#9... No More!!!

What is going on? Bobby Bowden? Jeff Bowden? Drew Weatherford? (Not that I'm blaming you guys... just wondering!!!) What now?

I am so disappointed and deeply upset at this weekend's game against Clemson. What a great way to start your week, eh?

Wherever I go today, whatever I do... this is the talk of the town. Well, it has been for the past 5 years, but it really IS in everybody's mind today. My co-workers, who are mostly FSU alumni, are with me... we're stunned, dazed and confused!!!

We can blame the coaches all we want... We can blame the players... But all is said and done!!! What more can we do? What about US, who had stuck with our school's football program through the years... who had watched every home game and even drove (or flew) hundreds of miles to support our team on away games... who had shown financial support as season-ticket holders... who had given thousands of dollars (some even millions) on yearly contributions as Seminole Boosters??? Is THIS what we deserve?!?!?

After our loss, we--Rob and I, Rob's parents and our friends--lingered for a few more hours at our tailgate site, surrounded by thousands of other Seminole Boosters... sitting in our FSU folding chairs, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine in our hands, we had lost "THAT" drive... Nobody could understand what had just happened! The men, who were watching TV, didn't even care much that Notre Dame and LSU lost. They were just patiently waiting for Sports Center to show hilights from the game... that this would just confirm what a horrible game we just had!!! Until, one of the women spoke up... "Well, should we come and watch next weekend's game against Rice?" Then came... "Hmmm... I don't know. I think I'd rather do some gardening"... "We might just stay home and save the embarassment!" ... "Going to the beach never sounded more appealing!!!"... "I think I'm donating my tickets!"

Rob and I just looked at each other... This HAD NEVER been an option. We've never even considered this. We ALWAYS go to home games... It would break our hearts to miss one. But it has come to this??? Well, let's put it this way... Say you own a business, you know you've failed when your customers are dwindling down and you're starting to see less and less profit... Well, a lot of Boosters are suggesting the same thing... Unless you analyze what's going on and that you drastically change what is causing it, those customers would NEVER return.

Maybe this will work and finally open the Coaches' eyes (the Offensive coaches, for that matter)!!! But Rob and I still haven't decided what to do this weekend... If, for some reason, not a single one of our tailgate buddies will attend, then we might just join Rob's parents at the beach house!!! We'll see...