Great Morning of Reading

I have the day off today, and I went and did something that I had desired for a long time. I went to Starbucks, had coffee and read for awhile. This afternoon, I take my 5 year old on a date to see a movie. Currently, I am reading the book Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb. This is an awesome book! It has truly spoken to me where I am at. There was a line from the book that really stuck with me today. Larry is talking about how we often want to worship a divine vending machine. Put in the correct spiritual change, punch the right button and God delivers. What do you want? A better life? Financial stability? Just put in the right coins in the right order (daily devotions, disciplined prayer, weekly church attendance) and God will do whatever you ask.

Unfortunately, this is the view that I had of God for quite a number of years. This view is prevalent in churches today. God does not guarantee that if we follow Him that everything will be perfect. I will be thinking through this a great deal today. It really makes me think of why I do the things I do. Do I do these things because of a love of God or because of what I think God will do for me?

Congrats to Jimbo Fisher

In case you missed the news today, Florida State University Offensive Coordinator Jimbo Fisher, was announced as the successor to current head coach Bobby Bowden. Congrats Coach Fisher! Here is the story from the Tallahassee Democrat today:

Fisher humbled by FSU's decision to make him Bowden's successor

By Steve Ellis DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER

Jimbo Fisher said he didn't arrive at Florida State in January with the thought, much less an understanding that he would, someday, replace Bobby Bowden.

But on Monday morning he said he was pinching himself realizing that he will replace Bobby Bowden when the legendary coach steps down.

"I said when I came here, that the main reason I came here was because of that man right there," Fisher said, pointing to Bowden. "...As I'm trying to grow and to become half of what he is, I'm still being able to groom myself and learn from him every day.

"He doesn't realize this, but I learn more from him by accident sometimes than I have other people on purpose. Every time he walks into a room, the way he handles a situation, the way he does things. Every day, when you look back, you walk away and say, 'That's pretty smart.'

"It's why he has won 370-some games. If I'm the head coach here for 37 years, and I win 10 games a year, I still haven't caught him. I think that kind of puts in perspective about what he's done, who he is, and how he's done things.''

Part of what Fisher also said at the press conference follows:

On one day replacing Bobby Bowden

"You don't ever replace (coaching legends). You remember them, and you learn from them, and you try to be yourself. I can't be Bobby Bowden. There will never be another Bobby Bowden. I have to be Jimbo Fisher. That's all I know how to do.

"What Coach Bowden has done here we'll remember, and when my time comes, I'll try to do the best Jimbo Fisher can do, and we'll try to win football games. If you keep thinking about trying to be Bobby Bowden or emulating Bobby Bowden, then you're not taking care of the present.''

About replacing Bobby Bowden

"I'm very excited to have this in my future, to know where my future is, especially for my family. One day, hopefully, I'll be sitting here, and you'll be trying to kick me out the door. I'm not in a hurry to move all the way across the country and to jump this job and jump this job. Money has never been a big, overriding factor for me. That's not the reason you get in this business.

"This is the place I want to raise my kids, raise my family. I want to live here and hopefully be the head football coach here for a long time to come.''

About the grooming process, including dealing with media and boosters

"Is there a better person to learn from than to deal with the press, to deal with boosters and people than him? I hope they let me speak in front of him and not behind him. That's part of it. Every aspect of this program I want to try and learn."

The reaction from the staff

"The other guys on the staff have been great. We have a great staff. We all get along. There are not a lot of egos in the room. We have one common goal, and that's to make Florida State better and win Coach Bowden more championships.

"So far, everything has been great. We are out there recruiting, and it seems to be going over in the recruiting world alright. The other coaches are selling it (to recruits), and it seems to be going over well.

"I think we'll continue to grow. All of our decisions we make as a staff. We're going to everything as a staff. We're all one big family. We'll continue to do things just like they've been done, just like coach Bowden's wants us to do. There'll be no changes.

Would he be at another school if not for this deal?

"I don't know. It was very tempting because you have to continue to grow in this business. You have to take the steps, just like a player does. I've always said I want to be a head football coach and as people come with opportunities to move and grow, I had to listen to them. It would have been tough. I didn't want to leave here but there were things I had to listen to and there could have been a chance I would have moved on.

"I don't know if I would have been here or not but I'm not saying I would have or wouldn't have. We just didn't get that far along in the process."

The announcement's effect on recruiting

"We had to answer the same question: how long is coach Bowden going to be here? How long are you going to be here? I'd say I plan on being here forever and ever but I would honestly say this to a recruit, I'm not going to sit here and guarantee you because I believe in one thing, I don't believe in lying because once you start lying and you start trying to tweak and turn recruiting, that's what happens. Recruiting is 90 percent misinformation. There is only about 10 percent true information in anything you get out there. I told them if a great opportunity comes, there is a chance I will take it. I'm not planning on it but I can't sit here and guarantee. I can say most likely, there is an 80 percent chance I will be here.

"There is no jab that they can get at us. I'm going to be here. Coach Bowden is going to be the head coach as long as he wants to be here and we know the future. So, quit picking at us."

Stressed Out

I went to the doctor this week with pain in my left foot. After some tests and X-rays, I have been diagnosed with a stress fracture. I overdid it in training and more importantly did not train with good shoes (have I learned my lesson there). Hence, I will not be running a marathon in January 08. However, there is always the chance to run in 09. We will just have to see how it goes.

BCS Fiasco

It has taken me some time to process this whole BCS fiasco and get my thoughts together. I do want to address one argument that I heard over and over this weekend. Georgia did win their division, but they lost the tie breaker to go to the SEC Championship game. At least get that fact correct.

The pollsters knew that Georgia was not going to win the conference and went ahead and put Georgia in a position to play for the national title. Georgia did not lobby for this, it was the opinion of the voters that Georgia is a very talented football team. I am disappointed by what happened. Not because there were no other deserving teams, but because the entire ranking system became totally useless. If things are going to be like this, then the top 5 rankings should not be made until after the completion of the season. Maybe you have a list of 10 teams who qualify for the BCS, but do not rank them until the season is complete.

Beware of the winning the conference championship to play for the title rule. If Tennessee had won the SEC Championship game would they have played for the title? No and neither would Boston College if they had won. As you can see, there is a weakness with the conference championship argument as well.

Bottom line, there is no perfect system except a playoff. Will that happen, who knows.

If you are going to through out the rankings and start over, therefore denying Georgia, I think the BCS Championship Game should be Oklahoma vs. LSU. However, if you stood by the rankings, it should have been UGA vs. Ohio State.

One final thought for LSU fans. A loss in overtime is still a loss or a leauss to put it in Cajun talk.