Hey, everyone. On the road today. This post coming to you from a Whole Foods (free Wi-Fi) in Dublin, Ohio (Columbus suburb). I generally have nothing against the ‘burbs (especially since I live in one) and I don’t have that knee-jerk elitist complaint of cookie-cutter shopping, eating and development. Well, let’s just call Dublin the exception that proves the rule. Jeez, this place makes my teeth hurt from grinding them. From their faux-historic downtown (that isn’t fooling anyone) to this hideous development off of Avery-Murfield Rd. (I think it’s called Avery Square) that insists on trying to make the whole shopping development looks like brick house condo developments — to the point that even the signage has to blend. Which actually makes it damn impossible to locate stores at many points of the day with sun glare because reddish-brown signs against brick tend to blend. Urgh. Sorry, just needed to vent.
Not much happening anyways. Dorin Dickerson’s ankle is hurting so he’s out of practice. Bill Stull is slightly ahead of Kevan Smith to no one’s surprise. The big thing will be this weekend’s “Blue Chip Day” for recruits.
Elijah Fields is going to have to work on shedding a reputation.
“He’s got the natural athletic ability that you look for in a great football player: He’s flexible. He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s explosive. He runs. He jumps. He’s tough,” said new secondary coach Chris Ball, who coached All-Americans Lamont Thompson and Marcus Trufant at Washington State. “He’s got all those things that you just can’t coach in kids. He’s got all the tools to be a great one, but the great ones learned the defense and applied it, so he’s got to be able to do that part of it.”
What Fields struggled with was the off-field transition from WPIAL Class A at Duquesne, where he was the state’s 2005 Player of the Year, to life in a major-college program at Pitt.
No one is at all questioning his talent. What they are questioning is his head and heart. Probably the latter more then than the former. Does he want to learn what to do? Does he want the greatness that so many seem to believe he could achieve? He is in a program and a higher level where he can’t just coast on his athleticism and float around doing his thing. He has to know assignments and work within the unit.
The other bright side of this Whole Foods — good beer on draft.
On Paul Rhoads: “I have talked to a number of coaches and all of them tell me the same thing — Rhoads is an excellent football coach.†Well F*CK to that, no other way to put it.
Next, In ref. to D. Dickerson’s move to LB: “Linebacker is wide open — I’m not sure anyone has a spot nailed down right now and with Dorin’s size and athleticism, if he learns his assignments and the defense quickly I’m thinking he has to be a serious contender for a starting spot. This is clearly his best chance to play.â€
This is, “Clearly his best chance to play,†WTF? I’d have sworn DD was an IMMEDIATE impact player when he signed LOI. Garbage, and barring injury, I’m of the opinion if the kid doesn’t see the field (consistently) soon, then he (you or me for that matter) would’ve made a mistake by coming to Pitt; how many offers was he able to corral in the first place, and do you think he’d be wasted at PSU, under an ass like Jpa? Nope, no GD way I am puzzled and increasingly agitated.
And in ref. to:
Tommie Campbell had potential but his off-field nonsense grew tiresome and really became a distraction… Elijah Fields already has returned from his suspension. He is another one who needs to decide this — does he want to be a great one (and clearly he has the ability to be special) or does he want to be just another guy with loads of potential who 20 years from now is telling stories about what could have been.
Could somebody – anybody – provide some god-forbid DETAIL RE: what exactly does it mean for either player to have “[grown] tiresome and really became a distraction…†It would be helpful to actually know WTF PZ et al. mean at times.
I want to like this beat-writer, but he’s rubbing me the wrong way and without the courteous reach-around provided when DW was a candidate†in the rubble of Harris’ dismissal.
link to ncaabasketball.aolsportsblog.com
To be fair, the mistake was pointed out by another Fanhouser who handled WVU Football last year.
