Fenelly: "USF Dropping The Ball If It Drops UCF"

[BULLheaded]

These guys at the Trib really need to understand what USF is trying to do in the big picture and not try to impart their shortsighted, small minded wisdom.  If things were as they wish, we'd still be in the Sunbelt conference.

Well, usfgrad84, if those future schedules come out like we think they might, what USF is trying to do is rather puzzling, wouldn't you say?  Ball State??  Buffalo??  Western Kentucky?!?!?!?!?!!!!!

Why is it puzzling to increase your presence and  exposure within the area of your own conference?  Bowling Green, KY is a little over an hour's drive to UL and a little over 2 hours hours or so to Cincinnati.  Muncie is about a 2 hours drive to UL and Cinci.

Like I said in another post, our exposure in this region doesn't hurt for BB recruiting either.[/

quote]

How far is Orlando again to USF?   ;D

Grand Slam!! Home Run!!!

Wow...never thought a post like that would be SOOOOOO easy!

KL

I see no recruiting benefit at all for us in this game. The only recruiting affect will be a negative one if we lose with no upside on a win. Yes we'll get maybe a few extra thousand butts in seats but I just don't see that as worth the risk. And as much as you'd like to believe otherwise, UCF as a team is just plain old uninteresting. I have no interest in watching you play and the thought of a rivalry with you brings nothing but a yawn, if we win I won't be celebrating (if we beat Louisvile now THAT will be something) instead it will just be a sigh of relief and a loss will be just to shake my head and wait for all the proponents of this rivalry to accept the concequences. No, this game sucks and I'll be glad as hell to see it fade away.

[Guest]

plus the fact that our fans aren't storming the gates to buy tickets for this game.  

I keep hearing this same argument.  But wouldn't you say that's more of a reflection on the type of "fans" that we have rather than on the quality of the school we are playing?  Rivalry or not, I don't see why a true fan, with the time and money, can't make it to Orlando to support USF.

Fans aren't storming the gates to buy tickets for games at Raymond James.  Our fan base, for lack of a better word, sucks.  It's pathetically small compared to both the size of the university and the number of alumni.

However, if you replace UCF with another game - it will, by definition be farther away.  Which means EVEN FEWER fans will travel to the game.

Finally, I will say that USF fans are not swarming to buy tickets for two reasons: 1) USF is only allocated a certain number of seats; 2) USF failed to market this actively.  The second part is probably because of the view USF administrators seem to have for this game - they don't want it to be successful because it allows them to schedule road games to Buffalo and Ball State.

[Guest]

Let me add this:

No matter how many times USF plays UCF... or how many times UCF wins the game (if ever)...

Having this game will not, under no circumstances ever in a million years bring USF "down to their level" or raise UCF up to our level.

Why?

B.

C.

S.

Sure, UCF can talk about how they play USF every year - but USF can counter that with three little letters:

B.

C.

S.

The fact is if ANYONE ON THIS BOARD actually believes that having an annual series means that USF and UCF are equals, you are seriously deluding yourself.  If USF plays Buffalo, does that some how bring USF down to the same level as the northern Bulls?? No... Then please explain to me how playing the Knights somehow brings the Bulls down to the level of that C-DOA team...

[BULLheaded]

plus the fact that our fans aren't storming the gates to buy tickets for this game.  

I keep hearing this same argument.  But wouldn't you say that's more of a reflection on the type of "fans" that we have rather than on the quality of the school we are playing?  Rivalry or not, I don't see why a true fan, with the time and money, can't make it to Orlando to support USF.

Fans aren't storming the gates to buy tickets for games at Raymond James.  Our fan base, for lack of a better word, sucks.  It's pathetically small compared to both the size of the university and the number of alumni.

However, if you replace UCF with another game - it will, by definition be farther away.  Which means EVEN FEWER fans will travel to the game.

Finally, I will say that USF fans are not swarming to buy tickets for two reasons: 1) USF is only allocated a certain number of seats; 2) USF failed to market this actively.  The second part is probably because of the view USF administrators seem to have for this game - they don't want it to be successful because it allows them to schedule road games to Buffalo and Ball State.

It's pretty obvious that USF fans aren't "flocking" to this game either. Don't blame it on marketing, if it was such a natural bitter rivalry as several of you think than marketing would be unessesary. Fortunately our program has the foresight to shoot bigger than what fenelly termed the "Little Two Showdown" and isn't trying to fabricate a rivalry that doesn't exist. After all the failure your talking about is that USF isn't using marketing to create an interest where one doesn't actually exist because you think it is a good idea and they don't, right?

As for point 1, I believe we turned quite a bit of our alloted tickets back didn't we? So it isn't for lack of tickets but lack of interest in the opposing team. I mean c'mon, one hour away and a supposed rivalry and we sell only 3-4k tickets? Accept it, nobody cares about UCF now that the novelty played out last year.

[puc86]

Because they want it to be an annual 1 for 1 series, by definition equal, and we have people demanding that it be known as a rivalry (usually something's rival is? You guessed it, its equal) from its onset.

[Joe]

To those who don't want the game:

Just come out and say it. I'm ok with that, it's your opinion. However, to back up your reasoning with:

1)  We're Big East they're C-USA: Someone forgot to give this memo to WVU when they signed a 4 game series with ECU. They also forgot to tell Cincinnati and UConn that too. I really really don't think it's as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

2) They talk too much smack: This is by and far the worst excuse I've seen. I don't think it's near the level of UF/FSU, Ohio State/Michigan, or even a non major rivalry like WVU and Maryland. Smack is going to get talked in college football.

3) It's taking away from BCS games: Ask anyone in football what will earn you more respect a win over 2-9 Illinois or 4-7 Indiana...or a win over an 8-5 team that went to a bowl game. I'll guarentee it's the latter. We have 5 OOC games scheduling UCF is not THAT harmful to the schedule.

4) If we lose we'll sink in the eyes of everyone: What? We're playing FIU and FAU still, if we lose to them we'll sink in the eyes of the media. It makes no sense to support a game against 2 Sunbelt teams at their venue yet say the risk of loss of the UCF game supercedes those. Granted they are 2 for 1 deals, but they're against teams that don't even have FULL D-IA privileges yet. In fact FAU is a pindrop away from going back down...I really don't think a George O'Leary led UCF loss will kill any momentum this program has, the media has a lot of respect for him. We're not going to get kicked out of the BCS if we lose to them...I mean look at the ASS KICKING Cincy too to Miami (OH) last year.

Listen, I've said we go 4-0 drop the series, no point in playing it at that point. And I am NOT calling for an extension now. I just think everyone is ignoring the major factor here. It's ECONOMICALLY viable. It's more economically viable than a game against Illinois, Indiana, or any other bottom of the barrell BCS school. It generates fan interest and creates a gave that gets the students ACTIVELY involved instead of socially involved.

[puc86]

I do not think that anyone thinks that we should never under any circumstances play UCF, what I think some question (myself incuded) is weather we NEED to establish UCF as our rival and play them every year with a 1 for 1 deal.

[puc86]

For #3 I can assure you that the answer will be the former, except of course if you are asking around Orlando.

To those who don't want the game:

Just come out and say it. I'm ok with that, it's your opinion. However, to back up your reasoning with:

1)  We're Big East they're C-USA: Someone forgot to give this memo to WVU when they signed a 4 game series with ECU. They also forgot to tell Cincinnati and UConn that too. I really really don't think it's as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

2) They talk too much smack: This is by and far the worst excuse I've seen. I don't think it's near the level of UF/FSU, Ohio State/Michigan, or even a non major rivalry like WVU and Maryland. Smack is going to get talked in college football.

3) It's taking away from BCS games: Ask anyone in football what will earn you more respect a win over 2-9 Illinois or 4-7 Indiana...or a win over an 8-5 team that went to a bowl game. I'll guarentee it's the latter. We have 5 OOC games scheduling UCF is not THAT harmful to the schedule.

4) If we lose we'll sink in the eyes of everyone: What? We're playing FIU and FAU still, if we lose to them we'll sink in the eyes of the media. It makes no sense to support a game against 2 Sunbelt teams at their venue yet say the risk of loss of the UCF game supercedes those. Granted they are 2 for 1 deals, but they're against teams that don't even have FULL D-IA privileges yet. In fact FAU is a pindrop away from going back down...I really don't think a George O'Leary led UCF loss will kill any momentum this program has, the media has a lot of respect for him.

Listen, I've said we go 4-0 drop the series, no point in playing it at that point. And I am NOT calling for an extension now. I just think everyone is ignoring the major factor here. It's ECONOMICALLY viable. It's more economically viable than a game against Illinois, Indiana, or any other bottom of the barrell BCS school.

[Joe]

I do not think that anyone thinks that we should never under any circumstances play UCF, what I think some question (myself incuded) is weather we NEED to establish UCF as our rival and play them every year with a 1 for 1 deal.

Well said. Great way to put it from your side.

[BULLheaded]

Because they want it to be an annual 1 for 1 series, by definition equal, and we have people demanding that it be known as a rivalry (usually something's rival is? You guessed it, its equal) from its onset.

This actually brings up another issue with the argument on all the incredible revenues this game will bring in. Not only do I think it will be just a modest bump in attendence but it will also only be every other year so the actual benefit to the bottom line will probably be negligable over the 1 and 1 series. One good payday at any BCS school will probably bring in more profit that several go rounds of the little two showdown.