Let's Just Take a Breath

[Grateful Dad]

I have always hated Central State's fans.  Rude, immature, delusional.  Friends don't let friends go to UCiF.  I understand that.  But, I swear if you go back to the Central State's football message board during their last winless streak, you can read the same posts as we are reading here.  Without first hand information, people are filling in the information void with their own speculation and it spirals as others detect the blood in the water.  Fire this one, fire that one.  This young man sucks, this one has no talent.  This coach is too old to be any good.  Personal insults and ridicule leveled at our own people.  We are eating our young.  If I were a rival, I could find more ammunition to use against us reading this message board than I could ever think of myself.

I wonder why our fans watch our games (yeah, I know, not enough fans for our liking).  Is it like most of Florida, where most fans have never set foot on their chosen team's campus (or any campus, for that matter) but get to ridicule other fans because someone gave them a T-shirt?  Or is there a true emotional attachment to the university?

If one is thinking of the long term progress of USF, I think a different approach is warranted.  Just take a breath.  For those of us who have been watching this team for years, we can't forget the good times and the bad times.  Bad times fade upon the next success.  We should be able to absorb seasons that fall short of our expectations without losing our upbringing.  I sure would never insult a man to his face the way that some on here have done with the beloved anonymity that the internet affords.  I can't imagine reading those things were they written about me.

To be a good investor, one must be mature and have a long term view, not being thrown off track by a temporary setback.  Same here.  Stomping our feet, calling for the end of people's careers, wanting it all NOW - this is not the action of someone concerned about the long term health of our team, but rather of one who cares about their own immediate satisfaction.

Some hide their foot stomping behind "Well, I just have higher expectations than you (making me a better fan).  You suck as a fan if you:

1. Like RJS and don't think we should build an OCS right now without the money and a bunch of other needs not met
2. Don't stand the whole game
3. Don't go to every home game
4. Don't go to every away game
5. Don't stay to sing a song that no one knows the words to
6. Don't want to fire a coach with a winning record
7. Don't believe that every sports writer's biggest career moment is the opportunity to slam USF
8. Don't believe our ADs don't try to schedule major teams because of course, everyone want to play USF

I don't have the football acumen that many on here have.  So, I try to (and this may be foreign to some of you) enjoy my team's games realizing that we won't win them all.  I remember when there was no football at USF.  I remember the great years of sell out crowds and exciting plays.  I tore my MCL watching one game by jumping up every good play.

Remember, our expectations are not reality.  We don't play the game.  We don't coach the game.  We are consumers of entertainment.  When your team's performance affects your life so negatively, you might have to work to re-prioritize. But no matter your approach, you don't have the skin in the game that the players and coaches have.  If you make a bad call, if you call for other's firings, if you are just plain wrong, there are no consequences.  If some here were held to the same standards that they hold others to, there would be a lot of fired fans.  But since these fans know that they will not be held to the same standard, it is easy to be harsh and label it as "high expectations".

If you can't change your circumstances ( and we as fans can't), you must change your thinking.  Love your university and enjoy the entertainment that these kids and coaches are trying to provide you.  After all, it really isn't all about you.  Let's keep  our maturity and class.  Get through the storm with dignity.  But quit yer bitchin'.

[Cornada]

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.  I've been active as a fan since the first season back in 1997, no plans on stopping.  Yes there's been a lot of good times and I've made  some financial commitments to the Bullsclub which I intend to honor. 

As I see it, USF will start to play well and just as we reach the cusp of possibly winning a conference championship or a high ranking we fall on our face for one reason on another.  I'm frustrated seeing new coaching staffs force their Clydesdale systems on a team built of thoroughbreds and I'm becoming frustrated at always having to wait for next year for the team to reach their FIRST significant milestone.  It's been 21 years  without a single conference championship from any mediocre conference we've been affiliated with.  As large of a school as we are, with our location, in the conference we're in, we should be in contention most every year...I'm not a spring chicken anymore,  how many more next years do I have to wait? 

[CousinRicky]

11 minutes ago, BullTime said:

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.  I've been active as a fan since the first season back in 1997, no plans on stopping.  Yes there's been a lot of good times and I've made  some financial commitments to the Bullsclub which I intend to honor. 

As I see it, USF will start to play well and just as we reach the cusp of possibly winning a conference championship or a high ranking we fall on our face for one reason on another.  I'm frustrated seeing new coaching staffs force their Clydesdale systems on a team built of thoroughbreds and I'm becoming frustrated at always having to wait for next year for the team to reach their FIRST significant milestone.  It's been 21 years  without a single conference championship from any mediocre conference we've been affiliated with.  As large of a school as we are, with our location, in the conference we're in, we should be in contention most every year...I'm not a spring chicken anymore,  how many more next years do I have to wait? 

That is good news. The only thing (person) that had us question our continuing of our legacy payments was our former AD MH.  But then we got reminded that it is for the student athletes.  Winning and losing will have no affect (or is effect).  

The number of years you have left to live +1.  Figuring that's the way it will go for me. 

Edit: Actually I did get to see the the SF Giants win a World Series.  They won the year before I was born and then nothing until 2010.  So it is possible.  

Edited November 30, 2018 by CousinRicky

[BulledOver]

46 minutes ago, Grateful Dad said:

I have always hated Central State's fans.  Rude, immature, delusional.  Friends don't let friends go to UCiF.  I understand that.  But, I swear if you go back to the Central State's football message board during their last winless streak, you can read the same posts as we are reading here.  Without first hand information, people are filling in the information void with their own speculation and it spirals as others detect the blood in the water.  Fire this one, fire that one.  This young man sucks, this one has no talent.  This coach is too old to be any good.  Personal insults and ridicule leveled at our own people.  We are eating our young.  If I were a rival, I could find more ammunition to use against us reading this message board than I could ever think of myself.

I wonder why our fans watch our games (yeah, I know, not enough fans for our liking).  Is it like most of Florida, where most fans have never set foot on their chosen team's campus (or any campus, for that matter) but get to ridicule other fans because someone gave them a T-shirt?  Or is there a true emotional attachment to the university?

If one is thinking of the long term progress of USF, I think a different approach is warranted.  Just take a breath.  For those of us who have been watching this team for years, we can't forget the good times and the bad times.  Bad times fade upon the next success.  We should be able to absorb seasons that fall short of our expectations without losing our upbringing.  I sure would never insult a man to his face the way that some on here have done with the beloved anonymity that the internet affords.  I can't imagine reading those things were they written about me.

To be a good investor, one must be mature and have a long term view, not being thrown off track by a temporary setback.  Same here.  Stomping our feet, calling for the end of people's careers, wanting it all NOW - this is not the action of someone concerned about the long term health of our team, but rather of one who cares about their own immediate satisfaction.

Some hide their foot stomping behind "Well, I just have higher expectations than you (making me a better fan).  You suck as a fan if you:

1. Like RJS and don't think we should build an OCS right now without the money and a bunch of other needs not met
2. Don't stand the whole game
3. Don't go to every home game
4. Don't go to every away game
5. Don't stay to sing a song that no one knows the words to
6. Don't want to fire a coach with a winning record
7. Don't believe that every sports writer's biggest career moment is the opportunity to slam USF
8. Don't believe our ADs don't try to schedule major teams because of course, everyone want to play USF

I don't have the football acumen that many on here have.  So, I try to (and this may be foreign to some of you) enjoy my team's games realizing that we won't win them all.  I remember when there was no football at USF.  I remember the great years of sell out crowds and exciting plays.  I tore my MCL watching one game by jumping up every good play.

Remember, our expectations are not reality.  We don't play the game.  We don't coach the game.  We are consumers of entertainment.  When your team's performance affects your life so negatively, you might have to work to re-prioritize. But no matter your approach, you don't have the skin in the game that the players and coaches have.  If you make a bad call, if you call for other's firings, if you are just plain wrong, there are no consequences.  If some here were held to the same standards that they hold others to, there would be a lot of fired fans.  But since these fans know that they will not be held to the same standard, it is easy to be harsh and label it as "high expectations".

If you can't change your circumstances ( and we as fans can't), you must change your thinking.  Love your university and enjoy the entertainment that these kids and coaches are trying to provide you.  After all, it really isn't all about you.  Let's keep  our maturity and class.  Get through the storm with dignity.  But quit yer bitchin'.

I'm going to give you the old "up" arrow GD because you put a lot of thought in your read not to mention...words. Not only are we over/underwhelmed with our Team this season but now we are starting to get steamrolled by our Fellow fans comments. I get it. Keep the Faith we shall persevere....   

[El_Toro_86]

College football fans by nature are passionate irrational and unrealistic but that’s what makes it the most exciting sport to follow.  I could care less about the NFL.  I grew up in Tampa and casually watch the Bucs but that’s it for me.   Really doesn’t matter to me if the Bucs win or lose.  With USF being my alma mater, I’m much more interested and passionate on the outcome and direction of the program.   Go to any other Division 1 message board after their team has just wrapped up a 5 game death spiral to end the season with the last one being an embarassing disinterested effort at home against your number one rival and see what’s being posted.  It’s who college football fans are.  That’s why I like it.  So I’ll ***** and complain about my beloved Bulls and hope for better times ahead and I’ll still buy season tickets and still say RayJay sucks ass and we need an OCS but I’ll be at all the games cheering and complaining as loudly as I can.   When the day comes that the fire is gone and our fanbase has the aw shucks we’ll get em next time mentality, it may be time to shut it down.

[BulledOver]

7 minutes ago, CousinRicky said:

The number of years you have left to live +1.  Figuring that's the way it will go for me.

Oh great Cuz now I have nothing to look forward to..Doom.

Actually, I get ticked off, hopeful, carried away each season. For years I have always thought that there is an underlying problem, politics, indifference, ??  that revolves around our football program. It seems to go just fine to a point and then it stalls. I still say, 7-5 (not 7-6) is respectable for what we had this year for players. In reality, we prob should have had 3 of those games in the win column if players and coaches would have all done their maximum. Admin and Coaches aside, I sometimes have to remind myself that its football.a game..a game played by 18 to twenty something young guys. We just enjoyed a few years of wins(but alas, no Championship) but, we had some exceptional players. We still struggled in many facets of the game but..we had Q and a handful that could bail you out. Like others I get tired of waiting but I'll never cut the cord. Of course as the years and the ailments increase it makes it tougher but...just cant quit on the Bull's. Maybe I'll need that +1 to witness the Championship  

[NewEnglandBull]

1 hour ago, Grateful Dad said:

I have always hated Central State's fans.  Rude, immature, delusional.  Friends don't let friends go to UCiF.  I understand that.  But, I swear if you go back to the Central State's football message board during their last winless streak, you can read the same posts as we are reading here.  Without first hand information, people are filling in the information void with their own speculation and it spirals as others detect the blood in the water.  Fire this one, fire that one.  This young man sucks, this one has no talent.  This coach is too old to be any good.  Personal insults and ridicule leveled at our own people.  We are eating our young.  If I were a rival, I could find more ammunition to use against us reading this message board than I could ever think of myself.

I wonder why our fans watch our games (yeah, I know, not enough fans for our liking).  Is it like most of Florida, where most fans have never set foot on their chosen team's campus (or any campus, for that matter) but get to ridicule other fans because someone gave them a T-shirt?  Or is there a true emotional attachment to the university?

If one is thinking of the long term progress of USF, I think a different approach is warranted.  Just take a breath.  For those of us who have been watching this team for years, we can't forget the good times and the bad times.  Bad times fade upon the next success.  We should be able to absorb seasons that fall short of our expectations without losing our upbringing.  I sure would never insult a man to his face the way that some on here have done with the beloved anonymity that the internet affords.  I can't imagine reading those things were they written about me.

To be a good investor, one must be mature and have a long term view, not being thrown off track by a temporary setback.  Same here.  Stomping our feet, calling for the end of people's careers, wanting it all NOW - this is not the action of someone concerned about the long term health of our team, but rather of one who cares about their own immediate satisfaction.

Some hide their foot stomping behind "Well, I just have higher expectations than you (making me a better fan).  You suck as a fan if you:

1. Like RJS and don't think we should build an OCS right now without the money and a bunch of other needs not met
2. Don't stand the whole game
3. Don't go to every home game
4. Don't go to every away game
5. Don't stay to sing a song that no one knows the words to
6. Don't want to fire a coach with a winning record
7. Don't believe that every sports writer's biggest career moment is the opportunity to slam USF
8. Don't believe our ADs don't try to schedule major teams because of course, everyone want to play USF

I don't have the football acumen that many on here have.  So, I try to (and this may be foreign to some of you) enjoy my team's games realizing that we won't win them all.  I remember when there was no football at USF.  I remember the great years of sell out crowds and exciting plays.  I tore my MCL watching one game by jumping up every good play.

Remember, our expectations are not reality.  We don't play the game.  We don't coach the game.  We are consumers of entertainment.  When your team's performance affects your life so negatively, you might have to work to re-prioritize. But no matter your approach, you don't have the skin in the game that the players and coaches have.  If you make a bad call, if you call for other's firings, if you are just plain wrong, there are no consequences.  If some here were held to the same standards that they hold others to, there would be a lot of fired fans.  But since these fans know that they will not be held to the same standard, it is easy to be harsh and label it as "high expectations".

If you can't change your circumstances ( and we as fans can't), you must change your thinking.  Love your university and enjoy the entertainment that these kids and coaches are trying to provide you.  After all, it really isn't all about you.  Let's keep  our maturity and class.  Get through the storm with dignity.  But quit yer bitchin'.

**** son...I thought I was reading War and Peace...new record. In the words of Jimbo Leavitt: “this was awfully powerful.”

[Ghostbuster]

So you're trying to convince me that people are wrong for complaining about coaches ("quit yer bitchin"), and to support that idea you reference fans' reactions to George O Learys second winless season at UCF?

You know they were right in that instance.  He sucked.  It is possible that we have a sucky cooaching staff now too.

[usf97]

Maybe we should build Strong a statue. 

[Rizman]

40 minutes ago, usf97 said:

Maybe we should build Strong a statue. 

Now that will help.