in Pitt Football 926 Words

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain…

Remember that from the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her guys finally meet the Wizard and he turns out to be a mere mortal? curtainMy favorite scene in that movie.

Since there isn’t a lot of timely Pitt Football issues at hand, and after reading the comments over the last few days and getting the hell kicked out of me by you guys on here (which is fine with me BTW – I think if you can’t laugh at yourself you are doomed to have a crappy life) I wondered if you all wanted to see a bit of the ‘behind the scenes’ of where this blog is written.

So – here’s the grand tour:

I converted a small bedroom into my study – which is now my “office” since I went the small business route with the blog.  I love it because it is just big enough to reach everything by sliding my chair around and is located far enough from where my wife is that I can easily lie and tell her I didn’t hear her calling me.

This is the desk where the magic happens sometimes .  I’m not the best photographer but here they are anyway…  

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I was using an old door on some small 3-high shelving units and was about to go to IKEA to buy a full desk with drawers. I had my eye on one that was about $300 when my wife said “Why not go check out Habitat for Humanity’s Restore and see what they have?”  So I did and got this 6′ x 30″ desk in great shape for $40… and a savings of $240 of your donated money.

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In a close up you’ll see, to tie into all the music and time period discussions we have had lately, that I still burn incense when I write.

reed-nameboard

This nameplate was made in Bali when my wife visited there when we were stationed in Guam.  Traveled all over the world with us.

I also have some sentimental items that I keep close by.  One is a gift to me from the Coast Guard pilots at Port Angeles WA Air Station when I was stationed there as the Search and Rescue planner (SAR).  In other words I was the guy who gathered all the info on the case and spit out where the Air and Sea rescue units were to start looking at first light the next morning.  Not an easy task as this was before the new technology changed things – we didn’t have cell phones or computers to do the hard calculations then back in 1983-86.

There are a lot of external enemies when doing SAR; time, distance, lack of solid info but by far the worse was the weather, especially up in that area of the country.  So in my briefings to the pilots I’d call the weather “The Dragon” and they were to go out and slay it to execute their missions.  So – this is what they gave me as a going away present…  20170209_142229Cut the sex jokes, I know what it looks like.  That statue means the world to me especially because we had a “Lives Saved” rate that was outstanding in one of the hardest places in the US to do that.

Here is how organized I have become… 20170209_141552a closet is now my office storage (right) .  20170209_141507And to the left these are some of the things I’ve bought to send out to you guys and girls when you’ve been good.   Seriously, I just got the first two shirt orders in and will be getting them out to you long time and mentally stable commenters (sorry Ike).

Another thing purchased with your donation money was this brand new ‘all the bells and whistles‘  printer that I got at a great price. 20170209_141229 I’m contemplating some extra things for the blogs – newsletters being one of them and this printer can handle that easily.

We’ll see about that but it would be a fun thing I think – a compendium of the POV’s best articles in its first six months along with the best, serious and funny, comments also.

One last item and it is my part-time Research Assistant Tawny. She’s based in Pittsburgh so that where all the travel and hotel money goes.aboutus44

Anyway, I though you guys would find this interesting (maybe) because I do a lot of writing out of here.  But I also wanted you who so generously donated to see some of what your money has been doing. 

I can assure you that when I spend some of your money I have done everything possible to get the best deal for the highest quality I can find.

Office furniture (desk), new printer & paper, real office supplies and not just stuff I steal from my daughter, mailing supplies and postage (high!), shirts and other POV gifts, and new subscriptions to various recruiting sites, ‘pay for news’ sports outlets and memberships into a three sportswriters organizations are the big expenditures I have had since you started donating.

There hasn’t been a penny spent that hasn’t gone right back into supporting the Blog and it’s events and there won’t be. I paid for the booze at the Bettis’ LOI Day gig at out of my own pocket even though I believe I could have written that off and used donated money in doing so.

I am taking your financial support very seriously as I consider it a true gift from you to the POV. Thanks again…

Back to football tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

51 thoughts on “Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain…”

  1. Reed, I can only speak for myself but I’m certain that all of us here at The Pitt POV without any hesitation sent you a donation from our hearts with Zero reservations. Pretty sure you still take a loss when it comes to all the time and effort you put into our little neighborhood here at the POV…… and I have a good idea it won’t be your office, desk and shelves being the topic most talked about from this article. … ike

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  2. Is the pic of Tawny just thrown in to wow us? Seriously, she does work for you? This is way sexist—but, she is really hot.

    I like the office. Way more organized than mine. Thanks for the tour.

    H2P

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    1. Come on man! you can’t be that naive pmdH2P?!?!? If Tawny actually worked for Reed, he be spending his days currently in divorce court after his wife caught him at his desk with Tawny, a place as he says, “where the magic happens” But believe me that desk would have been swept clear of anything that could have possibly been uncomfortable for that ever so tender behind of Tawny’s to sit on. That is the kind of girl that get’s an old man who should know better, thinking with his wrong head.

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  4. “All the travel and hotel money goes” to Tawny? Reed, wake up. You’re dreaming again!
    On a more serious note, thanks for showing us the “War Room” you work and dream out of!

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  5. funny, once I got down your article to Tawny, I seemed to have forgotten everything you wrote.

    I’m sure she can type 50 wpm.

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  8. “Tawny makes me feel brawny”? OK, Dr Tom, I just thought that there was a chance she did work (meaing real work) for him in the ‘burgh. Duh.

    Actually, Greg, he may get more donations if she wore fewer clothes. But, we don’t do sex on this site. We just think about it.

    H2P

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  11. Tawny wouldn’t even need to spell correctly yet alone type… Reed and the ” Dragon toy” could slowly and gently educate ….

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  12. Just getting off Tammy for a second(and only a second), Pitt offered a CB today profiled on PSU yesterday Marquis Williams from Florida. Now what’s interesting IMO, is that he is all of 5′ 9″ and weighs 165lbs and Pitt is now his 20th offer. Just saying that his height in this case doesn’t seem to be any problem for any of the other 19 schools that offered him a scholarship.

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    1. read that Williams is real close with Dontavius Butler, 2017 Pitt commit .. and he welcomed a Pitt offer. He also had an uncle who played for the Steelers, and has been to PGH and likes it.

      Concerning DB height … Lamont Wade is 5’9 and Rivals rates him 11th best prospect overall

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  14. wwb posted: “Concerning DB height … Lamont Wade is 5’9 and Rivals rates him 11th best prospect overall”
    == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

    …and Narduzzi recruiting the crap out of him and wanted him badly. Good is good..

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  15. Well, if he took her around western Pennsylvania in last years recruiting cycle, maybe we wouldn’t have lost as many as we did to the other schools.

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  16. Anyone else notice that our awful neighbors in St College have snagged up 3 of the linebackers that we’ve recently offered and were actively pursuing? Tawny must work for Franklin too.

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  18. If you are going to play DB in our defense at 5’9″, you better have really long arms or be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

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  19. Psu has 11 commitments for next year. The Erie kid was raised to a four star after Ohio State offered him. Nits ranked #1 for 18 class all 4’s and 5’s stars. Does Pitt have any commitments yet. It kills me to read how psu doing. I watched Parsons last year and he really impressed me. He’s ranked 6 in country covering all positions. I know stars aren’t everything but baby it helps to have the horses. H2P
    N

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    1. I can assure you Pitt isn’t getting any recruits for lack of effort. The top programs with plenty of revenue, exposure, fan support, history, etc .. recruit themselves. Like it or not … there are many high schoolers throughout PA, NJ and Md who hope for PSU offers.

      Staffs like Pitt have to work like hell, have to be smarter, have to recognize unrealized potential, and have to be patient. Pitt’s recruiting patterns will be heavy after their camps and after the high school season up until LOI. A few more signature wins and hopefully playing for a conference championship can only help … but that’s the way it is.

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      1. This is also why Pitt has to go were the recruits are. NJ and Ohio have more D1 FB recruits than PA has, and it’s been that way for a while. And of course, Florida is arguably the best state overall … and within the ACC footprint. (but of course … UF, FSU, Bama, UGa, Clemson, etc will have the initial picks.)

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  20. There may be a good chance that many of these commits will rethink their commitment when they find out that PSU implemented a new policy (See TribLIVE online) banning alcohol for all fraternity and sorority parties, due to the recent death of a PSU student at a frat house party.

    Not sure how long that ban will hold up (after Franklin gets wind of the change) but I would imagine not too many football prospects want to go to a school with dry parties!!

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  21. NOLA69, now you are being as gullible as Dr Tom said that I was about Tawny. Of course, they “ban” it. How likely do you think it is that anything changes?

    H2P

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  22. Coach Nola is only reporting the actual facts and we all know that it will have zero impact on the amount of alcohol consumed by the psu football team, now and in the future. It’s a smoke screen folks…

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  23. Franklin has always recruited well but his early PSU teams didn’t live up as promised. But the major turn around last year put PSU back high up on the map and Franklin and PSU will be very hard to recruit around in the mid Atlantic region. The good news is that there are only so many scholarships a team can offer per year. The bad news is Pitt being well in the second tier line up will have to expand their territory recruitment zone to get their commitments. They did so last year and I’d expect the same going forward.

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  24. pmdH2P… to a 17 yr old football prospect, just the thought of a no-alcohol policy may be enough to deter going there. Even if they back off in a a few weeks/months… it shouldn’t be too hard for a coach recruiting to play up the fear that they might make it permanent! Anyway, it was intended as a little humor/sarcasm to offset the reality of PSU getting those highly rated commits.

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  25. as for blue chip recruits In the past 5 years ……(source SBNations using 247 data)

    Texas had 229, Florida had 226, Ohio had 79, PA had 44 and NJ had 41. Note that PA has a million more residents than Ohio, and 4 million more than NJ

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  26. The other shoe will eventually drop on psu. AGAIN!! jimmie “one finger” franklin recruits for talent not so much for quality of personalty. Think Thorpe, the kid was trying to beat the schitt out of every player on the other team with late hits and bullying during the playoffs.

    psu hired a good man in O’Brien to straighten out the mess up there and by now, with franklin, they have picked up right where they left off beforehand. Apparently there is no remorse for all the terrible atrocities that happened up there. It’s business per usual at state penn, how soon we forget?

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  27. Something fishy going on here. Reed says pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Then there is some big green pointed thing. And then Tawny. And then all the travel and hotel money goes to Tawny. I think we need more information about Tawny and when she will be attending the next meet and greet.

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  28. I have a lot of confidence in Coach Nard and staff to give it 100% effort in recruiting. It would be nice if some of the Pa kids wouldnt jump on psu bandwagon after fluke blocked field goal and 29 Hail Mary passes against weak opponents put them in bright lights. I read today on comment post of psu fan how they only have to beat Ohio State every year to win the conference. So much for Michigan we need one great year to have the cards fall in place and need a big bowl game and victory to place Pitt on the top tier This year could be our stepping stone. H2P

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  29. Reed – you aren’t running a 503(c), so the fiduciary disclosures aren’t necessary. But I enjoyed the post.

    I was doing some work last weekend in a place just like that. No incense, but I did have “Tower of Power Radio” going on Pandora.

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  30. Joe, I know they’re not. But I still think it’s important for the people who donate their hard-earned money to this website know where the money is going… just way I think I should do things.

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  32. Reed, thanks for the shirt.
    I find it to be deplorable that Tawny only makes it to one photo.
    Dry patch in recruiting, hoops in the shitter, we need hope…the thing with feathers that perches in the soul…and all that.
    Any truth to the rumor UPitt offered to buy Tawny’s chair?

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  34. LSU: Pitt offensive graduate assistant Dave Bucar and Pitt offensive assistant Matt Tomsho have followed Matt Canada to LSU as an offensive analysts. Bucar spent two years at Pitt and was previously the offensive line coach at Tiffin University. Tomsho spent one year at Pitt and was previously a student assistant at NC State.

    According to coachingsearch.com

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  36. Special K – when you go to sleep at night with 100 young men aged 18 to 23 under your care, there are issues that are bound to arise.

    I would not want that responsibility. The game planning would be fun, but the responsibility for the 100 young men would be too much. That is why the parents get involved with the recruiting process.

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  38. Wow – looks like Pitt is blacking out the Men’s Syracuse BB game in Pittsburgh…only on pay TV channel…how low we have fallen if true.

    This will really help expand the fanbase interest…

    Wife and I have decided to go for a Sunday drive on Saturday afternoon now…

    Just wow.

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  39. Wearing my POV shirt to the hoop game. In 106 so no TV exposure. Anyone know any students willing to wear the gear for exposure? Low cost…A few shirts and send some beer money. Just a thought to market the best blog in town.

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  44. It’s always a bummer to see the number of kids going to PSU. But, since our alumni base is MUCH smaller and the City of Pittsburgh does NOT support the team, the game day experience just isn’t the same.

    We can make fun of the #107k hashtag but, wouldn’t we all love to attend games at a packed house.. on our campus? Our rented POS ketchup bottle- half empty, just doesn’t match up.

    As for Parsons, he’s a HELL of an athlete but is lazy and has a terrible attitude. I have doubts he’ll end up at PSU anyway. I get the feel he’ll end up at OSU or FSU.

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