SP Times Proving Itself Worthy

[kdawgy_orlando]

At least there is coverage in the Times and the Trib.  

Over here, coverage only happens when USF loses to UCF.  For a sampling, simply point your browser here:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/

Over here sports coverage is either the UCF / Stadium / Traffic trifecta,

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/orl-asecstadium15041505apr15,1,5466179,print.story?coll=tf-main-sports

or

Meyer-mania strikes Orlando

More than 1,500 enthusiastic Gator football fans turn out to meet the new coach.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/orl-spturban15041505apr15,1,5777746,print.story?coll=tf-main-sports

[Greg Auman]

hey. good question on the road basketball games. it's likely something that won't be decided until next winter. being in the big east is certainly more compelling than traveling for road games in Conference USA. that said, we really don't travel much at all with UF or FSU basketball, except the occasional trip to durham or lexington, so it's been a college-wide decision for the Times more than it's been a usf decision. an improvement in attendance would help make a case for traveling with the team. and even if i don't go, we'll make every effort to have a stringer cover road games specifically from a USF perspective, so it's not just wire copy.

that's probably not the answer you wanted, i understand. any time you as fans have a suggestion for a change in our coverage -- more, less, anything -- it always helps to e-mail the sports department so they get a sense of how readers feel. and if there's a good story i'm overlooking, by all means send me an e-mail and i'll look into it myself.

greg

aumanac1@aol.com

[Jebbull]

Glad to see the Times stepping-up.  Its pretty crappy, though, the Sarasota-Herald puts FSU and South Carolina Spring Football stories on Page 1 and USF is on Page 6.  

[Guest S.  Bien]

hey. good question on the road basketball games. it's likely something that won't be decided until next winter. being in the big east is certainly more compelling than traveling for road games in Conference USA. that said, we really don't travel much at all with UF or FSU basketball, except the occasional trip to durham or lexington, so it's been a college-wide decision for the Times more than it's been a usf decision. an improvement in attendance would help make a case for traveling with the team. and even if i don't go, we'll make every effort to have a stringer cover road games specifically from a USF perspective, so it's not just wire copy.

that's probably not the answer you wanted, i understand. any time you as fans have a suggestion for a change in our coverage -- more, less, anything -- it always helps to e-mail the sports department so they get a sense of how readers feel. and if there's a good story i'm overlooking, by all means send me an e-mail and i'll look into it myself.

greg

aumanac1@aol.com

Greg,

Good job, nice article on Ponton.  I think USF hoops will have more compelling travel gigs next year going to Storrs, Cuse, and Louisville.  Attendance will improve as well, fans are already buying more in anticipation of these games- now just win a few more:)

Hey, there was easily around 3,800 at the game.  It took a while for people to matriculate in, but they made it and easily our best attended spring yet- and the fans were enthusiastic.  now if we just win a few more:)

[Greg Auman]

hey. on the crowd thing, it wasn't just a guess. we floated a crowd estimate around the press box at end of the first quarter -- plenty of time for late arrivals -- and there were others that ballparked it at closer to 1,000. any newspaper account will call it "an announced 3800." i'll check into getting an exact number that came through the turnstiles, and i'll get that number in the paper this week, whether it's higher or lower than the 1500. it wasn't a bad crowd at all, really, but i really don't think it was 3800 fans either.

greg

[___ Eats It]

I'd love to know who the crackhead was who estimated the crowd at 12K...  :

[TripleB]

hey. on the crowd thing, it wasn't just a guess. we floated a crowd estimate around the press box at end of the first quarter -- plenty of time for late arrivals -- and there were others that ballparked it at closer to 1,000. any newspaper account will call it "an announced 3800." i'll check into getting an exact number that came through the turnstiles, and i'll get that number in the paper this week, whether it's higher or lower than the 1500. it wasn't a bad crowd at all, really, but i really don't think it was 3800 fans either.

greg

If the 3800 wasn't the turnstile count, where would it have come from? No way it was tickets distributed because that had to be at least 20,000 ....

[Guest S.  Bien]

If the 3800 wasn't the turnstile count, where would it have come from? No way it was tickets distributed because that had to be at least 20,000 ....

Yeah because they sent out freebies to the Outback Bulls Kid's club too.  They had to have at least 20k in circulation.  There was 3800 easily, many were in that south endzone which made it more difficult to count.

[hightechbull]

The Trib is being petty and giving limited effort to cover spring practice because of the limited access.  Instead they are being pircks and choosing to just montior the police arrest logs.

Greg has his butt out there everyday to attend the last 30 minutes and get player and coach interaction on their way to the locker room.

Meanwhile the Trib is sitting in their offices watching the rowing crews float down the river.

Dude - That is a little harsh.  Brett has been very cool to USF fans, and he answers almost all email questions either in the paper or sends you a response, no matter if the question is good or stupid.

The Trib is doing a fine job in their coverage.  What is there to cover?  The third string water boy has athletes' foot?  Do  you really care about  that kind of crap?

The SP Times is doing a good job as well.

Just imagine USF alumni and fans living in Orlando or "South Flordia" (Ft. Lauderdale & Miami).  They get very little coverage.

[USFMikeB]

No, the Trib's coverage is actually pretty weak.  All they cover is events.  base ball played this game, softball played this game, basketball played this game, etc etc etc.  While I'm glad to see stories in the paper, it is the analysis that the Times is providing that really sets them apart.  Greg is looking at the program as a whole and discussing what is happening internally, something Brett doesn't do.

Additionally, Brett appears to be very negative towards USF recently, and I'll give 2 examples.

First, the story he did about the potential to play the spring game at the soccer stadium was horribly written.  Brett took the opportunity to slam our program for trying to think of ways to increase attendance.  While I didn't exactly agree with the soccer stadium plans, the whole manner in which Brett prepared that story was shady journalistically.

The other issue is in the recent contract for Jose Fernandez.  The very end of the story gave a negative connotation as to our AD removing 2 incentives from the contract, for academics and season ticket levels, with absolutely no discussion of it.  The reason behind this is that we shouldn't be providing incentives to a coach for something he/she doesn't have ultimate control and responsibility for.  You incentivize what can truly be controlled, not external matters outside the coaching scope.  Academics is the ultimate responsibility of our academic enrichment staff, and season tickets are the responsibility of the marketing staff.  While the coach can affect each, neither are the coach's responsibility.  Brett made it appear as if our AD was doing something nefarious.

Brett seems to have some issue with USF, and needs to be replaced.  I don't care if the guys responds to emails, big freaking deal.  What I care about is that we see accurate reporting, expanding coverage, and a reporter that cares about the topic he's writing about.  That is Greg Auman, not Brett McMurphy.