The defense -- Spaz's calling card -- is a shell of itself and is getting outsmarted each week.
For the 19th time in his tenure, BC has failed to score 20 or more points. Are we still blaming his guy Gary Tranquill for that? Or how about Kevin Rogers, who he ran off?
The players played hard. They deserve better. They deserve a coach with a plan, with some belief in them, who doesn't throw them under the bus, who can lead a staff, who can make them better, and most of all, who can manage a college football game.
I'll have second viewing thoughts and grades up late Sunday. I'll probably have more ranting on Spaz in between then and now. He wasn't given the job in 2006 for a reason and shouldn't have been given the job in 2009. Given his track record with football, I don't trust Gene Defilippo to handle this well, so maybe it is time others in the BC community take control of this situation.
Posts
58 comments:
amen.
the teams we lost to, as you pointed out, all take academics seriously. that eliminates the excuse that "we just can't compete with these guys" because we can. we are losing to teams we should beat but can't because of an unimaginative and scared coach (and coaching staff).
i expect gene to do damage control this week. there is a game with ND on the schedule, however, and most BC fans, even if they aren't football fans, will tune into that one. when they do and see that we are either 2-8 or 1-9, the heat is really going to turn up on spaz's seat -- and on gene's.
slick gene will have one more hire before he gets canned i bet, but spaz has got to be gone by december.
Firing Spaz will not improve the mess. Gene needs to go first. Stop all the it can't happen stuff. Even a sports hating Jesuit should be able to figure out Gene is costing him money.
It's year three, and I can't give the benefit of the doubt any longer.
We need a coach who can close, not do just enough to fall short every single time.
Duh... this is all Jags fault.
Yes. TIme to get rid of Spaz.
Yeh! Blame Jags for worrying about his wife and four kids who are, by the way, as cute as can be and were good p.r. for BC! I am a Jags fan and yet understand the real quandry for GDF. Please, let's "bark up a different tree"!
I thought BC had better talent than Wake. I thought the play calling was a bit of seat of the pants pitch by pitch calls with no sense of the quarterbacks strength or weaknesses.
Rettig is ilke the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, very good or horrid. There must be a reason for this and a way to make sure most of the time he is the former. I don't see that happening. The running backs are under utilized/
The defense isn't too bad but then again it's not very good.
The highlight is the special team kickers. They gave BC the better field position throughout the game which BC seemed unable to utilize.
We've got a good football team but they're not well coached. The long season won't be wasted if changes are made.
This is embarrassing. The slide that this team has taken in the last 3 years is sad and totally unacceptable. It's time to make lots of noise, preferably within earshot of whoever it is who will actually do something about this, and I don't think it's GDF.
Testify!
FireSpaz.org, its the right thing to do!
I have a source on the football team that just told me that nearly every player is tired of the coaching staff's conservative play calling. He also told me that they all talk about candidates for the job already. They want someone who players want to play for. Someone like Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy or Miami's Al Golden. Another old, boring, conservative coach is not the answer.
P.S: There are 2 starters who have confirmed to me that they will transfer if Spaz is still coach by the end of December.
If he had any ounce of dignity and concern for the school, he would resign instead of waiting to be fired. We don't have the coin to pay Spaz for a couple years and still have enough left to attract a quality head coach plus assistants.
HireMikeLeach.com
Bob B., did your source on the team talk about how they collectively forgot how to tackle people? How they lost the notion of blocking? How the WR's and QB missed that detail of throwing the ball well and catching the damn thing if it was catchable?
Yeah, the coaches are inept, but the players looked fairly crappy all by themselves,too. Rettig was no Eagle Answer nor will be, and the team as a whole, except for Montel, the last of a vanishing breed from those Glory Days of Yesteryear, and a few other vets, lacks fire and "want to". The coaching is inconsistent but so is the team--which of this dynamic duo is the chicken or the egg? The team ripping the coaches isn't any classier or effective than the HC tossing the team under the bus for his many miscues--but both m.o.'s indicate that this problem is clearly systemic. Somewhere the basic Ignatian principles of "Brothers for each Other", has morphed over a two year span into "What the What?"
Who's job is it to straighten this mess out? GDP? The Fr. Prez.?
Let Eagle Nation speak and see what we all think is needed...
Go Eagles! Straighten Up and Fly Right.
mmason, come on.
A) if the players aren't good enough -- who recruited them? the coaches! moreover, BC never is going to have the top 5 recruiting class. we were consistently good in the 00s with good but not great players who played together, didn't make mistakes, and executed. the mistake-making, lack of cohesion, and inability to execute is on the coaches.
B) spaz throws his players under the bus to the halftime reporter and in the post-game press conference. you compare this to an ATL anonymous commenter posting that he has heard from unnamed players that they are thinking of transferring. the lack of tact and class it isn't even comparable.
C) the o-line play being such a disaster is, in my opinion, much more a function of coaching than it could be individual talent lacking. the o-line has to play as a unit and they haven't all year. yes, there were a few overthrows and several missed tackles, but the blame is more assignable to the coaches than the players.
finally.
get this goon out of my alma mater.
never should have been hired after he was passed over when TOB left.
GDF, you need to go as well.
we are looking at 1-11. it doesnt get any easier.
the word verification tag for this post is "efing".
The players are stuck in a no win situation. If they win a few more games, Spaz stays and they end up losing long term. If they lose, there's a better chance Spaz is fired. The players don't want to play hard for someone they don't respect. Anything is better than mediocracy.
If Spaz were to be fired tomorrow, I guarantee that the players would play with more passion and energy then ever before.
Glad to see you yell it ATL: FIRE SPAZ
But I have a little more faith in GDF than you, if only because it is in GDF's Machiavellian interest to can Spaz.
I'd say 90% chance of Spaz being relieved by End of December. But of course nothing will be said or hinted at until the axe falls.
Does firing Spaz mid season help or hurt BC's long football interest? hurt, I'd say. There will be no good HC replacement available mid-season
What will firing now do? Give us Dave Brock as HC? And all the assistants will mail it in and start looking for another job. Probaly better to keep Spaz in place for now.
And no way GDF is getting fired. He just engineering a major plus for BC ACC wise by helping bring in Syr and Pitt. That was a great move for BC
i want the good old days of mmason drinking margaritas during the game.
Class of '08 grad, been reading this blog daily since Fall 06??
First time commenting:
Fire Spaz
El Miz--You kinda miss my point here. It's not just on the coaches, nor is this suckolaminus rex of a mess completely on the team's players, either,--but the problem today was as much execution on the field as it was play-calling or gameplan or anything else. C'mon--these are D1 college football players--they have mad skills and they know how key the fundamentals are--When they can't wrapup WF running backs and WR's, or fail to play the game fundamentally (block,catch and throw) there's got to be some attention to that. This is a good team that isn't playing well enough against Duke and WF...looking bad doing it. It's not solely the gameplan, right?
Spaz hasn't done what was needed on his end, for sure--I don't doubt that for an instant--but these Eagle players are not playing well on the field, as well--as a unit or individually in several key areas.
Dissension in the ranks is always bad in team sports--and all too human when stuff unravels--but I think it's a bad idea to put that stuff out there from "anonymous" players and call it any more accurate than Spaz's saying dumb stuff to reporters. It's not a comparison of non-classy, tactless behaviour as much as I'm saying it's an indication of serious systemic problems throughout the program itself. It makes BC look bad, for one thing. And that's not good. It's not going away unless it gets dealt with asap, either.
Is it bad for the BC brand? Yeah. It's also not good for morale all around. Nor can it help the team, players and staff improve a bad start to a long season. That's what I think. I could be wrong, but it looks that way from my seats.
And Charles...I think I'll have that Margarita right now, with a grilled ribeye and bock-choy & mushrooms, just to keep our BC Eagles' mojo workin'...those good old days will soon return, my brotha. Fear not.
Just gotta tackle, people, is all.
Fire spaz site: http://firefrankspaziani.weebly.com/
BobB
I have heard the same thing. I work with an ex player still close to the team. There is
just about to a mutiny. After the CFU game Spaz heard mumblings from the d players. The next monday he listed about 4 starters off the 2 deep for the next game. Most thought it was injuries. It wasn't. Also same time period the oc had "health problems". It was an interesting locker room after the game as well as plane ride home. Team is ready to quit on him. Don't be surprised to see some blow outs in the next couple of weeks
If Spaz had an ounce of decency he would resign. He's a disgrace and he and GDF have ruined our program.
Re: canttakeit
We're going to get blown out in the next couple games anyway, player mutiny or not. Clemson is probably going to be a huge favorite (by at least 2 touchdowns) and we're going to get smoked in Blacksburg. We're probably leaving Lane Stadium 1-6.
we will go 1-11 this year. who are we beating? fsu? miami? nd? nc state maybe. we freaking suck. get spass out of here.
can we get more information on the so-called mutiny? this season could get muuuuuuch more interesting.
Spaz does need to pack up his office now, and Gene needs to hire from outside ASAP. Why? You can't have people who all want the same job working together. It makes no sense. Look at the Wade Phillips dynamic in Dallas last season. Bring in the new coach as quick as possible, let him sell recruits, sell vets he wants to stay to do so, and start building some positivity around the program.
Glad to hear the margaritas are still chilled mmason, I've missed them as well.
This is just incredibly frustrating to see a team that was playing in the 'Ship not too long ago reduced to getting beaten AT HOME to Duke and Wake Forest. Long gone are the days of dramatic comebacks against VT, ACCCGs, Bowel wins and national rankings. Heck, even gone now are Bowel games, period.
I think it goes without saying that if Spaz survives the season, GDF will have a blanket vote of NO CONFIDENCE from Super Fans everywhere, so I'll just operate on the assumption that he's going. In that case, the question becomes who comes in? I would love Leach, but how realistic is that move? It doesn't seem very GDF-esque to me.
GDF must act. - post season. We are losing all credibility in the ACC and all economic value to the ACC in the two revenue sports - hoops and football.
GDF made the right move - I think - in hoops
And GDF must know that he now must invest in an excellent football HC replacement. In this time of conference uncertainty, BC must be seen as making a serious investment and commitment to the ACC revenue sports.
If BC does not have a credible ACC football program, there could be trouble with our continued membership in the ACC.. You know - the Temple (from BE days) of the ACC. I am sure GDF does not want to give the BC haters in the ACC power structure ammunition. Imagine getting dumped for Rutgers or UConn? Going 0-11 this year in BCS play will lead some to call for BC to leave the ACC for lack of competitiveness. Doing the same crap next year will bring more hissing and keep the anti-BC ball rolling
Normally I'd disagree and say we have no chance of being Templed (because Duke and UVa are largely terrible at football too), but we are literally adding nothing to the table right now. It has only been one year of utter uncompetitiveness (is that word?) though.
Ryan, if "uncompetitiveness" wasn't a word, it is now and it means "BC football, 2011"...sorry to say, but we now know it's true. Who'd a thunk it? Time for "big-rock" changes...
...I'll have more salt with mine, please... Thanks.
Bottom line. Do you ever think that BC football will be other than mediocre under a mediocre coach. Right now we start off wishing for an eight game winning season. We don't even think of ten or twelve. Maybe, just maybe, we might not get the eight but then seven will bring us a meaningless bowl.
BC needs to aim higher than it has done as it did in the past. GDF is the problem. He has hired no championship coaches. Even basketball will never be much more than mediocre. Maybe the cleansing should begin from the top with Fr. Leary.
By the way, what was the attendance today. At the game's start it looked like we'd be lucky to get ten thousand.
Nothing is going right. Player defections, play injuries, penalties, motivation, in-game decisions by coaches, fan attendance, tailgating, weather forecasts, atmosphere, ticket sales, Flynn Fund donations, and even the band gets drowned out by a small Wake Forest band without the microphones we have.
I checked this site, BCI, EO, and Rivals every day for 6 months looking forward to 2011 BC football. Joke's on me.
Temple got "Templed" because they had no stability whatsoever. Head coach after head coach after head coach.
The only way you get "Templed" is if you get rid of Coach Spaz. He has dealt with so much chaos and instability, holding the program together after TOB's departure and through the chaos Jags brought to the program. With no talent, he led BC to TWO straight bowl appearances.
But you know, that's not good enough for Matt Tennant and these other players. So now Tennant's minions want to lay down on Coach Spaz, thinking if they play poorly enough, then Spaz has to go.
That's why you extend Spaz again. Give him 5 more years, so that these players know Spaz isn't going anywhere. He'll continue throwing them under the bus for their failures, and experts like Blauds will explain for NFL scouts how terrible these players are.
You have to show players who's boss. It's always darkest before the dawn, but that's when you double down on your coach, one who brings stability to your program.
My head hurts. The ref's jobbbed us today, but they didn't cause us to lose. No sense of urgency; wasted timeoit after the pI noncall. I'm sick
This is 1995 bad folks. The sad thing is, even if Super Mario Mistache is fired, a new coach will need 2-3 years to rebuild. It may be 2014 before we even sniff a bowl again.
youre the best OC, wanna take over for spass?
I am now hearing reports from sources inside the football team that a "mutiny" is becoming the talk of the locker room. After the game there was several players who voiced their opinions on Spaz.
This source told me that atleast 2 starters will not be playing this week because of what they will be calling "health problems." However, this problem has nothing to do with health.
Players who have had problems with Spaz:
Clairborne
Okoroha
Richman
LeGrande
Phillips
Who's next?
BobB--this is exactly what I'm talking about when you create a mutiny scenario from hearsay--you're exposing player names now to a mutiny scenario and what's your credibility? Can't believe that your BC education taught you to be so irresponsible with these kids' names. If they want to go public they sure as hell aren't asking you to be their spokesperson. Dude,what the what are thinking? Tell me you're a sophomore and I'll understand all of this...
Good God--how LAME can this get? Think about what you're doing before you post this stuff.
Those players aren't on the team anymore. Besides, each of their issues with the coaching staff is already well-known.
I didn't think he was a good head coach after watching him as interim coach against Navy in the '06 Car Care Bowl. I am so desperate to see offense I think we should hire Mike Leach!
Jim Tressel
George O'Leary
Josh McDaniels
Mike Leach
Bud Foster
@mmason: The names I posted are all players who have left, and ATL has documented their issues with Spaz. This has nothing to do with my sources and I would never expose a current player. I think it's pretty obvious that the players don't approve of Spaz. After all, who wouldn't be frustrated at this point?
Richman is still on the team....but yeah, his "back issues" sound alot like Claiborne's "back issues." Maybe we'll get a similar news article in a couple weeks with Richman eating crow about how great a coach Spaz is.
We can throw out all kinds of conspiracy theories at this point, but it is quite obvious that this team has some serious psychological/ emotional issues going on that are prohibiting them from remotely resembling a D1A football team. They may not want to play for this coach, this group of coaches, who knows. Spaz needs to go tomorrow. At this point there is nothing left to lose. The next few games are going to be humiliations like we haven't seen. There has been zero progression on both sides of the ball over the course of the last four games. Often they look worse, and completely scared and disinterested. And, they should by pass half time. Whatever goes on in that locker room at half time doesn't work. Blame that on the coaches, no adjustments whatsoever.
A couple of the guys on Bob B.'s list had substance abuse issues and they should have been gone. Here's the rub though...when players don't respect a head coach, this crap happens. See Dan Henning c. 1995/1996.
A football team is made up of about 100 guys who come from diverse and varied backgrounds. A strong head coach who demands respect keeps guys in line through the force of his personality. When the leader ain't strong, goodbye discipline. Part of being respected is being competent. Players see a dysfunctional staff and lose respect...sometimes without doing so consciously.
That's obviously happened here. Time for a change. As in the Henning siyuation, the change may be driven by the market ie. the players, through their actions.
Gene did the school a disservice by misreading the situation, and when he did become aware of 'problems', he tried to micromanage them, rather than make a strong hire and then step aside.
But Spaz is so thoughtful and buys the maintenance guys lunch!
BCGeneD Gene DeFilippo
Coach Spaz bought lunch today for our entire maintenance crew. He is constantly making these kinds of thoughtful gestures.
Is it really possible that this team has not scored a point in the 3rd quarter against a division 1 team? Do you think we are being out coached at halftime.
I have watched Duke and WF, and listened to UMass with Gametracker. I have to say what surprises me the most is the lack of emotion by either the coaches or players. Nobody is having fun, nobody seems to be getting worked up, and nobody seems to be getting upset, either.
Why does this matter? No passion, no victory. No Risk, no emotion, no reward, no regret. No nothing.
Yes, the coaches haven't called good games by and large. Too conservative, playing not to lose. Play calling that does not evidence confidence in your troops. The players get that and then live up to your diminished expectations.
I can remember seeing Bicknell Jr getting fired up and getting on his guys and getting them worked up, inspiring and demanding execution... I'm sure I'm missing something with the camera coverage, but what I have seen is dispationate BLAH. Quinn is one of the few I have seen get fired up (at the end of Duke when they stopped a drive and forced a punt late in the game), but then he took a couple bad penalties too. But at least he showed he was alive and fired up for part of the game.
On top of that, poor play calling, and poor game management. But then again, if people are not 100% into it 100% of the time, then most plays won’t work too well anyway.
When Freese hit the upright on the last FG attempt with Duke, you could tell he was going to miss... why? Because they focused on his face with the TV coverage before the kick and he looked WORRIED! I said to those I was watching it with, well that's it, he doesn't believe, which means neither do I... and so he misses - not a real surprise.. Why was he worried? Why weren't the coaches working up his confidence? Or had they taken it away?
Anyway, I think some people have indicated that the guys played hard today. My impression was slightly more mixed. There were times where I just did not see aggressive line play on either side of the ball... people not appearing to play through the whistle. Nobody mad or fired up apparently. Looking for guys who are committed to having fun, drilling someone, and STICKING it to the other team. No killer instinct. Now these are generalities, and there are a couple of conspicuous exceptions, but in general terms things appear flat.
That is ultimately on the coaches, not the players. We are not selaing with PROS here. People can expect workmanlike commitment, and they should, but these are still KIDS. You need to get your players up. You can do it thru inspiration or you can do it thru fear or pressure, or both. But you gotta do it SOMEHOW.
The thing that bothers me most is that on the face of it, it almost looks like losing irritates us fans more than it does the players or coaches. Not THAT is not a good sign.
I realize that I only see what little is on the camera, and there may be plenty going on on the sidelines that I am missing, but this tries to explain what I have seen so far. I happen to think this team has some talent. I see flashes of it in between the blah.
Incidentally I had some of the same problems with O'Brien - cold fish, playing not to lose, and he also didn't take full ownership of poor playcalling or losing.
ATL has has never posted anything about Richman having issues with Spaz nor has that been insinuated elsewhere. I don't think it is that abnormal for a 300+ pound lineman to have back trouble...I realize that doesn't jive well with conspiracy theories.
@mmason
I am a high school level coach. If anything, athlete motivation to succeed begins there. I am just an assistant coach, the athletes I coach have already, this season, come to me to express disappointment and frustration with the head coach. Mason, you are diluting yourself if you think that the problems with this team are on the team and the coaching staff. The coaching staff, as with any team at any level, is responsible for the performance of the team. This football team has been coached not to succeed, but to continuously fail in its endeavors. The fault lies not with the ability of the players, because today I saw the players make plays through their own athletic ability in spite of their coaching, but with the coaching that is leading them down a road to failure.
You do not inspire athletes to success through middling excuses and passing the blame to someone else. Yes, the defense may have missed tackles and the offense may have missed catchable passes, but making tackles and catching passes each assumes a competent coaching staff to teach those things at the college level... something that Boston College does not currently have.
Mason, you can blame the lack of player preparation all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the players are prepared by the HEAD COACH and his coaching staff. This staff is not putting the players in a position to succeed and as a result it is time for this staff to be removed. Boston College is off to a 1-4 start, the worst, ABSOLUTE WORST, in recent memory. This is no place to be for a team who was #2 in the country just four years ago. Gene, you have a chance to save your legacy by firing Spaz and hiring a coach who believes in the true potential of Boston College. Do the right thing, and make a change.
ATLEagle, BCInterruption, Soaring to Glory, and Around the Res currently all feature headlines/articles calling for Spaz's head. For here all are one huh?
@Ry - Yes, we bloggers are all on board now. Took a while, but I'm glad to finally see Bill hop on the Fire Spaz Express.
I know there are always knocks on BC fans about apathy and all that, but I also know there are many of us who do care. I'm glad BC fans are becoming more united and vocal on this front; if enough of us get pissed off, pull the Flynn Fund donations, or stop going to games, someone in the Conte Forum offices is going to notice.
I'm watching this football program, which only a few years ago was flying to new heights, crash and burn before my eyes and I'm not OK with it. Spaz has to go, now. Bring in a totally new voice with a completely different coaching staff and we'll see what happens.
Frustrated season ticket holder and was at the game yesterday. I always attend the parade (2 hours before game time) and just looking at Spaz and the team walk through you can tell there is no life to this squad. So different than two years ago when everyone was animated and we could not wait to see #94 walk by. This team is dead and at 24-9 I wanted my money back. As I told my wife, the good news is that they are on the road in October and we have only two more games to endure.
As I have stated in the past - Spaz comes back and I won't come back and thanks Atlanta as this is a cathartic outlet for die hard Eagle fans.
Jags was a joke and didn't want to be at BC. Spaz is a joke and doesn't want to be at BC.
It is time to treat the football the program the way it should be treated, like a business.
If I am at work and my boss and co-workers think that I don't really want to be there then I get fired. It is simple.
If I am not producing and assess blame on others for my faults then I am fired.
In Spaz' case, he has made around 5 million dollars while working at Boston College. If he cannot win 5 games or have a positive attitude or even speak with a postive tone of voice then there is absolutely no friggin reason for him to be doing anything at that University.
Think about this again. Frank Spaziani has received 5 million dollars from Boston College.
I have an MBA so I am not the brightest bulb . . . couldn't get a decent LSAT score . . . but I can do a simple SWOT analysis.
Strengths - None. Literally. The "Bend but don't break" defense doesn't count as a strength. It shows no confidence in your players talent.
Weaknesses - Has no discernable skills in communicating with others. Negative. Monotone. Assesess blame on 18-23 youngsters who probably look up to him. Or did at one point. Has little to no game/clock management skills. During his half time interview he says Wake Forest probably hasn't shown us everything yet. After a question about being down at the half. Totally defeatist, garbage, negative response.
Opportunities - Frank can Tank the rest of the season and essentially fire himself(the season was tanked after losing to Duke). Then Gene doesn't have to make a decision. The firing leaves the door open for Dave Brock. He is a good play caller.
Threats - Every other team left on our schedule. Lets say we beat ND and Miami. More like they beat themselves and wins fall in our lap. Then we may be in store for another year of Spaz.
The positives are: Rettig is good-when he has time to throw he is good, Dave Brock is a good play caller, Nate Freese is back on track, Luke Kuechly, Kevin Pierre Louis, and Steele D. haven't transferred yet.
Colin: au contraire... EVERY game is a bowel game now.
To those who say this team reminds them of 1995: not me it doesn't. 1995's team had more talent and yes, better coaching. They won 4 games against a schedule that was around the 10th or 12th toughest in the country and had no 1-AA opponents. A schedule that was frontloaded, too, sending the team into an injury-filled spiral. But it did beat a 10-win VT. This team is on its way to 1-11 or just maybe 2-10, and has been solidly handled by four teams that rank in the middle of the pack--about where BC's 1995 ended up rated--or worse. This year, after the easiest part of the schedule, BC is not the Top 100. Literally. Sagarin has BC behind 9 1-AA teams, including UNH and Maine. The highest team we've even played is 65th (Wake).
But for those who worry about getting Templed, that's ridiculous. We've been a bowl team for each of our first 6 seasons in the ACC. This is just one bad season with the prospect of more. Duke has had 4 winless seasons in the past 15 years. They have won more than 4 games once in that span (5-7, in 2009). There's never any expectation of them ever being any better than sucky. If the ACC wasn't trying to cut them loose after the back-to-back winless seasons in 2000-2001, or after the 1-23 mark in 2006 and 2007--in which only 3 of the 23 losses were by single digits--then they won't start pushing BC in that direction. That's not what quality conferences do. Every conference has to have a last place team. Looks like it'll be BC for a while, but the past was solid, and there's hope that some day in the future, BC will shine again.
Darius -- There are two big differences between BC and Duke.
Duke is at home in ACC and is part of the Tobacco Road mafia. BC is not at home or in the club.
Duke has a revenue producing top quality hoops program, BC does not.
Duke's football is improving too b/c tehy did something about it.
So as the newbie non revenue producing school, BC better be careful. Sure, BC will not get Templed this year or next, but the anti-BC sentiment will build. Suppose we suck at hoops and football for 5-6 years and generate no TV $$. Will the ACC be 'loyal' to BC - I doubt it.
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