WoolyBully

"... bringing college hoops fans even more compelling storylines during the most exciting time on the college basketball calendar." And let's be honest. It gives us even more opportunities to gamble, which is what sports is all about anyway. What, exactly is a 'compelling storyline' and what does that have to do with play on the court? Are we trying to be the college rendition of the Pro Bowl (which thankfully is now deceased)? The NCAA tournament works. It's phenomenal. Anything else is also ran (yes, the NIT is also ran). So let's try to copy it in hopes that someone watches, and we can sell commercial airtime. Like so much else in life that's really great, eventually - true - you reach a point where you've had your fill. Don't be the Mister Creasote of sports. 'It's only wafer thin!'

Yeah, if you're tallying upsets, I wouldn't peel off a lot of layers of the onion. That was a down year (7-6) for FSU, but again - a win is a win, regardless. Same with three three-point wins over Auburn & Notre Dame. Not resounding wins, but they are wins, nonetheless.

On the plus side, once March Madness expands to 96 teams, we're done with the 'everybody gets a trophy' NIT which gets rid of the 'travel logistics, portal considerations' line of thinking. What we could do, if we really wanted to, is slam the portal shut until the clock ticks zero on all post-season play. Just something to ponder as there is always room for improvement.

"cited travel logistics, injuries and the uncertainty of players potentially entering the transfer portal as reasons for informing the NIT selection committee Sunday of the school's decision to not be considered. " So, IIRC every day during the season schools are faced with travel logistics, injuries and the risk of a player moving on. But when it's tournament time, I guess the line of thinking is if we get an invite - but we stand no chance of being very competitive (portal absenteeism) - we should just chill 'bout the dorms. Why resign? C'mon...say it!

Yep, that's kind of how I see it shaking out in the long run. USF: I planned to go to the B1G or SEC after the Big East, but it looks like my folks won't have enough money to put me through NIL and all that. SEC : Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too. B1G: [to USF] Nice try

If this is going to be a thing going forward, the visiting team and coaches need to clear the court before getting mobbed. As I understand it, the SEC doesn't put up with this, but the ACC doesn't have any rules/regulations/threats-of-litigation for such. It's all fun and games until someone loses a limb.

I know I've told you boys this story before, but... So, the Mrs. & I were up in beautiful Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a football game of considerable importance, and the good folks at Continental Tire had supplied Carolina logo hats to be passed out gratis. As I collected my souvenir, the young man handing them out, in an attempt to entertain the two co-eds standing close by asked "Hey man, so why is USF called the University of South Florida, if you're in Tampa? Isn't, like Miami really south Florida?", as he flashed the goofy grin. So, I flipped the soothing baritone switch and eyeball to eyeball explained that "at the time the University was founded it was, in fact, the southernmost public university in the state, hence South Florida. Anything else?" It's nice when college kids learn things.

According to my third-grade math skills, USF has won 80% of their games this year. Although the season is not over, USF is on track for the highest percentage of games won since '75~'76. I would like to think that this is the beginning of an upward trend, and not the sporadic 'one off' successful years we've experienced in the past. Yay, USF!

Not the most rational thing to chant. So, do you take pride in defeating an over-rated opponent? FAU came back from being 25 down - 25 - so not really sure 'overrated' is applicable. But, sports fans are not here to be rational, given that 'fan' is short for fanatic. from ESPN: South Florida: The Bulls have never been ranked in the AP Top 25 but received votes in last Monday’s poll. They are seeking their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2011-12, when Wooly was fifty years old.

In keeping with the general theme of this thread

Guaranteed 100% we make March Madness. And by "we" I mean Mr. & Mrs. D. Samuel Robinson. We fly out on Wednesday, cool our jets at Paris, Las Vegas and wing it back to Tampa on Saturday.

Who is this Taggart guy y'all keep talking about?

I had 'Bama to win. I have Texas to win (in game 3-way parlay). Cindy was going to boycott the Nat'l had 'Bama won.

To be clear, I'm referring to opting out of a post-season bowl game. If you think penalizing someone who has collected NIL throughout the season by withholding a dollar amount for this one single game is somehow "gonna teach him a lesson!", not gonna side with that position. I think we're rapidly approaching the point where there are the relevant playoff games, and we can relegate everything else to nothing more than helping ESPN fill three-hour blocks of commercial opportunities. I would venture to say that those program blocks draw mostly an interest from alumni or the degenerate sports book. Approaching? Have we arrived there already? Lemme check ...

OK, so exactly how much $ is there in the NIL $ / games played equation? Let's assume Shedur is collecting $4.8M. At twelve regular season games per year, and one bowl game, that's about $370K per. Think about that. He'd still be collecting a ton of money if he sits out the bowl game. What about Joe Schmoe who is collecting $4K per year, he's only going to be out around $300. Think that $300 is a heartbreaker to a kid pulling down $4K to play football? I don't think so. Why not forego $300 if you're thinking in terms of playing on Sunday. And if you want to push the idea that they can be penalized for non-play...how 'bout I trot out a "mental health day" that coincides with the Del Monte Gillette Razor Inconsequential Bowl? By the time you've played your last regular season game, the NFL knows you. They've got a ton of data. Putting together a highlight reel at the bowl game is not really going to up your stock from what it already is.

Inching ever closer to the entrance exam...

Win over Florida State.

Also a nostalgic Christmas of yesteryear thought...you'll shoot your eye out, Ralphie...

Merry Christmas from the other - and considerably more famous - Mister Robinson's neighborhood https://youtu.be/jJvE0_YGMHw

Yeah, and as Pete pointed out, it's always the attorneys who walk away winners in these situations. But thinking in terms of "planting the flag", it sounds more like chess or a game of Risk than football. Like back when a school would scarf up all of the quality players solely to keep the competition from signing them. Never intending to play them, just don't want YOU to have them.

Increase of 33% in the total number of wins compared to '23. Finish with a Win in (hopefully) a bowl game that requires checked bags and boarding passes.

A welcome relief. Great bowl win - unexpected margin of victory - and hopefully this carries forward into '24.

This was a huge improvement over the past four years. Huge. Bear in mind we had a weak schedule and the only team we beat that has a winning record was FAMU. That's it. Every other win was over a team which finished the year under .500. We did the absolute, rock-bottom, bare-minimum necessary to get to a bowl game, and that came down to the last game of the year against the worst team in the conference. Point being the bar was set very low (-4.5 Vegas) and we exceeded expectations. No complaints whatsoever and hopefully this year serves as a steppingstone to an even better record next fall.

Bulls wedged safely between the Buckeyes and Banana Slugs.