Did you know... USF Football players are your fellow students, right?

[Bull94]

 

I'll be honest, I don't feel that bad.

 

They're getting free tuition, rent paid, a check for food, world class facilities, chance to play in front thousands of fans and be apart of a Division 1 football program...

 

One of the most ignorant statements anyone could make. 

 

Their tuition is not "free". They spend 40+ hours a week doing athletics, along with their weekends, along with risking their physical health and well-being to be a student athlete. 

 

Have you ever met, or talked to any of the student athletes? 

 

What's a full ride at USF cost now-a-days, with room and board? Maybe $15,000 a year, a little more?

 

Tell me when was the last time you risked paralysis and serious physical injury, working 40+ hours a week for something that paid you $1,500 a month

 

Did you seriously go to USF? 

 

+1

 

I read an analysis done for UF that said it costs $16k a year to go there and that includes room, board, tuition, books, transportation(car).

[Apis Bull]

 

I'll be honest, I don't feel that bad.

 

They're getting free tuition, rent paid, a check for food, world class facilities, chance to play in front thousands of fans and be apart of a Division 1 football program...

 

One of the most ignorant statements anyone could make. 

 

Their tuition is not "free". They spend 40+ hours a week doing athletics, along with their weekends, along with risking their physical health and well-being to be a student athlete. 

 

Have you ever met, or talked to any of the student athletes? 

 

What's a full ride at USF cost now-a-days, with room and board? Maybe $15,000 a year, a little more?

 

Tell me when was the last time you risked paralysis and serious physical injury, working 40+ hours a week for something that paid you $1,500 a month

 

Did you seriously go to USF? 

 

 

However, they get to showcase their talents to prospective employers that may pay them millions of dollars (may not).  Any other student would have to intern for little or no money for any semblance of the same opportunity and still pay for school.

[Apis Bull]

 

 

I'll be honest, I don't feel that bad.

 

They're getting free tuition, rent paid, a check for food, world class facilities, chance to play in front thousands of fans and be apart of a Division 1 football program...

 

One of the most ignorant statements anyone could make. 

 

Their tuition is not "free". They spend 40+ hours a week doing athletics, along with their weekends, along with risking their physical health and well-being to be a student athlete. 

 

Have you ever met, or talked to any of the student athletes? 

 

What's a full ride at USF cost now-a-days, with room and board? Maybe $15,000 a year, a little more?

 

Tell me when was the last time you risked paralysis and serious physical injury, working 40+ hours a week for something that paid you $1,500 a month

 

Did you seriously go to USF? 

 

+1

 

I read an analysis done for UF that said it costs $16k a year to go there and that includes room, board, tuition, books, transportation(car).

 

 

 I'm sure it cost a lot more to go there than $16k a year.  USF's estimate is $20,760.00 a year and UF is more.  If you're wondering how I know this, it's because my son is a freshman and that is what USF published on his financial aid listing.

[MikePhillips]

I think roughly 15000 a year is pretty accurate.

 

You're right, their tuition isn't free. Poor choice of wording. However, they are still giving plenty of opportunities and compensated for what they do.

 

Now, I'm not condoning calling out 18-22 year olds, but I also don't think they should be completely shelled from criticism. 

 

And let's think about how hard they have to work, for $15,000 a year

 

They don't just "play football", they also have to maintain their GPA and take the required amount of courses to be NCAA eligibile. When I was at USF from 1996 to 2001 and I lived in Fontana (this was the building that was recently demolished, on 42nd and Fletcher... man I feel old). I lived with Leon Matthews. 

 

 

He was a great roomate, and a perfect gentlemen. He had a kid, and a girlfriend he was also trying to support. I never saw him..... he slept 10 feet from me, and I never saw him. He would come in at midnight and collapse in his bed, wake up 5 hours later and go to practice. I never saw him drink, never saw him party, never saw him do any of the fun things that I was doing on a nightly basis. It was school, football, school, football, school, football. Class, gym, class, film, class, practice.... every single day.

 

Not only that, he also had a part time job working retail somewhere (I think it was staples on Bearss) to bring in a couple extra bucks he needed for his kid, food, gas, clothing, etc. Remember, they don't make money playing football. So when it's time to buy gas for their car, there is no money there.

 

And this was when we were just getting the program off the ground in 1998. 

 

You can pull $15,000 a year valet'ing cars on the weekend, fifteen grand a year isn't ****. I pay more than fifteen grand a year to my daughter's daycare. 

 

So don't come with the "Well they get a free education, so we should be allowed to treat them like scumbags", because that just shows pure ignorance. They EARN their education, they don't get ANYTHING for free. As a matter of fact, for every penny they earn for their education, the school makes a dollar profiting from them.

 

How much you really think it costs USF, to let them sit in the classes? The lights are already on, the instructor has already been paid, books at USF's cost? Yea they benefit $15,000 a year, but to USF their costs are minimal at best. 

 

They get nothing for free. Being an athlete is probably the WORST and the most stressful way to try to pay for your education. 

 

If they gave me the choice -

 

1) student loans

 

2) deal with all the hate, negativity and stress that comes with being a student athlete

 

I'd have only one question - is it too late to fill out the FAFSA?

 

And no, they are not "exempt from criticism". But as a fellow student and fan of the program (if you call yourself that), you need to show some class and sit back and think - "If they read my comments in the next football meeting, would my words help this team rise up, or would it crush them emotionally?"

 

The players are reading your comments folks, I promise you they are reading them.

 

If you've fallen down, you know that feeling that you get when you reach out into thin air, for anything to stop you from falling? As an athlete, that's where the fans come in. The program grew at an exponential rate through the late 1990's because the fans were always there for the program. I knew many of the original players personally. Vassay Marc, Charlie Jackson, Sean Hay, Anthony Mckenzie, Anthony Henry, Chavez, Jason Butler, I currently live a couple blocks from #23 Bernard Brown! 

 

I can tell you, with all my heart, what got this program to rise through the late 1990's, was the fans. We used to be able to drape HUGE banners over the wall. We would buy king sized sheets from Walmart, spray paint sayings on them, and ziptie them to the wall in the end zones. (we can't do that anymore because they now have sponsors). This worked, many of the players would run out after the game was over, yank them down, and hang them in their dorm rooms!!!!!!

 

We don't have those type of fans anymore, shoulder to shoulder, win or lose hardcore fans and supporters. Everyone that comes to USF now thinks because we have a football team, we're magically on the same level as UM, FSU and UF. They all expect a 9 & 2 season. 

 

I am ashamed at what I see at the games now, I am sickened how these "fans" treat our players. I'd much rather have 6,000 hardcore fans who stay behind the players till the end of the game, than the 35,000 booing fans we have now.

 

I was there in 1997, I saw the fireworks go off 100 feet from where I was sitting. I saw how an entire stadium of rabid fans inspired a brand new team to pound the HELL out of Kentucky Wesleyan and score EIGHTY to 3.... yes USF scored EIGHTY points against a team about as good as the one we played last weekend. 

 

The fans inspired the players. So I ask you, are you helping with your comments, or are you hurting?

 

[LoneBull]

I respect the op point, but they ARE accountable, and I expect that as adults with the privilege of playing d1 football, they are willing to be held accountable. I am not endorsing hate speech, but im not going to apologize for saying they played poorly and need to either improve or get on the bench.

they are held acciuntable by their coaches not dimwits in the stands

[Triple B]

 

I respect the op point, but they ARE accountable, and I expect that as adults with the privilege of playing d1 football, they are willing to be held accountable. I am not endorsing hate speech, but im not going to apologize for saying they played poorly and need to either improve or get on the bench.

they are held acciuntable by their coaches not dimwits in the stands

 

 

You're killing me ...

[tampatony]

Great post mike!

Edited September 2, 2013 by tampatony

[BDYZR]

I  said it in another post, and I'll say again.

 

GROW A PAIR.

 

Not one kid anywhere, in any sport is forced to be there. They are blessed with a God given talent above John Q Public and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them CHOOSE to be where they are. If they don't like it, there are two choices.

[Bull94]

I  said it in another post, and I'll say again.

 

GROW A PAIR.

 

Not one kid anywhere, in any sport is forced to be there. They are blessed with a God given talent above John Q Public and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them CHOOSE to be where they are. If they don't like it, there are two choices.

so if they were blessed with a god given talent above john q public why is john q public booing them for something they themselves couldn't do?

 

never understood how someone who doesn't have nearly the ability of another could criticize them.

 

BTW it does more harm than good.

[BDYZR]

Well, first, because we pay to see the effort ot takes to win.

Second, I assume your questioning my ability when you have no clue.