Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

129 thoughts on “POV’s New Way Forward Podcast”

  1. Reed – My bad and my sincere apologies for being an instigator.

    Upitt/TxPanther – That wise man, Jay91, showed me the error in my ways. I’ve had a nice offline chat with him and it turns out we’ve crossed paths during Pitt’s illustrious path.

    I can’t promise I won’t disagree or even be sarcastic but I won’t be a (insert choice word) anymore.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Haha. Yes. Now you just have to help me correct my typos. Ha.

        Phi Alpha, brother.

        Like

        1. Phi Alpha Brothers? Who are you guys? Cause Phi Alpha back at you. 244 North Bellfield perhaps?

          Like

    2. Tossing – I don’t mind any of your posts. I never care about any posts on here or take them to heart or let anything make me not read the blog. I enjoy it very much and that goes for everyone out there. To the folks that say I’m going to leave and not read I say none of us are that important by any means.

      Like

      1. Upitt – I actually told Jay91 something similar and that I thought you might actually like the fight back … he disagreed. Haha.

        Like

          1. UCF will be tough. I’ll be up for Penn State and probably at least one more home game. I’m thinking maybe VT if it’s not another Thur. game. I’ll most likely go to the UVA game in Charlottesville too. That’s become an annual trek with a UVA buddy and his wife.

            Like

  2. Tossing – we’re all family on this site. We may not always agree but thats the spice of life. In the end, we all love Pitt and thats what connects us. Thats what is important. I value your commentary and I also apologize if I overstepped my bounds at any point. I know I can be a big ole Arse sometimes.

    Liked by 4 people

  3. Reed: You are correct that there are many places where we can find info about Pitt Football. But don’t kid yourself, there is only one POV. Where else would you get 17 readers to give you great bios about their personal connections to Pitt football and the University of Pittsburgh? Where else would 30 guys come from all over the state (and country thanks to UPitt) to play in a golf tournament in the middle of nowhere? And those 30 guys have become “friends” after only meeting a few times at a tailgate. Your blog is great, and I for one am very appreciative of all of your efforts.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. I just want to apologize for agreeing with most everything Iek writes…..sorry, it won’t happen again.

    I appreciate everyone here from the know-it-alls(some of whom know who they are) to the know-nothings(they of course don’t know who they are). I’ll keep reading and sniping, er’, posting here and there(know nothing stuff mostly), and hope/expect Reed to keep running a clean program with us knuckleheads.

    BTW, the “how I became a Pitt fan” stories were incredible as I read each of them multiple times.

    Like

    2. Oh no…not an ending at all Lastrowofsection4 I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

      Like

    3. Reed, it’s your blog. You can therefore do with it, whatever you care to do. Banning people is your prerogative. No politics, religion or sex talk is your prerogative to forbid. I like offering sexual innuendo, sorry but that just can’t be tamped down in my personality. Hope that doesn’t get me banned, if so however, too bad for me. It’s your blog. In other interactions however, my opinion is always offered with due respect, meaning that when respect is due it is given. In that regard, calling BS on someone is not disrespectful in itself, especially if it is warranted IMO.

      Depending on other’s POV, my own opinions may be viewed as spouting BS also, so be it. That’s what instigates debate, when people have different POVs. But let’s be honest here, some people’s POVs is a broken record, as you inferred in your podcast.

      So here’s the thing. I read the Pitt POV because I love Pitt Football. I have a very long “relationship” with Pitt Football, let that relationship to be compared as a marriage, if you will. Now in a successful marriage, the parties better have mutual respect, accept the deficits of their spouse, while also appreciating their assets. In that regard, you shouldn’t ignore the negatives in that relationship. Recognizing such negatives and working to minimize such within that relationship can actually strengthen the marriage as time goes on.

      But here’s the thing, harping on those same negatives to the point that it becomes the dominant aspect of the conversation about that relationship becomes toxic.
      Reed, in this podcast you asked the rhetorical question of, “what does that mean”? in reply to a reader who stated that he comes away disenchanted after reading negative POV opinions/comments. Well view that in the “marraige” context again. If that negative feel is the predominate one perceived routinely from their spouse, then they are going to become unhappy with the relationship over time. This is the very reason that I’ve recently stepped back from commenting on your blog as of late.

      Now does that mean that there is something wrong with the blog? No, it simply means that I don’t enjoy participating in a blog that I perceive as being overly critical of a team that I take great enjoyment in following, in fact ever since I was a Freshman in school at Pitt since 1971.

      So what’s my issue? Win or lose, I’m a Pitt alumni and a dedicated Pitt fan. I love my relationship with my University. I enjoy learning about the new coaches, players and the various back stories that are involved in the entire process of fielding a college football program. It is entertainment for me, I look forward to the college football season every year because I have “skin” in the game, my Pitt Panthers!

      Just like my wife, I love my Panthers. And just like my wife, I’m well aware of all of Pitt’s shortcomings. However, because of my optimist personality lean, I focus on the positives of both my wife & my Panthers. Why, because it keeps me “happy”.

      Last time I checked, most people seek entertainment in the 1st place, to add enjoyment to their lives, to be happy while enjoying that endeavor.

      Well, like in marriage, all interactions are not enjoyable with my Panthers. There are always negative issues to be contended with. Bad administration, poor coaching, questionable recruiting, player misconduct, game loses, etc.

      This doesn’t mean that such issues shouldn’t be broached & discussed, but in using the marriage analogy again, if your spouse is constantly focused on your negatives of the relationship, there is going to be a divorce in their future, because in such a situation, all of the fun in the relationship has been drained from it by the incessant critical focus of the spouse.

      IMO, this “tends” to be the direction many Pitt POV articles end up going in. Many times by how the comments section go. The harping some commentors feel is needed to expose the deficits of all things Pitt Football is a downer for a Pitt fan like me who would prefer to focus on more positive aspects of a team that I’ve loved for going on some 50 years now.

      So there you have it, my POV. & BTW, I’ve never hide behind my screen name. Anything that I ever directed towards another commentor I would ( & have) said to their faces, with all due respect.

      In closing, I would suggest Reed, you continue doing what you feel is justified to remain true to your own set of ideals. It’s your blog. I like the Pitt POV because it talks about my Pitt Panthers, and until I get banned I will continue to comment, all the while, when I feel it is necessary, calling out the negative Nancys who find enjoyment in trashing the Panthers when I feel such criticism is unwarranted.

      Like

  7. I believe I have said this before, but I want to avoid confusion. The Ville is a advertising technique for the university of Louisville.

    Like

  9. Have a great time on vacation Fran, looks like the POV will be here when you get back. It has to be, it’s our family… but Reed our dad is really freaky… 🙂

    Like

  10. Glad we can all kiss and make up!! As 1 of 7 kids who were always fighting (arguing), my mom always told us to “fight nice”. Let’s remember that ok? H2P!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I would really miss this place if it went away.

    Been waiting to make this observation; when Chryst was here I complained that we had no D Ends and no pass rush, but plenty of O linemen. Now it appears that Narduzzi is stockpiling D Ends which I really like, but now wonder about the O-linemen.

    I have experienced a definite sigh of relief with the flurry of verbals some which have pretty good offer sheets. Very encouraging.

    I still agree with Reed that we need more of the blue chip guys. Hopefully they are coming, but even more importantly the guys that have come and are coming start to produce results.

    Last year everything that could go wrong did. Maybe we will get a little hidden vigorish this year. Only real yinzers will understand that one.

    Interesting that Reed’s pappy promoted international students at Pitt. I met a few while at Pitt and it broadened my education. It surely has raised the Status of Pitt.

    I definitely appreciate the well thought out critique, if this was just another cheerleading site without interaction with the author and other commenters it would be pretty boring. When I look at the other sites there are only 8-10 comments per article.

    I do wish more of the massive number of readers would post, so we would gain a broader perspective.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I met a lot of foreign students at GSPIA. Although I started at GSPH I took a lot of classes at GSPIA and was working on a double Master’s. Although both schools had agreed on a single thesis, late in the game GSPIA changed it’s mind and required a second essay. I had had enough and was having enough trouble with one thesis, so that ended my double degree. I still remember fondly studying with students from Africa and Asia at GSPIA. Wonder whatever happened to some of them. Wish we had Facebook back then.

    Like

  13. Pitt needs MORE fans.. not LESS. Anyone who posts here does so because they love Pitt football.

    I love that people have differing opinions and just wish we could be respectful of others.

    Most of you know that I’m not optimistic about this coming season but I hope all of you know that I want to be wrong.

    Let’s all try to agree to disagree.

    H2P

    Like

    1. I for one, think you are going to get your wish. May the Panthers prove you wrong this season. Phi Alpha.

      Like

  14. The old folk song maybe says it best: you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone!
    It would be terrible to lose the POV! I believe we can all agree with that much. Hence, let’s humbly put each other ahead of ourselves on this incredible Pitt blog as we prepare for this upcoming 2018-2019 season and all the surprises that will come with it – both good and bad. #H2P

    Like

    1. “You don’t knowmwhat you’very got til it’s gone”. They paved paradise and put up a basketball arena…

      Like

  15. This should please UPitt, Jordano is done. It’s nice to see you kids.., err, gentleman, kiss and make up.

    Like

  16. LOL Ike…Reed is our dad. Hey Dad, can I get a new earring while I’m at the shore next week? Haha.
    gc, I received my MPH at GSPH and met many international students that were enrolled in GSPIA…quite the melting pot in that small building. H2P.

    Like

  17. meh, always seems to start a new thread when I post a comment. So……..

    Don’t look now, but Pitt is up to #27 in the latest Rivals Team Rankings. And of the 26 teams above Pitt, 13 of those 26 teams have more recruits than Pitt in Total recruits. If Pitt can land a couple 4 stars or if some of the current 3’s become 4’s (I wouldn’t count on that because it’s Pitt), this could end up being a Top 20 class.

    https://n.rivals.com/team_rankings/2019/all-teams/football

    Like

  18. I’ll probably be off for at least the Summer…as arguing about recruits, etc, etc. Is not my bag. We all should know by now, that some teams, that don’t get the greatest recruits still manage to win a lot of games and go to big Bowl Games. Wisconsin & Texas Christian come to mind immediately.

    Many more factors involved(whether ppl choose to admit them or not). Pitt is not among the chosen. Which is kinda funny in it’s own right. Cya all in
    the Fall. God willing !

    VeV

    Like

  20. Reed — very impressive to me that the POV has on the order of 1000 blog-readers for every blog-commenter.

    I agree with gc, would be great to have some of those Pitt fans adding their thoughts.

    Appreciate all the work Reed puts into the POV and I would hope that he finds he doesn’t have to spend extra time monitoring the site — but that may be wishful thinking come the next 3-star recruit who we beat out Syracuse for…. 😊

    Go Pitt!

    Like

  21. This recruiting class is encouraging but still not great at this point. Pitt still needs 2 or 3 four stars and some OLs. It seems that each class should include about 3 OLs to cover injuries, transfers and build some depth. If not, they will continue to look at Sr. transfers and conversions from other positions, which is not a good formula for success. I thought the new OL coach would show his recruiting value by now.

    Like

    1. some of these tight ends and defensive lineman may end up as offensive lineman. guys with good feet are valuable on the O-line. And many of these kids are still growing. They often grow into different positions than what they were originally recruited. theres only about 8-9 scholies left to give. Will be interesting to see what positions they go after and if the staff begins to focus more on quality over numbers.

      Glad Heather is focusing on coaching accountability. Pitt baseball has never won more than 11 games in ACC play. Only went to the tourney this year because 12 out of 14 teams were invited. Tough for a northern school to compete but some do like UConn, St Johns and Minnesota. Personally, I would have given up baseball like Syracuse did and either went with lacrosse or ice hockey.

      Like

    2. The new O-line coach is recruiting some good players, but if he doesn’t land some of them scary how Pitt will have to go back to the drawing board and likely recruit lesser kids.

      The receiver spot needs some sizzle but there are some younger players on the roster who can develop.

      Like

  22. BTW Rivals has changed how they rank recruiting classes. It used to be total points by stars.

    Now they take the top 20 recruits a school has by the “points” they hang awarded to the individual recruits (like 5.7) and uses that total as the determiner.

    Like

  26. It sounded like it was painful for you Reed. Still think the POV is more civil than most places and there is always respect still here but it does get lost in the moment at times.

    I had a feeling the Rival rankings used those decimal point numbers, thanks for checking.

    Good to see a few commenters make some comments that went away for awhile. Taking a break is not a bad thing.

    Get the earring Fran but the nose ring is out… or any other place besides the ears.

    I’m starting to like this recruiting class more and more, this Wright kid is a real player. Let the the 4* player start coming.

    Like

    1. Watch Davis Beville’s HUDL highlight reel. You’ll like the class even moreso thereafter. How this kid is a 3 star is a mystery to me. He looks like he could become a fanchise QB for Pitt. We haven’t had that type of game changer Freshman QB recruit come through the program for quite awhile. Hopefully Pickett can prove to be “that guy” also. We’ll start seeing if that’s so in 10 weeks.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. WAY more civil than the old Scout site. I read that site for years and never commented. 4 posts in (sometimes 2) and it would break down to extreme personal attacks. (except for the game threads)

      Like

  29. I have watched Beville’s tape Dr and I feel the same as you. Although I don’t go on titter I’ve read a few of his tweets on another board and he really sounds committed to PITT. I say that because I understand he only lives 30 miles from the Clemson campus. Although I think Clemson already has the #1 rated QB high school prospect committed.

    Like

  30. How about a few more Bio’s? I enjoy hearing about varied Pitt experiences and how non Pitt alumni become Pitt Fans. Would really like to hear from some younger folks and current students to hear what the current and recent experiences are.

    Like

  32. Reed, thank you for taking the time to re-center the chi on the POV- as I mentioned before, I do read a lot of other Pitt material out there because I’m a junky for it. However, I’ve really appreciated the more realistic perspectives on the POV, even if I disagree at times. I’ve never met any of you in person, but I hope that changes this upcoming season. I live near Philly and always try to make it back for at least one game. I have a 2 year old, so it’s not always easy. Looks like the homecoming game this year might be the one I make it to. H2P and keep up the great work! It is appreciated and not taken for granted.
    -Brett (aka Fade2fitz)

    Liked by 1 person

  34. It is ok to question things as to PItt football, leadership, commitment and support. It is not OK to continue to post negative posts that demean or are juvenile in nature. So if you have concerns or want to raise an issue, or reply to a post, counter with facts are reasons that make your case. I don’t agree with Reed on some posts but do have respect for his views. Skepticism if fine, cynicism serves no real purpose. Pat signal. Got to admit the staff is working hard here. I think Pitt gets the quippa CB, Hubbard and Brown who are 4 stars so Reed is a happy camper. .

    Like

  36. TE Jason Collier potential OT who looks to be a 3 star now with probably 5.5 rating. But that projection is meaningless since he will be an OT at Pitt. He did have decent offers including V Tech.

    Like

    1. Correction Chet – 2* Jason Collier had his own “interest” in VT but was never offered by them… but he was offered by other P5 schools at or below Pitt’s level if you put stock in offers (If offered they have green check marks in the far right column)

      https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2019/jason-collier-214579#school-interests

      But Rivals hasn’t updated their Commitment Listing yet for any new recruit – still stands at 13.

      https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/commitments/football/2019

      Like

  38. Chet,
    “Before the bashing begins…”
    Really? Everyone’s still in “kiss and make up” mode.
    Please don’t spoil the moment
    yet. :<(.
    Thx!

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Yes checked that and VT didn’t offer as per rivals. As I mentioned, decent offer list. But since he is in all probability a OT hard to judge his final position as his rating is a TE. He shows good athleticism and with the OT position in need, I think he is a good get in that regard. But if I had to hammer the program the OL was abysmal the first two years of Narduzzi. But last year and the year before were better. Never thought Peterson was a good hire as his time at OSU was underwhelming. He is 6-7 270-275 and moves well for that size. So to me it is a good risk/reward recruit. Good shot with Hubbard with Wright committing since they are best buds. But MIss St is in the mix.

    Like

    1. Chet I think you might have misspoke, the 2016 OL was one of the best Pitt has had in 30 years. The key indicators as to how well an OL does is two things – protect the QB and the running game.

      In ’16 we did this:

      Total Offense: 58th – 446 ypg
      Rushing – 28th – 225 ypg
      Sacks allowed – 3rd w/ 10 total
      TFLs Allowed – 56th

      In ’17 we dropped to:

      Total Offense:97th – 366 ypg
      Rushing – 85th – 148 ypg
      Sacks allowed – 101st w/ 31 total
      TFLs Allowed – 99th

      Lat year’s OL was truly one of the worse we have had in ages. You can see that in the stats above.

      The ’15 OL was in-between:

      Total Offense:82nd – 377 ypg
      Rushing – 44th – 186 ypg
      Sacks allowed – 73st w/ 27 total
      TFLs Allowed – 24th

      Liked by 1 person

      1. speaking to the recruiting those years not on the field performance. Yes Ol was good for Pitt for two years of Chryst and two years of Narduzzi. I think the line of TG Rotheram, Biz and DJ were the best in 2014

        Like

  40. How many TE’s do we need? So far, 6 of them have been added between last year and this year. Heck, this year isn’t over yet. If the Flordia TE wants to come, do we add yet another TE? Who knows, maybe the staff knows he’s going to Kentucky.

    Last year it was Reaves, Sear and Carrigan. I think there is a pretty decent chance that 2 out of those 3 leave the program.

    Maybe both this Collier kid and also Reaves ends up on the OL.

    Like

    1. many of these TE recruits will move to the line. they will have 2 years to gain weight and learn the position. not a bad recruiting approach if you can develop them.

      Like

  41. He is a OT as to his recruitment. Doesn’t mean he won;t be a TE but the plan is for him to play OT. He had a decent offer list and rivals doesn’t have a VTech offer but 247 does. Who knows? But Carrigan’s future I think is OT. Pitt added the Arkansas TE 2 years and Koontz as well at TE. Final two for the TE from Florida.

    Liked by 1 person

  42. It is like going fishing.

    One guy has a stringer of 14 small bluegills.

    Another has 6 bluegills, 4 fatty rainbow trout, 2 Largemouth Bass and 3 walleyes.

    Who is eating better.

    Like

  43. Was away for a few months because of my perception of too much negativity here. Came back for a short period last week hoping for insight on the vast number of official visits – something Pitt hasn’t done for awhile or perhaps ever?!? Didn’t find my answer but found plenty of negativity again.

    I came back this morning after I saw a new recruit has committed and wondered if anyone here knew anything.

    Read this post and must have missed the fireworks over the past few days. Maybe a gentler and kinder POV will result. If so, I and probably others would come back more often.

    The firestorm over three stars vs four stars always strikes me as closer to a tempest in a teapot rather than the silver bullet argument. Look at some recent four stars – Ruben Flowers – gone; George Hill – medically ineligible; Kaezon Pugh – gone…. Getting their signature didn’t help much. The 3 vs. 4 is too blunt an instrument to provide essential insight. First the rating services are not staffed with rocket scientists (I ought to know, I am one – lol). Second, the sensitivity of the test statistic (3 v 4) is almost non-existent. I hate to dredge up an old position of mine but when one assesses the 2018 class the easy cliché is it stinks because there is only one 4 star. But then if we use a slightly better test statistic (5.7 v 5.8 and above), we see the 2018 recruiting is pretty good (11 members out of 20 with 5.7 or above). If we further refine the test statistic by looking at the ordering of the recruits, we see two recruits were the next in line to receive a fourth star (Danielson and the receiver). We also see two offensive iinemen were very, very close to the cut line (Kradel and Z). So that is five recruits out of 20 who were in the conversation for 4 stars.

    I would feel better about the doomsayers if they were making a better argument than – only one 4 star, see…. And making it repeatedly and stridently with no additional value… If that’s your argument, good. But it isn’t etched in stone for eternity as an ultimate truism…

    I can understand the recruiting concern. Rivals and 24/7 can show a modest correlation between their rankings and the NFL draft (sort of the ultimate test of quality). But, other than pulling a rabbit out of hat (like Pitt basketball did with Capel), improvement is going to slow and steady – at best…

    Like

    1. PE – Pitt needs “star” players to win 8+ games per year and the more 5* and 4* kids we get the better chances for us to get those… Even with attrition.

      Like

  44. stars do matter
    https://saturdayblitz.com/2018/05/07/dispelling-the-myth-that-recruiting-stars-dont-matter/

    https://athlonsports.com/college-football/dont-deny-climate-change-recruiting-rankings-matter

    Pitt has 3 out of 13 that are 5.7 rated
    some of these kids may get a bump and become a 4 star after their senior year
    But bottomline – Pitt needs impact players on both sides of the ball
    Solid players are fine to fill out the team and be role players
    But again, elites have the potential to take over a game particularly those in skilled positions
    QB is so critical in college football

    Like

  45. I guess it comes down to what are your goals.

    Pitt is recruiting well enough to challenge for the division title each year
    It will need to do better to win the ACC championship
    And to be in the national playoff discussion

    So if you’re fine with 8-9 win seasons (and sometimes 5-6 wins), Pitt’s current recruiting may get you that
    If you want 10-11 win seasons, Pitt needs to step up recruiting and grab some elites and have a more than decent QB

    My fish selection for the last 8 scholies would be 2 Muskies, 2 Salmon, 2 Steelhead Trout, and 2 Bass

    Like

    1. I’d prefer a tuna and mahi mahi blackened of course with a side of coleslaw and tecate.

      Like

    2. Man oh man tx, I hope you are right that Pitt is recruiting well enough for division championships. I expect improvement to be incremental. With a division championship will come a better bowl, improved PR, hopefully better attendance and then better recruiting to climb the next step on the ladder of improvement . H2P!

      Like

  46. I don’t know about that analogy Mark, a bluegill is a bluegill and his fins will never change. A 3* is a subjective title assigned to the player by someone who most likely never watched him play in person and even if he did how does he draw this conclusion that some other kid is .1 better than him? Not to mention how many times a player gets bumped up to the walleye or I mean a 4*

    BTW, I consider the walleye some one of the best eating fish around.

    Like

    1. Me too. Used to get them out of deep creek. Damn good eats.

      What happened to our coach with Texas connections? To my knowledge we only have 1 player from Texas. Money would of been better spent on a Floridian and in particular WVU’s old QB who PSU hired. He is awesome recruiter spefically in the Belle Glades area.

      Like

  47. Look Pitt is slow to change. HCPC met with Gallagher and told him what this University has to do to change the narrative. Adding the AD who spent years in big time programs knows how it works. Money. matters and I do believe Pitt is moving that way with ACC cash and ACC network coming. Keeping Partridge, hiring Capel, Stallings buyout is some real cash here. I do think Pickett will be the QB who elevates the team as to upside. Staff is well thought of and experienced. Positive thoughts. .

    Like

    1. Heather is the difference maker 100%. I don’t agree with the thoughts on Narduzzi. Partridge yes. Capel Yes.

      Like

  48. Tx, you say stars matter. I say offer sheets matter. In many cases the 4 and 5 star kids have a ton offers so its the same thing. Stars sell subscriptions.

    Then there are cases like Hubbard who rivals has at 4 stars. The ones that matter….head coaches don’t have him rated as a 4 star player. Like i said, in my cases a 4 star player will have a pretty good offer sheet. Its not common for a 4 star player to have a final list of Pitt, Syracuse, UVA and Miss State. Maybe its his conditioning that the coaches don’t like. If not that, its something else. For the record, if he commits to Pitt, I’m saying this before the fact, not after.

    Recruiting is a game of probabilities. If successful coaches with a winning track record like Bama, Miami, FSU, Clemson and the like offers a player, its possible they could all be wrong from time to time. But I would bet money over the long haul they will be right more often than they are wrong. These coaches know a hell of a lot more than these dorks at these recruiting sites. These HC’s have skin in the game.

    The other thing I read often, when a message board poster disagrees on a commit, some posters come on here and say……who knows more….Narduzzi or this particular message board poster. Or they say, I trust Narduzzi for than some message board poster. Here is the thing, Narduzzi is not measured against message board posters. Not at all. He’s measured against other ACC head coaches and other p5 coaches. Narduzzi is competing against other p5 coaches, not message board posters.

    On a side note, in a couple of years, Taggert is going to give Dabo a run for his money. Taggert is going to be the best recruiter in the ACC.

    Like

  49. Many three star players become blue chip guys, the art is finding those guys. It is what Pitt has to do on the way up. I like the idea of recruiting tight ends that become D-Tackles. You get guys who can move their feet and are athletic. If they have the frame, they can put on the muscle. Steeler Larry Brown was the prototype and O’Neil at Pitt is the absolute model.

    I think we have a decent class already and if we can score a few high value targets, the late start will be forgiven.

    However, we really need to see some of the redshirt freshmen & sophomores start to produce this year. They need to push the upper class men. This will be a real indication if Narduzzi and Co are recruiting well.

    Like

  50. As we sit here and the newest commit is still not being counted, Narduzzi and PITT are listed as the #5 recruiting ranking in the ACC. #27 overall. Not too shabby as of now.

    Not disappointed but I was hoping for the Ogneovic or however he spells his name (I’m being real lazy today) kid as the TE commitment. Hope he still comes. Yet when a young man says he wants to play for PITT, I have to have his back.

    Liked by 1 person

  52. Big B…
    I got you’re flag! You’re the man. Proudly hanging in my front yard. My old man came by to drop off some produce he got at a farmer’s market and was blown away by it! Thanks again buddy!

    Like

  53. Like I told you he started taking me to games I’m 84. I’m a Foge man. Missed the glory years. All I got is a picture of me when Pitt won the title is me in my playpen with a Pitt hat on and a cigarette my dad stuck in my mouth(not politically correct these days) That was 1976 however, different times…

    Like

    1. Pap76,
      Was it a filtered Marlboro or a non filtered Pal Mal (?), Chesterfield, etc? (LOL)

      Like

  57. Upitt…
    What up buddy. Long time no talk! Me too! We have became way too pussified as a culture!
    Hope that’s not a bad word Reed?

    Like

  58. My first girlfriend called me the kid in the Pitt jacket. Old Pitt starter jacket. Been a sucker since birth. Why couldn’t my Dad have been a Steeler fan? Lol

    Like

  59. I am so glad this place is back. Thanks for opening the shop back up Reed!

    Although, I have never met any of you, I feel like I know most of you. While I may not like what others say some times, I’ve never been personally offended. Different opinions are fine by me.

    My productivity at work can now go back down again to where it belongs.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. BJ – many fans, recruiting sites and coaching staffs have different takes on a recruit’s offers. Personally those are the last things I consider – but I mention them because readers like to talk about them.

    But the recruiting staff’s actual scouts, stringers and the guys who actually rank the kids don’t look at them at all:

    “The issue is that all scholarship offers aren’t created equal. Each school has different needs and different systems, and thus targets different types of prospects. Farrell compares it to the NFL Draft where “guys will rate a certain position higher because it’s a positional need for that team.” Despite a team willing to take a player in the Top 10 of the draft, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a Top 10-level talent.

    The same theory applies to college football.

    Out of the four recruiting experts, Shurburtt is the only one who says offers factor in at all and he gives it only 10 percent of the total equation. One thing 247Sports does is look at the track record of college programs putting players into the NFL, especially lower-rated prospects. If a school is known for turning two and three-star prospects into NFL players, the analysts might give the school the benefit of the doubt when they offer a similarly rated player.

    The other issue with factoring in scholarship offers, according to the analysts, is that not only do they not tell the full story, but they might not even exist. Recruits make up scholarship offers in order to get more attention. It would be incredibly difficult to personally verify every single offer that 2000 or more recruits claim to have.

    Says Luginbill: “Some are manufactured by the kids and you don’t know if he even has an offer or not. Other offers might be predicated on stipulations of coming to a camp or an official visit.”

    He additionally notes that offers don’t reflect priority on a program’s board. With schools offering more and more kids, a player could get a prestigious offer but behind the scenes he is the 10th best receiver on the board and the program only plans on taking two.”

    Here is that article.

    https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/02/how_are_recruiting_rankings_de.html

    I have heard many times that kids have claimed Pitt offers where none existed. Here’s the thing about that. Schools can’t talk publicly about who they offer, who they are trying to get and even who they get verbals from. The NCAA forbids it.

    Pitt can tweet “The Lights Are On” or “Two Headed Monster Coming to Pitt” (Yes, an actual tweet) but they can’t use the kids’ names. What they do is have staffers help the recruits themselves do up Tweets and graphics, etc… but the actual info goes out on the recruit’s twitter not Pitts.

    So the recruiting sites have to rely on the players themselves to tell them who they have offers from and that comes from them getting in touch with the recruiting sites personally or going through subscription services like HUDL or one of the many “Get Yourself Noticed” websites people run. Those pay site advertise the kid – pure marketing and they don’t care where the kid say he has offers from at all.

    If you see a kid with all MAC level school or lower P5 schools then all of a sudden you see PSU or OSU or Alabama as an offer you can be sure he’s lying about it – and sadly the parents have a lot to do with this fabricating the offer sheets. It’s crazy and there are no morals involved with some of them.

    So – This last recruit we got, Jason Collier, is a 2* and has offers from Pitt, Maryland SYR, VA and Duke so that’s all well and good believable. Now if you saw Alabama up there all of a sudden you can probably bet a dollar the kid had a “come to our camp” type letter that wasn’t a scholarship offer but a “Letter of Interest” (schools send out hundreds if not thousands of these every year) and told the recruiting site it was an offer.

    There is no way to actually check to see if he’s lying or not, but it is rampant. A lot of recruits parents and even HS coaches will do almost anything to make their kid look better than he really is.

    Like

  61. Steel Ubaldo… try to get to a tailgate and meet some of the motley crew. Guarantee you they are much better in living color !!! Jump into to the fray. Great to see new names posting… the old crew is so damn predictable…one side too positive… one side too negative and we all complain…. just kidding… great group of peeps… all love Pitt FB.

    Like

    1. I am actually stubpanther. Stubpanther is Steel Ubaldo. Sometimes I got logged in Steel Ubaldo. I don’t understand it…. Kinda like Finkel is Einhorn but less dramatic.

      Anyway, I plan on making it to one of the tailgates this year. Hope to meet some of you. H2P!

      Like

  62. Pap76… enjoy the real Mustard… talked with EJ the other day about unis, real Mustard and restoring the “ chant” to the PITT Victory song… he gets it !!!! and he also got his PITT Mustard flag and a WUPs ( there it is – flag)

    UPitt.. when you and I get together we will break out of the POLITICAL CORRECT closet we have been shoved into and LET’R RIP……

    Like

  63. Iek… swap you some Carolina shrimp for walleye fillets.. been a long time since I’ve eaten walleye.. one of the best eating fish period

    Liked by 1 person

  66. @Reed I’ve been following recruiting closely for over 20 years. Yes, some kids lie about offers. Like you if I see a kid with Akron, Bowling Green, Toledo and Michigan offer. I discount the Michigan offer.

    However when I see a kid that has Florida, FSU, Clemson, Auburn, Miami, Tenn, Pitt, Maryland and VT. I would rather take my chances with this particular player versus a kid with a Pitt, BC, Akron, Bowling Green and a Marshall offer.

    In our case, look at Keshun Brown, Carter the RB or Briton. In these two cases, I believe most of those offers reported are legit.

    I go into this with the understanding there is no way to “police” what these kids post on twitter. Sometimes they are posting the truth about offers, sometimes they are stretching things a bit. Just because a kid speaks to a coach or a coach says they are interested, it doesn’t always mean the coach is extending an offer they can accept.

    Its just like the POV. No matter how hard one tries, not everyone will agree all the time. Its difficult to police what people will say and how much they will say it. One thing I’ve liked about your blog, you let people speak their mind….freedom of speech. Message boards or blogs with comments will bring all kinds of different comments.

    Another thing can come into play. Certain schools can extend offers early in the process and it can be a legit offer at that particular point in time. However as time goes by, if this schools accepts other players at that same position, the player who waited may not really have an offer to commit to anymore. Even though when you look in the database, it still lists that offer, even though things have changed and they can no longer can commit to that school. Recruiting is fluid, things change over time. Here is something to think about, if a player has 20 really top notch offers listed and its late in the recruiting cycle and this player is actually deciding between Pitt and Syracuse, well chances are they really don’t have an offer from those 20+ offers that they can commit to at that point and time. Again, nothing is 100% there are exceptions to the rule but its a probability thing.

    In the end, I still believe in what I posted. Successful p5 coaches know more than these guys that work on these recruiting sites. Do you disagree with this point?

    Like

    1. Why is everyone always picking on Bowling Green? It’s a nice school out in the corn fields of Ohio. – Hobie, B.A., M.A. BGSU – PS. All Falcons hate Toledo, always pick on them as well as Ohio, Miami, the directional Michigans, Northern Illinois, Akron, Buffalo and Kent. Did I leave anyone out? If I did, pick on them too.

      Like

    2. BJ… No, agree but when you look at some offers Pitt has put out to 5* and 4* 18 months before LOI Day they do that based on the recruiting sites. Then if interest is shown by the recruits a coach will fly out.

      But I feel comfortable fsaying that any 5* recruit who says they will verbal sight unseen Pitt would accept it immediately.

      Like

  67. Here’s an FYI and I hope Upitt doesn’t mind. Mark and myself shared family photos today and get along very nicely and feel we are friends with each other outside the POV. Maybe inside too.

    bj, I agree with you on the coach thoughts. I call it the coaching or recruiting eye. Scouting services serve as a guide or barometer the coaches rely on what they or another coach see’s. One thing I sure believe, they know a lot more than anyone on a message board, if only because I have to.

    Like

  68. Looks like at the TE position Pitt is more concerned right now with size than quickness. Instead of bringing in a quicker, pass-catching TE and a bulkier blocking TE, we seem to be shopping for lots of really big guys.

    Maybe it’s because we haven’t been able to land the top-notch OTs, and are looking for them to switch positions.

    Reeves, for example, is impressive looking, as is this Collier kid, but I’m not seeing first-step “quickness” or quick feet in these guys. Am seeing some really big guys. I guess guys with OT size and any sort of quickness are tough to find and go to the highest bidder…

    Anybody seeing anything otherwise in these TEs?

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  70. Based on the size of some of our TE’s (and a current commit) it leads you to believe some kids will be making position switches.

    I’m really not too worried about the OL. It’s appears a little thin from afar, but it’s really not when you get a little closer.

    Pitt has 15 OL and 3 others that have at least a little speculation around them making a move to the o-line.

    Yes, last year the line struggled. Yes, Narduzzi is bringing in transfers to compete. Yes, the OL looked scary in a pretend spring game.

    But …

    If you look below, however, a lot of that really is due to youth … not for a lack of recruiting … or even misses.

    He’s bringing in transfers to fill in the gap of a lost class. Not having a single OL in Narduzzi’s first class (30 days to recruit), hurts.

    There is no way around it.

    Pitt has zero True Sr. OL and our only RS Jr. is a transfer.

    Narduzzi’s first class of linemen are RS So.’s. If you notice, it’s a lot of RS So.’s, RS Fr. and then really only 3 RS Sr.’s in Bookser, Dintino and hybrid Mike Herndon.

    The OL looks to be a strength going into next season, IMO … and I think it will surprise this season.

    Brian O’Neill missing all of camp with the shoulder injury going into last season was also a big factor with the poor play. The unit never jelled and their best player went in to the season cold, and maybe not 100%.

    It also hurt O’Neill heading into the draft. By missing a summer of practicing on his craft, as an already raw player, his technique never had a chance to develop … and it was exposed in-season and in the draft process.

    This is our OL:

    So. Devon Davis – 6’4 325lbs
    Fr. Jake Kradel – 6’3 285lbs
    RS So. Justin Morgan – 6’6 365lbs
    RS Jr. Chase Brown – 6’5 310lbs (Transfer)
    FS So. Brandon Ford – 6’5 310lbs
    RS Fr. Gabe Houy – 6’6 305lbs
    RS Fr. Carson Van Lynn – 65 285lbs
    RS Fr. Owen Drexel – 6’3 285 lbs
    RS So. Jimmy Morrissey – 6’3 300lbs
    RS Fr. Kenny Rainey – 6’3 330lbs
    RS So. Bryce Hargrove – 6’4 310lbs
    RS Fr. Jerry Drake – 6’5 300lbs
    RS Sr. Connor Dintino – 6’3 315lbs
    RS Fr. Carter Warren – 6’5 320 lbs
    RS Sr. Alex Bookser – 6’6 320lbs

    Possible “other” OL

    OL/DL, RS Sr. Mike Herndon – 6’4 310lbs
    TE, RS Fr. Charles Reeves – 6’5 285lbs
    TE, RS Fr. Grant Carrigan – 6’7 285lbs

    Like

  72. You can pretty much pencil in the OL as

    LT Millin rSR 6’5 305
    LG Dintink rSR 6’3 315
    C Morissey rSO 6’3 300
    RG Herndon rSR 6’4 310
    RT Bookser rSR 6’6 320

    Like

    1. Other than Bookser and Morissey is there anyone on this blog who has seen the others play and knows for certain who will start and if they will be good. I don’t get it.

      Like

    2. If that is the line, a lot of younger guys need to fill in or we will start over next year.
      The red shirt sophomores need to be ready to go.

      Like

  73. The OL is really going to struggle this year. Pickett is going to take some shots, could miss time due to injury.

    Like

  74. Let me get this straight….there are readers of a Pitt sports blog who can’t stand reading negativity? Did these people just land here last month from the planet Zoltron? (snicker)

    I agree Reed with your stance on not banning people on here unless they get personally abusive to other people here or violate (after warnings) your few basic rules here. Only by pride comes contention.

    I very seldom skip any readers here but that’s always an option to the easily offended. As for me, I even liked JoeD….so you see people typing on a blog is not anything personal IMO.

    I appreciate what you do here Reed and I like reading most everyone’s comments….especially the game threads. Also when a coach is hired.

    Liked by 1 person

  75. Me? I don’t think banning should be a real option. I really can’t think of anytime on the POV it would have been appropriate so far. Maybe the threat of it would keep us all more in tow but I don’t see what’s been so far out of line. If the readers only find it upsetting them, then take off the muzzles and talk to us. Apparently there are many of them. Voices speak, silence does not. ike

    Like

    1. Agreed. It’s Reed’s blog both because he owns and created it and because he’s it’s hear and dole but I just did not see the need for the lecture or for that matter thevtome out. We are grown men and women. I feel for Reed that in the background there are readers who complain to him. I for one would never do that because I understand the weight that Reed carries on his shoulders. To my mind the problem is those guys complaining outside of the POV to Reed.

      Like

  78. Recruiting is an extremely complicated matter, and there is really no way to immediately assess a recruiting class due to the many things that can happen to these kids over time. Assigning a number to any player is really an impossible thing unless one can measure effort, maturity, commitment, love of football and other factors that will contribute to success. Loyalty is one such factor. Will a TE switch to OL for an opportunity to play on his current team, or will he transfer? Will a player stay for 4-5 years so that coaches can develop them or will he flunk out or transfer?

    But two things seem clear: the overall ranking of the class (or consecutive classes) can show a good effort is being made made, and the number of casualties due to flunking out, transfers, etc. will affect player development over time. Look at UCF. There is certainly a correlation between good recruiting and winning, but it is hard to measure. I wonder if there is a ranking for recruited players who actually end up playing significant time without transferring. Something that takes into account the Robert Foster factor, which is a good player who attends a school but never plays. How about a matriculation factor, which measures the number of recruits who stay 4-5 years and can be coached up?

    Like

  80. For the eternal pessimists I would say that I have been following Pitt sports since the mid ’60’s and can affirm that Pitt will never be Alabama, Ohio St. or even Penn St. for that matter. The BoT and leadership were never all that interested in sports. I would say that in all my years of following Pitt that they’ve never been more committed to teams sports than they are right now with Gallagher & Heather.

    Of course the money has never been anything like it is now either with the ACC association that the University enjoys. I would recommend for your sanity to not set your bar too high in either FB or BB. A miracle win here and there, perhaps a miracle year, or a miracle recruit (like Dorsett or Charles Smith) every now and then, and PLEASE, a nice bowl win should be enough to satisfy this tired group and allow true celebration. A Final Four once in my lifetime would be great too.

    I remember the first time Pitt won the Big East Tournament. I sat there on the couch at my buddies apartment in borderline disbelief since we had always fallen short before. These kinds of moments should be lying ahead but will be unfortunately rare if the University doesn’t keep striving forward to improve.

    H2P

    Like

  81. Jack, I’m having trouble following…if the admistration is more committed to sports and we have more money in the ACC, how could we not set the bar a little higher?

    I am typically more optimistic (maybe that’s the school counselor in me), but I give Narduzzi this year with a ridiculously difficult schedule, and next, when I expect 8 wins minimum, and if he doesn’t deliver, I want someone else.

    I hope he succeeds, but 5 years is plenty of time to show what you can do. If he crushes it this year or next, I’m all in.

    Like

    1. A little higher, fine….but too high right now like wishing we recruit and win like a perennial Top 25 team is a tad premature IMO. We all hope that changes for the better some day though.

      I’m more optimistic concerning the BB team with Capel and his ability to recruit over the FB team at the moment. I think this is what has Reed a antsy, and I can’t blame him.

      Like

Comments are closed.