"Are U Ready"

[Papa_Bull]

USF logo hot; city bidding for cold games

By ERNEST HOOPER, Times Columnist

Published April 15, 2005

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Once upon a time, finding clothes sporting the University of South Florida logo was no easy task.

More than once, I publicly lamented about the difficulties of locating USF jerseys and T-shirts at University Mall and big retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Target.

Today, the new logo is helping boost the sales and availability of school merchandise, says associate athletic director Tom Veit. From July 1, 2003, to July 1, 2004, merchandise sales topped $2.5-million after falling just below $1-million the previous year.

In the first quarter of this year, USF ranked 50th nationally in the sales of licensed merchandise according to the Collegiate Licensing Corp., which represents 90 percent of major colleges. In 2002, the school did not rank in the top 100.

So what's at the root of this increase? In August 2003, the school adopted a Bull-headed "U" logo, replacing the old Bull logo that critics often lampooned for looking as much like a goat as a bull.

"The first year, the new logo did great," Veit said. "The second year, it's done even better. We're on pace to surpass $2.5-million by July 1."

Veit explained that the success has helped them end a Catch 22 situation. When sales were low, retailers didn't want to stock a lot of USF merchandise. At the same time, manufacturers said they could only produce large orders.

Now that retailers are placing larger orders because of increased demand, manufacturers can ship smaller orders to smaller outlets. That means you can find the green and gold logo in big stores as well as mall favorites, such as the Sports Fan Attic.

USF athletic officials will use the logo to kick off a campaign about the athletic program's move into the Big East Conference. Fans started seeing shirts and advertisements that say, "Are U Ready" this week, with the campaign coinciding with Saturday's spring football scrimmage at Raymond James Stadium.

Later this summer, notable community leaders will be featured in television and radio spots saying, "Yes, we're ready."

In case you missed it, Tampa is among six finalists bidding for three NCAA men's hockey championship final events. Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington and St. Paul, Minn., are the other cities competing for Frozen Four college games in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

I'm no mathematician, but I think that means we have a 50 percent chance. And with a 0 percent chance of snow, Tampa should be a no-brainer.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/15/Columns/USF_logo_hot_city_bid.shtml

[Papa_Bull]

Later this summer, notable community leaders will be featured in television and radio spots saying, "Yes, we're ready."

Who would be your favorites?

Mine would be:

1. Hulk Hogan

2. Jon Gruden

3. George Steinbrenner

4. General Norman Schwarzkopf

5. Lou Pinella

And last but not least, since he's now ready to build in Tampa also.....

Donald Trump!

[sdgukhsdgl]

saw several of the signs (yard signs, size of small politcal ones) around the athletic facility today....

[USFreak]

saw several of the signs (yard signs, size of small politcal ones) around the athletic facility today....

The yard sign idea is a great one.

If USF could find a sponsor to give out 'house flags'  (better ones as the current offerings are not great)  that would be incredibly effective at getting the message around the Bay area in Fall.  

It could quickly turn a sea of homes into Bull supporters.  In most neighborhoods those flags go up in August and stay up through November.

It could be coordinated as a give-away at the FAMU game.  The trick would be getting the Iconic U on there (no, not the shield :-)) and convincing the sponsor not to try and get some obnoxious Pepsi logo or something on there with it.

Anyhow, I'd love to see more Bulls house flags.  Who among us isn't sick of the Seminole and Gator ones?

P.S.  I know I'll take heat for the shield, but the campaign is "Are U Ready" after all. :-)

[NormalBull]

Howie:

Add:

Chucky Atkins

Kawicka Mitchell

Tony LaRussa

Pam Iorio

Judy Genschaft

Betty Castor

8)

Normal

[Omniscientbull]

Great idea on the house flags.  But you need to make sure the logo is put on both sides and isn't just a bleed through so it's facing the wrong way like the current flags.

[Papa_Bull]

Also, Lee Roy Selmon and Gigi Fernandez.

Another good commercial would be with ALL the USF Coaches saying, "Yes, we're ready!"

In fact, they could run an AD with all the USF players from the various sports dressed in their uniforms saying that in unison.  

[USFreak]

Howie:

Add:

Chucky Atkins

Kawicka Mitchell

Tony LaRussa

Pam Iorio

Judy Genschaft

Betty Castor

8)

Normal

How about Sarasota product Dickie V?

"Are U Ready?  The Bulls are awesome baby!"

[Guest S.  Bien]

Wow, looks like USF Marketing Department is going to get a 30 day reprieve on their demanded firing from the boards.  

You mean they're actually cooking up something good!?!  You mean while we were bi*ching they were planning and devising?  You mean just because they weren't on the board and in the news explaining it to everyone didn't mean they were not working, or creating a smart marketing campaign, which just needed time to get refined and completed.

Well I'll be damned, they may be keepers.

But they better get those darn 'house flags' right or the rath they'll see could be unparalleled.  I can just see the posts about them having 'no sense of ownership' and 'alienating the fans'.  Out of the frying pan and into the fryer.

[CyberBull]

When CRM was asked "Are you ready?" his reply was "no comment".

j/k