Bowden Retires
To all my Seminole fans out there today is a sad sad day…. after 34 years of service to FSU Bobby Bowden has made it official; he is retiring effective at the end of this season. He will coach the bowl game though. I am so happy that the man is still alive at the ripe age of 80 and that he’ll get to spend time with his family et all. but I would be somewhat remiss if I didn’t state the obvious …. I am damned sad to see him go.
Bobby was always a huge supporter of the Marching Chiefs and would routinely have sections of the chiefs over to his own house during summer practice for ice cream or a good ‘ole BBQ. I was fortunate to be invited several times and got to meet him more times than I can count. I consider myself blessed for those opportunities. Let’s be honest NO other college coach was a much a people person as Bobby and no one could sell the program like Bobby. I surely hope that Jimbo Fisher can take a lesson from Bobby as he figures how in the hell he is going to get a decent recruiting class.
I am also a little sad under the circumstances to which Bobby is leaving: 6-6 season, last home game was a loss, ass handed to him by the gator-mafia, and bowl game uncertainty. Now, it would be kick-ass if the Gator Bowl came a-knocking for two reasons: 1) it’s a better bowl game than FSU would otherwise end up in and 2) WVA was the school Bobby was an offensive coordinator 1963-1966 (?) and head coach from 1970-1975 (?) before coming to FSU. So the game would have historical and sentimental implications.
Lastly, I hope that 1) Bobby truly enjoys his retirement because if anyone has earned it; it’s him and don’t give me shit about the “declining decade” either. It seems that people have short memories when things go bad. For instance this man almost single-handedly built FSU into a dynasty. That’s right I said Dynasty. Hard to remember those 14 years of top 5 finishes and 2 national championships, right?
I hope he doesn’t end up like Bear Bryant though. Before the likes of Bowden, Paterno, etc Bryant was the coach. Well, he finally retired and then died 6 months later. Not exactly a high note to end on but lemme lighten the mood by saying:
“Thank you for all you did not just for the university [FSU] but for me personally. No one was more willing to help an essential stranger than you. I came to visit you when I was going through some school issues (changing majors and life direction) and you allowed me to come and vent. Not as a Marching Chief, but as a fellow human being in the FSU system. For that I am eternally grateful (I ended up in computer science and math)! Despite the circumstances of your retirement please DO enjoy it and allow yourself to do the things you love to do. God bless and MCATDT“
This, my friends, is the end of an era. You’ll never see anything like this again. 
2 Responses to “Bowden Retires”
Rumor I heard was there was a disagreement about who should choose Mickey’s replacement as D coord. Word was that Bobby wanted Amato and Fisher wanted someone of his own. When they would not give Bobby the right to choose this, he decided to just retire flat out.
Dunno if this is true. If so it sounds like a way of making him WANT to retire more than anything. We can’t fire ya but we can make you want to quit.
I heard that same rumor. Sad but probably true. On the one hand I think it’s time, but damn… Bowden is an institution in Tallahassee; but that’s over now.