Bowden Supports Decision to Postpone Games |
CLEMSON - Tommy Bowden usually is very careful when addressing the media,
keeping his guard up and deflecting questions he'd rather not answer with a quick quip or laughing one-liner. Such was the case early in his daily talk with the press following Wednesday's practice, which came about an hour after the Atlantic Coast Conference announced all Saturday football games would be postponed. "The people who made the decision are a lot more qualified than what I am," he said. "I just go out here and coach and prepare for who you're going to play. But whoever made the decision, I support the decision." Asked if he agreed with the decision, which wiped out Saturday's game with Duke at Death Valley, Bowden offered a curt response. "I support their (decision). That's mine." But later, in a rare moment of candor, Bowden's guard dropped for just a moment when asked if returning to the field Saturday would have allowed for enough of a mourning period. "I don't know. A lot of people say you've got to go on like nothing happened," he said. "But again, out of respect, that's why I think our conference made the right decision. Out of respect for the people who lost lives I think there ought to be a significant mourning time. But after that, let's go on. I don't think it's backing down and running from terrorism because you set aside a time for mourning. "The country's still running. They're working in D.C., they're working in Chicago, they're working in Atlanta, they're working in a lot of places. But I do think we should honor those who lost lives, and I think the conference has made a good decision by doing that." The ACC joined the Big East and Pac-10 conferences in shutting down for the weekend. Others, like the Southeastern, Southern and Big 12 Conferences, will play as scheduled. Clemson athletic director Bobby Robinson sat through "four or five" conference calls over the course of the last two days. Finally, the league reached a unanimous agreement Wednesday afternoon to postpone all league events through Saturday. "As a conference we've agreed not to play, and there are a lot of reasons for it, obviously," Robinson said. "Respect for what happened, for the people involved, and other issues, too, like travel and other things. But the bottom line was everyone was in agreement not to play." In a statement released by the ACC, commissioner John Swofford said the decision came after much thought and discussion. "Our schools thoroughly discussed the situation on their own campuses and with each other and voted unanimously to postpone all athletic events through Saturday," he said. "We are praying for the safety, health and recovery of all of our fellow Americans." The only available dates for Clemson and Duke to reschedule are Nov. 24 or Dec. 1. Robinson said he'd prefer to avoid the November date, since it is two days after Thanksgiving. However, until he talks with Duke officials the date remains up in the air. Three of the other four games scheduled for Saturday have been rescheduled. West Virginia at Maryland will be played Sept. 29, , Northern Illinois at Wake Forest on Nov. 24, and SMU at North Carolina on Dec.1. The league previously had postponed two games scheduled for tonight. The Ohio University at N.C. State contest has been rescheduled for Nov. 24, while Penn State at Virginia will be played on December 1.
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