Monday, October 13, 2008

BOWDEN GONE: CLEMSON COMING AFTER BOBBY JOHNSON OF VANDERBILT

So, if you were a coach forced to pick from players no other big-time college football team wanted and then had to compete every week against big-time college football teams, and then all of a sudden one of those big-time teams wanted you to coach their big-time players in a big-time stadium, what would you do?

Oh yeah, and this college has an athletic department.

Oh yeah, and this college is your alma mater, where you played big-time college football.

That's exactly the decision Bobby Johnson is about to face. And it would be remarkable if he didn't take the money and go home.

If you haven't heard, Clemson fired Tommy Bowden today. And the fan base is screaming for Bobby Johnson. This from a Clemson comment board:

BOBBY JOHNSON COMES HOME TO CLEMSON!!!! (This has to be the headline the day after Vandy's last game of the season). Former Tiger football player, graduated 1973. Turned Vandy from SEC basement dweller to the team nobody wants to play.

BOBBY! BOBBY! BOBBY!

And this from another fan board:

Let Bobby Johnson know we want him to return home, send a letter or postcard to:

Vanderbilt Athletics
Attention: Mr. Bobby Johnson
2601 Jess Neely Drive
Nashville, TN 37212

Hey, let's let Bobby Johnson know we want him to make Nashville his permanent home! Use the above address. But call him "Coach Bobby Johnson," not "Mr. Bobby Johnson."

It's ironic that yesterday at least a couple Vanderbilt fans were bashing Johnson for losing to Mississippi State. Sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking as a Nashville-based Vol fan, it would be a shame for Vandy to lose Johnson. He is a first-class man. He fits the aims of Vandy better than any coach I can remember. I enjoy hearing his interviews. Clemson's $,$$$,$$$ will be hard to turn down...

DIMON KENDRICK-HOLMES said...

You're right. It would be a shame to lose him, especially after he's built such a strong foundation of talent (by Vanderbilt standards at least). But if he wants to stay in Nashville, he'll have a lot more leverage than he did last year when Duke came calling.