The thrill is gone....

[Gatorbull325]

3 hours ago, Grateful Dad said:

I understand the frustration and disappointment expressed by some of the posters.  I think that in their frustration, they perhaps have overstated their case and will embrace the program as they once did - when we were winning, and knocking down giants unexpectedly.  That's all that's missing - winning.  We have had lousy scheduling for a while and even when we win, it is no big deal.  Want it to be like 2007-08?  We have to win like then against big programs.  I think we have the team and the coach.  Not the schedule.  Remember that the sell  outs and excitement came not from winning a BE championship.  It was about beating big programs.  That's not our ultimate football goal, but will go a long way towards re-energizing the fan base.

I'm still psyched about a new season starting soon.  Can't wait.

These next 4-5 years we have a good out of conference schedule, combined with a few ranked AAC teams, all we have to do is keep winning and things will play itself out well. We get to play UF, UL, GT, WIS, NCST, Illinois, and Texas. And we still have a few slots left. 

[Gismo]

The consequence of realignment is finally starting to bear its fruits. The left over momentum and excitement from the Big East is all gone now.

All we have now is our few and far between P5 games and a rivalry with the most insufferable fan base in college sports. We sustain a good staff, good recruits, or a strong schedule. We do not have access to good bowl matchups. 

I think for the first time for many it really does feel like we are not a "Power 5" team. The feeling from the Big East has been replaced with a new understanding of our position in the pecking order. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by Gismo

[Triple B]

4 minutes ago, Gismo said:

I think for the first time for many it really does feel like we are not a "Power 5" team. The feeling from the Big East has been replaced with a new understanding of our position in the pecking order.

If that's true, the season tix increasing a nice amount is a good sign to me ....

[CousinRicky]

1 hour ago, puc86 said:

You act like all I have done is whine about this subject for years and years. Occasionally it comes up and I chime in or for whatever reason something sets me off and I go on a few tangents. Discourse is dead in America and people can only stand to hear opinions that exactly match theirs at all times or else they need to retreat to their sounding boards. Yes I am proud to say that beating Texas and Wisconsin would be much more exciting to me that who ever it is that we added to the aac this week and that includes if it costs us a conference championship. This season I even care more about Georgia Tech and Illinois than I do any other teams on our slate, I know this is shocking and upsetting for some but it’s how I feel.

I couldn't tell you how long you've been on this Board. And I've said many times I just read the posts and don't notice the names. But for the past couple of weeks you've made me notice your name and you are starting to pass the tangents stage and are veering off into a nether world. Not saying you don't have points but it is becoming relentless. That forces people to dig in and take an alternate stand. Take a couple of deep breaths and next time just ask  yourself if you really need to make that next post and/or be so negative in that post.  Am I offering something new to the discussion? 

Will we ever get back to that WVU game in '07 at Ray Jay?  Maybe, maybe not.  But when/if it does happen I'll be there. 

The only difference between USF and the Illinois and Kansases of the world is that $10 million dollars I mentioned. Those teams are no better than USF but they've got the money.  It is no one's fault that we aren't in a Power 6.  Nothing any of us can do about it (except maybe hit that lottery and make that huge donation).

[BrassBulls12]

10 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

Those teams are no better than USF

 and in reality they are no closer to winning a national championship than we are, it is just more theoretically possible. 

[puc86]

1 hour ago, CousinRicky said:

I couldn't tell you how long you've been on this Board. And I've said many times I just read the posts and don't notice the names. But for the past couple of weeks you've made me notice your name and you are starting to pass the tangents stage and are veering off into a nether world. Not saying you don't have points but it is becoming relentless. That forces people to dig in and take an alternate stand. Take a couple of deep breaths and next time just ask  yourself if you really need to make that next post and/or be so negative in that post.  Am I offering something new to the discussion? 

Will we ever get back to that WVU game in '07 at Ray Jay?  Maybe, maybe not.  But when/if it does happen I'll be there. 

The only difference between USF and the Illinois and Kansases of the world is that $10 million dollars I mentioned. Those teams are no better than USF but they've got the money.  It is no one's fault that we aren't in a Power 6.  Nothing any of us can do about it (except maybe hit that lottery and make that huge donation).

16 years two thirds of which I can assure you I never once posted about about the AAC. For people that have been here since the beginning of our football journey it’s been quite the roller coaster. For most of the journey it seemed we would always be going up, we lost the continuity of our program and then we started to plummet and for the first time we had to deal with decline and not rise. Now we are many years into it and we have continued to hold on to the glimmers of hope that things will be the way they once were but somedays it’s hard to find that silver lining when all you see is clouds. If you jumped in halfway through the ride than congratulations it’s probably easier to see a brighter side but you can’t blame people for knowing the ride is supposed to be better than it currently is. I remember hating on Steve Mazza and how he couldn’t see how great things were and the amazing things that we were accomplishing, now I guess that I am him but I really think it’s that things have changed.

Edited August 5, 2018 by puc86

[Brad]

Quote

it’s probably easier to see a brighter side but you can’t blame people for knowing the ride is supposed to be was better than it currently is

Still, with a new AD there is new hope.  

[puc86]

Just now, Brad said:

Still, with a new AD there is new hope.  

Every season hope springs eternal, I hope things eventually shake our way again. Like a compulsive gambler with the due factor.

[cmhatter]

On 8/3/2018 at 5:41 PM, JimUSFSig said:

So here we are in August... weeks away from another USF football season... and for the first time ever.

I don't know if I care.

I gave up my season tickets, mostly because I started a business and all of my extra income is going there for now.

But another reason I gave up my tickets - I could not get anyone to go with me in recent years.  USF was winning.  The games were, for the most part, entertaining.  No one else seemed to care.

And with the way last year ended... with my expectations dashed... USF basically lost me.

I didn't look at our recruits at signing day.  I didn't look at depth charts or spring practice reports.  I didn't go to the Spring game.  I don't know who will be our starting QB or RB or WRs.  I don't know if we even have a PK worth anything.

I mean, what is there to be excited about any more?  

USF is gonna USF and go something like 8-4 and get invited to the "who the hell really cares about it" bowl game against podunk state.

Maybe I'm just missing something.... but for the first time ever, I don't think I will be at opening day.  I probably won't bake in the sun for Ga Tech.  I'm not even thrilled about beating UCF... if we could.

Am I the only one who feels this way?  

-------------------

(Yes, I am cross posting this.)

You’re not the only one. I think it has more to do with priorities than anything but the AAC doesn’t help at all.

That said, I’m still looking forward to the season. Im still a season ticket holder, donor etc. but I would be far more engaged if we were P5. Just the way it is. 

[CousinRicky]

Here's a dose of reality.  USF never had a chance to win a Nat'l Championship in football and will never win one. So does that mean there shouldn't be fans at a game? It's college football for chrissake.  It really isn't life or death.  Either enjoy it for what it is or don't.  Like FCWT says, Have a good day if you want to.  People show up to watch Princeton v San Diego.  I'll show up to watch USF v Elon.  

I understand Jim's original post and those that agreed and are in a similar place as him.  We have our ups and downs as fans and have not had MBB tix last year or this (as of yet).  You can only take so much incompetence so we took a break.  But we keep looking for a reason to buy them again and will at some point.  Money, time available, illness and other things can prevent people from getting psyched about USF sports.  But those that aren't don't need to make it a mission to try to convince everyone that we should all be miserable.