in Pitt Football 98 Words

Pitt vs Clemson; 3/6/21; Noon

Here is the Gameday Thread for today’s Pitt Basketball game. Today we play the Clemson Tigers at home starting at 8:00 pm.

Following are some websites that might help you all get ready to cheer the team onto a win.  These can be used for in-game commenting research also.

Pitt Basketball Homepage

Pitt Basketball 2020-21 Schedule

Pitt Basketball 2020-21 Stats

Pitt Basketball 2020-21 Roster

Sports-Reference.com Pitt Homepage (current & historical)

Here are some sites for info on our opponents:

ACC Basketball 2020-21 Standings (w/ links to team pages)

Clemson Basketball 2020-21

HAIL TO PITT!!

295 thoughts on “Pitt vs Clemson; 3/6/21; Noon”

  1. I stopped comments on the last article because of the name calling. I told you I don’t want to be a referee on here.

    Game is at noon today – a win gives us an over .500 season so that would be some progress…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Smart move. Even without the trolls we all get cranky on he and discussions devolve.

      But, I must comment ona commebnt you made on the last thread.

      Shortstop?!!!!
      You are way too tall for that position. First base, pitcher or outfield, yes. In fact, with your height 1B would really suit you to stretch for the close ones.
      Perhaps all that bending down to pick up grounders contributed to the back issues later in life . 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Reed – thanks for the game thread and reminder that there is a game today at noon. This season has been such a disappointment and the offseason may be more of the same with no recruits of note (top 150 ranking).

    Pitt men’s soccer laid an egg in Chapel Hill last night with 351 spectators (the dog counts were not available). Unranked UNC took it to our Panther’s 3-0 (nil) – the Tar heels are not in the top 25, and they were nowhere to be found in the “next” 15, or top 40 for the Liberal Arts majors.

    Pitt had NO, ZERO, NADA shots on goal, while UNC had (3) and our goalie stopped none of those shots – not one, nil.

    Someone last week, I think Tex, suggested Narduzzi watch this Pitt soccer team to see a real offense on display. Oh my, please keep this game film locked in a chained vault and toss it into the deepest part of the Mon river.

    Pitt men’s soccer is now 1-2 in their last 3 games after being ranked number 1 in the polls.

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    1. We’ll see how the players respond to coaching. That’s the mark of good coaches. And coach Jay is very good. I expect a strong bounce back. If not, then there could be some issues…chemistry, lineup, etc. I have faith in this coach.

      Much like some have faith in coach bell and coach White despite their performance records since coaching at Pitt. I don’t know enough to comment. Yes, Tex without something to say. Cats and dogs.

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    2. They need to find a number 9 or striker. Kizza leaving hurts. I’d recommend coach Jay change his base formation until he finds that go to scorer. But what do I know.

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  3. OT again – I’m wondering when Spring practice starts and if there will be a Spring game?

    Got me thinking about what the team might be as far as the 2-deep. I got somewhat intrigued by the D, but not so much by the O – the receivers are an interesting lot.

    So, here is my too early 2-deep on the defensive side of the ball (changed to 3-deep as I got into it):

    DT C.Kancey RSSO, D.Danielson RSJR, D.Green RSJR
    DT K.Camp RSSR, T.Bentley RSJR, D.Jules RSSO

    DE D.Alexander RSSR, D.Hayes SO, N.Johnson TrFR
    DE H.Baldonado RSJR, J.Morgan RSJR, B.Brima RSSO

    OLB P.Campbell RSSR, B.Kamara SO, L.Smith RSSO
    OLB C.Bright RSSR, S.Dennis JR, S.Deshields SO
    MLB W.Davis RSJR, C.Pine RSSR, B.George JR

    CB MJ Devonshire RSSO, M.Williams RSJR, J.Royal RSFR
    CB D.Mathias RSSR, AJ Woods JR, R.Battle SO

    S B.Hill RSSO, J.Tallandier RSJR, H.Sellers RSFR, PJ O’Brien TrFR
    S E.Hallett RSJR, J.Petrishen RSSR (position switch back?), B.Mack SO

    NOTE: Aydin Henningham SO has switched from WR to LB – listed as 6’2” 195lbs

    WEAKNESS: appears to be at the safety positions.

    FRESHMEN Impact: I included DE Nahki Johnson who is currently on campus and is a quick 6’2” 240lbs young man from Pittsburgh. There are other FR that could be impactful – DB O’Brien comes to mind who is also on campus.

    I cannot bring myself to do this same thing for the offense as it may cause me to NOT renew my season tickets, which I am holding out until I know more (ikr). I guess I’m hoping Reed can infiltrate the Locked Gates of Oakland/South Side Pittsburgh this Spring.

    H2P!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Like it EE. The D will be good again. Agree about the O as long as they run Whipple’s offense.

      No worries at safety.

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      1. I am impressed with safeties Hill and Hallet – not sure what the depth could be because we haven’t seen them in games much, if at all.

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    2. The O-line is intriguing when looking at a possible lineup of Gonclaves, Minor, Kradel, Zubovic, Warren.

      The heavier true freshman running back is going to help the ground game and maybe Izzy is different as a sophomore.

      The receivers have some younger guys who received good reviews and another, Barden, started to see more reps toward the end of the year.

      The black hole is tight end of course. Nothing changes there except the position coach loves drinking Mountain Dew. He should stop that habit. Bad for the teeth.

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      1. Drawing a blank on the name of the TE transfer that was injured last year, but if he can catch the ball he has all the other tools, size and the ability to get open.

        The O-line will be better, the question is how much and will it be enough?

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        2. did he actually do anything other than knock a few down last year?
          transfer from Florida iirc

          I think he was “injured” from embarrassment as should be the coach who offered him at Pitt although he seemed to “fit” with our receiving crew’s marginal hands (outside of Addison)

          btw, is KP working on throwing with the ball tip pointing UP? lol

          Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes and I slotted him as a starter because he was a 4 star out if HS who played some at an SEC school and he fits the CB ability of the Duzz scheme.

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      2. At this time, I do not think he is eligible. One of two thing need to happen. Either the NCAA passes a one time transfer eligibility or Devonshire applies for a waiver and is granted.

        The immediate eligibility that was granted for last year, was for the 2020 season only.

        Graduate transfers are immediately eligible as usual.

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  5. I hope the RBs getting playing time makes more sense this coming year, although V Davis did get hot in the last game of the year. We need a hammer to go along with his speed game.

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  6. Speaking of coaches. We’ll get to see Capel now more clearly.

    I’m more interested in his use of timeouts, starting lineup, who he uses at certain points and situations, the sets he runs, defense alignments, halftime adjustments, etc

    Can the man coach?

    I still don’t really know. But now he’s got everyone who wants to be at Pitt. The right attitude players. Nobody to hyjack. no saboteurs. Players who buy in. A team.

    I see this game as a reflection of next year. That’s why I’m excited.

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    1. Let’s put aside the whole “he had Blake Griffin at Oklahoma” stuff for a moment and look at what he did at VCU.
      The program was middling and he led the resurgence of the Rams. Record was 79-41 and he had them as a 13 seed in the NCAA tourney.

      No transfer portal then though. This is new territory. Perhaps the question really is can he effectively lead a program to success in the transfer portal era?

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      1. He could begin work on a graduate degree by playing ball somewhere, the job market ain’t that great right now.

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        1. GC – our business cannot find enough qualified people to fill positions of need – when we do and make an offer, in some cases they turn down the job – several recent excuses (would rather work from home or can make more than enough on unemployment or travel is too far)

          If TB wants a job, I have one he can start on Monday with a company vehicle (ikr – Pitt BB and vehicles don’t fit well).

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  9. Can Coach Jay coach? Can Capel Coach? …just because things don’t go perfectly doesn’t mean they can’t coach. Narduzzi, we already know!

    Back to Basketball, JoeL and Tex with good thoughts. Today will show us whether bonding and team play can overcome a slight lack of talent vs Clemson. I think it can. I like Pitt today!

    Oh…and back to coaching ….players have to be coachable for a coach to succeed !

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  10. Gordon, this is what Pitt football does…it sends kids to combines, the NFL and the college HOF yet we always suck at actually winning football games. It has been this way since 1985.

    To me that is an indictment against the revolving door of ADs and their poor choices at hiring HCs. That, in turn, leads to poor choices of coordinators and staff coaches. Because the actual players are poorly coached, as a team, we stay stuck in the depths of 2nd class programs.

    The talent has always been on the roster – we just can’t do anything with it.

    This is why the first time I walked into the Southside football facilites, saw the ‘hall of heroes’ or whatever they call it and all the bells and expensive whistles and thought “What a waste of money“! Pitt should ratchet it back, stop spending so much on the HC’s fluff and salary and things that don’t matter and just let the cards fall where they may.

    We very well may have as good or better teams if we just really looked into what is important, particularly the human resource side of the program and athletic dept and just spent money on that.

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    2. Reed, I don’t recall 6 defensive players in the combine for a long time.
      No doubt the team underperformed but it was mostly on the offensive side.
      I disagree that the talent has always been on the roster.
      In fact I would say last year was the first year since the Canada year that we’ve had much talent, unfortunately that year it was all on offense, just the opposite of this year.

      This year we lost to two teams where we may have had a slight edge in talent and lost three where we were dramatically outmanned.

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  11. Clemson chronically underperformed in football until they found Dabo and gave him the budget for assistants.

    I agree with Coach Dan. Some questions have obvious answers.

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  15. Nike Sibande has the best shooting form I’ve seen at Pitt since Ronald Ramon and may be starting at point guard today which I called for week 1. And making shots has always been Pitt’s problem. A NBA Coach I knew used to say “my two favorite plays are South Pacific a d put the ball in the basket!”

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  18. Clemson one of the worst three ball shooting teams lighting up Pitt’s packed in 2-3 zone which I’ve never seen Pitt play. 8-9 from 3 …unreal.

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  20. I’ve said all year that this coaching staff does not know how to defend the three.

    Clemson made it a point to fire early and often. Good plan for them. Pitt has no answer.

    This may be a long day…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It could be because of having to shuffle around our personnel all year, but it could just be that this coaching staff is a dumpster fire…(or both, sigh…)

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  23. Pitt did not come ready to play today. On to something more productive.

    Capel lost this fan!

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  26. The 2-3 Zone never extends beyond the 3 point line. I can understand Capel going to it as Clemson is a horrible 3 pt (cough). Shooting team and is very physical inside. But, I’m 70 and can make 7-10 from 3 land with no one guarding me. Pitt struggling mightily w Clemson half court defense.

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  27. Judge Capel by his halftime adjustments. That’s something Narduzzi never does. And his players nap at half.

    Let’s see the second half.

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  34. Down by 2 and Champ has only 3 points. This is a winnable game from here. We’re getting out rebounded 13-8.

    We’re shooting 55.6%, 60% from the 3 and 83% on FT’s. Clemson dropped off to 54% from the 3.

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  38. The refs are rearing their ugly heads again….they need to get their ugly heads out of their rear’s though….

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    1. The ACC wants Clemson in the Tournament….and Pitt means nothing to them. I’m honestly sorry we went to this biased league now. I would rather we were in the MAC and I could watch games without the refs cheating.

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  45. So much for half time adjustments

    Sometimes you just need to overcome the refs. Tired of that excuse. If the refs are so biased and you lay over and cry, pitt should just join the Mac. Jeesh.

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  47. A friend called me while I was on a ladder changing light bulbs and said Pitt was making a comeback.

    Anyone know which sport he might be talking about or should I call him back.

    I see Capel is earning his paycheck today. Justin better stick around or enter the portal. The NBA is not calling…yet.

    If he gets some coaching from Caliprari or Anderson at St. John’s he’ll be better off.

    Getting the ladder back out.

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  48. Can’t defend
    Can’t rebound
    Have no playmaker

    Sorry Jeff. You’re fired.

    Thanks again heather. Your genius is shining bright like those yellow blouses.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Here we go focusing on yellow blouses. Why are so many of you hung up on what Heather wears? GROW UP! Find a better quality to criticize her about. All this shows is how small-minded you are, and I am sick of it.

      Liked by 4 people

  49. I plan on cutting down mesquite. Good wood for smoking once dried.

    Big bbq at the ranch tonight. Better get to it.

    Tex – the brisket master

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  50. The good news…Champ will not be going NBA. The bad news….the rest! Pitt getting crushed and losing poise! Clemson very strong inside.

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  52. This game got away when AKC went all weak sauce on that bunny and got rejected and a three-point play ensued. Word is Capel is ready for this season to be over. Well I sure hope coach gets his buns in gear and recruits some good grad transfers.

    Never mind it is a sin that he has zero recruits in 2021. Where the talent is going to come from for a winning season in 2021-22 is beyond me. His staff stinks and we know that he won’t make any changes there. Capel steals his money way worse than some you claim Narduzzi does.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They are both thieves. One steals caddies while the other steals Lincoln’s. Big deal.

      I will write a letter to heather. It will be a resignation letter for her to use. And to sign.

      She’s ultimately responsible for this crap show and for stable mediocrity. She’s going on year 5 guys. Enough of the kids gloves with her.

      Tex – if she would have only listed to me.

      Liked by 1 person

  53. Capel not looking good – I never bought in, but knew he would be better than Stallings.

    Not much better, but definitely better. My deceased cat would have been better…

    I’m ready for another change. Capel is proving he cannot win at Pitt. Would love to be proven wrong!

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  55. On top of everything else, Clemson’s players make those shots in tight spaces under the basket, while Pitt’s often times do not.

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  56. Please don’t compare Capel to Frauduzzi. …yet. Duzz has had 6 horrible years with terrible recruiting and god awful game day coaching game in and game out save for Clemson. Pitt Football has led the ACC in penalties or been close to the top for years. Judgement for all objective people is in on Frauduzzi! He stinks!

    I’m not going to defend Capel today as Pitt was outskilled all over the court. A very bad day for Pitt basketball. Too disgusted for a recap. See you for our 1 ACC Tourney game

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    1. Narduzzi needs 60 good players to have a chance at a good record in football.

      Capel needs only seven and the bum has just one. In year THREE already. The 0-19 season is so far in the rear-view mirror but Jeff is still clinging to it for the delay in turning this thing around.

      Jeff cannot even secure a winning record yet as the Pitt coach.

      Capel’s incompetence might keep Narduzzi safe a little longer.

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  57. Stupid question: Should I be depressed because Pitt is neither a football nor basketball school?

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    1. Yes. I recommend a full bottle of bourbon tonight. You’ll wake up hung over but you’ll forget SOP for at least 24 hours.

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    2. Not all all. Pitt has a strong Mission Statement at least. Polio was discovered in the 1950s. Can you get a fix off that during March Madness?

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  58. Rick, You know Tex would have a great nickname for your dead cat coaching hoops.
    I have one but don’t want Reed to ban me. 😎

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  59. As Pitt fans we grow old always waiting for a better next year, hoping to live long enough to finally see it coming. It’s not coming next year with Capel. Gallagher and Lyke have achieved a gnawing homeostasis where results are predictable with football always under-achieving and men’s hoops barely achieving anything with extensions for Lyke, Capel, and Narduzzi guaranteeing nothing will change in the immediate future.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. I’m kind of thinking there is a reason why Jeff was an assistant at Duke for so long. I don’t buy waiting for the right opportunity. He doesn’t have the chops. But you are right Coach Dan, Narduzzi is worse.

    But what is the common denominator. Or do we have ostriches here.

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  62. I just heard Hillgrove say they cut away from Capel’s post game presser just now…apparently he went off on the Refs big time and extended it back over the last two years.. Trying to find it now.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pour gas
      Find match in pocket
      Light match
      Throw on gas
      💥

      Tex – who is selling the script to Hollywood right now.

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  63. Pitt didn’t lose because of the refs. They lost because they were outcoached and didn’t have the talent. Blame and deflect is a common tactic of losers.

    Thanks heather
    DFW has better weather than OBX right now.
    Care to join me drinking margaritas?

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  65. finish of the game was typical
    missed close shots, weak inside play

    Champ does a lot well but imo not nearly POY material and yet hope that he’s the kind of kid that puts in the work necessary to have a great junior season

    hard to imagine where this team will be to start next year as I expect incremental improvement coming from Jeffress(only because he’s so young), Champ and really far more from Odukale

    I don’t think Horton has much upside yet Capel seems to like him
    the rest are huge question marks

    if Hugley is not back and AKC is our big, we will do absolutely nothing meaningful again next year

    as I’ve said before, I will be far quicker to judge JC and while this year was a small step in the right direction, it was SMALL with far too much game and player management issues for anyone to feel he’s the right guy

    he’s benefitting from emerging from the lowest of lows but this recruiting class which is non-existent and what happens next year will be all I need to see

    H2P!
    H2Iek!!

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  66. ah, just saw Reed’s comment above

    what I saw was ref’s slanted against but JC has a ton more to concern himself with that ripping them

    someone upthread said JC was ready for the season to end,,,, I always wonder where people get THAT kind of information – kinda skeptical of that type of “insight”

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  67. Game was on ACCNx, so missed it here. Followed the score a bit and saw that Clemson pulled away.

    Looking fwd to Dan’s postgme insights as always, with the following thoughts in mind:
    Did the kids play hard and did they play as a unit?
    Were the refs that bad that Capel had to complain in his postgame?
    Dan – your assessement of Capel’s ingame coaching and decision.
    How did Jefress play?

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  68. I’m in Aspinwall with a shovel and my pickup truck looking for that cemetery…
    OT…Pens win.

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    1. It is possible Capel coached his last game for this season. He’ll probably be suspended for the next game after that rant which will be the 1st round game of the ACC tournament.

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      1. Everything we do in our life, if you want to do it really well, it takes passion. Passion is emotion. Name me any competition that is not emotional? So Coach Capel, put a lid on the excuse making. You are teaching the players an awful lesson.

        Life boils down to 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to what happens to you. I would gladly suggest that Capel explain to the players that they will play their next game wherein not one player is permitted to talk to the referee or the other teams players. No chirping. Zip. Nada. A quiet game. A silent protest if you will. The point will be made louder than any complaint filed with the ACC.

        If the players are not disciplined enough to follow a simple directive, they should not play.

        Compete from within. Draw from the strength of your teammates and remain silent. The silence will be louder than any yelling. Capel can rally the troops around the…it’s them against us mentality.

        Liked by 1 person

  71. The whole lightbulb ladder comment got me to thinking?

    How many chiropractors does it take to screw in a lightbulb? One, but it takes six visits.

    Apologies to the chiro’s.

    I will say this about refereeing. It is very typical that the more offensively aggressive teams get the better calls. I do not think there is an argument from the POV basketball experts. I will also say that when Pitt gives up 8-9 from 3 land (if quote is correct from thread), that is not bad refereeing. Refereeing gets blamed often because we see things with our hearts and not our eyes. We all want Pitt to win so bad, and when they don’t most are afraid to tell the truth about what is really going on with the coaching, the administration and the players.

    Look, it is usually not the players fault. They accepted scholarship offers for their skill set. Good for them. The problem lies in the recruiting, coaching and the administration. The well paid professionals continue to fail Pitt and point the fingers and make excuse after excuse as to why they got bad results. Gallagher and the Board believe it and therefore are also part of the problem.

    I have been a supporter of Capel since he started. I am seeing a lack of leadership and accountability in his actions. Point fingers. I would be impressed if he would just say, “I have not been good enough. I need to recruit better, coach better and leave political views to other people.” ALL other teams have gone through the same covid environment as ours. All have the same refs. We just didn’t perform to expectations. He would gain my respect if he would give some of his salary back to Pitt, not as a donation, but as a signal to himself and everyone else, that he took accountability for his actions and he just wasn’t good enough this year.

    Tomorrow, we will see a short public apology to the refs and Heather Yellow Blouse will tell Gallagher how great that Capel was for owning his behavior! SCAM!! Run gallagher, run! Candidly, the smashing watermelon gallagher is more competent than our current chancellor.

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  72. OT- I’m watching the baseball game vs Duke. Pitt down 5-0 in the top of the 5th. Just can’t catch a break. Duke scores from a couple hit batters and a walk. Pitt can’t find hits- has 1 on a bunt. My question to Major Majors’ – what is the white pack attached to the belt buckle on the Pitt players?

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      1. It is actually a numbers sheet that replaces the old fashion hand signals. The coaches call out a set of numbers for a given situation, the players at bat & on base check the sheet and execute the play (bunt, hit & run, etc.)

        Reminds me of KP running to the sidelines for the Whipple play directive.

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  74. Coach showing a lot of frustration, now there’s a surprise. I have been saying all year we never get and ones, Especially Champ and Toney. It is really frustrating when you are probably going to lose anyway based on the personnel differential. Then there’s the technicals. Also Capel has been with Coach K who gets all the calls, so tough experiencing the other side of the coin.

    C’mon, Pitt didn’t have the horses before X and Toney left, so expecting more than we are seeing is foolish.
    Capel better pull some rabbits out of his “hat” real soon or we are going to see an empty Pete next year.

    Most people were surprised when the Big Kiwi left, I am not at all convinced Champ will be here next year.
    Whether he is ready or not may be a mute point. I think it depends on who Capel brings in to play with him, and how much pressure he gets from his handlers.

    Liked by 1 person

  76. Capel is super frustrated and under enormous pressure. He’s cracking before our eyes.

    I agree. He’s coached his last game at Pitt…for this season. He probably also gets fined. And heather gets a call from the commish.

    Tex who wishes everyone 65 degrees, sunny, dry, low humidity with a slight breeze. You golfers would love this weather. Must wear 🕶 though.

    😎

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  77. ironically JC is both right and wrong

    I think he is right about this season and last as far as the refs shafting Pitt comparatively, but this game didn’t appear as bad as his reaction would suggest although I was only able to watch just a bit over a half of the game

    again, JC ready to give up on the season, THAT emotion would suggest otherwise

    I DO appreciate his passion, this time tomorrow exactly one year ago I wrapped up mine mat side perfectly

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  78. I don’t blame Coach Capel at all. I thought the officials established what we would see on Pitt’s first possession, 27 seconds into the game. Ezeakudo was dribbling out beyond the perimeter and handed the ball off to Sibande. During the handoff, he grazed the defender guarding Nike. Ezeakudo was assessed an offensive foul. Everyone was moving. It had no impact on the play. Yet Ezeakudo gets the foul. That is when I posted that the refs would polish the Clemson resume today.

    The glaring failure to assess a T that Coach referenced was I think early in the second half. Simms, their best player, got called for his third foul on Karim under our basket. He throws up his hands, shouts something, and storms into the corner of the court. I said to my son-in-law, “that’s a T”. But nope. Way more demonstrative and “showing up the officials” than the little comment from Horton in an earlier game.

    I don’t expect Coach Capel to be suspended for the first game of the ACC tourney though. Do they fine coaches at the college level or is that just a pro thing?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Correction, Simms fouled Odukale, not Coulibaly. But if you give Simms his fourth foul right there, who knows how the game may have transpired?

      Liked by 1 person

  80. So Pitt finished 12th in the ACC this season. One place better than the media and league coaches predicted.

    What are there, 14 teams in the ACC? The past two seasons, Capel steered these young men to last place finishes in the ACC. Improvement? You be the judge.

    Pitt is officially a bottom feeder in ACC basketball.

    And to think some of us used to call our university a basketball school.

    Watching Butler play Creighton with former Pitt commit Bryce Golden PF – boy could we use him right now. He has a nice shot from beyond the 3 point line.

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  82. I just got my Ambien in the mail today from Pitt. Makes it easy to sleep after a pitt sports weekend like this. I will need something stronger come football season however.

    💤
    🐑

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  83. The 3 point shot has changed BB so much since my days that many today have not seen what I call BB. The ACC announcers all seem to be old retired ACC players thus you get biased announcing not to mention the refs.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Got mine a few days ago Mark. PITT is also bombarding me with phone calls and emails about renewing up my tickets. My #1 priority is getting to Red 5-A first!

      Liked by 1 person

  85. I am concerned re: this new coach’s recruiting … does he have illusions of grandeur or is he onto something?????? 8th graders should be totally OFF-LIMITS… let the babies learn to read and write..: dont F#¥k with their heads…. DIV1 recruiting has no scruples …bastads

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      1. Ike, all I want is pitt football in the top 25 and a decent bowl

        All I want is pitt basketball in the top third of the ACC and a tourney appearance most years

        All I want is top third ranked among P5 for the directors cup

        I don’t think those are unreasonable expectations. But I don’t delude myself thinking that heather will get Pitt there.

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  87. I used to hear the same thing from my friends in Maryland, sure they left for more money, but it was easy because they hated the good ole boy network in the ACC.

    No doubt Pitt is responsible for the majority of its own problems, but the football schedule was a travesty this year when Pitt had a decent chance at a good season. The announcers are always one sided in both sports, it is like listening to Hillgrove in reverse.

    The refs are just awful in football and way too many calls have gone against Pitt in this year’s basketball season. No doubt in general better teams get fewer calls, but Capel expressed what many of us have been saying all year. It seemed like any time Pitt gained a little positive momentum, a call or a non-call happened.

    This has been a difficult year in many respects, lose your prize recruit for stupid off the court behavior, implement all of the Covid restrictions, have your schedule constantly amended, personally catch and battle covid, go on a losing streak after a good start, have your by far and away best player out with a knee injury, have to cut ties with two of your most productive players before the end of the season, prior to their senior seasons, and who knows what else behind the scenes that we don’t know about, while striking out so far on recruiting.

    I have seen guys lose it for a lot less.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Bobby Knight throwing a chair across the court, Woody Hays sucker punching an opposing player running down the sidelines.

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  90. “Thundering Herd IMMUNITY!!!!!!”

    My buddy just came back from three months living in Florida… It is fully open… Restaurants and bars are packed… Businesses are running wide-open… No need for all of this lockdown… Time to get back to a sold out 40,000 seat Heinz Field!

    Liked by 1 person

        1. South Korea has a population of 52 million and only 1600 covid related deaths. And you did reply
          so here’s a reply.

          The ignorance is all yours ! lol

          Like

          1. Hey PoD, you’re crossing the line here and you’re going to get this thread bounced and shut down.

            Like

          2. And do you know how they accomplished that and what they did can’t and won’t work here.

            Like testing, tracing, quarantine and mask wearing.

            They took it serious and had experience with a previous sars outbreak.

            You can take you non sports commentary elsewhere. You cant score cheap shots on people who take time to educate themselves.

            You saying what you did and is like saying let’s have Pitt follow the Alabama example. Apples and oranges. You do know the difference?

            Like

          3. And one more thing before I get off my high horse, you have no right to lecture a covid survivor.

            If anyone wants to know my experience, I’ll gladly share it with you personally.

            You don’t want to go through what I did for three weeks with symptoms that linger to this day.

            I wouldn’t wish it on JoePa. And that’s saying something. Well the live version of him. I’m personally glad I don’t have to listen to that old man anymore.

            Just stick to sports and leave non sports commentary out. This is an excellent site when we stick to sports even though we have major differences of opinion.

            Like

  92. HCJC was spot on with his rant about the flimsy TF’s being called on PITT. Some of them were borderline ridiculous (“and one” or hanging in the rim after a dunk for 1.5 seconds when a defender was trailing the play). I like the fire from JC on this. I don’t think he has lost this team because Champ showed great respect for the coach when he did not take the bait on that reporter’s question about foul calls. I guarantee you Champ is pissed about how he is being officiated lately. He knows the coach can call it out, but he can not.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Clemson couldn’t afford a bad loss to a scrub team like Pitt. And the ACC needs the extra
      money another NCAA tournament team provides. Every conf does it !

      Like

      1. I would think it would be pretty easy to perform a 30,000 foot view on whether any officiating bias exists when northern schools play southern and then when non ranked play ranked particularly near seasons end…last month.

        But if it exists in some degree which intuitively I think it does, is it material enough to change the outcome of games.

        I think Vegas factors all this stuff in. It might affect the spread on the margins.

        Bottom line – pitt has one ACC player and a Mac coach.

        Thanks heather

        Like

    1. I know.

      Capel has at least another year. Heather will leave before she has to cut anyone. She did that at eastern Michigan. Got out before things got real bad and left the painful and unpopular decisions to the new AD.

      I still think pitt will be forced to cut sports at pitt

      I still think heather will be at a big ten school within two years

      I still think pitt should consult with me on coaching candidates.

      Tex who does trust science but can’t resist a good Pitt conspiracy theory.

      Liked by 1 person

  97. There is nothing in Capel’s coaching ability that makes me believe he is any better than Narduzzi. Both leave a lot to be desired on that front. As far as recruiting Capel and Narduzzi are on par except that Capel can’t keep them from transferring out.

    Like

  98. Covid restrictions lifted or not next spring, pitt will have a tough time getting 50 percent capacity next year.

    I really don’t see Capel hitting the jackpot with transfers. More importantly, then those transfers playing together as a team with the right chemistry. Takes some time to blend together, learn the system and acclimate.

    Looking like heathers first big hire was a big mistake.

    Basketball might lose money next year. Typically it makes a few millions.

    And who said they would extend heather again. That comment less than 24 hours ago did not age well.

    Like

    1. I struggle to follow your logic, Tex. You rail against Heather in every other post but in the next breath you say you expect a Big 10 school to hire her in the next two years. ????

      Like

    2. The Pete at 50% is the only thing that put the heat on Lyke. And the fans who attend will make their disapproval known if next season is worse. I was reading about all the problems EMU had after she left.

      Like

  99. Two points: Any more discussion on Covid-19 on here and I’ll shut down the comments…at this point in time any discussions on it are all of a political bent.

    Secondly, for some reason some of the longer comments are being flagged for approval and I can’t figure out why. The contents don’t hold any of the banned subjects nor wordage…and it isn’t the same commenters (save for one earlier and that was fixed).

    So, if you write a comment that doesn’t post right away don’t automatically think you did something wrong- that probably is not the case.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. ^^^ another point; if a comment is held for very minor transgressions I most probably will just edit it to be able to post – so that’s why it might look different.

      Like

  101. Like with Pitt, PC is another major reason. Read the uniforms. We could have a huge discussion on what that means, which is the exact reason that the college presidents use language to mean whatever works best for them.

    Title IX equalized scholarship for athletic women to the athletic men in numbers, yet when you look at Title IX expansion into the AD space, it is not equal. The question is, should it be? The second question is why?To understand this, you need to understand that most Presidents and Chancellors are PhD’s, which means they research and look to data for the answers. Gallagher is no different. He uses data to guide his decisioning and to draw his own conclusions. The data suggests that females are not represented equally as AD’s. As such, he feels good about doing his part to influence future data and to hypothesize that he is ahead of the curb, when in fact, he forgot the most important part, qualifications.

    Had you compared our current AD’s resume’ against all the other candidates without identifying names and layed them out side by side, there is no way she came out on top (unless the search firm and hiring committee failed, which they may have done). Well, we know the committee failed just because one of the approvers was opportunistic and saw he could control his new boss. He did (see extension).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You can’t go wrong by hiring the best qualified candidate. Heather did not have the needed resume when she was hired.

      When she was hired, pitt pointed out the recent success of the EM men’s football team and her ability to get a donor to gift football two million dollars.

      Pitt failed to point out that eastern Michigan was one of the most highly subsidized departments in division one. Pitt failed to think strategically about their hiring decision. What is past is prologue.

      Eastern Michigan was forced to cut four successful secondary sports when heather left. The new AD commented that he didn’t realize things were this bad.

      Most companies these days do have pathways for certain historically disadvantaged groups to gain experience and build their resume.

      But yes the elephant in the room was diversity. And still is. Heather checks a certain box.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Since I’ve already supplied my candidate lists for football and basketball coaches, I’ll have five names for AD’s.

      Most will be assistant AD’s at tier one P5 schools I can tell you that right now. Pitt isn’t getting any existing AD from a P5 school.

      Like

  102. Pitt fails to take advantage of a very bad ACC this year

    Like

  103. Glad Capel outed the refs.

    They need to be called out publicly. Coach will mnage that with his kids.
    But then, Im not predisposed to thinking the coach can’t move PItt forward.

    Like

    1. Just by the eye test, there is bias. But all conferences have it. And it’s in football as well. Conferences do what they can to get as many teams into the playoffs. Did the officiating cost pitt the game. No.

      Did it cost Vegas money. Maybe.

      But what are solutions to prevent the bias.

      The way things are now, these umps, refs, officials are under pressure to call games a certain way. They might not have been directed directly so they have plausible deniability. But indirectly they know what their job is.

      I think all these officials or whatever you call them need to be
      Professionals, preferably full time
      Independent
      Report to a non conference separate body
      Be evaluated on performance

      That goes for football as well

      Capel just said out loud what we all already knew. He’s not at duke anymore. Different on this side ain’t it Jeff?

      Like

  104. Wanted to mention that I used Fire TV to get the game on ESPN+ yesterday.

    But on my other smart TV’s wasn’t able to get it through PrimeTV. Not sure why, when they are both
    Amazon.

    Like

  105. Again
    The refs consistently make bad calls against Pitt in both football and basketball. Pitt also has terrible schedules every year.
    What we don’t know is what it took to get into the ACC. If I was negotiating the original deal I would have rolled over on all of it to get in.
    You have to take lousy schedule/ done
    bad calls/ no problem
    lousy bowl slot/ done
    ok you are in
    Fine I will sign
    Pitt would be UCONN without the ACC

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s about a $25 million dollar difference in conference payouts each year. And that’s even before the ACCN starts making money.

      UConn still beat Pitt in the Directors Cup though. 🤠

      Like

      1. UConn also beat Pitt for Hurley, Heather’s first choice. Of course he knows they are OK with cheating….

        Like

  106. A heads up on the ACC Basketball tournament: Pitt’s game on Tuesday will be on the ACC Network. If they move on to Wednesday, that game would also be on ACCN. The tourney doesn’t move to ESPN until Thursday’s games.

    Like

  107. OT for boxing fans…ABC showing Ali / Frazier 1 digitally remastered at 2pm today.

    Like

  111. Erie — meant to post a big thank you to you for actually posting something about the players on the football team. So refreshing on here.

    I agree that the safeties are a concern. What bothers me is that even when we had two excellent athletes at safety in Paris and Lamar, we were still consistently beaten on deep passes. And routes out of the backfield continue to go for TDs.

    I know it’s tough to cover wheel-routes because you’re trying to cover a tailback, who is probably near the best and fastest athlete on the field. (I remember Zeise trying to stay with Barkley, e.g. ).

    Which raises the question of why we don’t take advantage of wheel-routes?

    Anyway, thanks again Erie!

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Spring camp starts next week – anyone going to watch any practices?

      Is there a date set for the Spring game yet?

      Like

  113. I actually posted a recap yesterday of the Clemson game but it disappeared into the Ethernet. Before I redo my thoughts, I want to tell you I will do a post season summary after our last ACC Game, either Tuesday or most probably Wednesday.

    I want to touch on a couple of questions by Joel but first let me say that Capel was more than justified going off on the refs. I counted 9 homer calls, 4 of which the replays showed what homers they are. Let me tell you. if your a ref and you want to turn the game to one team, you first call 3-4 horrible calls on the home team early, then start into the team you want to kill! If I were coaching Pitt, I would have been T’d up at least 4 x. Then on top of that, I have to listen to homer ACC announcers following a replay tell me I hadn’t seen what (I actually saw) actually was in the replay! I’ve had it with the ACC. I do know why Maryland left the ACC and that was the main reason. It’s not just basketball. It’s football and baseball and wrestling!
    I really wish Pitt had never joined.

    Now to the game….. JoeL asked me what I thought of Capel’s strategy as I know we blame the coach for everything.. Clemson is one of the bottom ACC teams at shooting 3’s so Capel opened with a 2-3 Zone.
    In a 2-3 zone our defenders never go outside the three point line.and clog the inside lanes. Well not only did Pitt do that but they left shooters wide (and I mean wide) open. I’m 70 and can still make 6-10 from three land if no one covers me at all.!! So Clemson, who had Senior Night with a upper class physical team, came our psyched and hit I think 8-9 three’s to start. Then PITT came back with a press and 6 steals to get within 2 at the half. My beef with Capel is that PItt had never once played that zone all year.

    Pitt had 4 chances to tie the game early second half but missed two bunnies and a three. Then Pitt went down 5 and came back to a 2 point deficit. For the rest of the second half it was “men against boys” as Clemson asserted their will on Pitt. We simply don’t have the “horses”to play with Clemson.
    At every ebb, when it looked like PItt would get back in it,came another homer atrocious ref call. And the thing is Clemson did not need them to beat Pitt.

    My last point is that Capel’s recruiting leaves a lot to be desired. Its year 4 now. Yesterday there were at least four ACC teams who’s bench second fives that could beat our starting five straight up. I know there have been a ton of extenuating circumstances. and I will not nitpick Capel but don’t get me wrong. The buck stops with him!!

    Capel is responsible for this entire situation. Period!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Maryland left for the bigger payout. Not saying there weren’t other reasons. But the primary reason was an extra $20 million per year.

      Pitt will only be in the ACC for another 5 years anyway.

      Those who pay attention know why.

      Like

      1. They needed to leave because they mismanaged their finances so badly, that had to have that extra dough to survive.

        Like

  114. That’s as angry as I’ve ever been at Pitt/Capel Basketball. Pitt got slaughtered second half and just gave up! Like all Pitt fans at the end of basketball or football, my hopes have been dashed.
    I’ve had it and that lack of effort was about the last straw.

    Like

  115. I’ve long contended in FB especially, that Pitt gets Yamkee treatment by the refs when the game is on the the line, but if they get the opportunity late in the game the refs will give some soft calls to Pitt to seemingly even things up, but only once the outcome of the game is no longer in jeopardy. Very frustrating.

    Liked by 2 people

  116. I would not be surprised to see Champagnie get ACC player of the year to help move him on to the NBA as he would have less to play for at the collegiate level…..like Tex I dabble in conspiracy theory.

    Like

    2. He won’t even be in the top 3 – I listen to Mark Packer a lot and for the past two weeks he has discounted Champ as “was in the running”. There is a guy from Louisville, Florida State and Duke that seem to have traction for the POY award.

      BTW – GTech is the #4 seed in the ACC tournament. Go figure – what year is coach P in now?

      Like

    3. Craig Meyer from PG ballot:

      POY: Moses Wright
      ROY: Scottie Barnes
      DPOY: Jay Huff
      COY: Mike Young
      Most improved: Justin Champagnie

      1st team: Wright, Champagnie, Huff, Carlik Jones, Keve Aluma

      2nd team: Matthew Hurt, Sam Hauser, Jose Alvarado, RaiQuan Gray, Aamir Simms

      Like

  117. If it’s that bad then the northern directors need to prove it. That’s a tough burden. And conference membership suicide.

    So you need to have a team that can withstand it. Pitt would have lost yesterday even with the refs help. They stink period. Same goes for football. Enough of the whining.

    Again, you know my solution. Is it feasible? Not my job. It’s the lady who hides in the basement and jets off to OBX when things get bad.

    Like

  118. And old grand fart, I would say something nice and positive about Pitt if Pitt ever gave me the chance. Can’t sugar coat this season for football or basketball.

    There is a common denominator.

    Tex who has riddicks number on speed dial.

    Like

  119. Seems to me that Pitt BB will struggle until we can put on the floor a center who is able to at least nullify our opponents center. Against Clemson – and I didn’t see the game, just heard it on the radio – it sounded like we tried to double Clemson’s center (which probably was the best coaching decision since the announcers claimed he leads them in about every offensive category), but that is going to leave someone open.

    An advantage of having the talent at center that we don’t have…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  120. So some just can’t bring yourselves to give credit to the coach for recruiting Champ? Like a single pane glass door, you’re easy to see through.

    Liked by 1 person

  122. Pitt administrators(Heather & Atom Boy) left their basketball HC, hang out to dry.

    Not a good look. But one that should be anticipated from the Culture of Mediocrity Club.

    Again, why should anyone care anymore ? Only one worth a dang is EJ.
    The rest can take a long walk on a short pier. They are only collegiate mercenaries.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Just like when the administration called a press conference after the SI article came out in 2010. Laughable, but that’s poorly run Pitt for you.

      Word has been out for years about coaching at Pitt. Agents won’t let their clients near the job. We saw that when Dixon left and no one wanted the job. Thirteen NCAAs in the prior 15 years meant nothing. Football has the same problem but also has those yellow seats hanging over.

      Like

      1. And Hurley chose UConn in a garbage conference instead of Pitt. This is why I liked Heather for landing Capel….no good coach wants to come here and yet she found a possible good one.

        First they thought we were cheap (not anymore), and they also all know we don’t cheat nor do we have rich boosters to pad their pockets. That narrows down the field down to about 5-10% of available coaching candidates….all who turn out to be stepping stone assistants.

        It has nothing to do with facilities….they are top notch here, it’s money and cheating that coaches want..especially in basketball.

        Now we need to find who all are paying off these awful refs in the ACC…. 😉

        Like

    2. Atom man knows diddly about sports but he can probably administer the academics side just fine. I’m not worried about my degree turning into toilet paper.

      Heather is the mercenary. She has no ties to Pitt or PA. Her goal is to go back to the big ten and use Pitt. But athletics at Pitt will not be the same after she leaves. Again, look what happened at EMU. Past is prologue.

      Like

    3. They crucified him with their public statement.

      If I didn’t have the support of my boss, I’d resign.

      Heather obviously doesn’t support him if pitt made a public announcement. That should have been a private conversation.

      Let the ACC deliver something public.

      Now Pitt looks like the bad guy

      Further evidence that heather is grossly incompetent and should be removed from office.

      Is there some amendment that can be invoked?

      Like

  123. They are just trying to put the issue to bed as quickly as possible, which is prudent.

    Like

    1. He said what he said in the heat of the moment, pretty sure if he had time to cool down he wouldn’t have gone there. As a fan I’m glad he said what we all know to be true, but it won’t change a thing.

      Liked by 1 person

  124. Heather won’t back him because she doesn’t have the support of other directors and she doesn’t have the receipts. It would be conference suicide to support Capel with his accusation. It would be like believing in a conspiracy theory. I can totally understand why nothing will be said and it will be forgotten and swept under the porch.

    But like I said, it doesn’t mean northern directors can’t have conversations and develop a game plan for collecting evidence.

    Like

    1. An extremely difficult evaluation and impossible to prove.
      What gets called what doesn’t get called and when it it gets called.
      That is the problem with all sports is that refs can and do affect outcomes
      whether intentional or not is impossible to prove.
      Of course just like players you have talented and not so talented refs.
      At best you may be able to discern some patterns.

      Coaches have to recognize how a game is being called and make appropriate
      adjustments. Are the refs heavy handed or light touch. Some of the best coaches really knew how to work the refs, you don’t see that as much these days.

      It would be interesting with all the new technology could some type of program be developed to evaluate the referees performance, tendencies etc.

      Unfortunately so many calls are subjective, for example how many times did our great D-ends get held without calls? It did seem that defensive backs were getting away with a lot more this year vs the last few years.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Will be tough to prove without a smoking gun. Pitt just needs a better coach and players to overcome the refs. And it’s not always the refs working against pitt. The majority of the time they call a fair and balanced game and sometimes Pitt is the beneficiary. Too much complaining by Capel makes him a whiny baby. Maybe that’s his new nickname. 🤔

        Like

  125. Pitt issues this statement. Colleges rarely if ever do this. 99 percent of the time it is issued by the conference.

    What is Pitt thinking? Let’s just roll over? Let’s just throw our coaches under the bus?

    Have you no shame miss yellow blouse?

    Like

    1. I worked in Corporate Communications at two Fortune 500 companies. Here’s my take on this apology. This is a non-apology apology. Communication apologizes for what Coach Capel did, not what he said. My translation of the first paragraph: Coach Capel violated some rules. Second paragraph: Coach is sad that he violated some rules and has since apologized to offended parties for breaking the rules. Third paragraph: Pitt has no further comment. This communication contains no heartfelt apology for what is said, just checking the boxes of an apology for breaking the rules. PS. Give’em hell, coach.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree Hobie….a non apology apology. Nothing more. Let’s not get our xxx’s in an uproar over such small things. Champ is a shell of what he was first 10 games. .d

        Like

    2. Please go back and see my comment on March 6, 2021. I indicated that Pitt and Capel would issue an apology. Pitt is awful. No backbone.

      If you wanna watch a really good show on ACC refereeing, watch the Duke 30 year reunion story of coach k. I think it was 30 years. Anyway, Bilas was on that team. I believe it was coach k’s third year. During a reunion with his players, they talked openly about the NC reffing bias. Everyone knew it. They decided as a team to do something about it. They did. You earn respect by doing, not running your flippin traps/pieholes.

      Capel could learn from coach k here. Duke overcame that bias and capel was the beneficiary as player and coach. Instead of showing leadership, he lost control. Now it is easier to see why X was out of control. Too much me going on at Pitt. Funny thing is that our coaches are under ZERO pressure to win. Zero. That, in and of itself, is the problem. The AD allows this to happen. She doesn’t know how to stop the aw flapping because she doesn’t have their respect. She doesn’t have their respect because she didn’t earn it.

      Liked by 1 person

  127. There is too much paranoia among some on this site. I don’t believe Pitt is being singled out by refs. Maybe Champ is not being as aggressive due to injury. And what evidence is there that Heather secretly wants to bolt to the Big 10? I think the simple fact is that Pitt has joined a top conference where everyone is trying to win. PN is making progress and Capel will get there in time. The best days of BB and FB are ahead of us. Constant criticism of Heather is not productive or warranted.

    Like

    1. You lost your cred when you said PN is making progress. Like improving on being even more mediocre if that’s even possible. He’s a .552 career coach. I guess he can shoot for .500

      Like

    2. U fine with Pitt throwing their coach under the bus? No school does this when a coach complains about the refs…except Pitt.

      Is Pitt worried they might get booted from the ACC if they don’t lick the boots of ACC brass.

      Pathetic is what Pitt just did. That’s on Heather.

      Like

    3. You could have written the same comment in 1991, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016. The problem is not your spirit of optimism. As fans, we naturally bring optimism to the game. For Pitt, the problem is the optimism is rarely borne out by success – Cincy 2009, Villanova 2009, Stallings 0-18, etc., 2018 Coastal co-champs blown out by Penn State, UCF, and Clemson. Narduzzi makes the same mistakes every season. Dropped passes and penalties galore. Maybe that will change in 2021. Your optimism demands that it does. Capel? Just don’t see anything there to be optimistic about. Three seasons of pretty much non-stop losing after mid-January. A team that does not, at least the most highly recruited players, want to play for him. That is a big problem. I guess the degree of optimism just depends on expectations.

      Like

  129. Perhaps Heather wanted to get ahead of the conference, much like schools that declare violations and self imposed punishment to get ahead of the NCAA.

    You can’t defend the indefensible. Public criticism of referees is never going to be backed by any institution.

    If Heather said the sky is blue, Tex would say it is yellow.

    Like

    1. Pitt should have said nothing. Private conversation with Capel. Let the ACC handle the public stuff. Heather needs removed from office. Is there some 25th amendment that EJ can use?

      Like

    3. Well if Tex roamed the sideline at Steeler Stadium on saturdays and looked skyward, he probably would think the sky is yellow……..or maybe it would just be the empty yellow seat attraction.

      Tex may also have some implicit bias by actually thinking if he looked into the sky he would also see the sun, which I think, kind of looks yellow, but to be candid, just haven’t seen much of it to be sure. Perhaps the grey skies and grey outlook of Pitt Sports under this current administration provided the impetus for our grey uniforms, instead of those vibrant bright colors they could wear.

      This commentator was not paid, nor the content approved, by the one referred to as Tex. Just pointing out that there could be some reason for color issues.

      Like

  131. Guys , you are putting way too much emphasis on the Pitt press release slapping Capel’s hand for complaining. It’s basically a form letter that, I wouldn’t be shocked to learn, is probably drafted by the NCAA to use for any school that had a situation like we just saw. Fill in the blanks type release.

    What might have pissed off the ACC though is that Capel, when questioned if he had made his concerns clear to the ACC head office, said ‘I did and nothing happened.‘ (to paraphrase).

    That one sentence couldn’t be left hanging without some sort of action taken by the ACC & Pitt. Not that I agree with the press release but as most things the Pitt admin does it means almost nothing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think Reed’s right. I worked in Corporate Communications at two Fortune 500 companies. Here’s my take on this apology. This is a non-apology apology. Communication apologizes for what Coach Capel did, not what he said. My translation of the first paragraph: Coach Capel violated some rules. Second paragraph: Coach is sad that he violated some rules and has since apologized to offended parties for breaking the rules. Third paragraph: Pitt has no further comment. This communication contains no heartfelt apology for what is said, just checking the boxes of an apology for breaking the rules. PS. Give’em hell, coach. PPS. Posted this earlier, but this seems like a better spot for it.

      Like

      2. Then why apologize at all. It’s either a real one or it’s not…period

        Again few if any schools would have bothered saying anything publicly. Before their conference issued something. Are u saying all other schools are wrong.

        Seriously show me one school that does this. Again, guys in the media and on internet land that know more than me also find it strange and suspect to say the least.

        I don’t know how it helps the situation. This was not a big enough deal to go through all this trouble. I think Pitt over reacted and it will come back to bite them.

        Like

    2. But reed, it’s out there. Name one school that publicly slams their coach for complaining. And frankly justifiably so. It just doesn’t happen unless you are Pitt. I’m not the only one saying this.

      It’s a highly unusual and questionable move to make. Perception is also reality. Pitt never learns. That’s a problem.

      That’s why most pitt head coaching jobs are toxic

      Capel was the best pitt could get?

      I won’t even go where you know I could go.

      Like

      1. Pitt could only get ‘damaged goods’. As natebailey4 pointed out, nobody is flooding Pitt with
        requests to be either the Football or the basketball coach, as it’s well known….Pitt’s administrators
        won’t back the coach (more likely stab him in the back ala Wanny) and won’t play the game to actually
        be a contender.

        I coulda been a contender, I coulda been some somebody, instead of a bum…which is what I am.

        Like

        1. Is that perception still true? Capel has job security until 2026 and so dues Narduzzi. Both are well compensated considering their win-loss records. Heather is no Steve Pederson. It takes a long time for perceptions to change.

          Like

  132. Capel just told the truth. It is about time he stood up. Heather did what she had to and supports him behind the scenes. Don’t read too much into the statement. Had a conversation with a Syracuse alum and he asked me if we feel that we are getting screwed by the refs in fb and bb except when we play them and bc. It is not only Pitt fans that feel that way.

    Like

  134. OK – here’s the new censoring stance on the POV.

    Anyone who says “bunnies” for a layup or dunk gets banned for a month.

    Same punishment for:

    Bigs: meaning taller players

    Wiggle: Being able to maneuver in and out of defenders with the basketball.

    Putting ‘em on skates: When you dribble past a defender, making him look like he’s on skates (falling).

    Making it rain: When a player or team is making shots left right and centre. It’s like he/they can’t miss. You just can’t stop scoring.

    Dropping dimes: Fancy passes.

    A dagger: A shot that puts the game out of reach. Often in the final moments of the game.

    Wedgie: The ball gets stuck between the basket and the backboard.

    Block City: When players are blocking their opponents successfully and consistently.

    Take it to the rack: Taking the ball to the hoop.

    Granny Shot: Taking a shot underarm rather than the traditional way of shooting hoops above the head.

    Sincerely,

    Reed – an Old School BB player

    Like

  135. We are a northern school in a southern conference but we need the money. Remember why MD left the ACC and it was not only for B10 money.

    Like

    1. It was mainly for the money but they did feel like a northern step child even though they are technically southern based on geography…mason Dixon line.

      But now they are just a bastard in the big ten.

      Like

      1. Maryland was a founding member of the ACC. They left for ONE reason- money. And it backfired from a success standpoint. Football was rarely relevant but the once proud basketball program is a sad joke.

        There’s no question the ACC repeatedly screws the Northern teams, or just ignores them. But Maryland was not treated that way. This was simply a money grab.

        Like

        1. Notre Dame seems to make out all right. And they even wear blue and gold.

          Maybe Pitt should become a Religious college. haha

          Like

  136. Maryland was a founding member of the ACC. They left for ONE reason- money. And it backfired from a success standpoint. Football was rarely relevant but the once proud basketball program is a sad joke.

    There’s no question the ACC repeatedly screws the Northern teams, or just ignores them. But Maryland was not treated that way. This was simply a money grab.

    Like

  138. Our Blue & Gold Union suits will never go over big in the ACC. Maybe we should change the school
    colors. How about Pink & Purple. The national media will love us (for a change).

    I’m sure the southern folk get a charge out of Pickett as well. Well maybe not so much.

    Like

    1. It’s just based on hires of football and basketball. Doesn’t delve into extensions.

      Moreover doesn’t analyze fundraising, revenues, finances, attendance, brand, performance across all sports, capital projects, etc

      Weak analysis if you ask me. I’ve already graded her out on many metrics and have shared it. I never did any comparison. That would have taken me a good month.

      Now if five cases of balcones arrived on my door step, I’ll have an article for you in three weeks.

      🥃

      Like

  142. I’ve researched five P5 schools in the big ten and ACC. Looked at staffing in the administration. Deputy directors. Senior associates. Etc. Every school has different titles for those 3-4 individuals that report directly to the AD. The right hand men and women.

    I’ve read their bios, gone to their LinkedIn, read published articles where they were quoted. I came away very unimpressed.

    I’ve decided it’s a futile effort at finding the next AD through this research and analysis.

    It’s riddick or bust. Make him an offer he can’t refuse and surround him with the very best people. Find the money.

    Tex who wasted five long hours at night doing this.

    Like

  143. Now granted there may be a current AD at a Mac or aac school.

    But when are we going to start saying the empiress has no blouse.

    Like

  144. The list on athletic directors is so bs. How do you rate the Clemson AD at 8. He has maintained the program in fb and his bb team is pretty good. Other sports are also very good. Can’t rate ADs only on fb and bb hires. Not worth the paper it is printed on.

    Like

    1. I agree.

      But directors are judged primarily on those hires. Why. Because those sports make the money and subsidize everyone else. That’s your brand right there.

      But a directors job is more than just hiring coaches.

      I’m just pointing out an article to defend my self from those who think I have it out for heather.

      Tex – who wants heather fired and will use any validation and dirt against her.

      Like

  145. Tex, I will go you one further. There is a P5 AD whose sole pre-AD job was to plan the schedule for football and basketball. That was his entire job function.

    However, the conference plans the majority of the schedule, so this particular person was only responsible for 3-4 OOC football game rent a wins and the 10-12 OOC bball games, yet he got a P5 AD job after three years of doing that, with a huge endorsement. This is not a joke. Hiring committees and Presidents often look to who refers a candidate versus what the candidate accomplishes.

    Noone on those committees is capable enough to ask difficult questions and to understand if they are getting fed a bunch of bunk, or not. The paying fans get hosed. The brand gets damaged. They take care of themselves at the expense of the paying fan. Investing in Pitt sports without representation for 35 years!

    Like

    1. I crap you not. I went though this exercise. I’m amazed at the lack of talent supporting directors in college sports. I’m sure pitt is no exception. Heather needs some strong players on the team. I think that is a main reason why she is failing. And that’s not a harsh word but very accurate.

      Narduzzi also fails because he doesn’t have the right staff. You could probably make a case for Capel as well.

      The more I think about it. You need someone with pitt passion first. Then surround that person with the very best money can buy. Pitt has plenty of Pitt people that can learn on the job with the proper support.

      I personally would not have done what Pitt did in releasing that statement. Is Capel a whiny little baby playing the victim? Yes. But I wouldn’t have thrown him under the bus.

      That’s showing no respect to the man. You don’t do that to family.

      Like

  146. Pitt gets plenty of calls their way. They just can’t make the shots.

    Capel looking more like just a plain old loser as the evidence comes in.

    Like

  147. And yes before you jump on poor ole Tex, I understand that it’s when those fouls get called that really matters. But Pitt is getting the calls. Just might not be at the right times.

    Capel should have stayed silent. Pitt should have not released a statement. Two dummies. What does that make?

    Like

    1. Miami has one their star guards(McGusty) back from injury A guard oriented team, with not much of a frontcourt. Plus they shoot the 3, very poorly, next to last in the ACC at only 31%.
      Miami has lost 10 of their last 12 games.

      So Pitt couldn’t have gotten a better draw. Wonder how the game will be ref’d now since Capel’s
      outburst ?

      Like

  150. The transfer portal was flooded today with more players entering. How many are ACC worthy and Capel can snag? If Justin turns pro we’re looking at a year four similar to Capel’s year one. How pathetic would that be? How this staff has zero commits in its third year is totally baffling.

    Like

    1. We are looking at Stallings all over again.

      Who hired this bum?

      We need a nickname from UPitt for him. He damn well has deserved it.

      Like

  151. Transfers are not the answer.

    Too many big holes. Pitt will only get better through solid recruiting of talent in needed positions. That will literally take years. And Capel already blew his first few years.

    So is this guy and his staff, including his tag along brother, worth ten million plus dollars over the next three years until Pitt sniffs a NCAA bid.

    Horrible hire and you don’t need to ask me…I’ll say it anyway. I gave the bum a shot. He blew it.

    Heather has my list. She’s afraid to read it.

    Like

  152. It also doesn’t look good that even on the fouls that got called, Pitt was almost dead last (next to) in
    FT Shooting %. At only 67%

    Also sort of makes Capel look bad, as Pitt shot the MOST FT’s(341) in ACC conf. games.
    Roughly 170 more FT’s than the conf’s best team, Virginia, who only shot 172.

    That’s a whole lot more fouls called.

    Actually after watching most of the games, a lot of games, Pitt would have been blown out, without
    the trips to the charity stripe. And at the end of many games, Pitt could have won, but again
    didn’t deliver at the charity stripe.

    So Capel had to known, seen.. these teams stats many times during the season, and seen how
    Pitt shooters were the benefactors of the most fouls called against ACC opponents.

    Like

    1. In the heat of the moment, Capel lost it. The very same thing may have happened a few weeks prior – (just speculating) In the heat of the moment, Capel lost it and that is why 2 of your best three players jumped to the portal.

      There is talk often about how undisciplined Narduzzi’s teams are – Capel’s team may lead the conference in technicals this season and he may lead the coaches with the most – could not find back-up to that speculation, just going by the games I watched.

      Like

      1. Both of Pitts coaches are hot heads. They can’t keep their emotions in check. Players pick up on that and they too become undisciplined and not mentally focused.

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  153. Instead of Capel whining, I think a few posters have been whining way too much about this orchestrated reprimand for him spouting off on the officials. For one thing the entire issue is bogus as mentioned above in another post. Pitt shoots plenty of foul shots, and needs to make more of them to win games. Having been a ref, I know that the refs’ major focus is on how much and when they will be paid.

    The refs don’t sit around deciding on how to screw Pitt, which is only one of 15 teams and a mediocre one at that. It defies logic to assume that any ref would single them out- what’s to be gained? Champ doesn’t draw fouls because he has not been aggressive enough around the rim, that is all there is to it. Maybe he is playing for his numbers, and knows that getting into foul trouble will not help the cause.

    And this paranoia over Northern schools and the ACC is over the top. Winning takes care of things, folks. UNC and Duke will not rule forever once their coaches retire. Things change, and as FSU has shown others will take their place.

    And as for Heather, did it ever occur to Tex and others that Pitt got exactly who they wanted when they hired her? Many schools have Presidents and Chancellors who want to call the shots in the athletics area, and a strong, experienced, successful AD from another school would never take the job. They hired Heather because athletics will never run things at Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitt got who they wanted

      Someone cheap
      Someone diverse
      Someone who would not be a bold risk taker
      Someone who knew compliance

      Frankly the wrong criteria for an AD

      But these are Pitts criteria to ensure mediocrity and to keep athletics from excelling

      Pitt fans are cheated

      Like

  154. No bigs, just one good player in Justin who can shoot.

    No good big in this program since Zanna, back in 2013-14. Pathetic.

    Why can’t Capel recruit a couple of shooters? He knows the importance. It is like the football program not hitting on a good QB who elevates the program.

    Like

  155. Here’s an interesting factoid. We all know over the years Duke has been known to get
    the benefactor of the refs. But it was hardly the case in the Pitt game vs Duke this year.

    Pitt won the game by 6 points via the Charity Stripe.

    Pitt was 24 of 37 from the Stripe. (again not a great % of only 65%) but sheer volume won it.

    Duke was only 11 of 19 (an even worse % of a gross 58%) For a team that shot 71% in conf games.
    That had to be Duke’s worst FT shooting game of the season.

    Duke’s FG shooting % was also dreadful, had to be a season low of 38%, when their conf avg
    was 4th in the Conf. at 47%.

    So Pitt outscored Duke by 13 at the stripe and the difference in the final score was 6 points.

    Charity is nice. Capel should be grateful.

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  156. There are some bad calls that do go against Pitt at critical times in the game. My eyes see some bias going on. Most likely because the ACC needs as many teams in the tournament as possible for the money.

    But then pitt is the most fouled team in the ACC. Pitt is one of the poorest teams shooting their frees.

    Capel blew up and said out loud what was on everyone’s mind

    Pitt took the unusual step of publicly shaming their coach and throwing him under the bus

    Pitt has become a dumpster fire. Not just in basketball.

    I now think that even Riddick with an offer he couldn’t refuse, would actually refuse.

    Like

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