Well the Coronavirus happened, and here we are. What better time to start running a greatest hits series on the Pitt POV. Lets get it kicked off with 13-9.  I’m open to suggestions on future content so email me at michaelangelo.monteleone@gmail.com (Richard I have your recruting analysis teed up…never fear.)   I’ve copied and pasted the entire 13-9 article from SB Nation.com below.  Since I’m a not-for-profit, I’m assuming this won’t get me thrown in jail, and if the cops show up, I’ll just cough.  Hail to PittMichaelangelo Monteleone

West Virginia vs. Pitt 2007: ‘We blew it against the s*****est f***ing team in the f***ing world’

The most famous fullback in West Virginia history owns a spot just off Interstate 68 in Morgantown. Owen Schmitt’s Saloon is part bar, part country music concert hall. Platinum band Parmalee is coming in a few weeks.

His white Mountaineers jersey backs the main bar, surrounded by helmets from WVU and his three NFL teams. There’s a MOUNTAINEERS paddle overhead. But his place has more music posters than memorabilia from his career. Schmitt and his mom shoulder much of the load.

Ten years ago, Schmitt was a senior leader on a top-10 team that came a whisker from the BCS Championship. Now he’s part of the ecosystem that feeds off Mountaineer football.

Alex Kirshner

“It is this community,” Schmitt tells me, while we’re sitting at a high-top in the back corner. “If the football program wasn’t here, what would Morgantown be? I mean, don’t get me wrong. [Coach Bob] Huggins does a great job with basketball, and that’s great, but that stadium holds, what, 18,000 people?

“When the university goes and plays Virginia Tech down at FedEx Field, that’s all the profits and revenue that this town would get from one football [game]. Football keeps this town in business. You know what I mean? When people come in for the weekends, think of all the money that’s being spent here, all the revenue.

“Lot of the times, football gets people through the year.”

Schmitt’s Saloon is busy on weekends, but game days are a different animal.

“If you look at the mass quantities, football brings in, what, 60, 65,000 people every Saturday? You know what I mean? So, yeah, I’d say it has definitely a stranglehold on this community.”

The football’s never been better than it was in ‘07.

If you’re not an elite recruiter, you only get a title shot when the stars align. That year, West Virginia had the alignment right.

  • The QB was Pat White, an electrifying junior who’d been a Sports Illustrated cover boy with running back Steve Slaton and Schmitt.
  • Five-star freshman back Noel Devine joined up.
  • The ‘Eers were the epitome of run-first, but they had receiver Darius Reynaud, whom Schmitt once saw jump atop a six-foot biometric box.
  • The defense returned 10 starters from 2006’s 11-win team.
  • Coach Rich Rodriguez, the architect of the zone read, would call that play to death.

West Virginia had title hype in ‘05, when it finished No. 5 in the AP Top 25, and in ‘06, when it started there. But ‘07 stacked up as Rodriguez’s best team.

2006 Sports Illustrated regional cover
Schmitt, Slaton, and White

“It all comes back to how prolific of a team it was offensively and defensively,” says Matt Kirchner, an editor at West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket and a season ticket-holder that year. “It was sort of a culmination of the 2005 and 2006 seasons, where they were really good, won 10 games both of those years but just couldn’t get it together on defense a few times.

“And then 2007, it all came together.”

It’s hard to overstate how fun ‘07 West Virginia was.

The offense scored 40 points per game, ninth-most in the country, despite running 70 percent of the time. White was a magician like Vince Young, throwing for 8 yards an attempt and running for 6.8. He and Slaton each finished above 1,000 yards, with Devine in the 600s. Schmitt was their escort, and Reynaud (with 12 touchdowns) the main option when WVU got bored of running.

The philosophy, per Schmitt: “just score a bunch of fucking points and win the games.”

“I thought our schemes in general were kept very simple, which allowed us as players to not have to think and more so react,” Schmitt says. “So what does that do? That lets an athlete be an athlete. You know what I mean? You don’t want an athlete thinking, because that’s gonna slow him down.

“I think we had 12 plays, maybe. Ran ‘em out of like 12 different formations, a couple of motions, different personnels. So we gave you a ton of different looks, but we ran the same plays.

“I think [Rodriguez] is a genius, honestly. Some coaches get it. Some coaches don’t.”

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Rodriguez

The defense was close to as good, led by junior linebackers Reed Williams and Mortty Ivy.

With White hurt, WVU lost to future No. 2 USF, 21-13, seemingly ending title hopes. A Big East team with a loss wasn’t supposed to make the BCS title game.

But White returned, and the ‘Eers won their next six games to get to 10-1.

“There was a lot of hype, and then it just seemed like every week, shit was just falling into place. You know what I mean?” Schmitt says. “And teams were losing that needed to lose for us to move up, and it was happening.”

WVU climbed from No. 9 in the Week 7 BCS standings to No. 2 by Week 13. A home win as a 28.5-point favorite against 4-7 Pitt in the Backyard Brawl would send the Mountaineers to the BCS Championship.

ESPN

“And then you get to the fucking last game of the season and blow it,” Schmitt says, “against the shittiest fucking team in the fucking world.”

What if WVU had beaten Pitt?

This was about more than just West Virginia missing a chance at a big trophy because its rival ruined its season. That’s unfortunate, but not unprecedented.

What is remarkable is how the aftermath changed the trajectory of, like, six major programs. Maybe even more.

West Virginia is one, obviously.

Then there’s Ohio State.

The Buckeyes had locked up No. 1, even though they had been upset by Illinois in their second-to-last game. They boasted the best defense, but their offense was much less elite, and many suspected Ohio State’s ranking had more to do with the fact that nobody else could stay highly ranked more than two weeks.

With West Virginia losing, there weren’t one-loss teams to match up against Ohio State. Kansas had one loss but didn’t win its division. Hawaii was undefeated but beat mostly terrible teams in the WAC.

That means LSU is another.

The SEC champion, whose two losses came in triple overtime (against decent Kentucky and Arkansas teams), earned the other spot. The Tigers were excellent and a bad matchup for the Buckeyes. While there has been some revisionist history — helped by Florida blowing the Buckeyes’ doors off in the previous title game — LSU’s speed all over was superior to Ohio State’s.

If WVU beats Pitt, your title game is Ohio State vs. West Virginia, and LSU’s stuck in the Sugar Bowl.

But there’s plenty more, from major coaching searches to the No. 1 recruit, a dual-threat QB, to conference realignment.

When Pitt plays at WVU, the Panthers don’t get a Morgantown hotel. They stay in Washington, Pa., a little less than halfway between their campus and Milan Puskar Stadium.

“They’d probably have been pulling the fire alarms and knocking on our doors all night,” says Eric Thatcher, a former Pitt defensive back and current FIU assistant.

When Pitt’s buses rolled up a few hours before a night kickoff, they had a greeting party. Accounts vary about what, but everyone agrees something — rocks, batteries, bottles, or cans — pelted Pitt’s buses.

“It was definitely a very, very hostile atmosphere for us to go in, and it’s very obvious when they know the visitor bus is coming in,” Scott McKillop, a linebacker, says. “There’s always certain fans that try … I don’t wanna say intimidate. It’s always interesting when you’re an away team and you play in a stadium and you see how creative the fans are, how much they know about you, and how much background information they find about you. When you hear something you’ve never heard before, it’s always pretty impressive.”

Freshman running back LeSean McCoy spoke up. He talked about Pitt’s opportunity in the spotlight, but he took an edge off too.

“Our bus was quiet,” says Dave Wannstedt, Pitt’s head coach then and a current Fox analyst. “I was on the first bus, riding it with the offense, and it was quiet. Sure enough, somebody either banged on the side of the bus or threw something at the side of the bus, and I remember Sean kind of turned and said, ‘Hey, Coach, it’s just like we talked about in all the meetings.’ Everybody started laughing and stuff.”

Wannstedt has been all over, but he’s Pittsburgh to the core.

Pitt
Wannstedt

From the city’s South Hills, he played offensive tackle for the school in 1970s. He’s got a Pittsburgh accent. He was a graduate assistant for four years under Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill, including Pitt’s 1976 title season. When Wannstedt returned as head coach in 2005, he brought rivalry history.

In the week leading up to the Brawl, Wannstedt blasted John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” a WVU anthem, all around Pitt’s facility and practice fields. He’d gotten the same treatment as a player 35 years earlier and says he was “as sick of that as the players, but I could never tell them.” He’d brought back former players to regale his team with tales of Pitt-WVU games. Two were on staff: offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh and line coach Paul Dunn.

Pitt players were told to wear their helmets on the sidelines, in case they had coins thrown at them. Nobody thinks any coins were thrown, though.

Pitt knew it would only beat West Virginia one way.

The Panthers would play cover-zero all night, eschewing deep safeties in favor of eight- and nine-man boxes near the line of scrimmage. They’d clog lanes and make tackles. Maybe White and Reynaud would torch them downfield, but maybe they wouldn’t.

“We said, ‘Y’all wasn’t gonna try to beat us with the pass,’” Thatcher remembers. “We knew it was cold out, and they was gonna try to run that ball, and that running attack — Pat White, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, Noel Devine — those dudes was unbelievable.”

The Mountaineers did not try a barrage of deep shots. Pitt held the ‘Eers to 101 ground yards on 41 carries. Pitt’s safeties never backed off, but Rodriguez forged ahead with the run anyway.

“I think the play calling was atrocious,” Schmitt, who otherwise speaks about Rodriguez with reverence, says.

“It just wasn’t our game plan, you know? They were playing us fucking man. We should’ve been lobbing the fucking ball in the air and fucking telling our guys to go get it. I mean, that’s how fucking simple it would’ve been, dude.”

White had exited with a thumb injury, and backup Jarrett Brown didn’t move the ball much. Pitt’s kicker, Conor Lee, flushed a career-long 48-yard field goal as the second quarter expired. West Virginia only led 7-3 at halftime.

“My time at Pitt, we had been kind of a .500 ball club until my senior year when we won nine games,” Lee says. “So I really hadn’t kicked in any, like, big moments yet. That was kind of the biggest moment I’d kicked in. It was a great thing going to halftime, too. I remember people being pretty amped up.”

Players and coaches say they realized at different points that Pitt could win. Schmitt’s moment of reckoning:

“Halftime, you make adjustments,” he says. “We didn’t make ‘em. We might’ve made minor ones, but obviously they weren’t the right ones.”

Pitt still needed a perfect storm to actually win.

White had fallen on his right (non-throwing) hand on a keeper in the second quarter and reportedly dislocated his thumb.

“I just wanted to help the team as much as I can,” White said afterward. “It was killing me, sitting on the sidelines.”

ESPN picked up White taking snaps on the sideline and telling trainers he was OK. He had a “desperate” look on his face, Holly Rowe said. He re-entered late in the fourth, when Pitt’s lead was 13-7.

“I’ll say this: If he wanted to fucking play, he would’ve played,” Schmitt says. “I mean, it was for the national championship. I mean, you — what do you think?

“Quite honestly, you would’ve had to rip my fucking head off and take my heart out of my chest,” he says. “But that’s just me. You know what I mean? Hopefully everybody shares that kind of passion, but, you know, it’s different when it comes to other people. You know what I mean? But, you know, I thought Jarrett did fine when he was in there. Just rough play-calling.”

I contacted White, but couldn’t get in touch with him.

It’s not clear if a few more drives of his presence, while injured, would’ve made the difference. Pitt contained him when he was on the field, including before his injury.

“I think [White’s injury] was a huge factor. If he would’ve been out there, if we play 100 times, we might win one time,” Pitt’s McKillop says.

“And I think most of us would probably say that. And I think that when he went down, that whole entire offense, their energy was just drained. It was like, ‘Oh my god, what’s wrong?’”

True freshman Pat Bostick gave Pitt its first lead on a QB keeper with 25 minutes left. A decade later, Bostick doesn’t recall most of it.

“I just remember taking the snap, trying to get low,” he says, “but it was difficult, and I remember getting hit and then seeing stars, and the next thing I remember, I remember looking down and seeing yellow, which was the paint of the end zone.”

“Had that been 2016, ‘17, now, I’m not blaming anybody or saying that — but I might not have played the rest of the game,” he adds, “‘cause I’m pretty sure I had a concussion.”

(To that point, the end-zone paint Bostick landed on was blue, not yellow.)

Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads stuck with the plan: Load the box, contain, and tackle.

Pitt shares a practice facility with the Steelers on Pittsburgh’s South Side. The indoor is just one field, and despite it being November, the Panthers had held a practice on the more spacious outdoor fields. Wannstedt saw Rhoads going through routine tackling drills.

“It was kinda a time of practice when usually that stuff was over with,” Wannstedt says. “So I go back, and the offense is running plays, and we’re into it. And I turn around about 10 minutes, 15 minutes later, and he’s going through a different type of tackling. So I walk over and I say, ‘Hey, Paul, what’s going on? What are we doing?’

“And he says, ‘Coach, you know what? This game is gonna come down to tackling. And if we don’t tackle these guys, we can draw up every defense in the world on the board, and we can’t stop ‘em. We have to be able to tackle.’”

“I was a young player, but I was running around out there, flying, really trying to be aggressive and take these guys out,” defensive end Greg Romeus says. “I think that’s what the whole history of the Backyard Brawl is. It’s two teams that really dislike each other on the field. It was one of those things where that’s the way to win this game, is to be the most physical team.”

Pitt
McKillop

Wannstedt thinks Pitt missed eight tackles. Thatcher thinks it was two. WVU’s offense totaled 183 yards and one touchdown. Its season averages were 456 and five, respectively.

Pitt didn’t find WVU’s end zone after Bostick’s sneak. But the Panthers controlled the ball enough to keep WVU’s offense on the sidelines. McCoy ran 38 times for 148 yards, the most movement either side could muster.

West Virginia, down six, threatened twice in the final five minutes.

On a fourth-and-3 from Pitt’s 26 with 4:07 to play, White handed the ball to Slaton on a zone read, and McKillop closed a crease.

“I remember it clicked in my mind, like, ‘OK, Scott, this is probably a pretty big play. You should probably celebrate,’” McKillop says. “And I did something that was just like a double-arm fist, and it was so awkward, and of course it’s the one play that a lot of the Pitt fans will remember me for.”

WVU got inside Pitt’s 30 in the last two minutes, but White overshot Wes Lyons on an impossible fourth-and-17. Thatcher drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. He says the referee told him he’d flicked off the home crowd, and Wannstedt was “ready to kill me.” The crowd thought WVU would get another shot, but this was a dead-ball foul. In the locker room, Thatcher showed his coach that his fingers had been taped under his gloves. He couldn’t have put up his middle finger if he’d wanted to.

Pitt backed into the win, literally.

Pitt drained the clock to four seconds. Instead of risking a blocked punt or return, Wannstedt had punter Dave Brytus stall and step out of his own end zone at :00. Pitt had practiced the play all year. The self-safety created an iconic final score: 13-9.

“The opportunity to use it doesn’t come up,” Wannstedt says. “That time, it did.”

ESPN

The upset “definitely had an impact throughout the country,” Wannstedt says.

No. 1 Missouri would lose on the same night in the Big 12 title game to Oklahoma. The two losses made Ohio State vs. LSU the national title game instead of Mizzou vs. WVU.

Wannstedt later coached linebackers for the Buffalo Bills. Wannstedt asked draftee Kelvin Sheppard, an LSU linebacker, to remember a great moment from his college career.

Sheppard described the Tigers flying to Baton Rouge after winning the SEC Championship Game. The pilot told them WVU had fallen, and the plane went into chaos.

“I’ve never seen a situation like that plane, how it went crazy,” he says Sheppard responded.

“Kelvin, who do you think was coaching Pitt at the time?” Wannstedt says he replied.

McKillop describes hearing the plane story from 49ers teammate Ricky-Jean Francois, a lineman on that LSU team.

Rodriguez left for Michigan before WVU’s Fiesta Bowl upset of Oklahoma.

Schmitt was the star, with a 57-yard run for WVU’s first touchdown and a viral interview.

“Like a runaway beer truck,” Fox’s Matt Vasgersian called him during that touchdown. A decade later, my burger at the saloon is named the Beer Truck Burger.

“This place gave me so many opportunities,” Schmitt says. “You know what I mean? I could’ve never been more thankful for what it had offered me. So, plus, Oklahoma was talking all sorts of shit — basically saying, win or lose, it doesn’t really do much for them to be playing us and shit. You know what I mean? But we whipped their ass.”

Rodriguez would be reviled in the state for years. His replacement, Fiesta Bowl winner Bill Stewart, has a highway exit named after him near campus.

“The one thing, and I probably said it to him: He could’ve just finished the year out, and that would’ve been whatever,” Schmitt says. “But it’s been so many years removed. I mean, I know people hold a grudge, but … you know what I mean? Obviously the university didn’t think he was good enough, or they would’ve worked a deal out.

“That’s business, and that’s unfortunately the game of college football. It’s nuts, dude.”

Pitt’s bus ride out of Morgantown was a lot different than the one in.

“Getting out of there, it was like a ghost town,” Bostick says.

“It was a pretty depressing scene, I guess, from a West Virginia fan’s perspective, and I understand why. It was empty, and you could’ve probably heard a pin drop outside the confines of our buses.”

On the ride home up Interstate 79, the Pitt QB’s bus broke into song:

“Take me home, country roads.”

Editors: Jason Kirk, Elena Bergeron

Development: Frank Bi

Design & Art: Tyson Whiting

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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.

250 thoughts on “Coronavirus Lockdown: Pitt’s Greatest Hits volume 1”

  1. West Virginny is the only state not impacted by the virus thus far. Even the corona virus stays away from those inbred toothless Hoopies.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Don’t know how many times I’ve read that story……..and it always makes my day. Thanks, MM!

    Like

  3. “I’ll just cough” … lmao … I have a friend who is a cop in Erie and he says everyone he pulls over just starts coughing hysterically … he knows they’re faking but he is like “F this, carry on”

    Even coronavirus doesn’t want anything to do with the West Virginia gene pool …

    Liked by 1 person

  4. The first show has dropped: Murphy now in the transfer portal. I thank him or his shot versus BC but he was overmatched in the ACC. I read to expect as many as three kids total going into the portal.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Actually a recent article said W Va is the most susceptible for the worst impact by the virus. It has the oldest relative population, highest numbers of smokers, poorest health care system with a mostly rural population with little access and with all that difficulty in communication and coordination.
    They have been shortchanged in resources since the Reagan era.
    It’s a shame.

    Like

  8. Bless you Michaelangelo for that article. Today we were the only church open for miles around in MD. I played golf Friday and they’re talking about closing the golf courses. No sports, no nothing and I gave up drinking for Lent. God is really testing me. I’m about to fail!! Murphy is no loss. Not a D1 player. H2P

    Stay safe and be well Pitt fans! H2P

    Like

  9. And just announced, all casinos and horse racing closed in Maryland. That’s it…. I’m done. How in the hell are we supposed to survive!!

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Great article Mike..

    I’m LMAO right now.

    At the same time, I was in the middle of making a homemade pizza when I felt the need to send out a private comment to Reed. I’ll do this on this medium as you haven’t responded otherwise. I considered you a very good friend and still do. Don’t know what I did to you but hope you find forgiveness in your heart for me for whatever I did. I know you are a great man and do great work in the community. I just had to shout out in the middle of making a simple supper on a special day for me. Why your name crossed my cranium, well I don’t know? You take care Reed. Hope the back is taking care of you!…….. . . . .ike

    Liked by 3 people

  11. Bravo Maestro!

    Grazie!

    I’ve read that piece a few times in the past – never gets old.

    Not enough has been said about Pitt having to beat the BE refs as well.

    Like

  12. Someone, I won’t say who (Hint: begins with Missing, ends with Wlat), told you all weeks or perhaps months ago, that Skippy was gone. In the right offense, he could be an effective three point shooter, even in the ACC. But Pitt had zero inside out game that would benefit his talents. And he was definitely slow on defense. He and X did not get along, which was pretty obvious.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Well no one is mentioning the H1N1 outbreak back in 09/10.

    I lived through that one and as I recall the frenzy and panic weren’t there.

    So since it looks like it’s the end of the world as we know it, tomorrow I’m going out and buy a brand new ZR1 corvette and a 38 foot Baja boat, because when I miss the payments no one is going to be around to repossess them, right?

    Enjoy the lunacy folks because I certainly am and don’t get caught out after curfew.

    H2P

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Alcohol cures all – there are health exceptions to lent promises. Agree on Skippy. We need bigs. MM thanks for the memories.

    Like

    1. Angie said the line was out the door today at the state store. (no schitt) On the Sabbath no less? It’s the end of the world! What a way to go.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Not to sound like Bob Hope, Maestro, but, “Thanks for the memories!”

    I remember thinking all game, “We can’t keep on stopping them all game”! And … holding back the tears after Brytus stepped out of bounds.

    I’ve always wondered why RichRod refused to throw – especially since we shut down the run so well.

    Like

  16. We can walk 1/2 mile to: grocery store, CVS, bank, Mcdonalds, pet hospital and 4 restaurants. Of course we drive there anyway. I might have to use my bike if gas is limited.

    Anyway, follow local officials information and H2P.

    Like

  17. I rationalized that if WVU wins, as everyone thought, it would be the best thing to have a BE team in the national final, Further, I missed the first half because of a surprise birthday party and could not believe when I heard the score on the car radio. Sped home and caught the last 25 minutes, and couldn’t believe the bogus holding calls on Pitt late in the game.

    But the absolute best was watching the RichRod’s post-game presser with the Panthers celebrating in the background

    Liked by 1 person

  18. It’s like 1975 again, grocery stores are closing at 9 pm. Crazy since less hours mean, more people will be condensed into them, in the hours they are open. Causing a bigger risk to get infected.

    And with the Keystone Cops CDC’s foolishness the last month, one has to wonder…wtf is going on ?

    Ohio & Illinois control freaks have ordered all bars & restaurants closed. These politicians are creaming themselves.
    https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/03/15/ohio-governor-mike-dewine-orders-all-bars-and-restaurants-to-close/

    As I said the other day last week, when folks were joking about this, this is really the real thing.
    Europe is now the epicenter of this, with American soon to follow, since nothing was done for weeks to
    stop Euro’s(or chinese students) from flying into America. Too late now, the Virus is here and has been for weeks.

    Liquor stores will be the next to shutter, so buy now accordingly. America will never be the same
    from this point forward.

    p.s. Don’t blame Skippy for getting outta town, who would want to play with Johnson & McGowens.
    Capel needs to unload them before they infect the new recruits coming in.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. wouldn’t be surprised if Skippy’s exit was suggested by Capel, and look for Brown to not be too far behind. As I recall, Skippy was Capel’s 3rd or 4th choice for a JUCO recruit … and by all accounts, with Horton eligible, he would be doing a lot of sitting next year.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I remember watching the game in disbelief. Watched alone because I didn’t want to have yo talk about the whipping I expected we would get.

    I loved how that one loss seemed to cause the whole university to unravel. Lost a title game, lost their coach. Lost their bball coach. Lost their president in the “MBA for sale” scandal. And just saying “13-9” would cause rage in any hoopie fan for years to follow.

    Might be my second most favorite Pitt football win ever.

    Like

  22. We are still getting inaccurate info from many sources. According to them, this is mainly affecting
    the old and the infirm. Wrong.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/health/not-just-seniors-french-doctors-report-50-icu-patients-under-60-years-old-netherlands-under

    Lots of bad info being spread by many. Which is only going to cause more people to get infected. Again causes one to wonder, wtf is going on with all this misinformation/disinformation.

    Don’t trust anything you hear on TV news other than events being cancelled or stores being closed.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Well considering that 80% of th readership of this blog graduated Pitt in 1973 or earlier it kinda doesn’t matter. Kidding kidding. Be safe out there everyone.

      Liked by 2 people

        1. Haha Ike, the difference between your statement and mine is that one of them is an opinion 😉

          Like

          1. I LOL of course Mike but are you sure about the double opinion? I know my comment was certainly made in jest and my idiotic opinion. I rarely think I post a thought provoking comment. I would never be that pretentious.

            Keep up the great work you are doing! You’re a 5* in my eyes!

            Like

  23. Skippy is leaving because he hates X. Maybe Capel suggested that he move on. But I knew months ago that he was leaving mainly due to the toxic relationship with X.

    Liked by 2 people

  25. I hadn’t read that article before. Schmitt certainly has a small vocabulary. I guess that’s why he went to WVU.
    Maestro, another excellent job. Thanks for the nice diversion!
    Was in Hawaii for 2 weeks. Got back last Saturday, just before all hell broke loose. Glad to be back home for sure.

    Liked by 3 people

  26. Who cares about who enters the portal? There is a real likelihood that there will be no place to play in any sport this upcoming season. Until we have a vaccine(that’s effective) for Covid-19 this pandemic will probably last well into 2021.

    Like

  27. Pulled this from PSN – 2020 PG Feme Odukale planned on making his fifth official visit but due to college visits being restricted for the forseeable future, he will now skip that final visit. PSN is told that Odukale will decide between Pitt, UMass and Seton Hall.

    As far as those three finalist, a source tells me that Odukale was impressed with the way that UMass head coach Matt McCall developed and used freshman star Tre Mitchell, the A-10 Rookie of the Year (former Pittsburgh native). As far as Seton Hall, the same goes with (HC) Kevin Willard (former Pitt player) and star senior guard Myles Powell. In terms of Pitt, Odukale enjoyed his official visit and Jeff Capel and his ability to recruit and develop future NBA players (say what?).

    Like

    1. The NBA was put on hold for now I guess.

      It’s good to see he’s not “skippy”-ing out on Pitt and the Capels.

      Like

  30. It would have been IUP or Montenegro for X
    The kid is gaining wisdom with age
    Hopefully his assist to turnover ratio improves as well. 🙂

    Like

  31. Murphy leaving because he didn’t like X is kind of a mute point since he didn’t have the talent level to play in the ACC.

    Things are getting dire in Allegheny County with mandated shutdown of restaurants and voluntary shutdown of non-essential businesses. The next two weeks are going to tell us a lot about whether the impact of this bug can be controlled.

    Apparently the stock market doesn’t think so.

    Meanwhile, life goes on, my daughter-in-law in labor at McGee, with my first grand son.

    Liked by 7 people

      1. Yes it is, X 7! Don’t know if I’m being braggadocios or complaining. Hells bells I’m just a young fellow. Either way I love every minute of it.

        Like

    5. However good you think being a grandfather will be, Gordon, it will be better than that. The first step is picking a name — for you!

      The best to all!

      Like

  32. Hospitals just don’t have enough icu beds if the curve isn’t flattened and pushed out. Every locality will peak at different times. The virus hasn’t been reported in my area…yet. But we don’t have testing. And I’m sure many had it already like me or are symptom free but spreading it. Schools are cancelled for two weeks. CDC is saying 8 weeks minimum. I don’t see how any sport resumes until at least June. And then you’d need a few weeks of conditioning. Just write off all sports and school until Fall. I hope the airlines will be around for my flight back for the domer game. I’ll drive if I have to unless state borders get closed. Hopefully it doesn’t get that bad. I’m down to my last roll of toilet paper. I hope everyone stays healthy.

    Tex

    Liked by 2 people

    1. And I would have thought you would have a bidet.

      Airlines are definitely going to need a government bail out when this is over.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. —Would be just our luck that with a decent and promising looking FB team coming back, the FB season would be cancelled… ☹️

    —I, for one, am glad to hear that X will return. I hope Trey does too, but apparently that is looking unlikely now…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Funny, I was thinking the same thing, just when it looks like Pitt has their best team in years, football gets cancelled.

      I do think this thing will be over or at least under control by mid summer, but maybe wishful thinking.

      Like

  34. I was glad we got our MD state wrestling tournament in, now until 2 weeks passes, I’m not quite so until we all don’t show signs.
    Had a Chinese patient, Michigan undergrad, CMU grad school, over a month ago and we briefly discussed COVID and her expressing how angry she was that her country’s traditions led to this. She has a 3yo and said she was heading to Michigan to live with her parents for several weeks while her husband stayed in the area due to job requirements. I had no idea how knowledgeable she was.

    Like

  35. According to the wjac article I read online this morning down here in Charlotte, in PA you can order liquor and wine from the PLCB website and have it delivered. So no worries up there for alcohol.

    Like Texas pointed out, main concern is not to overload hospitals. So keeping large groups away from gathering makes much sense at this time.

    Also, great article and idea Mike. Thanks.

    Like

  36. well, it is said that you’re only as strong as you’re weakest link, and nowadays that may apply to world

    Like

  37. watching Channel 2 noon news and Breaking New at the beginning was of course the C word and how there are now 6 reported cases in Allegheny Count. But get this …. after the first commercials, it comes back again with Breaking News — that the Steelers released LB Anthony Chickilo. Seriously!!

    Like

  38. An indelible memory for me from the 13-9 game is of a kid who was a WVU fan who was in the front row holding a “Go Eers” type sign over the railing, and just after he came on camera late in the game, he drops the sign and it disappears out of sight — just as the high hopes of the Eers were disappearing…

    Thank you, Shady McCoy and the Pitt Defense!

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  39. Small factoid about Dec 1, 2007…

    While Pitt was beating WVU and the BE refs, my Richmond Spiders – under the direction of then HC Dave Clawson – beat Wofford 21-10 to advance to the NCAA FCS semifinals. They lost the semifinacl game a week later to App State, who ened up winning it all.

    Two TVs on in a bar – one on Pitt, the other on UR. It was buddy Randy’s 55th BD too. Was quite a celebration. (I had a DD take me home and had to go to Five Guys the next day to get my axis re-centered.)

    BTW, a year later, the Spiders won the whole thing. The first yr HC Mike London (hallmate of mine at UR) inherited a talent-laden team from Clawson who moved on to Bowling Green. The team crushed #2 see App State @ App St, beat #3 seed Northern Iowa in a very loud UNI Dome (Tex – you can check that place out) and finally had its way against #4 Montana in Chattanooga. Quite the run.

    Like

  40. I’m bummed, the Chinese rock band concert “Wan Hung Low” scheduled for April has been canceled. What do I do, what do I do? Hope I can get my money back..

    Alright Mike just ban me now!

    Like

  41. enjoy it while you can

    Pick Six Previews@PickSixPreviews
    Ohio State has taken the early lead in 2021 Recruiting Class rankings
    • Average Rank, 3+ commits

    1 Ohio State
    2 Clemson
    3 Notre Dame
    4 UGA
    5 Texas
    6 USC
    7 Auburn
    8 A&M
    9 Oregon
    10 UNC
    11 Oklahoma
    12 Nebraska
    13 Florida
    14 Cal
    15 Pittsburgh

    Liked by 2 people

  42. Hand held and add on mount bidets going fast on amazon…Haha.
    I drove my wife and then 2 year old daughter to spend a weekend at Deep Creek Lake for the 13-9 game. Too many stories to write but we still refer to that area what my 2 year old called it…Deep Wawa. Thus the Deep Wawa Game is a fond memory indeed.

    Liked by 2 people

  44. Went to the State Liquor Store behind Westmoreland Mall yesterday afternoon. The place was really busy with people loading up carts. A State Store employee was walking around shouting, “We’re not closing! We’re not closing! Just the stores in eastern PA!” But he wasn’t convincing anyone. The risk was too high to take.

    Like

  45. This will force out the creativity in all of us. A blessing actually. Expect to see more ‘virtual’ stuff like masses. Even more take out including booze. Different ways of greeting like bowing. Home brewing…I’m already setup for that.

    I like to see the half glass full side for apocalyptic events. I see half glass empty for pitt sports however. The 1990’s pitt virus is to blame. I still haven’t recovered.

    Tex
    Class of ‘93

    Like

  46. In the presidents News Conference he said I thought we might have the Virus under control by July or August. Add 6 months for wishful thinking(my opinion) and we can all draw our own conclusions as to whether there is any chance for PITT FB this fall.

    Like

    1. Unfortunately you could be right. These viruses often have 2nd and 3rd waves. The 2nd wave of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic was much more deadly than the first. Viruses almost always mutate, and those mutations can either be more deadly or less severe.

      Interesting enough the first victim of the Spanish flu in America was on March 4th, 1918 at Fort Riley, Kansas. By March 11th the flu had hit NYC. So again, 102 years later we’re in March. And has hit NYC at almost exactly the same time of March.

      The more deadly 2nd Wave occurred 5 months later in August. It is estimated more people died from
      the Spanish Flu, than from WW1 & WW2 combined. Although some say lower, as it was difficult to
      get numbers from some of the less developed countries.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ironic that the Spanish flu originated on an army base in Kansas.

        I still think the hoopie virus is far worse. Leads to loss of teeth, fondness of sheep, and sexual fantasies of your cousin.

        Tex

        Like

  47. There is no way society can shut down for that long. People will go crazy. And crazy people will result in far more deaths than any virus.

    Tex

    Like

      1. Slippery slope alert. Okay to talk guns. Not okay to let it slip into politics

        Like

      2. You might have to hunt game to provide meat for your family….. “ he can skin a buck, he can run a trot- line… a country boy can survive” sing it Hank!!!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I hope it doesn’t come to that BigB. If I have to survive on my hunting skills it could be a long hungry summer.

          Like

      3. And long lines at the Allegheny county courthouse for concealed carry permits today. Hope we’re not heading for gunfights over TP at Walmart.

        Like

  49. Not to change the subject to PITT sports but what will PITT’s starting lineup look like in the year 2020? and forget about 2525

    Like

  50. Modern Medicine was in its infancy in 1918, science has come a long way.

    The measures (social distancing, hand washing etc.) will go along way to change the potential outcome of this thing. To prevent the overwhelming of current medical resources is paramount. Obviously people are going to die, already are, the question is how many and what we can collectively do to keep that number as low as possible.

    This may be the first time that we are all truly in this together.

    Liked by 1 person

  52. Tom Wolf ordered all state stores to close tonight at 9:00 tonight. The dummy announces this at 3:00. I can only imagine the lines…..

    Like

  53. This flu virus hits very close to home for me. Not enough hospital beds……..??

    Davis Beville will be the next Dan Marino, whoops, sorry to talk sports…

    Like

  54. Nonessential businesses to close, Essential businesses include the following:

    Supermarkets and grocery stores
    Big box stores
    Pharmacies
    Discount stores, mini-markets, and non-specialized food stores
    Daycare centers
    Hardware stores
    Gas stations
    Banks
    Post offices
    Laundromats and dry cleaners
    Veterinary clinics for domestic pets and pet stores

    We’ll survuve

    Too bad we don’t live in Ohio. The Giant Eagle that was close to me in Willoughby had a great selection of wine, whiskey and beer .. as did the Costco.

    Heck, you can even order a marguerita at Chipotle’s …. it came in a can, but that the hey?

    Like

  55. When in doubt listen to music. 90% won’t appreciate this video but at least listen to the first and last songs before you judge. This is me, it’s where I come from when the schitt hits the fan……………

    Like

  56. OT — This may be obvious, but I was reading where gasoline pumps are about the germiest objects we encounter. Catching coronavirus there may be unlikely, but reportedly this virus can survive on steel or plastic for up to 3 days…

    A disposable glove or hand sanitizer seems like a good idea when gasing up…

    We can’t afford to lose any Pitt fans! 😊

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  61. Thanks everyone!
    Theo James Conn arrived just before ten last night.
    By the way, not my first grandchild, but first Grandson.

    No visitors allowed at the hospital so we won’t see him till he gets home.
    A very wise policy at the moment.

    Keep washing those hands and sneezing into your elbows.
    Grandpa and Grandpa want to hang around for a while.

    Liked by 3 people

  65. congrats Gordon

    Tom Brady just issued statements that he won’t return to :Patriots. Please note:

    1) I don’t believe him or anyone else associated with New England

    2) he hasn’t signed with anyone else yet. so why would he make such statement unless it was a negotiation ploy?

    He may go elsewhere … but won’t believe it til I see kit.

    Like

  66. I’ve been binge watching Narcos and Narcos Mexico on Netflix. Highly dramatized, lots of violence but true stories about the DEA’s involvement in the Columbian and Mexican drug world in the 80s and 90s. And the captures or killings of the heads of the cartels. Very interesting

    Like

  68. GC — Congrats to you on your grandson, the newest Pitt fan… 👍

    Seems like you’re having quite a busy year!

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  71. A couple of things on the UPSET in Morgantown, both involving LeSean McCoy.

    One is the IMPROMPTU motivational speech McCoy gave on the team bus after it had just been pelted with rocks after arriving for the Game.

    The other was this at 8 minutes in on the video.

    Liked by 1 person

  73. As little as a few weeks ago I would wake up and ask Alexa what day it was and what was the temp outside. I even quit doing that. What’s the use? pfft

    Like

  74. Pitt tackled extremely well in that game.

    On D, we often showed a standard defensive set just prior to the snap, but in reality we brought all but the corners into the box just prior to the snap… On literally every single play…

    I often wondered why WVU didn’t throw the ball a little more – over the middle, quick slants and screens would have been available in many situations. The deep ball would have been man coverage and wvu had a future NFL receiver on that team…

    Our D pressured quite a bit with run blitzes, but if set up and executed correctly wvu could have utilized the screen pass to that big fullback to loosen up our D.

    Rich Rod really never made any significant play calling adjustments in that game. He seemed to rely on his fast and athletic QBs and RBs play after play to no avail. Really bizarre that he didn’t adjust.

    WVU’s O-line got beat all night long by Pitt’s defensive front. McKillop was a beast at LB.

    I still don’t think that White was all that hurt, but Rich Rod figured that they would beat us with the second string guy without an problem… White came back in too late, but actually made a couple of plays…

    What a great win for Pitt!

    Like

  76. PITT and UNC go into this years 11/14/2020 meeting UNDEFEATED….will be reminiscent of the old great PITT vs.Penn State match ups… In case you aren’t aware that our heels are becoming are rivalry-we are currently on a 3 gain winning streak if you throw basketball in their with our recent FB victory… POVerts will be there in forced… Already planning the tailgate with my Carolina pals Frank N Greg…..time to get your mind off of the germs and viruses… Start thinking football…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hey B, you should nickname Greg, “BEANS” That way you would have Frank N Beans. Met them both and they are great guys. Hope to meet up again with them.

      Like

  77. my promise to you… If any beloved POVert is a casualty to this virus… Post humorously, we will name a golf tournament/trophy after you…..My niece helps out with the high school football team and volunteers doing fund raisers/organizing the lunch stand through etc.. She is really good friends with John Skiba (Pitt grad) football coach. Last year I asked her to have him order me a #12 Apollo Ridge football jersey for me to be buried in… The coach responded to her, “how soon does he need it?!!”

    Liked by 5 people

    2. It would be funny to see you squeeze into your high school jersey. I suspect you may be a tad bit bigger these days from then? I know I am……

      Like

    1. Odds on favorite to commit to Pitt. Previously played a small forward but last season was moved to point guard.

      Like

    1. It’s rumored that Femi has a 6′ 11″ wingspan. Keep in mind he only played PG for one season. Let’s hope he can do so effectively in ACC play. Let’s also hope there is actually a 2020/21 season where we can see him take over as Pitt’s PG.

      Like

  81. just saw some highlights on Odukale and he appears to be a really good ball handler. Couple that with the fact that Champagnie and X are returning, then things are really looking up. Skippy is gone and wouldn’t doubt if Brown will leave but 3 bigs are coming in.

    Right now, the roster for next year is

    6’11 Amadesun Fr
    6’10 Coulibaly So
    6’9 Hugley Fr
    6’8 Collier Fr
    6’7 Champagnie So
    6’6 Toney Jr
    6’5 Odukale Fr
    6’3 Horton So
    6’3 MacGowans Jr
    6’1 Johnson Jr

    Also Wm Jeffress 6’6 4-star is considered a Pitt lean but you never know

    Like

      1. I agree with you Fran… I am one of those old people with medical conditions that has potential to be a victim of that thing that’s going around

        Like

  84. Played my last round of golf for the foreseeable future. So-so round. 3 cars in lot when we finished. (We were 1st off).
    I’m not happy or sad Skippy left. Hope he finds a spot to succeed. His playing time next year would have been greatly reduced. Like many, recruited over. Helped some, hurt some.
    I really believe there will be no, or limited football this fall. Maybe later start with conference games only. I mean, this is really weird. Very empty parking lots, Heck, IKEA was closed. If a kid gets this the spread to teammates, other teams etc could be nuts. Southern teams may play reguardless. 100,000 Nitters sitting three inches apart, crazy.
    Played with Mikey the Nitter. He has family in State College, and he says the town doesn’t want the students back till it’s all over because they will just party and cause spread. Scary times, guys.

    Like

    2. I’m not freaking out but I do take this serious. I’m also not as worried about the virus as I am about the people that are worried about it. Believe me, sitting at home in self isolation is right up my alley. << Been practicing it for years….

      Liked by 1 person

  86. Lets see, all Pitt alum get 1000. Enough for OCS?( better Bernie?). I’m tryin. Hey, how are things inNC?
    Didn’t make it to state store, am well stocked. Saving the Pappy though to celebrate Pitts ACC championship.

    Liked by 1 person

  87. Above link picks UNC to be able to beat Clem in ACC Championship. Our game at UNC in Chapel Hill will be decided by? We all know that answer.

    Like

    1. Such lofty predictions and expectations leads to disappointments and frowns. Well, with the exceptions of the cheaters. UNC qualifies in that category.

      Like

      1. BTW you do know that UNC will have more returning starters in 2020 than Pitt. In fact, they are expected to return 10 starters from their 12th ranked offense alone. Pitt returns 7 defensive starters but that doesn’t include Wheeler and Camp

        Like

        1. Yes Bill, I know UNC has lots of players back but I also know there is now a profile on the QB. I’ll take my chances on PITT. I realize you meant Weaver.

          Like

        2. I like our chances wwb. I also read that VT returns 20 of 22 starters. They are going to be a handful; I think the QB Hooker is a very good college player. I’m glad we play them at Heinz.

          Like

  88. as expected, John Hugley made Ohio D-1 1st team all-state team but was not selected POY. VonCameron Davis of Columbus Walnut Ridge as selected by Ohio Prep Sportswriters.

    Davis is committed to Kent St but is NR on ESPN or 247, and I can’t even find him on Rivals But he did outscore Hugley 27 ppg to 23 ppg.

    Like

  89. Some good news this week with X staying, Murph opening up a scholarship, and Femi taking that scholarship…

    Femi sounds like a freakish athlete — (like some POVers… 😊).

    Rumor is Trey may leave too. The roster will look a lot different next season – which is a good thing…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good thoughts MajorMajors. This has certainly been a good week for Pitt basketball so far, here are my thoughts:

      Murphy – I wish him the best and will not be surprised if he helps out some team if he can find the right fit, I could envision him knocking down threes effectively for some team, especially in a ‘lighter’ conference. Unfortunately he was not a good fit here and was too much of a defensive liability, so for Pitt’s sake I agree, I’m glad he is moving on and allowed us to add Femi.

      Femi – I hate to guess on freshmen, because I find it so hard to predict (Champ? Drumgoole?), but although I don’t see Femi as a great ball handler yet, he does seem to have a lot of good qualities (size athleticism, passing ability, reportedly BB IQ & defense) and possesses a decent enough handle to where I would be shocked if he doesn’t contribute as a 4th guard next year. This past year we painfully lacked guard depth with only 3 serviceable guards, and one of them (Murphy) was not up to the task. Ideally, with X, Trey, Horton & Femi, we should have much fresher legs and subsitution options depending on matchups etc. next year. That said, if we lose Trey, even though I suspect we’ll still be better off than this past year, we would again be in a position where ideally adding yet another guard, preferably a transfer at this point.

      Bigs – Again, so hard to predict freshmen, but I’ll admit I’m counting on Big John to be a lock as a major contributor next year in order to improve our rebounding and inside scoring presence. And hopefully the addition of Collier and especially Amadasun will finally give us rebounding depth. Time will tell of course, but I like our chances for an uptick in the paint next year. That said, if Capel could somehow land a Center at this point, I’d be all for it.

      And finally, assuming we don’t lose Trey and especially Toney, and if we land Jeffries (a third big IF), then I think what I’ll be looking forward to the most is proper depth

      Liked by 1 person

  90. I can’t help myself. When i look at the starting D for PITT football I get giddy. I hope we all get a chance to enjoy them this fall.

    Like

  91. Enjoy…

    Like

  92. Really pleased to see Capel get another player. If he gets Jeffress he has pretty much run the table.
    Things looking good for the future of Pitt Basketball.

    Really hoping the most dire projections for this virus are worst case and measures being taken are effective.
    Hopefully more testing arrives soon and we can at least quantify the problem.

    Hoping that UPMC and AHN are up to the task.

    Liked by 1 person

  93. Even if the virus health effects are mitigated, it’s impact on the economy will be huge. Our prayers and best wishes go out to the people who are losing their jobs.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. And the companies that have employed them for years. This hysteria is tough to watch, so I try not to.

      The unemployed will be taken care of by the taxpayers – the businesses will be left to fend for themselves. Most “could” fail.

      Hopefully Pitt FB has a few good young men leading the team in conditioning/FB drills in this social distancing era. Most, if not all are “working” from home.

      It’s tough to think about sports – hoping to play golf though before the local courses shutdown – I can understand the dining aspect, but not the open air of the golf course. I can easily walk six feet away from the other players.

      I’ll pledge my $1,000+ to a Pitt OCS – Heather, let’s have a press conference to announce “Victory Heights PLUS”.

      EE

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I live about 100 ft from the 12th tee of my club’s course. Clubhouse is closed, but fortunately took my bag home last weekend and prepaid my dues for the year. Intend to play a few emergency 9’s as a result.

        Like

      2. I played 18 today. Our club has closed, but they are (for now) allowing walking (no carts). They’ve removed all of the flagsticks and rakes. First time I’ve walked 18 carrying a bag for quite a few years. Enjoyed it.

        Like

    2. Amen to all that. If we can swing the momentum quickly (re the economy) I suspect we may be OK. Regarding health, my 2 cents would be for everyone to get their Vitamin D levels up (5,000 IU/day).

      Liked by 1 person

  94. Rick, you are the leader we need. Love Victory Heights PLUS.
    My golf course shutting down starting today. 🙁

    Like

  96. Agree on the golf courses. Close their food service and lounge, but why the course, now you are affecting my mental health. If you don’t touch your opponents balls, that should be sufficient social distancing.

    Like

  99. Joking aside, mental health is going to be a huge problem. This much fear, stress and personal isolation is going to take a toll on many people.

    Liked by 2 people

  100. Pay for your round online. Use your own pull/push cart. And leave the flag in the hole. Where is the problem? Way safer than me going to the grocery store this morning.

    Liked by 1 person

  101. I am going to perform my first act of civil disobedience since the sixties. I am going to play golf today.
    I know, so reckless, I might not even wear sunscreen.

    Like

  102. This is not meant to alarm you but maybe help prepare you for the inevitable.

    I was a member of the Willoughby OH YMCA before I moved back to WPa back in the summer of 2018. I just received an email stating that a member who last visited the Y back on March 12 has tested positive. Then there were instructions for adhering to the guidelines and some contact links, etc

    I’m sure many of us will be receiving more messages like this in the very near future. I see West Virginia has its first positive case, and the governor said that the state has had trouble receiving test kits and he expects many more citizens testing positive in the near future. Hate to say it but I think it may be the reason why Eastern PA has so many more cases than WPa.

    Be safe be careful but don’t lose your sense of humor

    https://people.com/movies/mel-brooks-and-his-son-explain-the-importance-of-social-distancing-while-separated-by-a-glass-door/

    Like

  103. If unemployment hits 20 percent like the treasury secretary with the hot wife said, it’s time for public works projects. Why doesn’t congress approve an infrastructure bill?

    Oakland finally gets that subway and Pitt finally gets that MPC. Imagine it taking a pandemic to bring football back to campus. I can.

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

  104. No sports, no state stores, pretty much no nuffin. I have enough problems going on in my life without all this corona drama. Golden years my ASS!

    Liked by 1 person

  107. I’m glad to see the government isn’t over reacting. When you take away guns and booze, you will have a civil war. If sports doesn’t resume by summers end, you’ll have problems as well. Before I get my measly thousand dollars, I’d like to know if hospitals have the surge capacity and if we have enough test kits. If we don’t have enough beds, ventilators, doctors and kits, how can I spend the money if I’m dead? That’s why I’m glad this site doesn’t talk politics and we leave it to sports. If you think I’m piss and vinegar about pitt sports, I’m hemlock when it comes to politics.

    Tex

    Tex

    Liked by 2 people

  109. Sports is part of our lives and the daily fabric of society. It’s entertainment. A release. A chance to socialize. A source of community spirit and pride. Money and jobs. If this continues, we are going to have some real problems. Auto plants just all shut down for two weeks. Dow at 19,000. The sooner sports comes back, the less panic and more confidence. But what sport will be the first back and when? Pitt football excluded. It hasn’t been back in 40 years.

    Tex

    Like

  110. I would say private golfing comes back first…….. Back a few years ago, I did indeed golf, while always practicing social distancing. I was always at least 25 feet in all directions from everyone else. My good buddy once had a hole in one in the wrong hole. Teed off on 7 and he hooked it so badly we found his ball in the hole on 9. << True story.

    Like

    1. completely agree. I would have been content with just watching the PGA tour with no crowd over the next month or so

      and of course, golfers can play at their own risk hopefully after the dust has settled a bit … certainly less riskier IMO than going to supermarket or Walmart

      Like

      1. Yep, golfers can play at their own risk then become infected and before symptoms occur you would be able to pass it on to your family and everyone else you came in contact unbeknownst to them. That’s not the answer if you have been listening closely.

        Like

        1. I wrote after the dust is settled, meaning they should be the first that can go back to their sport. Sorry I wan;t very clear

          FWIW I am still walking everyday but golfing never crossed my mind

          Like

  111. ike, Joni Mitchell vs Chrissie Hynde

    Don’t you know it seems to go
    That you don’t what you got til it’s deplete
    They paved paradise
    And put up the freakin’ Pete

    or

    I went back to Oakland, and my stadium was gone
    And escalators filled the air, from Desoto to Sutherland
    A-O-Way to be … Stevie P

    Like

  113. I don’t know whether we’re in a Michael Crichton novel or an episode of “The Twilight Zone.”

    “This highway leads to the shadowy tip of reality: you’re on a through route to the land of the different, the bizarre, the unexplainable…Go as far as you like on this road. Its limits are only those of mind itself. Ladies and Gentlemen, you’re entering the wondrous dimension of imagination. . .
    Next stop The Twilight Zone.

    Rod Serling would be so appropriate right now…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  114. My son ‘announces’ his college choice this Friday. It’s between Texas Tech, A&M and Texas. I tried my best to convince him that Pitt is It but to no avail.

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Congrats Tex!

      He can’t go wrong with any of those schools. I enjoy my occasional business travel to Austin, A&M has some cool traditions, and Tech is probably a great engineering school.

      Good luck to him.

      Like

      1. What about U of Houston, Tex? I have a friend from here who is a loud and proud Cougar alum!
        PittPT

        Like

        1. He never considered it. Not sure why. He really likes Tech. I give them 70 percent chance with my crystal ball prediction. Texas with a 20 percent chance. A&M with 10 percent. But if Texas can come up with more money, I can see him in Austin as opposed to Lubbock.

          Tex

          Liked by 1 person

  116. Trey entered he portal. We will have a new and hopefully much better look if bb and sports come
    back. Stay well everybody York County now ha 2 virus cases announced after having none yesterday.

    Like

  117. I figured Trey would leave when his brother committed to Florida State. I expected a lot more from him this year. Will be interesting to see where he end up. Get Jeffries and a transfer and they will be fine.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Chemical engineering

      I told him I need to know so I can buy a college hat.

      He can’t go wrong with any of those schools.

      Tex

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Good luck to him Tex. First year engineering is brutal. My daughter is finishing her first year at Pitt. Congrats!

        Like

      2. Tex, Best wishes to your son. He must be pretty brainy to go for Chem E. 👍

        (If his first choice isn’t what he expected, he can always enter the transfer portal! 😊)

        Go Pitt.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. He is brainy. But, He’ll soon be more interested in girls than books though once he gets on campus.

          Tex

          Like

  119. Tex, an Aggie FB game n marching band is on me and JeanieB’s list of things we want to do…. I am rooting for him to matriculate to Aggieland…. maybe we could hook-up…

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  121. If Trey and Ryan had stayed at Pitt, there would be ZERO open scholarships remaining for 2020-2021.

    With Jeffress leaning to commit and the cerebral Coach Capel hoping for a guard addition who is spot on above the neck, I humbly propose that Coach Capel may have helped Ryan and Trey fill out their transfer portal papers.

    That aside; thanks to Trey and Ryan for their contributions to Pitt and best of luck to them in their basketball future and their future after that.

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  122. McGowens wants out of Pittsburgh… does this say MORE about McGowens or more about Capel?

    As much as I’ve been critical of Capel as an AVERAGE or slightly better than average Coach, I take his side on this one.

    Way back in 2018 I risked getting completely doused with Kool-Aid by calling out McGowens for lacking the kind of athleticism needed to be a SOLID two-way Guard in the ACC. That’s “two-way” as in both Offense and Defense.

    A year later, I think the body of work shows this take on McGowens to be MORE right than wrong. The ability of a 6-3 Kid to dunk a basketball does NOT necessarily make you “athletic.”

    Factor in the “Head Case” factor and I think Capel and Pitt come out ahead on this one!

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  123. The writing was on the wall when Trey did that social media thing. Best thing for both sides to part ways. Wish him the best.

    Tex

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  124. Hats off to Trey, he is a talented guy who committed to Pitt at a time when the program was at its lowest point following the Stallings disaster. He proved to be a gifted player, albeit not the most consistent, and in the end, by all accounts, I have to believe ‘chemistry’ may have played a big role in his decision to leave. Good luck to Trey! I suspect he will do really well in the right scenario. And assuming significant chemistry issues were in play, then I agree his departure is best for both parties.

    Now it looks like the last guy potentially on the fence would be Toney. Maybe with Trey leaving that improves his chance of staying maybe not, but whatever happens it sure appears that it will likely happen (or not) soon.
    In terms strictly of our roster situation, his leaving would be a bigger hit short term. I hope things work out and he stays, we sure could use his talents, but that said, if the chemistry issue festers and he is a part of that, then its best for Pitt and him that he parts ways as well. That said, I think we all hope that is not an issue, and we see him at the Pete next year!

    Back to the guard position, we are now in a position I think we all expected, where we are hoping to replace Trey with a guard; my personal preference would be a ball handler as opposed to a shooting or combo guard.

    H2P

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I suspect that was probably part of his rationale. A lot of times when someone makes a big move like that, its a few factors transpiring at the same time, so some of the other rumors probably had legs and contributed to his decision. I had never heard about his desire to play the point until this week, I guess it makes sense due to his size if he has aspirations to play professionally one day.

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  128. I really enjoyed watching Trey. He had a few, unfortunately too few really good games. He was just too inconsistent. His skills were a mirror image of X so having both was a turnover nightmare. I loved the way he could play above the hoop. I do think it may be addition by subtraction in his case if Horton really is as good as Capel has said and Femi hits the ground running.

    I still hate to see him go and hope the light bulb turns on for him wherever he lands.

    I think we are witnessing the new paradigm where good guys come and go each year.

    Liked by 2 people

  129. X had 111 turnovers to Trey’s 94. X had 163 assists to Trey’s 118. X had 58 steals to Trey’s 63.

    You just can’t turn the ball over that often and play point guard. Assists not nearly good enough. Steals are very good.

    Addition by subtraction for sure.

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    1. In all fairness, it looked to me that both X and Trey really improved their distributing right toward the end of the year. Maybe some of that was Coulibaly’s late season performance, or trusting Hamilton more, not to mention finally hitting Champ & Toney cutting to the basket, but either way I really thought both players did a much better job of passing toward year’s end.

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  131. If Coach can secure an experienced point guard (JUCO or transfer), then this team will be a complete one for the first time in years … albeit with inexperienced (but talented) big men. And of course, Jeffress would be icing, although his arrival may indeed push Toney out of the door (but hope not).

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  132. Keep in mind that Trey reclassified and came to Pitt at age 17. On the other hand, Femi is completing a “post-graduate” high-school year…

    I think a year of mental and physical growth can be really big at that time of your life…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. I laugh at how through the years we hear about kids at Pitt need time to physically development, but Jeffress seems to be the exception. If he attends Pitt he will be a fresh 17-years-old! Seventeen! A redshirt shouldn’t be out of the question.

      Also, with Brown, Hughley and AKC at center, Max for sure should also be a redshirt candidate if Capel is in fact building a program his way. Max will be good for five fouls only in 2020-21 so try to preserve a season of eligibility. Thirteen guys aren’t playing anyway. There will be bodies for a nine-man rotation, but that is it.

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      1. the good thing in basketball is that you can play in 10 games and still retain your redshirt (unless it has been changed recently.)

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        1. Are you sure about that wwb?

          I was just going to post that BB should adopt a rule similar to FB where they can play in some games and still redshirt. I didn’t think you could do that in BB (without an injury…). If true, I missed it…

          Go Pitt.

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  133. PSN saying McGowens has been homesick and I can buy that. Capel talked Trey into staying for this year but didn’t bother this time. Maybe that’s what this is or it could be Horton being ready to play? Maybe it was Femi committing? Could the X be tough to play with? Maybe it’s lots of things? One last maybe…… maybe it was time to break up the sophomore mafia? I just hope Toney and Johnson stick around.

    ike

    Liked by 1 person

  134. Well, some things I think before tackling cleaning my workbench, and yes, I know they will sound depressing:
    1) Looking at airlines and other transportation I strongly feel there will be no football this fall, bummer.
    2) Hugley or whatever his name is has very poor lateral movement from the film I’ve seen. Watch him.
    3) The big PG is a sub for sure. Kid has an extremely high dribble and very poor handle in traffic. He will need to change that very, very, quickly or else. BTW, best I’ve seen in traffic was Levance Fields.
    4) Lots of great courses open for now, but Mrs.JoeKnew has put me on restriction. Good luck to all, be safe.

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    1. Joeknew, good comments. I’m worried as well about upcoming football and basketball seasons; obviously a lot could change between now and then, so I’ll just remain hopeful for now.

      Regarding Hugley, I have no doubt he’ll have some areas of weakness, and frankly my biggest concern is his defense away from the rim (which is kind of what you are saying), but I still think he has more than enough tools to make a significant, positive impact on our team next year. So no, I’m not worried about his contributions, if anything I believe he was underrated.

      Regarding Femi, I commented about his handle previously with a similar observation, but last year was his first year at PG so he is still learning, and if you look in small glimpses over the past year you’d say the same thing about Trey and even X, both of who lost the ball in traffic more than a few times. Some of that is decision making though, and Femi reportedly has a very high BB IQ so although I wouldn’t expect him the handle the ball as well as X next year in traffic, I suspect he could play the PG position differently and effectively in a backup role, should be fun to see how it plays out.

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  136. FWIW, I agree with comments about Femi’s handle and Hugley’s possible limitations. But both are certainly talented and should contribute a lot next season, especially Hugley. He probably should be playing the 5 which should keep him near the rim on defense. Just hope he doesn’t pull a Dante Taylor and gain 40 lbs in the off-season. I think working with the Pitt strength and conditioning people will do him well

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  137. Joe Flacco just got cut from Broncos for failing physical. If this is the end, he did win a SB and got 2 pretty decent contracts, especially the one with the Ravens some years back.

    Liked by 1 person

  138. Watching video clips of kids on beaches for spring break and commenting on covid19. Oblivious.

    Wondering if I was that stupid and clueless 50+ years ago.

    Some might say I still am🤣

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I was pretty stupid 47 years ago. I would like to think I wouldn’t be out socializing now but can’t be certain.

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  139. This is a once in a life time event. For some levity here’s a weird video that makes me laugh although the song is not to bad. This David Byrne guy is in another world.

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  141. Laugh my head off Fran, I can actually imagine that. That made me laugh out loud picturing it.

    Bad news, Gov Wolf orders all non life sustaining business closed. Good news is, beer distributors are considered life sustaining businesses. What does that say about are society?

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  142. Just wondering out loud. If FB season is cancelled in 2020, do those scheduled to graduate after 5 years in the system get a “Make-up year”? And if they can come back, then no team will have room for new recruits. Does NCAA up the allowed number of players permitted on a roster? And if so, by how many – as different teams will have differing numbers of 5-year guys coming back.

    And if the NCAA allows 5 year guys a Make Up Year, but doesn’t allow larger rosters, then, the following year teams will lose 2 years’ worth of graduating players, and will be operating on 1 less year’s worth of non-freshmen players – also a double (2 year) amount of recruits coming in that need to be seasoned for a year or two before ready for action.

    I wonder if coronavirus considered the unintended consequences of its presence, before showing up!

    I guess I have too little to do to occupy my mind – although it usually doesn’t take much to occupy it!

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  143. well. maybe we’ll have 2 FB seasons in 2021. Feb thru May and Sept thru Dec. Only playoffs in after spring

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  145. Trey and X are both 2’s…there was only going to be room for one of them in the staring 5 next season.

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    1. West Nile virus…Spanish flu….Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS, Zika (Uganda), German Measles, Legionaire’s disease, Lassa fever(Nigeria), Japanese encepahlitis,Noro Virus(Norwalk( Ohio),Marburg Disease (Germany)….I agree with you-definitely not a hoax…..

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  148. If Corona and self exile, and panic TP buying, and closed bars, and working from home whilst taking care of the kids has driven you well past crazy, then you may have a severe case of One Flu Over the Coocoo’s Nest

    Liked by 2 people

  151. On the bright side of this Mexican beer virus, I am no longer receiving a torrent of robocalls or spam emails. Haven’t had a robocall in three days or spam email in 4. Used to get a minimum of 5 a day.

    On the sad side, I have been semi-practicing social distancing & self quarantining for over two years.

    Liked by 3 people

  152. I have to start the day on the positive side. I have never, ever rooted so hard for Pitt I my life. No, not the athletic teams, which you all know I passionately love, but rather the Chancellor and the researchers at the University who are working so hard to develop a vaccine for this terrible disease.
    Pitt has a history in this, as we all know. I would be prouder of my school if they were successful in this task than if they won all the sports championships for the next ten years. This is really what we are supposed to be good at. This is really what we should be doing. Sports is a great distraction, and a passionate release . Helping fellow man, and leading the way with a bright and shining light in times of darkness is our mission.
    H2P

    Liked by 3 people

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