Apparently this could be the final Backyard Brawl meeting. There’s a little history involved. You may have caught a brief mention of it somewhere. I’m sure ESPN will show it’s usual reserve and sense of understatement on the topic for tonight’s 9pm game.
I’ve been on record of wanting to continue the Brawl. That hasn’t changed, but the hand-wringing does bring out the contrarian in me. [As does lazy writing that opts for short, one-sentence paragraphs to fill the space rather than any sort of actual writing on the topic. Joe Starkey takes it to Ron Cook levels today, with an epic effort of 12 short, one-sentence paragraphs.]
For a better view, this from Ray Mernagh is superior in style and substance.
Pitt fans don’t want to go to WVU anymore because of the behavior of the crowds in Morgantown. That’s fine and it’s also understandable. So don’t go. I’m sure the Pitt players want to continue to go to Morgantown. It’s the kind of setting that gets your juices flowing as a player. It’s you, and your 14 guys/coaches, against the world. It’s a test. It’s what a rivalry should be. It’s what Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones and Jabarie Hinds will relish tonight when they step on the floor and get verbally assaulted by the Oakland Zoo.
…
The Pitt/WVU basketball series has given us far too many memorable evenings/afternoons to stop it because both are headed to greener pastures. Both programs will continue to be strong in the future and playing each other can only help.
I suspect that Pitt and WVU will end up missing next year in the basketball side, but I believe that going forward there will be an annual game. Unlike the arguments against continuing in football, basketball is an easier sell.
There’s more room on the non-con schedule in basketball. Even as an away game, it is a low cost deal for Pitt to still add a quality non-con game. Neither Pitt or WVU have to worry about recruiting issues in each other’s backyard for basketball. That just isn’t a factor.
Coach Dixon definitely is hedging. Not giving anything away about the future.
“We’ll see what happens,” Dixon said. “Things are changing. A lot of things are going on. When things settle, we’ll go from there. No decision will be made [right away].
“I think it’s been a great experience for us. I’m not the one who makes all the decisions. There’s a history way before I got here. There are a lot more people who have been through a lot more games than myself. It means more to some. We’ll see how everything plays out. We have to see how everything falls.”
Dixon was asked whether he will take into account that the game has been played every year for almost a century.
“Sometimes there are things you can control and sometimes there are things you can’t,” he said. “I don’t know where this one will fall. I haven’t sat down and looked at what we need to do. No decision will be made [right now] for good reasons. We won’t make any decisions at this point. Let’s get all of the information, see where we stand. The biggest issue for us is a football game. That’s what we have to be focused on as a university.”
WVU Coach Huggins has said he wants to continue to keep playing, but he’s not going to make it a big public issue now.
“Honestly, I’d be kind of shocked [if it ended],” Huggins said. “I mean, we’ve been playing since 1904. We’re all looking for good non-conference games.”
Indeed, the WVU-Pitt basketball series has survived changing conferences before. Most recently, Pitt left the Eastern 8 in 1982 for the Big East, while WVU stayed with the same core teams to form the Atlantic 10. Despite the shift, West Virginia and Pitt alternated home games each year until the Mountaineers joined Pitt in the Big East in 1995.
So there will be talks.
“I want to talk to Jamie [Dixon, Pitt’s coach] about it when the season is over,” Huggins said. “Obviously now isn’t the time.”
To give credit to Huggins, he has never shied away from scheduling good teams on the non-con. Home and away.
It really is an annual game that would benefit both sides in terms of non-con SOS and having a low expense road game every other year. Heck, if both sides were smart, they would make sure to schedule the annual game in mid- to late-December. When winter break is taking place, and everyone struggles to fill a home arena. A good way to assure that the attendance gets the boost. Not to mention, it would definitely get picked up by ESPN.
As for the game itself, both teams are struggling and trying to just scrape for wins. Pitt will, once again, try to contain Kevin Jones.
At the same time, Pitt will hope that the the bench actually contributes. J.J. Moore is now admitting that he doesn’t have confidence right now.
Moore has struggled in particular with his 3-point shooting. He is 4 for 31 (12.9 percent) from behind the arc in Big East play.
“The seniors — Nas and Ashton — they tell me every day that I’m a good shooter, so keep shooting,” Moore said. “That’s what I’m doing in practice, shooting and trying to build my confidence back up. Coach is telling me every day how to work on it and get better at it. I’m just taking it in and trying to find my flaws and keep shooting and get better with my shot.”
Forget the shooting. Just look to drive. He’s so hung up on getting his stroke back, that he ignores open lanes.
I see no reason why these 2 teams won’t play next year in BB — unlike football, very little of next year’s schedule is completed … and as Chas aptly pointed out, this is a win-win pre-season for both sides.
Actually, I see it as a no brainer.
– a rivalry that should bring the ESPN TV money
– two pretty good programs from top conferences
– away team has all of a 75 minute bus drive
Football will be tough.
I’d like to retract my statement. I guess just reading it, sounded like drabble.
His points are good, but, what do you want us to do. It’s a done deal. We’ll each have 9 conference games. Need a cupcake or two, we have PSU and ND coming. WVU has Maryland, which is one of their rivals.
Hopefully they can work something out, that would be great. If not, I’m looking forward to see what Chryst and Co. can do, and look forward to playing PSU, ND, and Miami, Ga. Tech, Va Tech, Clemson and Fla. St.
I think that if WVU moved to the SunBelt and Pitt moved to the MAC, we’d be upset, but, we both have some pretty exciting things going to happen in the new conferences.
Ya, even taking my blue and gold colored glasses off, WVU will have a little excitement playing Texas, Okie, Okie St.
Bad, that their closet rival will be Iowa St 4 states away. And back to back road trips to Lubbock and Austin will be killers, but, hey, I would be a little excited too.
Still without those glasses, we definitely got the better deal, much better deal.
Geographically, Academically, and frankly Athletically, hoops will be #1, and the ACC football is better than given credit for. It’s actually quite good. Not SEC good, but good.
I feel WVU’s problems arent’ where they are, it’s what could happen. If it ever goes to 16, Texas, Texas Tech, Okie and Okie St. will still be looking at a Pac16.
Another big problem they have, I don’t think Holgersen will be there long. I believe if an SEC or a Big 12 job in TX or OK comes available, he’ll be gone. His name has allready been linked to teams in the south.
All in all, both have some exciting things to look forward too, and, if somehow they could keep it together, great, if not, not losing sleep over it.
I think he wrote the article, because they were all flabergasted the past few days on 93.7 the Fan, because when topic was broached, they didn’t get a lot of upset callers.
F ND and PSU. Ideally, keep WVU and get PSU – dump ND. WVU and PSU would both be nationally televised games – the reason Pitt likes ND. Both would also bring in similar attendance. I don’t see the benefit of continuing a game a against a team that lives off of it’s legacy rather than reality.
I am curious to see if there is any interest in the PSU game when it comes around. If either team is not competitive when the games occur I can envision this game vanishing forever.
I never thought of ND as a rival. To me the game is more of a marketing ploy. Get some face time on National TV. Maybe you win and cause a bunch of rich, old guys to sulk their way back to their 46’ RVs.
like velvil says may be in BBonce every coupe of years but in football it has to be penn state and ND.
Comment by Dan 02.16.12 @ 11:34 am
Dan-o, I’m shocked you don’y know our history with Notre Dame. Both teams were national powers on an annual basis back in Pitt’s salad days of the 1930’s. Two legendary coaches, Jock Sutherland of PITT and Knute Rockne of ND. PITT was beating the Irish so often, they discontinued the series for awhile (until Sutherland was out at PITT basically). Imagine that !
PITT was the game ND circled every year back in those days. As we were for most of our opponents in the late 1920’s and 1930’s. See, I always tell you guys, we were ALL born in the wrong time period. haha
One of you genius’s need to event a Time Machine,
so we can go back in revel in PITT’s golden era.
All hoopies entering the WVU Asbestos Coliseum, should be required to leave all coinage at the doors, as they do their tiny brains.
I know we were pretty much a Big 10 team back then, and even got invited to join once.
Or were about to be asked, and Mich St or someone joined instead???
I don’t remember it, but was told stories many times by my Dad and uncles about Pitt-Fordham three times playing to 0-0 ties, both national powers!!!! ha ha 36′-38′??? 35′-37′???
I don’t care if they are replaced with Carnegie Mellon or Towson!
Pitt favored by 3 points tonight in Vegas
Oh yea the Pitt- Fordham series was a big National game back then. Fordham had the 7 Blocks of Granite and PITT had the Dream Backfield.
They played to 0-0 ties, in back to back seasons.
If you loved defense, this was a titanic struggle.
Read more: Starkey: Sad goodbye to Brawl – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review link to pittsburghlive.com
Just read the Starkey POS.
WTF, does this guy actually get paid to write this totally inaccurate tripe.
“That series was borne of the schools’ Big East ties”
First off, what is borne, is writing in olde Englsh these days. haha
2nd and most importantly, PITT has been playing ND since 1909. 1909 folks. That’s just a tad, mind you, a tad before Pitt started playing in the BigEast for football in 1991. I know some of you are math challenged, and without using your iphones for a calculator, that’s 82 years BEFORE PItt joined the BigEast for football.
Pitt and ND have played 67 times, with 54 of those, before there was EVEN a BIgEAst football conference. It took me about a minute to research that. Yet a paid professional couldn’t or wouldn’t or did and this fact would have altered the point he was trying to make in the article so he made up a factoid of his own. To fit the agenda of the article.
That folks is called yellow journalism.
Hail to Pitt !
Veritas et Virtus !
PITT vs ND
PITT vs. PSU
Those games help in recruiting immensely. They are also sellouts.
Pitt vs wvcc
That is a sellout sometimes. However hillbillies do not add much to local economy when in town, mcdonalds & burger king are busy most of the time anyway, as is Motel 6. And the Parkway West gets bogged down with abandoned jalopies which Penn Dot has to tow away at much taxpayer cost.
2:50PM + 5:30PM
he needs to get off his ass he seams slow to act ohio state will eat his lunch he needs to recruit even if he doesent like to and i say one more time were is the RB coach what the hell how long does he need is he in fear winsconsin will take who he hires agein. he is not giveing me a good vibe what do you think DR. TOM
Your comments would be taken more seriously if
you could spell and learn proper grammar!
He’s also wrong on one point for sure.
Notre Dame. Maybe not a heated rivalry, I don’t know how it started, but, for whatever reason, Pitt is 6th all time on Notre Dame’s all-time played list.
The continuation of the series has nothing to do with the Big East, Pitt and Notre Dame have always played, then they take a couple years off, then play again.