Florida State Seminoles Are A Flawed Villain

Many fans still view LeBron James as the paramount villain of the NBA, but not many question he is the most transcendent, talented player in pro basketball.

Look back a few years, and the same goes for Tiger Woods in the 2000s, a man loathed by his contemporaries, but able to compile more major championships than his contemporaries combined.

The narrative of sport echoes the sentiments of society. There’s perceived good, and perceived evil, there’s candidates that you root for, and leaders you despise. And sometimes the perception of a single player can envelop an entire team. Jameis Winston is no longer the man sportswriters wanted to win the Heisman Trophy in 2013, and his fall from approved popularity has affected the remaining entirety of the Florida State Seminoles’ roster.

The 2014 season’s evolving storyline needed a villain, and the debate has concentrated on Florida State. The focal point of good versus evil is centered on tonight’s ACC title game between Florida State and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The only difference in 2014’s villain, as opposed to antagonists such as James, Woods or Barry Bonds, is that you don’t have to look hard for Florida State’s flaws.

Irrational fans would point to how LeBron isn’t clutch, except that the stats show he shoots better than Kobe Bryant in the closing minutes. Die-hard Dallas Cowboys haters would mock Tony Romo, but sweep his 23 fourth-quarter comebacks under the rug. With Florida State, you don’t have to do any digging, or seek out any anomalies. The inadequacies are right there in the box score, in the manner of how Florida State barely escapes mediocre teams. They also reside in Jameis Winston’s 17 interceptions, and Rashad Greene’s tendency to drop catchable balls. On the stat sheet, in the field, the flaws are everywhere.

Florida State may be the team many of us will want to hate and would love to see lose tonight, but going after such a vulnerable target may make us feel a little villainous ourselves.

Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.