Derrick Brooks Looking Towards the Future

Former FSU linebacker and current FSU Board of Trustees member, Derrick Brooks is keeping a watchful eye on the process of hiring a new president as well as FSU's appeal of an NCAA sanction that could cost his former college coach, Bobby Bowden, 14 victories.

"We're going to try to do what we can to get the best guy in here," Brooks said about the search to replace T.K. Wetherell. "I've known leading up to his announcement he was leaning that way. We as trustees have to do our due diligence really to find someone to replace (him).

"The president has committed to us he is going to give us the time that we need as trustees to find the right person to lead us."

Brooks supports FSU's appeal in an academic-misconduct case that involved 61 student-athletes and an online music course. Ten sports could be affected by the sanction that covers the 2006 and 2007 fall semesters and the 2007 spring semester. FSU football coach Bobby Bowden, with 382 victories, trails Penn State's Joe Paterno by one victory as major college football's all-time winningest coach.

"We have to (appeal)," Brooks said. "Everyone is making about Coach Bowden's wins. It's much more than that. It's other things that are involved outside of football wins that we're trying to hang on to."

Read the entire article.

The Three Greatest Athletes In Seminole History

3. Walter Dix, Track
Quite simply, the most decorated athlete in Florida State history. Dix dominated his sport like no other Seminole ever has. An eight-time national champion, a 17-time All-American and an NCAA record-holder in the 200-meter. Spurning pro contract offers, Dix led Florida State to back-to-back-to-back national titles as a sophomore, junior and senior. He then went to Beijing and collected two bronze medals in the 2008 Olympics.

I’m going to be honest. I had a hard time with Dix. A part of me wanted to put him at the very top of this list. After all, has anyone won more trophies for Florida State University than Walter Dix? He was the key figure in a dynasty run by the men’s track program and stayed in school to get his degree when he could have left much sooner. He might deserve to be No. 1 of all time. But when you see the two guys ahead of him, maybe you’ll understand.

2. Charlie Ward, Football/Basketball
I wish someone could look this up for me, but I don’t know that it would matter. Because I think I know the answer. Has anyone ever quarterbacked a team to a national championship and also played point guard on a basketball team that earned a spot in the Elite Eight? I’m thinking probably not. Charlie was just that special.

He brought Florida State its first national championship and its first Heisman Trophy. He was clutch. He was calm. He was almost impossible to sack when he saw you coming. The signature play of his college career was of course the little flip pass to Warrick Dunn to sew up a 33-21 win over Florida in the Swamp. But remember, he also had to lead the Seminoles down the field in the final minutes to beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Charlie was, without a doubt, the best football player in the nation in 1993. And yet he went pro – and was a first-round draft pick – in an entirely different sport. And he was clutch on the hardwood, too. As a freshman he sank a 30-footer to beat Louisville in the Metro Conference Championship game. He was just an amazing talent. Part of me wishes he would have given the NFL a try, because he was such a treat to watch in football (and the joke when he was a rookie with the Knicks was that he was the best quarterback in New York). But I understand the decision.

By the way, before he became a star under center as a junior and senior, Ward spent his freshman season as the team’s starting punter. That’s how insane an athlete he was – he could, almost literally, do anything. But then again, so could this last guy.

1. Deion Sanders, Football/Baseball/Track
Seriously, who else could it have been? Not only is he perhaps the best cornerback in football history (certainly no defensive back ever altered more gameplans), a two-time consensus All-American, one of the best punt returners who ever lived, an NFL Defensive MVP, a two-time Super Bowl winner, a eight-time Pro Bowler and a soon-to-be Hall of Famer, but he was pretty good on other fields as well.
What gets lost in Deion’s two-sport days during the 1990s was just how good he was at baseball. No, he wasn’t an All-Star and he won’t be in Cooperstown, but he was a very serviceable major leaguer for a number of years. He wasn’t a carnival act (hey, look at the football player trying to swing a bat!) at all. He was a legit major leaguer.
In 1992, he led the NL with 14 triples while hitting .304 for the season. In the World Series that year, Deion hit a stunning .533 with five stolen bases and likely would have been the World Series MVP if the Atlanta Braves had won.
In 1994, he stole 38 bases in just 92 games. In 1997 with the Reds, he stole 56 bases.
As we all know, he is the only person to hit a home run in the major leagues and score a touchdown in the NFL in the same week – will that milestone ever be reached again?
But that’s just his professional career. What Deion did in college will never be forgotten by Florida State fans (the responses to my last blog proved that). From “calling his shot” before returning a punt for a touchdown against Clemson, to terrorizing Andre Rison and the Michigan State Spartans, to intercepting a pass in the end zone against Auburn on his final collegiate play, to returning a pick 100 yards as a freshman to returning a punt for a touchdown against the hated Gators later that year to starring for the Florida State track and field team (he was an All-American in that sport, too) to helping the Seminoles to the College World Series as a starting outfielder. He did it all. He was confident. He was brash. He was unbelievably fast and undeniably talented. There will never, ever, be another Florida State athlete like Deion Sanders.

Kitchen makes game-winner, defense gets final stop, FSU heads to semis

When it mattered most, Derwin Kitchen wasn't going to be denied.

Three times during Florida State's white-knuckle thriller against Georgia Tech on Friday, the sophomore guard had a layup rejected by a Yellow Jacket defender.

But with just 9.9 seconds left in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal game, Kitchen took an inbounds pass from freshman Luke Loucks, sped toward the goal and hit a game-winning reverse layup while being fouled in the Seminoles' 64-62 win at the Georgia Dome.

It was just his third basket of the game.

"I was struggling the whole night," said Kitchen, who finished with eight points, five assists and four turnovers. "To make a big play like that for my teammates, for Luke to have confidence to pass it to me (and) just to bounce back from a terrible game — that was big."

The whole world — or at least the 26,352 in attendance Friday — expected FSU star Toney Douglas to take the game-winning shot. After all, he had 25 points in the game (on 11 of 15 shooting) and has taken, and made, virtually all of the Seminoles' big shots in conference contests this season.

Instead, the pass went to Kitchen, who attacked the basket despite his earlier struggles.

FSU jumps to No. 16 in AP and coaches' poll

FSU jumps to No. 16 in AP and coaches' poll Tallahassee Democrat: "Dekoda Watson was hoping that Florida State had played well enough to rank No. 18 in the latest national polls. His Seminoles did better than that in jumping up to No. 16 in both the USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press poll."

That’s great news,” Watson said. “I am very happy. We’re trying to bring it back. … The good thing about it is it doesn’t have to stop here. We can keep it going and that’s what we plan to do.”
It is the highest ranking for the Seminoles since being ranked ninth against Clemson on Sept. 16, 2006.
“It’s been a little while,” offensive lineman Rodney Hudson said. “We feel good about it but we got to keep working…”

Twenty-seven games had passed since FSU was one of three ACC schools ranked in the top 25.
North Carolina is No. 22 and Maryland is No. 25. Tech is the first among teams outside of the top 25 receiving votes in the USA Today poll.

I Believe, Coach Bowden...I Believe!

nolesports.com Tallahassee, FL: "Bobby Bowden was giving a speech in front of approximately 1,400 people at the Civic Center on Friday, but the Florida State head coach might as well have been addressing every single Seminole fan in the country during the 57th annual FSU Kickoff Luncheon.

'You have got to give us a home field advantage,' Bowden emphatically told the crowd. 'We go out there to warm up, nobody's there. Get into the dadgum game and start making some noise. And get that other team intimidated. That's what we need.'

This statement elicited the second-biggest cheer of the entire afternoon."

The biggest came a few moments later as Bowden was quickly going through the Seminoles' schedule for the 2008 season.

"We've got Miami in Miami," he said. "They're about like us. We're both trying to fight our way back up. Right now, Florida is a little ahead of both of us. But folks, we're going to be back. We're going to be back."

Click on the link (above) to read the rest...

Dix Is Not Done

Dix won the bronze today because of two disqualifications but he's still not done. He will be competing in the 4x100 meter relay for a chance at another medal.

Click the link to read the rest...

Update: Dix wins bronze medal

Dix is on the far left.

Walter Dix wins bronze medal in Beijing.

"He may not be the fastest man on the planet, but the Florida State All American won a bronze medal today in the 100 meters.

Dix posted a personal best 9.91 in the finals, good enough for third place.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won the race and set a world record with a time of 9.69. Richard Thompson, who competed for LSU and is running for Trinidad/Tobago in the Olympics, gets the silver medal with a personal-best time of 9.89.

Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, who posted a 9.91 time in the semifinals, finished fifth at 9.95.

In addition to Bolt’s world record, the other big news in the 100 meters was American Tyson Gay, the U.S. record holder, failing to get beyond the semifinals."

Dix Makes It To The 100 Meter SemiFinals

Walter Dix, FSU track supers star, raced considerably faster in Friday night's (Beijing time) quarterfinal heat, crossing the finish line in 10.08 to qualify for Saturday's semifinal amd final rounds.

The All-American from Florida State ran a 10.35-second 100 meters in Friday morning's (Beijing time) heat to advance to the next round.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt posted the best time of the day: 9.92.

Competition in Dix's best event, the 200 meters, begins on Sunday."

Go USA and Go NOLES!!!

Gator tag coming to Georgia...dang!

Look out, Bulldog Nation. Gator plates are coming to a street near you.

The toothy, green menace known as the University of Florida mascot will soon be mugging on vanity license tags across Georgia. A thousand of the school's local alumni are about to receive their token bit of bravado from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

One member of the UGA Class of '53 had this to say, "I think we should be finding ways to beautify our highways instead," he offered. "We don't usually put road kill on our tags."

ROFLLLL. That was funny. I just want to know how Georgians can allow this travesty to happen? Imma need y'all to step up your game. Don't let those dang gay-tors take over in Georgia too...dang!

Victory for Vick...finally

Michael Vick can keep all but $3.75 million of the nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons following a ruling Monday by a federal judge. The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004-07.

They wouldn't have gotten the money back anyway so the Falcons need to take that $3.75 million and sit down somewhere.

MLB umpires in the Klan?

Umpires are livid that Major League Baseball has sent investigators to their hometowns, asking neighbors a series of questions that include whether the ump belongs to the Ku Klux Klan.

Tee hee. That's funny.

Williams Floyd and Terrell Buckley get their degrees tomorrow

William Floyd promised his mother and coach Bobby Bowden upon leaving Florida State a year early for the 1994 NFL Draft that he would complete his college education.

Two years earlier, Terrell Buckley made the same vow to his mother and FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Floyd's oldest son, Andrew, was just 3 years old. Buckley's three daughters weren't even born when he left FSU with unfinished business

But it is for their children, as much as anyone, that the former teammates will walk in Saturday's FSU graduation ceremony.

Congrats Floyd and Buck.

Talking smack about Xavier Lee

I hopped on nolesports.com to read about bowl preparation. Instead, the first thing that got my attention were comments about Xavier Lee. Pretty much the same ol' comments but it still made me want to do a post about it.

Some of the comments said that Xavier is inconsistent and that's why he isn't starting. That's true. He is inconsistent. So is Drew.

Some say he can't read the play book. Don't know about that one.

But you know the conversation quickly turned to race. He isn't playing because he's black.

Before you go talking about Charlie Ward, let me fill you in on that. Charlie was only given the starting job because the QB in front of him got hurt. There was no one else to play. Charlie just did what Xavier didn't. He played so well that Bowden would have been crazy to yank him.

Something stinks at FSU and I won't say what it is but I'll tell you this...if my son were ready to go to college right now it wouldn't be FSU. Not under this administration.

And that's all I've got to say about it...for now.

Casey to FSU!!!

I say we start a petition and demand that Casey be placed on the FSU coaching staff. Don't we need a quarterback coach?

Casey makes a statement

The following is a statement Casey Weldon made on Thursday to the North Florida Christian football team, students, fans, parents, faculty and staff:

“I want to give so many thanks for the support before this, during this and after this. There are so many people to thank. I just really appreciate the support me and my family have gotten … I’m not perfect, I haven’t been perfect. And when I wasn’t I owned up to it. To the entire school, I just love it. I love it. I loved the opportunity to coach these kids. I felt like I was getting better.

“And I learned so much. I got so much from these last two years. It was the best two years of football that I’ve ever had. And that’s saying an awful lot. It was just so, so rewarding. I hope that these boys will be better men, better husbands, better fathers having been underneath the coaches. Not me, not just me, but all of the staff that we’ve had the last two years.
“I love NFC. And I always will.”

Classy, classy guy. Too classy for NFC.

Read this column about Casey's firing. I couldn't say it better myself.

Vick asked for mercy

Michael Vick wrote a five-page letter to Judge Henry E. Hudson prior to Monday's sentencing hearing in Richmond, Va.

In it, Vick declared "I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be" and asked for leniency in a letter to the federal judge who sentenced him to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy.

Vick's handwritten letter was one of several submitted on behalf of the suspended Falcons quarterback. The documents were unsealed by the court on Thursday.

Other supporters who wrote letters on Vick's behalf included Hank Aaron, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and former boxing champion George Foreman.

Read the letters here.

Billy Joe is going to Alabama

Billy Joe is returning to the sidelines.

But not for FAMU as some would like.

The former Florida A&M coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee has accepted the head football job at Miles College, a NCAA Division II school in Birmingham, Ala.

Good for you, Coach! Blessings to you!

Click here to read the rest.

North Florida Christian Fires Casey Weldon

After two years and two appearances in the Class 1A state championship game, Casey Weldon is no longer the head coach at North Florida Christian.

Casey was notified today that he will not be back in 2008.

How in the world does a coach with a 23-5 record, lead a football team to the State Championship for two years in a row and get fired? I'll tell you how, read this former post. Apparently, Casey refused to kiss the pastor's behind so he had to go. I told you some of these pastors think they are God Himself. It makes me sick.

Casey is a Seminole and when you mess with him you mess with Seminole Nation. I was contemplating sending my son to NFC. No way in the world would I send him now...unless they hired Shaun King as a head coach...NOT

The leadership at NFC is a bunch of jerks. I hope they lose every game they play next year...talkin' about it was God's will. Some of these folks are gonna bust hell wide open lying on God.

Casey, God bless you, baby. Everything happens for a reason and what was meant for your evil will turn for your great good. Watch.

PetriNO is gone -- Good Riddance

I have never heard Warrick Dunn say a negative word about anybody. But Petrino brings out the worse in one of the nicest players in the NFL.

"We play on Monday night and he's not at the meetings," tailback Warrick Dunn said. "Guys noticed that. We talked about it before the game. Then word gets out this guy might be going to Arkansas. I heard this before the game. To be able to look at him face to face and for him to try and lead you and motivate you is tough.

"He sold us a dream. He put this organization last in his life. He's selfish. He's definitely a liar. One of the things we have hanging in our meeting room is [a sign] 'Finish.' If he wanted to leave, you can at least finish three more games. It's 18 days. You can finish it and say, 'You know what, this wasn't for me.' You can respect that. But to let it go yesterday the way that he did and the disrespectful way that he did it, to me he has no heart."

My response:

I don't know why everybody is acting all hurt because Petrino is gone. I say "Good riddance." He was a horrible coach. One thing that I noticed was that he hardly ever gave Ovie the ball and he made Dunn look like he was done. Now that he's gone, maybe the Falcons can have a winning season next year.

23 Months for Vick

Hey everybody. I took my last final today and true to my word, I'm back. You know I got to talk about my boy Vick. By now I know you know that he got 23 months. Yep. He got 23 months for dog fighting. Meanwhile, the murderers of Martin Lee Anderson are at the house chillin'. This is why some people don't respect the legal system. Justice is not blind. It has a seeing eye dog.