USFFan

Gee, I don't know, maybe because we want people to think USF has fan support? It's not like it's a vote for president, it's a freaking poll. Do you seriously have to be down on USF in every post? We're embarking on our first season as a member of the BCS and you act like somebody just shot your dog... USFFan

If you have DirecTV, the sports package and ESPN's pay-per-view package, you will get any USF game that is televised. USFFan

Ugh. Please don't remind me. I'm still smarting from the move of the Pitt game to Labor Day last year (and the corresponding wait to cancel the game until the last possible second). A change in time won't bother me, but I hope to God they don't decide to make this a midweek game... USFFan

Thanks for the information and the links, guys. Looks like I'll have plenty of time to kill before that Miami game... USFFan

I know you had been compiling a list of scheduled game times and I couldn't find that thread, but in looking at Brad's main page I found a link that has times for 10 of the 11 games, including a stated time of 8 pm for the USF/Miami game. Has this been published somewhere? I've been looking and didn't see it. Thanks, USFFan

Heh, I had already arranged to go to the Penn State game when I found out my wife's cousin is getting married the same day (practically at the same time). Sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness instead of permission. USFFan

No, seriously, has anything happened with Sills that we're not aware of? That would really hurt... USFFan

A post on the Big East bbs site has West Virginia's announcement that our game with them will be at 7 pm. Therefore, we're down to just two unknown game times... USFFan

Thanks, PSU Nut, that makes me feel much better. I still haven't made the final call on my return flight, but I'm leaning toward the afternoon flight... USFFan

FYI, SNL had a "best of Christopher Walken" special last Saturday night. What do you think the first skit was? I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell USFFan

I'm staying at the Penn Stater, so I hope that my proximity to the stadium helps (rather than hurts)... USFFan

45 minutes from the airport? That sucks. Thanks for the heads up. USFFan

I read this thread yesterday, then last night I was at IKEA in Emeryville, CA and saw a guy walking around wearing the shirt. I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell USFFan

I'll be at the Miami game. Maybe pick up some Cuban food at La Esquina de Tejas before the game (although I'll bet kickoff is at noon, so it might be after the game). This one won't be a sellout, so don't sweat the tickets like you would for Penn State. USFFan

I'll be there, but I'm getting in on a red eye (via Dulles) that arrives Saturday morning around 11 am. Anybody know when the pregame festivities will begin for USF fans? Also, is anything on tap for Sunday? United cancelled their 11 am flight out of State College, so now I either have to go at 6 am or at 3 pm. I don't want to hang out all afternoon if people are all going to be gone already... USFFan

Don't forget, that's 5 slots for 9 teams. Notre Dame can take one of the slots... USFFan PS - looks like the Big 10 is pulling out of the Music City Bowl - that game in Nashville could be a place for a Big East team...

Brad, I was reading through the transcripts and noticed you mentioned that they're a double-edged sword. I think you're right, but for those of us on the west coast, please keep doing them. As I think I've mentioned, I can't get into the chat rooms from work and I can't possibly get home in time to join them from there. Therefore the only way I can get this information is via the transcripts. Thanks for doing these, USFFan

It's got nothing to do with whether he's a recruit - he's a Bull who hasn't even stepped on the field and your first line is that he'll never even see the field. Gachette made his decision based on what he did on the field, not whether the fans felt that he was worthy. I presume Gregory will do the same, and I as a Bulls fan wish him luck instead of insulting him before he so much as shows up on campus. Grow up. USFFan

You guys do realize that recruits and players read these boards, right? Way to make a new Bull feel welcome! USFFan

I think you need to take your ritalin, man. First off, blaming Banowsky for us not getting in in football in 2002 is a bit like blaming Ronald Reagan for Watergate. It sure as hell didn't happen on his watch. Second, you can thank V. Lane Rawlins (and probably R. C. Johnson) for the screwing we got in 2002 moreso than the conference as a whole. Don't forget that CUSA worked with the Hawaii Bowl to make sure we would get the at-large bid if the conference didn't have enough teams. At the end of the day, we're much better off for having been in CUSA. I don't see the need to be dicks about it on the way out. USFFan

In all fairness, we don't really have much of a beef with Banowsky. For that matter, for the most part CUSA did alright by USF. For starters, we weren't even in the original plans, so we were lucky to be included (instead of left behind in the Metro with UNCC and Virginia Commonwealth). And we did manage to join for football after only 6 years (amazingly fast). Our one big gripe is that we weren't allowed in for 2002, but that was under Mike Slive's watch, not Banowsky. Finally, without CUSA, we wouldn't be joining the Big East tomorrow. So I'll take the classy send off and say "thank you" right back. USFFan

If you ever bring an Around the Horns to the San Francisco area, please feel free to keep the golf component! I'm good for a foursome! Yeah, I know, when pigs fly... USFFan

I hate to break it to you, but Cal outdraws Stanford even in the worst of times. And it's their distant (very distant) past that actually is more impressive. Even their mid-distant past isn't horrible (Mariuchi's miracle season, Bruce Snyder and Russell White). North Texas isn't really a good comparison because of their conference status. However, I'll give you TCU and Houston. Still, we have more alumni living in our vicinity than either of them. USFFan

Whether or not we get to use cowbells in RJS, it doesn't look like you'll be able to get them in at Syracuse. Here's a link to the Carrier Dome's restrictions: http://carrierdome.syr.edu/generalinfo.asp Looks like they prohibit noisemakers in general. USFFan

Sorry, I don't agree with several aspects of this. First off, having 40+ years of alumni is enough. Somebody who graduated from USF 40 years ago is about 62 years old. There's a diminishing return when you get much above that. Second, you need to do a little digging on your choice of schools. The fourth school in success in California is definitely Cal. They average 65,000 fans per game. Meanwhile, the other schools you mention (Texas Tech, Baylor, Wake Forest) are in remote areas instead of an area where we have > 90,000 local alumni. Third, while the average disposable income in Tampa may be low, that's an average number. I'm sure if you took a look at the average disposable income among college graduates or even USF graduates it would be greater. I know of several guys I went to school with at USF, including a few roommates. Two of them are diehard Gat*r fans and have season tickets, even though neither ever attended UF. Another former roommate is a season ticket holder at Miami and goes down for the games with a buddy who sends his son to USF. THAT is the big problem - we can't convince our own alumni to support their alma mater instead of another team. The bulk of our current student body seems much more interested in going to Ybor than going to a USF event. The only way things are going to change is for somebody at USF to make students believe that attending a USF sporting event is the thing to do. Trust me, on a football Saturday, most students are going to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium instead of the Purple Porpoise. We need that kind of drive on campus. Ideally, USF could hire somebody like The Sheriff to rally students as a full time job and build that kind of support. Then when those students become alumni they'll want to keep attending games as a way of remembering the good times they had. I'll step off my soapbox now... USFFan