49 yards on 14 carries against the Hawkeyes. This marked the first meeting ever between these schools and was only the second time in Orange Bowl history that the Big Ten faced the ACC. The two conferences previously met in the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl where Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions outlasted Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles 26-23 in a triple-overtime thriller. The Orange Bowl Committee contin- ued its tradition of staging the most entertaining and prestigious halftime show in all of college football as the leg- endary R&B group Kool & The Gang headlined the Seminole Hard Rock Orange Bowl Halftime Show. Produced and directed by ACT Productions, Kool & The Gang were joined by hundred of dancers from Bowl Games of America. Famed international jazz vocalist Nicole Henry helped launch the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl by performing the National Anthem prior to kick-off while noted saxophonist Alto Reed played a rendition of America the Beautiful. 2 2009-102009-10 AAwwarardsds andand HonorHonorss FedEx Orange Bowl - FWAA Courage Award The University of Connecticut football team was recognized as the winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. The Huskies per- severed throughout the 2009 season after the tragic death of starting cornerback Jasper Howard. Athletic Director Jeffrey A. Hathaway and head football coach Randy Edsall were presented the award at the AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon and during the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl, where they were joined by Howard’s parents. Howard, a 20-year-old junior and Miami native, died in the early morning hours of Oct. 18, just hours after UConn’s homecoming win over Louisville, after he was stabbed during an alter- cation after a campus-sponsored party. The Courage Award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA votes on the winner each year. The requirements for nomination include dis- playing courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, pre- venting a disaster or living through hardship. Analyst, Hall of Famer Bob Griese Named Edwin Pope Vanguard Media Award Winner Bob Griese, the veteran ABC and ESPN college football analyst, has with Chris Spielman and Dave been named as the winner of the 2009 “Edwin Pope Orange Bowl Pasch.