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Will They Be Pushed Or Will They Go of Their Own Accord ?
By tophac | March 31, 2008
We’re asked to believe that as we get old we’re no longer capable of looking after ourselves let alone making decisions. The elderly are perceived as purveyors of wisdom and a great deal of insight. And offcourse they do have a great of knowledge to offer to us all. Especially to the younger generation who by their absence and unwillingness at times to listen to anyone even have the temerity not to defer to an elder and think that they can do it all by themselves. With this in mind I’d like to pose a question to you all . When is enough , enough by way of having an elderly person sit atop in a postion of power but their uselfulness isn’t as it should be ?
Celebrated coach of Penn State Joe Paterno. picture courtesy of espn.com/ncaa/football/pennstate/joepaterno….
Coaches Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno who have a combined seventy plus years of coaching experience between them still sit atop of the teams that they coach respectively. Before they arrived at respective coaching institions they now preside over these colleges weren’t noted for their prowess on the field at all. As a matter of fact the programs could be considered to have been the laughing stock of collegiate football on the whole. Penn State and Florida State are now seen as powerhouses within the college game even though success on the field has been lacking as of late. The relevancy of this has not been lost on the fans or the alumni of the respective schools in question. However how does one go about telling someone of the likes of Bowden or Paterno that their services are no longer required ? The two men between them have brought the programs from relative obscurity to unprecedented success, repect of the fans and the respect of the ir peers over the years.
Bobby Bowden of Florida State University. picture courtesy of espnc.com/ncaa/football/floridastate/bobbybowden…..
But now comes to the time where the programs and the institutions must move on . If only to signify that they’re now know that things can’t remain the same. As in life though not neccessarily outliving one’s usefulness one’s ideas and way of doing things can become somewhat stale. And being a figurehead at a school doesn’t equate with success on the field. And that has been the case with the programs of Penn State and Florida State over the past decade. The coaches are still lauded for what theyv’e given to the game . But in today’s sporting diaspora you’re not judged on what you’ve done in the past but what have you done lately ….? And that’s the pertinent question that needs to be asked of both coaches at this juncture.
Bowden seen here with the coveted Sugar Bowl in 1999. Alongside Bowden is Noles’ player Peter Warrick. picture courtesy of ncaa/football/floridastate…….
The plaudits and accolades achieved by both men have not been lost on the fans of the sport or their respective alumni associations. One might say without the prestige achieved by both . We mightn’t have taken note of each of these academic institutions and the acclaim and success achieved on the football field. Bowden for his part has been in coaching for over 5o years and the knowledge gleaned has to be unfathomable. His record of 372 wins in collegiate football is without precedence. And the fact that for a span of ten consecutive years he kept the Seminoles ranked inside the top 10 of college football is a testament to his coaching prowess. He’s also led the team a national championship and made them a powerhouse within Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Paterno’s success also in no less engaging and he too has proved his prowess a coaching genius. His imprint over the university can be seen across its campuses and his success on the field has made it the envy of programs across the country. Having won two national championships and garnered the Big 10 championship numerous times this might’ve bode well for lesser programs or coaches. But it’s as I’ve alluded to before that was then this is now. And that’s how programs are adjudged today the success that is most recent and not that of the past.
Paterno and Penn State Nittany Lions head unto the field to face Michigan in a game. picture courtesy of lancasteronline.com/pennstate …………
Both coaches stand the pinnacle of the game but on appearance alone it looks as if the only reason they remain in the coaching ranks is to try and outdo one another in terms of padding their stats by way of wins. With Bowden’s wins standing at 373 wins in Division 1A and Paterno sitting close behind with 372 it could be suggestes that they’ve foresaken the prestige of their schools in the chase of their own personal glory ? And in doing so they’re not only doing their programs a disservice but also themselves and the schools they represent. The AD’s of both schools obviously seem to think that this sort of publicity affords the schools a chance to show that they’re still relevant within the game. But if anything it signifies the opposite. Though Bowden himself has stated that his assistant coach Jimbo Fisher will be his replacement upon his retirement. It’s of no means a certainty that this’ll be immediate as Bowden himself has yet to let it be known as and when that percieved retirement will come. Paterno for his part just states that he’ll carry on coaching as long as he’s fit and able to do so. How can anyone not view the situation as being nothing more than self serving for the two ? It’s certainly not being done for the betterment of their programs. And as it is they’re now languishing in positions not known to them since the days when they were first recruited to head the programs that they seem so vested in. Bowden and Paterno if nothing else apart from being the wise old sages of the game feel as though they’ve done enough to be afforded the luxury of going out under their own steam. In reality though life doesn’t afford us those sort of luxuries at all. The powers that be however within the various athletic departments seem to think that it’s warranted for them to do so rather than upsetting the applecart and being perceived as age discriminatory. Or perhaps not wanting to alienate the loyal fans of Bowden or Paterno respectively ?
tophatal ………….
Topics: Uncategorized |
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Who knows when these relics will call it quits. I thought Jo Pa would have called it a day long ago.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Mean Dovine
The likes of Jo Pa’ and Bowden are only staying around to pad their stats and not much else. It’s not as if their respective programs are still relevant in today’s game . The game has all but passed ‘em by and their recruiting classes are nothing to write home about at all. They may well be icons of the game but as far as I’m concerned their respective programs would now be better off without ‘em .
tophac…….aka tophatal
April 6th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
top….you continue to amaze me with your knowledge of so many different sports, my friend.
One is waiting for the other to quit first, so the remaining one will be the all-time wins leader. That’s all.
I hate both schools, so I love seeing these two geezers on the sidelines. One shit his pants during a game, and the other one looks as if he’s watching a bee fly around in his car.
At least Paterno still knows he’s at a football game. Bowden doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. He’s looking around for someone to clean the tapioca off his chin.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:28 am
mackey
Man I loves sports and it ought to be the life blood by which every individual ought to be judged by. If you don’t know sports then you oughtn’t to have an opinion on anything of relevance.
Bowden and Paterno are a dying breed their knowledge at one time was insurmountable. But now we’ve seen how far their respective programs haven slid that it’s a shame to even watch their teams play.
Everybody is now playing the empathy or sympathy card. When infact that the two haven’t been relevant to the game in almost a decade. Instead we’re sugar coating the fact that they’re just not that good anymore . It’s as plain and simple as that . What’s not to understand ?
Shit if Alzhiemer’s sets in with these two who’s going to drag ‘em off the sidelines, their respective assistant coaches ?
tophac ……..aka tophatal