Good Luck and Best Regards

[upperdeck]

I hope to get a chance to meet some of you USF fans at the Pizza Bowl...Please disregard some of the trash talking ECU fans that have invaded your board....We know full well that USF is the better football program right now and why you guys were deserving of membership in the BE...Metro market...Fla. exposure for the BE.  I congratulate USF for making the most of the opportunity...ECU really is in a terrible positon to ever be admitted into an BCS conference.  Our location in the center of the ACC makes us almost a non-issue...not to mention...we really dont have any TV market to speak of.  Yes..we have been around awhile and have had sporatic success, but our growth has been tough.  I think some ECU fans have held it against USF because or your quick progress, knowing how hard it has been for us to  get where we are.  I guess the only real thing we have consistantly going for us is our fans....Even through the horrible ordeal we faced for 2 years after firing Steve Logan...We still had pretty good attendance and our fans remain diehards.  Ill be the first to admitt we have a lot of fans with a huge chip on their shoulders...myself included. We are part of the 16 school UNC system and have always had to fight like hell for what ever piece of the pie that we get.  The vast majority goes to UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State.   Yes....we have an inferiority complex that is sometimes dangerous and just silly and juvenile.....The vast majority of ECU fans are not that way....I havent missed a home game at ECU in over 10 years and travel to cheer them on whenever its possible.....I never badmouth the other team and it pisses me off when our own fans do it.....Yes I may shoot out a jab once in a while, but its in fun.  

again ....hope you guys show up in droves and lets fill the stadium as full as we can for the TV audience....I think both schools would like to have played other opponents....but it is what it is......Good Luck! seeya in Birmingham!

[outrunner]

I have a question.

Why do ECU fans feel USF stole your spot in the Big East?

I do not wish to start something. I just want to hear an honest view from an ECU fan.

[upperdeck]

I think I explained the Pirate fans frustrations in my post...It really hasnt anything to do with USF but a feeling of coming close to where we would like to be and not getting a shot.  USFs admission in the BE was a no-brainer for the BE....TV market and Florida exposure.  I never felt USF stole anything....I thought it was the correct decision for the conference.   I do think that we have something to offer BE...Fans that travel and exposure in the Southeast....But the bottom line is that we have had a lean 5 or 6 years in football and a really horrible basketball program....The BE would probably help us in roundball the most.  We do have a very good baseball program that would increase the prestige of the BE and  can contend for any conference title in the country.  Most of us are very aware that some type of goofy shakeup would have to occur to get us out of ....as you guys call it CDOA ....and quite frankly...untill we can win that conference title....We dont deserve it.  Im sure thats some of the reasoning behind all the trash talk....USF got the opportunity and to its credit...has made the most of it.   Again...good luck in the Pizza bowl...I think you will see a better team than you faced before...but I would still consider us the dog in this game.

[Velcro]

as long as we aren't the Tree to your dog, i'll be happy  

[upperdeck]

honestly the last thing I want this year is to be favored..Vegas had us underdogs most of the season and we beat the spread 10 out of 12 times.....Ive got a friend who made a living betting on us this season.

[Cubanbull]

Thanks for comming to our board and posting. I have been a follower of college football for along time and im very aware of ECU's accomplishments and could understand their frustration at being passed by the Big east for USF.

I think many fans get defensive when someoneelse attacks their team, there are some good reasons for USF's rapid rise and inclusion in the Big East and unfourtunately other fans have to try to find negative things and invent lies to put our program down

See you in Bham

[upperdeck]

I knew from the day that USF went D1 that being in the Tampa market...And yes...I knew USF was in Tampa....that your program would take off....The talent pool in Fla. is rich that there was plenty go around....I will say however...that USF had an incredible case of great timing and well as a solid football team when the BE came calling.....Hey I congratulate USF for making the most of the opportunity.

[Grateful Dad]

Subject: Re: Dont post to the Bullpen......  

Posted by: upperdeck on Sun Dec 3 2006 8:41:48 PM  

Message:

Just read the crap they are spewing and send it to the ECU athletic

Dept. for lockeroom motivation...They have NO respect for us and

think this game will not even be close.

Hmmm...will the real upperdeck please stand up?  And still we allow you guys on our board. That shows confidence on our part.

[Cubanbull]

See what some of you guys call "timing" is also because our school made the right decisions.

Our school moved from the Sun Belt to the Metro then to CUSA. Our AD realized that the future of our athletic dept would depend in football because that sport would have bigger effect in the future so football was started.

Now imagine where our program would be

IF we hadnt moved out of Sun Belt? Even starting football we would be in Sun Belt like FAU or FIU.

What about IF we hadnt started football 10 years ago? We would have been kicked out from CUSA and would probably be in the Atlantic Sun.

So while the timing has been great IT was not luck but well planning. IF the Big East was just looking for a school in Florida they could have taken UCF. But their AD made major mistakes that put them at a disadvantage.

So thats the big problem that I have with fans of other schools that think we were just lucky to have been in Florida. While that was a factor It was NOT the only factor and it was NOT just plain luck

[upperdeck]

Im busted.....I admit it...After reading some things here I was upset....But I have calmed down.  I think everyone has....I read your posted Christmas letter and it didnt bother me....I saw nothing in it that should have been deleted or had you tossed from the board...maybe Randy will reconsider....He has probably calmed down also.