Fans for Script have the pictures of Palko wearing a Pitt helmet at the Senior Bowl with a script “Pitt” on the side. Have to admit, I had spent the entire day on b-ball duty for AOL, so I never tuned in. The write-ups on the game were complimentary for Palko.
Pittsburgh quarterback Tyler Palko also found success upon entering the game, making several nice plays to keep a North drive alive before the half. On a third-and-six, Palko completed a nice out to Notre Dame wide receiver Rhema McKnight for 13 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Palko again faced a third down, this time needing eight yards to move the chains. Seeing the middle of the field unmanned, the Pitt passer used his feet to make something happen, scrambling 16 yards down to the 15-yard line. Later in the drive, Palko would proceed to do his best impression of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, shoveling the football backhanded and on the run to Kansas State running back Thomas Clayton, who caught the impromptu pass and ran to the four-yard line. The drive would eventually stall there, forcing another Crosby field goal.
Apparently Pitt teammates didn’t believe the North would win.
“Football is a game of willpower,” said North linebacker H.B. Blades, who played at Pittsburgh but grew up in Fort Lauderdale. “We heard all week how we were underdogs.
“Even guys on my own team (at Pitt) when I called back this week, they were saying, ‘Hey, the South has guys from Florida, Florida State, Texas, Auburn. You guys are going to lose.’
“So even my own team didn’t give us a chance.”
A 27-0 shut out of the South.
That still brings thins back to the script helmets. The picture of Palko during practice in the week show the same Pitt helmet we’ve seen for the past two years with the block “Pitt.” So now, in the Senior bowl — still with the newer color scheme — there is the script on the side; but no explanation.
It’s not like the players would have done it themselves. I have trouble believing Coach Wannstedt was acting on his own — though that is possible. Nothing at the Pitt website. So is this some sort of grass roots/underground change to the logo or some sort of subtle test-marketing? I have to believe the helmets came from the athletic department. Guess we’ll find out soon.
I too am a big fan of the script – watched the game and was pleasantly surprised at the helmets.
There are too many teams with colors similar to our current “new” colors. Of well, at least the jerseys don’t say “Pittsburgh” on them anymore, and the primary logo isn’t the Panther.
I agree, Jimbo, that royal blue and yellow would be nice, but the old mustard yellow was a little weird looking and a bit of a seventies vestige IMO. Maybe a little brighter and you’d be golden (so to speak). A lot of young players prefer the navy and vegas though I think.
That’s ironic that HB’s pals from the team told him his team couldn’t match up to the South guys. It kind of reminds me of the way some of them played this season. With doubt. I can’t think of two players to better represent Pitt in an all star game than Tyler and HB. They’re all heart. It’s too bad they’re seniors.
I dunno, the stripe (see 2nd pic on website) has me doubting that Tyler and H.B. simply added a script decal to a gold helmet.
The AD has us so desperate, that I’d be willing to settle for scraps and have the script come back, even if it’s just navy and vegas gold.
Pitt’s best post-war football years came with the script and there’s absolutely no reason to abandon them.
