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Florida State
You have to hand it to the Creminoles. They are consistent, piling up National Titles and ACC victories with the greatest of ease. But, off the field, they are equally tenacious. Every fall, and sometimes even in the off-season, it seems inevitable that a certain series of events will transpire:
1) A FSU football player gets into trouble.
2) He is mildly disciplined, no matter what the offense, with a few exceptions depending of course on whether the Seminoles have a tough game coming up.
3) Back to event 1)
These actions aren't new. They happen every year. And unfortunately, FSU fans seem to be looking the other way, because the on-field accolades keep piling up for Coach Bobby Bowden. For these reasons, and the player actions below, FSU wins the 2000 Tarnished Twenty Title.
Following off-the-field events involving players from the 1999 season, the 2000 squad has firmly planted Free Shoes U atop Mount Tarnish for a second consecutive year. Take, for example, lineman David Warren's September arrest for allegedly pushing his girlfriend to the ground, or All-American safety Derrick Gibson's August incident, in which he is said to have offered an undercover police officer $10 for sex. There was also 2000 graduate and Oakland Raiders' number one draft pick Sebastian Janikowski, who was reportedly picked up outside a Tallahassee night club with the date rape drug GHB. And let's not forget backup quarterback Marcus Outzen, who was charged with simple battery for reportedly fighting with his off-campus neighbors.
According to head coach Bobby Bowden, "I think one of the most misused conceptions in college football is the 'suspension thing'…Suspending doesn't hurt (them) at all. It hurts your team." Bowden's preferred remedy: Making players run the stadium stairs. Perhaps that's why FSU is such a dominant team….
FSU will likely be in the National Title game once again. However, they've already got some hardware heading into the game. A repeat performance. While FSU should be proud of its victories, it shouldn't necessarily be proud of its entire team. For this rationale, the Tarnished Title stays in the Seminole camp, for now…
Congratulations, Chicken Little!
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