West Cocoa Chat

0-11, 1-10 and 3-8; do those numbers mean anything to you? Those were the records of FSU's Football team the 3 previous years before Bobby Bowden arrived in Tallahassee in 1976. "Pathetic" would be an understatement (or would that be an "under-word?") and the "improvement" to a 3-8 season was accompanied by an infamous incident known as the "Chicken Wire Scandal." Seems the previous coach had a "cage" built out of chicken wire to "toughen" up his linemen and to teach them "proper" technique. Hey, I wonder if that would work for church members? :)

BTW - the programs at Florida and (The U) Miami were just as bad in those days.


It is well documented that Bobby Bowden was a gentleman before he arrive at FSU courtesy of the movie, "We Are Marshall." If you remember the movie, Marshall's Football Team had been decimated after the Team Jet crashed following a game with East Carolina. A new Coach is hired who must build the program literally from the ground up.

Much to the surprise of his Assistant Coach, he decides to pay Bobby Bowden, the then Coach of West Virginia, a visit to ask him if he would teach them or tell them about his "new" Veer Offense. His Assistant is even more surprised when Coach Bowden gives them complete access to his playbook and game films.

Bowden's record at FSU is almost without match:

28 straight Bowl appearances.
2 National Championships.
14 Straight seasons with at least 10 wins.
14 straight seasons of finishing in the Top 5.
12 ACC Championships in 14 years.
15 Consecutive New Year's Day Bowl Games
11 Consecutive Bowl Game wins (14 if you don't count the 1984 tie with (17 - 17) Georgia)

It is the end of an era and I wonder if there are any coaches out there that will stay at their universities as long as Bowden has with FSU.

Bobby's record has it's blemishes and hick-ups. I don't think one can be at an institution for that length of time and not have chinks in the armor show up whether real or imagined, unintentional or intentional. I know you'll find this hard to believe (not that I'm comparing myself with Bowden) but there are some folks out there who think I'm incompetent or even evil.

Any way as I digress, my hat is off to Coach Bowden. As a long time Floridian I can say this with a very clear memory:

I remember what it was like back in the 70's, we were pathetic until you arrived and turned FSU around. Is there another Coach Bowden out there? I hope its Jimbo Fisher.