Tonyp709

God, Family, and Florida State Football

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

I've been saying it from day 1: Mike Norvell and his staff aren't it. Even when we were winning, the mediocrity showed. It's like we rehired Willie Taggart. I kept quiet to avoid being blocked and get the inside scoop, but I can't stay silent anymore. This isn't good football.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

Stop lying to me...🤫

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole Yes, it's about race! Willie wasn't fired for being Black. Race influenced how fast he was fired! Fans & boosters wanted him gone after game 1. Norvell, a white coach, got excuses after 2 losing seasons and Jacksonville St! Both bad hires. Same school, different standards. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

It's absolutely about race! Neither coach deserved the job. Taggart faced hanging memes, racial slurs and lemonade stands to fund his firing after 1.5 seasons. Norvell gets endless excuses. Even his undefeated snub-year team looked poorly coached. Jordan Travis saved his ass!

[Bobby Thorlton @BobbyThorlton]

@Moorelife1 @NolePolls Yall also need to stop crying about taggart different president different AD stop making it about fucking race

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole You're missing the point! 😂 Willie was a bad hire who deserved firing. I'm not saying he was fired because he's Black. Norvell, a white coach, got patience and excuses Willie never got despite similar failures. That's the racial double standard. How hard is that to grasp? 🤦🏾‍♂️

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole Man, you're stupid! 😂 Smart people can comprehend an argument before attacking it. You keep citing COVID, extensions & buyouts when my point is unequal treatment from day 1! We BOTH agree the coaches sucked. You're so busy defending your intelligence you can't demonstrate any.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole I wouldn't fire ANY coach after 21 games, Norvell included! Willie deserved 3 yrs. Fans wanted him gone after Virginia Tech; Norvell got excuses after Jacksonville St. Apply Willie's standard and Norvell is gone in yr 2, before the huge buyout. That's the racial double standard!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole Enough with COVID! Norvell lost to Jacksonville St in yr 2, NOT the COVID yr! Willie showed improvement too. Norvell's teams looked poorly coached even during his winning yrs. Travis and veteran talent masked the flaws. Now that talent is gone, the same coaching issues remain!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole You wanna talk facts? FACT: Without Taggart's recruits, esp. Jordan Travis & the portal, Norvell wouldn't have sniffed a winning season at FSU! Now Taggart's players are gone & even the portal can't save him! COVID wasn't the problem. He showed us he couldn't coach frm Day 1!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole Those 19 wins? Built on veteran talent, Taggart recruits & transfers! Once that roster left, Norvell went 2-10, then 5-7! That's your great coach? 😂 Four losing seasons in 6 years! He should've been fired after Jville St.! Keep worshipping a coach who can't sustain success!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole @BobbyThorlton I'm being honest. I saw Norvell's poor coaching from Day 1! COVID affected EVERY program. Jeff Hafley went 6-5 at BC, Karl Dorrell 4-2 at Colorado & even Willie Taggart went 5-4 at FAU! All first-year coaches in 2020. Norvell went 3-6. Stop using COVID to excuse incompetence!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole You think criticizing Taggart hurts my feelings? I wanted him fired too! But Norvell is WORSE! Taggart never went 2-10, never lost to Jacksonville St & wasn't this pathetic at recruiting. Norvell should've been fired after that Jacksonville St embarrassment. Stop making excuses!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole @BobbyThorlton COVID affected EVERY program, not just FSU! Other new coaches still improved. Norvell showed us who he was early, even losing to Jacksonville St. I predicted his 2 good yrs and collapse. Jordan Travis carried that gimmicky offense. COVID isn't an excuse for years of bad coaching!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@Geocappy2 @BobbyThorlton Yes, Willie's hire was race-based. Stan Wilcox wanted a Black coach. I hated the hire and never thought Willie was qualified! But Norvell has been worse, giving FSU 4 of its worst seasons, including Willie's, in my nearly 48 years. Willie got 21 games. Norvell got yrs of excuses!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@Geocappy2 @BobbyThorlton Willie inherited Jimbo's mess! FSU had a losing record when Jimbo bolted. Norvell's 2 best seasons were powered by players Willie brought in, including Jordan Travis, K DeLoach, etc. Willie never got the chance to develop his recruits, yet Norvell got yrs to benefit from them.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@tricknole Who controlled the budget? Taggart pushed for staff and resources, just like Jimbo. FSU wouldn't fully invest until Norvell arrived. Willie even pledged $1M toward facilities! Norvell got resources his predecessors fought for. Why blame Willie for what FSU wouldn't fund?

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@Freakzilla74 You're missing the point! Norvell's $50M buyout came AFTER his extension. Willie was fired after 21 games. Norvell went 3-6, then 5-7, including a loss to Jacksonville State, and got more time. Had FSU applied the same standard early, we wouldn't be debating a $50M buyout today!

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

When they wanted Willie Taggart gone, we had lemonade stands, GoFundMe campaigns and boosters raising money. Now everybody says Norvell's buyout is too expensive. Where's that same energy? Where's the organization? The boycotts? All I hear are excuses! #FireMikeNorvell

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@TheNeonMusk This bastard got beat by Jacksonville St. I'm still embarrassed by that bullsh*t. He should've been fired then.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@BobbyThorlton FAU is irrelevant to FSU's treatment of its coaches! Willie lasted 3 seasons, not 1.5. No one's defending his coaching. It's about equal treatment! Norvell was worse his first 2 yrs, but got patience Willie didn't. Why the double standard? That's the racial issue you're dodging.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@BobbyThorlton My point is race matters here. Boosters withheld support and organized to push Willie out. Norvell, a white coach, got years of excuses despite worse early results. The same urgency wasn't there. You can disagree about race, but you can't ignore that difference in treatment.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@BobbyThorlton I'm a diehard FSU fan of nearly 40 yrs. I follow beat writers & know people involved in fundraising and boosting this program. I've largely boycotted the last 2 seasons. I've called Norvell's failures since day one, including his brief success. I know this program & its history.

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@BobbyThorlton And more receipts 🧾👇

Local businesses were losing money, boosters were vocal, and buyout rumors were circulating.

https://t.co/UpHqe4fBrG

[Tonyp709 @tonyp709]

@BobbyThorlton More receipts 🧾👇

Reports on booster influence, financial pressure and FSU's decision to fire Taggart.

https://t.co/UIz2AGk8eA

https://t.co/V6nEZS5NEL