I’ve always found it necessary to compartmentalize my thoughts when it came to Bowden and Florida State. FSU was our arch enemy and it often stood in the way of us flaunting our power in the state and esp in recruiting battles. I came to loathe its successes but I always found it hard to dislike the man. He was too damn likable.
What Bowden did was make college football a whole lot more interesting and esp for Floridians. The ‘90s rivalry with Florida was must-see TV for the entire nation. Bowden was the perfect smiling, joking foil to Spurrier’s dagger digs. Free Shoes University. Those were great times if you loved the game. The intensity was off the charts.
He’s gone now and what I’m mainly left with is the memory of his arrival in Tallahassee a year after mine in Gainesville. He changed things up in a big way. And so I can relate closely, maybe just due to the realization of the loss of time. Life can be weird that way. RIP.