How To Ruin a Legacy It Took 35 Years To Build

When Bobby Bowden was hired to be the head football coach at Florida State, I was about 12 years old. In my short lifetime, I didn't recall Florida State doing anything. I don't think they ever beat anybody to speak of. I don't recall them ever playing in a bowl game. If they were ever on TV, it was rare. They didn't seem to have any fans. Nobody I knew was a fan of the Seminoles.

The year before he was hired, I don't think they even won a game. Not only FSU, but Miami and Florida were pretty insignificant also. None of them ever competed for championships or played on TV. None ever appeared in Bowl games. Not any big Bowls anyway. Florida had that whole,"never won the SEC" thing going. Miami was thinking of dropping football altogether.

In school, all my friends and I would have our favorite teams, if you rooted for a Florida team, you also had to have a "Real" team to root for. You know, one you might see on TV, play on New Year's Day, compete for the National Title, etc. Some of my friends rooted for Notre Dame or USC. Some rooted for Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, or Michigan. Mine was Oklahoma.

Then Bobby Bowden came to FSU. Around that same time Howard Schnellenberger was hired at Miami. The two made it a priority to keep Florida's high school players in state to play their college ball. Schools like Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, and Oklahoma had long raided Florida for skill position players. Schnellenberger and Bowden proclaimed that this was about to stop.

In Bowden's first year, the 'Noles went 5-6. That was quite an improvement from the previous 0-11. In Bowden's second year, he instituted an offense that was excitiing to watch. FSU would start throwing the ball all over the place. Most of us had never seen this before. This was in the day of Woody Hayes' "three yards and a cloud of dust" and the Wishbone Offense of 'Bama and OU. Passing was somethig you did on third and long or when you got way behind.

Pretty soon, the Noles were putting up points. In Bowden's third year he rotated quarterbacks. Wally Woodham and Jimmy Jordan were no Terry Bradshaw, but together they passed the 'Noles to a near undefeated record and a berth in the Orange Bowl. There they would face Oklahoma.

WOW! You talk about a big game!! My Sooners playing a school from MY STATE in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Night! Even though I'm a Gator fan and a Sooner fan, I must confess I was pulling for FSU. This might never happen again, you know. Well, the Sooners won the game rather easily as I recall. But, guess what? The next year State went 11-0. The last game was against UF who was 0-10-1 that year. Even I had to kind of pull for FSU against UF. After all we weren't going anywhere.

FSU got a rematch with OU in the Orange Bowl. This time the Sooners won by 1 point. Bowden's Noles were no longer a fluke. Meanwhile, in Miami, A QB named Jim Kelly had the 'Canes on the rise. Earlier in the year they had an upset over very highly ranked Penn State. Suddenly college football in Florida was not to be taken as a joke anymore.

In the early 80s, Bowden would schedule to play the big boys any time he could. Of course he had to play them on the road. But that was ok. He took his 'Noles to Ohio State, LSU, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan, Pittsburgh, whoever wanted to play him. And more often then not, he beat them. He used a wide open passing attack, and would run a trick play at any time. But he was also putting some big checks in the FSU bank account.

Miami was duplicating FSU in South Florida. Heck, even Florida was getting in on the act. Miami was no longer Notre Dame's homecoming whipping boy, they were starting to beat them. Florida in 1982 welcomed USC to Gainesville by beating up on the Trojans.They went to L.A. the next year and proved it was no fluke with a tie game. Florida football was no longer a joke.

In 1983 the impossible happened, a school from Florida won the National Championship! It was Schnellenberger's 'Canes. After that he decided to give pro football a try. In 1984 another impossible dream cam true. Florida finally won the SEC! OK, it was short lived because the Gators were then put on probation and the title was stripped. But on the field they were contenders. In fact the Gators won the National Championship in more polls than the concensus National Champions, BYU. You can look it up.

Probation also meant a new coach at UF. So Bowden was all that was left. He kept the train rolling at FSU. All those roadies against the big boys were paying off. Money and exposure led to stadium improvements and better facilities. It wasn't long before the Pittsburghs and LSUs were coming to Tallahassee.

By the mid 80s Miami and FSU were national powerhouses. Miami played for the title in '86 with a Heisman winning QB named Vinny Testeverde. They went into their National Title tilt with Penn St a bit too cocky and Joe Pa showed them why that was a mistake. In '87 Miami and FSU met in Tallahassee in what was "the Game of the Century". Noles and Canes rosters were littered with future NFL stars. The game's name would later be changed to "Wide Right I". Bowden stood on the sidelines looking stunned as FSU's potential game winner sailed wide right by inches. Miami went on to win another National Title.

Miami and FSU's battles were now epic. Miami usually seemed to find a way to come out on top. FSU would repeatedly have to settle for almost. But they were always right there. For 14 straight years, Bowden had FSU right in the thick of the race. 14 straight top five finishes between 1987 and 2000. In 1993 and 1999, the Noles won the Titles. They also played for the title in January Bowls in 1996 (won by Florida), 1998(won by Tennesee), and 2000 (Oklahoma). Bowden had become a college football icon.

Bowden and Penn State's Paterno have been waging a neck and beck battle for the record for all time wins in college football history. Many feel that this has caused both of them to overstay their welcome. Both schools have endured some very mediocre seasons in the '00s. But, the schools are hog tied. After all you can't fire the coach who literally built your program from scratch. You can't run a guy off after you put a statue of him up outside the stadium and name the field after him. Of course not.

Bowden's Noles have slipped to the point that the ACC which they used to rule with an iron fist, routinely beats them now. In fact, the 'Noles haven't sniffed an ACC title in about six years. FSU has already got Bowden's successor picked out. In fact, Jimbo Fisher is already running the offense and has been for three years? Hey Bob? When the new coach is already on the sidelines standing next to you, that's a hint. GO AWAY!

But Bobby has no intentions of going away quietly. It has become quite evident that it's all about him now. When he makes statements like "I will evaluate myself at the end of the year", that tells us all we need to know.

Lately it's gotten so bad that his wife Ann is talking for him. She is throwing down the gauntlet. This week she threatened FSU that "if they think they have the guts to run him off then remember we have the connections. They need US more than WE need them." WOW! Has it gotten to this? Florida State University and Bobby Bowden are now adversaries? How do you let this happen Bobby?

You let this happen by being greedy. You let this happen by being stubborn. You let happen by getting old. You gotta let this thing go Bobby. You don't have it anymore. It's time. In fact, it's way past time. Here's a clue. When you have to ask a reporter in your post game presser if you were ahead at halftime, you need to go. When your wife is running interference for you, you need to go.

Don't let the way Bobby Bowden is remembered be, "the guy who hung around too long". You accomplished way too much for way too long for that. It may already be too late now anyway. But if you follow up these mediocre seasons with a nasty exit, flipping FSU the middle finger on the way out the door, it will be for sure. Don't let that happen. Hey Terry, Tommy, somebody, talk to the man. Make him leave graciously.