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null [211]
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If you think you know Tommy Bowden, read this.
Dec 21, 2004, 1:07 PM
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I have seen posts on here in the past referring to Tommy Bowden as pretentious, arrogant, egocentric, etc. Even some have called him unavailable.
This is what he has done for me. You don't have to believe it and you don't have to read it but it is all true. Photos can prove it.
1. Even before there was an opening at Clemson I called Bobby Robinson on the phone and mentioned it sure would be great to have Tommy Bowden as our head coach if things didn't work out with Tommy West. I knew after the GT game things were not going to work out with West. He was incredibly out coached in that game and used awful time management at the end. I still wish him the best of blessings at Memphis however. He is a good man.
2. Tommy Bowden through his agent expressed interest and Robinson mentioned to me that a few other Iptay members had the same thought. Tommy and the rest of the family wanted to move but Lauren wasn't too big on the idea at first. That has since changed.
3. Since Coach Bowden has been here we have communicated in a number of ways several times and he even visited my wife while she was in the hospital despite the fact I'm not a big donor. I give $1,400/year to Iptay and for the attention I get, that is not much.
4. Friday he invited me up to meet with him and some of the staff that were around to sign some footballs for some needy children and one family who lost their Clemson grad son in a bicycle accident in Charleston this year.
5. He gave me a tour and told me to sit in HIS chair while we talked some football and just caught up on some old matters and other things that have been going on at Clemson. None of this needs to be discussed but I did mention we need to talk to Coach Nix as Southern Miss but it was too late for that. (USC got them a good one there. He might be the best DC in the nation but I digress)
6. He and I posed for photo after photo taken by a young lady who was filling in for his secretary who was out that day.
7. Dabo Sweeney met with me for a while and posed for some photos and I can tell you that guy will be a div 1 head coach in the near future. What a personality that guy has.
8. I talked with Brandon Streeter and it had been a while since I saw him last so it was great meeting up with him again.
9. We went over to the Iptay office and I saw Billy D on his way in and he ran over and shook my hand and we exchanged pleasantries. Billy D is a great asset to Clemson. Everything that guy says is positive and he always makes you feel like family when you are around him.
10. Next Billy D took me in to talk with Bert Henderson who is a nice guy but not the gregarious person I remember him as. I guess anybody can have a bad day though.
Finally I met up with Tim Bourret and he gave me plenty of propaganda and I have to admit, as a chap listening to Tim I thought he was the greatest. It's too bad he can't add color to the football games now - no offense to Will Merritt but I'd like to see all three of them in the booth - Tim knows every stat there is out there. He'd be a lot easier to like if he weren't a Notre Dame grad but some things you just have to accept. ;0)
Finally I finished by shopping in Tigertown at Tigertown Graphics, Mr. Knickerbocker, and Coach Ibrahim's stores. After a three hour ride home, I was exhausted but I can tell you I was like a kid at Christmas.
I want to thank our athletic department and especially Coach Bowden for taking so much time to meet with me and just spend time together. He is entertaining with lots of stories to tell and as long as you don't badger him for info, he will really go out of his way to make you feel at home.
And that is what I want Clemson to always be for Tommy Bowden, his family and for all Clemson grads and fans who make it such a special place. Clemson rules. Whether we go 9-4, 12-0, or 1-10, I would still prefer to be from Clemson than any other school in the country.
By the way, if you are interested in helping Clemson bring the Weekend of Champions to Clemson every other year, please t-mail me and let me know. I would greatly appreciate it.
GO TIGERS!
sorry so long.
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Walk-On [106]
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Re: If you think you know Tommy Bowden, read this.
Dec 21, 2004, 1:22 PM
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I agree completely, he is a great representative of our program. Sometimes we as fans get too caught up in the W and L's and fail to notice some of the great things our coaches do. Just look at Notre Dame, I sure would hate to see us go thru a situation like that. Bowden has lead us to a winning season in each of his years here, and is doing a great job in recruiting this year. As he continues to gain experience as a head coach I believe he will be more consistent so we don't have games like Duke and WF, and more like Miami and FSU. I hope we don't run him off like West Virgina did to his dad.
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1st Rounder [633]
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Re: If you think you know Tommy Bowden, read this.
Dec 21, 2004, 1:36 PM
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I absolutely agree. My two brothers go to church with Coach Bowden. They along with everyone else will tell you that the guy isn't stuck up or thinks he is better than everyone else. He is a class act. I know that the bottom line for football coaches ends up being wins and losses, but we shouldn't forget what a class act we have representing the program on and off the field.
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null [41]
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In addition to making us bowl eligible each of his 6 years..
Dec 21, 2004, 1:45 PM
[ in reply to Re: If you think you know Tommy Bowden, read this. ] |
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at Clemson, I believe that another great achievement of Coach Bowden is the extreme rise in the graduation rate and the team GPA of our football team. This seems to be a fact that often gets overlooked but should not. Six times bowl eligible, five bowl games, four wins over top 10 teams, and two ACC coach of the year of the awards aren't too shabby either. Keep up the good work Coach and go Tigers!!!
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Orange Blooded [3350]
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Couldn't agree more. I read a stat somewhere recently
Dec 21, 2004, 2:12 PM
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that said we were somewhere in the 12-14th ranking in player graduation rates. That's impressive given our W-L record!! I think we graduate 80% of our players. Thanks to our athletic program as a whole (swimming etc.) for keeping Clemson ranked right at the top in GPA for athletes in the conference. If the NCAA would ever make your scholarships contingent upon your graduation rate you would see us shoot past the Oklahoma’s of the world in a hurry!
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110%er [6042]
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Re: If you think you know Tommy Bowden, read this.
Dec 21, 2004, 1:37 PM
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Thats Great Commentary and Story.I am Glad To Have Coach Bowden here at Clemson University too.
I just hope that Our Board Of Trustees and Clemson University's Administration gets behind him as well as our Alumni and IPTAY Members and Fans of Clemson University.
GO CLEMSON TIGERS
FIGHT TIGERS FIGHT
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110%er [5555]
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Outstanding story, we are so very lucky to have a great
Dec 21, 2004, 1:42 PM
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coach and person like Coach Bowden representing Clemson University. He will get us to the next level!
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null [419]
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Good post... agree totally
Dec 21, 2004, 1:47 PM
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Sometimes we need to take a step back and look at things in the big picture. We get too caught up in winning and forget that he is still a work in progress and that he has done more for this school than we can imagine. He runs a clean program and is a fine christian man... something that will stay with him as long as he lives. Our graduation rates are some of the highest in the nation and in the whole scheme of things, whether we like to admit it or not, that is what the players are going to carry with them.
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Orange Blooded [2041]
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I've had similar experiences with Tommy
Dec 21, 2004, 2:03 PM
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He has always signed anything I sent over to him. Took time to talk to me when he really didn't have to. I think TB's problem is that he just doesn't kiss butt with the reporters in this state. Sometimes it's good to have the press on your side but I kinda like him making them really work for a story.
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110%er [5555]
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Talking about signing stuff, when he did his
Dec 21, 2004, 2:10 PM
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show following the WF game he signed the football like always but when he tossed it to one of the workers in the back he hit the camera man and before it went to commercial you could see him smile. It was hilarious because the camera shook.
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Legend [18310]
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Thanks, one of the best threads that I have ever seen on
Dec 21, 2004, 2:17 PM
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Tigernet. I have always been of being a Tiger grad and this is just one of the reasons why!! GO TIGERS!!
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Team Captain [475]
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Very true. When my son was dying of cancer, Coach Bowden
Dec 21, 2004, 2:17 PM
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called everyday to talk to him. Before that he didn't even know us. Someone from our church told him about my son being a Clemson fan and he took it from there. Sent us all kind of Clemson stuff signed by him, coaches and players. And we are not big donors at all, not even Iptay anymore. Then, when I was doing a project for my friends being deployed to Iraq, he gladly took part, had me in his office, asked me to go to practice with him and watch. None of it seemed like he was going thru the motions, he acted like I had known him all my life. We might not win another NC, but no one can attack his character.
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null [1758]
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Here, Here!! HOF post***
Dec 21, 2004, 2:24 PM
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null [312]
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My experience....
Dec 21, 2004, 2:35 PM
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I wrote Coach Bowden a letter after the GA Tech loss, telling him how proud I was to have him as our coach, and that I had realized just big a fan of him I was when it looked like we might lose him, first by our firing him, then perhaps by his wanting to leave. I told him that I realized through all that that while I'll never stop being a Clemson fan, I would follow him just as closely as the Tigers probably. I told him I was proud to have a man running our program that wanted to walk with God on a daily basis. I told that I was pullin for him.
This was the monday before the Texas AM game, so the guys left Friday afternoon. But wouldn't you know that I got a response letter the next monday, one week to the day.
Living in MB, and he in Clemson, he had to respond quickly, perhaps the same day.
Needless to say, having to go through all he had to the previous week, I was super impressed with his quick response. I think we have us a good one boys and girls, as long as we don't get to impatient and let him grow into being the coach we all believe he can be.
Like his dad said, "Tommy's got the stuff" (to be a successful football coach).
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null [211]
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I agree we have a good one and the thing I like most about
Dec 21, 2004, 2:47 PM
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TB is he really loves Clemson. He has one son who has already graduated and his daughter is attending CU now. He is now officially family and we should treat him that way. It might not happen next season but given enough time he will have us even more competitive and I truly believe we could be on the brink of something special here at Clemson.
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