USFreak

Always great to beat a rival. :

Are you serious? It will be the RMac's 4th year as coach. That's actually pretty bad in college basketball circles.

OK, fair enough. Just for the record I do like McCullum and his Xs and Os. I generally like the way he develops players and gets them to give their all each game. I don't want to see him go because I don't like the guy or think he is a bad coach. I just think some of these things are timing and compound building (solid recruiting class on top of solid recruiting class). At this point I think he is just in a hole that is tough to dig out of and he is digging out of it in the toughest top to bottom league in basketball. A tough job for even a high-profile coach. McCullum has the additional challenge of being a no-name coach for a no-name school with a small budget in a state not reknown for hoops talent. I just think he is a little out of his league and on the short side of time. My thought is the only way they dig out is with a named coach that can immediately increase revenue and give students, alums and others something to rally around (good and bad). One of the reasons I like Huggins is because he is polarizing (you love or hate him), a media hound and ,although people say he never cleared the hump, he was very consistent in NCAA appearances and in winning the CUSA title like every year in CUSA. I realize there are concerns, but I look at some of the other 'reformers' (Knight, Estauchy, Price, O'Leary)...these guys haven't screwed up a 2nd time (yet).

I guess I'm curious. Do you think McCullum is the guy for the job for the next 3 years? It sounds like you don't like Huggins, but is your motivation more for Mac out of loyalty or because you think he can turn the program around? Stand up guy or not sometimes the tough decision has to be made. There are about 4 million reasons a year I could see a high-profile coaching change being made. They call them "revenue sports" for a reason. Even a competitive USF with a well-known coach that could bring in recruits and improve the record could fill the Dome. USF is in a different mode now. A 17-18 win team probably means a full Dome every night. The Big East is big-time hoops. Let's not even mention the TV and parking money being missed out on. Anyhow, I'm not trying to criticize you because you seem to really think McCullum is the guy, but in terms of recruiting classes, revenue and timing (late signing period and next November's class) do you think it is good to retain him? Also, if things start bad next year you are probably looking at a lame duck at that point. Guess I'm curious your thoughts on the subject as you seem to support Mac more than most. Do you see next year as the turnaround year?

Even stranger is they seem to want it to be untrue. I can't tell if it is a case of "I told you so" or if they truly want McCullum to stay. Listen, I know that the program can't afford a big name, but I think most folks agree that to succeed in the Big East and fill the Dome again it is likely what it is going to take. Now if this was some sort of booster mutiny maybe it would be something to be negative about, but it seems like the line at this point is that Woolard will evaluate moves at the end of the season. That seems fair, but I don't get where folks are upset that a new higher-profile (Huggy or other) could come in and take over the program. Check your programs -- we're putting 4 new starters on the floor next year and there is little additional depth or experience. That is likely a recipe for more losing and the rebuild will be tougher next season (there aren't too many 4-year players on this team). Like it or not there are a few good reasons to seriously give a coaching change a look. Forget for a second close to 3.5 million in missed revenue a year by having that Sun Dome 3/4 empty. Like the rumor or don't like it, but unless there are folks out there that legitimately feel 6-40 is the path to great hoops....well, the coaching change talk isn't just boat rocking. There is a lot of it that truly makes sense. I also realize Woolard maybe shouldn't comment on the Huggins rumor specifically, but if McCullum is his guy....McCullum is his guy. Saying in the press that McCullum will be around next season will help on a couple levels (or hurt as I suppose some folks can decide to give up their season tix).

And besides, get over the national hangup. There is no such thing as a local rivalry? You are expecting people in Oregon to know about the USF/UCF rivalry when both are not national caliber schools. There are probably plenty of DI-AA and DII rivalries I know nothing about. The stadiums may only draw 5,000 - 10,000 people, but they are still rivalries. FAMU/Bethune Cookman may be one for all I know. Does John Dorian in Des Moines know that?

Mike, no disrespect but this is a fan poll. "We wanted you to selected the best traditional rivalry in college football -- the matchup that inspires the most passion, gives us the best games, the best customs, the best color and the most bad blood." That is a fact now? If UCF fans stuffed the ballot box on the ESPN poll calling USF/UCF the biggest rivalry does that now make it one? That is what a fact is? So confusing your definition of a fact.

That's not a fact. That's ESPN's opinion. We need facts. I can show you the St. Pete Time's article that USF/UCF is a rivalry. A rivalry doesn't have to be ranked by some random press agent to be a rivalry.

You seem to have this hangup on comparing rivalries. Jefferson/Armwood is a rivalry and you'd be hard-pressed for Joe Florida to know about it either. Query some dude in Orlando and ask him if he knows. You make it like USF and UCF have never stepped on any sort of field/court/diamond together. There are plenty of other things they compete across.

But is the rivalry a fact? Show me where it says Oklahoma/Texas rivalry is a fact? Isn't it just a collection of opinions of the folks involved? Show me where the rivalry is a fact and I'll buy it.

I'll agree with that.  That's part of the reason it is a rivalry in the first place.  Just because people call Oklahoma/Texas a rivalry doesn't mean it is a rivalry.  It is merely a common concept that exists in the minds of the two groups associated with each institution.  An object called 'rivalry' exists no where that can be tangibly picked up, held or moved from place to place. Philosophically you are correct -- Oklahoma/Texas is no more real than UCF/USF.

The problem is we aren't asking for facts.  If you are so hung up in the facts go find them.  The truth is out there.

I think I'm more puzzled by your motivation on this one. I mean I'm hardly stating anything that is out of bounds. It is corroborated by a great number of people -- fans of the rivalry and not. It was a big crowd. I'm not sure how 'smoke and mirrors' are involved. Again, I wasn't a fan of the rivalry. I never wanted the first game played. Now that it has been played I'm not so pig-headed to see that it wasn't a) pretty fun and a solid showing. Seeing that many fans in RJS was a pleasant surprise. There have been so few games like that over the history of this program....and I've sat through some real yawners. If enjoying the atmosphere, a full stadium and a fun game was wrong my apologies. I guess I just don't get who you are fighting here? That type of game and experience breeds new fans -- UCF or not. I'd think you'd be for that. The more the merrier and if this game was a success and continues to be a success it is good for the entire program.

The hypothesis has more supporting evidence. I could logically look at that Pittsburgh Thanksgiving game and rationally assume that there was a low student turnout. No jump there. I think everybody that attended that game felt the student attendance was great and folks were engaged. That may be hearsay (message board, newspaper, etc), but it is the overwhelming theory with most folks outside of you. Your theory is it wasn't the highest student attendance in 2005. Until you prove it wrong I think the bulk of us have to assume it was. There is no overwhelming evidence saying otherwise. Note: I wasn't at WVU, but that was reported as another great student attended game as well.

I'll stand by the theory that the UCF game had the highest student attendance.  I challenge anyone to prove that one wrong.  Bring all evidence on. ÂÂ

A bold post when these coaching changes many times go on under very hush, hush circumstances. It may indeed not happen, but just the fact it is a story now makes it more interesting.

Does RMac graduate players?

You said it. This is the game that will get a few of the fence sitters excited. Now they'd certainly get more excited if it was Florida or FSU, but it isn't. Technically those schools aren't our rivals either, but the game would have more meaning to the typical student (or alum). Part of it is because they are good football programs, but there is a familiarity component as well. Like it or not prior to USF there were 4 D1A football programs in this state -- FSU, Miami, Florida and UCF. That means something even if UCF isn't at the other three programs levels.

Visually you could certainly tell, but I imagine somebody at USF has the final numbers. It would just take tracking down the right hombre.

Go ahead and throw Frane on there. I'm not sure he'll ever see the court in any real contributor role. That's an average of 4 players a year. Not end of the bench players either.

Are you sure about that? :-) I remember back in the day there were three student sections behind the bench in Level 1. 10 years later there are 2.

Seriously, that's the crazy thing. I've seen people bust their asses to get to a game 700 miles away. Now they are not going to go to one 75 miles away because of what? It defies logic. It is about the silliest thing I've ever read on one of these boards.

Box score. How about we not wait five years. Let's just wait one. Two games that produce over 45k will certainly be records for both schools. I agree that we all have opinions, but the game that you are discounting as meaningless and one in which folks have a passing fancy was the 2nd highest attended game in USF's history. Maybe WVU (w/ 135 more fans) was just a novelty too? After all, it was the first game. Sounds like 'logic' would dictate that.

One additional reason USF and UCF may be rivals. In terms of losing streaks our Hoops losing streak is fast approaching their football losing streak. :-)

I got 45,139 reasons why you are wrong. If you don't think the series means more than Cincinnati or UConn to the student population (and I don't mean every student, but the ones that are typically engaged in campus life (ie. Joe Student in my example) you never will. A lot of people attended that game last year. Per USF: "A crowd of 45,139, second-largest in South Florida's relatively brief football history . . ." Until a USF/UCF game draws flies I'll stick with the premise that this is a meaningful game to students. Not sure if you saw it, but the students were actually in their seats and into the game. Amazing. Go figure. Incredible.