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Tallahassee Train Wreck
Posted 10/9/2009 12:02:00 PM
With all the drama centered around FSU and Coach Bowden the last few days, it seems a lot of folks are forgetting some recent history. Bobby Bowden brought this on himself. He blackmailed FSU into hiring his idiot son Jeff, who basically destroyed recruiting and showed no aptitude for play calling. Some folks are also missing the obvious. Bobby is 79 years old, too old to be a coach or a CEO or whatever it is he does. We interviewed Coach Bowden at the ACC Media event in Greensboro back in August and he did not look good. He battled Shingles, the adult version of chicken pox in the off season and he just wasn't himself. It took him a while to get into his usual jovial interview mode. It was disappointing because for decades his "awh shucks" and "daggum" demeanor and charisma have always shined through. But when your team is no longer a powerhouse and downright embarrassing and a coach can't seem to step away it becomes just plain sad. Mike Bianchi wrote a great column in The Orlando Sentinel the other day where he reminded Seminole fans that Bobby said back in 2001 after an 8-4 year that if a pattern of losing developed he should step down and let a younger coach take a crack at it. Well what do FSU fans think of 8-5, 7-6, 7-6 and 9-4 the last 4 seasons? After appearing in the first 3 BCS National Championship games FSU is now second fiddle to the Gators and losing Florida in recruiting to The "U" and off to 2-3 start after losing to USF at home for crying out loud.

When FSU's Chairman of The Board of Trustees Jim Smith popped off about moving Coach Bowden out, there was a lot of outrage from high profile alumni like Darnell Dockett and Deion Sanders. What they fail to realize is that Coach Bowden is more than culpable in FSU's demise. Of course he's a victim of his own success. His status as a football icon goes without saying. But after he lost Mark Richt to UGA and installed his son Jeff as offensive coordinator the seeds of failure were sewn. Everyone at the university including then President Sandy D"Alemberte knew that Jeff was not qualified for the position but when Bobby Bowden threatened to quit over it, FSU acquiesced. A decade later they are paying for it. Bad coaching and bad recruiting. FSU has no running game. FSU has no swagger. When Wake Forest comes to Doak Campbell and beats you 30-0 it's over, I'm sorry. Meanwhile most Seminole fans aren't exactly over the moon for "coach in waiting" Jimbo Fisher. The bottom line is that most 79 year old's are sitting down for an early bird special not coaching football. Penn State had their own drama with an old coach who forgot how to win earlier this decade. Joe Paterno fired some coaches and got recruiting back in the right direction. Paterno will be 83 in December, it seems like he's capable of coaching til he's 100, still the persnickety but lovable icon. Lately Bobby Bowden comes off as a grumpy old man. You just wish he would take the high road and walk away.
Posted By: Mike Bell  
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