Tuesday August 12, 2008

Bowden / Ryan Update

Ryan Update 8-12
Mondays are the only day of the week where I don’t see Ryan so I have to get all of the information from those that are there. By all accounts, Ryan had another great day yesterday. He continues to get better in almost every aspect of his recovery. He continues to crack us up as his sense of humor came back even stronger.

He has a busy day today as they fit him for his wheel chair that we will take home. It is a temporary deal until they build his new chair. In my mind that will be a temporary chair as well because I know Ryan will walk again. He can walk now with only one person assisting him. Balance is his main issue. He bares all of his weight and makes all of his steps now but he needs some help with balance.

Because his status improves every day, I have held off on making firm plans for the football season. I am not sure if he will sit in the handicapped section for a few games or if Ryan can be helped to a regular seat. I am a little concerned about the heat for the September games because Ryan’s stamina is still an issue. He has to work so hard to do the little things that it just wears him out. I am hoping he can make it through a whole day of tailgating and the games too. I think by November he will be able to fly so soon we will book flights to Boston.

Ryan is ready to come home. He can see the finish line and home just feels so much better than the hospital to him.

Just a quick reminder, we would love to see you this Saturday for Ryan’s birthday drop-in. We will be at Valley Walk and The Park at Valley Walk from 4-7 PM. No gifts please but we would love to see you and thank you for your kindness. We are also so proud of Ryan that we want to make Saturday a special occasion.

Bowden
It is easy to get our priorities out of order in our world today. We seem to live for the moment and many of us get too high when things are going well and too low when they are not. Our economy is great example of that since we based so much upon speculation. We get fat when times are good and panic at any sign of negative news and it is easy to find negative news.

This summer changed some of that for me. When Ryan had his accident on June 2, my life changed and will never be the same. I think I look at things differently now. My perspective has certainly changed and my priorities have been re-ordered. Maybe they are not any better or any worse but they are different.

A prime example of this showed up again this past Saturday. On the radio and on the blog it is part of my job to analyze the entire football program at Clemson and praise or criticize when necessary. But the criticism or praise is strictly from a professional standpoint because from a personal standpoint I see things from a different perspective now.

Saturday morning at 8:08 my cell phone rang and it was Coach Bowden. Tommy called to check on Ryan as he was on his way over to the stadium for his team’s first scrimmage which was to start at 10:30.

I was not going to write about this subject because I thought it was a private conversation and Tommy did not call for publicity. But I read a post on a website criticizing his values because of the DeAndre McDaniel case. The post was obviously not from a Clemson fan and it was not on a Clemson website. But I think it is appropriate to defend his character. The poster has no idea who Bowden is and who he was making statements about.

This phone conversation marked the fifth time Tommy has called about Ryan. It was one of maybe 40-50 phone calls, e-mails, text messages or cards and letters we have received from him or his staff about Ryan. They started reaching out the day of the accident and they have not stopped. The coaches and their families have been terrific to Ryan and his entire family.

Coach Bowden called Saturday to see where Ryan was in his rehab. He wanted to know his improvements and he inquired about the biggest obstacles still in front of Ryan. The conversation turned to God’s work in our lives and the miracles he works. Tommy invited Ryan to Saturday’s scrimmage and I only wish he could have seen Ryan’s face when I told him about the call and the invitation.

The point of this blog is fairness. It is OK to use facts in praise or criticism of a football coach and a football staff. These are grown men who get compensated well for the work they do. They understand the pressure and criticism. They have no problem with criticism when it is fair or deserved. These men are accountable for their performance and SHOULD be held accountable. Clemson football is a big deal and we should not lose sight of that.

When the offense does not perform well then Bowden, Rob Spence, Brad Scott, Dabo Swinney, Billy Napier and Andre Powell know their jobs are on the line. When the defense underachieves Bowden, Vic Koenning, David Blackwell, Ron West and Chris Rumph understand the consequences.

However, I don’t think it is fair to question their character. Sometimes wins and losses or Gamecocks and Tigers are not the way we should define people.

I don’t know McDaniel. I don’t know the victim. I don’t know what happened that night. I would not stand for either side.

However, I do know Bowden well enough to know he will do the right thing in his mind. He will not make the decision based upon wins or losses. He will not make the decision based upon his own personal loss or gain. He will not make a decision based upon what fans or media think.

I think I know Bowden enough to know that he will gather all of the facts he can and talk to as many as he can. At the point where feels comfortable that he has all of the information he needs, Bowden will sit down and make a fair decision. He has been consistent and has consistently leaned on the stricter side of the scale.

When he makes that decision then it will become the right one. Whether McDaniel is kicked off of the team or if he does not receive any punishment, I will be comfortable with Bowden’s decision.

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