It’s been one of those weeks folks. You know the old saying “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all”. So I’ll just say nothing this week.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he has tried awful hard to like his neighbor, but has failed miserably.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
“Bowden & Blackie”
As a lifetime member of the Seminole football nation I, along with many other tribe members, hated to see the Bobby Bowden Era come to an end. But my sadness in watching the era come to a close is also in part because I always had a self imposed personal connection to Bowden. You see Bobby Bowden and my dad, who’s nickname in college was Blackie, had a lot in common.
Things Bowden and Blackie had in common.
• They were almost the same age: Bowden was born in 1929; Blackie in 1928.
• They grew up 50 miles apart in Alabama: Bowden in Birmingham; Blackie in Clanton.
• They both grew up in Baptist homes with God fearing parents.
• They both were very competitive.
• They both were very good athletes in high school.
• They both grew up loving the University of Alabama football.
• They both played college football: Bowden first at Alabama, then Howard (now Samford); Blackie at Troy.
• They both played offense. Bowden a QB; Blackie a running back.
• They both got married to their high school sweetheart during their freshman year of college.
• They both played football against each other in 1951. (Troy beat Howard, with Blackie scoring on a 13 yard run. Incidentally the only mention of Bobby in the newspaper is that a Bowden fumble lead to a touchdown by the Red Wave (former nickname of Troy).
• They both went in to coaching after college.
• They both came to love Florida State Football.
• They both loved to laugh.
• They both had a great wife and mother to their children.
• They both unabashedly proclaimed a personal relationship with Jesus
• They both placed the utmost importance on their faith
Blackie loved how Bowden was building the program at Florida State, especially the wide open offense of the Seminoles. And for 6 years (1976-1982) Bowden had no bigger fan that Blackie. Blackie, along with his son and several friends, abandoned a dove hunt in 1980 to listen on their truck radio as FSU beat #3 Nebraska on the road. FSU football had arrived and the hunting party celebrated with a 20 gun shotgun salute. But sadly Blackie never got to see Bowden and the Seminoles not just reach the mountain top but stay at the mountain top for many years.
So for the last 28 years I often thought of Blackie when I watched Bowden on the sidelines. I had my own little personal connection that nobody else had or even knew about. Bowden’s retirement, for me, means that the Seminole’s sideline will never be the same. But, Simply Put, there will always be that Bowden & Blackie connection in my heart.
From the front porch: Coach said don’t count the things that you do, but do the things that count.
Things Bowden and Blackie had in common.
• They were almost the same age: Bowden was born in 1929; Blackie in 1928.
• They grew up 50 miles apart in Alabama: Bowden in Birmingham; Blackie in Clanton.
• They both grew up in Baptist homes with God fearing parents.
• They both were very competitive.
• They both were very good athletes in high school.
• They both grew up loving the University of Alabama football.
• They both played college football: Bowden first at Alabama, then Howard (now Samford); Blackie at Troy.
• They both played offense. Bowden a QB; Blackie a running back.
• They both got married to their high school sweetheart during their freshman year of college.
• They both played football against each other in 1951. (Troy beat Howard, with Blackie scoring on a 13 yard run. Incidentally the only mention of Bobby in the newspaper is that a Bowden fumble lead to a touchdown by the Red Wave (former nickname of Troy).
• They both went in to coaching after college.
• They both came to love Florida State Football.
• They both loved to laugh.
• They both had a great wife and mother to their children.
• They both unabashedly proclaimed a personal relationship with Jesus
• They both placed the utmost importance on their faith
Blackie loved how Bowden was building the program at Florida State, especially the wide open offense of the Seminoles. And for 6 years (1976-1982) Bowden had no bigger fan that Blackie. Blackie, along with his son and several friends, abandoned a dove hunt in 1980 to listen on their truck radio as FSU beat #3 Nebraska on the road. FSU football had arrived and the hunting party celebrated with a 20 gun shotgun salute. But sadly Blackie never got to see Bowden and the Seminoles not just reach the mountain top but stay at the mountain top for many years.
So for the last 28 years I often thought of Blackie when I watched Bowden on the sidelines. I had my own little personal connection that nobody else had or even knew about. Bowden’s retirement, for me, means that the Seminole’s sideline will never be the same. But, Simply Put, there will always be that Bowden & Blackie connection in my heart.
From the front porch: Coach said don’t count the things that you do, but do the things that count.
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