FSU president defends his school’s facilities
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. » Florida State President John Thrasher believes his football facilities compare favorably to any in the country, and there is still some bad blood between he and Jimbo Fisher.
When Fisher jetted out of Tallahassee to take the Texas A&M job, he fired some stinging parting shots, painting a picture of Seminole program in dire need of facility upgrades.
“My view of Jimbo was he wanted to model things after Nick Saban and the SEC and Alabama,” Thrasher said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. “I’m OK with that to a point but I’m also not going to put Florida State at risk in terms of debt and the responsibility to other programs. Him and I had an understanding about that.”
They may have at one point, but Fisher has since made it clear there was a disconnect between them.
He jabbed at his former bosses during his introductory news conference at Texas A&M on Dec. 4, talking about the lack of progress to build a larger football complex. “You can have the greatest coaches in the world, but if your administration doesn’t see things the way you see things and allow you to do things that way, nothing can be achieved,” Fisher said.
It’s apparent Thrasher believes Fisher crossed the line, and he defended the program. “Our facilities are pretty good right now,” Thrasher said. “They’re not bad at all and Willie Taggart will tell you he wants to get kids to come here not because of the facilities but because of the education they’re going to get and leadership on the field.”
Drug charges dropped against Georgia’s Patrick
ATHENS, GA. » A marijuana possession charge against Georgia starting inside linebacker Natrez Patrick was dismissed, apparently clearing the way for him to play in the Rose Bowl semifinal game.
Coach Kirby Smart has not commented on Patrick’s status.
The Athens Banner-Herald reported that the misdemeanor charge against Patrick was dropped, according to Barrow County probate court clerk Meredith Owens. Patrick was facing dismissal from the team under Georgia athletic rules for a third violation of the drug and alcohol policy.