I made the yearly trek back home to Florida to visit with family although this year it was a bit earlier than usual due to work schedules and such. Having not discussed the current state of affairs of FSU football and the BB saga I was very interested to hear what my family had to say about it all. Most of all my entire family (Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) are FSU alumni, season ticket holders for multiple sports and are active boosters. This allegiance was started over 35 years ago. So to say the least, FSU is our blood.

It did not take long to broach the subject over some delicious chicken and dumplings and I was stunned at the differing opinions/sides taken on the subject. I will not get into everything that was said as I am rather embarrassed that some of my own family would even think this way on a couple subjects (yes they were the older group). What we did focus on though was the BB situation. As you can imagine, some wanted BB gone after this year, some neutral and some pro BB (defended him).

In the end- on the pro Bb side it all came down to in their minds the way this saga was all playing out. BB deserves a better farewell since he built the program and he was not being treated like the legend he is was. Not that he deserves to stay, but that he deserves a better farewell/treatment by the fans and FSU. Surely they have heard BB stating himself he did not want a farewell tour? Surely this could not be the main point of their argument.  At this point there was no need of running head first into a wall and reiterating the many sides of the BB must go argument and why- as I could tell they really do know this side of the story but something was still holding them back.  

The next day we are watching the game highlights and having conversation and it is at this I see the issue. The fear of change, something completely different than what they have been used to, is what is holding some of my family members back, and possibly a good portion of others from moving forward into a new era. Some people just can’t handle it and do not want to deal with it head on as they are completely set in their ways. Many things I witnessed this weekend were “old” - FSU is in desperate need of a refresh in many areas and the campaign for this change management has not been delivered to the groups that need it most. This is why we have distinct division in beliefs of our fan base and in my case, my family. Some people just can’t accept change because the unknown it is terrifying for them, not even with the obvious staring them in face.

I am sure there are many more particulars to each individual persons view on the situation. I wanted to share this as I really thought that my family would be united in our thinking and we were not. I was surprised that the fear of change appears to be the root cause of one family’s division and to be honest- I wish I completely understood all aspects of why this is so.  

Unfortunately, there is a chance this could get very ugly if BB does not go quietly. I feel it is up to me to convince the non believers why something new is so desperately needed.

Three factors must be present for meaningful change to take place.

These factors are:
D = Dissatisfaction with how things are now;
V = Vision of what is possible;
F = First, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision.

If the product of these three factors is greater than
R = Resistance,      then change is possible.

In the end the wind of change is blowing although not hard enough for me. The ones that can’t accept it will most likely fall by the wayside but hopefully we can pick them up and bring them along. We need a united fan base when this is all over with. The message I left for my family was one that something new is needed and they need to focus on the vision of the future (something BB obviously is not doing- well for himself he is). I feel that they will think hard about it and realize that this is what is needed to ensure my kids and their grandkids continue the winning tradition and they are no longer blinded by the loyalty and no longer resist some much needed change. I hope that you are not going through the same situation as I am.

Cheese factor

I just wanted to pass along my appreciation for the time and effort that the contributors are putting into the stories and analysis on TN. Up until recently I could only find generic updates and stats for FSU football on the standard websites and such. After reading TN I can now come to solid conclusions of where the program is at in terms of progression and what is actually transpiring in front of our very eyes (all good I might add). I relate to these stories.

Even though there are still many question marks to be answered this season (will we continue to improve where we need to), one item that I am particularly interested in is what will happen at the next major milestone with the program. What I mean is- what direction do we head in when Jimbo takes full control? Is Coley the guy for OC, does Jimbo have a defensive philosophy that will be instilled or will we have some issues to overcome in these departments when the time comes? I guess time will tell but I imagine Jimbo did learn a thing or two about defense while under Saban.

Once again thank you for your dedication to the analysis on TN and it is much appreciated. Keep up the fantastic work!