Why is Fennelly so ridiculously anti-USF?

[TallyBull]

"USF's win over 'Nova was great, but likely not program altering"

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/mar/09/091048/usfs-win-over-nova-was-great-but-likely-not-progra/

Can't stand this guy.

[Apis Bull]

What part of his article do you not agree with?  I think he was spot on.

[TallyBull]

Well, I disagree with his tone, for one.  His comments are all snide.  It's clear he dislikes USF, regardless of the facts.  At least that's my impression, and it's what suggests to me he's anti-USF.

Second, he's focused on USF's limitations.  I understand that much of what he says is true TODAY, but he suggests USF will always be a bottom-dweller.  Maybe I'm naive or overly optimistic, but I believe things can change for USF basketball.  Yes, even in the mighty Big East.

[gobulls83]

I disagree with this part:

<blockquote><i>It's all part of USF's delusions of big time, which have paid off financially, but which present slight problems when you have a Conference USA basketball program trapped in a Big East body.</i></blockquote>

I don't think USF has suffered any delusions. I think the university is ambitious, but I also think overall football has accomplished a great deal and the move to the Big East has been overall a great thing. The basketball team was never going to turn things around overnight or even by season five. This was a pretty poor Conference USA team.

Lost in the never-ending Stan Heath argument is the reality that it's still possible for those who defend Heath to realize that a 22-loss regular season is awful and needs to get better. But these new facilities on the horizon will do a lot more to put a Big East program in that Big East body. Should they just give up? Where's the delusion? What is USF doing to indicate that it thinks its basketball team is bigger than it is?

And I have no idea what the hell he's talking about with the Notre Dame comparison that immediately followed the bit I quoted. That was out of left field. Talk about delusional.

[TallyBull]

In fact, here are a few examples of what I mean:

"The reality is that this basketball program is up against it in the Big East, always has been, always will be."

"The football team can't even win the Big East. What chance does basketball have?"

"It's all part of USF's delusions of big time, which have paid off financially, but which present slight problems when you have a Conference USA basketball program trapped in a Big East body."

"It's not going to happen, which is why wins like Tuesday will never be anything more than isolated incidents, no pattern, no real signpost to the promised land."

I disagree with all of these points.  Under Fennelly's reasoning, USF should just forfeit its basketball and football programs.  Why bother trying?  It's all a waste of time for USF.  Instead, we should all just fawn over great programs that will always be great, like Syracuse.  IMHO, this is a very lazy way of analyzing sports, particularly collegiate athletics.  Teams like the 2008 and 2010 Rays just confuse and befuddle people like Fennelly.  While the Rays may not have become a permanent fixture atop the AL East, they have definitely established a reputation as a competitive team.  Year in, year out, it will always be a struggle, but it's not impossible to join the conversation.  I personally don't think it's impossible for USF to join the conversation, either, although it would seem that Fennelly thinks it is.  

[TallyBull]

And I have no idea what the hell he's talking about with the Notre Dame comparison that immediately followed the bit I quoted. That was out of left field. Talk about delusional.

I think he was suggesting that USF should go independent in basketball, like Notre Dame did in football, in order to be successful.  But considering N.D.'s relative lack of success over the past five years, and the fact that in basketball it's almost absurd to not belong to a conference (can't say I know of any independent basketball teams), the suggestion really makes no sense.  Like much of what Fennelly writes in his "I'm-so-darn-clever" one-sentence paragraphs.  Maybe he meant something else, though.  I have no idea.

[gobulls83]

And I have no idea what the hell he's talking about with the Notre Dame comparison that immediately followed the bit I quoted. That was out of left field. Talk about delusional.

I think he was suggesting that USF should go independent in basketball, like Notre Dame did in football, in order to be successful.  But considering N.D.'s relative lack of success over the past five years, and the fact that in basketball it's almost absurd to not belong to a conference (can't say I know of any independent basketball teams), the suggestion really makes no sense.  Like much of what Fennelly writes in his "I'm-so-darn-clever" one-sentence paragraphs.  Maybe he meant something else, though.  I have no idea.

I'm pretty sure what he meant was, it would be great if USF could go independent in football so the basketball team (along with all the other sports) could go to a lesser conference. Like Notre Dame. Which is delusional and totally lacking any sort of clue about USF's place in things, the thing I'm pretty sure he's accusing USF of being guilty of with his "delusions of big time" line.

Not to mention, Notre Dame is independent in football and still maintains a basketball team that is competitive in the Big East. Just a stupid, stupid argument.

[TallyBull]

And I have no idea what the hell he's talking about with the Notre Dame comparison that immediately followed the bit I quoted. That was out of left field. Talk about delusional.

I think he was suggesting that USF should go independent in basketball, like Notre Dame did in football, in order to be successful.  But considering N.D.'s relative lack of success over the past five years, and the fact that in basketball it's almost absurd to not belong to a conference (can't say I know of any independent basketball teams), the suggestion really makes no sense.  Like much of what Fennelly writes in his "I'm-so-darn-clever" one-sentence paragraphs.  Maybe he meant something else, though.  I have no idea.

I'm pretty sure what he meant was, it would be great if USF could go independent in football so the basketball team (along with all the other sports) could go to a lesser conference. Like Notre Dame. Which is delusional and totally lacking any sort of clue about USF's place in things, the thing I'm pretty sure he's accusing USF of being guilty of with his "delusions of big time" line.

Not to mention, Notre Dame is independent in football and still maintains a basketball team that is competitive in the Big East. Just a stupid, stupid argument.

Yep, I see now.  That's more likely what he meant.  But it's based on flawed logic - the "tail" (basketball) wagging the "dog" (football).  And ultimately I don't see how relegating the basketball team to a lower conference could possibly improve it.  Perhaps the number of wins would go up, but who cares? 

[KB]

I can't stand all of these instant gratification types.

It took UF something like 85 years to win a conference title in Football and something like 75 years in basketball.  

I guess UF had delusions of big time for all of those years too?

USF is on the right track.  The support will grow.  The fanbase will grow.  The conference titles will follow.

[BDYZR]

He's entitled to his opinion. He didn't write anything a lot different than some on this board have written. I suggest that when you see an article from him you do one of three things,  

1 - read it

2 - ignore it

or

3 - delete it.