Editor’s Note:  This article was penned by our own Richard Hefner (Pitt-Cocks Fan), who you may remember also contributed the data for our weekly “QB Corner” piece during the season.  Recruiting is always a relevant topic when it comes to college football, and right now it’s a welcome distraction from the world around us.  I personally believe the Pitt’s recruiting has been adequate to keep us at the current win level (7-8 wins), and I also believe that generally this staff does a good job of coaching up low star recruits, especially on the defensive line.   Of course offensive line recruiting continues to be a concern, although it’s becoming clear that Borbely is a step up from Peterson, both in recruiting and development.  The problem is that he just doesn’t reel in enough guys, and the jury is still out on how well he can teach pass blocking.  Offensive skill position recruiting has been a concern as well.  For example, Pitt currently has two four-star upperclassmen running backs on its roster.  Neither looks like the four star backs that the Pitt faithful is used to seeing…or even the three star backs for that matter.   On the brigher side, the addition of Chris Beatty at WR coach has already paid dividends at the Wide Receiver position…if you believe the spring hype.  And well, you’d like to think Whipple will be able to reel in some upgraded QB talent.  Transfer Joey Yellen is a start, but I’d like to see him actually recruit a kid out of high school.   With all that all being said, lets take a look at how Pitt stacks up against the rest of the Power 5. 

– Michaelangelo

2020 Power 5 Recruiting and Pitt

by Richard Hefner (Pitt-Cocks fan)

The 2020 recruiting season is now over, and for the last 3 or 4 years I have been gathering recruiting data for the 65 P5 teams.  I have been using Rivals data.  (Yes, Ike there are some other ratings…24/7, 24/7 composite & ESPN), but I like to be consistent and I consider Rivals to be the easiest to understand & duplicate.

For those of you who are not steeped in the intricacies of Rivals ranking here is this explanation from Rivals: https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-com-football-team-recruiting-rankings-formula

Basically, Rivals classifies a recruit with a numerical “Rivals Rating (RR)” classification. The best 30 to 35 recruits are assigned a numerical Rivals Ranking of 6.1 or a 5 star. The next lower level of recruits, who are then considered 4 stars, can have a RR of 6.0, 5.9 or a 5.8.  A 3 star can be a 5.7, a 5.6 or a 5.5.  A 2 star can be a 5.4, a 5.3 or a 5.2.  NR are nothing (just like my inelegant explanations…haha)

Rivals with their legions of analysts “somehow” can identify the top 250 recruits. They then assign “bonus points” to these recruits starting with 100 points for the top ranked recruits down to 3 points for numbers 246 – 250.  These “bonus points” get added into the recruiting rankings for the teams that sign these players.

Another wrinkle in the Rivals Rankings is that a teams total recruting points is limited to the top 20 recruits.  Editor’s Note:  I suppose this is to keep a level playing field but if you are weighting the top 250 recruits like richard described above, the rankings are already skewed.  

So how does Rivals come up with their overall team rankings?  I hope you are good at match becasue it’s complicated.  Points are assigned to each Rivals Ranking.  The baseline is 15 points for a 5.2 – 2 star. The points increase by 15 for each RR up to 120 points for a 6.1 – 5 star.  Rivals then multiplies twenty highest rated recruits by their Rivals Ranking. Then they add in the bonus points & voila, there are your team Rivals Ranking points. For example, I’ve reverse-engineered the RR rankings for Pitt & Clemson:

Pitt Clemson 2020 RR
As you can see from the above chart, Pitt had 18 total recruits & was ranked # 44. Clemson had 23 recruits and was ranked #2. The rest is just math & following Rivals formulas after you count the number of recruits by RR’s. You can see that Pitt got 3 bonus points (Jahvante Royal- #250). Clemson got 636 bonus points.

I have added my own little twist to the chart, Normally, Rivals only publishes Rankings by points & average Star ratings. In Pitt’s case they are 44th with an average star rating of 3.06. Clemson is 2nd with a star average of 3.91.  But…star ranking does not tell the whole story, so I calculated each team’s average Rivals Ranking.  For exampole a team with twenty 5.5’s woulds still have a 3.0 avg star raking.  A team with twenty 5.7’s would also have a 3.0 avg star ranking.  Which team do you think recruited better?  In Pitt’s case their average rivals rank is 5.61. That equals a 5.6 3 star. Clemson’s average rivals rank is 5.86.  That rounds up a 5.9 4 star.

I have done this analysis for all ACC teams, and I am thinking of publishing a series of articles discussing all the ACC teams  recruiting, transfer portal activities, NFL early entries and teams graduating ALL ACC losses. It may be a tough read but it could give Mike a break on writing articles…although not on editing them!

One other chart for you to review.  The chart contains a total of all 65 Rivals P5 team ranking data by year for the last 8 years.  I thought there was some unusual numbers compared to past years.

Rivals Chart by Star

First:  Did you know that Rivals only covers 100 of the 130 FBS teams? They cover all 65 P5 but only 35 of the G5 teams.  That’s why they only publish a top 100 teams. But it does present an opportunity for a go getter to become the Chris Peak of Eastern Michigan or Georgia State or San Jose State or Liberty … amongst other openings.  Editor’s note:  I live in Atlanta.  Maybe I should start the Georgia State site, see ya later guys!  Kidding, Kidding.

Second:  The 2020 class was an unusual class compared to the 8 year average. There were 101 less recruits then average, and this was the lowest number of recruits in the last eight years.  However, the 2020 class had the highest average stars.  Overall the number of 5, 4, and 3 stars were near normal levels, but the number of 2 & NR were much lower, which explains the jump in overall avg. stars.

The question this also poses the question of if the “Transfer Portal” is influencing High School recruiting. Transfers both graduate & undergraduates have been around for a while. But the centralized portal allows any team to know when any player enters the transfer portal. It is my belief that in the past, a team may not know that a TE from Stanford or an OT from Notre Dame was looking for a new home.  Now they definitely do.

Does it look better for a HC to take a transfer instead of a 2-star reach?  It does make his avg star ranking higher, and it is probalby less risky, even if it is just a short term solution.

In summary, Pitt’s recruiting while technically only .3 points below Clemson (on average) is certainly a step or two below an elite program.  The transfer portal also seems to have had an impact on classes, and certainly it has had an impact on Pitt, but not enough to close the gap.  The data says that Pitt’s going to need to continue to coach ’em up if they want to maintain the status quo, and they are going to need to get more high RR players if they want to make the jump to the next level.

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.

299 thoughts on “2020 Power Five Recruiting (and Pitt)”

  1. Excellent data and analysis. Pitt will never be able to out recruit the elite schools but Pitt can have breakout years with the right recruits and proper coaching.

    The key I believe is getting the recruits for the lines and skill positions. Pitt has failed thus far with the exception being the D line.

    You don’t need a bunch of five stars to be a really good program. I always look at the percentage of recruits rated 5.7 and above and then compare that to other coastal schools. My benchmark is 40 percent to determine a quality class as a general rule.

    I understand the aspect of coaching up since I’m a former coach of multiple sports. But talent wins in the end. Coaches more often just get in the way.

    For pitt to be successful, it must find better players for the O line and get better production from the QB, RB and WR positions. Pitts issue right now is with the offense. The D should be just fine. More than fine.

    This year, pitt finished behind Miami, NC and Ga Tech based on how I benchmark. Va tech typically outrecruits Pitt as well. Really the only school that should consistently win the battle of the stars is Miami. But their coaching is getting in the way of all that talent.

    Pitt should continue to do well in the Coastal and bring in decent classes. Do I think Pitt can improve? Yes. No reason why Pitt can’t lure 4-5 four stars every year in skill positions. Pitt has far more good selling points than most Coastal schools. If Pitt ever builds a MPC, I’d expect at least one 5 star every year.

    Tex

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  2. Thanks Rich, and MM. I’ll have to chew on this for a while

    One thing I was going to do was to look over the Pitt recruits over the last 10 years and see if Rivals or 247 was more accurate. Of course, the is some subjectivity here as to how one would rate performance but it may be interesting.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. It’s fun to do that. Chris peak did it last year on a podcast for a few classes. You’d have to dig to find it tho

      Like

    2. I have Pitt Rivals recruiting data going back to 2008. The only problem is Rivals revised their ranking structure/points starting with the 2013 class. Also have names by year.

      It’s on an excel spreadsheet. I would gladly share it with you. Just need a way to get it to you.

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  3. On a personal note, my son is deciding between colleges. He makes his pick tomorrow at 3:30 CST. It’s down to Texas and A&M. The one which provides the most money wins. Just like it is with most athletes. 🤠

    He’s a 5 star academically. Not rated as an athlete.

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

    1. FWIW, I was thinking that Austin is one of the coolest towns around ….vs … your son could have become an Aggie 12th man. Since he’s not athletic, maybe he should go for UT

      For the heck of it, you may want slip a Pitt script hat on the table besides the other two; you never know

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      1. I would love for him to be a Longhorn. I’ve never told him that. It’s his decision. But when I was young, I had dreams of going to Michigan and Texas. I don’t regret my Pitt decision however. We Pitt fans are the toughest fans around. And probably most loyal to the school given the 40 years of administration incompetence. I’d want any Pitt fan in my foxhole first.

        Tex

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    2. Tex — one of my sons went to Rice. He loves that school.

      “Why does Rice play Texas?”

      Best wishes to your son.

      Go Pitt

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      1. So why does Rice play Texas? Is it because the future Rice graduates want to see their future employees in a nonwork environment?

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Richard — Excellent info, thank you.

    I think the southern schools just have a big recruiting advantage. There are more good players in the south now, and many don’t want to travel as far north as Pittsburgh — the distance and the weather work against us. And for the 4 and 5-stars, the game day atmosphere just doesn’t compare to their other offers.

    I think our current staff is doing an excellent job recruiting – Coach Whips reputation and history will bring in offensive play-makers, IMHO. I think it already has…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Richard………. you get a 5* rating from ike. I’ll take some time and dissect this great piece of work. Thank You!

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    1. I think it’s 50 points bonus for a NC. I’ll take it. Virtual simulations of Pitt sports from now on. We’ll become elite in no time. No more loyal fan than a Pitt fan who has wandered the desert for 40 years.

      Tex

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The one-time transfer waiver will benefit schools like Pitt greatly when five-star players go to the Blue Blood schools and transfer after a year or two. This will keep Pitt competitive as long as their is coaching stability and the idiot administration keeps Narduzzi.

    If the administration doesn’t want to get dirty to win big then be happy with eight wins doing it right. That goes for the fans, too.

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  10. Richard, nobody has to give you a project… You create one… Excellent work… I am Feeling more positive all the time about where we are heading… Can’t wait to see all my friends again… By fall, most of us would’ve built up an immunity to this BS that’s going around… We are some well seasoned veterans… Only weakness is once in a while some I have no tolerance for others opinions… That’s life!

    Liked by 3 people

  12. Great stuff Richard…dont know how you do it.
    Saw a great post on the Lair…”Pitt (research) will beat the Covid 19 virus and then lose to gingivitis the next week”
    Tex, will your son’s decision be televised? I would watch it.
    Be safe out there and H2P.
    -lastrowinthedeepsouth.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Would love pitt sports to not lose to gingivitis or ghonorria. Would love pitt sports to be elite like pitt medical research. Defeat covid and then defeat the next pandemic virus up. There is no such thing as SOP with Pitt medicine.

      Tex

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  13. Nice video on Pgh Sports Now of Lucas Krull doing some drills. Very impressive movement by a guy his size, IMHO.

    (So we finally find a big-play TE, and now the season will be cancelled… 😷)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I do honestly think this season is over before it ever got started. There I go being Mr Negative again.

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  15. BTW Richard, the article is just fantastic. I read it a couple times and I can’t tell if your opinion is included. How do you feel PITT’s recruiting has been with all obstacles being considered and compared to their won lost record?

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  16. Ike – what obstacles are real?

    I see no reason why Pitt can’t out recruit every school in the Coastal sans Miami. Miami will always get the best Florida players because they are the local school. But until they get a QB and good coach, they will continue to under perform.

    Outside an empty Heinz due to the venue being too big, I don’t see any real constraints. Pitt is spending good money on football. Has good facilities. Has the tradition. And has a great campus. What am I missing?

    Now granted an urban school isn’t for everyone and Jackie said it’s tough to recruit kids who loved grass under their feet. But plenty of talented kids love concrete.

    Tex

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  17. First – excellent analysis and appreciate the investment of your time on our behalf, Richard.

    Second – one thing to point out – and perhaps I am poking at a few people with a stick in doing so – is that there isn’t any greater difference between a 5.7 and 5.8 than there is between a 5.6 and a 5.7. EIther way, its 15 points. The narrative there is bigger jump between a 5.7 and a 5.8 is simply wrong. So, when people indicate a 5.7 is a B+ and a 5.8 is an A-, thats quite all right, IMO. And certainly a superior assessment than simply looking at 4 stars vs 3 stars.

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    1. Percentage of the class rated 5.7 stars and above is how I compare Pitt to other ACC coastal schools.

      Pitt has averaged around 25 percent during narduzzis tenure. Miami is consistently above 50 percent. Elite schools are above 75 percent.

      Huge gap in talent between Pitt and Clemson. And gap in coaching as well.

      Tex

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  18. I agree JoeL and thanks for the detailed work Richard! I am going to go out on a limb and truly believe we will have college football, even if a shortened season.

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  19. First off Tex………. you continuously point out obstacles in almost everyone of your comment entries.

    JoeL, I completely agree with you. Richard did a great job but the subjective process of any recruiting site is often over-looked.

    Lastly and I had to give out a slight chuckle about the “how many hats” question. Just a few hours ago my wife who is clearing out a closet when she handed me a huge BonTon bag chucked full of ball hats and asks me to go through them and pick out the ones I want to keep. There was 18 of them that I haven’t worn in years. (mostly PITT caps) That’s not counting the 10 I actually have worn lately and are in a different closet.

    This made me curious so I went and counted all my sweatshirts. 12 sweatshirts and everyone of them had the same signature on the front. Well either PITT or Panthers. Now back to your local corona-virus programming.

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    1. The only significant obstacle I see is coaching at this point. Pitt has a very stable and mediocre program.

      It used to be the budget. That’s no longer the case. Top third spend in the ACC.

      Heinz is still somewhat of an obstacle hence my penchant for tarping.

      Lack of a MPC is what’s holding Pitt back on revenue generation.

      Tex

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      2. In my opini0n, a half-empty Heinz is a huge obstacle, especially for the more elite recruits. They go to games at places like Michigan, ND, and Ohio State. Pitt doesn’t compete with those atmospheres…

        Then there’s the weather for the southern kids – which even affects Pitt’s BB recruiting…

        These two factors mean that Pitt is recruiting from a smaller pool of candidates than the full-stadium northern schools and all the schools south of the Mason-Dixon (okay, not WVU)…

        Go Pitt.

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  20. I just experienced a strange phenomenon. Just returned from my daily walk through the local park and, all things considered, there were plenty of people doing the same. But I actually saw more people with Pitt apparel than Steeler apparel … you never ever see this anywhere in this area except for Pitt games (maybe.)

    But I also saw no PSU apparel … none. My guess is that local Nitters are (1) super cautious, (2) wusses, or (3) on that boat with Franco and SuePa.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Seems to me I’ve been seeing more “Pitt” stuff on human bodies and car bodies over the last year or so…

      Go Pitt.

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    2. Note the vote on the wrestling singlets….the logo and colors are popular with people. I get a lot of comments about mine down here in Hokie land, where the have the awful burgundy andn Chicago Orange.

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  22. My son gave me a heads-up on this twitter post by EJ Borghetti…

    “Quick related story: The awesome
    @ReceDavis
    &
    @CollegeGameDay
    folks congratulated us when Conner was born. The next day Hugh Green called me. Before I could answer hello, he yelled “YOU NAMED YOUR SON AFTER A DAMN RUNNING BACK??!”

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Just want to thank everyone for all your kind words about the article.

    To tell the truth, I forgot I even sent this to Mike. I had already moved on to another project that I mentioned in the above article – losses/additions for Pitt’s hopefully upcoming 2020 ACC opponents. Had to reread the article to jog my memory on what I had said & done.

    I enjoy gathering data. I learn stuff & hopefully can share it. So glad I had excel & word installed.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Congrats Tex, Excellent university and a fine environment

      However, isn’t it something that your son, a Texas native, narrowed it down to two Texas schools? Wouldn’t even consider going out of state

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks. And yes it’s something. Never considered going out of state. He got the best aid package through Texas plus it’s top 5 in his discipline. Plus it’s only 2.5 hours from home. And it’s austin. Fantastic city. Hell its a city school so at least something from the old man rubbed off on him.

        Pitt football at least is hurt by a decline in wpial talent. No question about that. That’s why I’m a big fan of aid packages with athletes. Aka…payments under the table. 🤠

        Tex

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Congrats, Tex!
      Austin is a great place for a parent to visit their college son or daughter. I’ve stayed at the Driskoll a few times – good location and a hotel with character. Some fabulous BBQ. I travel to Houston and Dallas on business and the first time I really felt like I was in Texas was when I went to Austin.

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  25. Richard – good stuff and plenty to nibble on.

    For me, I dont think Borbs has coached anyone “up” yet. That’s not a good sign because he isn’t bringing in 4 stars and coaching them into 4 stars. The subjective nature of the stars is not really that subjective from my perspective. Typically, it revolves around the measurables, height, weight, speed, strength, stats. Many kids just dont get looked at for those reasons and then blossom later.

    Weather is used by many recruiters as a positive for kids coming north. The reason is that at least half of the professional stadiums are in northernish climates. The rub is that anyone can play in perfect temperatures. When you show you can do it in colder environments, the assumption is that you can perform in all environments. Mich, State Penn, OSU, MSU…….Also, most games are played before the weather turns bad (or is that just me). September, october, november seem not bad. Maybe it’s the cold bowl cities we get tot go to instead of the warm environments that make it seem so bad.

    You win more with the best recruits. You win more…er when you control the trenches. We are doing well on the DL with recruits and not so much again on the OL.. That must change if the team is to score.

    Bad luck for Qad in Atlanta. They signed Todd Gurley after losing Devonta Freeman. Was hoping he would get promoted but the falcons filled the void. Well, he gets to preserve his legs and will get some time with gurley usually getting limited snaps.

    Looked at an early 21 nfl draft and no Pitt dudes in the first round. Hopefully one or two defenders can crack through!

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    1. Trying to convince a recruit to go to a northern school so the player can show NFL scouts he can play in colder conditions is a really, really weak argument in my book.

      And it’s not the weather during the season that turns some recruits off, what about January and February…

      My oldest son grew up in Pittsburgh and was, and still is, a huge Pitt fan, but he wanted a warm-weather school so he went to Rice.

      Go Pitt.

      Like

      1. Well, if I didn’t hear that directly from a big10 football head coach as a check the box item to discuss and help convince a player from the south to play up north, than I would agree. But since I did, Ill stick with my statement. And, I will stick to the facts about the percentage of NFL Teams that play in the North.

        I am sure he chose Rice for academic reputation versus Pitt. We are talking sport and coaches and when a head coach tells you that they challenge these kids and use anything they can to get an advantage, they do. The weather isn’t stopping Mich, OSU, state penn and others from getting excellent kids to matriculate north. It’s been a thirty year excuse for poor recruiting that Pitt boosters have accepted for all these years. For some reason, Charlie Partridge seems to do ok with it.

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    2. Qad with no pressure on him is exactly where you want him. Gurley going to be on a pitch count anyway with this squeaky knees…

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  28. Congratulations Tex (as),
    Do you have any more kids you will be doing the college search process with? I always enjoyed checking out schools with my sons and was sad when our searching days were over.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. My daughter savanna. She’s a big fan of Texas. She’s two years away though. She’s also looking into Oklahoma. She’s passionate about sports medicine. Another Freddie fu.

      Tex

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Send her to Physical Therapy school.. sports med is a part of it with more job opportunities.. better pay… Uncle BigB will hire her…

        Like

  29. I don’t know Bernie… not the best time to be a PT with reimbursements dropping! I do like what I do though….

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  30. I don’t know either Mark but I do know the both of you live in high rent districts. That’s right…… I got a line on you both…

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Interesting development… Alex O’Connell, a current Duke player who was formerly a 4 star shooting guard recruit, has entered the transfer portal. It appears that he has a good relationship with Jeff Capel, although I’ve been unable to determine if HCJC was his primary recruiter. He’s from Georgia originally, and is likely going to be a hot commodity. But what a huge get he could possibly be. Stay tuned.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. O’Connell = Duke’s version of Murphy. Of course probably and upgrade for Pitt ☘️ ☘️ ☘️

      Like

  34. if you have some time (LOL), I’ll give you a research assignment. On the Spirit video that ike posted above, the guitarist that is sitting down to the right rear of the Randy California (Lead singer/vocalist) is Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter. He also has a short solo riff at about the 1:25 mark

    Baxter is most known for his work with Steely Dan in the early 70s and then with the Doobie Brothers. But what he did in the 1980s was absolutely amazing. If there is ever a case of ‘not being able to tell a book by its cover’, it’s this

    If you wish, I’ll provide you with yet another popular guitarist who fits into this category later on.

    Like

    1. Ferguson was also a singer for Spirit but e may have already left for Jo Jo Gunne when this video was made. Note that he is a keyboard player

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              1. Ike,
                I have a lot of records that my buddies through shade at. In fact from your Palace Theater list, I’d love to see Amy Grant, lol.

                Like

  36. Just read in the Trib that former Pitt QB Kevan Smith just was picked up as a free agent by Tampa Bay Rays. Although the Pirates are in need of a back-up, they opted not to offer the hometowner.

    Wouldn’t it be something if the 2 Pirate catchers were Smith and Jacob Stallings?

    Like

  37. Burton Cummings was the #1 lead voice for my late 60′ early 70’s sound track…quite a few song take me right back to my PITT days…what great music and I love when the POV takes a side-road to “listen to the Music”
    If you attended the Miami game the PITT band plus alumni band played Cliff Noble’s “The Horse”…they played that regularly through the season along the side-line during my years 70-75…loved it….Memory Lane- a great place to spend a little time….gonna put on my P-coat, slide into my dingo boots and take a little walk….

    Liked by 3 people

    1. exclusive of Soul & R&B, I ‘ve have long considered Cummings, Jeff Lake and Steve Marriott as the best voices in Rock back in late 60s / early 70s

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Little Stevie Marriott my all time favorite. Also the singer for the Small Faces along with Ron Wood then the Faces who Rod Stewart played with and went on to be his back-up band. Obviously Wood has played for the Stones the past few decades.

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  38. It’s raining here in South Carolina so I am inside & have already finished my daily cleaning.

    Here is some info I would like to share.

    Pitt since HCPN, starting with his 2015 class, has recruited 39 players who where graded 5.7 or better on Rivals. This is 32.5% of the total of the 120 signed.

    Now, I have only compiled data for the 2017 – 20 classes by Rivals ranking(5.2 – 6.1). Here is the average %
    of 5.7 or above for those 4 classes.
    Clemsom 81.7%
    Miami – 70.6
    FSU – 67.8
    North Carolina – 45.6
    Va. Tech – 36.0
    PITT – 32.1
    Louisville – 30.6
    NC State -29.4
    Ga. Tech – 29.2 (I must note that 2020 class was 43.5% – 10 of 23. Was it the triple option?)
    Syracuse – 18.1
    Duke – 17.3
    Virginia – 15.7
    Boston College -10.8
    Wake Forest – 9.6

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s a good way of looking at it. Since average stars can get distorted by juco transfers until rated. More volatility with small class sizes. And really no difference between a 5.7 and 5.8 star, the borderline between a three and four star.

      It would appear to me that Miami has underperformed along with Carolina. I think to no ones surprise. Va tech and Pitt get good bang for the buck. Tech did have a terrible recruiting year last year that impacted their percentage. Ga tech scares me though in that talent rich state.

      Clemson was probably in the 40 percent to 50 range before their success. And considered an under performer. Goes to show what a good coach can do to recruiting.

      If Pitt can consistently get 40 percent or more and recruits filling needs in skill positions, Pitt will win more division titles. Right now Pitts recruiting is middle of the pack in the Coastal. It’s all relative.

      Tex

      Tex

      Like

  39. Richard shows we are a middling program and boy have we lived up to it…anxiouus to see how our best class under the Duzz ranks.in the ACC…

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    1. You realize the words say “American woman, get away from me”. It is an anti-war protest song against Americans the Vietnam War.

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      1. Yes Annie and thank you, I don’t have a sarcasm emoji in my arsenal. Just a happy, sad and the ole wink of an eye going. I’m not that clever 🙂

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    1. ’76 Sugar Bowl all time best.
      13-9
      12-0 over psu
      36-35 over WVCC in ’70
      Toss up for #5:
      Navy in 1976 where TD broke the rushing record
      ND game where TD ran for 303 yds

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  47. there are 2 wins vs UGa
    I can think of 4 different wins vs WVU
    42-39
    I guess the F game vs ND
    and I’m sure there was one or two vs Fordham, Carnegie Tech and Army back in the day

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    1. And the pedo state game at Pitt stadium with the Tom Flynn? interception. And I liked 12-0 as well. Last game at Pitt stadium against the Domers is a must have top 5.

      Tex

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    1. PITT band memory…. I can still hear the playing the chorus from the theme from the movie “Patton” an the exited the field either pre- game or at half-time intermission…

      Speaking of PITT band….NOLA69, former band member… been a while since we’ve heard from you…. hope all is well….

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  49. What are the recruiting rules currently during the virus crisis. Can the coaches contact recruits and make offers?

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    1. I know it’s no visits but I believe coaches can offer. And Femi just committed. So I believe it’s just no face-to-face (but could be wrong)

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  51. OT: Olympics delayed to who knows when. Were expected to start mid July. That’s awfully close to the starting dates for college football this fall.

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  52. I would like to comment on the 2 national championships that got away.
    1963 we lose to Navy and they get invited to play TX for the title. PSU game was delayed because of Kennedy tragedy.
    1980 we lose at FSU and I believe Clem won it.
    In both cases we had the title in hand but for some FSU overconfidence and a great QB in Roger Stauback.
    Both Pitt teams were two of the best ever but sometimes it just happens.

    Like

  54. just saw on the news that Pitt has vacated the students from Lothrop Hall and is making it available for UPMC healthcare workers. It is also evaluating other facilities close to the hospitals for patient or healthcare workers use

    Liked by 1 person

  55. HELP!! Never had a problem sticking close to home but quarantined without sports? Even comments like, Narduzzi started the Covid-19 virus would be welcomed at this point.

    Like

  56. Sign that you are on the POV too much: When you try to type the name “Billy Joel”, your phone auto corrects to “Joe L”. Congrats Mr. Lawrence on your popularity!

    Liked by 5 people

  57. Underrated game during Johnny 2: Pitt v. Temple. It was a week after we got pounded by Ohio State 72-0. I believe that John Cooper was the OSU coach and fake punted up 35. Anyway, the following week, we come back from something like 28 down in the second half and win very late by some crazy score, and the Temple coach resigns in the locker room or perhaps the next day. I was one of about 5000 who stayed till the end. I’ll bet Fran was there.

    Like

  58. If you get (regional) Fox Sport South, at 9:00pm tonight, they are showing a replay of the Pitt – Boston College women’s volleyball game.

    Ike – see if they are carrying it on AT&T Sorts channel. Sports are sports & I betcha you didn’t watch it live.

    Like

  59. Morbid subject but here is an obit that was posted yesterday in New Castle News and Ellwood City Ledger:(I never knew the guy but kind of wish I did)

    John Sharp III made his last inappropriate comment on March 18, 2020 in Mercer, PA after a long-fought battle with numerous medical issues stemming from a trucking accident in 2009. The legend himself was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma to John Sharp Jr. and Virginia Lee Hawkins on March 1, 1957. He married his wife, Lynn Ann Sharp, on August 28, 1982. A lifelong mechanic and truck driver, John could fix, fab, build, drive, and wreck anything. He wrenched for an International dealership, hauled steel as an owner-operator for A. Duie Pyle and Greentree Transportation, and partnered as an owner-mechanic at Kennedy Truck & Trailer in McKees Rocks. In 1996, John opened Sharp’s Truck & Trailer in New Castle and, shortly thereafter and much to his daughter’s dismay, sold his beloved 1975 Kenworth W900A to some guy in Mexico.

    His most enjoyable pastimes that are legal enough to discuss included holding down barstools, shooting used oil filters behind the garage, wrecking his Harley, embarrassing his daughter, spending time with his buddies at the shop, collecting junk (because he who dies with the most junk wins), road trips in sketchy trucks, going to the scrapyard in the Scrapmatic 5000, accidentally setting his beard on fire, shooting the breeze with anyone and everyone, and repeatedly bending the boom on his B-model wrecker.
    His favorite hankerings included pork chops, Old Grand-Dad whiskey and Squirt, more pork chops, Koehler beer (returnable bottles only), green popsicles, and Little Debbie snack cakes. Not necessarily in that order (and sometimes all at once).

    He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his faithful shop dogs Kelsey and Jackie, his 1976 Ford F250 Highboy, and his right leg.

    He leaves behind a daughter (Katie Sharp, husband Shawn Urban), a son (John Austin Sharp), and a dysfunctional gang of truckers and mechanics who became family. Despite the terrible hand he’d been dealt, John never once complained about his misfortunes, and he could make a joke out of any of his unfortunate situations. He was tough, brilliant, hilarious, offensive, selfless, generous, fun, and an amazing father and friend. His daughter adored him more than he’ll ever know.

    Special thanks to the doctors, nurses, CNAs, and staff at Quality Life Services – Mercer for taking such great care of him, putting up with his banter, and for not kicking him out on the street even when he deserved it.
    Due to recent viral events, a private viewing will be held on Tuesday, March 24th at R. Cunningham Funeral Home in New Castle, PA. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages cards and letters be sent to his daughter at 180 Smith Rd. Hadley PA 16130; if you’d like, please send a memory, a funny story, or recall an event where John offended you or almost got you arrested. A celebration of life party will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Stroke Association, the American Truck Historical Society, and the National Pork Producers Council.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Thanks for sharing that wwb….original and from the heart-made me smile and chuckle…We are all standing in line and will have our day!!!! I hope my obit is worth reading…some where between too few words and the long-winded kind the makes a person look far greater in death than life….

      Hope everyone is doing fine….keep your heads down….

      Continue to have patient’s coming through the door but have furloughed a couple of workers and shortening hours where needed…we are considered “essentialcrtitcal infrasture workers” by CICA-a govt agency

      Liked by 4 people

        1. Thanks Annie and GC…..JeanieB has ordered me to undress in the garage and go straight to the showers when I get home….I am fortunate to live and work where I do…The office I am at is in a rural and fairly impoverished area…that throws an element that lowers the possibility of contacting the virus (I think)…still taking all the precautions I can with out being on the side-lines…Pray this is over by june-July ’cause I miss all of you and unfortunately we don’t get a “red-shirt” por do-over year…HEll, we are going to cancel the FRANKCAN Goif tourney!!!!!!

          Erie…do you have the names of the winners from last years FRANKCAN????? Need to get the Cup engraved…I think UPITT and his team won…Mark- you out there…need the names ……

          Liked by 2 people

          2. Bernie….. one word.. RETIRE!!

            I remember the winners of last years Frankcan golf tourney were four ringers that are too good to post on the POV anymore? Yes I’m kidding and agitating. 😉 Kind of……….

            Like

  60. Doesn’t sound like a fun way to go out but the writer of the obit made John the third sound like a fun guy to be around. I wonder if his last nickname was stumpy? RIP John the third.

    Like

  62. re post at 4:43 above:
    @Iek, I’ve offered elsewhere, whoever needs sports content, got about 180 wrestling videos I can share of some kid’s HS career
    you’d need to be able to tolerate some wacko who provides “commentary” at times and mostly not moderately

    LOL!!!

    Like

    1. T-Man, I would be privileged to watch some good wresting. Hell, even listening to you would be a relief. haha It really is starting to feel like Ground Hog Day around here. Even an introvert like myself feels cooped up at times.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. semifinals and finals at regionals a month ago, right after I learned this Covid stuff was getting bad so I
        disinvited family for this and the following state tournament,,,,nobody listened

        Liked by 2 people

        1. That is very impressive there T-Man. Will is a stud and congrats. Although I did notice his head was on the outside of the one legged take down. You gotta be good to get away with that. 😉 Where was he going to college? Again, quite impressive!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Will has never been the master technician 😦 then the lame junior league 3/4 Nelson I unfortunately taught him in 4th grade

            Looking into and deciding between UMD, Miami and UFlorida while casting a net for any late opportunities to wrestle as JHU didn’t want him….4.67/1430 doesn’t cut it there even if wrestling coach supported(not sure he did)

            Got into Business school Scholars program at UMD so I’m pushing for that,,,,

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Best of luck to your son. Maybe Texas and Maryland square off in the next 4 years. I actually looked into Maryland for B school. But they needed me to convert all my grades to their scale. So I said F em and went to SUNY Buffalo instead.

              Tex

              Liked by 1 person

  63. My son sent me highlights of TD torching ND in 1975 at Pitt Stadium in a 34-20 Pitt win. What a joy to watch Tony Dorsett run the ball.

    I recommend finding these highlights to remind yourself how quick and how fast TD was…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

  65. BigB stay safe, as it was just reported that the Harvard University President and his wife have both tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. They don’t know how they were infected as they both have been working from home since March 14th.—-Is there no place to hide?

    Like

    2. Oh I bet they hang out with a bunch of world travelers…

      I just had a college football player who we treated earlier in the year over Christmas vacation who had under gone in ACL repair… School closed and he wants to continue his rehabilitation here..He was exposed to a couple of players 10 days ago who were diagnosed with the virus… He wanted to come in today… Told him we’ll see him in 4 days….

      Like

    3. You can’t see it but you can catch it….. Just like the MERSA bug…. you touch a surface with a skin cell from someone with MERSA and without conscious touch a nostril or eke and… Wala! You have a very high probability of growing MERSA….. Jeanie B had to get a MERSA test prior to having her total knee replacement surgery… Been there done that treated and MERSA free myself…. we are surrounded by pathogens and new one’s are still going to comEat us… it’s a dirty little world… we will come out of this stronger… hey,we cured polio- why the hell cant we win 10 football games…. THATS WHAT IM TALKIN ‘BOUT!!!

      Liked by 1 person

    4. MERSA testing is now performed at all our hospitals before undergoing joint replacement procedures…

      Like

  66. wwb, one can only hope to have an obituary as good as the one JS III had. Clearly the fullness and depth of life is not measured by the thickness of the wallet. There are many rich people who will die without even coming close to the amount of family and friends he had…

    Like

  69. Pitt looking for a grad transfer FB OL tackle from Hampton and a grad transfer BB guard from Dartmouth. An interesting tidbit about the guard from Dartmouth Barry is his godfather is the Pitt assistant BB coach O’Toole.

    Like

  70. Dorsett clips are phenominal…and what a crowd presence!! Where did they play that game and capture that excitement? That is why the POV is so committed to excellence and it is because we experienced it. We experienced it on our campus, not the Steelers. We bought in because the school bought in. Now, sport is not even a competing priority because the people running it are novices.

    Joey D for the deuce Tex…..still has the same bad hops! LOL!!! Dan is going to like this…i hope! When he comes out from the room and contemplates what he is going to do, he takes a bit of a hop step to get his steps in line for the layup. Typical basketball thinker…..four steps ahead of what he is going to do. Did you see it?

    Spent many afternoons playing with and against him and many open gyms with that fella in the 80”s. A pure shooter, with time. A better person than player.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. that hop step isn’t basketball “thinker”, it is reflex. If thinking(re something like that), he would never have made it to D1 in the sport.

      Like

  71. Saw from PSN that Borbly talked to the grad transfer OL from a small college. The kid comes out and says that Borbs says he can come in and start because the rest of the competition is young. I keep sayin that Pitt is promising the grad transfers a starting position versus coming in and performing well enough to earn it. That doesnt play well with the ones that are still here. I don’t like a promise of playing time to transfers, especially since the transfers wouldnt be transferring if they had the talent to go into the league now. Those statements are confidence killers.

    If the linemen that are here are not good enough, our coaches need to have the talk with them and then go recruit some better ones. OL recruiting is equal part science, part art and part math. The math part is 4 stars. Go get some linemen!

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Good point about what should be a fine line that coaches walk when trying to entice a recruit by telling them they can come in and have an immediate impact. Now days, those words get published for all to see.

      I think the present players know how this works — but I agree that it doesn’t help their confidence. Though you hope their attitude is “Bring him on – he’ll have a fight on his hands…”

      Go Pitt.

      Like

    3. Pitt is under the scholarship limit and if the coaches think this kid can come in and start, you definitely go that route. If the ones already here cannot seize control then it is too bad about their feelings.

      I don’t understand how Pitt fans want kids to transfer without penalty due to coaches being able to break contracts and now the chance to add a kid whose film is pretty good is frowned upon.

      When Ohio State is filling a guard spot with a grad transfer it is so cool but Pitt doing this it is a red flag.

      And Pitt will continue to struggle to recruit on the O-line until the money is spent on a good O-line coach. Since that isn’t happening this is going to become the norm yearly I’d say.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. But it’s ok for Capel to look for transfers? << I know, I know, both coaches are coming from different places and time. It’s just I don’t understand the disdain for graduate transfers. Plus we don’t know if the new guy that comes will even play and Drake is out for health reasons.

      Like

  72. if you read the PSN story about the possible BB transfer from Dartmouth, you will see that he has been in the transfer portal for the past 5 months …. so in other words, he played the entire season in the portal (and had a good year playing more minutes than anyone else in the league)

    Like

  73. Did anyone see that Duke will not allow their guard in the transfer portal to sign with an ACC team. When Coach K does it it is OK but if it was Pitt (Cameron J) the national press was all over it.

    Liked by 3 people

  75. TD was outstanding but you should also note how well our OL blocked for him and then his talent just took over when he got past the OL.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s a thing of beauty to watch the ND defenders flailing (and failing) in their attempts to tackle TD… 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  77. — a sophomore from Chartiers Valley was voted was voted Class 5 PA POY. She has been offered by Pitt but also by a host of other schools

    — Dion Lewis just signed a 1-year contract with NY Giants. The 5’8 former 2-star will be 30 in Sept and has received a couple real good contracts and a Super Bowl ring.

    — Prince Charles and Jackson Browne are 71 and have tested positive.

    Like

    1. Saw Jackson Browne a year or so ago…solo show. Had a piano and about 12 guitars onstage. Used them all. His guitar tuner came out and played guitar while he played piano on “Doctor My Eyes”. Good show.

      Like

  78. Keep the excellent posts coming, fellow POVers. Starting to get stir crazy over the lock in with this virus. Even willing to read TEX’s rants over Narduzzi and Heather. This shows how desperate I am!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. LOL Ed, you never poke a sleeping dog (Tex). He’s been relatively quiet lately since the sports world has shut down. Plus with PITT winning the National Championship in wrestling singlets competition has put PITT back in the director cup pts race. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I’m happy that Pitt fans found a way to win a national championship when our coaches and administration fails. Nobody stronger than a Pitt fan.

        Tex

        Like

      1. Yeah, Martin Barre, imo, is the real X factor coming to my hometown. Hope it doesn’t get postponed or canceled.

        Like

      2. BTW Bill, The Palace is a pretty cool place. I say go for it. Guess Who is playing on the 19th but I think without Cummings and R Bachman?

        Like

        1. without Cummings and Bachman? That’s like CCR without Fogerty.

          I like The Palace – saw Buddy Guy there last fall

          Like

  81. For you older area geezers …. airing tomorrow afternoon on The Fan 93.7 will be the 7th game of the 1960 World Series. It will also be shown next Tuesday at 7 PM on AT&T Sportsnet

    For you younger geezers … this game was not just Maz’s walkoff HR (the only 7th game one in WS history) … it ended 10-9 with a wacky game that went back and forth. It includes a bad hop rally starter, unlikely HRs by some ‘sluggers’ Hal Smith & Rocky Nelson, and an unbelievable play in the top of the 9th by ‘baserunner’ Micky Mantle. Had this game been primetime in the ESPN era, they still would be talking about it

    Do stats lie …. the losing Yanks outscored the underdog Pirates in the series 55-27, winning their games 10-0, 12-0, and 16-3. I could go on and on

    Less than a mile from Forbes Field, your Pitt Panthers went 4-3-3. They beat ND and WVU but lost to PSU. Their other 2 losses were at UCLA 8-7 and at Oklahoma 15-14. Chalk up Johnny Michelolsen as another FB coach losing the close ones. Mike Ditka, Ed Sharockman, Fred Cox and James Traficant were players

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yeah, that bad hop hit Tony Kubek in the throat when he was playing SS. It was a routine grounder and a sure double play. (thank you old Forbes Field) Next guy up is Hal Smith and he hits a 3 run homer in the 8th inning. It put the pirates up by 2 and the Yanks tied it in the 9th.

      Like

  82. 2019PITT-Miami on ACC network…. after watching 3 quarters I hope there is real competition at the QB position…. and that’s all I have to say ‘ bout that….,

    Like

  83. I love to celebrate all accomplishments. Can we put a banner in the Pete for 2020’s best wrestling singlet next to the CBI championship banner?

    Like

    1. The singlet banner should be hung above the cbi.

      Fans made that win happen.

      Pitt paid to play in the cbi. Nobody paid me to vote.

      Tex

      Like

  84. Here’s a thought.. What about the freshmen who gave up their last high school semester to have spring practice canceled?

    Like

  85. Pitt bball hasn’t lost a game in weeks……..and its March!

    I’ll post a positive – Pitt basketball will not lose any ground to other colleges and universities that would have played in the ncaa, nit and cbi this year. Glad we are on equal footing. Kind of like losing extra football practices when you miss the bowl lineup. Other teams get better and you remain middling, especially the young players.

    Everyone is equal this year. Will see if Pitt was in front of this with their players and got them on a lifting regiment and skills development regiment on their own, whilst away. This is the mental part of the game. Which individual player decides to get better when nobody is watching.

    We will see when the gabronies get back to it.

    Like

    1. Just filled out a survey on the Pitt basketball game-day experience. Got it by email.

      I hope Fran, Scooter and Wolfe get one. They are true Pitt BB troopers…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  86. ike, most high schools across the country have also been cancelled, including many proms, graduation parties, etc. Either way, these kids are home in isolation. The virus has changed many lives..

    Liked by 1 person

  88. VoR, the wrestling school uni’s are singlets. Back in the day we wore leotards with what looked like a pair of underwear over the bottom.

    Like

  91. So, did you know that Sandy Koufax came within a whisker of signing with the Pirates? I’m reading a Koufax biography. In 1954 the Pirates brought him to Forbes Field for a look. They offered him a $15000 bonus, but apparently Branch Rickey Jr. wasn’t sold on Koufax.

    Koufax then signed with his hometown team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. And get this, he signed for a bonus of $14000.

    So my two boyhood baseball idols almost both played for the Pirates — Roberto and Sandy (I have to think that Sandy was a favorite with every kid in the sixties who, like me, was a left-handed pitcher…👍).

    (BTW, strangely enough Koufax attended the U. of Cincinnati for a year before signing with the Dodgers — and strangely enough he considered himself a basketball player…)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. didn’t know that. But if memory serves, he wasn’t an immediate success. While they knew he had a great arm, it took 4 or 5 years for him to find his groove

      Like

      1. Yeah, back then if you gave someone a signing bonus of more than $4000, you had to keep them on the Major League roster for the next 2 years.

        Here’s a side note — the Dodgers last pitcher cut in spring training 1955, that is, the pitcher whose roster spot Bonus Baby Koufax took, was Tommy LaSorda!

        And yes, Koufax struggled early on, mainly with control. He didn’t pitch very much that first year, though he showed his promise by throwing two shutouts…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  92. Speaking of Sandy Koufax, the most amazing baseball event I ever attended was a twilight doubleheader in September, 1965 at Forbes Field between the Pirates and the Dodgers.

    In an astounding evening of baseball, the Pirates beat Koufax in the opening game 3-2. It went 11 innings and Koufax pitched the whole game. Pirate catcher Jim Pagliatoni knocked in Stargell with the winning run.

    BTW, Koufax was 21-5 at the time and ended up 26-8.

    As if beating Koufax wasn’t enough, in the nightcap the Pirates beat Don Drysdale 2-1.

    In 1965, you just didn’t beat Drysdale AND Koufax…

    The Dodgers did go on to win the World Series. Koufax lost game 2, but then the Lefty SHUTOUT the Twins in games 5 and 7.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

      1. Jim Pagliaroni, maybe the slowest baseball player of all-time. You could time his 40 with a sun dial.

        Like

  93. I was at that same game John…great memory.
    My buddy got sick on peanuts and barfed in his seat. I couldnt look at a peanut for about 15 years.

    Liked by 2 people

  94. MM, I was also at that game. Sat in 2nd deck right field with my older cousins. Had to leave early, I was pretty young and I think it may even have been a school night. They were not happy.

    Liked by 1 person

  97. I’m sure I was on the patio with my dad that night listening to the Gunner and the Possum

    Like

  98. I am sure I listened to that one as well. Baseball was our main source of entertainment back then. Funny how things have changed. I haven’t watched a whole game in years. I think I have only attended 3 or 4 Pirate games in the last 20 years. In the 60’s and 70’s listened or watched most games. Do you remember collecting and trading bubble gum cards in the 50’s.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. GC — And we used to “flip” those baseball cards.

      “Matchy-Touchy Head and a Tail!” Winner takes all…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

      1. I had two shoeboxes full of baseball cards from the early 60s, then my mom threw them out. I tried to tell her that she may have thrown away a fortune, but don’t think she bought it

        Liked by 1 person

  100. there is an upcoming HBO special entitled “The Scheme” which exposes the FBI investigation into NCAA basketball corruption. Dokish has just retweeted the 2nd national sportswriter who has seen an advanced showing and indicated that Sean Miller may well have coached his last BB game at Arizona.

    Meanwhile, here is the latest database of basketball coaches salary. Capel is not listed

    https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach

    Calipari is top but has a $60M buyout?? Coach K is second with no buyout. Cronyn is 3rd??

    Like

    1. looking at the salaries on the database, I’m sure that is only what they get from the school …. and doesn’t include shoe and media contracts, etc

      Like

      1. wwb – thanks for providing link.

        To get additional info – click on any item that is highlighted in red. Also click on the “Methodology” (It is located right below the all the data presented. It is also highlighted in red.)

        Using the above info, Cronyn is 3’rd because he received a $2M signing bonus of which he sent $1M to Cincinnati as his buyout.

        Reminds me that Pitt should be releasing their tax return next month. Does HCPN finally reach that long sought after magic $3.5M (Or is there a surprise in store).

        Like

  102. I think it’s safe to say that we (ahem) slightly older folks had in our possession at one time, a fortune in baseball cards. We either played with them, put them in our bike spokes or had them thrown away when we were not living at home. << I actually lost my beloved dog Lady that way. Man was I pissed off.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ike – But if we “(ahem) slightly older folks” had kept them, there would be no scarcity & all of us would just have a few shoe boxes or bags of memories.

      Card collectors should thank us (or our parents) for disposing of them.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. LOL and isn’t that the truth Richard….. just wish it was the other kid baseball fans with great cards that had their mothers throw them away instead of mine. Truth is, I loved those cards but I actually played with them. Probably wouldn’t have been worth much today. Plus that bubblegum sent me to the dentist a few more times than I would have liked. Pre fluoride days.

        Liked by 1 person

  103. Anybody see Neil Diamond’s video of a new version of “Sweet Caroline?”

    “Hands,
    Washing hands,
    Reaching out,
    Don’t touch me,
    And I won’t touch you.
    Sweet Caroline…”

    (I can see a raucous crowd of maybe 500 people singing this at the next Pitt game…😊)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  106. Saw that Pitt is giving virtual tours to recruits.
    We all need to get a virtual tour as some have not been able to get to campus for years.

    Liked by 3 people

  107. I watched the championship game against Georgia in 77 last night.
    I was so young I did not remember much but the celebration in Oakland on the late news.
    Tony and the skill players had different jerseys.
    The numbers were outlined with yellow.
    It must have delineated they were tear away. (Guess)
    Missed field goals went back to the 20.
    Big game all the marbles run up 21 zip.
    Very unlike our Panthers of last 30 years.
    Kman

    Like

    1. ^^ Private message……. Hey Annie, did you know your cousin Tommy just brought home two brand new adopted puppies? Good for him but that’s a lot to bite off in one chew? I’m proud of him though, very noble gesture.

      Liked by 1 person

  109. So the 2020 US News and World Report rankings are out. I’m proud to announce that in addition to being the reigning wrestling singlet champion, Pitt STILL has the #1 ranked Physical Therapy program in the country!

    Liked by 9 people

  110. I think we were #1 in 1975 before the College Physical Therapy playoff system was initiated…. kinda like all of our FB National Championships… I was there a PITT PT “ block of granite!”

    Liked by 2 people

  111. I remember when PITT was highly ranked for Philosophy… I remember If “ P” then “Q” from philosophical logic…. used that reasoning on an unrelated test… didn’t work out so well for BigB….;have I mentioned my ass is blessed…….

    Liked by 2 people

    1. As a proud philosophy-major grad, I’m glad to pass on —
      The Pitt Philosophy department is now considered number one in the world.

      Liked by 1 person

  113. We all woke up this morning and hopefully all your families are doing well enough. We are all blessed in one form or another.

    There is nothing here on the POV that should be taken so serious that you take it personal. A blog is nothing more than a video game without the animation.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Yes Fran, music videos but tragically videos caused a casualty of sorts. I suggest a glass of wine with this video, I provided the cheese.

      Like

      1. The very first video on MTV. I was college age when MTV rolled out and we’d spend hours parked in front of the TV with various libations and watched these end on end. THye had MYV Classi for a while and then screwed that up too with newer stuff. I guess one could go searching in YouTube to recreate the feeling, but would like it if a younger version on Nina Blackwood or Martha Quinn would VJ….

        Like

          1. Don’t you hate it when that happens JoeL? Sometimes I try and post in the without a light on or not wearing my readers. Never works out very well especially considering I am proof reading deficient.

            Liked by 1 person

  115. I understood it…mine must by misfiring in synchronization.
    Queue “synchronicity”…😎

    Like

  117. When looking thru Panthers 247 recruiting web site, I found a listing of Pitt’s all-time recruits. Now note that 247 only goes back to 1999, but below are the Top Pitt recruits as they were rated in high school (all 4-stars except for Baldwin and Shell):

    Jon Baldwin .9914
    Rushell Shell .9849
    Dorian Johnson .9777
    Lucas Nix .9776
    Dorin Dickerson .9769
    Paris Ford .9760
    Larry Fitz .9703
    Shayne Hale .9683
    Dustin Picciotti .9602
    Nate Byham .9560
    11.. Pat Bostik .9530
    Jordan Whitehead .9518
    13.. Tyler Boyd .9418
    13.. Tyler Palko .9408
    Lafayette Pitts .9376
    Chris Burns .9366
    Nahki Johnson .9361
    David Abdul .9333
    Damar Hamlin .9327
    George Hill .9321

    A few observations ….

    — 15 of the 20 are from WPa
    — most were from the 1st decade of the 2000s
    — some big omissions (A Donald, D Revis, A Bryant, L McCoy)

    All of the above were also highly rated by Rivals

    Like

  118. Interesting info, wwb.

    Some way over-rated players on that list —— Shell, Hale, Bostick, Burns, and Abdul (how did he get on there?).

    Go Pitt.

    Like

      1. Found this info:

        2006 Scouting Report: Was expected to compete for the starting placekicker assignment, a role he held in 2002 and 2003…offseason surgery for a heart ailment, however, could force him to miss the 2006 season… served as the chief reserve in 05 and appeared in two games…owns field goal range of well over 50 yards.

        2005: Took over Pitts starting placekicking duties for two games (Youngstown State and Rutgers) due to the injured status of Josh Cummings…made his first appearance in almost two years when he played against YSU…had not kicked in a game since the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl (12/27/03)…against YSU, accounted for nine points, hitting both of his field goal attempts (22 and 40 yards) and 3-of-4 PATs…connected on all three of his placements at Rutgers (3-of-3 PATs).

        2004: Took a redshirt after injuring his kicking leg (right) in an offseason car accident.

        2003: Pitt s starting placekicker for the second consecutive year…made 9-of-18 field goals and 49-of-51 extra points en route to a career-best 76

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  119. Just read Coach Capel’s letter on the Pitt site. I agree with the commenters above — it’s outstanding.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Ditto on Capel’s letter – outstanding and makes me proud of being a Pitt grad and to have him leading the program.
      HAIL TO PITT

      Liked by 2 people

  120. From a good source it would seem a great POVer who hasn’t participated in a good while and many were worried about him, is still alive and kicking. I’ll leave his name out. So in honor of this great guy………..

    Liked by 2 people

  121. And this isn’t even Tony D….

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Walker mostly played in Dorsett’s shadow, but in the veer, they both were started. BTW, how about the play by Haygood on this video?

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  123. It’s a conspiracy! I looked at my weather app and at 9:45 it told me there was a 2 hour window for walking. But guess what happened at 10:40? Now I have to worry about water recirculated from Wuhan drenching me!

    Funny how all the brilliant computer and software nerds who made billions but apparently didn’t have the foresight of all the pitfalls (or maybe didn’t care.) Now, hackers have penetrated banks, Experian, Target, elections, my ex-employer health system’s data … you name it, everything that involved me has been hacked. If these entities couldn’t stop a hack or virus, what chance does a schmuck like me have?

    It’s all a conspiracy by the supernerds. Heck …. good thing I haven’t let the current situation get to me.

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  124. Bill, do I sense something dripping in your last comment and especially your last sentence? I think if anyone who uses their head, other than for a hat rack, we will be fine. Do what I do, rub dirt in it and take a virtual lap. We can’t always get what we want…….

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  127. So which is it? What prevails? Is it the uplifting “Can’t Always Get What We Want”, or the more ominous “Eve of Destruction”? Not necessarily referring to the Pitt scene over the next 12 months…

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  129. We can only control the things we can control. So I don’t worry… Can’t say I’m always happy though but I try.

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    1. Not with 15 minute testing and speedy treatments and vaccines

      US and world scientists will be able to better handle the next pandemic.

      There’s plenty of smart people in this world and plenty of money to support efforts. Few true leaders though…that’s the problem.

      Tex

      Liked by 1 person

  135. B Marley’s last concert was played in Pittsburgh and his son played college football. Miami I believe?

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    1. you get an extra squirt of sanitizer

      Stanley Theatre and LB Rohan Marley led the ’93 Canes with 95 tackles (he played in the CFL for a few years)

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      1. I never knew Marley played in the CFL. Didn’t he quit football after he inherited a ton of his father’s money when he turned 21? He just disappeared from what I recall, but that was a long time ago.

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        1. he was one of 11 children, and his mom was not Marley’s wife (Rita). So maybe he didn’t get a large sum. I remember him playing at Miami … and playing very well. I don’t remember him playing in the CFL but read a couple of places where he did. I know he was married (or at least fathered children) with Lauryn Hill for man years (Hill was a big music star of late 90s / early 00s) but don’t know much after that

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  136. Toney hustles and plays good hard defense, it is a good thing. I wouldn’t have minded Kham Davis sticking around, can’t ever have too many hustle players. With long arms no less.

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  138. IMO there are way too many 4* RBs. If you watch film you aren’t surprised the the current 4* RBs on Pitt’s roster aren’t putting up big numbers. Salahuddin before the injury and the attitude issues was without a doubt the guy that would be carrying the ball right now. He was the only guy that jumped off the screen. Perception matters and I do believe Pitt took a few consensus 4* RBs just for that reason. There are always a few left at the end of the recruiting cycle and Pitt has grabbed a few at that time. On the flip Salahuddin was one that fell to them as well. His bouncing around of commitments was certainly a foreshadowing of what was to come. Can’t say I’m all that impressed with the guys theyre pursuing in this class either.

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  139. Didn’t realize it until today but I’m slipping into a slight dip with my outlook on my life. I miss the grand kids and the whole family. When I get like this I often lean towards music. (who would have guessed) Speaking of family, the POV is firmly entrenched as of now my second family. You folks take care of yourselves as I try and fade away for awhile. (which is highly unlikely) Turn this sucker up!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ike,
      Have you tried Skype? POV is family. I consider you as my second Dad. And Fran and Big B as my dirty Uncles. 🤠

      Tex

      Like

  140. Seeing The Point flooded always reminds me of the Nebraska game after Hugo in 2004. There was no Gateway Clipper service because the water level was nearly 1/2 of the way from the usual river’s edge to the field.

    I remember talking to a Husker fan who told me that they gets some massive storms in Lincoln but there is rarely floods. I had to point out that the land is probably much flatter there … and he said “oh yea, that makes sense”

    BTW, I just saw on the news that 5 guns used by James Bond were stolen. But I when heard that they were from Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore movies, I didn’t feel so bad.

    Lastly, the Villanova-Georgetown title game from ’85 is on CBS today. That’s the game when Nova shot something like 75%, and needed everyone of those shots win

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    1. Of the Nebraska game I remember watching the runaway boats and tugs out to catch them as under maritime law they have to be paid by the owner or insurance – a second game. a buddy of mine asked the traveling Huskers who followed the team everywhere who were the worst fans – not surprisingly it was the Ped State Nitters. They thought we were polite.

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  144. How will sporting events change as a result of covid 19. My comments this afternoon

    Tex with covid antigens

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  145. Tex, honored to be your dirty uncle…😎
    Plus that makes Ike and Bernie my brothers…

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    1. Sorry — that was supposed to be a video of a flea-flicker TD against VT in the Walt era…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  148. Watching PITT vs BC FB GAME ON ACC NETWORK… pardon me- gotta go puke… shame PITT didn’t go after BC’s LO coach when Addaxio was let go… the guy could recruit… I like BORBS but as a recruiter he is an unknown to me….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Franklin snagged BC’s o-line coach, which should make one puke again. Programs with money to burn can win bidding wars.

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  149. I am not sold on Borbs who is never mentioned as a recruiter. I personally a, not a fan of zone blocking – less individual responsibility. OL is the one area that HCPN has not improved since taking over; should have gotten that BC OL coach.

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  150. In 2019 Trautwein’s BC starting 5 lineman all received a first, second, third or honorable mention all ACC.
    Would have been a great get.

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