All hopes, prayers and best wishes to the Dixon family.

Army women’s basketball coach Maggie Dixon, who led the Black Knights to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth last month in her first season, suffered an arrhythmia heart episode Wednesday at West Point, N.Y., and is in critical condition at the Westchester Medical Center, her brother Pittsburgh men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon said Thursday.

In a statement that Dixon read to ESPN.com from the hospital, he said:

“Maggie and I had breakfast [Wednesday] and then she had a meeting with West Point athletic director Kevin Anderson. She then went to her house to meet friends for afternoon tea and said she wasn’t feeling well and collapsed.

“She was immediately taken to Keller Army Hospital and then transferred to Westchester Medical Center where she is presently in critical condition. She’s in the intensive care unit.

“Her mom, dad and sister Julie are here with her, too. Members of the Army women’s basketball team were with her [Wednesday] morning.

“At this point there’s no indication what caused the arrhythmia episode because by all accounts she was feeling well earlier in the day.

“Her family thanks everyone for their support and prayers and asks for continued respect and privacy.”

Former Pitt player Jeff Christy, the football version of the utility infielder, apparently retired from the NFL. He’s also just been inducted into the Armstrong County Hall of Fame.

Christy was a four-year letterman in football at the Pitt, where he played five positions — linebacker, fullback, punter, right guard and left tackle. Christy was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round in 1992. He played for three NFL teams before retiring.

Congratulations.

Tomorrow night is Pitt’s “practice” at another area High School.

The Pitt football team will take practice on the road for the second time this spring when it visits Thomas Jefferson High School on Friday, April 7. The Panthers will hold a two-hour workout from 7 to 9 p.m.

Practice attendance is free and open to the public. Thomas Jefferson is located on 310 Old Clairton Road in Clairton, Pa. In addition to getting a sneak peak of the 2006 Panthers, fans can purchase Pitt merchandise and season tickets. Concessions will also be available.

Directions to the high school are at the bottom of the press release.

I think I know why I have been having a hard time writing much about spring drills. There isn’t much to say. The same news stories keep getting rewritten. Sometimes with the same quotes.

Here’s an AP story on the backfield — again.

With apologies to Army’s Heisman Trophy-winning Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, Conredge Collins and LaRod Stephens-Howling are Pitt’s not-as-famous Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside.

“He brings the speed and I bring the power,” Collins said. “The other backs, (Brandon) Mason, he’s real shifty on his feet. So, that brings an elusiveness to the backfield. And Shane Brooks, he’s powerful, too, and he runs real hard. So, we all bring something.”

Midway through Pitt’s spring practice sessions, Stephens-Howling and Collins are the starting tailback and fullback, respectively. Stephens-Howling led the Panthers in rushing with 434 yards last season while Collins had eight carries for 25 yards.

Both can expect increased workloads this season.

How many different ways can there be to talk about the running game?

Then there’s another story on the starting kicking competition, that thinks the “pressure” drill is the hook.

To inject a bit of fall flavor into spring drills, the special teams portion of each Pitt practice ends with a “pressure kick” field-goal attempt.

“The whole team gets around and starts yelling, trying to distract us,” kicker David Abdul said.

Abdul paused and laughed.

“I’m not sure why they do that, since, if we miss, they’ve got to do 15 up-downs.”

Maybe it’s also some healthy realism. The optimism and excitement that surrounded last year’s spring drills. Coach Wannstedt’s words got everyone juiced and fueled visions of cracking the top-10, and getting the BCS bid.

Then Pitt played the regular season.

Another way too early prediction for next season. From Greg Doyel at Sportsline.com:

10. Pittsburgh: Once center Aaron Gray decides it’s in his best interests to return, the Panthers will be a Top 10 team. Sophomore Levance Fields can step in for Carl Krauser, whose absence will allow Pitt’s young talent to expand their offensive impact. And defense will never be a problem for a Jamie Dixon team.

Other Big East teams listed include Georgetown (8), Syracuse (14), Villanova (17), Louisville (19) and UConn (22).

Carl Krauser had a pretty good game at the first day of the Portsmouth Invitational.

Carl Krauser posted a double-double Wednesday in his first game at the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament, scoring 11 points and handing out 12 assists for Norfolk Naval Shipyard in an 84-75 victory over Tidewater Sealants.

Krauser, a Pitt senior who led the Panthers in scoring and assists in his final college season, played 30 minutes. He shot 3 for 7 yesterday, including 1 for 1 from 3-point range, and he added two rebounds and one steal. He also committed four turnovers.

Chad Ford from ESPN.com (Insider Subs) thinks Krauser may be giving himself a chance, along with one other senior from the Big East.

Steve Novak, F,Marquette

One of the best shooting big men in college basketball . . . but when do guys like this ever pan out. He’s not a rebounder, isn’t a great athlete, and can’t defend his position. Still, if he shoots the lights out, he may compel someone to take him in the first round.

Carl Krauser, PG, Pittsburgh

Krauser was a shoot first, ask questions later type point guard at Pittsburgh the past few years. He has good size and athleticism for the point. If he can prove to scouts that he can run a team . . . he could make an impression. An 11-assist game on Wednesday night at Portsmouth sure didn’t hurt.

The talk always centers on the seniors who pass on the Tournament. Unless you are that sure of getting the Chicago Orlando invite, it seems like a bad risk to pass on another chance to get noticed. Especially borderline seniors.

Interesting move.

Tommie Campbell worked with the second-team defense Tuesday after being switched from safety to weak-side linebacker. Coach Dave Wannstedt made the move after Campbell turned in a solid effort in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Campbell’s position change is an indication that Wannstedt is more comfortable with converted safeties Shane Murray (a former quarterback) and Irvan Brown (a former cornerback).

With Mike Phillips coming back as well, there is also going to be some depth at Safety. Tommie Campbell is supposed to be quick, and given the need for speed on defense and lack of depth at linebacker this could work out very well.

Darrelle Revis is expected to be (yet another) leader in the secondary.

Revis’ leadership is important because the Panthers’ secondary is so young and inexperienced, particularly because veterans like safety Mike Phillips are sitting out drills with injuries.

Even though there are some experienced corners returning, the corner opposite Revis might ultimately be manned by either Jovani Chappel or Aaron Berry — both true freshmen. And the safety spots are wide open right now and almost every candidate would be a first-year starter. That includes Central Catholic graduate Shane Murray, who redshirted last year as a quarterback, then made the offseason switch to safety.

Revis said the secondary is a work in progress, but it is coming together at the right time. He also believes that the inexperience in the secondary won’t necessarily translate into teams throwing away from him because the Panthers have many good players.

“They might pick on the corner on the other side, but they might pick on me to see where my game is,” Revis said. “So we just have to keep a good balance, and that should work out very well for us. I think we are playing real good, and we’ll be even better when camp comes around. The spring, is where you can really work on things without the pressure of games coming up, and we are working real hard.”

I don’t think he’s going to see many balls come to his side for the first few games.

The same article also notes that Cedric McGee has been outplaying Oderick Turner at the WR position. Both are redshirt freshmen, but Turner is the more physically gifted and expected to be the favorite.

Turner came into spring practice ahead of McGee and was given several opportunities to move up to the first team.

But McGee has outperformed Turner most of the spring and passed him on the depth chart. In the scrimmage Saturday, McGee was excellent, but Turner struggled with consistency.

“Let me make it clear — it isn’t like we are lining up to play Virginia tomorrow, so there is a long way to go,” Wannstedt said. “And we are still taking a look at a lot of people.

“But, by the same token, there has to be a way to hold players accountable on a day-to-day basis, and now Cedric has earned a shot to run with the [first team] more. It is an opportunity for him. If a guy deserves to play with the first team, he’ll get that shot and right now Cedric is playing very well.”

Both don’t exactly come from bad blood lines. As previously mentioned, Turner’s father, Odessa played WR in the NFL for several years. McGee is the nephew of some guy named Michael Irvin. Apparently he was decent WR in the NFL for a while.

I have to admit, I’m following this because it is always funnier to watch someone elses school totally run in circles for a coaching search. It’s safe to say that Barry Rohrssen won’t be going to Seton Hall.

The thing is no one knows what is going on. Seton Hall now received permission to speak with George Mason Head Coach Jim Larranaga.

The Bronx native and Molloy graduate – in town last night for a ceremony to honor his former high school coach, Jack Curran, at the New York Athletic Club – will visit South Orange as early as today, according to a source.

Larranaga, however, also is scheduled to return today to Fairfax, Va., according to GMU sports information director Richard Coco.

Of course, NC State is also reportedly interested in him.

No one is exactly sure why they are interviewing him since it was figured that the coach interviews were done. Supposedly down to Tim O’Shea of Ohio or Bobby Gonzalez of Manhattan.

Tim O’Shea is not in Athens, Ohio and was rumored to be in New Jersey for another interview and possible announcement, but that appears incorrect.

“The truth is I am in Florida along with (assistant) coach (John) Rhodes recruiting, and we will return on Friday because we have some students visiting over the weekend,” O’Shea said. “Some of what has been reported in these articles is incredibly inaccurate.”

Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t. Either way, Bobby Gonzalez has been cooling his heels for the last week. Despite the apparent interview planned with Larranaga, Gonzalez is being reported to be the guy.

After 12 days, five interviews and countless rounds of speculation, Seton Hall University’s meandering, sometimes baffling search for a men’s basketball coach appears to be ending right where it started — with Bobby Gonzalez.

The Manhattan head coach, who has been mentioned as a potential successor to Louis Orr for nearly a year, once again is the leading candidate to get the job, sources close to the program said Wednesday night.

Maybe even today.

A decision on the new Seton Hall men’s basketball coach is expected today, according to sources close to the situation.

Or maybe not. Who knows any longer. Considering Seton Hall has no recruits and the signing period begins on Wednesday, you would think that getting somebody hired, pronto, would be important.

Marshall Goldberg, circa 1941 as a
member of the Chicago Cardinals

The AP write-up is in all the papers today.

From today’s Post-Gazette:

Mr. Goldberg died at a Chicago nursing home after spending several years battling the effects of brain injuries caused by numerous concussions during his playing days, his wife, Rita Goldberg, said yesterday..

Mr. Goldberg’s high point as a professional player came in 1947 when he intercepted a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles that clinched the Cardinals’ only NFL championship.

As a high school sophomore, Mr. Goldberg weighed just 110 pounds and was dubbed “Biggie” by his friends.

“Sports Illustrated’s Dan Jenkins, one of the greatest college football writers ever, once wrote an article looking back at all the Heisman Trophy winners and tried to figure out who should have won it each year,” said Beano Cook, a college football historian and former sports information director at Pitt. “He believes Marshall should have won it in 1937 [he finished third in the balloting] based on the season he had. But that tells you how great he was for his time and in comparison to players of his era.

“Tony Dorsett was Pitt’s greatest runner, but Marshall was one of the greatest football players because he played at a time where he played on both offense and defense, and he also threw the ball,” Mr. Cook said.

The Chicago Tribune:

The Cardinals won the NFL title in 1947, breaking the Bears’ stranglehold on the decade and increasing a city rivalry that lasted until Bears owner George Halas helped nudge the Cardinals out of town and to St. Louis after the 1959 season.

Former Chicago sport columnist Bill Gleason, who covered the Cardinals, said Goldberg would have been a cinch for the Hall of Fame had he played for Halas.

“A pro football Hall without Goldberg is absurd,” Gleason wrote.

Goldberg is a member of the college Hall of Fame and remains a legend at Pitt, where former quarterback Dan Marino recalls being told Goldberg was Pitt’s all-time best player.

“Marshall Goldberg?” Marino asked.

“Yeah, and after him Mike Ditka,” said the Pitt backer. “And then you’re third, Danny. And you ain’t never gonna be no better than third.”

Goldberg led Pitt to a national championship in 1937, was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1938 and amassed 1,957 rushing yards, a school record that stood until Tony Dorsett broke it in 1974.

Goldberg hosted a Cardinals TV sports show with Mike Wallace and after retirement settled in Chicago, where he owned a machine tool company.

He is survived by his wife; a son, Marshall; a daughter, Ellen Tullos; two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame never called.