I understand wanting to defend your fellow coach, but gimme a freakin' break! CLEMSON, S.C. - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden questioned the rape allegation made by a former female Colorado kicker and defended the character of Buffaloes coach Gary Barnett. Bowden, who has been coaching for 51 seasons, spoke with reporters Monday before giving a lecture at Clemson called, "Changes in College Football During His Lifetime: What is good and What is bad." Katie Hnida said last month she was raped by a Colorado teammate in 2000 but didn't tell police back then because she was afraid of the player and didn't want a "media mess." "I did not understand how a young lady can say she was abused, or whatever it was, two years later," Bowden told The State for Tuesday editions. "At the time, why don't you go report it? It seems like you ought to report it right (away). So it makes me say, 'Well, did it really happen like that?' I just don't know. I know this. You can't get many men much better than ol' Gary Barnett. Talk about a good man. And I know he's got good morals." Barnett was placed on administrative leave after he called Hnida an "awful" player who "couldn't kick the ball through the uprights." Barnett later said his comments were taken out of context. "Gary Barnett simply told what he thought was the truth: She was not a very good player," Bowden said. "Boy, that cost him. Fifty years ago, nobody would have even said a thing about that (comment)." He owes an apology to Katie immediately. Ignorant fool
Bowden just needs to go to some sensitivity classes. He is from a different generation and is not in tune with today's world. I doubt he meant anything malicious by it (but that doesn't excuse it from being an insensitive comment). True story about Bowden: I was working on this job over a year ago with a guy from Boeing down in Florida and I found out that he played QB at Florida State in the late '70s. Don't want to give his name here, but I will say that his senior season was Bowden's first season at FSU and this guy is in the FSU top 10 of all-time longest passes in a game. Anyway, I was amazed that he played QB for Bowden at FSU because he didn't look like a football player. He told me that the first day that Coach Bowden came to FSU, he gathered the whole team around and said, "Boys, if you will listen to me, I guarantee you that we will have a winning season." The Boeing guy told me that several of the black players looked at each other and said, "Boys? Who the hell is he calling boys?" I'm not defending him, but Bowden just doesn't know any better.
Anyone ever heard Bowden on a Mobile on 610? Wouldn't you love to hear that guy reading those comments?
He does have a point. Why come out now? Although I think the problems with Colorado's program demand some sort of investigation, why pile on now with a two-year charge. Why not come out then?
Perhaps she was frightened. Come on guys, get real. It's not like its easy to come out to the public and tell the world you were sexually abused, only to know you will receive harsh scrutiny because of the circumstances. Unfortunately, I know a couple of women who were sexually abused / raped several years ago and never told a soul. For some odd reason, they told me though... Bowden's comments make him look like a jerk, plain and simple.
I just don't think it's a good idea for a football coach to come out and say he thinks a young woman making a claim of rape is a liar, especially when he's not close enough to the situation to know anything about it. The fact is, a lot of women don't report rapes for many different reasons. That doesn't mean they didn't happen. I don't know whether this woman was raped or not, but I'm not going to claim she's a liar or question the fact that she didn't report it or anything like that as a person looking in from the outside, and I'd be especially careful of doing such things as a public figure.
Neither do I. I could see what Bowden said about the girl that was allegedly raped but what is wrong with calling his players "boys"? To him, they are boys.
Agreed about the "boys" comment. He was addressing the ENTIRE group of athletes, not singling out a particular race. (According to ManRam's tale)
I agree with you, drapg. I told the story to illustrate that I don't think Bobby Bowden cares or even knows about "being pc". And I don't think there was any question that he was addressing the entire team, but there are people out there that are very sensitive about things. For example, look at this thread:
I don't see what the fuss is. He was talking to the entire team. What's wrong with calling them boys. They are boys, right? And your post was a 'pay attention to me' post. Hypocrite.
http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65131 or for example drapg take a look at this thread. I guess its okay to speak how you want when others agree.
Am a big FSU fan...and the first comment was ignorant, and insensitive. The second one was chronologically accurate, and I would imagine only an issue if A) There are other aspects of BB's character that would lead someone to think it was a race oriented comment, or B) They were hypersensitive about the words 'boys'. I have never, ever heard BB described as anything remotely racist, and probably his best asset as a coach is his ability to have his team love him, which would be a tad hard if half of them thought you were prejudiced against them. I would like to think that the first comment was ignorant in the true sense of the word, ie the man just doesn't know any better, but as I know nothing about his views on gender issues, that is admittedly a supposition, not a conclusion.
WTF?? It must have taken you half the day to find that. Can you explain to me the relevance of bringing that thread up within this one, pgabriel?? Seriously, I am not making the connection. It could be a connection in your mind that is the same as Clinton Portis being drafted in the first round of the NFL and only playing 1 season at Miami.
It only takes mere minutes if you know what you're looking for. It's relevant to this thread based on your comment and subsequent unnecessary posting a link to Lil Pun's thread. He pointed out a thread where one could argue that you were being too sensitive about the Dixie Chicks. I could point to the thread when you freaked out about someone saying Willis McGahee's career was over.
thank you RM95, Manny is one of the more sensative guys on this board, he just doesn't know it yet. And it didn't take me long to find him b****ing about something, you just have to know how to search.
