Noon again: Kickoff set for USF-Louisville game

For years, we've been shouting from the rooftops an unfettered love of daytime kickoffs here on the blog, singing the praises of games with actual time to interview players and coaches and occasionally even write a coherent story in time for the next day's newspaper.

But even we must step back and notice the number of noon kickoffs for the Bulls -- the next Saturday game, against Louisville at home on Nov. 21, has been set for a noon kick, with local TV broadcast on WFTS, Ch. 28. That's four straight noon kicks on Saturday games, going back to Florida State, then Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

We'll reverse field a little bit and pre-emptively cross our fingers in hoping for a night kickoff for USF's home game against Miami. My brother Steve, you see, is getting married on Nov. 28 on the other side of the state, and of course, you wouldn't miss your brother's wedding for anything. But it's an 11:30 a.m. wedding (no word on TV yet) so there's the possibility of me driving back across the state for an evening kickoff. Otherwise, I'm missing my first game in six seasons on the beat. Again, repeat after me: Night kickoffs are our friend ... night kickoffs are our friend.

-- He hasn't suggested anything otherwise, but quarterback B.J. Daniels said Monday that he still intends to play basketball for the Bulls after football season. Daniels, a walk-on guard who played sparingly as a freshman, would again have a small role for the Bulls, who return point guards Chris Howard and Justin Leemow and add Ohio State transfer Anthony Crater the second week in December.

The opportunity to play both sports was a big part of why Daniels chose USF, but it will be interesting to see how willing football coach Jim Leavitt is to have his starting quarterback playing basketball for two months or more in the offseason.

Comments

[gobulls32]

Thanks Steve.

Greg,
Family first Bud. Always.
You know the bosses would run off and miss work for their families so you should do be able to do the same.
Congrats to your Bro...idiot.
Kidding of course. I love my wife.

[Jonathan]

Greg....Good to hear....Sorry to sound so preachy, but it's obvious that you work your tail off on your coverage of USF. That's great for all of us, but we need you around so it's important to us that you don't burn out. Ergo, all the unsolicited advice.

Congratulations to your brother.

Go Bulls!

[G.A.]

Again, guys, I wouldn't leave the wedding or the reception for a football game. If the reception's over and I can make it to a key game, I'll try to do both. Any kind of daytime kickoff makes it less of a decision to worry about.

[USFShep]

GA

Family, Family, Family. Thats all that matters and you know it. Run off to a football game from your Bro's wedding? Don't even thinkaboudit!!!

Congrats.

[Son of a Beach]

I miss the old days when we weren't constantly moved for TV coverage and all our games were Saturday nights at 7:00. Now not only do we constantly get moved to either week nights or Saturday mornings but (having season tickets 9 rows up behind our bench) I'm constantly screened on plays by that fricken moving ESPN sideline camera cart that is elevated to exactly my field of view. How about they move that piece of fan obstruction to the visitor's side of the field?

[USFMikeB]

The last thing we need is a story written by Turd, aren't his posts bad enough?

[Bill B.]

GA, why don't you just have the bloggers write the story and you pretend to be the editor. That way you can enjoy the family and we might have an interesting story to put in the paper.
Turd can write from the staduim. Others can write from their venues, watch parties, bars, etc.

[BullBard]

Greg, are there any other QB recruits Leavitt may be targeting? And, congrats on your brothers wedding, take that day off and enjoy the festivities.

[Ken]

All kidding aside, Greg, Jonathan is right: Enjoy the wedding, reception, and whatever else the family is doing. If it works, drive back for the game, but not if you're drinking at the reception, and you should be. :) Watch it on TV for once--if that means you're not allowed even to write about it for the paper, we'll sure enjoy your comments here.

[Steve O'Neal]

Gobulls32, no apology needed. Nothing wrong with being a proud parent! Congrats to your son and good luck to him and all your children.

[gobulls32]

Just an addition note to that it also sucks because my oldest son and i now may have attended our last USF game together against WV. We have been going since season 1. He's off to college next year. Got acceptance letter to USF yesterday (and a 75% academic scholarship, proud dad moment there) but not sure where he'll go. If he goes to USF, he'll be in the student section and not with dad.
Excuse my personal ramblings if you will.

[gobulls32]

One of my son's has HS state cross country championships that morn (if they qualify at regions this fri), a basketball game at 3:30 and a cross country season ending party at 5pm. The other son has state finals for marching band starting Sat am and depending on how they do, it continue into the night. I could have possibly made a night game but no way in hell can i make a nooner. Sucks because i hate L'ville and we 'should' kill them this year. Guess i got 4 tix and a parking pass to shed. On the other side a noon start is good for UM. Another hoops game at 7 that night.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=522643856]

Greg.. Even if it's a night kickoff for USF-Miami. Go ahead and miss it if it means time with your family on your brother on his wedding day.

The game might be memorable - but never as memorable as your brother's wedding day.

[Bulliever]

Grumble.... Those noon kick-offs are so darn early... We'll try to keep it simple... and pack for an "after the game tailgate". At the last game we did 'made to order' personal pan pizzas on the grill... Delicious.

The good news is that the game ends early enough to get home at a decent time...

[G.A.]

Still not sure what we'll do or if I'll be able to cover the game. With a night kickoff, I'd still be at the entire reception. I don't want to miss anything important on my family's end.

[Ken]

I'd forgotten, but we won't be able to be there either unless it is an evening game--we'll be out of town for the holiday, and can't get back until Saturday late afternoon. Love those evening kickoffs!

[Martha Stewart]

So you are skipping the reception? I'm guessing you won't be a first ballot inductee into the Brother Hall of Fame.

[Bill B.]

To add insult to bad kick off. Rutgers got the 3:30 slot and we got the noon slot. We need to hit them harder.
At least we did not have an 11am kick off. We have seen two of those.

[Kevin]

How could your brother have his wedding on the day of the USF/Miami game? Seriously.

[Ken]

Although I've always understood your views on the time of games, I've never felt the same way, and I'm glad to see you finally coming around: Night games are our friend. On the other hand, this is post-time change, so with even a 7pm kickoff, we'll have to be taking lanterns to our tailgate events. 3:30 would be okay for the fans, but Greg won't make it. Look, tell your brother that if we win the two between now and then and we get another early kickoff, he'd got to move the wedding up to 7 or 8am. Mimosas in the morning--great way to start the day.

[G-man]

One of these days, there will be a homecoming game scheduled at which I will be able to attend the pre-game alumni tailgate.

[Nathan]

I'm fair skinned. Night kickoffs are _always_ my friend.

[Mr. Snrub]

Barring injuries, I'm all for BJ playing basketball. The plus side is it keeps him in great shape throughout the football off-season. Last year's spring game was evident of that.

[Matt N]

While I do prefer night games, noon games are good because students have less time to drink because they probably won't wake up until 11:30. I normally sit in the student section because I'm a grad student. But there was were too many altercations and throwing up near me at the last night game.

But noon games are bad for attendance. So expect 10,000 less. We have a night-time tradition and anything otherwise is just not the same :)

[Amanda]

I am praying for a cold front to blow through or it'll be another hot afternoon at Ray Jay. That FSU game was brutal.

[Bill B.]

Mimosa and pancakes at the Homecoming. Could be fun and the weather should be real good also. Not too hot or too cold. As long as it don't rain.

[David Weber]

So that should be on 360? I hope so. 360 is pretty much the best thing that's happened for football fans in a long time. Hopefully the NFL will relax their antiquated rules and allow games to be shown online.