Bowden ready to do battle

By BRIAN LANDMAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 24, 2000

HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- Florida State coach Bobby Bowden returned Saturday from a week's vacation at the scene of the Normandy invasion ready as ever for the battles that come with another season.

"Starting today, the next time I stick my head out will be February the day after signing date," Bowden said Sunday upon his arrival at the Homestead resort for the Atlantic Coast Conference football kickoff meetings. "It's all war from here to then."

Unlike some older coaches such as Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge, who realize after a break that they can't muster the energy for another grueling year, Bowden, 70, appears far from retirement.

He even lost 17 pounds before gaining back about half it recently, especially while in France, but the trip did wonders for his psyche.

"My summer is not complete (without such a trip)," said Bowden, a military history buff since grade school. "It was very touching (at Normandy). I had read so many books about the "longest day,' the jumps behind the line. Then finally to get to see it, sitting there wondering, "How in the world did they do it? How in the world did they climb those cliffs?"'

NOTES: ACC commissioner John Swofford announced that eight league championships, men's and women's golf, lacrosse, tennis and outdoor track and field, will be held at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex April 19-22. "The whole idea is to bring all of those events at one locale, have all our athletes staying there to give it sort of a flavor of an Olympic Village," he said. "Obviously, the Florida market is one that's very important to the league, and this is kind of continuing effort to build the ACC brand in the state of Florida." Disney has hosted five ACC championships since 1997, and the league recently voted to play the 2007 men's basketball tournament at the Ice Palace in Tampa. ... The ACC will be managing the Bowl Championship Series for the next two years. The BCS is set to run through the 2005 season, and Swofford said that discussions with the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls will kick into high gear during this season to extend those working agreements for the last four years. "If there's some reason that an agreement cannot be reached with one or more of those bowls, then it might be opened up," he said. "But I think it's very likely that agreements will be reached with the four bowls that are currently a part of the BCS." That would give each bowl two national title games. The Orange Bowl has this season's penultimate game. ... FSU freshman quarterback Fabian Walker, a highly touted prospect from Georgia who played well in the spring game, looks to be headed to Jones (Miss.) Junior College. Walker originally signed in 1999 but didn't qualify. He enrolled in January, but his test score has been challenged. FSU has appealed to the NCAA. If the appeal is denied, Walker would have to earn his Associate of Arts degree before returning to FSU.

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