Last night I sat in my seat in the USF Sun Dome to watch yet another VERY exciting Women's Basketball game. Coach Jose Fernandez has turned the WBB program at USF into a power house of talent that seldom disappoints anyone who has taken the time to attend a game.
Last nights' opponent was UConn, another power house, known nationwide for its success and all-star players. The game was exciting, USF had the lead, then UConn had the lead, back and forth, hit shots....3 pointers...missed shots...great rebounds...up and down the court....it was difficult to remain seated! We had a feeling that facing a top ranked team wouldn't add anything to our "W" column, nonetheless the ladies gave UConn a run for their money.
The UConn coach was bothered by some of the heckling that the USF students were doing and found it necessary to cross the court and confront the students, calling one of them an a-hole. Highly unprofessional, but I guess when you coach a team with a history of winning you can get away with things like that.
All in all it was a great night! Tristan Webb and Nalini Miller both brought their "A" games, it's a shame they couldn't have won the game.
As I exited the Sun Dome I stopped to speak briefly with some of the USF Athletics staff and couldn't help but comment on how very sad it was that of the 5, 250+ fans in the building.....USF fans were grossly outnumbered but UConn fans. Where were the students? Where is the community? The USF WBB program has a winning record, an All American in Jessica Dickson, a local player (Chi Chi Opaeleke, who attended Tampa Tech), and you can get a great deal of excitement for around $5.00 per ticket! Perhaps the apathy lies in the fact that it's a Women's team. The Men's team doesn't have nearly the success that the Women do and yet they consistently pull in 3,000 + per game.
Is Tampa able, or willing for that matter, to support college and professional athletics? I vote NO. Perhaps it's the transient population, or maybe our hearts just aren't in it. Either way it's a shame for the athletes who work so hard. The women will close their season on 2/26/07 at 7pm v. Seton Hall, I hope I am not alone in the Dome giving these ladies the appreciation they have earned.
GO BULLS!!!
