Miami football: Bobby Bowden learns if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em

An image of legendary former Florida State football head coach Bobby Bowden throwing up the U with current Miami football defensive line coach Todd Stoud had Hurricanes fans praising him and Seminoles fans in denial about the post.

Bobby Bowden finally learned if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. In a tweet posted by Miami football defensive line coach Todd Stroud, he and Bowden clasped their hands together to form the U. Stroud played nose guard for Bowden with the Seminoles in the 1980s. It sent social media into a frenzy.

Miami practically owned Bowden during his tenure with a 21-14 advantage. Florida State fans will whine about missed field goals, conversions and poor calls by the officials for the reasons they have lost games to the Hurricanes. The fact is Miami owns Florida State when they play and both are ranked.

Stroud is not the only current coach on the Miami football staff that is a Florida State alum. Head Coach Manny Diaz also attended Florida State. Bowden stood on the right and used his right hand and Stroud on the left using his left to throw up the U. Stroud captioned the tweet with “Love this man!!! #TNM

The TNM hashtag refers to The New Miami as coined by Diaz when he was hired to succeed Miami alum Mark Richt as the Hurricanes head coach. Richt also spent time in Tallahassee under Bowden as the Seminoles quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

Current FSU wide receiver coach and former Seminoles WR Ron Dugans was fired on New Year’s Eve from the same position at Miami. The schools are intertwined more than most fans would like to admit. The responses that came out of Stroud’s tweet were mostly respectful and comical with a few exceptions.

Some of the fans, especially Florida State’s took the picture way too seriously. They are too crass to post here. The most ridiculous ones, sarcastic or not stated that Bowden was throwing up an L or that Stroud took advantage of the elderly Bowden.

It’s difficult to tell if Florida State fans were being serious or sarcastic without using the smiley emojis in the previously posted tweet. Several Seminoles fans considered Bowden blasphemous for throwing up the U with Stroud. In most cases, players and coaches have respect for rivals without the hatred fans do.

One of Stroud’s former teammates respected the picture and for the most part, shows the respect that those give their all to the Miami and Florida State football programs don’t take the rivalry as seriously off the field as either fan base.

For the most part, Miami football fans had fun with the tweet. There were few comments disrespecting Bowden. Some of the responses to Stroud’s tweet were on par with the way to respond and have fun with a rivalry. Some of the Florida State fans did as well.

Rivalries will always endure into the offseason. In some cases, fans banter more in the offseason than during the season. Social media has increased everyone’s access to each other, especially strangers. Rivalries have moved beyond families, the local bar and the workplace. Posts like this should encourage more civility.