Ask Brett

[Brad]

And Brett,

These guys were jumping all over Greg from the St. Pete Times for the same thing a few months ago.  He reported, they decided.  Don't forget, these are Bulls fans - they will be defensive.

I think any Bulls fan of any length of time appreciates the work you do.  I have often complimented your work as the Bulls beat writer.  

Don't take it personally, we really would like to see you come on the board more often - and not just to defend yourself.  

There's a lot of love in this room.  Have a Merry Christmas!

Brad

[Velcro]

I like your reporting Brett.  They are all facts... but there also may be reason's behind the facts.  We have had a winning program constantly since the 2nd year... winning programs bring attendance, especially when there is no real long history and tradition.  This year we didn't win, and attendance went away.  For a young program, that is a way of life.  We can't expect full stadiums at this juncture if we aren't winning.  It really isn't that disturbing.  Just my 2 cents.  Keep up the good work.

[smazza]

brett murphy is top shelf

[CoolBull1]

Brett--

I get the Trib over here in Lakeland.  It certainly appears to me that your take on the program is negative.  I am currently in the thought process of cancelling my subscription because your articles have really not been the wake up reading I'm seeking.  Traveling with the team to other locations, it is easy to see that the writer assigned to the beat is slightly less than "for the program", well above "against it" and clearly more than just ambivalent.  Believe it or not, your writings affect the casual fan who thinks maybe I'll go the next basketball game...when the casual fan reads that you counted 746 people in the stands vs. the announced figure of 1,810, I'm sure that influences his decision to stay on the bandwagon and be a naysayer and sit at home watching the Apprentice.  The point is....your articles tend to the negative to the point that I think you may just have a (slightly) toxic personality or maybe a vendetta against USF.  Maybe you should consider asking for a re-assignment.  What about Joey Johnston for us and you can cover UT or somebody for which you may have better feelings.  Just a thought. :-/

Perhaps my take on your writing is misdirected, but it's just that "my take".  Frankly, I've heard a similar take from every Bulls fan who has commented on the media coverage.  Can't we just get along?

[Markeymark]

It seems to me that Brett has done nothing but bash McCullum at every chance he can get sometimes.

McCullum has done little to demonstrate tangible improvements in the basketball program thus far. It is mostly conjecture that he is going to take the basketball program to a better place, but for the time being all he has to show is a very poor record and dismal attendance.

Go Bulls

[JeffreyBEllis]

Brett--

I get the Trib over here in Lakeland.  It certainly appears to me that your take on the program is negative.  I am currently in the thought process of cancelling my subscription because your articles have really not been the wake up reading I'm seeking.  Traveling with the team to other locations, it is easy to see that the writer assigned to the beat is slightly less than "for the program", well above "against it" and clearly more than just ambivalent.  Believe it or not, your writings affect the casual fan who thinks maybe I'll go the next basketball game...when the casual fan reads that you counted 746 people in the stands vs. the announced figure of 1,810, I'm sure that influences his decision to stay on the bandwagon and be a naysayer and sit at home watching the Apprentice.  The point is....your articles tend to the negative to the point that I think you may just have a (slightly) toxic personality or maybe a vendetta against USF.  Maybe you should consider asking for a re-assignment.  What about Joey Johnston for us and you can cover UT or somebody for which you may have better feelings.  Just a thought. :-/

Perhaps my take on your writing is misdirected, but it's just that "my take".  Frankly, I've heard a similar take from every Bulls fan who has commented on the media coverage.  Can't we just get along?

Brett McMurphy is a highly credible, reputable, well respected, dignified and above all, objective print journalist who thoroughly researches each article before publication.

To my knowledge, Mr. McMurphy has never injected a modicum of subjective opinions into the contextual breadth of his articles and often times, prefers to offer a positive perspective on the state of the intercollegiate athletic program as a collective entity at the University of South Florida.

In my opinion, Brett McMurphy is the finest journalist covering the South Florida Bulls within the Tampa Bay region. As USF embarks upon its nouveau foray into the realm of Big East Conference competition, an advocate such as Brett McMurphy is vitally imperative for the future self-preservation of the Bulls intercollegiate athletic program.

Enjoy a wonderfully festive holiday season and a remarkably prosperous new year. Go Bulls! (Except when the Bulls are competing against the Pirates)  

[Bull Matrix]

Now lets be fair to Brett because I know he supports USF. He wrote countless positive articles about the success of the football program before we had a bad season this year. My take is that the Tribune seems to be dogging USF more now that they are not THE Local newspaper of USF athletics. The St Pete Times is now the sponsor of USF which is why they did a U turn and stopped dogging USF. It makes sense that both the papers would do that. Anyway, there was no point in Joe Henderson's negative columns during these past few years. I think the Sheriff knows what I am referring to. Brett seems to have an issue with Coach McCullum for some reason because it has clearly shown in his articles for mens basketball. I dont know if McCullum blew him off for some reason, but I do know that Brett has taken many cheap shots at McCullum about the attendence and player/coach defections.

MarkyMark, you seem to be against McCullum too for some reason. You have to remember that this is only his second season as coach at USF. Already, there has been some positives in the team play, but you just fail to even notice them. You dont see punk ball out there anymore like the Seth days. You dont see McCullum embarrasing USF by getting kicked out of the game like the old coach did. The ECU fiasco with Seth was very embarrasing for USF.  You see USF actuallly make their free throws now. You dont see gimmick plays like SETH did, ask Huggins about our gimmick play.  Last but not least, the basketball has one of the top GPAs in C-USA under McCullum's watch.  Anway, lets see USF play this year because I have a good felling about this team right now.

[Cubanbull]

I have no problem with his stories. I dont want any reporter sugar coating the stories only to have the sky cave in later and everyone wonder were it came from. Is good for fans and administrators to hear the good and the bad.

The story on attendance was good, something is wromg with that and needs to be addressed. The same with Jose's salary as ive stated before if we expect our coaches and teams to succeed in CUSA and now BE they should have the same type of support, facilities,salaries and fan attendance as those other schools. If not then we are expecting miracles and shouldnt be surprised when our good coaches take off.

[Markeymark]

MarkyMark, you seem to be against McCullum too for some reason. You have to remember that this is only his second season as coach at USF. Already, there has been some positives in the team play, but you just fail to even notice them. You dont see punk ball out there anymore like the Seth days. You dont see McCullum embarrasing USF by getting kicked out of the game like the old coach did. The ECU fiasco with Seth was very embarrasing for USF.  You see USF actuallly make their free throws now. You dont see gimmick plays like SETH did, ask Huggins about our gimmick play.  Last but not least, the basketball has one of the top GPAs in C-USA under McCullum's watch.  Anway, lets see USF play this year because I have a good felling about this team right now.

You can ride that McCullum bandwagon to your heart's content - right now, it's stuck at a loooooong red light and I can get more mileage out of my own two feet.

I would like to see a Bull actually make a free throw when the game's on the line, we haven't seem much of that under McCullum because of all the blowout losses. GPA? That's great, but what does it have to do with the price of tea in China?

[The Sheriff]

I'm actually happy that Brett has kept his disdain going that developed when Seth left. There were a lot of nasty comments made about Seth after he left from ALL the writers, not just Brett... and for being as all access as he was, I remember Seth making a comment to me one day that he felt it was like a knife in the back. To this day, we still read about him receiving shots from the Tampa media... this is two years later. Everyone makes a comment about Seth saying "Little kids grow up wanting to be Hokies". Well... Seth was as open to the media as a coach can get... and he even admitted he got burned here for it. He commented that McCullum's tight lip style would irk the local press... he was right on about that... it irks me... but I still support him (although I'm pretty negative when we lose or play a Grand Canyon University close).

I think Brett has personally taken his Green and Gold shades off and is reporting as fair as possible (read some football stories as he has blasted our offense for some dismal performances). Hey... he is probably as big a fan as we are... but even Brett has expectations and wants us to do well. When you're boarding a plane at 5:45 AM leaving South Carolina after a really sloppily played football game, you can imagine why the articles are more real now than what they used to be.

Do I feel Jose deserves a new contract? You know what... when his contract ends, give him a new one... but not until then. When you sign a deal with someone... live through the end of the deal. Should we structure Leavitt's deal down now that he has had a losing season? We are now starting to win in women's hoops... but is there any consistentcy? If you sign a contract, it's your fault for making it a long deal if you're going to want more money in a year or two. Learn to negotiate better. A year ago... people were calling for Jose's head (me included). Let things play out.

Keep reporting Brett the way you see it... you're honest and fair... and when you do write a story that pisses a few people off... it comes with the territory. I know there were many times I wanted to tee off on you for the post-Seth stories, (and especially Joey Johnson), but that comes with the territory when relationships are developed between a coach and his fans.