Sean’s Ramblings is doing his annual Pittsburgh sports blog tourney. The voting is now open, and I’ve been told I’m trailing in a 4-5 match-up.
February 17, 2012
February 16, 2012
I’ll spare everyone the preamble on the last Backyard Brawl for the immediate future. Maybe there is a surprising deal reached to keep playing the basketball side, uninterrupted, but I doubt it. At the very least Pitt is annoyed with the Hoopies over Luck’s comments back in October, and how screwed up Pitt’s football schedule is by the Big 12’s need to have them leave for 2012. So, I expect at least a year break on the b-ball side.
I may be a touch late starting the liveblog. I’ll be rushing home from work, so if the liveblog isn’t underway immediately just use the comments to do an open thread and keep an eye out for the liveblog.
Simple thing for this game. Just beat the Hoopies. Should be a very emotionally charged game. I expect no matter what from this game to the NCAA Tournament WVU fans will assume the officials will be out to get them for officially leaving the Big East. True or not, that will be their belief. It hasn’t exactly been a good season for WVU and officiating before that point.
I realize taking a shot at the Big East is like doing the same with Congress. It’s easy and everyone does it. That doesn’t change the third factor — they both deserve the abuse.
The settlement with West Virginia has been previously mentioned for some of the face-saving. Some of the terms in the agreement, though, are just as laughable.
I suppose I should not be surprised by the inclusion of a “non-disparity” clause, but that ship sailed capsized when WVU AD Luck made his “sinking ship” reference to the Big East. Still, given Luck’s propensity or shooting off his mouth, WVU’s legal department may want to advise the school to hire someone with a taser to stay close to Luck at all media events for the next year or so.
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.
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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.
February 15, 2012
Not a shock that Pitt appears to be staying in the Big East for 2012. $20 million without a Big 12-like $10 million subsidy to help is not going to be forthcoming from Pitt. Nor would it be likely that the Big East would be as compliant with the potential to see the conference down to 6 or 5 for 2012.
The only real news regarding the move to the ACC, is that Big East Stooge Commish John Marinatto is actually stating something everyone already knew.
Big East Commissioner John Marinatto says his league “might be open to a discussion” about allowing Syracuse and Pittsburgh to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2013 football season.
The Big East reached a settlement with West Virginia on Monday that allows the school to become a member of the Big 12 in 2012.
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Marinatto had previously said that the Big East intends to hold all three schools in the conference until 2014.
“But given the strength and speed of our expansion efforts, I think our board might be open to a discussion about 2013,” Marinatto said in a telephone interview.
No kidding. By 2013, for better or worse the Big East will have SDSU, UCF, SMU, Houston, Memphis and Boise St. to go with UConn, USF, Rutgers, Cinci and Louisville. There is no reality where the Big East wants to have a 13-team conference for one season. Fall to 11, then back up to 12 in 2015 when Navy comes.
February 14, 2012
This was merely a formality. Everyone knew. It’s been known. Even the settlement was known since last week. Just that now it is official. I know this is a shock, but the Big East didn’t actually post the press release they sent to the media. Let’s take a read. Annotations supplied
The BIG EAST Conference Board of Directors has voted to terminate West Virginia University’s membership in the Conference, effective June 30, 2012. This vote is conditioned on WVU fulfilling its obligations under a settlement agreement with the Conference that resolves the litigation between the parties.
You can’t quit. I’m firing you first. Right after I filed that lawsuit to keep you.
“West Virginia University has acknowledged and agreed that the Court in Monongalia County, West Virginia, will enter a judgment that the BIG EAST Conference Bylaws are valid and enforceable, and will dismiss with prejudice all of West Virginia’s claims against the Conference.” stated John Marinatto Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference.
Dear Pitt and Syracuse, screw you. No. This won’t help you. If you even consider a lawsuit, this settlement means nothing for giving you a loophole to go out on the cheap.
Too many links piling up. Need to dig out. So, here are several that I found of interest, and somewhat related to Pitt.
As expected Maryland QB Danny O’Brien is done after Randy Edsall did his level best to botch the situation. Taking the top rookie QB in the ACC the previous year and doing all he can to wreck him — including benching him 3/4 through the season. Then expressing shock and blaming O’Brien for transferring.
“I’m disappointed by Danny’s decision,” coach Randy Edsall said in a prepared statement. “Danny told me that he’s not committed to our program, that he’s not ‘all in.’ I want what’s best for all of our players. Danny wants a fresh start elsewhere. I wish him well.”
That elsewhere, though, won’t be Pitt. According to tweets and reports ACC schools — including future ACC schools — are right out when it comes to schools Edsall and Maryland will let O’Brien transfer. So is Vanderbilt, where Maryland’s former OC James Franklin is the head coach. Why? Because Randy Edsall is a dick.
I don’t say that lightly. But when you drive 24 players off a team in a year’s time. Yeah, that seems like an accurate reflection of the coach. When the QB you are driving off, is actually a real student — graduating 2 years early (which allows him to transfer and play right away) — yeah, a lot of this goes on the coach.
When I watch these kind of things that coaches and schools can and do, do to kids after they are under scholarship. Well, I have a harder time being outraged by the kids drawing out the recruitment and making coaches jump through hoops and sweat it out with hat decisions.
February 13, 2012
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Volvo Challenge. This one comes with a little synergy. It is another Volvo Challenge. Remember to go and vote for me in Volvo’s Biggest Fan in the Big East. Volvo, a Big East corporate sponsor for the Big East, wonders what the Biggest Fans in the Big East think constitute the Garden 30, that the Big East itself is asking in honor of the 30th year at MSG.
What is the Garden 30? It is the 10 best moments. The 10 best players. And the 10 best teams in the Big East Tournament.
If you look over the list, Pitt doesn’t get much run. Except for being at the other end of some of the moments the Big East chose. The moments being widely defined as anything from a moment, a single game, a tournament run and even back-to-back titles.
Well, if they are going to cast that wide of a net, there is no way Pitt doesn’t enter into the discussion.
The last couple of road games have kind of smacked Pitt and us back to the truth that this is only a slightly above-average team even with Tray Woodall back in the line-up. A team capable of going against the top-four teams in the conference, but just as likely to fall on the road to teams in the middle.
Overall, with a healthy season, this team would have finished with 10-12 conference wins and been a 5-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament depending on what happened in the Big East Tournament. Disappointing based on preseason expectations, but realistic based on which players have and have not developed this season. It doesn’t matter the team, coach or pedigree of the player. It happens. Syracuse, Florida, UConn, Villanova, UCLA, Ohio State, Georgetown, UNC, Texas, Washington, Cal, and so on. It sucks when it happens to your team. No one wants to hear excuses or that it happens to others as well.
The NCAA Tournament is not happening this year. The injury to Woodall messed that up. Any goodwill that the team might have been building with the selection committee over Woodall’s injury being a mitigating factor has gone out the window with these road losses. The only glimmer would be to win 5 straight (including at Louisville and at UConn), and then win at least two games in the Big East Tournament. Even then, Pitt would be sweating the bubble — worrying about how other teams finish.
February 12, 2012
Noon on a Sunday. The taste of the toothpaste has barely faded after lazing around on a Sunday morning. A nice breakfast. Extra coffee. Then right to beer. At least there’s an upside to the early game.
Seton Hall got off to a strong start in Big East play, but reality and a lack of depth have been catching up with the Pirates. They had a six game losing streak before beating Rutgers this past week. Jordan Theodore has changed his game this year. Taking more shots, attacking the basket from the point a lot more, and getting to the free throw line. His assists are also up, though, so he isn’t doing it in a selfish way. He’s just stepped up because of the limits on this team’s offense. He’s out on the floor as much as Ashton Gibbs or Tray Woodall are.
Herb Pope is still a rebounding machine, averaging a double-double. The other guy they count on for scoring is Fuquan Edwin. A good, 6-6 wing player.
Pitt, as we know, had a hideous night against South Florida. The offense never got going and the defense fell apart in the second half. Woodall took the blame for the team’s bad night, but there was plenty of blame for that one. The big concern is turnovers. Pitt got taken out of their offense by USF constantly slapping and clawing at the ball. Whether there was fouling on it or not, is irrelevant. If the officials let it go USF were right to keep doing it and Pitt had to adjust.
February 10, 2012
Lots of chatter of verbal agreements and things behind the scenes, but no actual, direct statements, spun press releases announcing anything. Heck, the Big 12 has even delayed their schedule once more.
The issues of WVU leaving the Big East for the Big 12 appear relatively settled. Just the details need to be resolved.
So, in lieu of anything in particular, a grab-bag of related stuff tied to expansiopocolypse that I found interesting.
Let’s start with the hilarious McConnell-Manchin feud in the US Senate. I think very little of either of them. The one thing I will say, reading that piece, is it does more to benefit DickRod than anyone else. DickRod has long claimed of interference while he was at WV from then Gov. Manchin as playing a role in his decision to leave. Astounding as it seems, DickRod is seeing his credibility improve thanks to Manchin’s antics.
Manchin — I suppose like most politicians — is a bit of a name-dropping ass as he shows in this story where he tries to answer the questions raised by the story of the feud.
February 9, 2012
You don’t mind if I put off any post on the game from last night do you? You don’t? Good.
So when last we left the Expansiopocolypse (and for the record, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that this word has not caught on with anyone), there were reports of a settlement looming between West Virginia and the Big East. The issue was that the numbers being leaked by each side seemed quite wide.
On the Big East side, the settlement would be in the $20 million range. By contrast the WVU side was leaking a figure of $11 million. That seems like quite a wide gap for an imminent settlement.
However, a parsing of what was actually written based on leaks from both sides suggests that both numbers could be correct. Bear with me, there is some math involved, parsing words and abject speculation. In other words, par for the course when it comes to everything else in the process.
It’s been a month since Paul Chryst has been hired by PITT to be the Head Coach of the football program and the dust from that decision has pretty much settled. His hiring came after a tumulus 13 month period in which we saw a six year HC fired, his replacement arrested and fired after a few weeks on the job and a third and divisive HC hired just to do a disappearing act after 10 months.
After Haywood imploded his career and Graham thumbed his nose at us what PITT needed in its next HC was a stabilizing and more conservative man to get the football program back on an even keel. I think we found that in Chryst. Just as with any head coaching search the fans weighed in with their favorites and inevitably some were disappointed with PITT’s choice and others were made very happy.
Now, after his first month, it appears that there is a contingent of fans who just feel the need to criticize everything Chryst did or is rumored to have done. There is a laundry list of negative issues that these fans hold onto, mostly with no firm facts to support them. Here are a few of the complaints about Chryst and staff from before he was hired to the present.
1. Chryst had no head coaching experience. Neither did Jackie Sherrill and we seem pretty satisfied with his work at PITT, don’t we? This was a valid concern as inexperience in being the Top Dog can come back and bite the program sometimes. But Chryst had been an OC with a Pac-10 and then a Big Ten school and had done well at that. Leadership is a quality one develops in many ways and everyone who assumes the prime position has had to gather those qualities along his professional path. Chryst was heartily endorsed for the position by his AD Barry Alvarez who is well familiar with PITT and WPA football. This is a ‘wait and see’ issue but there is no foundation to think he’ll not be able to assume the mantle and succeed.
February 8, 2012
Well this is another road game. This time in the Bulls temp home. USF has been better this year, and actually better than decent in whatever facility they decide to use as home court this season. Heck, they’ve actually won their games against Rutgers and DePaul. The Bulls have size up front, so that should be interesting to say the least for Pitt.
While Zanna has been in something of a funk lately, only 9 points and 11 rebounds over the last two games. At the same time Dante Taylor has stepped up a bit. He’s had a good couple of games, but it is hard not to be a little cynical about Taylor at this point. He looked like he was starting to respond during the non-con after Khem Birch went into the starting line-up, but then disappeared once more. So who is absolutely certain what he will do from game to game.
Tray Woodall has been reaping the attention this week. He got national player of the week honors to go with conference honors. The theme of this being Woodall’s team and the leader that I pointed out last week is now getting more play.
You know, just before the Memphis news broke I was actually working on a post on Pitt, the ACC, the Backyard Brawl and all the other things. Then Memphis happened and much changed. So I had to junk it and restart.
Heading into this past weekend, there were interesting comments by AD Steve Pederson about moving to the ACC and the future schedules. I didn’t think much of it, other than being water cooler talk. The ACC put out its future plans for the conference layout including the 9-game conference schedule for football.
Pederson went on the media rounds as expected to talk about it. Much like he has said before, they are keeping an eye on things regarding the WVU lawsuit as you would expect.
