FSU coach Mike Norvell closes practice to media

We miss you, Bobby.

We miss you, Bobby Bowden.

We miss you now more than ever.

We miss you not just for all the victories, the national championships or the larger-than-life aura you brought to the sidelines, but for the way you made college football feel like it was Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house.

AP

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden is carried off the field by players and assisstants after beating Virginia Tech 46-29 in the Sugar Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 in New Orleans. Florida State finished the season 12-0 to capture national championship. (AP Photo)

You made us feel like we belonged, like Florida State football was just one big, happy family where everybody— fans, reporters, even rival coaches — had a place at your bountiful table of kindness. You didn’t just coach a football team; you cultivated a culture of openness, warmth and connection. You weren’t just one of the greatest college football coaches who ever lived; you were the greatest college football ambassador who ever lived.

And now it feels like the last remaining vestige of your spirit is gone.

Bobby, we found out just a few days ago that current FSU coach Mike Norvell has closed practice to the media for the first time. It’s probably not a big deal to fans, but it should be. You see, it’s a sad day because it once seemed like Norvell was walking in your footsteps.

FSU coach Mike Norvell is aiming to get the Seminoles rolling again after a stunningly miserable 2-10 campaign. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images/TNS)

Now he is becoming just like the rest of the long list of paranoid college football coaches who treat reporters like spies and treat fans and boosters like ATM machines. We thought Norvell was on his way to being the next Bobby Bowden, but now he’s becoming the next Jimbo Fisher.

Bobby, if you were still here, maybe you’d sit down…

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Publish date : 2025-03-22 18:05:00

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