This has been a bad year for the Pitt family. So many greats and family passing. Craig “Ironhead” Heyward is sadly the latest.

Statement from University of Pittsburgh Head Football Coach Dave Wannstedt:

“Craig Heyward truly ranks among the all-time greats in Pitt football history. I will always remember him as a tremendous player who had an irrepressible attitude on and off the field. We spoke just a few weeks ago and I was struck by the typical upbeat ‘Ironhead’ attitude he displayed despite his health. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Pitt family are with Craig’s loved ones during this time of sorrow.”

Heyward has been battling for his life for the last several years. All condolences to his family.

Apparently it was announced a few weeks ago, but since I don’t pay that much attention to BC it took me a while to notice.

BC head coach Al Skinner finally got BC to bail on their annual game with Holy Cross.

The teams first met on the court in 1905. BC dropped basketball following the 1924-25 season, not resuming until 1945. They have played every year since, with annual home-and-homes being a featured part of each school’s schedule from 1947 through 1981. Holy Cross dominated at first, winning 21 in succession before BC finally won in 1957. For the first decade, the Crusaders were a national power, winning a national championship in 1947, filling Boston Garden the next three years with Bob Cousy as a star attraction, then winning the then highly prestigious NIT in 1954, the marquee players being Tom Heinsohn, Togo Palazzi, and Ronnie Perry Sr.

BC began to establish some semblance of parity when The Cooz himself took over as coach in 1963, and as time went on, the fortunes of the teams shifted, the turning point coming when BC joined the new Big East Conference in 1979 and Holy Cross did not. BC is, of course, a much larger school and it probably made sense for Holy Cross to pursue a more modest athletic path (this viewpoint is not a universally held Holy Cross alumni opinion, of course). It has culminated in recent BC dominance, at least in terms of final scores. The Eagles have won 14 of the last 15 contests.

Dropping the Crusaders from the schedule is no casual matter. The athletic rivalry began on the football field in 1896. For the first 70 years of the 20th century, the schools regarded themselves as equals in every way. There are vast numbers of alums on both sides who harbor fond remembrances of great games in both sports, and Lord knows there are innumerable instances of, shall we say, ”mixed” marriages featuring Eagles and Crusaders, not to mention fathers who went to one school and the offspring to another. I mean, I’m working with one right now. Dan Shaughnessy went to Holy Cross, but his son, Sam, will be playing baseball for Peter Hughes at BC next year. These schools have an unbreakable bond, it seems to me.

‘Believe me, I understand,” says DeFilippo. ”My father was Holy Cross, ’49. I grew up pulling for the Crusaders. I understand the history of the teams, but the schedule should be mutually beneficial, and, in my eyes, it’s not beneficial for us to play Holy Cross the next couple of years.”

If that sounds fuzzy and vague, you’re on the right track. ”It’s the continuation of a trend, I guess,” maintains Crusaders coach Ralph Willard, Holy Cross Class of ’67. ”The BCS conferences have a magic formula. They need X number of wins, and they need to schedule outside schools at home they can beat.”

But BC is beating Holy Cross. Fourteen out of 15, remember? So if the Crusaders don’t mind showing up, shouldn’t BC be willing to keep playing them for the sake of, oh, you know, tradition?

Not if you’re Al Skinner, apparently.

”Al told me right away,” recalls Willard. ”He said it was a no-win situation for him.”

Maybe there’s some rule I’ve been unaware that when you join a conference, you sever a traditional game. Damn the history as well. Then you look for any excuse you can find to justify it.

In the last couple of years, Skinner has raised another objection to the game, one the Holy Cross folks find amusing.

”He says BC kids are getting hurt,” says Regan. ”He thinks we’re too physical.”

”I like Al,” says Willard. ”Don’t get me wrong. But I was not happy when he said the referees weren’t protecting his players from the ‘less talented’ players.”

Skinner isn’t backing down on this one. ”I’ve heard them say that their kids were getting hurt, too,” he says. ”So you start asking yourself why you should be playing.”

Yes, the big, bruising BC Eagles of the last few years feels it was getting manhandled by the Crusaders. No wonder Al Skinner could never beat Pitt.

Andy Katz posts on Aaron Gray’s plans for Orlando (Insider Subs.).

Pitt junior center Aaron Gray received word that he would be invited to Orlando for a physical only at the predraft camp June 6-10.

That’s good news for Gray, who doesn’t want to be flying around the country to test his draft stock. Gray and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon are still deciding when and where to stage a post-Orlando workout before he makes a decision by the June 18 deadline to withdraw.

Dixon said he originally looked into one at Pitt, but wasn’t sure about the attendance from NBA teams. That could force Gray to choose a more regional site to draw the most interest.

Either way, the Big East and its TV partners are more concerned about Gray’s decision than Villanova’s Kyle Lowry, who also still hasn’t signed with an agent. If Gray returns to the Panthers, they would be considered the Big East favorite and more potential TV games would come their way.

Gray would be the Panthers’ go-to player if he returns to the lineup. The selling point for Gray to stay would be that he’s not a lock to go in the top 20, but likely would leap into that group in 2007. This may also be the only season in his career where he’ll be the focal point of the offense.

More national TV games for Pitt. One more selfish reason to want Gray to return for his senior year.

I noted last week I didn’t think many NBA scouts would be too interested in coming to Pittsburgh to see him workout. I think it might be more likely that he’ll work out in Philly, NYC or NJ. Places that are reasonably close to his family’s residence.

Meanwhile Chad Ford notes that two centers are seeing their draft stock rising (Insider Subs.).

I overheard one Eastern Conference scout call Patrick O’Bryant the top prospect in the draft. While that may be one lonely opinion, it does appear that O’Bryant’s stock is on the rise. He’s long, athletic and the only legit center in the draft. He might have a big draft drive in his near future.
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Another international man of interest is Senegal’s Mouhamed Saer Sene. Scouts and NBA executives say that his stock has risen into the late lottery to mid-first round. Why? Because they’ve been going to Belgium the last few weeks to see him play and come away impressed.

Sene had been ranked among Centers as behind Gray. Reads like he has passed him at this point. Unfortunately, if O’Bryant’s draft status rises much beyond where he was expected to go (12-15th), it could push Gray higher in the draft as another team looking for a big center might reach for him.

Ah, the intrigue and confusion.

It’s getaway Friday for many (and if hit counts are any indication, more than a few readers of this blog). For those of you who haven’t gotten a head start on the long weekend, I’m sure you still have to head out to the store to stock up on some beer for the weekend.

Last month was an AleFest in Cleveland, and I had the chance to sample some 20 or so odd beers that day. I’ve been posting beer reviews at my other blog for the last few weeks.

So, in addition to whatever your default beer choice is, consider something new as well to try this weekend.

This year’s poster.

It’s nice to read.

The Pitt football team will have at its disposal two of the finest defensive players in the nation according to the 2006 Lindy’s Football Annual.

Lindy’s named junior cornerback Darrelle Revis and senior linebacker H.B. Blades to its preseason All-America Team. Revis was a first-team selection, while Blades was named to the second team.

Revis and Blades should garner most of the individual pre-season hype. Maybe Punter Adam Graessele will get some notice.

Lindy’s doesn’t have it’s full list up at it’s site. They do have a minor coed section, though.

How long has the Arena Football League had a minor league system?

I mean, I admit to not really following the AFL, and it’s easy to miss teams placed in Macon, Shreveport, Louisville, Quad City and so on. But I’m still a little surprised I missed the whole creation of a set of minor league franchises. You like to think that sort of thing wouldn’t slip right past you.

I only bring this up because I came across an article mentioning that William “Tu Tu” Ferguson is now a part of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (who even have their own cheerleaders). Apparently he was playing for the Manchester Wolves last year.

I hate to think what those guys are making in the AFL’s minor league.

Disney/ABC/ESPN has its college football announcing and studio line-ups set. Prepare to weep.

No, not that Mark May is still in studio for the weekends. (I realize he’s not particularly well liked in the CFB blogosphere, but you aren’t going to get negative commentary about the Pitt great and CFB HoFer here. I like him, even if it is at least partially driven by bias for a Pitt guy.) It’s that Lou Holtz remains.

Potentially truly disturbing is that the studio group of Rece Davis, May and Holtz will be put out in the field for some ESPN and ESPN2 mid-week games. I’m just not highly enthused by that group doing play calling and color. John Saunders and Craig James will be the other ESPN/2 midweek game crew.

The hideous Friday crew of Dave Pasch with Rod Gilmore and Trevor Matich returns to inflict incredible amounts of frustration on viewers. The decent eye-candy that is Alex Flanagan will be on the sidelines. It won’t be enough.

Here’s where it gets bad. ESPN Sunday Night NFL Football refugee Paul Maguire returns to college football for the first time in 20 years to call Saturday afternoon ABC CFB games with Brad Nessler and Bob Griese. That will not be good.

With Aaron Taylor going to do charity work, the man who literally spoke out of one side of his face is gone from the ABC studio show. Joining John Saunders and Craig James this year will be Doug Flutie. This could be somewhat entertaining if they do shots from behind to show how much they had to raise Flutie’s seat compared to the others to make it look like they are all at the same size.

Now in other media news that ties into the WWLS.

I’ve written from time to time with some interest in what the Mountain West Conference is doing to improve itself with regards to TV exposure and control over itself. From moving to CSTV to starting its own regional network. In college sports, they have become one of the more forward thinking conferences.

The Big 11 is starting to figure things out. Realizing its power in college football tv markets and desire of the WWLS to retain them, they appear on the verge of making an aggressive move with the help of ESPN.

The concept has worked in other sports for 20 years. The Yankees, Braves, Cubs, Red Sox and Indians all have their own networks in baseball. But in college sports, leaving the Mother Ship is seen in the industry as suicide.

Maybe, except that now the Big Ten is headed in that direction, too. SportsLine.com has learned that the nation’s biggest conference (in terms of demographic reach) is close to announcing a long-term agreement with ESPN that would include a side deal with DirecTV to broadcast the Big Ten Network.

The league has been silent, but the formation of its own network has been the talk of the industry. The Big Ten is the next major conference whose television deal expires (June 2007). What it does with its content to maximize profits might be a template for other major conferences.

Dropping production costs and the success of other “networks” has led the league to this point.

While ESPN will still get top games, the Big Ten Network most likely will broadcast second-tier football and basketball games as well as minor sports.

“It does make sense. … The Big Ten will sell very well in Chicago, in Detroit, in Cleveland, in Pittsburgh, in Milwaukee, the footprint of the Big Ten,” said a high-placed industry source. “They will have a viewing audience. … You’re going to see more of this moving forward.”

Why is the Big Ten forcing its consumers to the more-expensive satellite TV? Basically, because it can. The league has one of the most loyal — and well-heeled — fan bases.

If this happens, how much longer until the other conferences start looking to go this route in one form or another?

What the hell is going on? Every sports site feels a need to bust out mock drafts no matter how ridiculous it is right now. I know, plenty of interest, condensed news cycles, and of course competition from the fact that one sports site does it so all the rest must do so as well. Still, the draft boards are all over the frickin’ place without any rhyme or reason.

Don’t buy into any of it right now. Definitely not until after more workouts and the Orlando camp. Whatever. I aggregate, you decide.

SI.com’s mock draft has Aaron Gray completely missing from the list because as they say at the introduction:

And don’t forget that early entry candidates have until June 18 to withdraw their names from consideration from the draft. Determining who will withdraw is an educated guess as well. For now, we expect the majority of international early entry candidates to withdraw, as well as prospects like Aaron Gray, Arron Afflalo, Nick Fazekas, Daniel Gibson and Richard Roby. Culling information from NBA insiders, this mock draft reflects those assumptions.

I want to believe.

Typing of which, I believe Greg Doyel at CBS Sportsline purposefully did his mock draft with the emphasis on mock.

Most mock drafts, they’re going to tell you how the 2006 NBA Draft might go. Me? I’ll tell you how it should go.
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13. Philadelphia 76ers

Aaron Gray, C, Pittsburgh: Patrick O’Bryant ate him up in the NCAA Tournament, an outcome that still shocks me. Was that a fluke? Not sure, but I’m going out on a limb and saying Gray will be a better pro. But neither will be all that good.

He has O’Bryant going at #19

Tony Mejia, who covers the NBA for CBS Sportsline is more traditional and puts Gray at #22 to the Nets like so many others.

A little less than 5 weeks until the actual draft. About 3 1/2 until the deadline to withdraw.

Greg Doyel’s Tuesday list concerns assistant coaching issues in this offseason. Pitt, with all of its upheaval, makes the list.

8. Pitt’s exodus: Jamie Dixon stayed, but he’s about the only one. After flirting with Arizona State and Missouri, Dixon signed a long-term extension with Pittsburgh but will start the next phase of his career without the bulk of his previous staff. Ace recruiter Barry Rohrssen is the new head coach at Manhattan. Bench coach Joe Lombardi is the new coach at Division II Indiana (Pa.). Third assistant Pat Sandle was rumored to be a candidate for an assistant’s position at N.C. State, but that didn’t happen. Best of luck to Dixon, whose younger sister died this spring.

Of course we know Orlando Antigua looks to be filling one of the assistant coaching spots.

Big East Blog provides a rundown on the eligible transfers on BE teams for the upcoming season. Mike Cook for Pitt looks to be the headliner, but DePaul, WVU, Georgetown and especially USF will all have some impact transfers. Georgetown’s transfer, by the way, is Patrick Ewing, Jr. Think there won’t be much discussion of that when Georgetown shows up on national games this coming season?

Pitt has a press release saying that Tyler Palko will be on “Savran on SportsBeat” tonight at 6pm on FSN Pittsburgh. The primary discussion will be about his TC House Foundation, that was part of the extensive feature article from Sunday.

A really good story on coaches going to other schools and programs to pick the brains of their colleagues.

No one knows the first time one coach took off in the spring to learn from another. But any history book or biography from the old days mentions them. One example: After Stanford rushed for 383 yards and whipped Army 26-0 at Yankee Stadium in the final game of the 1928 season, Army assistant coaches Ralph Sasse and Harry Ellinger traveled across the continent to Palo Alto, Calif., to learn the double-wing formation from legendary Stanford coach Pop Warner.
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A lot of times, coaches aren’t looking for plays or formations. They may be in search of something as basic as how a practice is run, or how a skill is taught. Hall of Fame coach Red Blaik wrote in his book “You Have to Pay the Price” that when he coached at Dartmouth, he invited Pittsburgh coach Jock Sutherland to Hanover “because I admired his fetish for detail and fundamentals.” Coaches today are looking for the same thing. Rodriguez said, “Last year, we got a drill on how to get off a block and make a tackle from Georgia and we used it. We showed it to Florida and they may run it.”
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One thing you can guarantee about coaches: If you win, other coaches will come find you. Take this spring. In the wake of West Virginia’s 11-1 finish and Sugar Bowl upset of Georgia, coaches from Penn State, Ohio State, California, Memphis and Bowling Green went to Morgantown.

“That’s kind of neat,” Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez said. “It’s a cheaper way for us to not have to go out there. We don’t let them come to campus without us asking them a few questions.”

I was all set to start questioning and wondering whether Coach Wannstedt and the staff — especially OC Matt Cavanaugh and DC Paul Rhoads — were taking trips like this. Exposing themselves to new ideas, ways of doing things and such. Seems like such a good idea.

Of course then I started thinking about the ill-advised decision by former Coach Harris to install the spread offense after visiting Northwestern and Randy Walker in 2001. It made me reconsider my position.

So those are the questions right now. The factual is simply wondering whether the football coaching staff is getting out to other schools and talking with other coaches to discuss things and compare notes.

The other question is should they be doing that? Or should they be simply trying to figure out the best way to use the talent on hand and be out there recruiting non-stop.

I lean towards hoping the staff is making some visits and trying to learn some new things. I have to think that regardless of the talent level issues, it would be better to at least listen and consider some other approaches.

I don’t know if anyone watched the NBA Draft Lottery thing last night before the basketball game. I only mention it, not because Toronto picks first. During the broadcast they had “Steve Lavin’s top-25 players” on the scroll. It looked like it was college players only, but I did see Aaron Gray listed at #20.

The skinny: The Grizzlies have been searching for a legit center ever since Bryant Reeve retired. With Lorenzen Wright hitting free agency this summer, the need has never been greater. Who better to fill that role than the guy who plays and kids of looks like Big Country. While Jerry West would prefer an athletic big man, Gray proved at Pittsburgh that he can be a formidable force in the paint.

It will also depend on the point guards available at that spot. The Grizz need a point guard as well.

I’m back to an inconclusive sense as to whether Gray will stay or go. That single workout is looming large.

If I actually thought this to be close to credible, I’d be really annoyed (via Cracked Sidewalks).

The 30th Anniversary of the “dunk ban” being lifted from college basketball will be celebrated during the 2006-07 season. In honor of the 30th Anniversary Dunkadelic Inc. constructed the All-Time Dunkadelic Teams for the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, PAC 10, SEC, combination of the mid-major conferences, and high school phenom teams. The players were selected to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams with an All-Dunkadelic Team MVP for each of the 8 All-Time teams. The 8 All-Time Teams were ranked from 1-8 based on the overall team of 15 dunkers.
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Big East All-Time Dunkadelic First Team:
Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Darrell “Dr. Dunkenstein” Griffith (Louisville), Kenyon Martin (Cincinnati), Dwyane Wade (Marquette), James White (Cincinnati)

Big East All-Time Dunkadelic Second Team:
Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), Allen Iverson (Georgetown), Melvin Levett (Cincinnati), Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown), Orlando Woolridge (Notre Dame)

Big East All-Time Dunkadelic Third Team:
Willie Glass (St. Johns), Conrad McRae (Syracuse), Ruben Patterson (Cincinnati), Stephen Thompson (Syracuse), Hakim Warrick (Syracuse), Willie Glass (St Johns)

The Big East All-Time Dunkadelic Team MVP is Dwyane Wade, runner-up Darrell “Dr. Dunkenstein” Griffith, and 3rd place Patrick Ewing

Just because Marquette, Louisville, and Cinci are now in the Big East does not mean their past greats from before joining the Big East should ever be included in all-time Big East teams. Not to mention the absolute insanity to not have Jerome Lane anywhere to be seen betrays the ignorance of this.

Still, this is just a useless press release from an unknown company that is in a minor trademark dispute with Reebok for the last few years while trying to find anyone to sell his gear.

(Good grief, I’m scraping for content now.)

Neal Tracey was once a hot, young recruit.

After that visit from the Notre Dame assistant the letters started coming. Letters upon letters. A ton of letters. Chris Branch, his coach at Ponaganset, told him he could get to the next level, but he had to become more focused, get stronger, play every play as if it were his last.

What was left unsaid was that college football was a business, and that schools don’t give out football scholarships because they’re nice.

It was fun in the beginning, no question about that.

The summer before his senior year he went to camps at Notre Dame, Michigan State and Boston College. At Notre Dame, he even picked up pieces of grass from the stadium to take back to give to one of his brothers. He also sat down with coach Bob Davies. Here he was a kid from Glocester, and the coach of Notre Dame was talking to him.

Who would have ever believed that?

A few months later reality showed up.

Davies was gone, and new Notre Dame coach Ty Willingham didn’t seem to have any interest. Penn State backed off. BC put him on the back burner. As his senior year played out the two schools still all over him were Big East schools Rutgers and Pittsburgh.

Then he got hurt.

A few minutes into a playoff game against Shea, his last high school game.

A torn ACL in his left knee.

Neal Tracey was looking at an operation and six minths of rehab.

Tracey came to Pitt and ended up with 2 more knee surgeries including losing the entire 2004 season.

By the time spring football started, Dave Wannstedt was the new Pitt coach. He he wanted smaller, quicker lineman. Tracey got down to 280.

But when he came back to camp in late summer his knee swelled again. He was sent for an MRI. When the results came back the trainer told him his knees “were trashed,” that he had no cartilage in either knee and probably will be looking at knee replacements at age 40.

Still, Tracey wanted to play.

And play he did.

He was a blocker on the field goal team, and played backup tackle against Youngstown State.

“All my hard work paid off,” he says. “I finally got on the field.”

Still, his football is over, even if he has two years of eligibility remaining. He recently graduated with a degree in Communications, already wants to get on to the next chapter in his life. He knows he was fortunate to get through last fall, that he can’t do it again, no matter who much he’d like to.

He also knows he has to lose weight, that it’s not healthy to be lugging 300 pounds around. His goal is to eventually get down to 220.

I don’t pretend to have even known of Neal Tracey prior to this story. It probably is a similar story for so many players at so many levels of college football just trying to keep playing and get on the field. In any capacity.

Congratulations to Tracey for not just getting out on the field, but graduating and moving on with his life.