More attention from Sarasota HT for CWT & Bulls

[SRQ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130206/COLUMNIST/130209712/2137/SPORTS?Title=Taggart-mines-Florida-for-USF

As the dominant newspaper for the south-bay counties of Sarasota & Manatee, the change in interest in USF football since the arrival of Taggart is nothing short or amazing.

Nice article but not sure why the change in interest is "amazing'. He's one of their own and you'd pretty much expect the interest to jump significantly in a case like that ...

Exactly.

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It is exciting/amazing to have so much more coverage with just a change in coach

Mind you we'll just have to see if the coverage continues as the seasons starts and progresses along

Because having Lou Holtz's son as coach, including USF going to Notre Dame (and winning), didn't bring any increased coverage. 

 

Probably didn't - in Manatee.

Skip Holtz announcement in H-T  was 4 pages  http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100115/article/1151032

 

CWT announcement in H-T was 3 pages  http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121208/ARTICLE/121209626

 

Probably more people from Conn where Skip was born, in Bradenton, than people born in Manatee county. None of my neighbors or friends were "Floridians". They were from the northeast and Michigan.

it's not about one article...it just seems like there's been more coverage. for example since # of pages seems to matter, a few weeks later they did another article on Taggart (http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121231/ARTICLE/121239943?p=4&tc=pg) (4 pages - since that matters). Since you seem to be all know, did they do the same for skip? (side not, I wasn't trying to make this a Taggart verse holtz thing, when I mentioned a change in coach)

 

oh wait,nevermind, I forgot you're all knowing, sorry to question you

Skip never made the front page of the front section of the SHT.  CWT has made it twice in a couple months.  And the coverage has been 99% positive of every aspect of USF football since CWT arrival. 

Is the front page, A1?  Because if so, you are wrong. Oh and its 6 pages.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101113/ARTICLE/11131026

 

Skip Holtz plots new course for USF Bulls

"This story appeared in print on page A1" on 11/13/2010

 

 

And if you are going to say that is about USF, one section alone is called "Home with the Holtzes".

okay, was wrong.  it happens, will happen again.  there is an entirely different feel about it this time.  the articles about CWT are by the major players at SHT sports (column referenced here by Doug Fernandez).  I have always felt that these two counties offered USF the very best opportunity to become the very best choice for most of the very best players to come out of here.  Its far enough from home that the young man won't feel like he is just going next door, yet mom and grandma can make all the games and his homies will see all the broadcasts.  you're welcome to your opinion, but i will continue to believe that this is a very exciting change.

[TrujilloBull2013]

i live in Bradenton (hence, "BTown" Bull) and attended MHS before getting my GED... Manatee is the dominant HS program in this area having just won a state championship in 2011. their stock is high right now, and Willie T having been a player who won a state championship in the '90s helping to build the prestige and tradition of the program is a big deal. much like Coach Leavitt, who was a St. Pete native and former Dixie Hollins player, Willie T is a local product with tons of roots and history and local lore/legend surrounding him. in addition he has something Leavitt didnt: an engaging personality with local media.

 

as much as we as USF alum and members of the Tampa Bay community wish the local media would stand behind the program for the good of the Bay Area, the media isn't here to fluff us up... if Willie T were to start losing horribly like Holtz or cold shoulder the media like Leavitt, we would probably begin to see the tone of that coverage change... but right now he has an incredible amount of good will behind him resulting both from his local roots, his engaging personality and his short but relatively impressive resume as a young coach who took what was largely considered a perpetual basement program like WKU into a bowl-eligible team that at the very least couldnt be overlooked.

 

Coach Taggs is off to a good start, and after the horrible nightmare of Holtz' on-field performance and the bitterness of Leavitt's poor media relations, the balance of expectations are in his favor. if he can win 6 games (entirely reasonable in a weakened BEast) and avoid alienating local media within his first couple seasons, he will have surpassed expectations.

[slick1ru2]

i live in Bradenton (hence, "BTown" Bull) and attended MHS before getting my GED... Manatee is the dominant HS program in this area having just won a state championship in 2011. their stock is high right now, and Willie T having been a player who won a state championship in the '90s helping to build the prestige and tradition of the program is a big deal. much like Coach Leavitt, who was a St. Pete native and former Dixie Hollins player, Willie T is a local product with tons of roots and history and local lore/legend surrounding him. in addition he has something Leavitt didnt: an engaging personality with local media.

 

as much as we as USF alum and members of the Tampa Bay community wish the local media would stand behind the program for the good of the Bay Area, the media isn't here to fluff us up... if Willie T were to start losing horribly like Holtz or cold shoulder the media like Leavitt, we would probably begin to see the tone of that coverage change... but right now he has an incredible amount of good will behind him resulting both from his local roots, his engaging personality and his short but relatively impressive resume as a young coach who took what was largely considered a perpetual basement program like WKU into a bowl-eligible team that at the very least couldnt be overlooked.

 

Coach Taggs is off to a good start, and after the horrible nightmare of Holtz' on-field performance and the bitterness of Leavitt's poor media relations, the balance of expectations are in his favor. if he can win 6 games (entirely reasonable in a weakened BEast) and avoid alienating local media within his first couple seasons, he will have surpassed expectations.

This is pretty much what I am thinking. Holtz coverage was great at the beginning and when he was losing it turned critical. I expect the same response for CWT.  And yep, those reporters USF fans love to hate like BMM and Bianchi are pretty much the byproduct from Leavitt's treatment of the media. Holtz did help to better USF's image in that area although most USF fans overlook it. And CWT is doing the same. I posted an article by Bianchi recently that treated USF as a part to UCF rather that an arch rival. Most gave the same negative reaction to him, but its obvious his tone toward USF has changed.

Edited February 10, 2013 by slick1ru2

[E.T.]

I didn't buy today's times/trib, but thought I saw a teaser about Taggart.