Voodoo Five

USF Softball Headed to Gainesville for NCAA Regionals

2012-05-14T12:01:42Z

There are a lot of local rivalries, and a little vengeance to be had, as USF Softball heads to Gainesville for the NCAA Softball Regionals. The all-Sunshine State regional will include the Bulls, Florida Gators, UCF Knights and the Florida Gulf Coast (I had to look this up) Eagles. It's the Bulls first appearance in the NCAAs since 2008. ESPN.com says it's one of the two toughest regionals, but at least we didn't get Florida State's fate and get sent to Los Angeles.

USF, UCF and UF all received at-large bids, while FGCU won the automatic bid from the Atlantic Sun Conference. For Florida Gulf Coast, it's their first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The Bulls, 45-11 and ranked No. 20 going into the post-season, are 1-1 vs. the host No 5. Gators, 1-0 vs. FGCU, and somehow didn't play UCF, who USF will open against on Friday at 3:30pm. The Gators gave ace starter Sara Nevins (26-4, 1.04 ERA, many sullen batters) one of her four losses back on February 12.

The Bulls and Knights will likely have a pitching duel to open up regional play, as Nevins will likely face-off against UCF's Mackenzie Audas. Audas, UCF's 5-foot-5 freshman phenom from Plant City, is 21-10 with a 1.21 ERA on the season.

As the temperature has gone up, the Bulls performance has gone down. After starting the season 39-5, the team has been lackluster down the stretch, going 6-6 and losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament to DePaul. Then again, all six of the losses were on the road in far-flung locales like Syracuse, Louisville and Storrs, and that last game, in South Bend, Ind., was a near-home game for DePaul. Let's hope the Bulls perform better closer to home in Gainesville.

Lee Roy Selmon Heads 2012 USF Hall of Fame Class

2012-05-13T02:46:56Z

Lee Roy Selmon Heads 2012 USF Hall of Fame Class

This is one high-caliber class. In addition to Selmon, who could and maybe should be in a class all by himself, Chucky Atkins and Jessica Dickson are also being inducted. The three of them will officially join the USF Hall of Fame on Friday, September 28.

USF Softball's Terrific Regular Season Ends With A Thud

2012-05-11T12:01:12Z

USF softball has had a wildly successful season -- the team is probably a year ahead of schedule, they've been ranked for over two months, and they finished 45-11. So why does it feel like a bit of a disappointment?

It really isn't fair to call it that, although you could wonder if the team peaked too soon. They "only" won 6 of their last 11 regular-season games, and while she is still a boss, Sara Nevins's ERA nearly doubled to 1.06. Meanwhile, the offense began to struggle. They were shut out four times in that closing stretch, including Thursday's 6-0 loss to our good friends at DePaul in the Big East tournament, and Syracuse no-hit them on Sunday. I can think of some teams that would kill for a 6-5 stretch to be a slump (say, the football team). But after the wins were coming so easily back in March and April, it's cause for concern.

Good news, though. The ladies are an absolute lock to make the NCAA tournament. Let's all take a moment here to pause and get our Gaga on...

Even though their chances of being a #1 seed are likely gone, they're still in, they're still dangerous, and you never know... maybe they end up in a regional where the #1 seed can't host and they get the call. The important thing is that they got in, and the last couple of weeks won't make any difference if they can get back into the incredible groove they were in a month ago. Gonna be OK, da dit doo doo doo, just dance.

Apparently This Big East Debacle Is All Judy Genshaft's Fault

2012-05-08T12:00:58Z

There's plenty of blame to go around for John Marinatto's resignation. Although I think Marinatto's reactiveness and extreme naivete belongs at the top of the list, lots of people deserve their share. There were opportunities to shore up the league membership and make everyone happy, but none of them were taken. Then after Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and West Virginia got tired of waiting around and found their escape routes, the league was forced to pull up a bunch of replacements and try and reassemble itself as some pell-mell, not-quite-major football league while everyone pointed and laughed at them.

But guess who's got it all sorted out? Brett McMurphy, of course! We haven't talked much about the former USF beat writer here. We've gone over his long history of half-true hit pieces on USF athletics and his personal vendetta against Jim Leavitt only one time, and we haven't really mentioned it since because it's cheap and whiny to bring it up out of context. However, when he finds some unnamed "industry source" (which could be literally anyone working in college sports, or any journalist, or anyone with an ax to grind) to blame USF president Judy Genshaft for letting things go to crap... well, it's in context now.

With conference realignment sweeping the country, Marinatto still was able to convince TCU in November of 2010 to join the Big East, to help bolster an inconsistent football league. People mocked a Texas team joining the Big East, but it gave the league a solid football addition. That would have given the Big East nine football members in 2012. There was even speculation the Big East might be able to attract an ACC school to join the Big East, which was in the midst of negotiating a huge upcoming media rights deal.

"At that point when the Big East was intact, the only school the Big East could have legitimately added that made sense was UCF," an industry source said. "Maryland and Boston College? They wouldn't even return the Big East's calls. But the Big East couldn't add UCF because [South Florida president] Judy Genshaft kept shooting down UCF."

Genshaft's continuing insistence to block UCF from the league was a huge contributing factor which ultimately led to the league's current instability, a league source said.

Yeah, I'm sure that was the only thing that destabilized the Big East, assuming that's even true, and assuming that Genshaft wouldn't have been outvoted if it ever got to that point. (I'm sure the basketball schools weren't too keen on adding UCF, either. They weren't showing up just to play football, it would have been all sports then as it is now. Basically, if the league as it stood then really wanted UCF, they could have had them no matter what Genshaft tried to do to stop them.) What about Marinatto's brilliant plan to try and move Villanova up to FBS? That wasted six or seven months all by itself. What about, I don't know, maybe getting aggressive and trying to tear apart the Big XII in the middle of their 2010 existential crisis? Instead, Marinatto sent the Big XII office flowers after they settled their differences, because he was more worried about losing teams than trying to gain them. What a nice guy!

And what about his three-year failure to explain how the modern world works to the basketball schools? Andrea Adelson's piece on ESPN.com had a horrifying tidbit that tells you everything you need to know about this cockamamie setup in one paragraph:

Last year, at the spring meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., one proposal suggested a 75/25 split -- 75 percent of the money going to football schools, and 25 percent going to basketball schools. One athletic director at a basketball school raised his hand and wondered why the numbers were not flipped, since hoops is the reason the Big East exists in the first place.

Holy cow. If we're still using Providence Mafia jokes, that guy is definitely Fredo.

Like I said at the beginning, there's a lot of blame to go around, but isn't it interesting Genshaft is the only person mentioned by name in McMurphy's column? No one wanted to mention Oliver Luck? Steve Pederson? Tim Pernetti? Even off the record? And I don't even think they were necessarily doing anything wrong, but if you're just talking about "instability", then they all did their parts, too. Let's not just find some anonymous "industry source" to throw Judy under the bus and call it a day, like in so many of McMurphy's classic (and ultimately untrue) USF smear jobs in the past.

The Bobs Invade Providence: John Marinatto "Resigns"

2012-05-07T16:29:56Z

Hey Johnny Boy! (slaps on shoulder, fake punches in stomach)

Listen, it's been GREAT having you here. No, seriously, you've been a breath of... um, not exactly sure how to describe it. I mean look at all the great things you did; like getting ESPN to offer $1 billion in TV money! I mean, that's, ya know, like a BILLION dollars! And there's no way you could have known the PAC-12 was going to get three times as much even though half the league plays in towns too small for a Whole Foods... they must be paying some of that in marijuana with all those west coast hippies out there, amirite?? (awkward forced laugh between the Bobs... John notices Tom Jurich staring through the conference room window gazing intently).

Look, John-O, we've got to be honest with you here. Some of the (air quotes) other guys in the league have been a bit of a gossip about you around here. And sometimes they haven't been too subtle. We know it's not all your fault... I mean it's not like these people have been there since the beginning like you have. And we all know how important experience is in a position like yours. Experience is key.

And you, of course knew Dave Gavitt. Therefore you were absolutely qualified to lead this league just on that alone. You also worked at Providence, which was ESSENTIAL in even getting this position in the first place. So few people had those critical, critical elements of experience that were absolutely required to get this job. I mean it was written in the job posting above "college athletics experience" and "bachelors degree" right?

So we can't think of a better time for you to, you know, spread your wings. Get out there and see everything non-New England has to offer! And get away from those scalawags you don't even like in the first place! So this is Roscoe, and he's going to take you over to your desk. Just make sure you get everything you need, and leave your ID card and keys with us right here. We'll take care of the rest, and hey, John... thanks for everything. Really, you won't be forgotten around here for a long, long time.

Important V5 Note: We don't enjoy dancing on graves here, even ones we thought should have been dug a long time ago. By all accounts, Marinatto is a good guy and well-liked by his peers. We wish him success and a soft landing, as he has a lot to offer college athletics in the future. But this was necessary, and probably took too long.

And to Daryl Gross and Steve Pedersen... well

Hoping you'll see... what your love means to me.

Gene Deckerhoff Expects FSU Fans To Outnumber USF Fans 2-To-1 In September

2012-05-05T01:44:23Z

(I also put this story in the Beach Bucket section of SB Nation Tampa Bay. But it's much easier to talk about it here.)

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I wish Gene Deckerhoff would retire from announcing. I can't listen to him call Bucs games anymore because he can't figure out who catches a pass (or if they catch it at all), who makes a tackle, how many yards someone gained, etc. etc. etc. Mundane plays are overhyped to make a four-yard pass sound like an 80-yard game-breaker. He's all like FIRE THEM CANNONS and daggers and calling out small towns and taunting the other team now, and it's tough to listen to if you remember how good Gene was in his heyday.

Gene also calls Florida State football games, so he was the obvious choice as an emcee at Raymond James Stadium when the Seminoles hosted an alumni event there tonight. See if you can figure out where this statement goes wrong:

Gene Deckerhoff, longtime voice of Seminoles and emcee tonight, says he wants FSU fans to outnumber USF fans "2 to 1" in Sept. game here.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 4, 2012

Raymond James Stadium seats 65,657 people. So after the roughly 21,000 USF season-ticket holders and the 12,501 seats in the student section, FSU fans will have to claim 67,002 of the remaining 32,156 tickets to make Gene's dream come true. And it's not like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's really not that hard to get FSU tickets in Tallahassee these days. Just ask the thousands of USF fans who went up there to watch the Bulls' 17-7 win in 2009.

Are there going to be lots of Seminoles fans at the game in September? Of course. I could see something like 15,000 easily, or even 20,000. But 2-to-1 FSU? That's a stretch of near O'Learyian proportions.

On Graduation, And Taking USF With You When You Leave

2012-05-04T13:01:28Z

Today's the tenth anniversary of my graduation day at USF. If you're walking across the stage in the newly-renovated Sun Dome this weekend, moving the tassel on your hat, and then tossing it into the air to celebrate, congratulations! You've accomplished something truly important and meaningful. No matter how old you are or how long it took you to get that degree, you should feel like the rest of your life is opened up in front of you, like a long corridor of doors with all kinds of great things and surprises behind any of them. Now you get to choose the one you want.

Just know that when you pass through whichever door you choose, USF will still be a part of you. You may or may not wear it on your sleeve like the five of us do, but it will always be in there. Quick story. A couple of weeks after I graduated, I interviewed for what became my first post-college job. At the time, USF and TCU were in the same conference, so there was some appeal in moving to Texas to keep watching the Bulls play. I mentioned that in the interview and the interviewer (who became my boss) told me that over time, that passion would fade away. Not only did it not fade away, it's become even stronger since then, and I was a student who got involved in activities, almost never missed football games, and once rode an all-night bus to Birmingham for a near-meaningless basketball game. I was a diehard and I still am.

But I'm not just a diehard about sports. It's almost a cliche that USF graduates come back to visit the campus after a few years away and immediately start babbling about how they don't recognize the place anymore. But it's true. The school you see now is much, much different than the one that Collin or Gary or I went to. More buildings, more activity, more possibilities, more energy. USF was still fighting the commuter-school stigma when I got there. Those days are over now. When I go back and it's harder and harder to park, and there are more buildings in the way, and there are tons of students running around at like 3:30 on a Friday afternoon, it excites me.

And look how the USF community rose up when J.D. Alexander decided to try and steal the Lakeland campus as his own personal legacy project. That was the most dedicated response to a non-sports situation I've seen at USF, maybe ever. It was so encouraging to see everyone rallying together for a common cause. You just never saw that kind of thing in my era, when most people's priorities were getting through their classes for the day and driving home.

Granted, sports are the most visible and recognizable way to be reminded of your connection to USF. You'll go to games in Tampa or somewhere else, or watch them on TV, or stream them online, and you'll feel happy when they succeed. There's also the more recent phenomenon of people seeing you in your USF gear and recognizing who they are. That only started happening a few years ago. (My favorite was when I went to Washington a few years ago and we visited the National Museum of American History, and the security guy asked me who was going to win the USF-Pittsburgh football game the next day as he was running the electronic wand over me to make sure I wouldn't blow the place up.) It's always fun when it happens.

But even if you don't follow sports, there will always be reasons for you to be proud of where you came from. USF will always be there with you. It never goes away.

Best of the Bull-ogosphere: May 3rd

2012-05-03T13:01:23Z

Morning V5ers! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, my brain has been reduced to mush with a newborn and a toddler running around the house. Parenthood! Let's see what we've missed.

1. The big news of course was Athletics unveiling the completely renovated Sun Dome. You can find photos of the ceremony here and a video on the right sidebar or click this link. First thoughts. Holy. Crap. It looks beautiful. Can't wait to bring my son over for a game next year.

2. Congrats to the Marci KornegayWomen's Golf team for winning their first Big East title by a stroke over Notre Dame this past weekend in Orlando. Wait for it...wait for it...Get your Gaga on ladies.

They will be off to Ohio State next week to participate in the NCAA Central Regional in Columbus. Best of luck ladies!

3. The softball team rebounded nicely last weekend, sweeping Villanova in a three game set. Ken Eriksen's squad moved up 1 spot to #16 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll while they held steady at #18 in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll.

4. Congrats to the sailing team who qualified for the national championships after winning the SAISA Conference Women's Championships two weeks ago. The victory moved the Bulls up #10 in the national polls.

5. Oh Rutgers, why must you wear such horrible uniforms.