Off of last year’s break-out season, USF won’t be sneaking up on anybody in 2008. And that includes the nationally ranked Kansas Jayhawks, who visit the Bulls for a national TV game Sept. 12.
For what it’s worth, ESPN loves USF’s chances to win its first Big East title this year. So say Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Lou Holtz.
Herbstreit also predicts a Florida-USC BCS championship game, with the Gators topping the Trojans for their second national championship in three years.
Even though a Leon County Circuit judge has tossed the proposed “tax swap” off the November ballot for being misleading, there is one key aspect to the proposed amendment that remains abundantly clear.
Arguably, it was the only way to resurrect one of this state’s “third rail” political issues: special interest tax exemptions, including services. Amendment 5 would have eliminated the property tax portion of school funding and forced lawmakers to choose ways to replace it. The mix of options would have included sales tax exemption repeals.
Ever since it cost Gov. Bob Martinez a re-election, it has been a political non-starter. It still is.
Here’s a suggestion for local candidates – especially incumbents: Try a lot harder to make prominent political forums. The prospects for good government – if that is not to become an oxymoron – demand no less.
Tampa’s Tiger Bay Club is a prime example. Its candidate forums – from school board to governor — are often televised and typically covered by print media. It’s an opportunity to put a candidacy – or incumbency – on display to political junkies and, via the media, to the public at large.
Unfortunately, in an era of base-pandering campaigns and image-enhancing strategies, it’s considered an unnecessary risk by some candidates.
If John McCain can speak to – and take questions from – the NAACP and Barack Obama can engage American Legionnaires, then District 6 County Commissioner Brian Blair — who is running countywide — can answer a few adversarial questions at Tiger Bay.
OK, it’s not his crowd, by and large. So what? Is a script always necessary?
One of the most important – and perplexing – issues in a county commission race today is the relationship between the county and the city. On balance, this one’s dysfunctional.
There are political and ideological divides, geographic and economic differences. Rural and urban stereotypes are unflattering and counterproductive. It’s enough to obscure that we do have more in common than in conflict.
If ever there were a time to eschew ugly, partisan politics as usual, it is now. It ever there were a time for a candidate to make his case across the entire county, it is now – during Hillsborough’s growth crucible.
If ever there was a time to show up where they don’t love you, it’s now.
“No guts, no glory, no re-election” should be the refrain.
Although Tropical Storm Fay skirted the Tampa Bay area, the implications in her Florida wake should have missed no one.
It doesn’t totally excuse former Gov. Jeb Bush’s indifferent effort on the part of Tampa, but a GOP presidential convention here in September would have had to come with evacuation scenarios and a back-up venue. Last month’s fetish convention might not have stood for that.
There’s also the hurricane-defying tradition of sending our kids back to school in the third week of August. “Welcome Back. See You Later In The Week. Stay Tuned.”
In 2003, Plant High School won all of one football game. The once-proud Panthers had fallen on the hardest of times; they were now Friday Night Lightweights. Dad’s Stadium orphans.
Enter new head coach Robert J. Weiner, who seemed almost oblivious to the riches-to-rags challenge. The whispers had grown deafening that the iconic, 82-year-old South Tampa institution, synonymous with affluence and academic achievement, had grown too soft to excel at a tough, non-country club sport.
But the long-time Jesuit High assistant had seemingly been preparing for this opportunity his whole career. His philosophy of old-school work ethic, zealot-like motivation, unwavering loyalty and community commitment — plus a fun, high-octane spread offense – may have found the perfect fit in high-profile, under-performing Plant High. He also realized that South Tampa was unique: a de facto small town within a major city and would likely rally around a revived football program.
When he arrived in ’04, Weiner quickly divined grid reality at Plant. “It wasn’t cool anymore to be on the football team,” remembers Weiner. “And that had to change. But we did see talent.”
Just not enough. Depth was a major concern.
“First thing,” recalls Weiner, “is to recruit your own school.” That he did.
“And start with character.”
To that end, he was fortunate to have inherited several core players, including defensive lineman Kevin McCarthy and quarterback Robert Marve, who readily bought in to Weiner’s organization-preparation-discipline-camaraderie mantra. Such “meaningful players” would have a program-wide ripple effect. (McCarthy would later become a National Scholar-Athlete and Marve the state’s “Mr. Football,” who now plays for the University of Miami.)
It also helped that Weiner was an English teacher. He wasn’t just preaching academic priorities. He embodied them. He’d sooner quote Rudyard Kipling than Knute Rockne. Players who took any of his classes soon spread the word that he meant business outside the white lines too.
Result: The team grade point average went from 2.48 in ’04 to a county-leading 3.28 last year.
Weiner also surrounded himself with a staff of 21 on-field coaches — including volunteers, some with professional experience — and two academic coaches.
In Weiner’s third season, 2006, Plant ran a 15-0 table and won the 4-A state championship, the first in the school’s history – and the first for any Tampa team since Richard Nixon was a rookie president. Last season Plant was merely very good – an 11-2, 4-A quarterfinalist. It is now a recognized state power.
Moreover, Plant is also on the national interscholastic stage. ESPNU will televise its Sept. 5 home game against cross-county archrival Armwood. The ESPNRISE.Com Fab 50 preseason national rankings have Plant at number 20. And to no one’s surprise, Plant’s reinvigorated reputation now has the attention of student-athletes who want to move into the Plant zone.
Weiner knows that score: Good begets better. “Kids will want to come because of what our kids have created,” he notes matter-of-factly.
As impressive as such success has been, the ’08 version of the Panthers could be something extra special, says Weiner, who doesn’t retreat into the cautious cocoon of coach-speak when assessing this season’s prospects.
He has a number of key players back led by All Everything quarterback Aaron Murray. Tight end Orson Charles is a big time blue-chipper. Wide receiver Allen Sampson could lead the state in total receiving yardage, projects Weiner. And more — including linebacker Mike Mirabella, receiver Nathan Marvel, defensive lineman Austin Clark, and defensive backs Hunter Baldwin and Javonte Martin.
“I’m very excited,” says Weiner. “We are very, very talented. We are getting better exponentially every day.”
Weiner’s ample confidence received a boost over the summer when Plant won back-to-back “7 on 7” titles. For teams with potent passing attacks, these are prestigious, off-season, proving grounds. Plant topped a statewide field of 46 teams to win the USF Sling & Shoot and then traveled to Beaverton, Ore., to capture the inaugural Nike “7 On” Football Tournament.
“The sky’s the limit,” underscores Weiner, who unabashedly calls Murray “the best player in the country,” one who is as inspiring as he is talented.
Could this be a deja preview — reminiscent of ’06?
“I think we’re more together (than in ’06), and we understand better what we’re all about,” adds Weiner.
In Weiner-speak having a better understanding moves on multiple levels. Players’ knowledge of and comfort with the extensive Weiner playbook is more advanced than two years ago. But no less important is familiarity with the Weiner modus operandi and value system.
Start with his definition of “success” as it applies to the Plant football program.
“The years will tell more than the short term, because football is a vehicle to teach kids how to be real men in the real world,” explains Weiner. “To be outstanding fathers and contributing members of the community.”
Along the way, points out Weiner, players will learn to care about each other as a byproduct of team play. “Teams are more than the sum of their parts,” he emphasizes.
Players also learn to put their experiences – and successes – into perspective. “We want our players to walk around with their heads up,” notes Weiner, “but not with their chests out.”
Weiner also teaches that helping the less fortunate is more than a nice gesture; it’s a societal imperative.
That’s why more than two dozen Plant players joined Weiner earlier this summer at the Muscular Dystrophy camp where he works as a counselor each year.
That’s why on Saturday mornings – after those Friday night games – players report to Dad’s Stadium for “Panther Pride Challenger Football.” Those who may have shone on the field of play the night before now help disabled kids – some in wheel chairs – feel special in their own “adaptive” games. There’s an announcer; the kids wear sponsor jerseys; and the fog machine is cranked.
“I want our players to know what a privilege it is to run through those goal posts in front of thousands of people,” says Weiner. “There are less fortunate kids who would give anything to be able to do that – or, in some cases, to do just one push-up.”
Inevitably, the term “father figure” is affixed to coaches like Weiner. The bond with impressionable youth is unique – and often life-lasting.
“Maybe call it ‘brother figure,'” chuckles Weiner, 43. “I don’t want to age myself too much. And I’m not there to replace a father. But a coach has a unique perspective. We see them at their best and their worst. I’ve been to funerals and weddings; to jail houses and hospitals. Whichever it is, we’re there.”
And in January it was reciprocated. While Weiner was in California for a coaches’ convention, a number of players and parents took it upon themselves to give him some Panther payback. They gave his South Tampa house a customized Extreme Home Makeover: Paint, sod, a power-washed driveway and some designer touches for favorite photos.
“It was pretty amazing,” says Weiner. “It was an outpouring of love. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Then there’s the take of a parent whose two sons have played for Coach Weiner at Plant. One was in on the Makeover.
“The boys always know where they stand,” asserts Gayle Sierens, the mother of Cam and Luke Martin. “They may be the star, or they may be low man on the depth chart, but they know Coach is there for them no matter their stature on the team. When you get that many kids buying into a program
Should the Rays make the playoffs, don’t look for the team to increase capacity at the Trop. It is now 36,048; used to be 43,700. According to a Rays’ spokesman, the team has no plans to unwrap that light blue tarp from those top-tier seats.
“We would not remove the tarp,” states Rays’ Vice President for Communications Rick Vaughn. “The building operates well at the current capacity. The seats beneath the tarps don’t provide the experience we expect to deliver to our fans.
“At this early stage, it has not been made clear to us if Major League Baseball would have the right to change that policy for the postseason,” adds Vaughn.
In other words, MLB might prefer maximum capacity for a World Series, should the Rays advance that far.
Speaking as someone who bought standing-room-only tickets to a Lightning-Flyers Stanley Cup playoff game in 2005, I would think utilizing additional capacity would make sense on multiple levels. Obviously, it makes for a bigger gate, and who knows how often this kind of opportunity will come around. To the Rays’ credit, it’s not all about cashing in.
But fans arguably would want in — to be privy to the electric atmosphere and the history. And fans understand that not all sight lines are created equal or priced equally — especially for playoffs. Plus, more leather-lunged fans would further fuel Joe Maddon’s “Pit” atmosphere for maximum home-field advantage.
*And speaking of the Rays, since when is it necessary — and it was — that a manager has to discipline a key player – during a pennant race – for not hustling? But that’s what Joe Maddon had to resort to recently with centerfielder B.J. Upton. Or was that the ghost of Delmon Young?
In his town hall meeting at St. Petersburg’s historically black Gibbs High School, Sen. Barack Obama fielded questions ranging from the treatment of Iraqi war veterans and his assessment of “No Child Left Behind” to a national catastrophe fund and the sub-prime mortgage meltdown. Important stuff with broad appeal.
Unless, that is, you’re an activist with the International Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement. Then what really matters can be summarized with the curt, direct-address banner unfurled by some of their members: “What about the black community, Obama?”
To his credit, Obama handled the grievance brigade adroitly. They were chastised for their boorish interruptions but given an opportunity – via a single member – to ask a question, essentially a rebuking restatement of the banner. Basically, it was an opportunity for a racial vent about oppression and an opportunity to more than imply that Obama was still not black enough.
Another day, another racial crucible — regardless of the predominant venue color. From the Irreverent Wright to primary code language to Jesse Jackson’s vulgar, marginalization fit to the audacity of mopes.
For the record, Obama said — OK, lectured — that he has, indeed, spoken out on matters of race, even if it wasn’t in Uhuru-approving fashion.
Even more telling — in front of a largely black gathering — was that none of Obama’s responses elicited louder, more enthusiastic applause than his pointed comments on education and the key, NON-governmental factors inherently involved.
Even after last season’s flirtation with football’s elite, it still seems incongruous to see USF begin a season with a national ranking. For the record, the Bulls are rated 21 by the USA Today college football coaches preseason poll.
More to the point, USF – still a relative newcomer on the national football scene – is ranked higher than the iconic likes of Penn State, Michigan, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Notre Dame.
Go, Bulls.
Twenty-five thousand people can’t be wrong, right? Wrong.
That’s the size of the crowd that turned out for the Houdini Light act of Las Vegas illusionist Criss Angel at Clearwater Beach a fortnight ago. As we all know, he emerged unscathed and barely tousled from the imploding, nine-story Spyglass Resort. It seemed more video scam than sleight-of-hand stunt.
Two additional points:
The event cost Clearwater $10,000 in police and traffic overhead. What a savvy investment for the sort of publicity that is well beyond most municipalities’ marketing budgets. The postcard-like Gulf, the picturesque municipal marina, the statuesque palm trees, the new, $30 million BeachWalk: a nationally-televised PR coup. Plus, Clearwater makes way for the Kiran Grand Resort and Spa.
Maybe more intriguing than Angel’s “escape,” was his rationale for his act’s appeal, skewed to a younger fan following. He said it was the same as Houdini’s. “
For those paying attention, that was another interesting quote served up by Cuban President Raul Castro in his recent speech to the National Assembly. Castro, long enamored of the Chinese model of economically pragmatic Communism, warned citizens that “realistic” communism was the new reality. That means the days of excessive state subsidies – designed to promote equality – are over.
“Socialism means social justice and equality, but equality of rights, of opportunities, not of income