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FSU should take its punishment and move on

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Bobby Bowden trails Joe Paterno by one victory, 383-382, on the NCAA college football all-time wins list but stands to lose up to 14 of those wins.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2009

It's time for Florida State and Bobby Bowden to suck it up.

Take your punishment.

Vacate those wins — today.

The NCAA infractions committee is saying "NO" to Florida State's appeal in the big cheating scandal — which means Seminoles vacate wins in any number of sports, as if any number matters but the 14 or so wins Bowden would have to surrender, thereby ending his death race with Joe Paterno.

This is not stunning news.

This isn't stunning news because it's in keeping with NCAA guidelines.

It might not remedy anything, but the NCAA isn't operating outside the envelope or anything.

Florida State's fight for Bobby is the story here.

And the story needs to end.

Florida State's attorney says no such thing will happen. They want a hearing before the NCAA. They will fight, fight, fight for justice.

Boys, this is justice.

Bowden has said he doesn't care about the wins.

Translated: He does, much.

He also has said the penalties amount to the NCAA killing a "flea with a hammer." Boy, bet that line went over big with the infractions guys.

Repeating: Academic fraud is not a flea.

Funny, but Alabama just got nailed by the NCAA for violations in several sports over athletes getting sweetheart deals on textbooks, and part of the punishment is: vacating football wins.

This battle for Bobby's wins was tawdry when outgoing FSU president and Noles yahoo T.K. Wetherell was leading the charge, and it's more unseemly now, if such a thing is possible.

And think of those FSU fans who think it's time for Bobby to go, so Jimbo can get in there and start going 8-5 himself. Without those wins, Bobby might never retire, unless, of course, Wetherell's replacement doesn't wear FSU underwear to bed at night.

Understand: I've never understood people who hate Bobby. If you've ever meet him, you'd like him. You wouldn't be able to help yourself. His legend is secure and by and large it is deserved. People accuse him of hypocrisy, and some of it's true. But there's plenty to go around in college sports.

Go check in with the Gainesville police department on the yearly off-field doings of the state's flagship team, Urban Meyer's championship machine.

But what's going on right now with FSU will tarnish Bowden _ more than a bunch of cheating kids ever could _ this endless fight to beat the NCAA. Do you really think this is about any of those other looming vacated sports wins in other FSU sports?

Football drives the engine.

Bobby drives the engine.

Time to shut the engine off, at least in this case.

Suck it up, Seminoles.

Take your punishment.

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