12/18/24
March 06, 2009
Florida State gets 4 years of probation: Head Coach Bobby Bowden, one win behind one behind Penn State's Joe Paterno, might have a few wins taken away.
I recently heard a Florida State reporter from WarChant.Com talking to a local sports radio host and FSU backer. Both agreed that it's a mistake for FSU to play USF because only bad things can happen from it. I thought at the time that if you're afraid to play an in-state team because they might prove to be better than you, you've already lost that argument.
FSU's in a world of hurt. They've been the fourth-best program in the state the last five years, and their alumni don't have a lot of patience for that. But they can't do anything to Bowden. And now this.
posted by rcade at 08:21 PM on March 06, 2009
Ever since the SMU death penalty, the NCAA has been ineffective in dealing with violations. Now, I'm not saying that FSU should have any program taken away, just saying that the penalty has to be more heavily weighted forward rather than backward. They didn't win anything last year, in football anyway, so what does taking a few wins away do?
The lost scholarships will hurt, but I do agree that a post season ban would create a more meaningful detering effect.
Maybe this will force Bowden out...though I think he won't go on his own.
posted by dviking at 09:19 PM on March 06, 2009
Bowden won't leave FSU until he either passes Joe Pa's record or dies. Of course, he is not just 1 win short of Paterno's record in BCS (Division 1A) victories, he is actually 32 wins shy. 31 of Bowden's head coaching victories came at Howard University. Last I looked, Howard plays in the Mid-East Athletic Conference and is a FCS (Division 1AA) school. Thus, Bobby Bowden has no right claiming to be the "winningest coach in the BCS". Joe Pa's 23 bowl wins (23-11-1) are also the most in the BCS.
I don't write this to 'hate on' Bobby Bowden, but rather to show the disparity between he and Joe Pa that most seem to overlook. I could go into the differences in athlete's graduation rates at the 2 schools, but I think the NCAA's findings say enough. Besides this, my son's a sophomore at Penn State, so I have to brag a little bit.
posted by Howard_T at 08:14 PM on March 07, 2009
I think taking away wins indicates the NCAA's inability to effectively punish teams. FSU has less wins. Does that mean that every team that played FSU has a better record now? Take away scholarships. Take away post-season opportunities. Make them forfeit an upcoming season even for egregious violations. The NCAA doesn't want to enforce any punishments that will effect the bottom line.