in Pitt Football 93 Words

Complete and Utter Bull****

I’m been something of a Pat Narduzzi supporter in the past but I just saw something that is making me reevaluate. Apparently he has earned a reputation from NFL scouts for being hard to work with.

If this is true, then, regardless of reason, it is quite possibly the dumbest policy decision a football head coach can make.

Sorry Pat, but you are recruiting against schools that have more NFL-friendly policies than you. This is something directly within your control. Fix it.

Link to SI article

 

 

Editor’s Note 4:00 PM EST…

 

Reed Kohberger Palpatine

156 thoughts on “Complete and Utter Bull****”

  2. C’mon people! Why do you think scouts enjoy visiting Alabama? Hint …. the same reason they enjoy visiting Duke basketball.

    Just another article from the self-serving media. Thinking this is a major factor in recruiting is ‘complete and utter bull”

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    1. Well then what seems to be the problem ? If it’s not this… if it’s not young kids playing early…. if it’s not x,y,z…. then what is the problem ? If coach hobo can’t win games at an nfl stadium then when she the university move on and try someone else ?

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      1. how many someone elses do we have to try? He has done no better or worse than his predecessors …. and against a harder schedule and a dwindling recruiting base.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Mike.
    You’re taking a HUGE RISK by saying anything negative about the Duzz. Be careful or POVers like Pittman2003 (and others) will Label you as a “HATER” and you will be shamed away from contributing on the POV! It’s happened to many of us Pitt fans that show any dissent of the Duzz, which is the #1 reason MANY former contributors have backed away because of the nonstop abuse received in sharing a different view.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. “Nonstop abuse received for sharing a different view.” Yikes!! I’ve been around this blog long enough to think that point of view is simply not true. My view, many former contributors have backed away when it looked like Pitt was going to win the Coastal Division and their point of view did not jive with the possibility that Pitt might actually win their ACC Division.

      Liked by 4 people

    3. Hey I’m just calling a spade a spade. If this is true there is not a true Pitt fan who should stand for it. If it’s not true then the irresponsible journalist that reported it needs to be called out and ‘Duz simply has to do an interview with Batko that explains how accommodating his policy actually is

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think we all know by now that an anonymous source may as well be no source. He could be a buddy of Franklin’s taking a shot at Pitt or he could be made up.

        Either way, it isn’t Narduzzi’s issue to clear up a story made up by pretend sources. If the media asks the question, he should answer but he should not just bring it up.

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Don’t be stupid. I call out that people who are 100% negative on Narduzzi. Mainly reed and tex. I am fair and balanced with Narduzzi.
      This stuff if true is really dumb on Narduzzi’s part. Does that make you happy? It is REALLY DUMB!!!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Reed is not 100% negative on PN — not even close. Reed appropriately criticizes PN for serious flaws over the past 4 years. The fact of the matter is that after 4 years there are still plenty of unknowns with PN – – like little things such as does PN know what he is doing. Let Pitt win 9 games this year (and a bowl game!) and lets have a discussion about that then. Or we can have the same discussion if Pitt wins 5 games this year.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I don’t think I ever disagreed with someone here as much as I disagree with your first sentence. A little over 2 years ago right after the Pinstripe Bowl, Reed came out smoking against Narduzzi, and has provided a slanted view ever since.

          Even his initial post that I referenced above was slanted. He claimed that his perception of the team’s body language when they came out on the field was that they weren’t ready to play. Go back and look. And of course his perception totally trumped the fact that Pitt dominated the first 11 minutes of the game. But don’t let reality take precedent over perception …. not on Reed’s blog

          Liked by 3 people

      2. I’m not 100% negative. I’m probably more like 70%. I have given him credit for several things. Its not my fault he cant earn my love.

        Liked by 2 people

  4. and btw, Carter Warren is now the current leader at left offensive tackle.

    Boy, isn’t it something that a schmuck like me who has no press credentials, doesn’t observe practices, and doesn’t pay for Rivals or 247 or even the P-G, is able to ascertain this info

    Liked by 2 people

  6. He’s a complete and utter hobo that doesn’t know how to treat employees (tim enright)…. numerous assistant coaches…. and over works players to the point where they don’t progress at all or don’t see the field. This news does not surprise me. He’s a glorified D coordinator …. and as of late his defenses have stunk. Again… this news does not surprise me at all.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. LOL, I am sure there are some reliable sources on that BS.

      Over heard a friend talking to the cashier at the Uniontown Sheetz who knows a guy that knows a guy.

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    2. Could not agree more. Was not 100 % down on Duzz until I met him. He creates his own PR problems and is his own worst enemy. None of the above surprises me in the least. Hope he at least learns how to be a head coach soon. Learning to be a likable person will take much longer.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Back to this article by Mike. Yeah, sure this sounds beyond idiotic for a head coach to behave this way and institut policies like this. There’s not much verification of evidence but if true, shame shame shame on Narduzzi.

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  9. In the 2’nd paragraph of the SI article Mike linked, there is this line: “It was for those random days in the fall when a scout could come by Alabama’s facility at any time of the day or night and be treated like an honored guest.”

    Notice the “RANDOM days in the fall”. What is the importance of this phrase? Well, how many other college teams share a practice facility with a pro football team? These scouts are paid employees of other pro teams. They are not one of the army of Rival’s or 24/7 employees.

    Unless someone can provide information that is more than opinion, then it is my opinion that pro football team employees/scouts are limited in their access to PITT’s practice facilities by a PITT – Steelers agreement on days that can be available.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Good point Richard, on the PSN Narduzzi hints that this unnamed scout may not be trusted and could hold a grudge against Narduzzi, Much like other media types.

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      1. Tell us the whole story Reed. I always knew there was more to this story than you’ve told us.

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  11. Mike – not a good look for sure and I hope if there is substance to it, that Heather has a talk with her head FB coach.

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  12. Ike – I told you I greatly disliked Narduzzi based on the personal contacts I had with him both on the Southside, the alumni meet & greets and one evening in NYC. Which I believe are many times more than you have met and conversed with him and those around him at Pitt – which is probably never.

    Of course you take that FWIW.

    Now – if you think that I can’t separate my personal feelings about him as a person from the job he’s doing or not doing in my writings then I think that is your problem and not mine. This has been continued by you Ike – you seem to not be able to understand what professionalism is and that if I write something negative about him that is because I have based that on what I have seen myself or have learned in conversations with those who I trust to know what they are talking about.

    If I write an opinion about him or anyone else at Pitt I clearly state that is my opinion – if I believe something to be fact i say that also. Which leads me to the fact that you cherry pick one thing I said in our phone conversations but have either forgotten or completely disregarded other things we discussed about Narduzzi that didn’t fit into your image of him.

    It is the worst kept secret on the Southside that Pitt’s HC and his staff are not good at the finer points of liasoning with scouts or in recruiting – hell, I wrote a full article a ways back stating the problems Pitt was having returning recruits’ and their parents’ phone calls and having logistical problems like picking up recruits & parents on official visits.

    Again – why do you think Pitt puts outs hundreds of committable offers to 5* and 4* recruits every year with Narduzzi and he signs only one – and this year that was a bump up’ed 4* in Beville.

    I believe that article 100% because it is exactly the same thing that I have been told and really, is pretty damned apparent unless you have blue and gold blinders on.

    For example – in the last four recruiting classes Narduzzi has landed a total of 10 4* recruits out of 87 scholarships available. But get this:

    2106 – five 4* out of 24 scholarships.

    2017 – three 4* out of 24

    2018 – one 4* out of 20 and

    2019 – one 4* out of 19

    Why do we think the drop off in the last two years has been so dramatic? Because the word got around about this HC and the coaching staff. That is exactly what the SI article alluded to – and what i have heard from local HS coaches when I was travelling up to PGH for the camps and practices. Believe me – no local coach is steering and blue chip kids in Pitt’s direction because they don’t feel it is in their kid’s best interest.

    In 2018 we offered five 5* kids and 81 4s…one 4 signed.

    Then in 2019 we dropped down to offering only 18 4* kids…one signed.

    Hundreds of offers when out to blue chip kids his early years also.

    Why do you think that poor percentage (of even getting blue chip kids to take official visits) is? Because no one is really interested in Pitt any longer and I believe it is based exactly on what the article is about – the attitude around the FB program. This last class we had only 35 official visits and a total of three kids were 4* recruits. Sorry folks but that is pretty damned poor.

    Please – does anyone at all believe the party line that we are only recruiting “kids of character”? Of course the staff will say that when no one else is paying any attention to them hardly at all. I like high character kids also – but there are hundreds of 4* and 5* kids that fit that description who aren’t coming to Pitt even to visit.

    As to the POV – I have gotten a lot of emails from past readers who turned away because it was different. What commenters on here fail to remember that those who comment are but a very small percentage of those who read and never comment.

    Mike’s doing a great job – he’s different than I am and that’s fine. But don’t think the change hasn’t made an impact on others we don’t see commenting.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Big deal – that shows we have at least two commenters who are wrong.

      Let’s be honest wbb – you are the guy who sent me an article to print and in the body of the email said something to the effect of ‘You probably won’t publish this because I disagree with you”. Honest to God – after that insulting and ridiculous act I figured you had your own biases anyway.

      Of course I printed it word for word as I have with every single submission from anyone holding any opinion. Gee – If I ‘hated’ Narduzzi so much why in the world would I do that?

      But isn’t it funny that I hold an opinion about something then professional scouts express the same idea and yet you still want to disbelieve it.

      Well, if you want to believe everything that comes out of this HC’s mouth that’s your choice – many people take what he says with a large does of salt.

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    1. Not really Joe – as I said about there has been a drop off in readership once I stopped writing – no fault of Mike’s and not overly concerning but many people had read the POV for the purpose it was built for.

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      1. Seriously Reed? Do you know how many times I’ve been ridiculed, non-stop abused and shamed for being overly positive? That’s if you want to use those silly over the top terms that aren’t close to being true. Problem is, I have thicker skin that those that allowed themselves to be shamed away. OMG!

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  16. whether anyone wants to admit it or not …. “Narduzzi paranoia” was the reason for arguably the most significant win of this era.

    let’s go back to 2016 when a new OC Canada took charge, and of course, practices were closed. And in the opener vs Villanova, Pitt won an unspectacular game with the most vanilla offense you ever saw … straight handoffs and basic pass plays (no diversions or misdirections).

    Then all of a sudden against PSU, Quadree starts going in motion and the ball is snapped usually when he is near the QB … and there are shuttle passes, etc. Pitt goes out to 28-7 lead mid 2nd quarter against a team that will ultimately win the Big 10 and finish in the Top 10.

    Pitt holds on for the win … but do you think if PSU had any clue about Pitt’s offense, their defense would have been so hapless in the first half? And remember that Pitt’s pass game wasn’t even developed at that time .. Peterman only passed for 90 yards in that game.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes – and how does that paranoia do with casual fan interest, media coverage, season ticket sales, recruiting, etc…

      But, but… what about those losses Pitt had with the paranoia in place – why didn’t that help against NC for the last four years? Or Miami this season? Etc…

      Cherry pick single games all you want and we’ll always have differences of opinion about closed practices but my contention has always been that Pitt needs to be as inclusive with the fans and media as possible as we aren’t a big powerhouse school where fans and local citizens blindly follow the program.

      We all know that there is a core of about 25K pitt fans – all others are needed to be woo’ed and targeted in anyway to make Pitt football more of a presence in the local area. We already know Pitt plays 5th fiddle in the WPA sports world behind the pro teams and PSU – why not do everything possible to change that…especially if you are experiencing losing and non-winning seasons where casual interest has gone into the toilet? Closed practices do just the opposite.

      Any HC can still open up practices for the majority of the time and still close off 30-45 minutes to work on specific plays, personnel etc…

      Liked by 2 people

  17. About every recruit, using their NAME, has stated how great the coaches are, it is a great family atmosphere, etc. I have yet to hear a former Narduzzi player do anything but praise him. He has made the atmosphere for former players inviting, even the ones he did not recruit. They are often in the Pitt facilities supporting the team. Would they do that if their former coach was a jerk? Of course not.

    The no name stories are BS and should never be posted in the media. An editor of a magazine should never permit it but in this day and age, that would leave us with nothing to read.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Is “the steve” still secretly talking with Sports Illustrated? Sabotaged. << Just having fun.

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  19. I’m out until the 7th grade gossip discussion stops, LOL.

    I’ll be back to say how great the new uniforms and secondary logo look. Especially with the Cathedral’s gothic arches incorporated into them. 🙂

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  20. FWIW, I can care less if practices are opened or closed. I guess from a selfish viewpoint, I would like to see them opened because there will be more to read about. But for the life of me, I don’t think it’s a big deal.

    We avid fans seem to live and die by the daily updates … but then again, it is only spring. Wanny had open practices … and by early September 2009, the entire Pitt universe was convinced that Tino was superior to Stull. IN 2013, Paul Christ had Savage play for one series … and if memory serves, the defense was not allowed to blitz and had to play basic man-man. And in 2014, there was no spring game — none..

    4 or 5 years ago in a PSU spring game attended by 75k or so … a walk-on was the leading rusher ad was voted MVP. Come September, that walk-on was 3rd or 4th team and an unknown freshman Saquon Barkley started at RB.

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  21. Every time I try to get excited, this stuff happens
    There never seems to be any positive momentum heading into the new season under Narduzzi
    Unfortunately, Even if this story broke yesterday, I would have believed it

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  22. Anyone going to the reveal this Sunday other than me and my wife? Or are we all too bitter at Narduzzi. seems like old times on this site. just need UPitt. How about this.. LIGHTEN UP FRANCIS. By Francis i mean everyone. If you just enjoy and realize it is a game there would be less anger and consternation. remember at least we aren’t Butgers or Kansas State or countless others who have never even won a single championship. Imagine how the nitters must be complaining about there coach, who can recruit but doesn’t win, which is worse?

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Richman: MissingWlat and the MissingWlat family intend to be there on Sunday. My daughter is going to be entering Pitt Engineering in the fall and so we decided that we’d go down, weather permitting. Anyone else?

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      1. Did I mention I’ll be golfing? On that subject, we currently have 6 signed & committed golfers, of the 22 verbals we received last month.

        Payment is due by April 30th to secure your spot at the annual Spring golf outing for the Frankcan Trophy on May 31st in Lancaster County.

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        1. my tee time is at 11. Great time of year to be living in Central VA.
          Will take care of the golf fees when I see Fran at the Spring Game.
          Assume you all will pair me (and possibly my buddy Al) up with a scratch or two.

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  23. On a lighter note – whoever wants to make a quick trip after the spring game you are welcome to see a bunch of veterans putting on Shakespeare’s Henry V on April 13th.

    Please note that the rehearsals are closed except for watching the lingering up drills and a short 15 minute interview window afterward. The players will be chosen by the director. We do this so no Broadway productions can steal from us…

     

    Liked by 4 people

  26. By the way mike. Amazing Star Wars picture! I just noticed that the second time I read this article! Resist the Darkside!

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Tex. I am not sure I agree on your 70% negative number on Narduzzi. But I loved your “He hasn’t earned my love” quote. While I don’t always agree with you on Narduzzi, I 100% agree with you on the OCS topic. I am your biggest supporter there and would be willing to pony up big money and probably risk divorce to make your vision happen!

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    1. Thanks!
      I like all the commentators on here. Really I do.
      We might not agree on everything but one thing we all share is a love for Pitt.
      This blog helped connect me back to Pitt, and I’m very grateful for that.
      Much like I think a multi purpose venue (OCS) can help fans connect with the school

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Tx, I think you and I can be a great example of two different mindsets that get along just fine. I have never had a problem with you at all. I consider you a PITT brother through and through.

        I also don’t get all this nonsense that negative posters were somehow abused. It’s silly in my opinion and hold out hope that the POV can come together and move on as one….. No song….. ike

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          1. Seriously Pittman2003, hate to be so pompous but that comment was definitely directed at me. I’m sure of this.

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        3. Speaking personally, I have rarely been abused or attacked for my comments. Now many may not like them. But I do try to help explain my position as opposed to just flaming. Although I admit, I have flamed before to purposely stir the pot and rile people up.

          I can be overly critical of Narduzzi and Heather. Thats my nature. No apologies. But I respect everyone’s opinions and love what Mike and Reed do when they publish articles that make us all think and are backed by facts and data.

          I especially like Mike’s recent translations since football is not my first language…its soccer actually.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. TX – count me as a fan. You always invest the energy to make your point, explain the rationale, etc. I like your passion.

            The folks who are – some say attacked, I say challenged – tend to be those who simply throw mud on the wall without much thought. Like the “Heather is on vacation” crap. And I think they deserve to be challenged. Lets keep it real and stick to the facts.

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  28. Richman, I was planning on going to the reveal but my daughter’s dance show was moved to that day…
    Your friend,
    FRANCIS

    Liked by 3 people

  29. Let’s not lose sight of:
    7-7
    Mediocre recruiting
    No bowl wins
    And a blow out to the Nits.
    All the other stuff is just garnish around an unappetizing dish.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m a meat and potatoes guy myself. I view it as yet another hit job by SI on Pitt. Seriously, is their CEO a Nitter?

      Liked by 2 people

    2. And don’t forget…at the Nits Game our captains we not even coached to call the coin toss correctly! Afacti mediately jumped on by the TV broadcasters.

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    3. Comical how the no bowl wins narrative is played so much by Pitt fans as a reason Narduzzi should be on the hot seat.

      Bo Schembechler lost his first seven bowl games, Tom Osbourne had a huge bowl loss streak in the mid-eighties to 1993 as well did Don Nehlen at WVU. Did those schools panic? The guy who should have been given the Pitt job in 1982, George Welsh, went 5-10 in bowl games at Virginia.

      Those schools notoriously are known for running its football program better than Pitt and it’s not even close (ding on the Pitt administration).

      No fan base enjoys coaching changes like Pitt fans. And those who want change think some top-notch coach would want to roam the sidelines of Heinz freaking Field.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Are you really comparing PN to Tom Osborn?. Don’t forget Oklahoma had a amazingly strong recruiting base when he took over the HC job and through his tenure there – Pitt isn’t even on the same page historically as Nebraska is.

        That’s not the case with Pitt – and with middling programs like ours we need every positive advantage to attract the better recruits. When you lose the last game of the year it sticks in people’s minds especially the recruits and their parents who are on the fence regarding attending Pitt.

        What do you think our recruiting would have been like had we gone 9-4 with bowl wins our first two years under Narduzzi? A large sight better than what we had in ’18 and ’19’s classes I’m sure. Even last season – 8-6 with a conference championship is something to hang a hat on…but the value diminishes greatly when the final record is 7-7. And after a 5-7 season – the lowest number of wins in over a decade – is not happy making nor attractive to recruits.

        We fans like that we finally won a crown of some sort – but I’d trade 8 wins a final Top 25 ranking for that any day when it comes to recruiting.

        Going bowless in ’18 and losing another bowl game to a Stanford when beating them statistically on the field of play all contribute to what we have seen in the last two classes or recruits – the better players want nothing to do with us.

        Look – from what I’ve learned over PN’s time here leads me to strongly believe the referenced SI article is true and one of the reasons I believe it is that PN is in sort of a panic mode when it comes to this program. His reliance on inherited players is now gone and he’s not replacing them with the same quality recruits and that is a real problem for him.

        And with a program like Pitt we need super star players to help overcome other deficiencies – and to attract other blue chip kids. This is our conundrum…we put more players on NFL rosters that most schools of the same program size as us – but that doesn’t translate to big winning seasons when those same kids are on our roster.

        Losing or not being in bowl games is a real problem for PN and to think it isn’t is, I believe, putting one’s head in the sand.

        Liked by 1 person

    4. How could any Pitt fan “lose sight” of the recent performances and recruiting rankings?

      Go Pitt.

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  30. ^^ There’s no substantial evidence to this story. True or not who knows? Opinions decided on what side of the fence you decide to sit on.

    If true, bad on Narduzzi.

    If false, than bad on anyone who decides to believe in a story told by the unknown author.

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  31. when a Kentucky booster was caught red-handed sending cash to a possible recruit back in 1989, Jerry Tarkanian famously said “this is going to make the NCAA really mad. Fresno State better look out”

    Translation — pick on the small and insignificant.

    SI is like ESPN and CBS Sports — they’ll say very little bad about the big boys. Heck, USA Today which has little stake in college sports wrote an article last week about the sleaze in the Midwest Region of the NCAA BB tourney which included the likes of UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, Auburn and I’m sure I’m leaving one or two more out. These are the heavyweights but you see them always being handled with kid gloves.by the major sports outlets, who know which side of the bread is buttered.

    I guarantee you that if Pitt committed any of what the aforementioned did, it would be on probation now.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. If Pitt committed the “aforementioned”, the administration & BoT would inflict a self imposed probation immediately. Many on this blog would applaud.

        Sad to say…

        Richman – I going golfing while you and the misses are at the reveal party.

        Enjoy! I will…

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        1. Erie: Keep working on that game of yours. The POV outing will be here before you know it.

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  32. I’m one of the many frequent readers but seldom commentators that love this blog.

    Although I have serious doubts as to the motivations of anonymous sources, it is an ongoing question in my mind as to whether Nardog has a personality problem or not. For example, why isn’t his weekly show at the same Southside place that Capel does his show? Nardog used to be there but not anymore.

    Although I grant that different folks can have different views on a another person’s personality, Reed and Dan72 seem to be straight shooters who have actually met and conversed with Nardog and both have come away unimpressed to say the least.

    However, I completely disagree that PN’s personality is the problem with recruiting. I believe the #1, #2, and #3 problem is the horrid game day experience at Heinz Field. PN or even the almighty Saban could not overcome that and get young men to come and play at a 2/3rd’s empty stadium. BTW I’m a long-time seaso ticket holder.

    Wanny recruited character projects and that is not the answer either. Also Wanny never won 9-10 games in the ACC. The Big East was a Bigger Joke than the B1G is now so 10 wins when Pitt was in the BE and played a friendly non-con schedule = 8 wins when in the ACC and one of tho 5 toughest non-con schedules in the nation.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Heather needs to pick up the phone this evening and chew the arse out of the editor that allowed stories quoted by anonymous sources to be published. Moreover, to have a story break without getting Narduzzi’s rebuttal prior to publishing. SI is trash.

      Liked by 2 people

  34. so Andy Staples wrote this — enough said. I assure you I’m not making this up. The morning after Franklinstein called a timeout to freeze Georgia State’s kicker with 10 seconds left and Penn State up 56-0, Staples defended him on XM84 radio by saying that he has to do what he can to keep PSU in the National Title rum.

    I SWEAR TO FREAKING GOD HE SAID THAT!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I can verify wwb’s story – I heard the same words when they were said on XM84. I wonder if Andy Staples even knows that Pitt shares practice facilities with the Steelers of the NFL. Do you think Tomlin would want a scout from the Ravens, Browns or Bengals wondering the grounds whenever they wanted?

      IDTS!

      Liked by 2 people

  36. I do think Narduzzi seems like a D**k. But most coaches are. I met the stache and walt harris and both were jerks too. I was an enthusiastic fan trying to say hello and they wanted nothing thing to do with me. I think that most coaches are jerks actually. I wish Narduzzi had a more “generous” personality but I don’t think he is the only coach who is a jerk.

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  37. People forget Sports Illustrated killed Dave Wannstedt’s career at PITT. Then, a psu writer for si writes unconfirmed BS with an anonymous source and people believe every word of it. Could it be true, yes, absolutely? << That would be terrible on Narduzzi if so… But when a visiting player says something nice about Narduzzi and PITT, it’s without a doubt thought to be contrived. You all see how this works?

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  38. Well then, according to almost every Pitt fan any negative press about the Pitt FB program are hit pieces… especially in national publications.

    That article was directed only at Pitt – nor was the SI piece in 2010.

    Yet some on here actually believed SP reached out to SI to screw Wannstedt.

    Did anyone not notice Pitt wasn’t the only team mentioned in each article.

    Talk about paranoid fantasies.

    Again, Pitt FB is exactly like everything and everyone else is. Good, bad and ugly.

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    1. Well Reed, I give you lots credit for putting your name on your thoughts. I won’t waste my time on an unconfirmed source. Like some say that people are so abused on this sight that they choose to not participate. It could be true but where is the proof? A lot like stats. Are we not adults?

      Liked by 1 person

    2. “Yet some on here actually believed SP reached out to SI to screw Wannstedt.”

      I never read that narrative on here. Never, ever. If it was written it was maybe once. It is nonsense to think that SP did that, but he did fire Wannstedt over jealously. That and Smiley loved hiring new coaches, which is was extremely poor at doing.

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  39. For those wondering where our 4* Rivals TE recruit out of HS landed –

    Pulled from PSN today – “Charles Reeves was dismissed (by Pitt) after returning home over the summer. He eventually transferred to Youngstown State and then to a junior college.”

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  42. I am still waiting to read any quotes from a football recruit that an official visit was crappy and the coach was awful and mean. At any school, not just Pitt. It would be an awesome read, but I just can’t remember ever seeing that.

    I can remember pretty clearly that in 2010 I believe, espn had Wanny on national radio and indicated that he had the 2nd or 3rd toughest schedule for the coming year. Steve Pederson was a numbnut.

    I find it interesting that the dairy high school always puts the dates a prospective recruit visits their campus, either officially or unofficially. It’s on the rival sites. I swear they do it to brainwash kids. Why don’t we do that?

    TX – you are funny. AD’s that have respect get a call long before any media runs a story. Very simple. Good catch tho.

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  43. Mike – stirring the pot is what has made the POV different and better than the other media sites. It is fun and generates in-depth discussions on issues such as this piece.

    It’s boring as he’ll when everyone agrees with anything written.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Disappointed to see Mimes pin-balling between positions. That usually doesn’t lead to a good situation… Especially bad when we seem to have bodies at DE but not at TE…

    Go Pitt.

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  45. For what it’s worth, I haven’t had any lengthy interactions with Coach Dooz, but I’ve talked to him briefly three times- once at a meet-and-greet and twice at Kickoff Luncheons. Each time he was friendly and I enjoyed talking to him.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  46. Example: Golden Achumba 3 *
    Penn State
    Committed
    —
    Visits:
    3/27/19
    9/29/18
    6/23/18
    6/16/18
    3/28/18

    If you click on the player being recruited, Dairy High lists every time they were at Crappy Valley as if to say “he’s been here a lot so don’t try to recruit him”. I haven’t noticed this before. They are not only listing the official visit or last visit, but all of them.

    If you go to rivals and click on 2020 team rankings, click dairy and then the first guy, All the visits show up. I would have loved to try this on a Pitt 2020 recruit but we don’t have any yet.

    Mike – Don’t mind me usually taking the opposite view of the masses.If we all agree, there would be twenty five comments all saying the same thing. This is why i hit it off with upitt. He always picked up the slack when I couldn’t get on and I knew he was writing to help Pitt get better by thinking of the totality of circumstances, not blindly believing everything is great. 35 years of the same crap is enough evidence to have a change of thought on leadership.

    Maybe Pitt bball closes on another one this coming week.

    Liked by 1 person

  47. Huff, I know where you are coming from and generally agree. Where I disagree is your statement regarding those that blindly believe everything is great. I’ve met many that post on here and I don’t know one person who meets that criteria.
    And yes, I know Ike…haha.
    My wife has a plaque in our dining room that states “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain”
    I enjoy listening to dissenting opinions…helps me make informed decisions when facts back up the arguement.
    H2P
    Hope to see some of yinz at the spring game!

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Lastrow — totally agree. We really need to round up these Pitt fans who think everything is great – if we can just find one or two…

      I feel like some on the POV must create these fans, otherwise the comments about Kool-Aid just don’t work so well. It’s like Don Quixote fighting windmills…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  48. Keeping in tune with the article – let’s not forget that Alabama and Clemson have MULTI-million dollar football complexes that are NOT shared with an NFL team – who would not want random NFL scouts roaming anytime, anywhere – point already made.

    Here is a list of “attractions” at these FB complexes –

    Bowling alleys (plural)
    Pools and therapy spas with large screen TV’s
    Miniature golf course
    Basketball court
    Beach volleyball court
    Slide from the 2nd floor to the practice field (In case you don’t want to walk the stairs)
    Pool tables, ping pong tables and a large arcade room
    Wiffle ball diamond
    Barber shop
    Shoe shine station
    Nap room (Zzzz)
    Large cafeteria

    As a scout, I’d be stupid not to hang out at these places. Great prospects, great facilities and a fun day of work. I picked the wrong profession…

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Reed and others, the point I’m trying to make is not that this ia an anti-Pitt article … it isn’t … but that the author is just another suck-up to the major programs and its coaches, which is rampant in the national sports media.

    For goodness sake, Bruce Pearl is being celebrated right now across ESPN.

    Like

  50. Lastrow.. your last post in response to Huff time3 was excellent….

    Getting. Kick out of some of this excellent conversion .. comments like readership is down due to the lack of content “ too many cool aid drinkers and lack of contrarians- that’s my take on it….. Who and the heck ever asked anyone with a counter opinion to stop posting!!!! Not me or anybody who posts regularly… people stop on the own including the owner who occasionally pulls the plug when we get a heated back and forth going .. and who are all of these viewers who read but don’t post who no longer read.. what gives to that – is that a lost revenue source if so then they are important for Reed…. I enjoy all posts and those tone of the posts usually change when one personally spends time with the poster… I enjoy talking about PITT FB period and all of our warts and sweet spots- unconditionally…..

    Liked by 8 people

  52. Good one Bernie. I think the alleged and shameless abuse on the POV has been greatly exaggerated.

    Like

  53. Ok, so I admit it, I have abused upitt. I will never do it again. I promise.

    I will never abuse upittbaseball again. I will never abuse upittbaseball again. I will never abuse upittbaseball again. I will never abuse upittbaseball again. I will never abuse upittbaseball again. I will never abuse upittbaseball again.

    😉

    Like

  54. Our baseball team stinks this year. Thanks Heather. Probably should have left it up to former Pitt baseball man UPitt to pick the coach. Or MajorMajors…you played back in the stone age didnt you?

    Like

  57. Ha Ha! I think you guys are referring to “Ditka!”

    Ah, the good old days. For example, I don’t remember us having any batting gloves (though they sure would have come in “handy” in those March games.} Course that meant the games went a lot faster because we didn’t have to step out to re-tighten our batting glove after every pitch. 😉

    And on the baseball coach – he has a really tough job trying to compete with the southern schools. I suggest hiring UPitt for the job! The Panthers would be tough as nails…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  58. Too much to read today. I wonder if any of our readers or our Pitt sports administrators are left-handed like me.

    From using right-handed scissors to Catholic nun teachers viciously slapping your left hand with a ruler for writing with the left hand, we survive.

    P.S. all golf courses are built for right handed people.

    Like

    1. I get the other stuff but not golf courses. Palmer courses favor a fade and Nicklaus courses favor a draw, so pick your poison. I have noticed that used left handed clubs get a deeper discount, so you got that going for you.

      Like

    2. Frank — Sinister “Lefty” here.

      I think I just missed the time of being forced to write righty…

      Of course the original Michaelangelo was a lefty!

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  59. Speaking of Upitt and also Emel, what is up with the long hiatus (what is plural of hiatus). Is it jail, rehab or witness protection? Two guys that really keep the conversation stimulated. Also Dr. Tom since he was unbanished has not contributed much. I for one think you need both sides of the coin to make the conversation interesting, as long as it is kept civil.

    Regarding the article, it does fit the narrative, but anonymous sources are a low blow. Since practices are secret, it makes sense that NFL scouts would be kept out since who knows where their allegiance lies.
    Since when is it Narduzzi’s job to make life better for them. As was said it doesn’t seem to hurt Pitt players chances on draft day.

    I do disagree with the secret squirrel stuff though, since to me much more exposure leads to publicity, marketing and improving the buzz about the program which is sorely needed by Pitt. Someone said that all publicity is good publicity, good or bad Pitt Football needs people talking about it, locally and nationally.
    Pitt seems to be trying so hard to control the message which makes the message boring and is why few are listening, why there has been no buzz the last couple years. No water cooler talk. People don’t know the players names or enough to carry a meaningful conversation. My neighbors who are Pitt grads don’t even know when there is a game let alone who Pitt is playing. How do you sell a product that way?

    Liked by 2 people

  60. I’ve conversed a few times recently with Mark (Upitt) and there is no animosity between him and I. In fact he told me he would start contributing very soon. It just hasn’t happened yet. I understand he will be at the golf outing. Mark is a great guy, reminds me a lot of Tx.

    I’ve never pioneered or attempted to sequester anyone on the POV. If you look at the history of there POV, there seems to be a falling out at the beginning of each season the past few years..

    Like

  61. Are you really comparing PN to Tom Osborn?. Don’t forget Oklahoma had a amazingly strong recruiting base when he took over the HC job and through his tenure there – Pitt isn’t even on the same page historically as Nebraska is.

    That’s not the case with Pitt – and with middling programs like ours we need every positive advantage to attract the better recruits. When you lose the last game of the year it sticks in people’s minds especially the recruits and their parents who are on the fence regarding attending Pitt.

    What do you think our recruiting would have been like had we gone 9-4 with bowl wins our first two years under Narduzzi? A large sight better than what we had in ’18 and ’19’s classes I’m sure. Even last season – 8-6 with a conference championship is something to hang a hat on…but the value diminishes greatly when the final record is 7-7. And after a 5-7 season – the lowest number of wins in over a decade – is not happy making nor attractive to recruits.

    We fans like that we finally won a crown of some sort – but I’d trade 8 wins a final Top 25 ranking for that any day when it comes to recruiting.

    Going bowless in ’18 and losing another bowl game to a Stanford when beating them statistically on the field of play all contribute to what we have seen in the last two classes or recruits – the better players want nothing to do with us.

    Look – from what I’ve learned over PN’s time here leads me to strongly believe the referenced SI article is true and one of the reasons I believe it is that PN is in sort of a panic mode when it comes to this program. His reliance on inherited players is now gone and he’s not replacing them with the same quality recruits and that is a real problem for him.

    And with a program like Pitt we need super star players to help overcome other deficiencies – and to attract other blue chip kids. This is our conundrum…we put more players on NFL rosters that most schools of the same program size as us – but that doesn’t translate to big winning seasons when those same kids are on our roster.

    Losing or not being in bowl games is a real problem for PN and to think it isn’t is, I believe, putting one’s head in the sand.

    Liked by 2 people

  62. Bernie – That’s a pretty narrow view of the POV you wrote above – you may not care about the readers who don’t comment but Mike and I sure do. The blog is built for readership and the commenting is an additional bonus. But you seem to have sort of a disdain towards readers who don’t comment.

    For example any given month we might have over 7,000 unique readers (and that’s low actually) but how many individual commenter would we have in that same time period- maybe 30? That is what the Blog is for – not just the commenters we see time and again on here

    But the readers who don’t comment are certainly as important as those who do comment. It has nothing to do with a revenue stream or whatever either.

    No one has to ask someone to quit posting in public but when it becomes a burden for someone to comment because others jump on every word someone may write – then they quit doing it. As I said above you are not privy to the numerous emails and phone calls I get about the blog so you see only what is written in black and white in front of you.

    I have received probably 50+ emails every year from commenters and readers literally asking me to ban certain posters. That is something they wouldn’t normally do in public and of course I don’t do it – but many other sites do use the ban rather regularly. So there certainly are some posters who want other posters banned – that request happens way more than you think it does but because it is private correspondence you never see it.

    So – what you all see when you look at this blog is completely different than how the blog actually works.

    Why do you think the POV is able to get a seat at the press box when other blogs/sites cannot – it is because of the readership numbers Pitt wants to take advantage of – not the commenters.

    Liked by 2 people

  63. Here is PSN’s take on this Scouts issue:

    https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2019/04/03/is-pat-narduzzis-obsession-with-secrecy-hurting-his-players-nfl-chances/

    He makes some good points especially with this bit:

    “There is some evidence that some of Pitt’s players might not have gotten their full draft picture before they left school. Narduzzi also expressed during Pitt’s pro day that he felt that running back Darrin Hall and fullback George Aston should have been invited to the NFL Combine this year, when they were not.”

    It’s all well and good to open up the off-season Media Day to scouts and welcome them there with open arms. But when scouts want to visit at other times – in the case above scouts visiting and watching the players before the invitations to the NFL combine went out – and they aren’t allowed to do so then some kids may suffer for that – as Hall and Aston will do. The fact that PN complained about their being overlooked is in direct relationship to what he himself allows to happen during the season.

    I’ve been on camp practice sidelines when the whistle blows after the 15 minute window the media is allowed and we are escorted off the practice field and have had scouts I spoke with say that it wasn’t worth the travel to come to Pitt just for that little access

    Like

  64. I get what you’re saying Reed. Like posters who jump me for being too positive or they call me a cool aid drinker or I only see through rose colored glasses or I don’t see anything wrong with Narduzzi or I accept everything is just hunky dory down at PITT. No, I get what you’re saying.

    Like

  66. If you would allow me to disagree Reed, again. To say Hall and Aston were not invited to the combine is not a fact or stat. It’s your opinion without any proof what so ever.

    Back to the nonstop abused and shamed commenters. I get what you’re saying Reed, like when someone calls a poster a jr physiologist or a broken record or insinuates that they have contributed to killing off readership and viewers or mentioning the name while throwing these shots, you know, actual name-calling. Yeah Reed, I get what you’re saying.

    Like

  67. Correction:

    To say Hall and Aston were not invited to the combine was Narduzzi’s fault, is not a fact or a stat. It’s your opinion without any proof what so ever.

    Like

  68. Reed…One of the problems with decreased viewership could be this logging in process… Somewhere along the line towards the end of your previous tenure you changed it to where we had the Log in with wordPress… Are used three different devices and move to locations and the easiest device to get them for me is the cell phone… Can’t remember passwords for my laptops and don’t feel like going through the problem of resetting everything and screwing up the only device that I have working for the purpose of being on the POV… Why did we change? Why can’t we go back to the old way.

    Gordon, emel Had tickets to the ACC championship game. Fran and myself both made contact with him today at the game but he developed some medical issues and was a no-show… We have both reached out to him. No answer back from him. I searched obituaries from that part of the state where he resides and found an 88-year-old gentleman with his same name who died in July 2018… He was one of the great contributors on the blather and the POV… A lot of us miss him dearly… He kind of disappeared like the all-time favorite hero FRANKCAN…God, wouldn’t it have been great if FRANKCAN had blog.

    Liked by 1 person

  70. Interesting that Buzz Williams is reportedly off to TX A&M.

    Tough for VT, he’s a heck of a coach. Good for us, I’m thinking.

    Buzz should send a check to Blackshear…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  71. Reed… Just saw your post… Wow, you like to put thoughts and words into my mouth… I have no distain for anybody You were commenting about the decreased viewership And I just expressed a thought… Reasons are quite varied from too much negativity , too much many Kool-Aid drinkers, people the pulling of the plug…For the likes of me I could never figure out why Dr. Tom got banned… I’ve been around them quite a few times… He Wrote enjoyable commentary…He’s one of us…

    We are people and we all differ… I learned to go with the flow along time ago… I read every day and will continue to do so as long is there is a blog… Being with a group of people who like to BS Pit football-And that is all any of us do-BS Pitt football-is where I like to hang out… so let’s continue to share our opinions, our joys, bicker and banter back-and-forth… But go with the flow…
    So I had no problem what you said… But when you have been posting you kind of make it sound like MMis not up to your speed and the ones who are posting is the reason other people are dropping off-readers and former posters… I totally disagree with that assumption

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I never said MM “wasn’t up to my speed” at all and I certainly and absolutely don’t think that. I very much like his articles, but his articles are different from mine and I and some readers disagree with him sometimes. But in some ways he’s a better writer than I am.

      Whether you agree or disagree or can’t figure things out Bernie is not moot – you don’t see the emails I get that tell me exactly why they don’t read or post any longer…or the texts or phone calls.

      I don’t ever have to advertise when or why I ban someone if I do. I do it very rarely and have my own reasons. I will say that personally insulting posts will raise the red flag pretty quickly. But the bottom line is that there is an owner of this blog (me) and I do the administrative stuff and have been doing so even when Mike has been writing his articles.

      But one of the reasons I have so often solicited articles from readers (sometimes strongly) is that I have always wanted a more balanced POV than my own articles put forth.. It used to bother me when I’d do that, ask for different POVs, and no one would take the time to contribute…but those same people sure would bitch that the I and POV were ‘too negative’ .

      This is also why asked Mike to please stay and keep writing the great articles as he has been doing – he’s more positive than I am and I understand that. So we’ll see how things go as we move forward.

      But the bottom line with the Pitt POV is that it is and will be a blog that takes a different stance than other websites and media outlets – that is why it is and has been so popular. That isn’t going to change. If anything I’ll be even more contranian with now that we have a more positive writer in Mike.

      That is the spice of life – not just going with the flow as other outlets do.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. How does the old saying go? You can please somebody some of the time, but you can’t please everybody all of the time. I’m not trying to please anybody but myself but I’m glad some of you who post enjoy what I write, and I’m sure that there are many more who don’t post that enjoy it as well. I would venture to say the same goes for Reed. As always I’m just happy to be out here using my god given talents on the field of play. Hail to Pitt

        Liked by 2 people

    1. They are already calling him Howland 2.0 and thats not a compliment. Howland did take UCLA to two Final 4’s. Dixon is from Cali.

      Like

      1. I just read that Dixon is trying to negotiate his $8M buyout with TCU. If he is hired at UCLA, then he is leaving his alma mater for his hometown. If he gets a real good contract and can stay on 4 or 5 years at least, then he will have a 20+ year as a HC …. and have the security to take it easy (as long as his house doesn’t burn in one of those fires)

        Like

  73. I see where Carter Warren has reportedly been working with the first OL unit at left tackle.

    Would be great news if he could become solid at that position. He’s a big boy…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. BTW, Warren was a 5.7 three-star with offers from VT, PSU, Michigan, Mich. St., Miami, and others…

      Warren will be a redshirt Soph. and is listed as 6’5” and 315 pounds…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  74. Bernie, Reed, I would also add that it is at least as often that “positive” posters get piled on/ridiculed as posts of a more critical nature. As the blog title name implies, all posts are “Points of View”.

    Liked by 3 people

  75. Hopefully we can stop having entire threads about how positive or negative we are or aren’t or who got butt-hurt over a comment. As long as there are no personal attacks, these back and forths are no different then the ones I have at our tailgate or in our seats every week. We all want Pitt to win and compete. Most of us realize that is not possible with this stadium and this coach. So we fight about which side of mediocre we will be on. I’ve realized we are what we are and I will go and cheer because I like college football and my alma mater.

    That said, when I do get negative on here it’s never about whether we can beat Alabama or Penn state. It’s about stupid play calling, lack of preparation (or perceived lack thereof), a disinterested administration, etc. I have resigned myself to the fact we will always be smaller, slower and less talented than at least half the teams we play. So I try to give credit where it’s due and bitch about stupid stuff that can be controlled.

    This place would suck without the arguing.

    Like

  76. If we aren’t going to cheat to win like I want to and Mike Gottfried wanted to in the late 80’s, then we are damn lucky that Pitt football is where it’s at with Coach Duzz at the helm. (btw I thiink he is a defensive moron, not a guru but….) As much as I love our school, I don’t think we are meant to realistically be competitive in a Power 5 Conference given our resources and lack of commitment to excellence by admin, BOT, ect. A seven or eight win football season is deemed a success in my book given Pitt’s circumstances.

    Liked by 2 people

  77. BigB if true about Emel definitely sad to hear it. We had some good arguments and plenty that we agreed about. Somehow I thought he was 20 to 30 years younger than that from what he talked about, Pittsburgh references etc.

    I have always said that interaction and debate about opinions is what makes this place the most fun for me.
    Especially the interaction with the hosts, I think that is why this site stands out. I find it funny when people get miffed when their position is challenged, if you cannot back up what you say or admit when you are wrong, you can still comment and ignore the counterpoints. Plenty of room for all Points of View and how we learn about our teams.

    For those of you that haven’t been to a tailgate or golf outing, you are missing a lot. No matter the POV, this is a great bunch of guys and Annie and wives and girlfriends.

    Liked by 3 people

  78. Also sorry to hear about Emel if that is the case. If he did make it through the pearly gates, I bet he could find out if we will win a football championship again someday.

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  79. That wasn’t Emels obit…Bernie just stated the guy had the same name. Emel emailed me in mid December and that’s the last I heard from him. Had a great conversation with him via phone prior to the championship game. I’m sad we never got a chance to meet.
    Hopefully he just backed off for a while.

    Like

    1. If you go to a Fran “The Franchise” tailgate you will have a good time – can’t be any other way with Fran and his smiling face as the tailgate host…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. So pissed right now – Narduzzi scheduled the Spring Game the same day as my nephew’s engagement party in Wash DC.

        I will miss the POV tailgate. That is a REAL reason to be a hater, dontcha think?

        LOL posted tongue in cheek.

        Liked by 1 person

  81. I thought the grad transfer Ulizio was coming in to play left tackle. Candidly, I hope that Warren beats him out, but my sense is that the graduate transfer recruiting market is often accomplished through a wink and a nod about starting. Why else would a grad transfer come to a school?

    Oh, I forgot…..Academics!! LOL.

    If you can’t start as a grad transfer, you shouldn’t have been offered a schollie to the new school in the first place. Second, and especially on the OL, if your OL can’t beat out the grad transfer, that shows bad development of your OL by your coaching staff or their inability to recruit in the first place.

    I see grad transfers as the only option if the grad transfer was injured and was passed over while recovering from said injury. If they weren’t good enough to be drafted, they shouldn’t still be left for the picking. Every snap that is taken, takes one snap away from a fully recruited and coached guy already on the roster. That said, if there is a lack of depth on the team, that is also a reason, but less so in my mind, because again, the coaches should know how to balance their roster and recruit appropriately.

    With respect to NFL scouts, it seems that Robert Foster was a recipient of perhaps a kid that didn’t have a lot of film, but somehow got invited to the combine and hooked on as a FA by buffalo. To me, the Stillers should have signed him. He is fast and will do well. He just needs coached. Alabama puts the work ethic in you or you are gone.

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  82. @Reed – I figure the length of my posts seem like an article to me……..i just can’t stay on long enough to exchange banter. You know, dial up connections and all.

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  83. I listen to Chris Peak’s podcasts while walking the dog. He offers good insight and the price is right.

    No way was that Emel’s obit. I’m pretty sure he was coached by Bob Smizik in youth baseball.
    Understood he had a bit of a health scare right before the ACC Championship game – that might cause me to back away from this place. So it’s understandable. I hope he is OK.

    Like

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