I just want to do a quick recap of what Chas asked me to do during the spring practices. I’m filling in for him while he takes a bit of a breather from writing so much about the PITT basketball season. That’s over with now, and while there is still a lot to discuss about that, Chas will be back with some football articles soon – as he already has been. I’ll follow through until the Spring Game and then periodically afterward.
One gentle reminder. This is a sports blog. As such it doesn’t follow the journalistic rules that the more established media sources do such as newspapers and magazines… at least that is how I envision it and how it was explained to me years ago when I accused Chas of “speculating” on an issue. Of course, he quickly commented back that “this is what this venue is for”.
So, there is some factual stuff on here, mostly from linked sources if I can and I’ll try to cite those, but there is a whole lot of speculation and author’s opinions. I’ll try to point that out when I do so also. As to research – it’s all about scanning the internet and gleaning info from other sources. Just wanted to make that clear.
That said, today I figured if I’m going to be writing about this new “High Octane” offense I should probably know a little bit of what I’m talking about. So I went to the local library and sat down with a book titled New Offenses in College Football or something to that effect. It wasn’t too old and they had a chapter on the Spread Offense written by our favorite Hoopie; Rich Rodriguez.
I figured what the hell, it was good enough for our OC Calvin Magee when he worked for RichRod and WVU kicked our asses pretty well with it, so it should be good enough for me, right?… Wrong!
It was written by Idiot Savants who do nothing but gabble and spew esoteric football crap to make themselves sound important. Drawdown this and zone that. Throw in Bang, Bounce and Bend and wiggle fly from the 2-back out to the boundary. Whatever happened to ‘Send your biggest and fastest WR down the sideline and throw the damn football as far as you can‘?
Oh, that’s right… that didn’t work out too well for us last year, did it?.
I did get the ‘Bubble Screen’ stuff though. That’s because I remembered that our old OC had it tattooed backwards on his forehead so when he shaved on Saturday mornings he was reminded of his gameplan for the day.
I literally was told to quiet down twice because I was barking my displeasure out loud (in my defense I didn’t realize that, I thought it was all my words were still in my brain). Finally the librarian came over and asked me ‘for the last time’ to please be quiet. I asked her what the problem was and she said… “You just screamed “WTF? Who does this crap?!?” So I put the book down and left.
I’m telling you, my opinion of Offensive Coordinators dropped like Charlie Sheen’s pants when seeing his “Goddesses” after trying to read that. I’m surprised they could get a plain “I do” out at their wedding ceremonies.
The upshot is that if anyone wants detailed descriptions of what actually happens out on the field you aren’t going to get it from me. I’ll have to limit my stuff to the “PITT really sucked out there today” or “The field goal kicker needs a new leg” level of discourse. You can go always on the message boards and read what some old broken down ex-high school football coaches argue about with each other if you want more than that.
Odds and Ends
Continuing with the ‘visiting authors’ series, here is James Michener on the history of PITT football:
The tradition of playing the game of football at the University of Pittsburgh is old and rooted in the earth itself. Along the banks of the Monongahela River, where a majority of the rocks exposed at the surface are sedimentary and were deposited during the Paleozoic Era, and where the Appalachian event left the most evidence and has continued to shape the landscape of the southwestern part of the state, the Pennsylvania terrain has also been affected by continental rifting during the Mesozoic era. This is the solid foundation for Blue and Mustard Yellow dominance on the football field.
The first Europeans arrived in western PA in the 1710s as traders. Michael Bezallion, quarterback Tino Sunseri’s great, great, great grandfather, was the first to describe the forks of the Ohio in a manuscript in 1717 and then sold locally-grown produce to the other travelers in a small strip-like plot of land. Later that year, European traders established posts and settlements in the Fort Pitt area. The university’s ancestors first began to settle in the region in 1748, when the Ohio Company, an English land speculation company, won a grant of 200,000 acres to build the iconic PITT Stadium, where mostly white European descendants of the first settlers, along with some key running backs and wide receivers of African descent, won a national title in 1976.
From a post at present-day Cumberland, Maryland, the company began to construct an 80-mile wagon road to the Monongahela River, where the Steelers and the Panthers share facilities, employing a Delaware Indian Chief named Nemacolin who lived there as a guide. Thus began PITT football.
I’m trying doing something on each segment of the team as filler also so I’ll get another actual football article up soon.
I loved the fictional recount of PITT football history. Great imagination!
This will be a classic post one day. I love the library story. I am still laughing!!!!! Entertaining. Now that is what i call “being yourself”. It is original!
Frankcan – I’ll be up on the Southside on Saturday. I’ll specifically watch the QBs to get a feel. I’ve been at practices when Sunseri was there two years ago, but I’ve never seen Myers except for warm-ups before games. I’m actually looking forward to seeing Gonzalez run some plays.
I don’t know if we’ll be allowed to watch the whole scrimmage like they did last week or just the first 40 minutes like a regular practice.
I’m really hoping for the whole thing as its a 500 mile round trip for me, but either way it will be fun.
My only burning question is: I always thought it was macaroni. You’re saying it was actually produce?
Before spring football is finished, you may need to do spme Steinebeck and Salinger … but since we now have a coach with colorful southern dialect, I believe Tennessee Williams is in order
Maybe Aldous Huxley since we maybe entering a “Brave New World” with this staff. Plus he took a lot of LSD which may help if things go bad on the field.
It would seem despite a management change (Graham for Wannstedt), legacy trumps all. And that is exactly how things work in business, politics and sports. There is no open competition at all and like someone else said, if I was Myers, I would be transferring out, since he won’t play until his junior year unless Tinny completely flames out(guys like him are allowed just enough success to merit the job) or gets hurt.
Suddenly I’m not excited at all about Pitt football.
Comment by melvinbennett 03.29.11 @ 2:58 pm
I actually like having a QB for PITT be from a kind of famous PGH lineage. His father did great things for the Panthers back in our heyday also. it’s a good story IMO.
Melvin, I have to look at this and think there is a difference between this year and last as far as the QBs go (and there are threads on the message boards about this as we speak). Last year we had an open starting position at QB, this year we have an incumbent. While I don’t think Sunseri played so well he should be handed the job, I also think that he shouldn’t be automatically excluded based on his play last year. IMO he had an average college QB year.
I also think – and I’ve written this – that there is usually a big leap in progress from year 1 to year 2 for these kids. So, if Graham has his guy in mind, and it’s Sunseri, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in this offense.
I also wonder if having a different “Go-To” deep threat may not help him a bit with his deep ball… I suppose at this point that would be Street? Granted some of Sunseri’s deep throws were poor, but others were close enough that I thought Baldwin could have gotten them if he played differently.
1) NBA workouts start after the May 8th deadline
2) Ashton is a smart kid and has a good support system. He also knows that he is gauranteed a salary of $0.00 next year playing for Pitt
Loved the Michener. How about some Grisham, if we are going for a Southerner?
Sunseri may start, it won’t be because of any legacy. The guy up and moved his family half way across the country, millions of dollars involved, and whether he wants to stay here long term, or try to put together a winning program to move on to something else, there is no way anyone is going to tell him who to start at quarterback.
Believe me, if Joe Schmo could put up 60 for him, Joe Schmo will be the starter.
Even in a different offense, remember, Sunseri has a year under his belt. If Myers or Gonzalez or Gray improve and take the job, it will be theirs.
What you said is true, in business, sports, etc. etc., but, I’ve seen it work the other way, where the person coming in, does not take the obvious choice, just to show people who the boss is.
I’m leaving it up to Graham, realizing, he wants to win, and he’ll go with the guy that can help him do that as quickly as possible. IMHO.
Grisham really doesn’t have a ‘style’ that I can tell. Maybe if I have a player carrying a suitcase full of secrets being chased around the city?
Michener was easy, I cut and pasted out of Wikipedia.
“I’ll tell you one guy who has impressed me in my limited view of him – Mark Myers. I didn’t know how he’d fit into this offense but it is so obvious to me that he has the best skill set of any of the quarterbacks. He really has a good arm and boy, the ball just zips from his hands.”
– PittFan28
Johnstown, PA