MikePhillips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAi0TznVzgE This isn't UF, this isn't FSU, this isn't UM They've got through their ups and downs, and so will we You guys that are staying positive and continuing to support your fellow student athletes - good on you for understanding what collegiete athletics are all about Those who can't stop crying in their beer because we're not ranked #1 in the country - go transfer to another school, and then when they struggle, transfer to another school Why don't you go visit - http://gousfbulls.com/ And see the other USF athletics programs that are doing well, and the other athletes that are competing and doing well. They are busting their ass just as much as the football program is, why don't you go support them? I really hope some of you fair weather fans are just as vocal when the team is doing good, as you are when the team is struggling. Just go to WalMart, buy a TShirt from another college with a successful football program and pretend you got your degree from there. I back this program through thick and thin, because I was at USF in 1996 when we didn't have a football program, and our bookstore was back behind the post office where parking services is at now. This is part of college athletics, one year your program is amazing, the next it's not. Find a way to deal with it

when you are in a steep dive, it takes a little bit to pull out of it I saw ALOT that was good in the last game, ALOT Defense played great, special teams was doing good. I have felt good about what Taggart has been doing since he got here. Taking the entire program, dumping it out onto the table, sifting through what he has, and making the best of it. Our entire offense, for the past 8+ years, has been based on a scrambling quarterback. Grothe, BJ Daniel, Blackwell. Sure, we were winning games, but when our quarterback went down with a blown knee 2/3rds of the way through the season, so did any of our hopes of finishing strong. Sure, it was football, but it was FAKE football in many ways. No running game, no passing game, just QB scrambles. I like how Taggart is making the different positions accountable. Yes, the dropped passes hurt, but it shows the team what needs to be improved. "QB Tuck and Run" only works until your QB gets hurt. And that's what always happened to USF. It's not fair to our student athlete quarterbacks, to carry 80% of the offense on their back with the real risks of severe injury. While it hurts, this is the right way to coach a football team. Our running game is looking amazing, our defense is doing awesome, if we can just get the QB and recievers to connect (which will happen in due time), it'll all add up to wins and a solid football team. The days of tuck and run Bulls Offense are over. While it was a loss, we're seeing the hard work and effort starting to pull the team out of the dive. I bull-ieve in this team, you should too. They are doing a great job for a team that hasn't been put in a position to win a game in 2 years.

No cotton candy either, my daughters were NOT happy!! LOL

Vero Beach takes a couple hours to get to Don't underestimate the bonding power of being locked in a bus with your teammates

Taggart is the right man for this job I have no doubt about it He's an athlete, he whooped our ass a few years ago ON THE FIELD, and he has a record of turning programs around He has the right ideas, you just need to give him the time he deserves to do his job

McNesse played an amazing game. They came in hungry, prepared, conditioned, coached and fired up to prove a point. You folks that are giving them credit for the win, are showing great sportmanship and class for giving credit where credit was due. Their fans were classy and polite, and they absolutely EARNED that win. They kept fighting after our opening drive, and absolutely destroyed us mentally on the field. They absolutely earned that win, no doubt about it. Something that was shown at this game, which can looked at in both good OR bad, is that it is clear that USF has not played REAL, passionate football in quite a long time. Everyone including the players knew that last year was a bust from the very beginning. Everyone from the coaching staff to the players threw in the towel last season, and rightfully so. But you can't expect to take an entire season off, and expect to play amazing when you're still looking around at the same group of players who threw in the towel last year. All it takes, is for that one player on the team to pour his soul into it, and others to follow. Someone like a George Selvie, who used to be on the sidelines practically in TEARS because of how emotionally involved he was in the game, and how furious he was that he was being triple teamed. One player steps up, then another, then another, then another... before you know it we're back to where we were at before. I've played on teams, I've seen this happen first hand. You've got a bunch of guys who are all being a bunch of sarcastic jackasses, who don't care. Then that one person takes it so seriously, that people start to notice. Then people get inspired, then people start to follow. That will happen, and we as fans need to be there to embrace that surge of energy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are the 12th man, I've personally seen what can happen when the USF fans fire up the players on the field. We've felt it, we've been there and witnessed it, and we need that noise and energy now more than EVER!!!

And let's think about how hard they have to work, for $15,000 a year They don't just "play football", they also have to maintain their GPA and take the required amount of courses to be NCAA eligibile. When I was at USF from 1996 to 2001 and I lived in Fontana (this was the building that was recently demolished, on 42nd and Fletcher... man I feel old). I lived with Leon Matthews. He was a great roomate, and a perfect gentlemen. He had a kid, and a girlfriend he was also trying to support. I never saw him..... he slept 10 feet from me, and I never saw him. He would come in at midnight and collapse in his bed, wake up 5 hours later and go to practice. I never saw him drink, never saw him party, never saw him do any of the fun things that I was doing on a nightly basis. It was school, football, school, football, school, football. Class, gym, class, film, class, practice.... every single day. Not only that, he also had a part time job working retail somewhere (I think it was staples on Bearss) to bring in a couple extra bucks he needed for his kid, food, gas, clothing, etc. Remember, they don't make money playing football. So when it's time to buy gas for their car, there is no money there. And this was when we were just getting the program off the ground in 1998. You can pull $15,000 a year valet'ing cars on the weekend, fifteen grand a year isn't ****. I pay more than fifteen grand a year to my daughter's daycare. So don't come with the "Well they get a free education, so we should be allowed to treat them like scumbags", because that just shows pure ignorance. They EARN their education, they don't get ANYTHING for free. As a matter of fact, for every penny they earn for their education, the school makes a dollar profiting from them. How much you really think it costs USF, to let them sit in the classes? The lights are already on, the instructor has already been paid, books at USF's cost? Yea they benefit $15,000 a year, but to USF their costs are minimal at best. They get nothing for free. Being an athlete is probably the WORST and the most stressful way to try to pay for your education. If they gave me the choice - 1) student loans 2) deal with all the hate, negativity and stress that comes with being a student athlete I'd have only one question - is it too late to fill out the FAFSA? And no, they are not "exempt from criticism". But as a fellow student and fan of the program (if you call yourself that), you need to show some class and sit back and think - "If they read my comments in the next football meeting, would my words help this team rise up, or would it crush them emotionally?" The players are reading your comments folks, I promise you they are reading them. If you've fallen down, you know that feeling that you get when you reach out into thin air, for anything to stop you from falling? As an athlete, that's where the fans come in. The program grew at an exponential rate through the late 1990's because the fans were always there for the program. I knew many of the original players personally. Vassay Marc, Charlie Jackson, Sean Hay, Anthony Mckenzie, Anthony Henry, Chavez, Jason Butler, I currently live a couple blocks from #23 Bernard Brown! I can tell you, with all my heart, what got this program to rise through the late 1990's, was the fans. We used to be able to drape HUGE banners over the wall. We would buy king sized sheets from Walmart, spray paint sayings on them, and ziptie them to the wall in the end zones. (we can't do that anymore because they now have sponsors). This worked, many of the players would run out after the game was over, yank them down, and hang them in their dorm rooms!!!!!! We don't have those type of fans anymore, shoulder to shoulder, win or lose hardcore fans and supporters. Everyone that comes to USF now thinks because we have a football team, we're magically on the same level as UM, FSU and UF. They all expect a 9 & 2 season. I am ashamed at what I see at the games now, I am sickened how these "fans" treat our players. I'd much rather have 6,000 hardcore fans who stay behind the players till the end of the game, than the 35,000 booing fans we have now. I was there in 1997, I saw the fireworks go off 100 feet from where I was sitting. I saw how an entire stadium of rabid fans inspired a brand new team to pound the HELL out of Kentucky Wesleyan and score EIGHTY to 3.... yes USF scored EIGHTY points against a team about as good as the one we played last weekend. The fans inspired the players. So I ask you, are you helping with your comments, or are you hurting?

One of the most ignorant statements anyone could make. Their tuition is not "free". They spend 40+ hours a week doing athletics, along with their weekends, along with risking their physical health and well-being to be a student athlete. Have you ever met, or talked to any of the student athletes? What's a full ride at USF cost now-a-days, with room and board? Maybe $15,000 a year, a little more? Tell me when was the last time you risked paralysis and serious physical injury, working 40+ hours a week for something that paid you $1,500 a month Did you seriously go to USF?

Maybe some insecure, fair-weather fans should have transferred to a school with a more solid football program.

Something that should echo in your heads when you're making these terrible comments and hateful speech You are talking about your fellow classmates. Win or lose, these student athletes are still part of your USF family. They sit right next to you in class, they study at night just like you do. Anyone can hoot and hollar when a team is doing good. How you treat your fellow student athletes when they are struggling, reflects more on YOU as a human being, than it does them as an athlete. These are our fellow students and future alumni of USF. Let's not lose the big picture here, the purpose of college is to get an education. It's also time for you to learn compassion and understanding. Win or lose, these are your fellow USF students. Please show some class and understanding. They need your love, they need your prayers, they are suffering through one of the hardest times in their academic and athletic careers.

it means about as much to be ranked #2 from the bottom, as it was when we were ranked #2 from the top. This program is in a transitional stage, it's been in transition for the past 4 years. If this is too much for you to handle, I suggest you find another athletic program at USF to get behind, and go support them. Ever been to a USF basketball game? Women's Softball? Baseball? Volleyball? When I was a student, I even attended a few of the tennis matches... guess who I met in person? Jennifer Capriatti. Yea, her brother used to play tennis at USF over a decade ago. She was a total sweetheart, and I think she even saw me blushing when I talking to her The bottom line is, the program hasn't had a foundation to build upon, since Leavitt left. I'm not sure how many people who vent on these forums, were at the game in 1998 when USF played against Taggart and he put it on us as quarterback of the other team. I was there, and I think he's the right guy for the job. He's an athlete, he's from this area, he's got class, and he's still looks like he's in good enough shape to put on pads. Let's try to stay positive, this same exact thing has happened to dozens and dozens of football programs all over the country. What always pulls the program through the darkest of times, is the love and UNCONDITIONAL support of the fans. That's the power of the 12th man. Please remember, these are your fellow students your talking about. This isn't the Miami Dolphins, these are 18, 19, and 20 year old college students who are sat right next to you in class. Win or lose, they are still USF students working towards a degree to become a productive member of society. Anyone can cheer and hoot & hollar when a team is doing good. But when the team is struggling, that's when they need your love, support and prayers. So show some class and respect, it goes a LONG way.

don't worry, we'll have plenty of fair weather fans returning to the stands when the team is doing better with brand new shirts with the tags still on them, bought on the way to the stadium!

my family and I sit in the front row of the south end zone. I've been sitting there since they opened up the section 1999, and I bought season tickets in 2000 and haven't left. Our USF Football Players, aren't even looking up at their own fans anymore. The eyes are down, they are hiding their faces, they are afraid to try to get their fans excited and into the game. When they look up, they are greeted with fans pinches their noses, shooting them middle fingers, swearing at them. Some of you have NO CLUE the damage you are causing your own program. You really don't.

great post!! That's exactly what we need! More negativity!

I started at USF in 1996 before we had a football team, when I applied at USF at the end of 1995 there hardly any mention of it. I played a little bit of football in junior and high school, along with other sports. I can tell you one thing, negativity is contagious. There is such thing as the "12th Man", it's what sparks an athlete to dig even deeper in the gym, in practice, and on gameday because the athlete feels that they are playing for people who believe in him/her. I read all this negativity, all this whining and all this complaining and I think to myself "Do these people actually think this is going to help?" The players are reading your comments, they are reading every single word that you peck out on your keyboard. All it takes, is for them to flip on their smart phone, and they can read every word you type on the long drive back to campus, or the long drive to the airport. Or when they can't sleep at night, and want to see what the people they are playing for are saying about them. Do you honestly think student athletes are going to put in the effort they need to get this program back on track, with the purely harmful comments some of your are pecking out on your keyboard for them to read? In what world, does beating someone when they are down, saying anything possible to absolutely crush their will and soul, help someone rise above it all and conquer their challenges? Some of the comments I'm reading here, go beyond the embarrassment of simple having a losing football team. It shows the insecurity of the poster, it's like your whole entire existence is based on the performance of your college's football team. Seriously, if you can't handle a couple of losing seasons, there are TONS of other athletic programs at USF that are doing just fine... base your life's value on them instead. I encourage some of you, to walk up to one of these players on campus, and tell them to their face what you're pecking out on your keyboard. Why don't you go and boo them while they are practice, make it personal. Meet them outside of the athletics building in the parking lot, see if you have the stones to tell them nose-to-nose, what you are typing about them in here. You can bring your keyboard, if it'll help you get the courage to spit in their faces. We know what we are all feeling, this circle jerk of everyone trying to out-do each other with even more hurtful and negative speech is just going to continue to spread like a cancer. We have a football team that was shattered with the firing of Levitt, and hasn't played real football in almost 3 years. USF Football needs support, it needs love, it needs fans who are willing to stand with the team shoulder to shoulder, win or lose, until we get back on track. Taggart gave you all a clue, as to the psyche of the team, he said the team is "mentally fragile". Only the cruelest of person continues to attack someone who is already on the verge of tears. That's where the USF Football team is right now. I was ashamed to be at the game Saturday, listening as my team was being booed by my fellow USF alumni and students, while going into the locker room at halftime. You think that helped? You think that motivated them to do better?