Perhaps this helps provide perspective...

[whiskeyboarder]

What follows is not directly USF related.  However, the reactions detailed are similar to those that I am sure we, as USF fans, can relate.  But this goes to show you that our agony is not only shared but, also, relatively short lived.

You may have heard about this story, but I don't know if this particular, and relevant, reaction has been posted here.  It goes that one of the stars of the surprisingly decent University of Kentucky football team, Randall Cobb, lashed out at the team's fans in dissapointment after Kentucky's win over South Carolina.  Factors that angered Cobb included late arriving fans, and fans booing the home team when they initially fell behind South Carolina.  Cobb criticized the fans via twitter.

One fan had an interesting reaction, which I encountered at this blog: http://johnclay.bloginky.com/2010/10/18/one-fans-open-letter-to-randall-cobb/.

This fan's frustrations remind me of ours, only tenfold.  Perhaps if we share in his turmoil, we may at least be better off by seeing how long the process of becoming a dependably good college football team really takes.

The fan's reaction:

Randall,

First let me say thank you. You are what our football program aspires

to be. Unafraid of anyone and unwilling to accept anything less than

100% from yourself, your teammates or even your fans. Nobody told you

to be an SEC also-ran. You see yourself and your team as second to no

one. More importantly you don’t know why anyone else doesn’t see it

that way, either. We love that about you.

But to be honest, you don’t really know us. I know it feels like you

do; it’s been a thrilling 2.5 years, but we were here long before that.

There were a lot of unthrilling years before you - and that’s the part

you don’t understand. This has nothing to do with basketball.

Frankly we’re tired. It’s just happened too many times, we’ve been let

down too often. I won’t bore you with the litany of gut punches, but

suffice to say it’s long. Last time we beat South Carolina you were in

grade school - and they’re not even that good. Time and time again we

buy in and get excited - only to be let down. It takes a toll, it

really does. I’ve only been a fan since I started school in ‘97 and

it’s taken a toll. I have friends who remember heartbreak long before

that. If I had a dollar for every game I’ve seen where we get “oh so

close†only to let it slip away, I’d be Urban Meyer’s bail bondsman.

True story - I was more excited by your 2 point conversion than the

actual TD on Saturday night because I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt

that SC would get a field goal shot. Like I said, it takes a toll.

Which brings me to you. Are you different from the parade who has come

through before you? Are you the One to help up make the Leap? We don’t

know. I think you might be. I see the passion you play with, how you

raise your game to meet the moment - I think maybe you’re different.

I’m driving 3.5 hours to watch the game this weekend. A lot of people

will drive a lot farther. We want to see if it’s different this time,

or if all roads lead to Nashville again. Is it? Can we even glance

towards Atlanta?

Be patient with us Randall. It’s been a long ride, but I think we can

turn the corner this week. All eyes will be on you and your team

Saturday night. I guarantee you with another effort like SC you won’t

play in front of an empty seat for the rest of the year - including a

heavy dose of Blue in your home state come November 27th. I know it’s

not fair that you carry the burden of a history that stretches back to

before you were born - but as Kentucky fans we learned long ago that

football isn’t fair.

Trust me, we want to believe - it just takes a little longer than it

used to.

With utmost sincerity (and hope),

The Big Blue Nation

[swamprat]

Here is the tweet:

@rcobb18: To all the fans: loved seein Yall come late, love hearing Yall tell us we suck during the game love we have to play against our

@rcobb18: own fans too! Love that we can't pack the house when we play #10 team in the nation. It means that much more to me. I love my..

@rcobb18: .....my team! Brotherhood they got my back n I got they back. The rest of Yall can get ready for bball season!

He has since, pulled the tweet and Joker Phillips has banned twitter.

I was at that game, and the few seats that were empty were at the top of the south and north stands, near the east end zone. There were still over 67K there. It looked kind of like the Cincinnati game here last year.

As far as the verbal abuse, though, I can attest to that. In the first half people around us were cursing Joker, the team, and his staff. The entire game, Mike Hartline went from hero to loser to hero to loser so many times, I lost count. And these folks were the stadium ushers.

To be honest, it was funny listening to them jump on and off the bandwagon. I thought Mrs. S was going to hurt herself laughing.