A funny Jim Leavitt?

[Brad]

The Lakeland Ledger

A funny Jim Leavitt?

Contributed by Rick Brown - Posted: August 28, 2007 5:06:55 PM

South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt is not known for his humor but on Tuesday before the Bulls' weekly press conference, Leavitt was in a good mood. Not sure how long this will last. Once Leavitt's attention is totally on football, he would rather watch game film for hours than spend time with the press.

Anyway, Tuesday was a good day. Let me explain.

Catch 47 is broadcasting Leavitt's press conference live every Tuesday. So, when he got to the front of the media throng, he had to wait about four minutes before the show came on.

"How exciting is this?'' Leavitt said while waiting, generating laughs from the 20 or so media members. Then turning serious, Leavitt turned to the Catch 47 guy (Chris Clark?) and said, "appreciate what you are doing. I really do. Those things are big for this program. We are humble enough to embrace it and appreciate it too.''

Before he went on live, Leavitt, who was coughing and whose voice was raspy said, "I probably won't be able to talk or say anything. Never could before anyway so, what's the difference.''

Then, after Clark threw it to Leavitt, this was the coach's opening:

"Well, it's good to get it started again,'' he said. "Obviously, this time of year, my voice is pretty much shot. I don't know if it just happened the last few years. I don't know if it happened when I turned 50. I don't know exactly why but bear with me.''

Don't know if it happened when I turned 50? That's funny stuff. Here's hoping it continues.

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[E.T.]

With Grothe and Taylor, expecting better ink from The Ledger.