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The View From No. 6? Bulls Surely Won't Rap It

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By Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2007

Updated: 10/02/2007 11:55 pm

The view from No. 6:

South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe knew something was up when he saw the downtown building lighted green and gold.

USF linebacker Ben Moffitt knew it as he drove from his home to school and saw Bulls flags flapping from cars on Interstate 75 - and it was Tuesday.

Did we mention the biggest news? In another step through the portal of national fame, Jim Leavitt, the hottest coach in the galaxy, appeared on Jim Rome's radio show Tuesday. In our America, that's like being blessed by the pope in Rome, or Romey.

One enterprising reporter pierced the inner sanctum of Leavitt's office to watch as Leavitt did the radio show. The rest of us scrambled for radios.

The view from No. 6.

'It's crazy around here,' Bulls kicker Delbert Alvarado said.

Did we mention his rap tribute to Grothe?

A Week For Bragging

Tampa is one big Bulls ring this week. Leavitt Town has been buzzing since USF walked off the field at Raymond James Stadium last Friday with West Virginia on their shoes.

There'll be another sellout in two weeks for Central Florida, that nice little program over in Orlando, not to be confused with the nice little programs in Gainesville, Tallahassee and Coral Gables.

Bulls fans have a lot of ground to make up to be as obnoxious as Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes, but the newcomers show promise. To them, it's not a question of who's the best team in the state, but by how much.

Bully for them.

It's a week for bragging. USF's stunning ascent means anything goes. The scene, repeated often on Fowler since the rankings hit the streets, has USF professors beginning classes with football lectures. Delbert said his mass communications teacher began class this way: 'Number 6! Number 6! Number 6!'

Coming soon: USF sells its English department to pay for Leavitt's raise.

The view from No. 6.

It's a week for dreamy scenarios of the road to 13-0, for breaking down those tin cans out front, USC, LSU, California, Ohio State and Wisconsin. You call those football schools?

Let's see, USC plays Cal, Ohio State plays Michigan, LSU plays Florida.

It all fits, doesn't it?

What about quarterback Grothe at the Heisman show between Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden?

Rappers Sing, Flags Flap

Grothe happily settles for the rap song teammate and former roommate Alvarado wrote and sings on Grothe's Web site.

Delbert gave us a taste:

'Word for word, and you can quote me

Mr. Heisman's going to Matt Grothe.'

'It's a dang good song,' Grothe said.

It's crazy around here.

Delbert might be our favorite Bull. A month ago, he was the kid who'd missed four field-goal tries at Auburn.

'I was as low as you could get,' he said.

Then he hit the pressure kick to tie the game. Then the Bulls won in overtime on a TD pass by Mr. Heisman.

And now they're No. 6. Now the kicker writes rap about the quarterback. Now the flags are flapping from cars and a city lights up green and gold.

The view from No. 6.

It's not as if Jim Rome made Leavitt bust wide open. Big Jim has his head buried in game film in his never-ending quest to out-Gruden Jon Gruden. And if Big Jim has nothing but Florida Atlantic on his mind, who's to argue?

Leavitt did say after his weekly news conference (dental drilling) that he would have let it rip if someone had asked about comments Alabama's Nick Saban (two losses) made about USF benefiting from lesser academic standards.

'It's not right what Saban said. We've done what we've done because we've worked extremely hard,' Leavitt said.

Think Nick Saban's saying anything about No. 76?

About No. 36?

Back to you, Romey.

And you, Delbert.

'This could get crazier,' Delbert said.

The view from No. 6.

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