Now batting, University of South Tampa
I probably cultivate it a little with posts like this, but nothing gets USF fans' dander up quite like their school being identified incorrectly, especially in the national media. Today's contribution is one I hadn't heard before, but the Yankees blog of the New York Daily News has a reference today to the "University of South Tampa," which apparently plays the Yankees in a spring training exhibition Friday at Legends Field in Tampa.
One fun little nugget to glean from that blog is that UST -- sorry, USF volunteer assistant Tino Martinez, a guest instructor of the Yankees this spring, will be in pinstripes Friday and not his Bulls uniform. Tino's advice to USF: "You don’t want to beat them," he says of the Bronx Bombers. "You want to be invited back."
Just so you don't think the Bulls are taking this too seriously, Lelo Prado will have his Friday starter, Daniel Thomas, throwing tonight at home against Oklahoma State, resuming his regular rotation Saturday, so he'll allow a bunch of pitchers to throw against the Yankees and have that experience under their belts.
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
I want to beat them. I hate the yankees, and how often do you get to beat their football team (WVU) and baseball team in one school year?
I hope CLP plays to win, it's OK to throw a lot of pitchers, but don't treat it like it is all fun and games, it's a real chance to showcase some guys, and nothing says I can play in the Major League like ripping into the Yankees.
Posted by: Adam | February 28, 2008 at 10:40 AM
That is right up there with being called "University of Florida Southern" during the football season. I mean I know we aren't terrible well known for our athletics across the board, but for the love of cheese, we have the 9th largest University by terms of enrollment. And the it isn't like the Yankees aren't familiar with Tampa, I mean there are probably more Yankee fans than Rays fans in the damn city.
Posted by: GregP | February 28, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Adam you lost me. WVU is in WEST VIRGINIA, and the NY Yankees are in NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK (all caps to get your attention).
How do you equate the football team of school from the cousin-loving state of WV to a professional baseball team from NYC?
Posted by: The Truth | February 28, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Truth:
He was referring to last year's game when the West Virginia team came off the bus wearing Yankees caps and when coach, er, ex-coach Rich Rodriguez compared his team to the Yankees because everybody came to see them.
Posted by: fly on wall | February 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I went to the University of South Tampa. Much rougher than the School of Hard Knocks.
Posted by: G-man | February 28, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Tino should be wearing the green & gold Friday. I have lost some respect for him.
Posted by: Miles Lamoureux | February 28, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Sounds like Tino is making some $ this spring with the Yanks. Probably should wear the colors of his employer.
It's no knock on the Bulls.
Posted by: KB | February 28, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Wow. The daunted New York media strikes again! hmmm. so this writer was so intelligent that when he read the schedule he saw University of South Florida and his tired little mind got all confused and wrote South Tampa? Maybe he will keep this in mind when he goes to rip A-Rod for only hitting 50+ homers instead of 60+. To err is human.
Posted by: George Steinbrenner | February 28, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Ha! I left a comment complaining about the mistake, and the writer fixed it.
Thanks Greg for mentioning this, and thanks to Mark Feinsand for fixing it.
Posted by: Unix Pimp | February 28, 2008 at 02:22 PM
Hey, at least he knows what city we're in. It's a looooong ways mentally and physically from NYC to South Tampa.
Posted by: Ken | February 28, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Further proof that despite our size, outside of the Tampa area and Big East football, we still are not well known.
Posted by: Joe | February 28, 2008 at 02:52 PM
How come the talking heads can call the Golden Showers "UCF", while we get stuck with the directional "South Florida"?
We should be "USF", and the Mickey Mouseketeers should be "Central Florida".
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | February 28, 2008 at 04:51 PM
I really liked the Joba interview in the Oracle today. Tino's response at the end was pretty funny (and a little too true). As a former baseball player, I know that anything associated with the bigs is the coolest thing that'll ever happen to you, unless you make it, of course. For most guys, this as close as they'll get, and I like that Lelo recognizes that. Hopefully, it'll become an annual tradition.
The Mets should bring down the Johnnies and we could all get together for an exhibition tournament.
Posted by: Dave W | February 28, 2008 at 09:37 PM