in Pitt Football 1,946 Words

A Pitt Fan’s Holiday Wish List

It is one week until Christmas Eve and time is getting short to get those special requests into The Christmas Guy Who Gives Out Things so that our football program can grow and be like the big programs.  Just like those powerhouses Ohio State, Penn State…

Wait a second friends!  Is that what we really want?  Do Pitt fans want to have our program become so big and powerful that it influences other aspects of the university in a negative way?

Not me.  I like Pitt football’s place in the Pitt world just fine. 

Every time I think about PSU’s past pedophile scandal and it’s cover-up I get a bit sick . More recently we have read about North Carolina’s prescribed program to keep borderline athletes in school by enrolling them in ‘paper classes’ and artificial grades.

It doesn’t stop there.  College football has been hit with some atrocious news regarding schools, teams and coaches, the list is hard reading but true.  However,  you know what I don’t see in all of this?

Any references to the University of Pittsburgh, that’s what. And how very satisfying is that fellow Pitt fans? 

Pitt never having been censured or sanctioned by the NCAA for rules violations is as rewarding to me as a Pitt fan as our nine national championships. Most schools can’t do say that – Pitt can and is still doing things the right way.

If you’ve read my stuff for the last seven or so years then you also know that I hold Pitt to high standards when it comes to the football program.  I believe there is a higher calling to athletics as entwined into a university’s life than just winning games.

Some fans don’t feel that way though and if so I ask them… then why are you so supportive and proud of James Conner?  He’s a good football player but that isn’t why we love him so much.  He’s been awarded every personal honor under the sun yet almost none of them had to do with yards gained or touchdowns scored. 

In all honestly, and strictly as a football player, Conner’s current season doesn’t jump out on the national scale.  He’s played well but not like he did in 2014.  His successes at Pitt didn’t necessarily tie into us winning championships or even having constant winning seasons; in his great 2014 season we went 6-7.  His first year at Pitt we were 7-6. Pretty average actually… so why then do we all love him?

It is because we, and the sporting world, look at young Mr. Conner and see a man who has battled the worst life can throw at you and has done it gracefully and with his mind set on helping others as he’s fought his own illness. And as he won his battle he worked hard with others patients, some much younger, to fight their battles and in doing so won many hearts along the way.

In the midst of his turmoil he understood his real importance in life – that of being a role model to others and it had nothing to do with touching a football but everything to do touching young hearts.

No, what sets him apart and makes others place him on a pedestal (which he quickly steps down from each time its done) is his inherent goodness and his understanding of the true meaning of his time on earth.  He’s played and lived through travails most of us will never have to face because that is what he is and what he’s been taught.

In doing that he’s shone the most positive of light on an institution that not only gave him a platform to succeed between the lines on the playing field but in a very real sense saved his life.  Most schools don’t do the full and detailed medical screening that Pitt does with our athletes. It was that ‘unnecessary’ screening that revealed the carcinoma in his chest and started him on his long, hard journey.

This is the type of caring decision-making and athletic department I want Pitt to always have.

It is also an athletic department which was reeling under negative press just six years ago with years of double-digit player arrests, some because of horrific violent actions, which put a lot of real stress on the institution’s sterling reputation.

What does Pitt do?  They made major changes in the football program, got rid of a large part of the roster and began to recruit true student/athletes who weren’t historically inclined to crime or misbehavior.  That isn’t an easy thing to do in this day and age but Pitt did it and look at the results.

Remember Pitt fans loudly stating that you have to have thugs on the team to win games?  Remember all those high school kids who Paul Chryst recruited and who fans called ‘just choirboys‘ and looked down their noses at? 

What those lowly recruits did was grow to become the strong and dedicated team we have seen win eight games in the past two years under Pat Narduzzi. When he was hired Narduzzi grasped the impact of recent history at Pitt and strove continued the positive and good way forward than he had begun early on with his recruiting and leadership.

That he has done and well.

On his watch numerous arrests before has turned into only two arrests since July of 2015, when he first arrived, of players who were not recruited by him.  He handled those arrests with the exact amount of discipline needed and it worked out well for both the offenders and for the university.

So Narduzzi has shown us the important fact you can win games and still have a 360° football program fans can be damned proud of. Kudos to him and to Pitt for doing that and continuing down that right path.  They gasped the importance of their respective positions and responded accordingly.

My own holiday  wish list is this then. 

I want a Pitt to keep its priorities in order and to keep this mission statement close to heart:

The University’s mission is to:

  • provide high-quality undergraduate programs in the arts and sciences and professional fields, with emphasis upon those of special benefit to the citizens of Pennsylvania;
  • offer superior graduate programs in the arts and sciences and the professions that respond to the needs of Pennsylvania, as well as to the broader needs of the nation and the world;
  • engage in research, artistic, and scholarly activities that advance learning through the extension of the frontiers of knowledge and creative endeavor;
  • cooperate with industrial and governmental institutions to transfer knowledge in science, technology, and health care;
  • offer continuing education programs adapted to the personal enrichment, professional upgrading, and career advancement interests and needs of adult Pennsylvanians; and
  • make available to local communities and public agencies the expertise of the University in ways that are consistent with the primary teaching and research functions and contribute to social, intellectual, and economic development in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

I do not want athletic glory at all costs to be mixed in with the above mandate in any way.

I want Pat Narduzzi to keep an eye on what is as, if not more important, than winning games.  That is his charge from the university to take young high school boys and develop them into well-rounded and decent student athletes who will graduate and make the University proud during their time at Pitt and beyond.  That is my mission statement for him.

I want the current and future Pitt football players to understand that a scholarship to play  at the university of Pittsburgh is not an inherent right but a gift and bargain given to them with the understanding that both sides have rules, requirements and a debt to be paid.  It isn’t enough to just suit up and play ball.

There is a need for the student-athlete to understand that he is indeed in a partnership with not just the football program or athletic department but the school as a whole and as such he is placed in a position of real personal responsibility.  If one forgets or can’t figure out how to do that then call James Conner as soon as possible.

I want Pitt fans to understand above all that even though athletics is but a small part of a university’s life it is still a very important one.  But that level of importance should never be risen above the University’s well-being itself.  Football at Pitt is a “part of” and not “the reason for“. 

When we fans forget that; when we look at Pitt football players and see only that they are hired players in uniform and not young men with the same life problems any student in college has, then we have lost hold of the spirit in which college football is played and enjoyed. 

That spirit isn’t the school’s responsibility, nor is it the athletes’;  it is ours as fans. When we overly criticize or insult a Pitt player personally it says way more about us than it does about him.

Because like it or not we fans are role models also.  When attending a game let’s not forget for a minute that all those Pitt students attending also are watching us as adults and how we behave. Good sportsmanship should transcend school ties and be the rule of the day and not the exception.

When we travel to other school’s campuses to attend an away game we need to understand we are representing the University – the same as when other school’s fans are visitors to our home games. We are Pitt ambassadors by our intent and our actions and should accept that responsibility willingly. If one can’t truly understand the positive competitive spirit in which inter-collegiate sports is played than maybe a second thought about why we are a fan in the first place is in order.

Finally, for my holiday gift to myself I want to be the best Pitt fan I can be.

That means I support and represent the university through my maturity and sense of joy. It is easy to blindly believe, follow without question, criticize or love something 100% without reservation. It is also not, for me, the correct way to undertake what is and has been a big part of my adult life.

If something is important to me as I have allowed Pitt football to become then I care about it in all ways – and not just in what the scoreboard says. When the time comes that all this isn’t enjoyable for me any longer; when it is more than just a small worry or a good feeling depending, then I’ll back off and examine just what I am doing and why I’m doing it.

College football is wonderful and Pitt football is great and fun and I want to keep seeing it that way. If I criticize I need to have a basis for it; if I praise the same applies.  But in no terms will I forget that, above all, these are young men out there on the field of play wearing Pitt uniforms and they are doing the best they can do for us – the fans. 

I owe them a debt of thanks for their efforts, just as I owe the University the same and I’ll try my best to show that appreciation every time I am acting as a Pitt fan and so representing the University. That will be a gift I give myself when I look in the mirror.

Happy Holidays however you celebrate… even if a bit early.

HTP!!

 

55 thoughts on “A Pitt Fan’s Holiday Wish List”

  4. Great read Reed. I asked a while ago about a POV flag for tailgate identification. But what about POV baseball caps? Proceeds benefit your charitable work and we can identify each other easily at games. I can front some funds to assist. (Me being a better Pitt fan😁)

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  5. Reed is celebrating a special Christmas Eve one week late’ but other than that he is dead spot on. Not that we are pure, but the formal record is clean. As much as I bitch I can live with that. Ask yourself, would you rather be Louisville, NC, Baylor, The U, …. I could go on and on, but I will need a shower just typing those names. Again, we aren’t pure, but I sincerely believe we try! Just be careful, this is how success with honor can come about!

       I would like:

    1) Pitt fans to take joy in the success’ we have, and enjoy the moment.
    2) Local media to recognize the university and the teams, and not think making fun of Pitt is their duty. We should never be anyone’s punching bag!
    3) removal of every yellow seat from the stadium.
    4) To be able to blend Dr. Tom and UPitt, so you have the perfect Pitt fan!
    5) To get my hands on DKs meds! He obviously isn’t using them LOL.

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  6. How we act at away games represents Pitt! Still can’t get over many middle age PSU woman with Gucci handbags wearing “shit on Pitt” blouses! How fitting!

    I want it all Reed! I want your scenerio but I want Pitt Football to be up there with the big boys. I want fellow Alums to care ( even half as much as I do will be fine). I want fellow Pittsburghers to put their feelings and attendance on a par with Steelers and Pens!

    I want Pat Narduzzi to stay 10 years and lead Pitt to unseen heights as did Michalosin, Majors and Sherril.
    I want Pat to become a legend and have our new on campus stadium named in his honor in 2025!

    Great thoughts Reed… just not aspiring enough for me.

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  7. I have one wish to add. How about continuity at the HC position. I think that with Nardie in place most of his Asst Coaches will stay in place, unfortunately that also seems to mean the DC. On balance continuity is better than continuous upheaval.

    Love to see a young innovative OC as a 2nd wish.

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  9. Pitt seems to have its priorities right. You can’t prevent every kid from doing something stupid, but if you make it a priority to recruit quality kids it makes it happen less often.

    Schools with institutional bad behavior should be dealt with harshly, but it doesn’t happen because of big money and well paid lawyers. Media always mentions our coaching carousel or attendance, but never mentions, the Penn State cover-up, the Louisville Hooker scandal, Syracuse whatever, UConn, UNC, Calipari’s track record Notre Dame or Vandy rapes etc. All of these are quickly forgotten.

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  10. I would like Narduzzi to stay here for 10 years.

    I would like Barnes to learn how to hire a coach without having to hire a consulting firm to make his decision for him.

    I would like to beat the pedos again next year in front of 100K cultists and the great Pitt fans who make the trip.

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  13. Football at Pitt is a “part of” and not “the reason for“.

    Most schools dont understand that. Most fans surely dont. And most fans dont comprehend how their actions reflect upon the school.

    We are Pitt. We do things the Pitt Way. If that means, no national championships but no scandals or cheating or major violations, then I’m all for that. But, Karma will reward us with lightening in a bottle one year. It will all be worth it.

    Pitt is It. Hail to Pitt!

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  14. A Christmas gift for me would be a continued clean program AND reaching 10 regular win seasons on a regular basis and high profile bowls on a semi- regular basis.
    Hey, a guy can dream right?

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  15. Dear Santa: Thank you for sending the wonderful elf Reed (though he is tall for an elf) and the wonderful POV site and fellow POVers. Elf on a Shelf says UPitt is hitting the egg nog HARD, he almost sounded giddy above,
    Wishes 1) that we continue to be a University we can be proud of (see Elfin Reed above)
    2) an AD who wants to be here and who will come up with an innovative way to get an OCS beyond the public funds or one huge donor approach – it can be done, perhaps i should outline it for EJ who should have the AD title as anyone with Reed’s endorsement and who could put up with Cornhole earned it.
    3) Good health for all POVrs on the pub crawl which I hope to join next year where we wear our POV caps in blue and gold with Pitt script on (interesting off season topic or project, good idea last row),
    4) Better meds for DK; endless taps (or bottles of our favorite). for UPitt, Emel, Big B and others (me)
    5) A wonderful new year for all.

    ps less yellow seats would be nice as well as fewer Ped State grads in the PG sport department- especially you Cook The Denier..
    HO HO HO. (no not those kind UPiitt)

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  16. Joe Knew!

    Upittbaseball & Dr. Tom – – – – – –

    I give you….

    Dr. Baseball (Poof)

    Haha

    RKB – You are a good man! I look forward to meeting you guys soon enough.

    I think we need a map of US where our POV’ers live. I’d love to meet you all. Hell I travel enough.

    Reed let’s get that together. Like a map contact list.

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  17. Is this a wish list for political correct gifts? If not, I’m going for it.

    A brand new AD who is a diehard PITT man.
    Big donors and boosters to come back home and help out your old school.
    A new college PITT football stadium (anywhere)
    Continuity, continuity, continuity up and out PITT’s wazoo!
    Good health to all the great PITT people out there and there families.

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  20. Give me a big time football program while the university does its thing in the world of research. You can have both, but Pitt and some fans don’t realize it. Did Ohio State doubling down on football in 1990 while Pitt de-emphasized make Pitt a better university that tOSU? I don’t think so. People take pride in their school winning in sports, not whether the football players are doing great things in the world after graduation.

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  24. Austin + 1
    Dan72 – +2

    Reed, nice job. I think it was a bit inconsistent with your outlook on Narduzzi up until Clempson. You were not impressed with his recruiting, his coaching or his ability to bring home a big win, but today it seemed like all that was forgotten in exchange for a clean program. If a clean program is that we haven’t been in the national media for a large academic or athlete issue, than that is fine.

    My sense is that there are no “clean” programs in P5. There just aren’t. Sorry to burst the bubble. Many try hard and I think we do that pretty well. Others don’t and hide it well. I sat in a retreat this week with a few higher ED president’s at P5 schools and this very topic came up for a discussion. You guys will probably puke when I tell you this, but UNC, despite what we know about them and what we think of them, is seen by the McKinsey Group as a top 10-15 academic institution. The discussion centered around that ranking and how it stayed there during this athlete/academic issue. The reality is that rankings and surveys are manipulated and the President’s agree. Their questions were focused on where they were going to “manipulate” the data to get the biggest jump in rankings. They are no different than the CEO’s of corporations that try to manipulate earnings to get huge raises and guaranteed money. Same with Syracuse, ND and go on and on. The BRANDS are bigger than the sins.

    Pitt is not as clean as everyone wants to think. We are trying. Cluster classes and distance learning classes are getting more oversight now. Just don’t be convinced we are squeaky. Our brand isn’t big enough to withstand a big academic issue. Not now. In the 70’s and early 80’s, yes. I know Reed has some folks in high spots at Pitt, but they just don’t speak of things outside the inner circle. The inner circle for athlete students is confined ONLY to the President/AD and General Counsel sometimes. Period. When the AD does not report to the President, issues leak out. That is the reason most AD’s in P5 conferences report to a President.

    Aspirational goals are fantastic. You can have both as Dan72 mentioned. That is where we need to be. Aspirationally, you can go for top 20 in the Directors Cup while handling athlete/student issues internally. Do this for 5-10 years and it works. You then have a brand that wasn’t bought by sins.

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  25. Speaking of cluster classes, UPitt is definitely qualified to teach a cluster female anatomy class, based on the material he puts on the POV no one could possibly disagree. LOL

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  30. Voytek on channel 221 Direct tv… as a reserve QB .. just got into the game for one play.. a designed QB run

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  31. My Santa list:
    Cornerbacks who turn around for the ball.
    Jester with more reliable hands.
    Alex Officer with quicker feet
    More fannies in the seats
    Faster linebackers
    More touches for Ollison.

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  32. I want a 50 Yard Logo bigger than 5 yards and painted by anyone other than Carricks Mrs. Jones 4th grade class.

    Be called Pitt

    To get fucking dinodickcat retired from ESPN

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  34. Huff,

    PITT may not be totally clean but Wanny had back to back years better than anyone in two decades but was released from his contract because of off the field issues with players. You tell me what OSU would have done, what Alabama would have done and we know what PSU did for thirty years.

    PITT is as clean as it gets in P5 football and that is one of the reasons we will continue to lose good people.

    Reed, thanks for the POV.

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  35. It may be that Wade is a wonderful kid and he may be another Revis for all I know but in all sincerity I did not want him to choose Pitt. Not saying I wanted him to choose PS though.

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  36. Dr. Ball, you do know PG of PGTrucking is a ’72 grad of Carrick HS, with all the Bucks he donates the 4th graders have a lifelong contract!

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  37. Happy holidays all. Combining the wishes of other POVers, a big win to send off James Conner in style, a wish for Narduzzi to stick around for an extended tenure, a win at at PSU next year, and a fan base to start coming out and supporting the team with 55K + for EVERY game!

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  38. Good point PittPT. Actually 2 great points:
    – A great bowl game for James
    – Beating the crap out of our “Pitt’s not a worthy rival for us” cult slob penn staters at their diary field next fall!

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  39. @ edr – you are making my point. There are very few true insiders. If you are not the chancellor or the AD or coach, you don’t know what is going on. We can guess based on other data. A great indicator is self-reporting of secondary violations. If you don’t report, you are covering up (see dairy college for years). Secondary violations are very common. If you say you don’t have any….you are lying to yourself and your program is in trouble.

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  40. When I read the this arcticles “Wish List” title my mind immediately flashed back to the Sears n Roebuck “Wish Book” days…. countless hours of looking at pictures of toys, sporting good stuff ( can’t remember if it had pics of women in underwear) and fighting with my 2 younger brothers for “my turn” to have the book.. by this time of the year the pages were tattered and torn but what a priceless memory…
    My 3 wishes for all of college football:

    1. No early declaration for the NFL draft. Players play 4 years and only 4 years

    2. Incoming freshmen athletes meet the same admission standards as the student body. Piracies times are limited to the amount of time the service academies spend dedicated to “sports.

    3. Replica PITT Mustard and Blue unis with real sleeves vs arm- holes to be worn in the new PITT Stadium where the band, once again, plays the chorus to the PITT victory Song… da da da da da da… Fight PITT ..Fight.

    One last thing I would take the weights off these guys .. way too big, too strong.. not heathy. Was at sports medicine conference a few years ago where the speaker mentioned the average life expectancy for an NFL player was 63 years.. very sad indeed…

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  42. Wishing for a second consecutive win against those non-rivals out east there in creepy valley is all I want for Christmas. It is the gift that just keeps on giving the whole year through. It’s what I wished for last Christmas too, thanks Santa!!!! Beat Penn State!!!! Again!!!!!!

    42-39 keeps them from sniffing at a National Championship chance. 42-39 validates a team that is just discovering their own potential. 42-39 rips open the old 12-0 wound on that Nittany Lion’s ego that Pitt fans enjoyed pouring salt on for 16 straight years. 42-39 is simply priceless.

    Two in a row, this time grabbing another victory at Beaver Stadium would just be so, “in your face” fantastic that I wish for nothing more than this.

    Merry Christmas to Panther Nation!

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  43. Huff,

    My opinion of Narduzzi has never been low as some might think, it just hasn’t been as high as some other Pitt fans have had. As I do with most things I don’t get overly excited about something until it has proven itself…which I feel Narduzzi has done now. But I’ve always thought his hire was good one.

    I can’t grasp a handle on recruiting at all until the players have actually been out on the field. I’ve written many articles about stars vs production and I can say that I don’t believe there’s a real correlation much except for a general average.

    However, if a school is a big program like Alabama or Ohio State who consistently pull in four and five-star recruits to populate their roster then that’s a different story. But most colleges don’t do that. Most colleges have a mixture of two to four star players and the margin of difference (between the stars awarded), if you go back to the recruiting sites and look at their standards, is rather minimal.

    As to being an Insider I have never claimed to be that. I have friends and contacts that I’ve maintained throughout the my lifetime who know much more than I do about the University of Pittsburgh at present and some of them know a lot about the athletic department.

    But it isn’t like I’m calling them up and asking them questions every time I write an opinion piece; I wouldn’t do that anyway. Conversations in person are different story.

    I was contemplating writing up a bit in this article about Pitt having to self report violations just like any program has had to do, but I didn’t want to get down to the minutia and detail of what almost all programs do day to day.

    My thought is that avoiding violations, avoiding sanctions and censoring, and maintaining a clean and positive reputation of the football program is paramount in my eyes. Again, that might not be the standard for others and I know some fans who don’t care about that at all and care just about the wins.

    Believe me, I do not put Pitt up on a pedestal but I do know that they try to do the right thing the first time and if they have made mistakes they tried to correct them as soon as possible.

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  44. Reed I agree that in P5 Pitt has the moral high ground. I believe that Pitt’s Administration is ok with 6-8 wins a year as long as there are no scandals or lack of off the field discipline. Pitt is in no danger of selling out to the athletic side of the university. The sad fact of D1 college sports is if you don’t sellout it’s hard to not just win national championships but even maintain a top 10 program year in and year out. This is a major reason why there are so many empty seats on cold nights against VT and Duke. The casual Pitt fan knows that Pitt is a middle of the road P5 program. It can and should be a top 25 team but a lower one at that. That doesn’t mean Pitt can’t Crack the top 15 or top 10 but those will be fluke years not year in year out results. With that reality it is hard to convert the casual fan into a diehard fan. If PSU, Ohio St, LSU, and a host of other sellout programs went 30 years with a competitive team (6 to 8wins ) but not really a top 10 team nationally they wouldn’t put 100k fans in the stadium each week. There are to many other sport teams in the city that do play a do compete at the highest level to attract / convert more hard core fans to a program that really won’t compete (most years) at the highest level. I say all this as a long time season ticket holder, former student, and a parent of a junior currently attending Pitt. I like the moral high ground. I like it that we have more true student athletes than most, but I’d be lieing if I didn’t say that deep down there are times I wish the Pitt Administration would sellout just for a few years and see if Pitt could challenge for a national championship. H2P

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  45. Is Herman leaving?
    Supposedly missed two consecutive games at the Pete?
    Vacation?
    Family issues?
    Illness?
    Anyone know anything?

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  46. Reed. Thank you for your continued. Hard work It is great to read and do enjoy the comments. I have great pictures of how everyone looks in my mind. I’m not a graduate of Pitt but went to grad school and my son graduated in engineering from Pitt. I have had season tickets for fifteen years and attended my first game in 1966 I love what Pitt stands for academically and the fine products it produces for the future of the world. We should be proud of our school and sports programm. I would take a sincere 7-3 over 9-1 or 10-2 (psu) any day to hold my head up and be proud. My wish is for good health for all of you bloggers this year. May we all be back for next year to cheer and enjoy the purest game on earth. H2P. Beat Penn State every year Merry Christmas

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  47. Great question Gasman, and an important one as well. I’ll get to that.

    While we all want the best of everything for PITT. I to love the fact that PITT, at least appears to be on the up and up and running a cleaner program than some. I don’t know about most. Gottfried did run into some problems and it seems like PITT handle them fairly quickly. I also think PITTs lack of big time boosters keeps them more in line then intent. I really think there is stuff going on down on the Southside but when it comes to these local star athletes that are recruited by the big schools (big cheaters) there offers must pale in comparison. Don’t get me totally wrong here, I do think PITT has always done a better job to keep things straight s their record clearly shows. and I like that.

    Now Barnes. I defended the KS hiring and we still don’t know how that will turn out. The hoops team is a win over Duquesne from having a spectacular start to this season and it’s still good. I do see some improvement at Heinz with the midfield logo and transport students to and from games. Enough change? I think the psu game and season tickets sold had more to do with the numbers then it was let on, judging by attendance the rest of the games. All and all, I just think there are better candidates out there and a great PITT man could come and unite the fractured PITT nation. I hope Barnes is gone and if he is still in the air about the decision, I swift kick towards the door is in order.

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  48. IF Barnes is skipping games because he got “outted” and he is too cowardly to want to have to face any questions, I agree that Pitt should help him make his decision . That is a dereliction of his duties as AD. I know he doesn’t like “noise” but I have a feeling it’s going to get very loud for him very quickly . Get out or get back to doing your job!

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  49. Friends of Pitt +2

    Reed – I feel like I went to church. Amen to your post. Thank you for all you do to create a place for us to celebrate, commiserate and learn through others’ views.

    If only every athlete in the public eye used their platform as James Conner has.

    UPitt – quaalude is a bit of an onomatopoeia (its the extra “a”) based on what I witnessed back in the 70’s in college when you were just wee lad or a twinkle i your parent’s eyes. I think DN is on speed.

    As someone noted above, I too would really like to see greater attendance at games. But absent a full house for most/all home games, its time the program consider reduction of available seating – whether through easily removeable tarps or simply chaining off upper (500 level) rows. Set capacity at something like 45,000 and hold it at that level – including “big” games. Doing so would accomplish a few things:

    1) Prevents fans from other programs such as PSU and ND from buying a season package just to get a single game, leaving lots of scattered empty yellow seats for all other games.

    2) atmosphere is improved and noise levels are more concentrated.

    3) presents Pitt games attendance in a better light on TV.

    4) Balances out supply with demand.

    5) The program can announce more sell-outs. improved optics for high school recruits considering Pitt.

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  51. Agree Joel. Quaaludes make you feel good and I’m not sure if DK has ever experienced this feeling. He seems more like a crank man.

    BTW don’t knock em until you tried them. The Quaaludes that is….:)

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  52. Oh, I think Pitt would love to pull in 8-10 wins per year and they can do it within the right circumstances.

    My stance has been, for many years, that it just isn’t that important to Pitt to achieve that state by spending money they don’t have. That is why I have consistently been skeptical of the continued mantra from Pitt over the last two years that things are financially different now… that they will open up the purse to ensure a winning and championship program.

    Well, we just saw what happened with Canada and while I agree 100% that Pitt did the right thing by cutting off the offer at $1M the fact that we didn’t spend more to keep what was THE key factor in a record setting team. If Pitt was truly serious about the next level they would have kept him onboard. Why – because his offense will translate into wins as shown. Without it we’d have been under .500 this year.

    I’m not saying they should have – just that they didn’t. Again, I agree with letting him go and am at least glad Pitt made an offer at all. But you did notice that the offer was for two years only… and why is that? Because Pitt isn’t going to pay $1M per year to a coordinator a new HC, if there would be one, might not want on his staff.

    In college football today spending big money brings consistent championship caliber teams. Some programs have Board of Trustees and Chancellors who are all aboard with a great championship caliber football program and will spend their University’s money (even endowment money) to ensure that happens.

    Pitt is not now and I believe never will be like that, certainly not endowment funds. That’s either good or bad depending on your outlook but to me personally I want the football to have its place alongside every other extra-curricular activity and be funded accordingly – because when it boils down to it that is exactly what football is.

    Pitt makes X amount of money per year via various incomes. That is what it has to spend. A belief that there is some great pool of money somewhere for Pitt to spend is wishful thinking. They have more now that we are in the ACC than before but they have a budget just like every part of the university and the BoT ensures that is done wisely.

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  53. Reed, there is so much we agree and we have always agreed more then not.

    We do disagree slightly here though and I’ll make this very short. While you think PITT did the right thing making the one million dollars a cutoff point, I think they did an amazing job offering that amount. It was unprecedented from what I understand. No I don’t think they should have offered more than that at all. I’m very delighted they went that far and above my expectations proving to me that PITT will and is attempting to be more competitive then they recent years. PITT can and showing they understand what revenue and perception can do for a college. Spending money on college football can be an income if managed the right way…imo….ike

    H2P

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  54. How ’bout an honorary degree for Mark Cuban? He did, after all, go to Pitt for one year. Did any POVer know him then?

    BigB — I wouldn’t necessarily want to follow the service academies way of doing sports. The Naval and Air Force Academies both have government paid-for prep school football factories. Each “student” gets $1000 a month. There is a reason why Navy beat Army something like 15 times in a row.

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  55. If Wannstedt deserved to be canned by the off the field incidents that some of you claim, please list the kids who got into trouble? I want to see this army of so-called renegades.

    Don’t count Sheard either. He apologized twice to store owner and the family paid to have the door fixed. Something most on here probably never would have done.

    The linebacker who assaulted his girlfriend was the biggest transgressor and he was kicked off the team immediately.

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