Memories...Light the corners of my mind...
Even though I love sports, I never blog about about them, because there is usually nothing humorous about losing. Besides, it's not like I am Erin Andrews. There is only room for one beautiful, leggy blonde in sports and she took that title a long time ago.
In August of 1991, I ventured off to Florida State University. I had the opportunity to live the dream that so many teenagers wanted and that was to be a Florida State Seminole. I went to FSU when it was cool, before it joined the ACC. Yes, the ACC did alot for FSU, but at the same time once they joined the ACC, NIKE took over all of their branding. It was much more fun being independent. There were bumper stickers that read "I Bleed Garnet And Gold" and "Kiss Me I'm A Nole", as well as t-shirts that read "You Can Always Retake A Class, Bur you Can Never Relive A Party...FSU...The Ultimate Party School. There were also t-shirts that saluted players like Casey Weldon and Amp Lee. Two of my favorites read, "Dinner Tonight At Doak Campbell Will Be Served Wel-Don" and "It Takes (however so many) Lights To Light Up Doak Campbell, But It Only Takes One Amp".
One of my greatest memories was at a house party hosted by the baseball team. Dan Mowry who was the kicker at the time walked in and boasted, "when are you going to play some country music"? One of the guests came back and shouted, "when you learn how to play football"! I think he was just hoping to hear "Friends In Low Places" by Garth Brooks. Those were the days. The days of the infamous "wide right and wide left". The days of people crying on street corners outside Doak Campbell Stadium after a close loss to Miami. The days of one of the best wins in college football history when FSU smacked the shit out of Michigan.
After joining the ACC, FSU did go on to win two national championships, as well as play for several national championship titles. FSU earned the right to sport rubber alligators with garnet and gold spears piercing through them after the "choak at Doak". There was also this great baseball cap that was green and had a spear piercing a clover which was made to poke fun at Notre Dame after we beat them a few times. Those were definitely the days.
And, if you haven't been to a home game at FSU then you have truly missed something spectacular...The "chop" performed by 80,000 plus fans and of course, Chief Osceola riding out on to the field on Renegade the horse and planting the spear at the 50 yard line.
With Bobby Bowden leaving, it is the end of an era, but as Shelby exclaimed in Steel Magnolias, there are still good times to be had!
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