2009 "Problems"

[Bullrush33]

22 hours ago, MaltLiquorBull said:

Just reading all the current threads and thinking about how crappy this football program has become.  Every time I think we're at "rock bottom," we seem to find a new way to go even lower.  So I thought of how sunny and rosy everything was in from 2007-2010 compared to today.  I thought about the Bulls Pen, and how even back then when we were in a power conference, nationally relevant, a giant killer, had fans in the stands, WE STILL FOUND STUFF TO ***** ABOUT.  

Here are some of the gems I remember...these are "2009 problems"

1. Too many students are showing up at the games not wearing green.  Some are wearing white and some are wearing gold.  We need to all wear green!  What's wrong with these idiots?
2. Don't people know they need to shut the hell up when we have the ball?  I swear.  We look like idiots with a full stadium and people doing the freaking wave when we're on offense.
3. We are USF.  We don't need any stupid flamingos!  We stole that from Auburn.  That's stupid.
4. Man, that sucks...we are the Big East game of the week again and have to have a noon kickoff.  I hope people show up to see us play Pitt.
5. This conference sucks.  We should have cool rivals like Auburn and Georgia...not this WVU, Louisville, and Pitt crap.  We deserve so much better.
6. I bet we get screwed in the rankings tomorrow.  We get no respect because we are in the Big Least.  
7. That McDonalds "1st down - I'm lovin' it!" thing on the jumbotron is really stupid.  We need something better.
8. I hope they don't taze us if we get a chance to rush the field this year.  "Don't taze me, bro!"
9. We want to root for other fellow conference mates to win, too, this will help our SOS and our rankings.  I hope WVU can beat ND, cause then if we beat them...blah blah blah.
10. Sure, it was a dominating win and a great crowd, but why do we have to play with that stupid unpainted white Bucs surrender flag at mid field.  Why can't they paint the field for us?

These are just a few that come to mind without looking.

Wow.  The good old days, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Mcdonalds first down was really annoying though.

[John Lewis]

21 hours ago, zarnozdabull said:

From standing room only in the largest student section in the Big East, to an empty shell of a stadium. It has been unbelievable. 

Another "gem" of an idea from Bill McGillis. Terrible marketing tool when the student body rarely hit 12,501, even in those days.

[Rocky Style]

7 minutes ago, Bullrush33 said:

This is what you see before you die.

[Orlando Bull]

3 hours ago, Mission9 said:

I take no issue with anything you said,  just wanted to share one man's opinion on the subject.  I tend to save my vitriol for those who pounded the drum almost daily for Leavitt's dismissal and yet curiously have been absent from the board for years.  Most seemed to drop off during the period from Skip's bitter end through Taggart's early struggles.  Many have never darkened our door again. Steve has been here the whole time. 

On those disappearing, while I never considered such a thing at the time, I have to wonder if all of them were actually real USF fans.  

That's fair. I wasn't really taking a huge shot at smazza, but along with MANY others, it's time to admit that they were wrong. I don't care if he does, but the USF admin needs to admit it, they need to address it, they need to apologize to us loyal fans for what their predecessors did to this program.

Admittedly, I have been less present since back then as well. Life happens, got married, had kids, you know the drill. I gave up my season tickets after the 2012 season I think it was, just couldn't make it to the games. But, my wife will tell you, I tune in every Saturday and literally have depression as it relates to USF football. I wouldn't be shocked if others feel the same. It's not about missing the good old days, it's about seeing something you love so much destroyed because; fans/boosters were too spoiled to recognize our rise, admin was scared that Leavitt had more of a following than them, a single reporter that was given too much access had a personal vendetta with Leavitt. 

All I know is I would love to be on that "plateau" again, playing big name teams and winning 8+ games/year.

Just did a 20-min look through some of the "fired" threads, you are correct, lots of names I recognize from back then that are no longer around... I saw one say something like "not leavitt, I am USF thru and thru"... not here any more...

Edited October 19, 2021 by Orlando Bull

[Brad]

Leavitt convinced his players they could win any game.  After a few years, they convinced the fans.  Then, it became the expectation.

[Mission9]

49 minutes ago, Orlando Bull said:

That's fair. I wasn't really taking a huge shot at smazza, but along with MANY others, it's time to admit that they were wrong. I don't care if he does, but the USF admin needs to admit it, they need to address it, they need to apologize to us loyal fans for what their predecessors did to this program.

Admittedly, I have been less present since back then as well. Life happens, got married, had kids, you know the drill. I gave up my season tickets after the 2012 season I think it was, just couldn't make it to the games. But, my wife will tell you, I tune in every Saturday and literally have depression as it relates to USF football. I wouldn't be shocked if others feel the same. It's not about missing the good old days, it's about seeing something you love so much destroyed because; fans/boosters were too spoiled to recognize our rise, admin was scared that Leavitt had more of a following than them, a single reporter that was given too much access had a personal vendetta with Leavitt. 

All I know is I would love to be on that "plateau" again, playing big name teams and winning 8+ games/year.

Just did a 20-min look through some of the "fired" threads, you are correct, lots of names I recognize from back then that are no longer around... I saw one say something like "not leavitt, I am USF thru and thru"... not here any more...

So, Steve is actually what I consider a voice of reason these days. To his credit, he was steadfast in predicting Taggart would turn things around and now steps up for Scott.  He did not run and hide. 

I did resent some of that time because if I even wanted to criticize anything going on with the program I refrained as I knew it would devolve into a fire Leavitt frenzy.  

That reporter you speak of has shown to have more of a vendetta against the school as a whole.  If you have had the displeasure of seeing comments about our program over the years you would have to question why a national figure would be so obsessed with USF given that all of the people he despised are long gone and he is a  reporter with a much larger audience where USF comments may seem a little esoteric.  Weird behavior, really.  

Edited October 19, 2021 by Mission9

[Brad]

Well, he did get fired from the Tribune.  That's enough to drive most men mad.  They knew he was problematic. 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Brad

[Mission9]

30 minutes ago, Brad said:

Leavitt convinced his players they could win any game.  After a few years, they convinced the fans.  Then, it became the expectation.

I think some do not realize how much motivation and emotion allowed the team to overcome deficiencies they had.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Mission9

[Triple B]

7 minutes ago, Mission9 said:

I think some do not realize how much motivation and emotion allowed the team to overcome deficiencies they had.

At the risk of invoking some wrath, there apparently wasn’t enough motivation/emotion to overcome the deficiencies that kept them from closing out most seasons. 

[Mission9]

11 minutes ago, Triple B said:

At the risk of invoking some wrath, there apparently wasn’t enough motivation/emotion to overcome the deficiencies that kept them from closing out most seasons. 

Which was the maddening problem they had along with lack of depth. They also had trouble with teams who played physical rather than (what they call now) "fast".  Also, I would argue, it is impossible to play every week relying on emotion.  At some point you just need to be better. 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Mission9