in Pitt Football 887 Words

POV Bits and Pieces; 4/22/21

Discuss please...

Trib: Pitt holds annual draft for Saturday’s Blue-Gold spring game (Greg Macafee)

“The teams have been chosen for Pitt’s Blue-Gold spring game, which is set to take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Heinz Field.

Defensive coordinator Randy Bates will head the Blue team, which will be captained by quarterback Kenny Pickett and cornerback Damarri Mathis. Tight ends coach Tim Salem will lead the Gold team, with tight end Lucas Krull and linebacker Phil Campbell as captains. Etc…

Pitt volleyball players make program history with All-America selections (Macafee)

“Pitt volleyball’s historic season reached another milestone moment Wednesday when two players were named to the All-America second team for the first time in program history.

Senior outside hitter Kayla Lund was named to the All-America second team for the second straight season and became the first player in Pitt history to receive the honor twice in a collegiate career. She was joined on the All-America second team by senior right-side hitter Chinaza Ndee, who earned her first selection after earning an honorable mention nod in 2019. Etc…

This is a great piece from The Pitt News and it’s subject matter isn’t all that unique at Pitt but Idoko is a shining example of success:

Ron Idoko: Lifting Up Those Around Him

Pitt football taught Ron Idoko lessons that still impact him long after he’s finished playing.

Idoko played for the Panthers at defensive tackle from 2002-05, walking on in his first semester at Pitt and eventually earning an athletic scholarship.

“I really understood the value of teamwork and dedication … as a walk-on, you really have to scrap,” Idoko said. “You know you’ve gotta grind a lot to get results.”

Idoko obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pitt, graduating with a degree in communication in 2005, before earning a master’s in public administration, regional and urban affairs two years later.

Idoko emphasized the importance of work ethic frequently, as did Penny Semaia, his former teammate turned professional colleague. Semaia, Pitt’s senior associate athletic director for student life, knows how hard Idoko works firsthand, both in their work with the University and as workout partners. Etc. (Please keep reading this article...)

Staff Q&A: Pitt football prepares for 2021 Spring Game:

“By Dalton Coppola, Kyle Saxon, and Eddie Lasker
APRIL 21, 2021

As this semester winds down, the Pitt community looks toward the future.

For Pitt football, that means preparing for the annual Spring Game at Heinz Field this Saturday. In anticipation of the coming exhibition, TPN senior staff writers Dalton Coppola and Kyle Saxon, alongside staff writer Eddie Lasker, give their answers to the most pressing questions facing the Panthers as they conclude spring practices.

What Pitt football storyline most intrigues you entering this year’s Spring Game? (Player, position group, area of interest, etc):

Dalton Coppola: Pitt will have senior Kenny Pickett under center for at least one more season, but the question of who will succeed him lingers. Redshirt sophomore Joey Yellen filled in for an injured Pickett in two games last year and his performance was underwhelming, to say the least — it seems Pickett’s heir apparent was not rostered at the time.

Pitt fans can look to early enrollee Nate Yarnell, a three-star recruit out of Texas, as one potential replacement. The Spring Game will give Panther fans an early glimpse of what life after Pickett may hold.

Kyle Saxon: The loss of multiple starters will put an enhanced amount of pressure on the 2021 Panther offensive line. Redshirt senior Owen Drexel appears to be former star Jimmy Morrissey’s successor at center, and junior Jake Kradel is solidified as a starting guard, but the remaining starters are not finalized. Etc. Etc… Etc…!

More great Pitt News writing:

Column | Final year with Pickett provides chance to return to former glory

By Dalton Coppola , Senior Staff Writer
APRIL 21, 2021

“Spring sports wrapping up, Pitt students moving back home for the summer and the weather warming up all mean one thing — college football is back on the horizon. The Panthers are preparing to conclude their spring practices with a final scrimmage in their annual spring game at Heinz Field on Saturday.

Pitt is coming off of a 6-5 season that was the embodiment of average — there wasn’t much to get excited about. The Panthers rattled off three eye-opening wins to start the season, earning the No. 21 ranking in the country before losing four straight games and falling into a tailspin back toward college football mediocrity — a state Panther fans have become well accustomed to in recent decades, as the program has reached the 10 win threshold just once this century.”

Etc…

Here are some past headlines from The Pitt News that we all probably missed and the full page of their sports pieces:

Pitt’s men’s soccer earns a #2 seed in NCAA Tournament

Panthers fans share drinking traditions before games at Heinz Field

Final NFL Draft prediction of Pitt Stars

Pitt fans must embrace Notre Dame rivalry

…And my favorite from The Pitt News

The love/hate relationship between Pitt fans and Pat Narduzzi

Here is the Pitt News newsletter subscription site – free and fantastic sports coverage (it is at the bottom of this page.)

PITT NEWS NEWSLETTER

HTP!

220 thoughts on “POV Bits and Pieces; 4/22/21”

  2. I really could care less about the spring game. I care about the real ones in 6 months. And the real starters and real plays at that point. But have fun for anyone attending.

    Pitt men’s soccer has their first playoff game on Sunday May 2 at 8 pm. It will be against a Mac scrub. Men’s soccer isnt peaking or on a roll like volleyball was heading into the playoffs. They are going to face more physical teams and I do question Pitts toughness. They are very skilled and can be explosive offensively. Can they take a good punch and gut it out. You’ll have your answer after the first few games. I expect Pitt to play Washington in the quarters, elite 8. I expect the men to avenge the women. Pitt received a great draw as a number two seed in their bracket.

    Baseball doesn’t start ACC championships until around Memorial Day. By then hopefully pitt will still be ranked and there is no doubt that they will get invited to regionals. Pitt had a chance to submit a bid to host, what happened? Regional play begins in early June I believe. Then on to super regionals and then the college World Series. Pitt baseball has been consistent. And in a good way. They are mentally tough to come back once down. Very good trait to have.

    And when was the last time Pitt had an athlete ranked in the top ten in the world. You might have to go back to roger kingdom. Well pitt has a decathelete that could just bring glory to Pitt and Germany this summer in Japan.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. As a big soccer fan, glad the super league is dead, for now at least. It’s a dumb idea. And it’s hard to call a league a “super league” when at least one of the teams in it hasn’t won anything meaningful in 60 years (Tottenham), several others are only super because they are hundreds (and hundreds) of millions in debt, and it doesn’t include one of the top 2 teams in the world (Bayern). The point of it isn’t to improve the product, it’s to make more money for those specific clubs.

      Like

      1. It’s all about greed. Who cares about the small markets and fans. The four American billionaires who own the English teams were driving the idea. It would has destroyed the English pyramid. Look it up non football fans.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I believe that while some of the schools might want the extra $, it will dilute the inventory of programming for the carriers. Blowouts among the “elite” FB schools will still happen, making some of those games not interesting.

      Then, there are all the P5 schools left behind. Whose gonna watch Miss State’s games when they are in a depleted SEC when one could watch Bama play WVU?

      There is revenue maximization for some schools and then there is revenue optimization for the carriers. I think optimization prevails.

      And really happy to see greed take a hit in Europe. Glad we will still see a team like Leicester City have a chance and a second tier team move up from time to time. Its better for the fans. (and I adopted Liverpool btw)

      Like

  7. Huh, apparently Reed isn’t the only one who feel outlier stats should be accounted for…

    “KS: There is no question that Vincent Davis currently sits atop the Panthers’ depth chart. While Davis culminated his 2020 season with an electrifying 247-yard performance at Georgia Tech, this stellar showing overshadows a largely underwhelming sophomore campaign.”

    Davis was 143 carries for 632 yards (4.4 ypc) and 6 TDs on the season. Is that good for a CFB P5 RB? Maybe – the standard is 5.0 ypc so he was close…

    However take away that last 247 yard game and this is what he gave us in the remaining 10 games:

    118 carries for 385 yards (3.2 ypc) and 5 TDs. In other words he pretty much sucked if we are discussing His overall play as a starting RB. Almost 2 yards per carry under the 5.0 benchmark in those first 10 games is just poor rushing.

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    1. That’s why explosive barry sanders isn’t in my top five running backs of all time.

      Negative carries kills drives. Alters the next play called significantly. And when you need four yards and only get three and are forced to punt.

      Consistency matters. That is the simple one word definition of quality.

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      1. I take naming right to flea…..

        Flea reminded me of a kid that took jiu jitsue with my boys and he was the runt in his family. He was light on his feet and could occasionally step up and deliver a blow, but for the most part, an ineffective nuisance. Hence, flea!

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  8. “3.2 yards and a cloud of dust” isn’t getting it done VD…his final game looked good but I think GT probably quit which is what you want your opponent to do. He is on the leader board so we shall see how things go in a few months.

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  9. As we all should know by now, Whipple has the modern philosophy that the short passing game IS the running game… and it has been responsible for at least 3 close losses (PSU and Miami in ‘19 and NCS last year.) That philosophy also accounted for the Stiller late season collapse last year

    I’m hoping this is the best OL since ‘16 (not a stretch) although 2018 was certainly a good run line. If Pitt once again settles for FGs, it will be more of the same I’m afraid

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitt’s offense will look like a juggernaut in 3 of the first 4 games and even win a close win in Knoxville and then it will be back to Air Whipple.

      3 yards and a Rash of Punts

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  10. Is it Earth Day or Pitt Day? PG paper edition has articles on Pitt Football, Pitt Basketball, and a Pitt Spring Sports article that covers baseball, Men’s Soccer, Softball, and Track & Field.

    There’s also an article about Pitt players in the upcoming NFL draft. I see that Hamlin is ranked #8 at safety while Ford is ranked 16th. Physically, Hamlin looks much more like an NFL player…

    Kinda’ looks like the PG put this month’s Pitt coverage all on one day…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Reading that Pitt News article and upon viewing the first video….didn’t even realize that was Pitt playing.

    I was like, this guy must have put up the wrong video with Georgia Tech vs Cuse.
    Then I saw in the corner….it was Pitt vs Cuse.

    That’s how silly and stupid it is having all these different uniforms. No identity or brand.

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  12. What did Capel see in this player. I watched him on ESPN a few time and he was the fourth best player on his team. I bet he couldn’t play for IUP.

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    1. Tex….he was just another “guy”. Capel is wonderful at recruiting “guys” and making it sound like he’s bringing in the next Jordan! Last two commits are prime examples. His rep for recruiting is fading fast.

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      1. Capel is loading up his roster so as to be better able to compete against any of the MAC opponents Pitt plays. As for the ACC Pitt will try its best to not end up last in the ACC come next season.

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    2. First time I saw this kid pinballing around the court,,,,,i was like wtf. Really.

      He was slow, elephant legged…..pretty obvious to me..,..he wasn’t a D1 player, let alone an ACC one.

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  13. Why is Capel finding it so difficult to recruit at Pitt?

    Dixon was able to land top 150 players at least at his peak

    Good conference
    Excellent facility
    Rabid zoo fanbase
    Has the budget
    Close to dc, philly and nyc
    History of success with Dixon and Howland

    What gives?
    No bagmen
    No brand that sells itself
    Too used to recruiting five stars
    Not a good closer like coach k

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    1. When you have multiple starters entering the transfer portal it’s very hard to convince anyone(with star power) to commit to Pitt now. He’s definitely lost any of the momentum he had when he first signed on to coach Pitt. Now he has to live with his coaching legacy of the last 3 years.

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      1. Have you visited the Transfer Portal lately ? Every school has multiple players and starters in the Portal.
        Five and above players from one school is not uncommon.

        We’re approaching 1500 players in da Portal.

        So that excuse doesn’t wash.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Not when most of your starting lineup en mass enters the portal. You want to make an excuse for his coaching performance the past 3 seasons also. If so go right ahead.

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          1. SMH…..no ….I think his coaching sux. The Excuse Train doesn’t make excuses…..it only points them out.

            And he lost 2 legit starters, the other 3 scrubs were not even ACC players.

            Capice !

            Liked by 3 people

  14. Before the volleyball tourney fades from our memory, I have a question for John in SC or Annie or anyone who knows. Near the end of the fourth set against U of Wash, with the score tied 22-22, Ndee had a kill to put Pitt up 23-22. The rotation put Ndee in serving position and, for the first time in the entire tourney I believe, Coach Fisher did not substitute for her and allowed her to serve. I imagine he wanted to keep her offense on the court and took a calculated risk. It didn’t work out as her serve went long and made it 23-23. Washington went on to win the next two points and the set, then cruised in the 5th set. My question is: are there substitution rules that forced the Coach to not sub for Chinaza or was it as I suspect, a logical decision on his part? This has been eating at me ever since and I’d like to understand the game better.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A team can make only 12 substitution per set. At that point in the match it looks as if Pitt was out of substitutions not counting the necessary libero substitution. Pitt never substituted again in the set. That is the only explanation that would make sense for her serving. Pitt had serving problems in the fall and during a couple of matches in the spring. In the tournament Fisher used Faki and even Flood to ensure Pitt served well.

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Thank you, John. I tried Googling the question and only came up with sub rules in general, not specific to NCAA. I hope that is the case so that Coach Fisher does not second guess himself as coaches are apt to do. I also prefer when the star player has a misfortune in a key play rather than a role player. It is easy for fans to rationalize that if not for that player, we wouldn’t be here in the first place. Great season! Wish I had gotten interested sooner.

        Liked by 3 people

  15. I’m more interested in the food stuff at tailgates. Last tailgate at Heinz I made breakfast burritos. Last year for the Domers I made some Texas caviar. It will be a Texas thing with me…always. Maybe jalepeno poppers for clemson.

    I’m surprised nobody mentioned keg stands or funnels. Or quarters. Or a wrestling dive on a folding table like Buffalo Bills fans. I want to try that.

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    1. Critters entertainment value was almost as good than the other 2. lol

      Anthony’s had Pizza though !

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  17. No offense to your friend in Maryland Reed, but I’m more a Ritters man. And most definitely crickets. 8 years in buffalo exposed me to some great ballet and great restaurants by Greeks. And I know several swear words in Greek thanks to my friend Mary Stefanou. Nothing beats a Greek breakfast diner.

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    1. We are blessed to have three Greek breakfast diners locally. My wife and I will be resuming our post church breakfast tradition at one of them on Sunday. First time in 13 months.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Pedo State’s 2nd leading scorer hit da Portal today. Joining their leading scorer and 4 other Creepsters.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Tex –

    Είστε ένα ηλίθιο κεφάλι και δεν είστε ελκυστικοί με κανέναν τρόπο.

    It’s really, really true! Really!

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    1. My Greek is a little rusty. Had to use google to translate. Yes – it is true.

      I might use that line for the dog next time he decides to take a crap in the house.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. I think I’ll do the next article with every other paragraph in a different language. Like this:

    Главный тренер Питта не может вылезти из бумажного пакета на территории кампуса.

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  23. Funny observance. I watch the other big name school websites such as osu, michigan, florida, alabama. Whenever they don’t get a player in basketball they all say “it’s the bagmen”. POV says they are the bagmen.

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  26. That Russian makes me hope Narduzzi moves to Siberia with his Savant OC that gets his AARP discount on coffee. I’d say take the DC but I don’t even know who the DC is. There is more attention and energy around Pine Richland Football than Pitt Football. Lyke capping attendance at 5000. LOL. She would struggle to get 500.

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    1. will still be announced as a sellout…..

      also, she will collect an attendance bonus by increasing attendance 1000%

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    2. UPitt, it’s greek. But yes it’s Cyrillic. And yes it’s all Greek to me. But some of the best breakfast diners I’ve ever visited, were owned by Greeks. And I’m making my dolmas this weekend. Rochester New York has a town called Greece. I do miss the food there.

      Like

  27. Uh oh, 3 scrubs from UNCG just hit the Portal…..Capel & Clowns will certainly be hot after them.

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    1. I have some Texas tumbleweed. Capel might be interested in that. It’s a scrub blowing across the roads down here.

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  29. Charmin not getting squeeezed here joel.

    If Charmin would coach a team, that would mean that the other qb (not on his team), would actually have to learn plays and have them signaled in. Pittprosterous! By not coaching, he continues to get the innovative play calling system working to perfection as every single play will see a qb running to the sidelines. I am interested to see if Aaron Beville Island, does well in the spring fling. If so, he will go to the portal in my opinion.

    True that Pine Richland getting more play than Pitt. Awful!

    Can someone please clear up whether this is tre tiptons 9th year or 7th? Of course he loves Nardstop.

    Good stuff coming this week about concussions. NCAA will most likely begin to limit/reduce helmet to helmet contact for spring and fall practices for sure and most likely in season practices, in an effort to reduce concussion exposure. It’s about time. The NFL has been limiting this activity for years.

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  30. Also, Dan is right about the portal potty players pitt is picking up. These players are a dime a dozen. We won’t know what they are all about and I do not expect much there.

    Efton Reid commit yet?

    I think Otoole is doing the majority of recruiting out of the portal while other issues are being worked out. Why don’t we hear from Felton and brother, other than they joined a call?

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  31. Interesting….

    🚣Rowing: On Monday, after UConn failed to respond to a letter stating that a lawsuit would be filed if the rowing team was not reinstated, members of the UConn women’s rowing team marched in protest of the school cutting the women’s program (UConn is also cutting men’s cross country, swimming & diving and tennis).

    Twenty-three team members also filed a Title IX complaint against the university on March 29th. And protestors wrote “IX” on their bodies as they marched through campus yesterday, referencing the complaint.
    UConn responded on Monday saying that they will not be revisiting the decision to reinstate the four teams that were cut. Stay tuned…

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    1. Those four programs cost the university between $4 and $6 million dollars per year. The operating budget for both men’s football and basketball is probably around $50 million.

      You can’t tell me that they couldn’t find $2.5 million in football and basketball savings, a 5 percent haircut, and another $2.5 million in extra revenue via donations and fundraising.

      They could have but they didn’t want to pee off the top men’s sports and are to lazy to do some hard work raising money to save these programs.

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  32. So WVU extended an 11-11 coach when he had four years left on his contract. That seems crazy to me.

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      1. We’re rapidly approaching an age where performance of your job in certain situations won’t matter.

        Or it will for some and not for others. (think we’re there now in this respect)

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    1. Maybe you could copy & paste the story, they want you to create an account with them (meaning they get to spy on you) to read their hilarious (i’m sure) story.

      Got to read the 1st paragraph, the men’s basketball tournament makes money….does the women’s ?

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  36. Trib article from yesterday titled: “Pitt Athletes Top NCAA Division I for Community Service”. Does Lyke get any credit for this achievement?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. She’ll get my credit when more than 5 programs are better than mediocre

      When Pitt isn’t last in ACC donations

      When Pitts revenues aren’t second to last in P5

      When athletics breaks even on finances

      When there are more fans than yellow seats

      When she conducts a feasibility study for an MPC and hockey

      When she puts those ugly anthracite uniforms back into a coal mine.

      Like

  37. I have simple and very reasonable demands that any competent executive in corporate America could deliver.

    Until then, she gets my deserving scorn and abuse.

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      1. Saving cats from the tall oaks on the Cathedral lawn doesn’t matter to me. Or even helping old ladies cross a busy and dangerous Fifth Avenue.

        Don’t care about the grade point averages either.

        I care about finances and performance on the field. Meat and potatoes.

        Pitt likes to tout the fancy appetizers and deserts because their main course is just chopped liver.

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        1. Pitt is spending it’s money to be an over the top PC school. That’s more embarrassing than the overall performance of the athletic department.

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          1. OJ is an extreme case. And he’s what 90 years old now. Most 18 year olds don’t even know he played football.

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  38. Tex, when accepting this Community Service award, I don’t see any acknowledgement of Pitt athletes taking credit for removing cats from trees. I thought they lead Division 1 in cat removal…

    On a more serious note, I don’t understand why Pitt has not placed a higher priority on fund raising. Like any worthy cause, it takes a plan and commitment to achieve success. Perhaps they are used to taking the easy way out by dialing up some rich donor and getting a nice check in the mail to cover some specific need. But as the athletic saying goes, it takes a commitment to blocking and tackling and a daily work ethic to achieve a worthwhile result. I just don’t see that happening at Pitt.

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    1. I wish I knew that answer. Are they fundraising off women’s volleyball. Everyone wants to give to a winner and now that their two best players are returning, pitt is a top 5 team.

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  39. Lund and Ndee are coming back next year!!! Hugh news for Pitt volleyball. No transfers coming to the program now based on this information!!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. With the ever changing meaning of words & terms in CovidBizarroSJWWorld. Wonder what Community Service in Pitt’s administration’s eyes entails.

      They failed miserably in the Community Service of keeping the O open in my eyes.

      Like

      1. That’s a landmark that connected generations of pitt fans with campus. Oakland needs a dog and fries place.

        I always though a menu of waffle fries with an assortment of dips would be very popular. Even funnel cakes. The possibilities with deep frying.

        Fried okra
        Fried pickles
        Fried zucchini
        Fried green tomatoes
        Fried steak
        Fried shrimp
        Fried turkey
        Fried meatballs

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  40. First of all I am surprised by Lund and Ndee coming back. Coach Fisher tweeted it was the best recruiting he has ever done to get them to come back. It is not surprising that he wanted them back after Pitt’s run this year. This poses a problem as well though.

    How does Pitt get Russ involved in the offense with both of these players coming back? One problem Pitt has is that they are height challenged. Russ and her 6′-5″ frame is the solution in the middle or blocking on the pins. We have two 6’2″ freshman coming in as well to help with this problem. We lost to Washington because they had two first team All Americans that were taller than anyone on Pitt’s side that played in that match. They were blocking Lund one-on-one. This is no knock on Lund. A good tall player always has an advantage on a good smaller player, especially one who is emotionally drained.

    Someone on the present team is going to be left out next year I fear just as our other freshman setter, Maddie Soboleski, was this year. Maddie transferred from Pitt to South Alabama to get playing time. She is probably one of the best setters they have ever had at South Alabama. She had 645 of the 771 assists they had this year.

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    2. Fisher had Russ in at middle and moved Nwokolo to the right side for a match. That seemed to work well. And it helps to have the depth that you can rest a player for a few sets- or cover for them in the event of injury. A little competition for playing time is a good thing. Freshmen can redshirt- and learn from the upper classmen. Win- win in my book.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Exactly. Not a big deal. Fisher is blessed. First national championship since ‘76 here we come.

        Sandy from Texass

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    3. Sobeliski was less than stellar last year when she was put in. I really wanted her to do well, especially since she was a local product. But she was unimpressive.
      Glad she is doing well at S. Ala.

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      1. Same here. Competition is good. She wasn’t good enough for Pitt and the ACC. No shame in that. She made a good decision. Happy for her success.

        Tex who wasn’t good enough for 9th grade basketball.

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  41. When Pitt launched a major multi-year fund raising effort to build up their endowments some years ago, they actually achieved their desired result ahead of schedule. It isn’t obvious why they just don’t start a similar fund raising effort to upgrade athletics facilities (including MPC) and work at it until they reach their objective.

    I think there may have been some deals struck when they moved to Heinz field that the public doesn’t know about. They may be contractually prevented them from publicly pursuing an MPC. Obviously, the Steelers’ current lease for Heinz Field will end soon. But there might also be some secret agreement that the Steelers must renew their lease with the City (if upgrades are provided at public expense) and stay at the Heinz location for many years to come, as will Pitt. The City could refuse permitting for any new MPC if Pitt violates their agreement, and the resulting litigation by Pitt could take years with high legal costs.

    This whole Pitt athletics fund raising business just doesn’t make sense, otherwise. Note there is absolutely no public discussion of the future location of Pitt football besides Heinz, and they don’t blame the lack of planning for an on campus facility as being due to a money issue. Something else must be going on…

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  42. Any lawyers care to comment. I agree. There is something more either contractually or the P word. Can’t spell it out or else my comment with be held in moderation.

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    1. As a former lawyer (haven’t practiced in 20 years), first you have to look at the actual least and here’s the first question I would ask: who exactly is Pitt’s landlord? The Pittsburgh and Allegheny Sports and Exhibition Authority, the Steelers, or both? I, for the life of Google, cannot find the answer. Anyone know? Absolutely sure about that?

      Another question: as Pitt is a quasi-public institution, is it subject to the State’s Right to Know Act? (This is PA’s version of the fed’s FOIA.) If yes, who has standing to request a copy of the lease? Obviously the SEA is a government outfit, but, again, is it the landlord who has the lease?

      Liked by 1 person

  43. Temp supposed to be 61 degrees for tomorrow’s game. And the rain is supposed to hold off until 5-ish…

    Richman pleased!

    Go Pitt.

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  46. I think you guys are right and are finally getting it. This MPC business and many other ideas questioned to their non-existence is all done on purpose and withheld by the insiders for their own reasons. It’s a big club and you’re not in it.

    When I read complaints about Narduzzi and his coaching I don’t mind so much, to each their own and people are entitled to their opinions. (although I don’t like it when a coaches personality gets in the way of the said opinion) What’s redundant to me is the repeating of an opinion when that’s all it is and not based on fact. ie. Heather is wrong for not firing Narduzzi. Why is this wrong? Because no one at PITT wants Narduzzi fired so it’s not Heather’s decision at all.

    Many things go on at schools that people don’t know about but not stopping people from talking about them.

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    1. We all know the Pitt academic eggheads all love a pompous and mediocre coach. It provides them with job security.

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  47. Well, the last Chancellor, current one, the last AD and the current one have all said there won’t be an OCS for a long while.
    This Chancellor, BoT,and AD just put out the long range (20 year I believe) capital building and expense plans and formally stated in public that no OCS is in it all.

    I aslo believe the sht down the feasibilty study that was ramping up in 2019.

    In other words forget about the Oakland campus as that will not happen for a very long time if not ever…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. But who makes plans for the next 20 years. That’s foolish business practice. Pitt needs a proactive plan when the lease expires at Heinz.

      Pitt is not serious about football until they build a MPC.

      And heather could grow a backbone Ike.

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  48. We may be playing FB at Carnegie campus or somewhere but at least it is hopefully close to Pitt campus which I have not been to in years since Pitt Stadium was destroyed.

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  49. Speaking of gpa’s, summer classes at Pitt are to die for. Saw plenty an athlete taking them and catching up on credits. Easy classes. Focus on the relevant. I think 6 weeks and then another 6 weeks. Relaxed atmosphere. Less stress. Different vibe. I don’t think I received worse than a B plus in any of the many I took. Highly recommend assuming things haven’t changed in 25 years.

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    1. You are complete right Tex. I was barely able to eke out a living as a mechanical engineer. Just imagine how hard it will be with a chemical engineering degree. That would have been my major is I had gone to the cow pasture school.

      Like

      1. Bryan should do fine in chemical. So many oil companies down here. He’s whip smart. Texas is a top 4 school. He doesn’t have my brains. My daughter has my athletics and passion for sport. She’s a future longhorn.

        They both made fun of Ben denucci when they saw him try to throw a football. Both watched the clemson game with me. I ran naked through the streets after that one.

        Liked by 1 person

  55. Pitt should buy George Cupples Stadium (South Stadium) over on the South Side, it use to seat like 15k with only 1 deck. You could increase the seating to 35K + probably pretty easy. By modernizing and adding
    an additional deck.

    And it also has a track for your outside Track & Field team. And

    And it’s close to UPMC Practice facility and Pitt’s campus. And offers a much closer and less costly
    possible Lite Transit Line from South Side to Pitt’s campus.

    It could be a great venue, far better than half empty, Mustard Jar.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. I think I played soccer on that stadium before. Was always distracted by looking at the city skyline. Imma country boy from Appalachia.

    Like

    1. The End of the Season…..big clash between hated rivals Central Catholic & North Catholic was always played at South Stadium.

      What an atmosphere that was.

      Pitt could have it’s own version of Wrigley Field/Fenway park for football in a really neat neighborhood atmosphere and loads of bars & restaurants to go to, after and before the game.

      Like

  58. Couple of comments – the two womens vball players maybe coming back in order to capitalize on the name, image and likeness lawsuit currently being argued in the supreme court. If the result comes out in favor of the athlete, these two entrepreneur’s could benefit financially. Always take a 360 view. Also, and not to be condescending here, but what other options do they have? They can graduate, get a job and go 8-5 every day…..or, stay in school, register for classes, get everything expensed, travel and have fun for another year, while also making some additional cash! What a country. My sense is these two kids aren’t necessarily going to make a living going vball pro, right? Leaning into Annie and John on the next level (if any) opportunities?

    Has anyone from the AD’s office put out season ticket plans for vball next year, while everyone was caught up in the excitement from the vball run this year? I think Pitt sports has been so awful for so long that they don’t know how to capitalize on an opportunity and left it to two outstanding vballer’s to show the AD how to capitalize on name image and likeness. On second thought, the Pitt AD probably thought NIL was the answer for “how often do you proactively capitalize on one of your teams successes?”.

    Look at all the grade school, AAU, and high school volleyballer’s in the burgh area, that may still not know about the PItt story? There’s a lot of potential ticket sales being passed up each and every day that nil is being done. Why? Missed opportunity. Not prepared.

    Like

    1. All the local high schools and clubs know about Pitt’s vb. They have clinics for the players (maybe not in the last year bc of Covid). Many of the club players are interested in playing in college too, so they know about Pitt. Of course, only the top players are even getting looked at by Division 1 schools.

      At the games I went to in 2019 I saw many girls in their high school or club vb shirts. I saw a tweet today that had a place to fill in contact information to receive vb season ticket info for next year. I agree that the information should be sent out in emails to alumni and all Pitt athletic donors.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Also, many vb players play overseas. Lexis Akeo’s sister, Kamalani, has been playing overseas for 2 years. I have no idea what kind of $$ they get paid, but VB is much bigger overseas than here. Ndee wants to go to medical school.

        This may not be the best employment situation to graduate into, so I can’t blame them for wanting to stay an extra year, work on a Masters degree, and play VB. Think of what they learned and experienced this year that they can translate into raising our program to the next level (I think they already did it this year, but think about Final 4 next year). There is also the possibility of going into coaching. (Kamalani Akeo was a volunteer coach this year. I’m guessing maybe the VB leagues were not playing this year.) I think they would be attractive candidates for coaching positions.

        Check out the Pitt vb website for the ticket info tweet.

        Liked by 1 person

  59. Totally agree. Pitt doesn’t know how to capitalize on success. I’d be hustling right now and bringing in the dough. Got to run. A line of twisters is about to hit. Only in Texas.

    Tex who has no basement.

    Like

    1. Can Tepper support both Pitt and CMU. Is there a tie-in? Let’s take a look.

      Carnegie Mellon University is 16th in the final fall Division III Learfield Directors’ Cup Standings, as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Thursday.

      The Tartans have totaled 213 points in the fall after four teams competed in their respective post-season championships: men’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and volleyball.

      The men’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and collected 50 points. The men’s cross country program turned in an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Champi-onship with the women’s team placing 31st to receive 56 and 43 points, respectively. The volley-ball team advanced to the regional final of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and received 64 points.

      Seems like a match in the P5 minor sports. What a grand idea. Calling Dave Tepper, calling Dave Tepper.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That info was from 2019. The UAA did not compete in fall sports last year due to Covid protocols. CMU does not usually do that well in volleyball. They usually make the NCAAs, but get eliminated by the 2nd or 3rd round. They are a middle of the pack team in the ultra competitive UAA Conference.

        Like

  60. The video from Chinaza and Kayla was well done. The transition from black and white to color is very Wizard of Ozish. I could definitely see the Oakland Zoo coming out in large numbers next season to support them.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. But Pitt needs to market the product. They are very poor marketers. It’s takes constant contact and engagement. Seriously you learn this stuff in any undergrad business school in a beginners course. You don’t need an mba.

      Like

  61. You could still play your Notre Dames & Hoopies over at Mustard Jar since you could fill it up.

    But other than that, a half empty stadium of yellow seats only tarnishes your image.

    And a nice little full to capacity stadium, screaming & close to the field 40,000 fans, could
    actually give you a Home Field advantage.

    And if Pitt EVER got good again, it would limit the Supply and increase the demand for tickets,
    whereas if it was sustained being good again, you could have 40,000 season ticket holders.

    On the order what happened with Pitt basketball at the Pete in the BigEast. When it was the cool place to be and tickets were hard to find and scalpers made money. And it was quite the atmosphere.

    Like

    1. But that’s business 101. Pitt doesn’t know diddly about running a business. That is why they fail.

      Pitt thinks hustling is a porno mag.

      Like

      1. Lawyers and bureaucrats are terrible at business. You and I could do a much better job. And I wouldn’t charge Pitt as much for my services as they are paying the current inept ones.

        Like

  62. A good long term solution for Pitt to have a multipurpose facility would be team up with Carnegie Mellon. They have enough space for such a facility right there in Oakland. By doing this, the facility would have a much quicker pay back. There would be less blow back from the good citizens in Oakland as well, due to no housing being confiscated or razed.

    Carnegie Mellon gets a P5 facility for their DIII sports programs. Pitt would have to fund and maintain the facility. The facility would be dual branded with both Pitt and Carnegie Mellon logos. The Tartans would also have their own locker room and training facilities separate from those of Pitt.

    Heather should start on this right now by offering to take over the Tartans’ stadium/track. Instead of spending the track moneys of the Victory Heights Initiative at Pitt, she should offer to spend it upgrading the existing stadium/track facilities. Pitt’s track program would move to this facility. The existing stadium/track could be covered with an inflatable dome for the winter.

    The hard part of this plan is selling it to Carnegie Mellon. Once this first phase is successful, the ground is laid to move forward with the major portion, multipurpose facility which would occur if the Steelers ever leave the downtown area.

    Like

    1. You don’t need to sell the idea to CMU. You need to sell it to Tepper.

      He’s a huge soccer fan. Build a venue that can support us national games and international friendlies, and he’d greenlight it.

      But what does a poor Appalachian kid living in Texas know right?

      Like

      1. You’re right, I forgot besides buying the Panthers he also is launching a MLS soccer team in Charlotte.
        So he’s more than a huge soccer fan….he’s a MLS Team owner.

        Charlotte FC

        Charlotte Football Club is a planned Major League Soccer expansion team that is expected to begin play in 2022. The club will play at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team is owned by David Tepper, who was awarded the expansion franchise on December 17, 2019.

        Although I think CMU is too snooty to do anything with Pitt on a mutual basis.

        Like

  63. Sorry, posted CMU information above. Wasn’t wearing glasses, operator error.

    To supplement, our AD could very well look at the actual mission statement of CMU and easily tie-in Sustainability, Collaboration, Empathy and Compassion, Inclusion, and Impact. Of CMU’s 8 written values, Pitt could tie-in to at least 5 and probably more.

    Need to sell the vision AD.

    Liked by 1 person

  64. We need to face facts: There is no feasibility study because Pitt doesn’t want one. What if the results were favorable? They don’t want that because then they need to act. If the Heinz lease expires in 2030, that’s only 9 years away. They would need to be actively fund raising by now, and a completed feasibility study could have identified several on campus locations for further review. Again, they don’t want this.

    So all our options and suggestions for locating an on campus venue at CMU or anywhere else are a waste of time. I think it is a fait accompli that they have already agreed to extend at Heinz, because any reasonably competent organization would not leave themselves hanging out with potentially no home in 9 years. In several years when the area’s “dogged press” actually start to question where Pitt football will be located after 2030, Pitt will say that it is boxed in and must re-sign with the Steelers and Heinz.

    PetePitt73 is right that we would need to see the actual agreement to confirm all of this. Also, one other thought is that Pitt’s agreement with the ACC could be for only a set period of time, and must be renewed by the ACC. It would not be a good look for Pitt to build a football stadium only to be ousted from the ACC.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t see Pitt being ousted from the ACC. There are at least 6 teams to be ousted before Pitt.

      Now basketball needs improvement right away. But football pays the bills. Pitt pulls enough of their share.

      Wake, ga tech, cuse, BC, do not.

      Virginia, Duke and Nc state are no better.

      Like

      1. Some of them are charter members of the ACC. They would never get ousted.

        Pitt is safe because, part of the reason the ACC took em, was to keep us out of the Big 12.

        Pitt would get a bigger payday in the Big12….and we’d have the Hoopies as a rival again.

        Like

  65. We’ll, if the ACC is not an issue, then Pitt has made commitments to the City that are unknown to the public. Why hasn’t this been a topic for discussion with the press? Nine years is not a lot of time to finance, locate a site and build an alternative to Heinz.

    Like

    1. I’d say at five years out that you are past the point of no return. There is still some time. But heather has no incentive. It’s not going to be part of her legacy. She will be off to Sparty in less than three years.

      Like

  66. Pretty funny….I read the article linked above in the Pitt News about why isn’t the Pitt/Notre Dame more of a rivalry.

    There were ZERO comments. I can’t imagine any school, other than maybe Buttgers or say Wake,
    where there would be ZERO comments by the students. The article has been up for 5 weeks.

    That in itself…says volumes.

    Like

    1. Pitt has been average or below average for the most part since 1960, which I guess is when the two teams started playing more. The 60s and 90s the Irish won pretty much all of those games.

      Then Walt blew three games to average Irish teams from 2001-03 so the series has pretty much been one sided. Pitt fired a coach in 1989 who was 2-2 versus Lou Holtz, thus the 6-1 advantage to the Domers in the decade of the 90s.

      The suits at Pitt don’t care about the results of the series, just talking research. ND looks down at Pitt academically I’m sure.

      Like

      1. That’s why I always hated them and the Nitters the most. Their fans always seemed to be the most arrogant and self righteous. Very proud of their school in a sick way.

        Like

      2. Also, when the Irish made a bad decision to hire Gerry Faust, only Pitt could make a worse hire in Foge. So Pitt did the unthinkable, shocking.

        All Pitt had to do was keep Cas as AD and make Sherrill co-AD. Jackie had a plan, a vision for Pitt football moving into the 80s. He even married a lady from Pittsburgh. Only Posvar had no care to discuss Sherrill’s vision and the future. He ignored Jackie’s list of demands.

        There’s the run of mediocrity for the fans to endure.

        Like

  67. Seems odd but I got an email indicating that the 5000 tickets for the spring game have been allocated and none will be available to be requested tomorrow…

    My favorite part of the spring game – which is itself always pretty boring – is to go down on the field afterwards and talk to the players. Always interesting to see how big or not so big they really are… Don’t expect there will be mingling this year.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  68. Domers are a relic of the past. I was the last generation to have any interest but the majesty was even fading during my time in school

    Domers don’t consider Pitt a rival despite having played Pitt the fifth most times of any school.

    Do we consider Syracuse a rival in football. No. We’ve won 16 of the last 20 meetings.

    Like

    1. A relic of the past. lol

      It’s one of the few games we sellout. You can almost count on 1 hand, how many opponents, Pitt
      would generate a sellout at Mustard Jar. Notre Dame is one of those 5.

      I was at a Pitt-Ohio State game when we had Ironhead in the late 1980’s that wasn’t even sold out.

      I don’t know maybe you’re right Tex, but then again I’m probably a relic of the past too !
      Maybe I’ll become Dinosaur 2

      Like

      1. Maybe if Narduzzi didn’t always land a giant turd on the field and finally beat ND the rivalry feeling might return.

        Like

        1. Pitts only real rival these days is ourselves

          It’s the Koolaid versus the vinegar drinkers…optimists versus the realists

          That would be a better game than the poor product you’ll see today at Heinz.

          Like

          1. I’ll captain the vinegar side and pick teammates. Can I count you in James?

            Who wants to captain the Koolaid side?

            Like

  69. The only reason Pitt sells out is the other team brings enough fans.
    As long as the Steelers play in Pittsburgh, Pitt will share a stadium with them.
    It makes too much financial sense to do otherwise.

    There is a long tradition of sharing facilities in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have shared with Pitt and/or
    The Pirates for pretty much their whole existence. Pitt used to be the big dog, now they are the puppy.

    Face facts this will not change in the foreseeable future, if ever. There are too many obstacles and far too few people that want it to change.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitt vs Florida State….Sold Out…very few FSU fans other than the normal allotment the visiting team gets.

      Pitt vs UC…..Sold Out….same deal

      They will come as Tex points out. You just have to give them a reason.

      Screw the Stillers. Pitt needs to divorce themselves from that abusive relationship.

      Like

  70. What makes the most sense now is for Pitt to hire a crack marketing firm to increase demand locally and to our ACC foes who have the financial resources to spend a weekend in Pittsburgh. Leverage Visit Pittsburgh and the Chamber of Commerce, Hotels and Restaurants who all benefit, as well as the City and Parking Authority. Tourism is good for everyone.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I like that idea

      But who says Pitt needs to share

      Pitt needs to control their own destiny

      Pitt needs to create something that is uniquely their own

      Pitt needs to develop their own brand

      Pitt needs to capture all the revenue streams

      I don’t share my home with non family

      I don’t share my job and income outside family

      Are you saying that the Steelers are family?

      The Rooney’s can go back to horse racing.

      Pitt needs to go back to campus

      Like

      1. Serious question, there has to be some land closer to Oakland to build a stadium. Maybe still deemed off campus, but just barely and close enough to feel like it is on campus.

        Like

        1. The old J&L site would have been ideal. But there was and is no demand.
          I’m still waiting for Tex to set up the go fund me site.

          Like

        2. There’s always land and pitt is always secretly looking at it and buying it up. I’ve previously identified seven sites in Oakland alone with most right on campus so the university already owns the land.

          A prime place would have been the cost center and OC lot. Plenty big enough for a 40-45k MPC. But now heather wants to build a 3500 seat venue there instead along with a separate lacrosse field and indoor track when we need outdoors first.

          Comp Lit and I picked out the area from Frick Arts and down into that hollow area by the train tracks. But that would require purchasing some properties and moving Frick. Great endzone view of the cathedral though and a train to shuttle fans to off site parking lots.

          Another site would be the existing Pete location. The Pete is going on 20 years. Architects and engineers will tell you that they don’t design and construct building to last longer than 30 years without requiring major upgrades and renovations. No money in it for them. New construction pays the bills.

          Or even the baseball and soccer fields once Pitt is forced to cut those programs because Pitt football can’t pay the bills anymore. All this sports neglect over the past 30 years will leave pitt in a very bad situation in five years. Pitt needs to start worrying about that football super conference.

          The VA site is another. Vets are a declining population and health care is changing rapidly.

          South Oakland. Can’t disclose the blocks since prices would sky rocket. But Jerry Jones used eminent domain and paid homeowners very generous sums of money for their slums. He did Arlington a favor by removing all that blight.

          Like

          1. Tex, don’t know if I’ve told you this before but here’s the thing…….PITT DOESN’T WANT TO BUILD A FOOTBALL STADIUM OF ANY KIND ON THEIR CAMPUS! Hello, is this thing on? I say that as I sit here waiting for Heather’s big announcement.

            Your insiders seem to be more on the outside. You Need to Breathe.

            Like

  71. If only you were King Tex, or a billionaire, unfortunately you are Don Quixote swinging at windmills.
    Pitt grads could care less, Pittsburghers infinitely less. No demand means no change.
    If they build it they will come only works in the movies.

    Like

    1. I need to find me some ghosts. Like the ghost of jock Sutherland. I need to hear voices inside my head. If people could see all the former Pitt greats who have passed on playing on a field against each other, people would start believing again.

      GC, people will come GC. They’ll come to Campus for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up Cardiac Hill not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your stadium as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the non yellow seats; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect Fall afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the sidelines where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes at old Pitt stadium. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come GC. The one constant through all the years, GC, has been Pitt football. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But football has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, GC. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come GC. People will most definitely come.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Very poetic Tex …..with a huge ring of truth!….to us old Alums! But to everyone else….meh

        I was always at my seat an hour before game time at Pitt Stadium. I liked to look around, take in the atmosphere, and enjoy this time warp to my youth. And it’s gone…..forever ..as is my youth!

        Like

        1. Which players do you plan to invite back?

          I’m sure some were SOB’s and those guys can shove it.

          Tex – who has shovel in hand

          Like

          1. Well, Johnny Mike for sure & Biggie & Dick Cassiano & Curly Stebbins & Chick Chickerneo.
            And Joe Skladany & Warren Heller & Jesse Quatse & Gibby Welch & Ralph Chase & Averell Daniel.
            Joe Donchess, Chuck Hartwig, Tony Matisi, George Shotwell & Ray Montgomery,

            All my players were swell fellas. So no SOB’s. They never got thru camp.

            Like

  72. Play in PNC park
    Back load the home schedule
    The baseball team should play 10 games a year there too.
    Find a way for kids to want to play at Pitt.

    Like

    1. Pnc poses the same problem as Heinz. It’s off campus. The venue is far nicer however. But baseball parks don’t really work all that well to view football games given their configuration. But I’m all for a game once a year there.

      I’m also all for a pitt hockey game on an outside rink in schenley Park or even on the OC lot. And then afterwords an announcement of a feasibility study.

      Like

      1. Hughley is actually a 4, if Pitt had a real 5. and if they got Efton Reid, there you go.

        Hughley has outside shooting range and if he had any chance at the NBA it’s at the 4.

        Like

  75. PNC can not be worse than Heinz.
    It is a dump. period
    PNC would at least be unique. It is also a much better size.

    Like

    1. Baseball parks just don’t make good football venues. See multi purpose stadiums of the 70’s. Cincy and Pittsburgh are prime examples.

      Like

      1. Most everyone had a MPS in the 1970’s thru the 1980’s.

        3 Rivers
        Riverfront
        Veteran’s
        Shea
        Fulton County
        Busch
        Metrodome
        Municipal (cleve)
        Candlestick
        Kingdome
        Astrodome
        Memorial (balt)
        Oakland-Alameda
        Jack Murphy Stadium (SD)

        I believe KC in the modern era was first to have 2 facilities. Arrowhead and Royals Stadium
        Of course in the 1960’s, you had Dodger Stadium and LA Coliseum. The Coliseum wasn’t a
        great venue for football fans, since it was built for the 1932 Olympics and had the track and
        seats pretty far from the field.

        Football was fine in MPS’s….baseball was what was more generic in them and lacking overall.

        Like

  78. Pitt should build a stadium like Franklin Field, minus the track. That’ll fit somewhere on campus..

    Like

    1. Better idea: build a 45k MPC with retractable roof, open endzone viewing Cathy with sliding glass doors/window panels and a hydraulic floor system to support hockey and big time basketball events.

      Cost: just $700 million

      Use pending federal infrastructure monies

      Nearly zero percent bonds

      Private and corporate donations

      Naming rights

      Advances for suites

      No new taxes
      No new student fees
      No increase in tuition

      Like

  79. Got news for you – if Pitt builds a max 35K seat stadium they would be out of the ACC damn soon. Heinz Filed was part of the attraction to invite Pitt. Lok at this chart:

    https://www.gobblercountry.com/2016/7/16/12206726/acc-football-stadiums-ranked

    Only Duke with 40K and Wake Forest with 31.5K would be less than Pitt. The thing is they are original ACC members from 1953 so they are safe forever.

    “Founding and early expansion. The ACC was established on June 14, 1953, when seven members of the Southern Conference left to form their own conference. These seven universities became charter members of the ACC: Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest.”

    Like

    2. hmmmm….the ACC was born on Flag Day like a former President.

      BC’s is only 44K. Ok so we make Pitt’s new Southside Stadium 45K.

      Visually a sold out packed 45K stadium looks far better on TV than half empty Mustard Jar.

      Like

  80. Is PITT losing the spring game yet?

    If Tex was a billionaire in charge of Texas one of two things would have already happened.

    )1… Texas would have seceded from the USA.
    )2… The USA would have thrown Texas out of the USA.

    Boy, I feel terrible I missed Tex at the tailgate, a breath of fresh air you are Tex.

    ike who says… it’s not me it’s the rest of the world.

    Like

    1. I’ll meet you in person one day Ike. Fran and his posse have met me and my parents. So I’m actually a real Texan who went to Pitt. But that doesn’t mean I don’t type on my keyboard in my underwear while eating a Twinkie.

      Like

  81. Here’s something interesting as well. The ACC was apparently by many sources all set to invite UConn, instead of Pitt.

    Uconn’s Relatively new Football Stadium’s capacity is only 40,642. And that is standing room included.

    So Pitt doesn’t need and can’t fill a 65K stadium, particularly for ACC games. We could still play
    Notre Dame and WVCC at Mustard Jar.

    Too much of a supply of tickets, creates no demand. Backwards arse way to do business.

    Like

    1. There will be plenty of Pitt basketball tickets available this season. I think the Pete is the perfect size for basketball.

      Texas is building a new venue with around 10-12k capacity to start with. Expandable to about 16-18k. They’ve engineered configurability into the design. Genius.

      And they will make tons of money on suites, club seats and other vip and corporate sections. I bet they’ll generate at least 30 million in profit each year similar to Louisville.

      When Pitt shares a facility, they have limited to no control over parking, concessions, merchandise, scheduling. They also dont capture 100 percent of the game day revenues. Yes the rental agreement with Heinz is cheap and pitt isn’t burdened with maintenance or on the hook financially for upgrades and renovations.

      But Heinz is the Steelers stadium and home. It’s not Pitts. And pitt blows a great opportunity to market campus and build up its brand by sharing a ketchup bottle.

      Pitt is a mustard condiment.

      Like

      1. As far as basketball, Pitt is more like a gone bad Relish……very smelly. Needs to be tossed.

        Like

    1. Classy guy, for the way he got summarily dumped by Pitt, over Cornhole feeling threatened, to still want to be a part of the program. Don’t know If I would want to have anything to do with Pitt, if that had happened to moi.

      He looks good and in shape for his age.

      All hail the Stache !

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Correction…Yellow 24 Blue 0

      the Pitt twitter site, took forever to post the last Yellow score…a nice 40-45 yardish (in the air)
      Beville to Wayne TD pass.

      Like

  85. Randy Bates’ Blue Team down 24-0 and no calls for Heather to fire him during halftime. The POV must be getting soft.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The offense might score 35 points per game this season. But the defense will allow 36. Say hello to a 5-7 record.

      Like

  87. General Sibley into the endzone to make it 31-0…after several nice gains from the Flea.

    Kind of surprised Flea & Sibley still playing.

    Like

  88. So if Pitt built a multiuse facility to make money year round (whatever size) than the ACC would be mad. If a sell out came to town like ND or WV, Pitt could always rent a game from the Steelers where ever they are at the time. The Steelers rented from Pitt for many years including when I was there.

    Like

    1. The ACC would love a pitt owned stadium on campus. Better for their brand. And better for visiting fans. Pitt would be revenue rich and not poor any more. But you need to spend money to make money.

      In any city, the real big games are sometimes played at the pro venues to maximize ticket sales. See Jerry’s Death Star. Nothing wrong with that.

      Like

  93. Davis (North) Beville (Street) was the star of the Game. 6 for 6 over a 100 yards and the long TD pass (in the Air) to Wayne.

    Like

  94. Are there any real games on TV. Oh, Pens just won. These spring games are all smoke and mirrors with a healthy dose of dog crap.

    Don’t forget to lock the gates king Pat.

    Like

    1. You know the ACCN spent most of the 2nd half interviewing former Pitt players. it was all fluff. And they (the announcers)spent considerable time talking about the very stupid basketball goal turnover dunk crap.
      Could have done with None of it.

      Really…so we want to emulate Thug U ?

      Like

  95. The ACC sucks as a conference. Pitt is a red headed step child. Apologies if I offended any red headed step children or bastards.

    Liked by 1 person

  97. We were talking about some of the old strip joints around and on Baum back in prehistoric days.

    Anthony’s is now a gay bar with male dancers.

    No word if they still serve pizza.

    Like

    1. my Impressions of Pittsburgh are based on 30 year memories. I bet there’s plenty of Pittsburgh I don’t recognize today. But I do try to make it back to campus every other year. Heck I haven’t been back in Indiana since I saw Jagr at a bar in town. He was dating some IUP chick at the time. I could say more about him but it would be X rated.

      Like

  98. The new coaches beat the old coaches today. Yes, Whipple was coaching the team that score ZERO points.

    Mind you, Bates was coaching the team that kept the offense scoreless.

    It’s going to be a long & disappointing season.

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    1. You obviously don’t get Pitt sports then. There’s this thing called SOP that rears its ugly head each season. And then there’s a phenomenon known as Pitting which Pitt has copyrighted. Pitt fans have every reason to expect doom and gloom. Only one ten win season in over 30 years. Pitt wasn’t found in Pandora’s box. Only fools think Pitt will ever be a top 25 program with these clowns in charge.

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  100. To be a Pitt fan.

    Anyway good luck to men’s soccer next Sunday

    And I will go through hell and high water to see Pitt baseball in a regional. Hopefully in Tennessee. Luv that state and I’m Texan. Well really Appalachian. Big difference. Texas big.

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