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Will the NCAA see it Florida State's way?

Associated Press file photo (2008)

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has said the NCAA is trying to "kill a flea with a hammer."

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 2, 2009

TAMPA - If there was ever going to be a watch party for an NCAA appeal, this would be the week, wouldn't it?

As early as today, Florida State University might hear back from the NCAA on its appeal of sanctions stemming from the big cheating scandal, including the mother of all sanctions, in Seminole eyes: taking away those Bobby Bowden wins.

Can't you just see Penn State's Joe Paterno with a big bowl of corn chips and a keg of Geritol waiting to see whether there's still an all-time coaching victory race?

I bet he's pulling for his friend Bobby B. I bet a lot of people are. Bowden has earned that goodwill.

I'd pull for those wins to be unvacated myself if I thought it would make Bowden see the light and make a graceful exit from the sidelines.

I have no idea what will happen with the NCAA. Some think it's out to get FSU because the school stuck to its guns over its Seminoles nickname. I don't think this is about that.

"I think they tried to kill a flea with a hammer," Bobby said in March.

Academic fraud is not a flea.

And tell me Florida State wouldn't kick back that American Indian nickname in return for Bobby getting those wins back.

Understand, FSU isn't fighting the scholarships being taken away or anything like that, which could very well impact wins and losses, too.

It's worried about the wins, in all the sports involved, but no one is fooled: This is about Bobby, whether Bobby likes it or not, and I don't think he minds it being about him if it helps him keep those wins.

If anything, the NCAA might just give back these wins as a going-away present to a grand old coach — provided he goes away.

That's my thinking, anyway.

I have no problem if the NCAA says different.

The big argument, made ceaselessly by FSU President T.K. Wetherell, who would crawl through pig slop for Bobby, is that these sanctions hurt hundreds of athletes and dozens of coaches who had nothing to do with the cheaters.

But that's nothing new. Steve Spurrier and his 1990 Gators weren't in on the violations that kept Florida from claiming the 1990 SEC title, but that's the way it works.

I bet there are some Memphis basketball players who actually took their SATs who are going to pay for the scandal now emerging in the haze of John Calipari's exhaust fumes.

There are high schools that have to vacate titles and victories all the time for using ineligible players — even if the schools didn't know.

There are vacated this-and-thats all over the NCAA record books.

Why should a coach pay for players' misdeeds?

I'll turn it around. Why do players pay for coach's mistakes?

It's the way of the world.

Maybe the NCAA sees its way to see it FSU's way.

I wouldn't be surprised if it did — or didn't.

Gosh, they should televise this. I'd watch.

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