I realize this is going to sound biased, and maybe it is, but Chief Osceola atop Renegade is the best college mascot in the country. Don't go by this picture, though. It looks like the Chief is asleep and about to fall off of Renegade.

I used to hate Homecoming parades. Really parades in general. They are long and boring and in the state of Florida they are usually hot. I see that the uniform code is a bit more relaxed than in my day. What's with the visors? Put your hats on. I do like the new uniforms. Ours were kind of ugly. And we wore black busbies. Those are those fuzzy hats that look like q-tips. (I wore a white busby in high school.) They were dopey, but you could carry a lot of stuff in there. A baseball cap, your music folio, souvenir cups, a towel. And you could just hang the strap over your horn. Ugly, but useful.

I'll tell you this much, the stadium didn't look like this when I was a student. It was not bowled in. There were stands on each sideline and one in each end zone. And it was all exposed steel girders. Girders painted a mustard gold color. Now it's a football palace. Even more than that, it houses classrooms, office space and all sorts of other stuff. In the old days it was easy to get into the stadium and onto the field during the week if there was a gate unlocked. I doubt you could still do that. It's become a fortress.
Unconquered. This bronze statue of a Seminole warrior on his horse was unveiled before the Miami game this year. It didn't help the team win, though. (Damn it!) It is located on Langford Green, a little strip of grass in the middle of the stadium parking lot. The statue is an impressive sight. They have started a new tradition of lighting the spear (gas-fueled) the night before each home game.

Get a load of these three idiots. It's not all that difficult to figure out which of us makes his living on television. On the left is Bob Kamm, an air traffic controller in Jacksonville. He is married to Cindy, the love of his life in college, and they have three beautiful daughters. In the center is Mike McCall, chief meteorologist at WCTV Channel 6 in Tallahassee. He is married to Mallory, his college squeeze, and they have two handsome boys and a child on the way. That guy on the right never amounted to anything, is not married and has no children. We're not sure whatever happened to him.

But remember, boys. I used to kick your asses at Jeopardy!

(By the way, we look pretty much the same as we did in school, save a few wrinkles and gray hairs.)
Look at the old people. That's the Alumni Band. I really didn't see many people I knew there. There were some that I sort of recognized, a couple that I could remember their names, but that's about it. Where were you Teddy Ratcliff, David Cogdill, the Godby gang?

You know the beauty part of this shot is on the facade in the end zone. "1993 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 1999" Yeah baby! I was still there at the very beginning of that incredible dynasty of 10+ win season. 

The World Renowned Florida State University Marchiiiiiiing Chiefs!!! In my day, the crowd used to really get into that and yell it along with the announcer. They don't seem to do that anymore. One tradition that has remained that I like is that of playing the opposing team's fight song in pre-game. I don't know how many other schools do it, but that's just classy.
In mere moments, Renegade will rear on hind legs and Chief Osceola will throw the flaming spear into the Seminole head at midfield. The coolest pre-game tradition in the nation.
In case you cannot read it, the big screen says "ACC CHAMPION". The score was FSU 50, NCSU 44.

This was not the only important athletic event on campus this weekend. Florida State was hosting the first rounds of the NCAA women's soccer championship tournament. I got to see the Lady Noles clobber Dartmouth 5-0 in the opening round. They went on to beat Auburn in the second round on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.
The game is over. Another season, another conference title, and the Seminole faithful go home happy. It was good to see the school and the town again. The guys have made me promise to come down to games more often.

To sum up some observations:

DIFFERENT

SAME
Doak S. Campbell Stadium (much nicer)

New Chiefs no longer called gunkies (just plain stupid)

Good Time Charlie's (moved out onto the Parkway)

Woodward Ave. and Pensacola St. don't go through anymore (damned inconvenient)

Virtually all students walk around talking on mobile phones (yak yak yak)

Florida State College of Medicine (where Florida High used to be)

New soccer facility (beautiful)

 Co-eds still hot, if not hotter (Say it with me, Bob: Noles!)

Band geeks are still band geeks (were we ever that way?)

Sweet Shop, Bill's Bookstore, Barnacle Bill's, Hobbit Hoagies, Bullwinkle's, Mike's Beer Barn still exist (Mike's for almost 50 years!)

Frank Ranicky (Channel 6 anchor for more than thirty years)

Hatred of the Gators and Hurricanes

Florida State wins their 11th Atlantic Coast Conference football championship in 12 seasons. (actually this should probably be in the different column since FSU wasn't in the ACC in my day)

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