New voice, same plight: Charlie Strong seeks local support

[CousinRicky]

7 hours ago, Apis Bull said:

At times, USF's chronic football attendance issue festered like a nagging blister in Willie Taggart's otherwise buoyant psyche.

Once the Bulls had turned the corner on his watch, brandishing one of the most dynamic offenses in all of Division I, Taggart periodically called out the area for failing to support the team in-person. Even women's hoops coach Jose Fernandez chimed in with some castigating of his own.

Five months before his first game, Charlie Strong hasn't reached a similar level of frustration -- yet. But it's clear he understands the plight of his predecessor, who watched the Bulls draw an average actual turnout of 27,601 fans for seven home games in a breakthrough 2016 season.

"I think about last year, we won 11 games, and there's no reason for our fans to not come out and support this football team," Strong said after Saturday's situational scrimmage on campus.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bulls/new-voice-same-plight-charlie-strong-seeks-local-support/2318929

 

Here's the thing.  Those are number of fans that we have.  When we sold out WVU most of those weren't fans. They were attendees.

[lotsofbull99]

CCS needs to build the wall!

[Ionbull]

I thought the home game against C was very lively. Does anyone know offhand what the actual attendance was? One big thing is the lack of major corporate support  providing tickets; I think if the businesses would buy in it would help a lot. 

I also get Taggart's frustration, but to be fair he knew the program's hay day was based on slaying giants. He had the chance to do that virtually every year and failed. Last year vs FSU and his defense couldn't even keep it competitive. (I will say, the cajones on xCWT on that opening play of the game; everyone ran a fly route out of the gate.) It felt like the air got sucked out of the hype balloon that day. All those folks that were buying in hated to feel like the little brother; I know I did. 

I know it's not an excuse. Fans need to support. 

[BDYZR]

7 hours ago, Ionbull said:

One big thing is the lack of major corporate support  providing tickets; I think if the businesses would buy in it would help a lot. 

I've heard the Rays say the same thing. Maybe the corporations that back sports are like a lot of the rest of us. Unfortunately their choices seem to be the Lightning and the Bucs.

[smazza]

usf needs to win consistently

[bullsmeanbusiness]

Any idea if the flex plan is coming back? Haven't heard or seen anything about it yet, granted I could have missed it.

[Fold FB Invest in BB]

I'll say it since I think it's relevant to casual fans:

**** sitting in a stadium at noon in September in Tampa Bay. I'm surprised my wife and 5 year old actually stuck out that whole FSU game with me. God bless their souls.

[Bausfkid]

13 hours ago, Bourbon Bull said:

Here's the thing.  Those are number of fans that we have.  When we sold out WVU most of those weren't fans. They were attendees.

I usually agree with your post BB.  This one I'm not sure about brother.  Not sure I've seen attendance broken down into "fans" and "attendees". 

I could argue some of the "fans" are nothing more than "attendees" with the number of times they walk up and down the aisles while the action on the field is going on, how many times they stop to shoot the BS with someone they know while the action the field is going on and lastly, how many times they arrive at their seats well into the 1st or even 2nd quarter. 

Go Bulls!

[CousinRicky]

1 minute ago, Bausfkid said:

I usually agree with your post BB.  This one I'm not sure about brother.  Not sure I've seen attendance broken down into "fans" and "attendees". 

I could argue some of the "fans" are nothing more than "attendees" with the number of times they walk up and down the aisles while the action on the field is going on, how many times they stop to shoot the BS with someone they know while the action the field is going on and lastly, how many times they arrive at their seats well into the 1st or even 2nd quarter. 

Go Bulls!

I guess my point is that at this point in time our fan base is about that number or maybe less as you suggest.  If the coaching staff is looking for all those people that attended the WVU game to buy season tickets it isn't going to happen.

In the past we've purchased two extra tickets and brought a different couple to each game.  The wives, in most cases, don't care at all. One brings a kindle.  She did start watching last year.  I thought she knew nothing about football until we watched the Super Bowl at their house.  She knew plenty but had not gotten into USF.  They are most likely buying season tickets this year.   Her husband played at a small college and coached.  If fan is short for fanatic, then I stick by my point of that WVU game.  

As far as when people show up to games that may be a Tampa Bay thing. Opening day for the Rays at first pitch there were a lot of empty seats.  By the third inning or so it was full.

[Triple B]

1 hour ago, smazza said:

usf needs to win consistently

USF needs alumni/fans who care to donate.