136 thoughts on “Roundball: Pitt Louisville Open Thread”

  5. Okudake, Hugely and 17 yr old Jeffress are frosh. The entire team is back if they want to be. I know we’re getting tired of wait til next year … but I can’t wait til next year (for a few reasons)

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Femi has almost half the Pitt points. Really crazy cause he hasn’t logged that many minutes
    in prior games. Had the nice steal and assist in the NW game at the end.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Odukale does not look 6’5” to me. If Horton can start hitting from the 3, we could maybe stay in this game.

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  18. Just like last year, no offense….we need points. Still, a pretty good effort by Pitt for the first time together for this 5. WO Toney and Champ, it’s going to be tough.

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  19. LVille #1 is what a point guard is supposed to look like. Ike, hope you are hanging in there!
    I’m calm tonight because last night I ranted and carried on in fury at the Steeler misfits.

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  20. Those who thought they had a lock taking Louisville and giving 5.5 are sweating a little.

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  21. Missing toooo many free throws.

    And as Dan says, no scorers in the game.

    Look for the final score to look like a blowout.

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  22. These announcers suck on that live stream

    Tex who really hates the ACC.

    I do. It’s the wrong conference for Pitt. Better off in the big ten or some east coast/mid Atlantic league

    Southerners suck. I’m a Texan.

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    2. And seriously no Texan thinks they’re part of the south. We’re a republic. We’re the lone star state for a reason. I was told when I first moved down that I’d be a Texan after living here for ten years, owning a cowboy hat and boots and being able to use y’all, howdie and fixin in a sentence. I’m proud to be a hick. The south has rednecks.

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  23. Louisville has the maturity to know how to slow down the game. Pitt playing way too fast. Someday Pitt will be the team maturely slowing down the game. Not this year with the loss of Champ…and Toney.

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  27. Gasparilla Bowl cancelled. Pirate Costume sales go way down. Deep depression among the Johnny Depp Captain Sparrow eyeliner crowd.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. This team must do better in the paint and must rebound without Champ or they will start losing big time. Coulibaly is not getting better and is a foul machine. X man did not exactly shine tonight. He must lead and not foul out every night.

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  29. a couple of thoughts

    it’d be nice if we could make way more of the close finishes at the basket

    defense appears to be more consistently evident with greater effort everywhere but rebounding

    there is a mix of talent and with that and good practices, I think there is likely to be far more upside reached due to the youth and the need to compete at practice against talent,,,,there have been a few years lately with Pitt that after the first 5 or 6 you had a big drop off,,,maybe after the first 2 or 3 😦

    Liked by 2 people

  30. Didn’t see the whole game, but noticed a few times when X and Femi drove into traffic and got into trouble — all the while Horton was standing unguarded at the 3-point line. That should be how we get Horton open, and hopefully he gets hot.

    Maybe Femi will catch on…

    Go Pitt.

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  31. So in a game where Pitt was totally outmanned, there were some good things that are going to help for next year. These young guys getting many more minutes than they ever would have last night showing they belong. Pitt with the best depth we have seen in maybe forever. Wins will be very unlikely without our best rebounder and a top scorer, but the young guys should get better faster.
    Obvious why we have had no inside game for the last couple years with Brown getting less than five minutes.
    Femi, a real bright spot that stopped a lot of TV’s from getting turned off early. Hugely getting schooled a little bit, but going to be Pitt’s best big man in quite a while. Collier looking like he will be a plus. Sibande and Horton pretty disappointing hoping they pick it up soon. Like to see more of Jeffress, he only took one shot last night, he looks like he is going to be a silky smooth player, but not in the flow right now.

    It sure seems like SOP though, losing one of the best players for pretty much the whole year. Plus a second one, hopefully not for too long, but certainly missed last night.

    If Capel can pull in one or two more pieces of the puzzle for next year, we will be competitive.

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    1. there is certainly much to look forward to next year. I would have to think Sibande will stay on. Barring any key departures, I think they should be very competitive

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  32. last year, Champagnie would have a great game, then would have a game or two where you didn’t even notice him, then another great game ….. Freshmen! We are likely to see this from Okudale, Jeffress and Hugley this year (maybe even Collier).

    Toney and Champagnie were the two most consistent players thus far. X is still too aggressive and emotional. Couliibaly is still raw ….. expect him to be a 10 min per game back-up in the next 2 games. Horton has had 1 good game ….. Shooters!

    Hopefully, until late Feb, Sibande and Toney can keep the team in most games with contributions from 1 or 2 frosh.

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  33. hey, the LSU offensive coordinator just resigned. Maybe Ogeron will hire Pitt’s OC just like he did 4 years ago.

    Actually, there is a much bigger chance we get LSu’s fired DC as LB Coach, I’m sure Pelini is getting a decent payout after only1 year (Canada did), so money is not an issue. And he is a fellow Youngstowner.

    But really, the ideal scenario is that Narduzzi/Bates find a young go-getter, although Tressel wouldn’t be a bad hire either

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  34. I think Coulibaly has a lot of upside. He has a good motor and some athleticism, but agree that minutes may be tough to come by. Right now the biggest problem is rebounding, followed by 3 point shooting and free throws, Also the missed bunnies, never seen so many guys get to the hoop with a lower percentage of success. Looking at the box score, without Femi the game is a blow-out, but never going to win with only one guy in double figures. I’d like to see Jeffress get more minutes because he could be the guy that can score the ball that we have been looking for.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Don’t know if guys are going to gain a Covid year of eligibility, but the two guys that I would love to see get them are Toney and Champ, maybe Champ gets a medical redshirt. I see Drumgoole as a probable transfer.

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  36. since I know you are all interested, here is the bowl lineup today ..

    3 pm ESPN: New Orleans Bowl – La Tech (5-4) vs Ga Southern (7-5)

    7 pm ESPN: Montgomery Bowl – Memphis (7-3) vs FL Atlantic (5-3)

    the irony is that these bowl are actually a little more meaningful this year because these teams actually want to be here

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    1. Help me understand this. These schools want to play. They know they will lose money. They know fans will be limited. But Pitt and some other schools have declined. Saying mainly that the players need to spend time with families. That’s a corporate sanitized line. So what’s the truth and really what explains the differences in decisions to play or not to play.

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  37. BYU looked good last night. They would have made a good playoff team in a 8 team format.

    But I’ll probably only watch the BCS come New Years unless I’m bored and channel flipping. I was sick yesterday so the tv was turned on sports.

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    2. I’ll watch any bowl game that does not involve Clemson, Alabama, OSU and ND.

      Most bowls have crappy attendance anyway, so maybe the networks, advertisers and bowl sponsors are paying enough that schools can still make a little money.

      I get Pitt’s reasoning about the players and their families. I would have liked them to go to a pre Christmas bowl if there are any not cancelled. Win win, players still get to see their families for the holidays and get to play in a bowl game.

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      1. I’m just confused by the inconsistent if not hypocritical reasons given by schools to attend or not attend games. Each school is unique. In Pitts case, I do believe they would have lost money and half their starters on D have already declared for the draft. And fans would not be allowed to attend most likely or would not want to given covid.

        But for most schools, they want to go bowling even in a covid year. I think only 15 schools out of the nearly 60 that are eligible have said no to bowling.

        Not surprised by Pitts decision but don’t tell me it’s because the players wanted to be home for Christmas. Most players obviously don’t think this way nor would have any say in this business matter.

        Pitts rationale is disingenuous at best.

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  38. Once again, X Man disappoints. Last night was a huge opportunity for him to take control and lead this team. He can’t do it from the bench with foul trouble. And if Pitt makes 18 of 19 foul shots they are tied at the end. Jeffress has faded a bit, and with Sibande eligible he will not get many minutes. Coulibally shows a great deal of energy when in the game, but not much productivity. I think he had zero rebounds last night.

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  39. I’m just making the point that this year, many teams who may not make a bowl in other years, get a chance to play on national TV. This is much bigger for these teams.

    Just consider last year’s bowl that Pitt participated in. Do you remember the final seconds when the EMU QB completely lost his mind when the reality set in that their upset bid would fall short? You cannot tell me that the game was not substantially more important to EMU … who also was playing in front a home crowd.

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    1. I know. And my point is that Pitt isn’t being truthful. No surprise there. And these bowls really never mattered to Pitt in the first place. Pitt is serious about one thing. Staying in the ACC to collect that welfare check.

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      1. yes, the bowls are often bad for Pitt financially for Pitt since the school is obligated to buy so many tickets … so I am sure the admin wasn’t heartbroken when the players voted the bowl down

        when you think about it, Pitt was denied a great chance of another National Title in ’80 when the bowl selected ND in lieu of Pitt …. just confirming what the bowls are all about

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  40. Who cares what the explanation is, Pitt made the right decision.
    VT made the same decision even though it broke the record string of yearly bowl games.
    Those teams playing today may not see bowl games again for a while.

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    1. I care. I don’t like smoke blown up my arse. It really does pay to be honest and truthful. To be given something straight. I can respect that as opposed to a sanitized line of bs.

      Coach K also practices Pitt reasoning.

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    2. VTech was 5-6. Those teams don’t go to bowls with 5 wins so that is more understandable. They didn’t earn the bowl game and did the right thing. They were awful.Which is the point. The teams that said that they weren’t participating in bowls were mostly awful. Some just played too few games and didn’t feel worthy. That is honorable.

      To play your schedule and win enough games to participate and then say no, is a bad look. Lead or follow. Pitt not only chose to follow, but chose to follow losing programs because they think of themselves that way. Thats as much lipstick as I can put on it.

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  41. Letting players decide what games they want to play in and what games they don’t shows a lack of leadership by the Pitt Administration.Gallagher, Lyke and Narduzzi show zero leadership in this instance. Stop it about the poor kids not being able to see their parents and family. This is false. Parents and family could attend various games throughout the season. Parents and family could visit their sons for weekends.

    Good luck in life as we send these kids out into the world with a Pitt Degree and they tell their boss that they have not seen their parents for months and are taking time off, even though they were scheduled for work. Who is running that place? One of the problems of having a “players coach”. Players abuse the coach and the coach has no backbone to give them the rules. What will the players demand next? Sounds like unionization of college sports to me.

    Think Saban, Day/Meyer, Kelly or Swinney would let their players tell them we miss mommy and daddy? Stop churning out cupcakes. They are churning out accountability to their school, accountability to their teammates, and most importantly accountability to their own commitment to themselves.

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    1. Hey….watch it. Granted I’m better at counting Atoms than interacting with people and I have no leadership training. Other than the gov’t job, where everyone just says…..yes sir.

      But that’s beside the point. Cousin Itt and the Werewolf..said we’re not allowed to participate.

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    2. They really had nothing g to gain and WOULD have lost $$ by taking the team somewhere , hotel and food for 3 days, transportation ( plane or bus). They’ve lost e ought $ this season and with no fans in the stands how much fun would THAT be? I’m with the team. Call it a season… and begin the holiday break. Maybe the parents could not travel to see games- they might have been out of work too. Who needs the added expense of that? I traveled to watch my kids play their college and club games, and it ain’t cheap!

      Merry Cbristmas to all the POVers, especially Maestro, who has done another year of outstanding research and writing. May 2021 be better for us all. H2P!

      Liked by 5 people

  42. Yep

    What schools ever let the inmates run the asylum

    Did pitt ever ask for players input before

    It’s all a load of crap. And most pitt fans are fine taking it

    That’s why things will never change. Until fans hold Pitt accountable, you’ll continue to be taken advantage of whether you know it or in most cases, not.

    Most pitt fans are like sheep. I know thats a brutal assessment. But not far from the truth.

    The vast majority bit hook, line and sinker on Pitts rationale. Sometimes I don’t think there is a real difference between zombies at pitt and those in creepy valley.

    I like critical thinkers

    Call me negative. Call me a troll. Names don’t hurt me. Most need to look in the mirror. Who are u? I know who I am.

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  43. I’m pretty sure that majority of times that Pitt has gone bowling, the players were less than enthralled. Maybe the Pinstripe Bowl and Sun Bowl were OK …. but in this past decade, 3 trips to Birmingham and 2 to Detroit?

    But they show up and play because that is part of the deal. But don’t anyone tell me that this year when a 20 year old hasn’t been with their family for 6 months, he is not going to choose going home for Christmas

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Pitt says 90 percent of the players wanted to go home to be with mommy and daddy during Christmas. As a coach, I’d only want the ten percent at spring practice.

    When I went home, I didn’t want to spend time with parents and family. I wanted to meet my friends from other schools and get drunk.

    But let’s all believe the pitt spin.

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    1. The reality of it is……these kids are going to be out and about with their homies more than with family.
      This is so far from Norman Rockwell days…we might as well be on Uranus.

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  45. Players are protected from covid living in their football bubble. Once they go home, they exit that protective bubble. I think players being away from family gatherings is a good thing.

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  46. This is far from the first time players have been asked if they want to play in a bowl game. Most of the time they say Hell Yes. This has been a tough season for everyone involved. I think Tex is making another mountain of a mole hill.

    While I do agree that it doesn’t come close to when our parents and grand parents went to War, but put in perspective it was much more difficult for everyone.

    Give it a rest.

    Liked by 3 people

  47. I think the decisions to not participate in a bowl were made mutually between college administrations, coaches, and players. The scrambling to set up travel, lodging and meals, normally 4 weeks to do now cut to 2 weeks, would be a nightmare for the admin. No alumni event. No opportunity to schmooze big contributors. Basically all of the downsides with none of the upsides.
    I read the public announcements as to say that the players were okay with the decision to pass on the bowls. Not that the admin wanted the bowl but the players vetoed it.

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    1. Not what Pitt said. Pitt said that the administration and coaching staff supported the decision of the players not to play. It went to a vote. Candidly, If I remember reading it correctly, the coaches and Administration wanted to play in a bowl and in fact narduzzi was quoted as saying we were going to play in a bowl, then poof….the players made a ruling and Pitt fumbled their leadership qualities and pivoted.

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  48. It’s akin to letting the students at Pitt getting to determine whether they take a course Pass/Fail or regular grade, after the semester starts. An excellent professor, with ethics says, you are graded by what is stated on the syllabus. Cupcakes!

    Who is running the place? More and more it is the kids. Administrators and coaches don’t know how to communicate who is in charge because they are afraid that someone might tweet something negative about them.

    Ohh little johnny couldn’t see his mommy because it’s been such a difficult year. Hogwash! If football kids weren’t prepared to miss out on Christmas vacations with families, they should have played golf or baseball. Basketball and Football gets played this time of year. That’s part of the bargained for exchange. Next up, players will decide that Spring practice takes away time from their animals, families and friends and vote to cancel the last three practices. What does Narduzzi and Lyke do with that?

    Why doesn’t Pitt just say that our season was very disappointing at 6-5 and the players feel they do not need the extra practice time to improve going into next year. Wrap it up just like that, instead of fabricating some lame excuse like the other loser programs did.

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  49. so the players who sacrificed and I do mean SACRIFICED 9 months of their young lives by trying to stay clean and play a season that was ALL ABOUT MONEY but the admin and coaches should FORCE them to play one more game

    so f’n old the garbage spewed here – criticize at every opportunity,,,,and also at no opportunity

    Liked by 6 people

  50. Why does everything come down to money? Sometimes people just make the right decision based on the circumstances. By all accounts, this has been a terrible year for the players and coaches, being locked up, constantly tested and all. Bowl games should be an event to remember with fun events and the stands full of fans, not an ordeal that requires teams to fly somewhere, stay in a hotel bubble, and then jump on a plane home right after. Who would want that after 6 months of practice and no title game to be involved in?

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I would think it would be nice…to get out the insane state of Pennsylvania for a few days,

      Sound reasonable to you my friend ?

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        1. Champagne & Caviar wishes and the Ritz Carlton……you were expecting for Pizza Bowl 2.0.
          Low Bowl games require low rent…at a Motel 6. haha

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  51. Apparently, the majority of players who are playing in bowl games want to do it or their leaders told them they were doing it as part of their scholarship.The majority of teams and players are playing as of today. The scrub teams for the most part said no and blamed covid (see below).

    15 of 65 P5 Teams have opted out of bowls so far. 1. A clear minority of teams.2. of those teams, only 2 won 6 games. Everyone else is awful. The good teams with pride will play. No running home to mommy because they had it so hard. Y’all should read more on this topic. These teams pretty much, stink.

    ASU – 2-2 Who goes to a bowl game with 2 wins for the year. Easy decision.
    BC – 6-5 bowl eligible. Bad Team
    FSU – 3-5 awful football team. Who goes to bowls with 3 wins on the record. Easy decision.
    Gtech – 3-7 awful football team. Who goes to bowls with 3 wins for the year. Easy decision.
    Kan State 4-6. bad football team. Who goes bowling with a 4 win team?
    Louisville 4-7 bad football team. Who goes bowling with a 4 win team?
    PSU – 4-5 bad football coach and team. Who goes bowling with 4 wins? PSU is embarrassed with 4 wins
    Pitt 6-5 Bowl eligible. Players decide we want to go see mommy. Coach says whatever you want.
    UCLA 3-4 bad football team. Who goes bowling with 3 wins
    USC – 5-1 didn’t make 6 wins but they had dreams crushed by oregon, so usc quit. California, go figure
    Utah 3-2 – Three victories is not good enough
    Virginia 5-5 close to eligible
    Virginia tech – 5-6 5 wins but less than .500.
    Washington 3-1 Who goes to bowls with 3 wins
    Washington sT – 1-3 awful.
    LSU – disguised covid as self imposed bowl probation – not an opt out…more like a pre-penalty

    Of course those teams do not want to reward their players and coaches for a horrible product. Pitt should have gone. I think the seniors just wanted out and voted no go. The older players took practice time away from kids development that they will never get back. The admin and coaching staff had it right and then crumbled. They didn’t understand that the teams backing out had terrible years.

    Teams with only 4,5 and 6 total games played made choices most likely under the belief that they didn’t deserve to go to a bowl. USC was being talked about nationally and would have been in CFP contention had they beat Oregon. They lost. They quit. Bowls are rewards and extra practice time for younger players 50 other teams will develop their guys. We won’t.

    Crush me all you want. Doesn’t make you right. Doesn’t make me wrong. Those are just team facts. You either get in line with the new normal or you jump off. Pitt has taught its athletes that when times might be tougher, you quit and go home and wait for a different day. You all are a bunch of crumudgeons who can’t accept an alternate view. Please argue the records of the teams above and why they should go bowling. I’ll wait.

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    1. bowl games are rewards, my butt. And especially this year when you don’t get to do anything. If you think these players want to play in half of these bowls …. what bridge do you want to buy?

      this is the first year that the players were given the opportunity to vote? And I’m pretty sure that it will be the last

      Liked by 4 people

      1. When hit with the facts, mock. Pitt is in the minority of P5 and mistakenly joined a bunch of losing teams because of feelings. Pitt did not do their homework, again. Pitt was a winning program for the year and didn’t want to risk another loss because of the head coach’s awful bowl record and the fact that we would be allotted 2500 tickets and wouldn’t be able to sell any of them.

        Actually, that is not true. For most of the bowls, the players get to reward their parents by having them in attendance at the bowl game, when they didn’t get to necessarily do that during the year. Kids could reward their families with a little vacation time.There’s your butt.

        I would like to see your polling of the players wwb? Oh you didn’t, again? Just spew conjecture because it sounds rough and tough, or nice and fluffy.

        Players may have voted during Wanny fiasco….but again, you just don’t know about any of which you speak. Conjecture, sure. I go to the pig pen bowl every day. I consider it an honor and reward each time. Thankful for it, actually.

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    2. Pitt is a scrub for sure. Scrub South Carolina at 2-8 should have jumped for joy that any bowl would want them. But the inmates run that asylum as well. Tennessee ditto.

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  52. Arnold, you can’t put lipstick on that pig. It’s one thing when there is a conference title to represent, or a play off game to win. But these meaningless bowl games are supposed to be great for players who want to go to experience a city and its fun venues without the need to win the game. Bowl games are supposed to be rewards for the players for a long season, not dreaded obligations. There is no reward when you are locked down in a hotel room just to get the game in.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yea like Pitt experienced the fun venues of Birmingham, Alabama….not once. But Thrice.

      Come on man….get off it

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    2. When has there ever been a need to win? Just because narduzzi has an awful bowl record, are we now saying that there is no need to win a bowl game. Have we fallen tht much or is tht just a covid year statement?

      The kids still get the watches and the gifts so it is good for them. The younger ones get to practice and improve. The coaches and staff get to evaluate and teach. They get to earn their pay.

      These kids tend to have a real good time together, even in this environment.

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      1. Pitt is ok with just…..participating. To collect it’s ACC/ESPN W elfare check. And then some !

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  53. Just in case people here are starting to think SOP is dead,,,,

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    2. Former Pitt News Sports Editor I believe … maybe he was just a writer for Pitt News Sports. I follow him on Twitter, too. He has some good takes. I think he’s with the Sporting News now.

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  55. In a normal year, i suspect that lots of players like going to bowl games for the goody bags they get.

    This year it seems like it would be a real pain in the ass to go to a bowl game – for everybody.

    Okay, except for the coaches. Of course the coaches want to go – that’s their life…

    Liked by 2 people

  56. Before I forget, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. I haven’t posted much, but do have a thought or two I’ll get around to soon. Bernie, stay warm, and tell your wife we said Hi.

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  60. Tex and Arnold – Face it, Pitt’s admin and coaches could cure cancer and you’d argue that they were too stupid to figure out the solution sooner. Your views on this bowl issue make no sense.

    If you don’t understand that this year is like no other year in our history, since the 1918 Spanish flu, then you’re on another planet.

    I find it particularly interesting that all season Tex has been down on the NCAA playing football during the pandemic, and then when Pitt agrees that it makes no sense to continue playing when there is a surge you go nuts saying they are wrong. Make up you mind.

    Making young men play a game that they don’t want to play because they are sick and tired of hiding out in their rooms, wearing masks, getting swabs stuck up their noses daily, and in general not being able to live any sense of as normal a life as possible, to play a losing team in a Nonsense Bowl would be the height of stupid, and the admin and coaches decision to listen to the players, will send a good vibe to future recruits.

    Stop being tone deaf.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. you must be good at sarcasm and mocking too

      like me

      can you imagine a Dad who doesn’t understand his D1 football scholarship kid has had to avoid parties, walking around as BMOC, and all the extracurricular “activity” available to them just to stay healthy from a virus that most might sneeze, cough or not even KNOW they got

      but OK, let’s keep that life up for another 3 weeks so the underclassmen can PRACTICE and we all can get a Nike bag

      how out of touch(or tone deaf?) can one be?

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    2. Or…. other coaches will use this against our head coach and say that the team performed well enough to go to a bowl, like x number of other teams, but the coach and administration took the opportunity away to impress scouts, etc. Just what a parent doesn’t want in a coach. The other coaches will say that we turned down the bowl because we did not earn it on the field. See the difference? If not, understand the difference? One isn’t more wrong or right, it’s just the other side of the coin.

      I have said from day 1 that the kids should and would play. Our AD promised Pitt nation that there would be no games without students and fans in attendance. She was wrong, by a lot. She lacks credibility.

      taxing, if you are going to accuse, be correct. I have said that I think Capel is better than Jamie Dixon as far as recruiting. The factual issue is that our AD got played by a couple of coaches. She wasn’t seasoned. Still isn’t. Reed ripped me apart for saying nard should have been extended after year1. I changed my mind about him in year two and each year since. He is bad.

      Curing cancer would be great and I would celebrate anyone who can make that happen. Conjecture some other place. Well, maybe that is what Narduzzi is working on behind the locked gates. Perhaps he will find success there.

      I have also said that Pitt has been wondering aimlessly through the fog(e) of college sport for nearly 40 years because they are incompetent. They are terrible, but they are my terrible. I don’t accept terrible in anything I do personally. I don’t make excuses for my failures or mistakes either. I own em. Ask my boss.

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      1. first paragraph – see the difference? no, because it virtually does not exist

        2nd paragraph – reference the “promise”, odds are it also doesn’t, however if you hadn’t noticed, change happens
        more 2nd – you also said it wasn’t about money,,,,ok, wrong

        3rd – opinion noted,,,over and over and over

        last paragraph – ask your boss?…..hmmmn, ok

        btw, fly without a mask? anyone?

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  61. Champ may be back in 2 weeks.

    I have it on good authority that Heather made the Bowl call directed by above. The rest is window dressing!

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  62. I have it on good authority….most of the ‘goings ons’ at Pitt….is window dressing.

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  64. Most of the bowls are unwatchable, even before 15 of the teams refused any bids.

    If every team gets to practice longer because of the bowls, what benefit do they gain?

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  65. I’ve been saying for years that the bowls are nothing more than an exhibition game and that coaches like them for the extra practice time with next year’s players. Players, outside of the playoffs, do not care.

    Charlie Partridge said Pitt took a vote. 100% of coaches wanted to play and 90%+ of players did not want to play. Partridge said they reported the results up (I assume to Lykke) of the player’s stance and she agreed they would not play. I’m guessing that’s the good authority that Dan heard.

    If you want bowls to have meaning again, then I think you have to tear down the playoffs. The BCS was the beginning of the end of bowls. The playoff has essentially killed them. If you’re not in a playoff game even the New Years Day games lose their luster because everyone playing knows they are second tier … even the players.

    I said on another post that I used to be a big advocate for the BCS and then playoffs and then wanted expansion … what I’ve realized is that this supposed better competition hasn’t raised the game of all of college football. It’s still generally one great team … occasionally two … and rarely three.

    If you went back the last 20 years I doubt the old polling system would have differed too much from the BCS/Playoff results.

    Just crown a champion with the polls. If there is more than one great team, it’s just fun manufactured sports radio talk.

    College football is just too top heavy for a playoff. Expanding it would not change who ends up in the championship game.

    Make the regular season the most important in sports again … it already is, I guess … but it used to be even more important. I found that more fun and it created a better bowl season that didn’t have the BCS/Playoffs suck all the fun out of the rest of the exhibition season.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. What’s also killed the Bowls….is the absurd amount of them(over 40). Use to be you only saw pretty good teams in them. Teams with less than 4 losses. Heck Pitt was 11-1(ranked #3) one year(1980) and only got a Gator Bowl bid. Although that was also do to sports politics. Also in 1980, you had a 10-2 Nebraska team in the Sun Bowl. You had a 12-1 BYU team in the Holiday Bowl.

      In 1980 there were only 15 Bowl Games. The shear amount of Bowl games today have diluted them
      to the point of total irrelevance.

      Quality, not quantity is what counts imo.

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    3. Definitely agree that the playoff system has worked nothing like I thought it would. There is no parity in football and other than a very few teams no one else has a chance. It really is a shame that only a very small number can compete even though there are many that I consider “Football Factories” instead of collegiate athletes competing against each other.

      When was the last time that a star player was deemed academically ineligible? Is that even possible anymore? Certainly not in basketball with the one and done rule. But I digress. I just remember how tough college was while being a varsity athlete and we weren’t expected to do nearly as much as these kids are today. Things have definitely changed. I feel bad for those that never experience the big bowl games on New Year’s Day when regional heavyweights played each other and winning a bowl really meant something. There were always several very competitive games that were worth watching. Now we have 50 meaningless bowls that are mostly blowouts. The latest phenomenon being stars that don’t play in them. How did this happen?

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    4. Interesting thoughts, thanks for sharing. I still think expanding the playoffs considerably would be a better system than our current one, but you may be right with your few bowls scenario, I appreciate the insights.

      H2P, and Merry Christmas to everyone!

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  66. I’m especially glad that Coach Bates and the older coaches made it thru the season without being infected by Covid. Hope they hunker down now until they can get vaccinated.

    Would be great if the POVers could have a spring vaccination tailgate! Fran and Scooter, with their medical backgrounds, could run the show… 😊

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  67. Read somewhere today 2.2 million viewers for the 2014 CFB Championship game ha dropped every year… last years number was between 800k and 900k

    Go back to the original bowls and bring back the Bluebonnet and Tangerine Bowls… get rid of the rest of the horse-crap games…

    Would love to see the post- season North vs South and Blue- Gray games… get back to our historical geographical rivalries… gosh darn it was fun… sorry for those who never lived it…

    BigB who lives on memory lane

    Liked by 1 person

  69. If the players don’t want to go to a bowl game then the college won’t go. It was an easy call for Heather. For any cynics (you know who you are) the players must want to play the game or they will get embarrassed, and they are still student-athletes who have a say,not professionals.

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