WFTS, Community Fails the Bulls and their fans

[E.T.]

"We have no issue if WFTS decides to move the [uSF] game to another channel," an ESPN spokesman said. "However, it is really [WFTS'] decision. They own the [local] rights to the USF-McNeese State game."

Do not know if it will be televised and agree that TAMPLONA area fans should be at the game. Would love for a black out to help sell out the lower bowl.

And great point about the editor at the Trib putting this "slap" to USF on the front page ...

>

[mattegunz]

Unfortunately I am out of town or the following childish act would have to be done prior to the tailgate.  The WFTS studio is located on Himes just East of the stadium.  I would toilet paper the hell out of the studio and tape posters of USF saying thanks for sticking with the hometown team.

Unfortunately, they are in the business of making money and obviously the ND GT game will have higher ratings. So from a business perspective I can see why they did that.  Either way, to announce they are airing us and then  to say they are not looks entirely unprofessional on their part and is a slap in the face to the USF community.  

[Minotaur]

So in your mind, the Trib is calling another local media source out with that article ...... I guess it's all in your perception.

I think thats what the article is about. I think that the Trib published this article because they believe its news when the local team gets bumped off the local tv schedule and without editorializing they put that news in front of the people that could/should be outraged enough to do someting about it.

It would be a sadder commentary if everyone expected USF to get bumped for ND and it went without notice.

[Minotaur]

Do not know if it will be televised and agree that TAMPLONA area fans should be at the game. Would love for a black out to help sell out the lower bowl.

Getting any traction with the "TAMPLONA" name E.T.? I am waiting for it to hit the national news.  

[Brad]

The fact it is a home game and fans should be in the stadium has nothing to do with my point.  And I don't care that TV is a business (run by phone calls?) and I don't care that Tampa Bay Notre Dame fans want to see their team.

I care that:

1)  We got bumped after a series of phone calls by ND/GT fans in the Bay Area with no concern for USF or the local USF fan base.  Had we known "phone wars" dictated programming we could have been represented...  :

2)  This was turned into a not so positive story on USF by the local paper(s), and apparently was picked up via wire and other sources in other markets.

For those that say any publicity is good publicity...I don't know.  I think Channel 28 owes a big apology to USF and the Trib ought to know a story when they see one and vice versa.

[BDYZR]

ND = $???????.00

McNeese = $?.00

Possibility of bowl game locally?

ND - 50/50?

McNeese - 0

Have you ever been trumped by your boss?

GO TO THE GAME!  BUY TICKETS!  TAKE A FRIEND!

GO BULLS!

[Joe]

Bulliever,

I don't believe the game would have been moved if ABC hadn't jumped in. It is fall sweeps and they're banking on the advertising dollars from their Saturday Night Football to replace those that existed via Monday Nioght Football.

Tampa is a top 20 TV market and losing the 100,000 or so households in the area would have hurt ratings by a few points, thus dropping advertising dollars a bit.

Unfortunately the local ABC affiliate wasn't thinking when they planned this game.

[___ Eats It]

Bulliever,

I don't believe the game would have been moved if ABC hadn't jumped in. It is fall sweeps and they're banking on the advertising dollars from their Saturday Night Football to replace those that existed via Monday Nioght Football.

Tampa is a top 20 TV market and losing the 100,000 or so households in the area would have hurt ratings by a few points, thus dropping advertising dollars a bit.

Unfortunately the local ABC affiliate wasn't thinking when they planned this game.

Believe this is right on... it's much easier to say they were inundated with phone calls complaining than to sack up and admit they bumped USF because of ratings dollars.

[Brad]

Joe,

I'd buy into that if the article even referenced the bigwigs having anything to do with it...the guy made his decision based on local phone calls, not calls from the brass in New York...

I agree that the local management created the snafu, but USF gets the negative impact and poor press from it.

It's a small issue, but it certainly shows where USF stands in its own market and that is not promising.   USF can not use this to its advantage at all.  Things like this hurt our image, brand and marketability if you ask me.  Even if it is a minor issue in most true fans minds.

[Brad]

Believe this is right on... it's much easier to say they were inundated with phone calls complaining than to sack up and admit they bumped USF because of ratings dollars.

Well if they are that spineless and full of crap (a constipated mollusk?) then I can't argue any further about this...Maybe instead of complaining about the effects this could have on the image of USF in its local market (and others), I'll just tell the guy to grow some nads.

We get the short end of the stick again...that's all.