Haven’t been able to write anything lately – just finished replacing back deck only to find out today….wait for it….have to replace our whole HVAC system also.  So, if you have articles send them through.  But you have to do tables and such on your own and not in the body of an email – that’s too much work to try to fix for publication.

Link: Pitt Football Radio

Pitt Football Radio Team Unveiled for 2018 Season

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh and its multimedia rights holder IMG unveiled today the Pitt football radio crew for the 2018 season. The three-person broadcast team will consist of iconic play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove, color analyst Pat Bostick and pregame host and sideline reporter Larry Richert.

“There is tremendous anticipation for the 2018 football season and we are proud to have an outstanding radio team calling the action,” Executive Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations E.J. Borghetti said. “I say this on an annual basis, but I believe we have the best radio crew in college football. Their knowledge, passion and professionalism are simply exceptional.”

 Known to fans nationwide as the “Voice of the Panthers,” Hillgrove enters his 45th season calling play by play for Pitt football. He initially was the Panthers’ color analyst from 1970-73 before taking over as play-by-play man for the 1974 season. Hillgrove has called Pitt basketball since 1969.

 Hillgrove also begins his 25th season as the play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers this fall. Sports Broadcast Journal recently named him and Pittsburgh Penguins’ broadcaster Mike Lange to its 2018 list of Most Popular ‘One-Two Play-By-Play Pairs’ Across American Markets.

 Bostick makes his full time return to Pitt football radio broadcasts as color analyst this fall. The former Panthers quarterback previously served in that role from 2011-15 as well as select games during the 2017 season.

 Bostick makes a tremendous impression on listeners with his keen insight and analysis. In addition to game days, he will continue to be a frequently heard voice talking college football on Pitt flagship station Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan throughout the week.

 Bostick resumes the analyst role that was manned by Billy Osborn the past two seasons.

 “Ozzie has some great things going on, both professionally and personally, that are demanding his fulltime attention,” Borghetti said. “He was recently named a senior vice president for Defend Your Head, a helmet technology company that is doing important work. On the family front, Billy’s boys are playing football every weekend and those are moments you just don’t want to miss.

 “You won’t find a person with more Pitt pride than Ozzie. We thank him for his great work the past two years. He has a standing invite to the booth anytime he’s in town.”

Richert will provide pregame coverage and in-game sideline reports for the sixth consecutive season. One of Pittsburgh’s most recognized voices and faces, he has hosted the venerable KDKA Morning News Show (1020 AM) since 2001. His broadcasting career spans nearly four decades in both radio and television.

Led by 50,000-watt flagship station 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM) in Pittsburgh, Pitt football games are broadcast on the Pitt IMG Sports Network, a loyal lineup of stations that spans the Commonwealth. The 2018 stations are:

Ambridge        WMBA-AM      1460

Beaver Falls     WBVP-AM       1230

Bedford           WBFD-AM       1310

Connellsville    WKHB-FM       103.9

Harrisburg       WTKT-AM        1460

Indiana            WCCS-AM       1160

Johnstown       WCRO-AM       1230

Meyersdale/    WQZS-FM        93.3

    Somerset

Oil City             WKQW-AM     1120

Pittsburgh       KDKA-FM         93.7

Uniontown      WMBS-AM      590

Game broadcasts are also available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Football radio coverage on the Pitt IMG Sports Network includes:

  • A three-hour pregame show (first hour on 93.7 The Fan and the last two on the entire Pitt IMG Sports Network).
  • Panther Reaction, a call-in show on 93.7 The Fan following postgame coverage.
  • The Pat Narduzzi Show presented by the Dollar Energy Fund on most Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. Coach Narduzzi previews the upcoming game and takes questions from callers. (Live stream on PittsburghPanthers.com.)

Season tickets for the 2018 Pitt football season are now on sale. Call the Pitt Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT (7488) or log on to PittsburghPanthers.com.

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.

99 thoughts on “Pat Bostick Back in the Booth”

  1. Bostick does a good job in the booth. He’ll be limited in what he can say, given his role, but he is perceptive and a bit more articulate than some of the others who have filled the color commentary position.

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  6. Osbourne wasn’t as good his second time around, he pulled a johnny Majors. I like PB. Richards is a favorite of mine. Wish he would go back on TV.

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  8. Reed – On your deck & HVAC. Been there, done that. That’s why it is so hard for me to pull the trigger on doing something expensive. Always something else expensive pops up. My philosophy is to let it be and maybe a magic fairy will show up & fix it for me.

    Thanks for your effort.

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    1. I’ve let it be – the deck is about 50 years old and the HVAC about 18 – my wife wants to stay in the house forever so that’s that. Not a lot of decision making on my part.

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      1. Usually my wife made me pull the trigger. I’d learned to do something when the complaints came daily. Until the daily reminders, it was just a suggestion.

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    1. Yep – just like her. If you see her or a sister, send them to me. I have a project or two for them & their pixie friends to do.

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  10. You know Reed, do you know how many times I’ve said, golden years my ass the past few years? That is a myth. Pretty much what could have gone wrong ………. .. did. ike

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  11. You would think my wife has stock in the post it note pads? Dumbest thing I ever said to her was “make a note of it and I’ll get around to it”.

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  12. There should not be much news until camp starts in early August. July is a dead period for FB in that there are no official visits nor can the coaches visit or even contact recruits (except twitter I think).

    July is usually a busy basketball month in that there are many summer camps and tournaments going on … and the staff will be doing a lot of traveling.

    wwb

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    1. The only Pitt football news in July is bad news.

      Hope the guys behave themselves…

      Pat Bostick sure gets around in the world of Pitt football.

      Go Pitt.

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  17. I talked to Reed about a week ago. 450k for 6 years is what they are paying. Again, the spending has increased 3 x’s so results better follow. Money is finally being spent. Hope the model works but recruiting to Pittsburgh is a lot different than recruiting to Tally.

    Best of luck and fingers crossed but really not an easy city to win for baseball.

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    1. UPitt – Good post.

      I expected you to point out that Bell has no experience as a manager/Head Coach…
      😊

      Go Pitt.

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  18. Actually, I thought PITT hired Bell awhile ago. Looks like a solid hire and Upitt is right, the purse strings seemed to have been loosened a bit. This goes back to my theory on Gallagher that he kind of gets the image thingie is a good look for the PITT Panthers and the University of Pittsburgh. Before I’m corrected I know this isn’t all on him but it’s how the inner working’s work.

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    1. Ike – Hope things get better for you!

      Loosened – You mean full blown flipped over as far as spending. This is huge for Pitt. As far as WVU and other programs in ACC still behind but major committment.

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  19. I think with the 5 new members elected to the board of trustees on June 29 4 with ties to the university and the other being president of the penguins we will see more positive decisions being made. Reed you know sometimes repairs comes in threes be careful out there . tmc

    Liked by 1 person

  20. ^^You guys and girls will have to trust me on this one:

    The above comment-er knows what he speaks of, certainly someone I trust and I know, knows people. The times they are a changin.

    Mark, I thank you for your sentiments, they are greatly appreciated. I believe in most cases but not all, that God puts upon the biggest problems to the strongest that can withstand the troubles. Not to get all religious cause I’m far from there unfortunately but the facts remain. We will be fine.

    Sorry Reed, I needed to say that………… ike

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  21. Glad to see/HEAR Pat Bostick will be back in the booth for Panther FB this year. To me he seemed to have a genuine gift for color man work and his maturity beyond his years when he started amazed me. Welcome back Pat!

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  22. Baseball is definitely a Southern and Western sport

    Winningest Teams 2000-09
    PERCENTAGE
    (Minimum 7 Seasons as an NCAA Division I Member)
    Team Yrs. Won Lost Tied Pct.
    1. Rice 10 494 162 0 .753
    2. Florida St. 10 504 174 1 .743
    3. Oral Roberts 10 440 160 0 .733
    4. Texas 10 479 189 1 .717
    5. North Carolina 10 459 190 1 .707
    6. South Carolina 10 468 201 0 .700
    7. Miami (FL) 10 434 190 3 .695
    8. Coastal Caro. 10 432 190 0 .695
    9. Cal St. Fullerton 10 442 195 0 .694
    10. Georgia Tech 10 437 193 1 .693
    11. Arizona St. 10 397 176 2 .692
    12. Notre Dame 10 421 192 4 .686
    13. Southern U. 10 327 150 0 .686
    14. Nebraska 10 428 198 2 .683
    15. Wichita St. 10 459 217 0 .679
    16. LSU 10 440 210 4 .676
    17. Tulane 10 422 207 2 .670
    18. East Carolina 10 415 205 2 .669
    19. Clemson 10 436 216 1 .666
    20. Stanford 10 411 212 2 .659
    21. Ohio St. 10 385 217 1 .639
    22. Col. of Charleston 10 373 214 1 .635
    23. Ole Miss 10 395 228 1 .634
    24. Oklahoma St. 10 382 221 0 .633
    25. Fla. Atlantic 10 384 224 1 .631
    26. Southern Miss. 10 388 230 0 .628
    27. UNC Wilmington 10 371 220 1 .628
    28. Oregon St. 10 356 213 0 .626
    29. Kent St. 10 364 218 0 .625
    30. Virginia 10 370 223 2 .624

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  23. Ice hockey and lacrosse seem to me to be 2 sports that could really take off at Pitt
    Assuming the money was there to fund the scholies

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  25. Mark: $450k for 6 years? That’s 75k per annum. That seems cheap to me. I’m surprised that our baseball coach does not make 6 figures.

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  26. Narduzzi….assistant
    Capel……..assistant(at least he coached before)
    This hire….assistant

    Have to endure coaches with training wheels.

    ACC payout 25M
    Big East 5M

    We’re not breaking the beak….

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    1. When you want Assistants from Top Programs you have to pay $$ and yes there is risk if they can become HC’s.

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      1. Its a risk p5 schools don’t like to take. Look at the ACC football schools and look at how many hired coaches that had previous HC experience. Its not by accident.

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  27. Oral Roberts #3 .. who woulda thunk… remember ole Oral Roberts on TV as a kid- mesmerized as he could with a touch of a “ stiff arm “ to the forehead lay some people down…..

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  28. If both Narduzzi and Capel are making > $3M as reported, then maybe Heather is on the way to bankrupting the Pitt athletic department like she did her previous employer.

    If basketball gets back to a reasonable level, then it can pay for itself ….. but don’t see how any other sport can. Hope I’m wrong … and full disclosure – I have no idea what the Pitt financial situation is. Maybe the new ACC Network will provide an influx of funds,
    wwb

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    1. the network is costing Pitt about $10M to create
      the expected incremental revenue is around $7M more per team per year
      So for most schools, thats a 25-30% increase in ACC monies
      I read this in a few ACC articles in the past

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    2. Eastern Michigan just couldnt support all their scholarship programs (I think they had 15-16). By comparison, Pitt has 17.
      The MAC check was a paltry $2M each year
      The football team averaged 12-15k per game
      They had to borrow from the general fund and raise student fees
      They would not touch or cut anything from the football program…that caused much angst
      Once Heather left, they were forced to eliminate 5 programs. Sadly these programs were very competitive and actually produced winners unlike the football team

      Without that ACC check, Pitt would also be in serious trouble
      In most years, basketball is profitable ($5-$15M); think about it, 50 less scholies and no bloated coaching staff
      I dont have figures on football but I would think it breaks even if attendance is around $40k; Pitt saves millions each year by having no maintenance or upgrade obligations (it loses out on naming rights)

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  31. Football has potential to make big bucks by putting butts in seats. A quality product is required. All of those PSU season tickets will be on StubHub later this year.

    Is the stadium deal for seats sold or actual attendance? Makes a big difference to the bottom line.

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  32. Lots to comment on:
    1) Reed, I think recruiting will be better than you think. In the thirties. The Duzz has a history of scooping up some higher rated kids at the end. Now, you might say they are leftovers, but that’s his history.
    2) Baseball hires a respected assistant from a power team. Hummm, where have I heard this belore? I think it can work in some sports, but not so well in others.
    3) Yup, money is being spent, let’s hope for a decent ROI. Next is the facilities upgrade.
    4) Heather is sure seen the need to change coaches. That’s the very easy part. Could have just asked most POVers about that. The hard part is getting the hires right. If 70% come thru I think that’s good. Think she dodged a bullet by accident with Hurley, but that’s just my opinion. Oh, btw, who ever said she was on vacation??
    5) Bostick returning is good, but does this in anyway affect his other role?
    6) I wonder how many seats are allocated for season tickets? 45-50k? Anyone know? Would be nice to know so you have a more complete story of the attendance!

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    1. concerning question 6 …. have no idea but would like to know in light of allegedly there being < 1000 season tickets available. Also, I would assume that full-season tickets are available first and then the 3-game packages. I can also see a scenario where the 3-game packages does not include PSU.

      All of the above is speculation. wwb

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  33. Well the Penn State Bonanza for selling tickets ends this year. Pitt will need to put a better product on the field after this season to equal the monies coming in from this year season ticket sales boasted by the PSU fanatics.

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  34. Pretty sure Notre Dame comes to Heinz next year. That’s also a big draw as there are just as many idiotic ND fans as psu. I say that because it’s a pet peeve of mine. They root for ND because they win not because they are Catholics even though they say the opposite. I say why not root for Boston College then. or St Johns hoop team…

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  35. My bad then wwb and thank you. I think it’s weird PITT plays Marshall once and it’s on the road. How does this stuff happen?

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      1. NC State will be playing Marshall on the road this season as the back end of a home and home. Louisville did it in 2016. Apparently Pitt is not alone in the ACC…

        At least Pitt had the foresight to schedule Richmond and Miami of Ohio at home in 2020 presumably to offset the challenge of scheduling Marshall on the road.

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  39. JoeK, don’t know if your question asking who said Heather was on vacation is serious? I would be happy to fill you in a bit anyway. I would like to say it was running joke for a couple days by many but it was more like a rampant nasty false rumor that many not only laugh about but they were nasty towards her for going on vacation while PITT was looking for a new head basketball coach. Of course she never went on vacation. No need for naming names.

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    1. She was on vacation most of her first year on the job. She finally woke up but anyone can fire coaches. Will any of these folks have success? Will they have retention? Will they win?

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  41. UPitt, you’re the expert on baseball matters. Was Mike Bell a good hire? The 450K seems about right for a good baseball hire. Where does that salary stand among ACC coaches?

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    1. About Middle of Road. He can recruit but never was a HC. I see a problem with the hire that his whole life was in South. Now his family and wife is supposed to love winters and cold and non southern Pittsburghers. If he has success he will leave fast. There were other coaches on short list with family ties to Pittsburgh. My 2 cents.

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  43. Mark, she wasn’t on vacation her first year and just like I said then. A good manager comes in and observes for themselves as to what the problems may be and what are the good parts to the puzzle and what should be done to improve the university. That proved to me she knew what it was she was doing and certainly proved to me she wasn’t a puppet. People who want instant results are ego maniacs and idiots. People’s jobs were at risk. She acted professionally and accordingly. The result that have followed speaks for itself… ike

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      1. Wait a minute Reed. We were talking about Heather. Waiting five years is not nearly the same thing.

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    2. If you fire your entire coaching staff then you do that faster if that is the goal. Why wait and lose time and energy if that is plan. In my business people pay for fast results and expect them.

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    3. Again, until these coaches start winning Heather achieved nothing but firing and increasing the budget. When you pay 3x’s what you paid before you better get 3 x’s the wins. If not you are overpaying.

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  44. UPitt, from my little knowledge of college baseball, it seems like the better players come from the South, and it sounds like Bell is a coach who can recruit. So I think it was worth the risk to hire someone like him who knows the ACC and probably must achieve some success first before jumping to another program.

    From all indications, it also seems like Heather has more money to work with than previous ADs. Maybe the ACC money is starting to flow in, and just maybe there are some donors and trustees who don’t like seeing Pitt at 111 in the Directors rankings. Let’s hope there is improvement from top to bottom in Pitt athletics, and especially in FB and BB. The flood of new coaches is a positive step.

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    1. I agree. In some aspects true. There are great ballplayers up north. They just go south to school or get drafted.

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  46. What? No Penn Staters elected to fill the Pitt Board vacancies?

    Drat! How will we ever develop the winning “cult” ure we need??? 🤔

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 1 person

  51. Fran enjoy your final day at the office tomorrow ! I couldn’t be any happier for you and am more than a little jealous.

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  52. Hey Fran I know you will be partying tomorrow brother. Congratulations!! Personally? I would call off. 🙂

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  53. I enjoy Hillgrove. Up there with Myron Cope and Bob Prince. bostic is good too.

    Shady may be in serious trouble. What’s the chances his story holds?

    H2P!

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    1. From the reports I read yesterday, she has changed her story from “Shady beat her” to a home invasion intruder did this, but allegations are still being thrown at Shady by the victim.

      It’s not over…

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      1. I can easily see McCoy being found responsible for what happened. I hope I’m wrong, but this likely ends very badly for him. Then all photos of him will need to be removed from the facility. If Nordy and Smiley were still in charge, they’d probably hold a press conference to say Shady photos will be removed and that the mission statement in no way reflects McCoy’s actions.

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    1. Carter would be a huge get. It’s the O-linemen that I’m worried about. This linemen in this class are likely to resemble those that Walt and Freeman signed. I thought it was impossible for Pitt to repeat those days of recruiting below-average linemen.

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      1. Walt ran a West Coast offense where the pass was used to set up the running attack. Passes were thrown many times on 1st and 2nd downs, traditional running downs… and the theory is that once a defense is starting to wear down, you can run on them.

        This type of attack puts less emphasis on the quality of OL as opposed to the mano v mano approach that Wanny and Chryst subscribed to.

        But of course …. no matter what offense you use, it never hurts to have quality OL. wwb

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  55. We have the following 4-stars RBs on the roster: Hall, Davis, Sibley and Salahuddin … (Sibley may be 3-star in Rivals, not sure)

    However, for these guys to be productive on a consistent basis, we need productive OL whether 3 or 4 stars. Yes. a 4-star RB can make an OL look better … but also visa versa

    wwb

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  56. Shady has, or had, the potential to be an NFL Hall of Fame candidate. This could kill those hopes if true. This new OL coach Borbely, what is he doing on the recruiting front? If he was reassigned from OL coach previously, he probably didn’t come with any recruiting opportunities. With only 6-7 scholarships left (except for any defections) they had better get moving on OLs. Look for a transfer or two next year.

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  57. with a bar set this low, there is a high ceiling. it shows that Pitt is one of the least relevant P-5 schools over the past few years. High correlation with the Director’s Cup or the ‘Learfield’ rankings. So its not something thats surprising.
    https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/best-in-college-sports-ohio-state-beats-out-alabama-to-take-home-the-2017-18-award/

    Getting to a bowl game and winning one will help
    Getting back to the tourney will help
    Winning some conference titles will help

    But this is what happens when you dont take sports seriously or have poor coaches
    Ignoring the front porch has consequences

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  59. Interesting to see all the excitement that a 4* running back is leaning towards PITT as a possible destination. PITT has as little as 3 4* backs already and by some services maybe 5. I get the fact that the more stars a player has the better possibility of playing earlier and better but it seems to me that Hall and Davis aren’t well regarded despite being 4* Sorry, I just don’t get it. Way overblown in my book, I’ll wait until I see them play on the field at PITT. Who should care about the team recruiting rankings, it’s rigged for the top teams that pay and pay? I don’t think Bama got their monies worth out of banana’s Foster.

    Liked by 1 person

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