“Old Heads! Stop acting brand new like 2Pac ain’t have a nose ring too. Nobody wins when the family feuds…” Shawn Corey Carter
This generation is interesting. They just operate differently. The mumble rap, the androgynous style of dress with skinny jeans, man buns and purses, the dances, the hippity hop. All this just seems so foreign to me.
But then I realize something and it all becomes perfectly clear: folks thought the same thing about my generation of Noles probably. These kids are different, but no different than any other generation looked to the generation before them.
The Willie Taggart era Noles have made changes, but those changes shouldn’t be as big of a deal as many FSU fans are making them. And as I’ve stated in previous articles, “This ain’t about you!”
Secure the Bag
Let’s clear it up for those who aren’t watching TV in HD: the bag isn’t pink.
It’s close enough to garnet and it depends on your TV what color it actually looks like.
Is it the best look FSU has ever had? No, but I’ve never played defense on any level other than high school and I’m also not currently on the roster. Them boys like it, period.
End of story.
Every gimmick starts off with folks picking on it until it eventually grows on you. Its popularity will grow the more you oppose it. Matter of fact, I like it now because nobody else likes it.
If the backpack gets FSU three turnovers a game for the rest of the season then I don’t care if it’s a Dora The Explorer or Hello Kitty backpack.
Confidence helps win games. That’s what matters.
The backpack isn’t going to lose you football games. I liken it to the now overly-imitated Turnover Chain at UM. I didn’t like it at first, but then I saw the energy it brought to THEIR sideline and thought about how much I didn’t matter in that equation.
Plus, players are motivated by gimmicks all the time. You think a helmet sticker is more noble? I damn sure played for those for no other reason than folks knew the more you had, the better you are. Also, every Monday during the Bowden era he gave a hit spear to the player who delivered the hardest hit in the previous game.
Go DJ, That’s my DJ
Geriatrics chill out. DJs being an active part at football games is not new. You may just be noticing this, but they’ve been playing hip hop in the stadium since the ‘90s if I remember. I know for a fact they did it when I played because Nelly’s “Shake Your Tailfeather” played during warm ups.
I was at the game and the Chiefs were just as loud and proud as always. FSU has a great band that is very loud. If that collection of instruments is drowned out by a DJ then we’ve got a bigger problem anyway. There’s always been a good back and forth.
The only difference is the DJ is more visible now.
You must also remember that stadium atmosphere is just as much about recruiting as it is about how much money you love to brag about spending on the university. Recruiting is marketing. If you’ve been a booster for 40+ years, as everyone seems to love to claim, odds are high that you can no longer run 4.3 or you’re not 6’6 330 and can block. The kids who can do that like the DJ. They like the experience and it increases chances they come to play.
Again, IT AINT ABOUT YOU.
Music at practice
While we are on it, stop complaining about music in practice. FSU went 7-6 in silence. If you haven’t noticed, not one game is played in silence. Stadiums are loud. Lack of focus isn’t created because of the music, lack of focus is a direct result of a lack of accountability which is tough to correct when the ball has been dropped over the last few years.
We’ve been complaining about penalties, drops and missed opportunities post Jameis. This isn’t new to Taggart.
This isn’t FAMU or the Ghetto
I’ve seen and heard these comments. Stop it. Extremely disrespectful and disappointing. What’s done here is done at numerous other winning programs. Is Dabo ghetto-ing up Clemson because he likes to dance?
It’s ok to voice concerns, but don’t disrespect another university that is prestigious in its own right.
One thing I really like that is non-football related is that Taggart has made the players learn the school fight song and sing it after a win with the band. Nobody talks about how we’ve never done that and it’s a tradition that we’ve copied from many universities.
It reminds me of Joe Clark, played by an already old Morgan Freeman in the ‘80s, in the movie “Lean on Me” making all the students at Eastside High School learn the school song. Find something that they can have pride in that will make them want to better represent the school in academics and positively in the community. Ironically, for the guy who is doing so much wrong at FSU, he has done tremendously well in those areas, achieving higher marks academically than at almost any point in program history.
Bottom line, don’t be like granddad from “The Simpsons.”
RELATED: Seminole players need to look themselves in the mirror to turn season around.
Article Originally Appeared on Gridiron Now: http://gridironnow.com/seminole-fans-need-to-embrace-willie-taggarts-new-vision-for-program
