Last week, after Clemson's loss to Wake Forest, Tommy Bowden benched senior quarterback Cullen Harper, and I criticized the way Bowden handled the situation. He announced the switch without first informing Harper, but told reporters he thought Harper would take the news, when he finally got it, with "maturity and class."
My response? "If Clemson ever fires Bowden, I suggest they tell ESPN first. I wonder how mature he'd be if they gave him a lame excuse like "Sorry, we couldn't reach you before it went public."
That's not quite how it went down, but Tommy Bowden's the one out of a starting job this week. And Harper wasn't at all upset about it. "It's what he deserved," the former starter said.
What? Were you expecting kinder words from the person who found out he was benched after the media and general public? Harper, unsurprisingly "didn't appreciate it when [Bowden] would say some off-the-wall things about [me] to the media." Off-the-wall things like Oh yeah, you're not starting anymore, kid.
Coaches have the right, and the responsibility, to put players in the lineup who will contribute to the team's success most. But they should also have the responsibility, I think, to treat their players with respect, which Bowden didn't do last week.
Harper's father, Jeff, referred to Bowden's firing as "karma." His son endorsed interim coach Dabo Swinney as "a fine man [who] will do an excellent job." Wonder if they're still as enthusiastic since Swinney announced he'd stick with fan favorite Willy Korn as the starting quarterback this weekend?
Karma can be a real witch, huh?
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