Commentary: Seems Bowden Was Right All Along

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Mon Oct 23 15:26:01 GMT-04:00 2006

Turns out Tommy Bowden was right.

Remember, many of you, how you used to hate hearing the Clemson football coach harping on facilities? Or more importantly, a lack thereof?

Remember how every time he talked about how far behind the Clemson program had fallen in the facilities arms race, you scoffed at the notion? Do you remember?

Remember what many of you said through the seasons of inconsistency, the 6-5 and 7-4 records, the bowl trip to Boise and the beating by Texas Tech in Orlando? Can you recall your response?

Many of you called my talk show and others, both on WCCP and elsewhere, or posted on discussion boards. You emailed newspaper reporters. Many of you no doubt wrote directly to Bowden himself.

You said you were tired of hearing him whine about facilities. Why, Clemson's facilities at one time were the best in the ACC, you said. They were good enough for Danny. He won a National Championship in those facilities, didn't he?

Bigger weight room? Better dressing facilities? Club seating? More office space? A Hall of Fame?

None of that matters, you said. Win some games. Winning will bring in the players. Shut up about facilities and win football games.

Does that strike a chord with any of you?

If it does, the next time you see Tommy Bowden in a restaurant, at the grocery store, or perhaps in church, you might want to extend your hand to the man and offer up a heart-felt apology.

Because, again, it seems he knew what he was talking about all along.

Think about it.

The last three recruiting classes easily have been Bowden's best, the experts who follow these things labeling each class better than the one before. And what happened three years ago to start the trend?

Ground was broken on the West End Zone project. Simple at that.

As Bowden has told us time and time again, kids these days are different. They're smarter, more streetwise. They have expectations. They want a school which can live up to those expectations. Top notch facilities are - in the eyes of a high-level recruit - a commitment to winning.

And that's what all these kids want. To win.

And when Bowden looked around a few years ago and noticed how far ahead schools he recruits against had gotten- Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, etc. - he knew something had to be done. When Duke - yes, Duke - spent roughly $20 million on their football facilities, there was another bullet for Bowden's gun.

If you're guilty of the above crimes you not only should be apologizing to the coach these days, you should be eternally grateful for Bowden and his entire coaching staff. His harping, speaking, nagging and cajoling on the issue helped get Phase I of the West End Zone started.

Now completed, the first phase has added something of a majestic look to Death Valley.

But more importantly, it's given some already dynamic recruiters on Bowden's staff even more of an arsenal with which to operate on the firing lines. And the dividends are easy to see. Just look at the program's depth.

Go back two or three years. If previous Bowden teams had lost two linebackers, a wide receiver and an offensive lineman for the season, plus a running back, the leading wideout and a talented young safety for multiple games, there's no way they remain competitive. It's not even close.

But that's exactly what's happened to this year's Clemson team. Anthony Waters? Gone. Tremaine Billie? Outta here. Roman Fry? See ya. Rendrick Taylor? Adios.

Oh, and please hurry back Chansi Stuckey, Michael Hamlin and Reggie Merriweather.

Three years ago this team would have been devastated by all the injuries. No depth. Replacing four starters for the season would have been asking for disaster.

But this team? This team has not just depth, but quality depth, and currently sits at 7-1 and ranked No. 10 in the new AP Poll.

Despite the injuries.

And that, folks, is due to recruiting. Which has improved every year since the first shovel went into the ground on the West End Zone project.

Which is precisely what Bowden told us would happen.

Seems he was right all along.