Gary Shelton Sums Up My Feelings About the 2008 Bulls

[IncrediBULL]

I'd have been okay with the article, if it was written by Greg.  Because at least he follows the Bulls and knows the good and bad of the program.  Being a st pete times reader for decades, I find Gary's editorial writing to be mostly a bandwagon style.  He never wrote crap about USF for years when we were getting no coverage and on our upward climb.  Only a few years ago did he finally acknowledge that the USF Bulls football program existed.  Now he is quick to jump on and slam USF for this year. 

For the fans, and the media, let's not forget that we could still go 9 - 4 with a post season bowl game.   Two years ago, we would have jumped up and down for that chance.  5 years ago, we would not have believed it could ever happen.

I'm just saying that I am not a fan of his writing because he only writes on polarizing topics of either an unexpected team doing well, or a team falling off the face of the earth.  His style is what epitomizes newspapers and media outlets today.  We want to build you up in the media, only so we can be there when you come crashing down, and we can write about that too.  And if we can sell papers while you are crashing, even better.

I read the article this am, and would not have been upset if Greg had written it.  But since Gary did, I am once again reminded that I am not a fan of his writing, and never will be.  Not saying I disagree with the premise and content of the article, and I hate CJL using injuries as excuses (fix that by recruiting better, sir), but don't really want him writing that article as he isn't qualified to do so. 

I don't think you really meant "qualified" IncrediBull - Just reading what you wrote I would say you meant he had no credibility.  

For me it has been a great 12 year jouney.  Still waiting for that BE championship which I think will happen soon and after the first one more will follow in short order.  Injuries are a fact in the game and even in the pros a team is not the same after numerous injuries - no matter how you try to spin it.  Denver comes to mind this year.  They had a very good offense at the beginning of the year and now they have a **** as the starting RB and one beat-up WR who is still starting.  Their numbers are way down.

I think for the last two years we have all had our hopes so high only to see them fall back to earth.  I mean #2 and then #10 - WOW-  Some folks want to place blame and thow insults while others follow a rational disscussion and exchange of thoughts while still others just cry and move on.

Very good article and well written - at least I thought it was.  

you are right, I didn't mean qualified, poor choice of word.  I meant that he has no vested interest in the Bulls and has specifically omitted acknowledging our program over they years, until he can weigh in on a slam article.  That is all I am saying. 

Ive never met him, but from his other articles I think the guy is pretty ivory tower and pompous.  For years, it pissed me off that the bulls got no coverage and he never noticed us, though we were under his nose.  In fact the Trib did a much better job covering the home team, and yet he is the sports editor of the times.  I guess driving across the bridge is too much to ask for him.... 

At the same time he was ignoring us, at least the news stations sports directors were getting camera crews to our games to cover it, the times ignored us, and I blame the sports editor for that.  When he finally wrote somethign positive, it was like a "hey surprise, there is this team called the USF Bulls in Tampa, and they are pretty good".  That was like 4 - 5 years ago.  I just cannot stand reading the spew like this article from someone who I do not feel follows our knows our program.  I suspect Greg helped him with a lot of the detail, just a hunch.....

[IncrediBULL]

I'd have been okay with the article, if it was written by Greg.  Because at least he follows the Bulls and knows the good and bad of the program.  Being a st pete times reader for decades, I find Gary's editorial writing to be mostly a bandwagon style.  He never wrote crap about USF for years when we were getting no coverage and on our upward climb.  Only a few years ago did he finally acknowledge that the USF Bulls football program existed.  Now he is quick to jump on and slam USF for this year. 

For the fans, and the media, let's not forget that we could still go 9 - 4 with a post season bowl game.   Two years ago, we would have jumped up and down for that chance.  5 years ago, we would not have believed it could ever happen.

I'm just saying that I am not a fan of his writing because he only writes on polarizing topics of either an unexpected team doing well, or a team falling off the face of the earth.  His style is what epitomizes newspapers and media outlets today.  We want to build you up in the media, only so we can be there when you come crashing down, and we can write about that too.  And if we can sell papers while you are crashing, even better.

I read the article this am, and would not have been upset if Greg had written it.  But since Gary did, I am once again reminded that I am not a fan of his writing, and never will be.  Not saying I disagree with the premise and content of the article, and I hate CJL using injuries as excuses (fix that by recruiting better, sir), but don't really want him writing that article as he isn't qualified to do so. 

i agree

this ***** pays no attention to us all year, then writes his one 'disappointment' article.

Journalists dont just write whatever they want to. Editors assign them their jobs. And if people arent going to read it or they dont think itll sell papers, then they arent going to write about it. When we were a small program, we got small coverage, now were a bigger program, we get bigger coverage.

You guys need to quit taking this journalist stuff so personally

He is the sports editor.  He's in charge.  He let the times ignore us, and his articles have been a little late and sporadic.  That is all I am saying.  We went ignored for 8 years by the Times (but not the Tribune, nor the news stations).  I blame the sports editor for that. 

You tell me.  When local high schools get more coverage than a local NCAA DI program at a school with 40k students, who should you blame??????

[GarySJ]

Am I the only one that is sick and tired of hearing about how we would feel if we had this record 5 years ago, or if we talked about going to a bowl game when we were in out first year of 1-A 8 years ago?

We are in the Big Least, a terrible football conference.  We played a crappy out of conference schedule, We have a 3rd year subpar QB who has regressed, we are located in high school football land and still dont land top recruits.  Making the St Pete bowl is less exciting than my morning trip to the toilet bowl.   In all honestly I cant really think of anything positive that came out of this year. 

Its time to step up and stop looking at the past.  It shouldnt be hard to win the Big East in football, its a basketball conference and we are a football university, IN FLORIDA!   Leavitt is getting tired with his excuses and trying to justify this bad year by using our histlry of where we were 8 years ago.  We get it, now time to move up and not plateau.  Because that will get coaches fired, unless you are Leavitt at USF, of course.

Why don't you just tattoo the words "bandwagon jumper" on your forehead?

[nobullaboutit]

You know I don't know jack about who wrote the article and I could care less on his credentials but it was a a ****good article and pretty well hits the nail on the head in many ways.  Get over who has the right to say anything.  It's called freedom of speech and what the man wrote has credibility to it.

[Bruce Blingstein]

Am I the only one that is sick and tired of hearing about how we would feel if we had this record 5 years ago, or if we talked about going to a bowl game when we were in out first year of 1-A 8 years ago?

We are in the Big Least, a terrible football conference.  We played a crappy out of conference schedule, We have a 3rd year subpar QB who has regressed, we are located in high school football land and still dont land top recruits.  Making the St Pete bowl is less exciting than my morning trip to the toilet bowl.   In all honestly I cant really think of anything positive that came out of this year. 

Its time to step up and stop looking at the past.  It shouldnt be hard to win the Big East in football, its a basketball conference and we are a football university, IN FLORIDA!   Leavitt is getting tired with his excuses and trying to justify this bad year by using our histlry of where we were 8 years ago.  We get it, now time to move up and not plateau.  Because that will get coaches fired, unless you are Leavitt at USF, of course.

Why don't you just tattoo the words "bandwagon jumper" on your forehead?

I dont get it?  Where do you question my allegiance to USF?  Because I think Leavitt has plateaued?  Because im tired of the same lame excuses?  Dude, my freshman year at USF was 1997.  I went to the first game and could count on 2 hands how many home games i missed since.  I've never seen a year where I thought USF's offense looked better than average/mediocre, EVER.  I have never seen Jim Leavitt steal a great recruit from anyone good.  I have never seen a season where our players didnt committ more than enough penalites.  Every year I have seen plays called and clock management mistakes that will make you cringe.  But i read this board enough to know your man crush with Leavitt  will have you put down everyone who thinks its time to move on.  But when we start losing those games to teams like UCF and FIU and then of course our conference games and he finally gets the boot, the fans who arent blind with green and gold goggles will understand.  You probably wont and will become the Leavitt bandwagon fan of the mid-level conference team Leavitt is a Defensive coordinator for.

I see your from Nebraska, I grew up in NY.  I watched the Big East my whole life, way before USF was there.  The football programs are garbage.  Our identity is a football school in the hotbed of HS football talent and we cant beat Rutgers and Cincy.  Its embarassing.  But maybe Ill act like everything is AOK so I wont be assumed a Bandwagon fan.  Please, buddy....get over yourself. 

[Greg Auman]

Just to clarify, Gary Shelton isn't the sports editor. He's a columnist. If you like the article, it shouldn't matter who wrote it.

[E.T.]

Every fan is VERY disappointed with this season, more than last season.

But lets be realistic.

From Brett's blog:

With USF having locked up its fourth consecutive bowl berth...

The Bulls are tied for the second-longest streak among Big East schools with Rutgers with West Virginia headed to its seventh consecutive bowl this season. Overall, USF is tied for 21st place (or 22nd place, if Arizona State beats Arizona Saturday) with 10 other teams with fourth consecutive bowl berths.

Here are the current active consecutive bowl appearance streaks, including this year’s expected bids.

27-Florida State

18-Florida

16-Virginia Tech

12-Georgia, Georgia Tech

11-Texas

10-Boston College, Oklahoma

9-LSU, Ohio State, Texas Tech

8-Southern Cal

7-Boise State, Southern Miss, West Virginia, Wisconsin

6 -Cal, Navy, Utah

5-Alabama, Arizona State (if ASU beats Arizona Saturday)

4-BYU, Clemson, Houston, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, USF, TCU, Tulsa

We are an average team with a huge upside. No reason to think Leavitt can not continue to build this program into a power.

Recruiting is a key and we have done better each year, especially since joining the BCS.

I do not want to take a step backwards for the potential improvement.

And some need to realize that we do not have the "Fan Base"(Booster Money) to attract a Top "Name" Coach.

Go BULLS !!!

[theman123]

That was a great article from a fairly unbiased opinion.

[IncrediBULL]

Just to clarify, Gary Shelton isn't the sports editor. He's a columnist. If you like the article, it shouldn't matter who wrote it.

I hear ya, but would have accepted it if it was from you.  Seems Gary is either slamming someone, or writing about some Cinderella story.  That is it.  I went through years of watching USF get ignored in the Times. Years...  Then Gary writes an article about this new team in town, like 4 years ago.  As if the first 8 years were nothing.  I think he wrote maybe once or twice about USF since then.  This time to kind of slam us (however accurate or not his article is). 

For the record, it is a pretty accurate article and matches most of our sentiments.  But I cannot help but feeling like he was waiting in the alley, somewhere in the shadows, lurking and waiting for the moment to pounce.  And now that we are down, and all of us who follow USF feel depressed, he will lunge in and go for the juggular (sp?). 

I am not saying everything has to be rah, rah.  But if you don't write about us during the year until we have underachieved (per everyone's expectations) then your article amounts to some useless tribble...  That is all I am saying.

[GarySJ]

Dude, my freshman year at USF was 1997.

Date Registered: April 21, 2008, 06:58:25 PM

I went to the first game and could count on 2 hands how many home games i missed since.

And yet you lack the tiniest clue about USF's football history. To wit:

I've never seen a year where I thought USF's offense looked better than average/mediocre, EVER.

Define "average/mediocre."

Do you mean I-AA average/mediocre?

Do you mean I-A independent average/mediocre?

Do you mean Conference USA average/mediocre?

Do you mean Big East average/mediocre?

Because the difference between I-AA independent average/mediocre and Big East average/mediocre is awfully, awfully, huge. Not that you'd have the tiniest clue about that.

I have never seen Jim Leavitt steal a great recruit from anyone good.

If you had the tiniest clue about USF's history, you'd know that USF has rarely been in a position to "steal a great recruit from anyone good." And when they did, it was someone like Antwan Fleming or Dishon Piatt. Not that you know who they are. H*ll, I read the USF fan forum in 1998 when USF had no commitments at all at this point in the season. What would you make of that? Oh, and I suppose Matt Grothe and George Selvie aren't good enough for you, are they?

But i read this board enough  to know your man crush with Leavitt 

Date Registered: April 21, 2008, 06:58:25 PM

But when we start losing those games to teams like UCF and FIU

Last I checked, we had never lost a game to UCF or FIU. And September 2009 is our last scheduled game with either team.

the Leavitt bandwagon fan of the mid-level conference team Leavitt is a Defensive coordinator for.

If you had the tiniest clue about USF football history, you'd know how fortunate we are to be in said "mid-level conference."

I see your from Nebraska

No, I moved from Florida to Nebraska last year. Which anyone who read this forum before April 21, 2008 would know. By the way, it's "you're." If you're going to claim to be a USF loyalist, please learn how to f*cking speak English. The idiocy on this forum of people who claim to be USF alumni is making me doubt the value of my USF education.

I watched the Big East my whole life, way before USF was there.

That is not mathematically possible. You claim to have been to all but a few USF home games since 1997. The Big East football conference was only formed in 1991, and only played a full conference schedule in 1994. Unless you were a rabid Big East football fan from 1997 to 2003, which would call your USF loyalty into question.

The football programs are garbage.

Were Miami's 1991 national champion and 1994 Orange Bowl team garbage? Was West Virginia's 11-0 1993 team garbage? Were Virginia Tech's 1995 Sugar Bowl winner and 1999 national title game participant garbage? You tell me. After all, you've "watched the Big East your whole life."

Our identity is a football school in the hotbed of HS football talent

You have no ******* clue what USF football's identity is.

Oh, and what kind of name is "Bruce Blingsteen"? What are you, half black, half Jewish, and half "VH-1 Presents We Are The 80s"? Do us all a favor: click "Profile", click "Account Related Settings", click the "Name: This is the displayed name that people will see" field and change your forum name to something less stupid.