Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Bobby Bowden scarcely coaches at Florida State anymore in any function save that of a behatted figurehead. Assistant and coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher handles much of the offseason circuit appearances. His assistants do all of the meaningful coaching. Aside from press appearances and some alumni appearances, Bowden is basically playing the part of 1974 Chairman Mao: in power in name only, but still powerful enough to hold his spot, perhaps even at the expense of his team/nation.
He's chosen to stick around both because of the less-than-encouraging results of his most comparable predecessors retiring (see: Bear Bryant) and because of The Record. The Record, written in all caps as a proper noun should be, all 383 wins of it, is the all-time record for wins by a college football coach, the one held by Joe Paterno, fellow geezer and head coach at Penn State. Bowden's current one-game margin may grow to 15 games behind the Nittany Lions octogenarian if FSU is forced to vacate 14 wins for academic improprieties. (A case, it should be noted, self-reported by Florida State that resulted in the suspension of 22 players for the Music City Bowl.)
If that happens, though, never fear. Bowden has a plan.
Meanwhile, Bobby is hatching one final trick play. This one involves digging up what he says are 22 victories earned while he was coach at South Georgia Junior College from 1956-58. Asterisk that, NCAA.
If this happens, I volunteer to throw my entire life savings of 354 dollars into the investment of an Xbox 360 for Joe Paterno. We'll build a team for him, name it after an imaginary college, and then I will allow him to "coach" that team while someone films him beating me on NCAA Football 10 as many times as necessary to ensure Paterno's ownership of the victory, since these wins over me in Xbox football would count just as much towards The Record as Bowden's South Georgia Junior College wins from the '50s.
The saddest part of it is the confusion of what a legacy means, since Bowden is clearly obsessed with the number, but not the other parts of what will add up to his legacy as a football coach. Paterno, in contrast, could care less, and said the same thing when he sat behind Bowden in the count just a few years ago. His name is on the library at Penn State. His team has been the case study for the "Grand Experiment," Paterno's attempt to fuse academics and athletics that has Penn State's football players consistently ranked at the top of the Big Ten in graduation rates. (Northwestern's usually first, but they're also Northwestern.) His contributions to the university extend far beyond the football field, and that is a matter of record, not sentimental mooning over his "meaning." Again: his name is on the library. It doesn't get much more concrete than that.
In contrast, what does Bowden leave behind? A statue of himself pointing outside the stadium, the legal bills from the appeals to the NCAA, and a program he both built over the course of three decades and watched crumble in its fourth decade. There is the number, and the facilities, and two national titles ... and that's it. Even if the NCAA decides to recognize the wins, what Joe Paterno has in the win column on and off the field puts him ahead of Bowden in ways a win column can't ever quantify, and that is a score Paterno likely cares about more than any simple count of wins and losses.
(H/T to Black Shoe Diaries)
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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This is whats wrong with coaching today, a coach, well past his prime, only staying around so he can have his name in history, then to bow out respectfully. He doesnt care about the players or school, but only a record
by redman05 on Jul 28, 2009 9:25 PM EDT reply actions
If he didn’t raise so much money he would have been gone years ago.
by gustavvs on Jul 28, 2009 10:11 PM EDT reply actions
Just mention that all of Joe Pa’s win were at a DI-A school and roughly 39 of Bobby Bo’s were not.
That should end it and is a better plan than what you are proposing (I assume in jest).
by Ark_Razor on Jul 29, 2009 6:29 AM EDT reply actions
I agree with Ark_Razor, 39 shouldn’t count for Bowden. Howard colege (now Samford) was a very small school, good school, but small.
by patriot82 on Jul 29, 2009 9:40 AM EDT reply actions
As an FSU fan, I would even admit the 22 wins is absurd…hell I will even go as far to say PSU fans have a valid argument about the wins at Samford…
HOWEVER, to say paterno is not obsessed with the record is a joke. He wasn’t concerned with it when he was behind by 10 but now that he has the lead the ideal has changed. The guy can’t even walk straight anymore..and if we want to throw "figure head" around..I can’t see bashing bobby before paterno when he sits in a booth because hes so off his rocker he decides he wants to demonstrate how to conduct a proper kick off…..
To further accuse Bowden of not being involved with the students personal lives and mentoring is just as ridiculous. Ole Joe Pa is not above assisting the academics of his players, but is also not above screaming at a kid who committed a very, very minor traffic violation and demands police issue the kid a ticket?
The fact is they are BOTH obsessed. Once the first guy retires, the next will follow once they aquire the lead, and if they maintain the lead then expect the next retirement to follow within months..don’t sit and tell me Paterno isn’t consumed by this when his health has been an issue for over 5 years, sometimes I question if he isnt deep into the stages of dimensia.. and yet the news reports when Bowden has the flu…give it a rest Hall
by thinblueline28 on Jul 29, 2009 9:55 AM EDT reply actions
dementia* ..yea, it’s time to go to sleep
by thinblueline28 on Jul 29, 2009 9:58 AM EDT reply actions
Full disclosure – I am a FSU alum and fan.
Bowden is not obsessed about these wins although he is irritated. he is on record against getting wins back if it causes the school to receive any additional penalty (such as scholarship reductions). BTW, Paterno is on record against the wins being vacated. The school is appealing, for all the coaches (2 national championships in track), including Bowden.
Do I wish Bowden would be less flippant when speaking with the press – absolutely. The Janinkowski quote comes to mind "he has Polish rules," regarding his missed curfew in 1999 – it would have been better to explain that he missed curfew by 20 minutes, 6 days before the game. But that is Bobby.
The Press asks questions and he answers, for better or worse. He is giving them fodder when he mentions the jr. college wins (while he acknowledge Robinson and Gagliardi as the real wins’ leaders. Just like when he jokes about splitting money with Jimbo Fisher. He knows he is leaving no later than the end of the 2010 season.
What you don’t need to do is elevate Paterno by denigrating Bowden. Both are good men with great legacies. Bowden has spoken at hundreds, if not thousands of churches, influencing many people on their Christian walk. For every kid that gets in trouble, there is a Warrick Dunn, a Derrick Brooks and countless others (famous or not) that he has positively influenced and who treasure the time spent with him. He considers this side of coaching far more important that wins and losses.
One last comment – I couldn’t care less about the "most wins" title but at the time, he coached at Howard/Samford, there was no D1 designation. The fact there are different divisions now is not pertinent.
by alphanole on Jul 29, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions
Having known the Bowdens for over 30 years, I guess most will finally agree with me: For Bobby its always been about HIM, not his players.
FSU will return to prominence ONLY when BB goes.
by backcountry on Jul 29, 2009 12:12 PM EDT reply actions
joe is obsessed with the record. joe just doesn’t like winning on technicalities. which is why i love him as the head coach of my program even more.
and thinblue-if you think joe is suffering from dementia, write him a letter. talk to him. he will convince you otherwise. i have had the oppurtunity a few times lo these past few years, and he is an incredible person. provided you aren’t a member of the media, that is.
fact is, joe is still very much in charge of the program. all game philosophy and personnel moves necessitate his say so.
by psudrozz on Jul 29, 2009 12:34 PM EDT reply actions
Record obsession is irrelevant. Bowden is sending the worst possible messages to his players:
1. ME ME ME ME ME
2. It’s someone else’s fault
3. Whine, pout, and sulk
4. Don’t lead changes to prevent future problems
To paraphrase Mike Gundy, Bowden is well over 40 and not yet a man.
by bveo12 on Jul 29, 2009 5:08 PM EDT reply actions
bobby mentioned that 22 at south georgia junior college while laughing, to gales of laughter, at a fundraiser at univ of north alabama where tery now coaches. it was bowden day there, and jeff and tommy were also there. for ANYONE to take it seriously is ludicrous. and to bash him by is extraordinarily unfair. the man has led countless players AND coaches to God. yes, i am a graduate and fan, and i deeply respect JoePa, as well, but Bobby has done nothing at all to deserve this sort of bashing over what was a joke. he is more halls of fame than any other coach, and has TWO college football fields named after him (samford AND fsu). so pull for JoePa if you will — but do it with class. bobby has earned at least THAT.
by duckyboy84 on Jul 29, 2009 9:22 PM EDT reply actions
Great article. I agree about the Record. Paterno has so much class and he doesn’t obsess on the record, just like you want the all-time wins leader to be. Sure, as a Nittany Lions season ticket holder I am biased, but I think Bowden’s attempt to hang on to the job just for the record is pitiful. Frankly, I think it’s hurt FSU the past few years. Today’s players value a hip, energetic coach more than some craggy old legend (excpet Joe Pa).
by Phillyhemp on Jul 29, 2009 9:43 PM EDT reply actions
Who really cares? It’s a game and we have a lot of fun with it, both players and Alumni.
Bobby is a good person and a good coach. A win is a win and I don’t want to see anything taken from him.
The more important fact is how many doctors, scientist, etc. both Penn State and Florida State has produced. These people have moved mountains.
PS. JoePa just donated $1,000,000 to the local hospital. JoePa knows what really counts.
by PennStateBlog on Jul 29, 2009 9:56 PM EDT reply actions
This post is kind of silly, both are great men with much to be thankful to. But Spence, since you did want to bash Bowden I thought it would be fun to compare the two coaches in a side by side comparison. Boy the Internet and ritalin are great. I decided to look at games won vs games played. So I took the win column and subtracted out the losses and ties. 255 for Bowden and 253 for Jo Pa. But if we are talking coaching wins you need to add in Bowdens 22 at Podunk U (?), a win is a win and it is against comparable competition. Then I decided to look at the records of Penn State and Fla. State. What did each coach walk into? Joe inherited a mediocre team with a 5-5 record, two national titles, and a name already written in college football history. Bowden inherited a loosing team (3-6) with no previous national glory.And while I found both teams had played the majority of teams over their histories, Penn State was undefeated against none of the ACC, where as, Florida State held undefeated records against 4 teams in the Big Ten ( Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin). Both have loosing records to the SECWhen compared to the traditional football powerhouses of Alabama, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Southern Cal; FSU had winning records against 3 0f the 5, while Penn State could only claim a winning record against Nebraska (7-6), FSU’s record vs Nebraska (6-2) and most of those games west of the Mississippi.So Spence, just some facts. Again this was a big waste of my time. And regarding the previous poster, Bowden too is in the million dollar club, his going to higher education. Personally, can’t stand him. They say he is a saint, so I guess he has a place in heaven, if you believe in that crap. Peter didn’t mention Joe Pa. , but I bet he does too.Gator
by thetruthhurts on Jul 30, 2009 3:43 PM EDT reply actions
Where in the world is the evidence that he’s going to try and dredge up the wins at the Jr. College? It’s the next to last line in that link, and there’s no hard evidence supporting it. The writer of the article says it, but never shows that Bowden said it. That last statement by Bowden was vague at best.
Schadenfreude is the best word to describe all of this nonsense. Personally, being an FSU fan, I can’t wait for Bowden to leave, purely because I’m tired of all this crap. I noticed that one of the WRs that was arrested for the fraternity brawl was cleared of all charges because another witness came forward and identified that it was a member of the fraternity that threw the chair (which is what Goodman was arrested for). But I didn’t see that on the ol’ news ticker for TSN, CBS Sports, ESPN, etc. I guess the good news all goes under the radar. "You’re arrested on the front page, then exonerated on the back page." And you can be **** sure none of the news outlets will follow the frat guy to the ends of the earth, reporting on his every move. Schadenfreude.
by martianman on Jul 30, 2009 5:03 PM EDT reply actions
Where in the world is the evidence that he’s going to try and dredge up the wins at the Jr. College? It’s the next to last line in that link, and there’s no hard evidence supporting it. The writer of the article says it, but never shows that Bowden said it. That last statement by Bowden was vague at best.
Schadenfreude is the best word to describe all of this nonsense. Personally, being an FSU fan, I can’t wait for Bowden to leave, purely because I’m tired of all this crap. I noticed that one of the WRs that was arrested for the fraternity brawl was cleared of all charges because another witness came forward and identified that it was a member of the fraternity that threw the chair (which is what Goodman was arrested for). But I didn’t see that on the ol’ news ticker for TSN, CBS Sports, ESPN, etc. I guess the good news all goes under the radar. "You’re arrested on the front page, then exonerated on the back page." And you can be **** sure none of the news outlets will follow the frat guy to the ends of the earth, reporting on his every move. Schadenfreude.
by martianman on Jul 30, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions
Why do you think we ran him out of West Virginia? The guy is no good
by appalachian slang on Oct 3, 2009 9:33 PM EDT reply actions
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