Greetings from Newport ...

Hard to believe this is the fourth year I've made the late-summer trip to Rhode Island for the Big East's preseason football media gathering here. Flew up on the same flight from Tampa as USF's contingent of four players -- receiver Taurus Johnson, running back Ben Williams and linebackers Tyrone McKenzie and Brouce Mompremier -- and will see them again tonight at the league's annual clambake, a big meet-and-greet before the formal interviews Tuesday morning.

The most likely national story to come from here will be West Virginia, which almost assuredly will be picked to win the league when the conference's preseason media poll is announced. Quarterback Pat White, a legitimate top-five Heisman contender, will be a huge draw, as well first-year coach Bill Stewart, who took over the team in December after Rich Rodriguez left for the Michigan job. I put USF second on my ballot, but I think the Bulls will likely show up in third, just a few points behind Pittsburgh. Another Big East blogger and balloter, the Louisville Courier-Journal's Brian Bennett, believes USF will show up second in the poll. We'll have plenty of time Tuesday to reflect on who's overrated and underrated based on the preseason picks ...

-- ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach is here in Newport, and the New York Post is reporting that the Big East is exploring deals to have Army and Navy each play four games each season against Big East opponents, which would somewhat solve the problem of the conference's three-home, four-away (or vice versa) unbalanced schedule.

-- Had you heard this? I can't remember reporting it, but USF will play host to the Big East men's soccer semifinals and championship game on Nov. 14 and 16. USF, of course, is in the middle of major renovations to its track facility, but the Bulls will continue to be busy hosts in the next year, with the men's and women's tennis championships back in Tampa in April and the men's and women's golf in eastern Pasco County at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club the same week.

-- The news that USF has changed its 2010 opener from Samford to Stony Brook has drawn a few barbs from the Orlando Sentinel, which wonders why USF won't play Central Florida, but schedules a nearly anonymous team from New York. Again, the more legitimate gripe from there is that USF scheduled a home-and-home with Western Kentucky -- that's the game essentially displacing UCF on the schedule. Stony Brook isn't the 2010 equivalent of UCF; it's the 2010 equivalent of Tennessee-Martin, and once a team has a I-AA on the schedule, it's silly to quibble over the strength of that team. UCF's opening with South Carolina State in a month or so -- it's what teams do to get an extra home game where they can. Western Kentucky or Ball State? They're plainly less of a direct risk for the Bulls, that's all.

Comments

[Jim]

Greg, greetings as well. Why did you pick USF not to finish higher than WVU. I think they will have challenges with the coaching staff changes. Pittsburgh will loose to USF in Tampa but it will be close.

What did you talk with the players on the plane about?

[KBull]

Not on the topic but... Any info on Colby Erskin's rehab?

[Dave W]

I still don't like Schlabach. Why would ESPN send a guy who hates the conference?

[DELdaBULL]

To make news!

[G.A.]

Didn't sit with the players on the plane -- they see plenty of me as it is. I can report that Taurus Johnson was reading the Bible on the plane, which says as much about him as anything I could write. Me? Kakuro and Chuck Klosterman ...

On Colby Erskin, everything I hear is remarkably promising. Given that he made it all the way back in spring only to hurt himself again, I think you'll see the staff very cautious with him and not rushing anything at all.

[Bulliever]

I am a little off topic...But for good reason.

ESPN Live has created a POLL of the best looking football helmets called "Helmet Clash" and we are up against USC.

This would be a great win and hope we can knock off a powerhouse school...

Here is the link below...Make sure you pass this around...GO BULLS!

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=helmetsuscsouthflorida

[Don Corleone]

Why doesn’t Navy just become the ninth team? The Middies have been bowling the last five seasons, and only WVU can boast the same success in the Big East. As a former Naval Officer (ROTC route), I would enjoy playing Navy here and Annapolis which is beautiful in the fall. The only reason UCF is griping is because the memory of the 64-12 loss is conveniently slipping from their consciousness. As with last year, Mike Biancchi and the rest of the Slantinel honks will be glad to put the “Snore on I-4” to rest.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Taurus was reading the bible?? And I thought I was sensitive to a little airplane turbulance.

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."
Proverbs 29:25 NIV

Shalom my brother

[Taurean]

Thanks for posting that link Bulliever. I almost forgot to vote.

Everyone get out and vote for USF. We could actually knock off the mighty Trojans of USC!

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=helmetsuscsouthflorida

[Mike Lakeland]

Allow me to share my favorite Bible verse. I know that some of my Jewish brethern do not agree with the New Testament, but you can't argue about this little gem here:

"Jesus wept."
John 11:35

I used it every time someone asked me to quote a Bible verse as a kid. While other kids were stuck quoting all of Psalm 119, I took the easy way out!

[Steve Stacy]

The Orlando Sentinel says we need to continue the UCF rivalry for economic reasons...TWICE! Now I, for one, like the idea of a rivalry with UCF, even though they clearly represent a nothing-to-win situation for us (right now). But it is absolutely ludicrous for that writer to try to guilt us into playing their crappy team so our towns can make a few bucks. Everybody knows the solution to economic woes is to send everybody tax rebate checks! Maybe the government can co-opt the Sentinel's logic and print USF-UCF tickets for everybody as a way of shoring up the economy? I'm just spitballing here. Oh wait. Here's an idea.
Dear Sentinel Beat Writer,
If you want USF to continue to play your crappy team, field a squad that we can't hang 64 on while playing the 14th string the entire 4th quarter.

Sincerely,
Steve Stacy

P.S. (a haiku)

UCF is bad.
They really are horrible.
I think you know that.