Sportsman-like behavior and respect are taught at a young age when you are an athlete. It is not the Coach's job to raise your kids for you, and it is a parent's job to teach them the difference between right and wrong, and how to behave like a decent human being. When on the field/rink/course, it is the Coach's job to reinforce this positive behavior, and demand respect for him/her, the team and yourself. Doesn't appear that Bowden demands or expects respect from his players as most coaches do, or otherwise they would not behave this way when they represent him, the team and the school. Florida/FSU is a rivalry, but the behavior of the team was really pathetic. The line of appropriate behavior was crossed, and no one jumped in to stop or apologize for it. Bowden's half hearted apology (apologies don't count unless you mean it)shows me that he didn't see anything wrong with it and blew it off as a "boys will be boys" type thought. The problem here is the Coach. He is allowing the inmates to run the asylum at FSU. Hell, hockey players beat the shit out of each other fighting during a game, but they shake hands at the end and there are no hard feelings. For those of you who saw the FSU game on Saturday witnessed the Keyshawn bad attitude, in your face, above it all influence on young athletes of the world first hand. Though these players will never play on a Keyshawn level (when he was good) and half of them will probably end up in prison. I am sorry, but NO athlete (especially any on FSU's Football team) is that scary talented that they can't be told that they are acting like assholes. The school should repremand them AND Bowden for that embaressing display of disrespect.

FSU is a boil on the butt of college football. Bobby Bowden is classless and the school administration is obviously run by the football program. That "university" is nothing more than a football factory turning out thugs and miscreants. They are an embarassment.

Athletics are a major part of a University. Football, most notably I-A football, is the most popular, most talked about, discussed, most desired program a school can have. It has a tremendous financial impact on the school as well as an impact on enrollment, drawing top students AND professors based on a national reputation. It draws the surrounding community into the daily operations of the University, as it is a great way to showcase the other aspects of a University to the people who might never think or hear about it.

A program like FSU, which for years and years has been winning and producing top level athletes relies on that impact. Noone will ever tell Bobby Bowden how to run his football program... you can't argue with success. If he doesn't feel the need to reign in his players, it's not happening. As long as the players aren't murdering and raping on the playing field, it's pretty much a look the other way situation no matter the circumstance.

Paul- I really hope you are being sarcastic about never hearing about Wilfork.... until next season UM is still in the Big East, I guess you haven't really been following your boys up at 'Cuse....? As far as #1... I don't know, I think there are a couple other players on the UM roster that should go ahead of him, but I guess it all depends on draft order and what a team needs.

No, I wasn't being saracastic when I wrote that I had never heard of Vince Wilfork. In fact, I can name two players on the Miami Hurricanes: Kellen Winslow Jr. and Brock Berlin. That's one less than I can name on the rest of the Big East (minus Syracuse) combined: Kevin Jones, Marcus Vick, Larry Fitzgerald.

I wonder who will be Syrcause's coach next year. I think Saturday might be Pasqualoni's last.

As much as I hate the attitude of most athletes these days, and as much as I am turned off by the display at the end of the FSU Florida game last week, I think most are missing the big picture.

The boundries for celebration displays are being stretched by the likes of Terrell Owens, Ray Lewis, etc. These players want the spotlight on them as long as they can. They love seeing themselves on Sportscenter later that night. That being said, also keep in mind the utter disdain these two programs have for each other. It is black or white in Florida. You are a Gator, or you are a Seminole. No other question. (Outside of Miami, people in Florida forget the Noles even exist...they want nothing to do with them)There is plenty of recent history between these two programs. Bowden and Spurrier hated each other. No question about it. The teams hate each other. This goes beyond a mere rivalry. They just do not like each other at all. At least with OSU / Mich or NC / Duke, these teams respect each other. That is not the case with FSU/ Florida.

So when you add all of this together, these type of activities happen. Is it right? Probably not. Is it showing good sportsmanship? Nope. Is it a product of the society we live in today? Very much so. Can Bowden control this if he wants to? Yes. Does he? Not a chance........

$4G to go to Dodgertown and have pros show me how much I suck. Hm.

Will my $4 Large, plue that of the other attendees actually help my Dodgers find an offense that can score more than 2.5 runs a game? Might be worth it.

/disgruntled Big Blue fan

As a former student at Florida State University, and a former resident of Florida, I take exception to Ned's comment about FSU being "nothing more than a football factory turning out thugs and miscreants."

Obviously, Ned, you know absolutely nothing about Florida State University and less about Bobby Bowden.

Having been at FSU in the mid-late 1980's, I can tell you that the Bobby Bowden who spoke those words for the Democrat would never have said those words 20 years ago. I don't think it is just success that has changed his tone, either. The players are different, college football is different and Bobby Bowden is in his 70's. He has always been very respectful of his opponents and until the last few years, FSU was a program that didn't make the news for player wrongdoings.

Ed is right in that the Florida-FSU rivalry is far stronger than any other rivalry I have ever seen. Go to a party, and you'll often find that Florida fans/alumni are on one side of the room and FSU on the other. I kid you not. It is an indoctrination that begins at an early age, and is unlike any other- even the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn doesn't come close.

As for putting university in quotes- implying that it isn't- why don't you learn a little bit more about FSU before you slam its academic side. Football is big at FSU, but it is the daily nitty-gritty grind and splendor of academic life at FSU that helps attract some of the best research minds- and grant dollars- and best students around. I could start listing the academic achievements and honors of the faculty and students, but it would take too long....

As is often the case, there is more than what you see on the limited arena of a Saturday college football game, and there is far more to FSU than football.

I must say that the postgame antics of the Half-Ass U (oops, sorry...FSU) squad didn't at all surprise me. The Semenholes (oops, my bad...Seminoles) have long been the standard in unsportmanslike conduct and bonehead bravado for college football. This game illustrated what a pack of arrogant schmucks these FSU players traditionally are...under the governance of an equally smug and unapologetic coach. Even though I am biased (my sister and brother-in-law are UF Gator alums...and UF was the site of the first frat party I attended when I was 17...ah, that was a wild night...), there was no excuse for the behavior of the FSU team.

you guys are idiots. fsu only did the same thing that florida has done after a win at fsu some time ago. however, i don't see anyone mentioning that at all. it's not about it being fsu, and those attending fsu being a bunch of miscreants. it seems like none of you even know what you're talking about, except maybe lucy. but it's a bitter rivalry, and emotions run high. as for calling bobby bowden unsportsmanlike, that's ridiculous. if you wanna talk about an unsportsmanlike coach, look at steve spurrier. he never kept his calm on the sidelines, having temper tantrums all the time, falsely accusing the other team's players...that's someone who'd whine about anything when things didn't go his way in a game.
i would suggest that you forget about fsu vs. uf for a minute and actually take a look at each team and how they play. i'm positive that you'll be able to see the way uf likes to run up the score when they play a team that no ones even heard of. i mean, i understand wanting higher scores to improve stats, but it's unnecessary to put a score up of 63-3 to a team like famu. they boast on the field all the time. when bobby's up, he'll put in his second-string players and allow them actual experience while showing mercy to the other team as well. and yes, there's gonna be displays of celebrating for any team, but i don't recall seeing fsu ever rub it in like uf does.