Here is the resulting video of last night’s call-in show. Myself, Ike, Richman, Pittman4ever and MissingWlat had a great and fun time doing it.
It is a bit ‘fits and starts’ throughout the video so I called Bluejeans about it and basically the service is for businesses with better computers and better audio and visual resources – but I like them anyhow.
Some other issues:
Here is a publication with a wealth of pre-season ACC Football information. It is the ACC Spring Football Prospectus and is heavy but fun reading and very informative. we discussed this last night in reference to the pre-season award watch lists and where some Pitt players landed on them.
This is interesting and just caught my attention. Apparently either our new AD Heather Lykes is making some staff changes or one member, one who was highly regarded Barnes hire and in place only about a year, Deputy Athletic Director for External Affairs Julio Freire just took off on his own accord.
Freire, hired by former athletic director Scott Barnes in March 2016, served as deputy athletic director for external affairs until stepping down April 14. He had been athletic director at Tennessee-Martin before coming to Pitt to assist Barnes in his fundraising efforts and other areas.
These things do happen with a new sheriff in town but just more instability it seems.
Chris Peak of Rivals.com did another excellent piece yesterday on Pitt Running Back prospects going into fall camp. As we know there are big shoes to fill with our All-Everything James Conner declaring for the draft. Remember that he had one more year at Pitt if he wanted but the time was right for him to get into the paying side of the sport.
A while ago I had written that it wasn’t necessarily the yardage that Conner racked up that will be missed. His 2016 total in that category wasn’t all that impressive given all his trials and tribulations though it was still a wonderful accomplishment.
It’s not easy to replace what Conner meant to Pitt off the field, and his on-field accomplishments are just as challenging. No one in the history of the ACC has ever scored more touchdowns than Conner (he had 56 total) and only one Pitt player rushed for more yards or scored more touchdowns in his career than Conner did (and that’s arguably the greatest player in Pitt history). Conner had a pair of seasons with at least 20 touchdowns and averaged more than five yards per carry over 668 rushing attempts.
To bolster that argument even more here is an interesting bit of info regarding Conner and our Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett.
Both had the exact yards per carry average in their careers at 5.9 ypc. Both were also TD machines as we know – but here Conner really separates himself from the rest of the totality of Pitt’s running backs throughout our history. Dorsett had 59 TDs in 1,163 carries for an average of one TD in every 19.7 carries.
Conner blows him out of the water with one TD in every 12.8 carries on his 52 TDs in only 668 carries. That my fiends is pure point scoring production and to put it into even more perspective the kid who I think will be our prime RB this year (depending on the true FR), Qadree Ollison, has had a TD for every 18.8 and is our leading returning scorer in the backfield. He carries a career 5.1 ypc average.
For a bit of historical perspective in this here are the other leading TD producers for Pitt:
LeSean McCoy = 1 TD:16.6 carries (4.8 ypc);
Randy McMillan = 1:17.4 (4.5 ypc);
Dion Lewis = 1:18.1 (5.2 ypc);
Qadree Ollison = 1:18.1 (5.1 ypc)
Ray Graham = 1:18.5 (5.4 ypc) and
Craig Heyward = 1: 28.3 (4.5 ypc).
So you can see that Ollison is right up there with Pitt’s top RBs in only two years so far. Give him the ball early and often Shawn and watch what happens!
Please do read the rest of Chris’ Rivals article and, while I’m not a paid pitchman, if you really want the best and most timely info on Pitt football in any media venue today a Rivals.com subscription is worth every penny it costs.
OK – more in a day or two guys and thanks for being so involved with the POV – truly a Pitt Football family, even if we are the Blacksheeps of it…
pittpov.com 
From ACC Prospectus, there are several players from many teams nominated for post-season awards, with the exception of: (and a few others)
Maxwell Award (Nation’s Top Player)
Deondre Francois, So.-R, Florida State (QB)
Lamar Jackson, Jr., Louisville (QB)
Quadree Henderson, Jr., Pitt (WR-KR-PR)
Rimington Trophy (Nation’s Best Center)
Austin Davis, Sr.-R, Duke
Alex Eberle, Jr.-R, Florida State
Alex Officer, Sr.-R, Pitt (and he may be playing G)
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Reed,
Your story that you shared last night during the round table is an instant classic and now a top 10 story in my story telling queue!!!! If I may steal Reeds story, years ago he and his brother get these 2 cheap seats for a Pirate game, one of which is behind a post! They drain their pockets of all loose change and are able to buy 1 plastic cup of beer (most likely an Iron). Just as they start to drink it a pigeon flies over and $hit$ right into the cup!!!! Reeds brother, a librarian!!!, wants nothing to do with it but our faithful potentate is not going to waste a beer that he paid is last cent for. So down the hatch it went, crap and all!!!!! :>)
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Bravo!
FWIW, I went to Fenway for the first time about a dozen years ago. I sat down in my rickety seat and immediately smelled stale beer from the cement floor, and as organ music was being pumped out of the PR system, I then looked out and saw a post blocking my view of 2nd base …. I swear a tear came to my eye as I was instantly transcended to memories of Forbes Field.
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Reed, I believe you had that, what-ever you want to call sculpture in your office article. It’s just further proof that I really don’t know fine art. The first name that came to my mind that I would call it? Fugly.
It was great to see RichMan join in last night. Same for Pittman4 and Wlat. I really do enjoy it. I say the more the merrier. Imagine how much fun this will be when we have an actual PITT football season in progress to talk about?
PITT could really use a bigger time recruit anytime now. Let’s get the 4112 crew involved already.
I can still smell the cigar smoke and see the panhandlers outside Forbes Field 50 years ago.
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Reed,
Just a FYI. For me, personally, Tuesday and Thursday are my 2 best Round Table evenings. However, if you move it to Wednesday I will do my best to be there.
Appreciate all you do!!!!!
Pittman4ever
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Pittman4, are you working on the painting comapny to get the Heinz Field seats painted blue?
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COMPANY
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Julio Freire resigned. Job has been posted. Ten plus years experience required.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2017/04/24/Julio-Freire-Pitt-athletics-deputy-AD-external-affairs-Pittsburgh/stories/201704240107?pgpageversion=pgevoke
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That was in my article above…
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Ike – it is ugly but unique and i got it on a whim. Here is another piece I got from the same sculptor… which sits right in a place of prominence in our living room. Like this one any better?
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LogLion?
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Yes I do Reed, much better imo. That is something I would actually purchase. I go on the Touch of Modern site. They have some really different items on there. One is a gold panther ring I’ve been trying to download a picture of. I don’t wear rings but I noticed you do. It’s as gaudy as Fugly/George but it’s super cool in it’s own way. Plus it would be great in an alley fight.
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I am still laughing. I started listening while on my I pad and I hear this guy talking… Damn it sounded familiar. Then I realized it wad Ike. We’ve talk on the phone before. .lol
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Ike. Its Sean. Pitt 22
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Hey 22, you SOB. I know I know, you recognized this goofy dude’s voice. One of a kind for sure.
Fellows, this guy is a quipster of unlimited proportion and a really great guy. Aren’t you a member of the Maryland mafia? We will meet up soon Sean!
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Ike,
There still might be some of that Forbes Field dark blue paint sitting in a Burg warehouse somewhere!!!
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ESPN laying off bunches…will that translate into less bowl games? If yes, is that a good or bad thing for Div 1 FB?
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Enjoyed the
Round table this afternoon.. only problem (since I have live experience) I kept wanting to jump in with my 2 cents worth of BS…I did it with my cell phone- wasn’t planning to even do it but was playing around seeing how things worked when Reed picked up “surprise!”
If you haven’t done it.. get off your butt and join in and you won’t be like me today wanting to participate in a recording!
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BigB, missed you this week. Listen, Reed keeps pasting he will take the first 3 or 4 callers. There’s plenty of room and I really want to step off and let you guys in. Everyone should try and join in. Reed is the master of master of ceremonies.
We don’t want guys not making plans because they think others will be on. The more the merrier. Sorry Reed. Guys like Wlat, Pittman4, Dr Tom, Pittpt Richman, BigB, and I know I’m missing a few guys (sorry), plan on being there when and if you can.
Pitt75 and Pitt22, get off your dead butts!! and all others.
Like I mention before, wait until the season???
All you fellow POVer’s need to get on the beam!! …ike
We All We Got
We All We Need
H2P
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Sean is my new golf instructor. He is very good.
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Just watched Peterman on Gruden show, will the Steelers take a shot at him? Probably not as Pitt players are to familiar to them. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds …
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Listened to the show. Well played guys! One quick comment since many are enamored with statistics. Reed pointed out that our Defense averaged 3.3 sacks per game and everyone was happy about it.
The better stat is sacks per attempted pass. Do it that way and 3.3 may not seem like alot. Just guessing, but it might be true.
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Correct. Not too difficult to get sacks when the other teams throw 70 attempts per game as opposed to the typical 30-40. Stats can lie.
No matter how you spin it, Pitt had one of the worst D’s in football history and the D alone prevented what could have been a very special season. Thats ALL on Nard Dog. At least he doesnt throw his players under the bus like Turd Nugget KS.
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Watson was 52-70 and sacked twice. QB completion % off the charts. And over 500 yards. Pitt’s D did everything to lose the game.
It was unfair to have our O have to score 40+ points per game to win. Pitt would have won 4 games if the O wasnt as good as it was. I thank Chryst for the O but give hell to both Chryst and Narduzzi for the D.
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ESPN is a big loser for Mickey. The outlandish contracts to televise games has, and will continue, to bite them in the ass. Eventually, it will all be pay-for-view, which is fine with me as I loathe paying for the Oprah Channel.
The only caveat is that the poor will become poorer, as schools will ultimately need to rely on marketing and fannies in the seats, both of which we have never accomplished well.
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You have to have great players to win Championships, very rarely does the average guy rise to the occasion, although it does happen. In Pittsburgh our Championships are laden with GOATs and HOFs. Pitt’s solo modern era NC had Dorsett and Cavanaugh. The Steelers first two had too many to name, their second two had Roethlisberger and Polamalu, the Bus and others. The Pirates had Clemente, Maz, Groat, Stargell, three have statues. The Pens had Mario and Jager, then Crosby and Malkin.
Pitt will not be great again until we have coaches that can land Elite players. We have had a few great ones recently, Fitz, Shady, Conner, Revis, Donald, just not nearly enough.
All those champion teams also had great role players and depth and stayed healthy, but the bottom line is, you need players that can bring it every game and dominate all but the best competition. Then they rise to the occasion when it matters the most.
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You have to wonder how many championships we would have had during the Marino/Green years if we had the four team playoff?
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You have to wonder how many Super Bowls the Steelers would have won with Marino.
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No Doubt
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Could J.Whitehead, P.Ford, K.Pugh and/or A.Mathews be next?
https://mobile.twitter.com/robharley34/status/857360442578137088/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fpittsburghsportsnow.com%2F2017%2F04%2F26%2Fst-johns-transfer-darien-williams-looks-pitt%2F
HTP!
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Tx_Panther that really is a good question for debate. Many teams passed over Marino for probably the wrong reasons. Now I think the Steelers were in a particular tough spot considering DM was from Oakland and PITT with all the terrible rumors floating around. Which, imo turned out to be mostly false.
…but there is another side to that coin. That side has a name to it and it’s Gabe Rivera (Senor Sack). What a tragic story that is. Steelers took Gabe in that famous draft class of 1983. Yes in hindsight the draft that year had plenty QB’s that people still argue who may have been the best to come out of it.
As many know, Rivera was seriously disabled in a car crash during his rookie season. The small sample of what the fans and experts watched Gabe Rivera understood he most certainly had a great future ahead of him. Then the tragic accident. A 300 lbs man thrown out the back window of a 287-Z. The rest is history. If you don’t know the story please google Gabe Rivera.
Who knows how history would have played out but I for one, believe that Rivera just may have had a hall of fame career???
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ike, you left out one other big item in this story. In the last game for the Steelers after the ’82 season, the Steelers lost to the Chargers 31-28, in what turned out to be a shootout between Bradshaw and Dan Fouts. Despite a sore arm, Bradshaw still threw for > 300 yards or so.
The Steeler doctors told Bradshaw that no operation was needed, and all he needed to do was rest his arm. He was interviewed in the offseason and said that he had intention to retire, and that his arm was felling fine. Unbeknownst to everyone, including the team that paid his salary, he underwent a should operation at his alma mater (if he ever graduated) La Tech in the offseason. Bottom line …. he only played 2 quarters the entire 1983 season (one game vs Jets is Dec), and then retired.
Had the Steelers been aware of his arm issues, I wondered if they would have taken Marino. Certainly, they could have easily checked to see if there was any substance to the Marino rumors … and Terry Bradshaw continues to be one of the biggest morons around.
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Bradshaw, who did not attend either the Chief’s or Dan Rooney’s funeral, was 28-29 for 325 yards in that playoff game …. so his elbow couldn’t have been that damaged.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198301090pit.htm
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Bradshaw heeded the Steelers’ advice that offseason by just letting the arm rest, but Terry said the pain became just too much so instead of calling the Steelers to have their doctors operate on it, he went to some back woods doctor in Louisiana.
Bradshaw could have easily played three more seasons with a healthy arm. It was a bad offseason and early part of 1983 for the franchise: Bradshaw’s arm, Pinney and Jim Smith left for the USFL, Swann had an early retirement, Stallworth would get hurt early in the season then Rivera’s accident after the sixth game. Gabe was like Ngata except it was 1983. He was huge for his time. He would have been a hell of a player. I wonder if someone else picked Rivera before Pittsburgh if Marino then would have been a Steeler? I think yes since the other guy high on their board, Dave Rimmington, was red flagged due to injury issues.
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there was no doubt that Rivera was a sad story. As I recall, in his too brief career, he proved to be a legit No.1 draft pick and became starter in his 2nd or 3rd game and was playing really well
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The Steelers thought they had the next Joe Greene, but a HOF QB is so much more valuable. Probably would have won at least two more Superbowls.
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Huff raises an excellent point about sacks per pass attempt. Get out those calculators. The Steelers will not draft Peterman and will live to regret it.
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I don’t see Peterman being much more than a journeyman in the NFL.
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The guy I want to be a Steeler is DoJo. Perfect situation for him as he can sit for a year or two and get stronger while Foster plays then takes over at left guard in 2019.
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I’d like to see Conner as a Steeler, really think he would be an asset on the goal line and be a good number two guy.
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I’d love Conner to the Steelers in the fourth round. Maybe Price in the seventh.
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Some driftwood found by Pittman4ever’s dad – Looks like Richard Nixon to me…
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=dc25a5ec91&view=att&th=15babf42226ed407&attid=0.1&disp=safe&zw
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Staying off topic for a second. Here is some (if it works) footage of Rivera, a lot grainy but you can’t miss the guy with a chest like his. Don’t miss Gabe running down a RB 50 yards downfield at around the 1:55 mark.
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Rivera had two sacks in his six-game career. Keith Wilis had 14 in that 1983 season. The Steelers would have been set at the end spots in the 3-4 for a long time.
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I dont think ray graham gets nearly the credit he deserves. Before he had that knee injury he was electric…
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Ray was extremely talented but ,, (1) had a couple of key fumbles, (2) short-armed a handful of short swing passes, and (3) the next pass block he makes will be his first. But there is no doubt he was electric in the 1st part of his final year. He put a show on for the nation in that Thursday night game vs USF that is hard to forget.
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Anyone else see Peterman going to the Bills or Browns in the first round?
Feels like the 49ers, Jets, and the Browns on their second 1st round pick may all take qbs. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Bills did too.
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Good question PittFan28. I just think Buffalo taking Peterman is not going to go over real well with the fans up there. They just might take Nate and he could be a good fit but that would take some guts. Fans want known names and splash draft picks.
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*Just a couple days ago, Deshaun Watson said the first NFL club to select a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft would have to “live with the consequences” if it takes North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky over him. And with the start of the draft just hours away, he took that sentiment a bit further on Thursday.
Watson said it would be a “slap in the face,” if Trubisky goes ahead of him, given Watson’s college accomplishments, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Perhaps he should prepare for the pain, because Trubisky is expected to be the first quarterback off the board in six of seven mock drafts by NFL.com analysts*
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Johnny Manziel said something similar heading into the 2014 draft. It’s all elevator music. Watson should worry more about being selected by the right team, not being the first QB taken because of ego and money. That won’t mean a thing come training camp. At that point panning out and signing a lucrative second contract is what matters.
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Makes Watson sound like he’s a pouter already. If this motivates him if not picked first then so be it. Those statements says a lot about the young man.
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BTW, I’ll be watching the Pens when he’s overlooked. Although I do find it excruciatingly painful to watch a young man sit there for minutes, half hours and hours on national TV while on the bubble. Maybe not so much in his case.
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I think those statements actually hurt a player. Everybody like confidence. Looks like Agent speak which is too bad because many thought that the calm, professional, well-spoken demeanor was a strength of Watson. He and Trubisky and Peterman are all equals right now. All are unemployed, have not completed their first NFL pass and none of them have a NFL victory to their credit. That said, they all are going to get a promotion this weekend and each one of us would gladly change professions with them at the drop of a hat!
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Great news for PITT basketball. They just picked up a Juco All-American.
Did I forget to mention it was the women’s basketball team?
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Damn you ike
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Lol. What Watson said was what he’s supposed to say. It’s most likely what his agent told him to say. Besides you want someone who plays with a chip on their shoulder.
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this is kind of cool
?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.post-gazette.com%2Fsports
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Bengals take a WR. AJ and Ross and the other FA they signed last year. Bengals obviously not happy with lack of TD’s and numbers from Boyd pre-AJ injury. You don’t take Ross and not play him.
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Upitt
Only you could come up with that negative spin from the draft, LOL. I see Boyd for what he is. He was not picked to be a star down field threat receiver. He will be a career slot guy averaging about 10 yards a catch. 54 catches as a rookie pretty much solidifies he will have at least a 5 to 6 year career in the NFL. If he repeats those numbers this year he may play longer. Not bad for a kid from Clairton.
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Thanks, I have never, ever understood the negativity from a handful of Pitt POVers/Blatherers toward Boyd. Even when he was was still at Pitt, it seemed that some here would go out their way to criticize him … and not for just on-the-field activity but some claiming that he wasn’t intelligent (even though there is evidence to the contrary.)
He was a 4-star who chose to stay home and has nearly all the Pitt career receiving records. Yes, he doesn’t have the speed that a 1st-Rounder like Ross has and is not as tall as AJ Green, etc but he was extremely productive at Pitt. It makes no sense.
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He lacked heart Wbb that is why and quit in the bowl game.
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You don’t draft a slot guy who played little to none until AJ got hurt in the 2nd round. That is bad business but par the course for the Bungals.
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So the credit card bill came in the mail today (a little too early for me) and my wife had the old wtf moment with me. Here I somehow forgot to mention that we WERE going to get PITT season tickets this year after I told her we weren’t. oops.
It’s all good though. So I’m looking forward and hoping to meet all you guys at the POV tailgates this coming season. Just like the Round-Table….. BE THERE!!! ….ike
WE ARE The Pitt POV
We All We Got
We All We Need
HTP!
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Steelers drafted the Matt Galambos clone, TJ Watt who runs a 4.7 forty. Good grief. I think I would have gone after Reuben Foster depending on shoulder injury.
Speaking of Foster, it is getting close to decision time. I hope he comes home for his final year. Saban was smart to play him and target him during spring game.
Pens win, Pens win! Game 1. Would be nice for them to win game 2 and put the pressure on Warshington.
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yea but,
TJ Watt Combine 40-yd shuttle (11.2 seconds)-Fastest among all LBs
Top 10 among ALL players (DBs/WRs/etc) 3rd-fastest of all LBs past 10yrs
TJ Watt’s Combine 20-yd shuttle (4.13 seconds)-Fastest among all LBs
Top 10 among ALL players (DBs/WRs/RBs/etc) Top 10 of all LBs past 5 yrs
I don’t know what it all means except that the Flower is still doing a great job in goal
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wwb,
I agree with your conclusion (LOL).
Fluery was exceptional last night in a great game to watch as a Pens fan.
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Special request..our 38 year old neighbor “Mary” and mother of 3 ages 2,5,and 8 received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on her 38th birthday. Pray for her healing and this wonderful family..Thanks
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BigB – that’s awful. Prayers for your neighbor and her young ones.
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I hope that lady Juco graduated already. We all know that Pitt won’t offer Jucos until they graduate, right?
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Ike,
Very few people like the sound of their voice when they hear it. You are in good company my friend! What’s truely important is what that voice has to say – and Ike you rate out as exceptional. Keep up the good words!
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BigB,
WILL DO!!!
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Thoughts to the young mother, Mary. That’s just awful. Prayers to her and her family BigB.
Thanks Pittman4 for the kind words. You’re great and have a great of sense humor. Now if we can get some of these dead asses off their couches next week and onto the round-table??
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Will pray for Mary, BigB. Just so much tragedy in the world…
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