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May 24, 2013

Noting Some Football Items

Filed under: Football — Chas @ 8:13 am

Been quiet. Too quiet on the football side. Can’t have that.

Offensive lineman Arthur Doakes is “transferring.” Doakes finally got a chance to play when injuries took their (seemingly) annual toll on the O-line. Doakes responded to the opportunity and was playing well to the end of the regular season. One of the few “project” offensive linemen Dave Wannstedt brought in that actually developed.

Unfortunately, he was suspended before the BBVA Bowl. He remained suspended through spring practices. Reportedly/rumor the suspension would have run for the entire 2013 season. Doakes would have been a redshirt junior this year, so the suspension would have killed one of his two remaining years of eligibility. Not to mention the likelihood of never getting back on the depth chart by the time he was a senior.

Best guess is that he drops to 1-AA or lower to be immediately eligible. Once more, concern for the O-line depth makes its annual appearance.

Quite a housecleaning that is ongoing.

In the past six months, 14 players have either been suspended from the team for one game or charged with crimes. Seven are gone. Two (Ray Graham and Shayne Hale) exhausted their eligibility, two (Shell and Chris Davis) will transfer and three (Carswell, Williams and Steve Williams) were dismissed.

“The actions have to be dealt with accordingly,” Chryst said. “But (the players) are not necessarily all bad guys. (Situations) are always unfortunate but necessary.”

Chryst said he is sending the message to recruits.

“We are telling guys we are recruiting and who we recruited last year, this is what we believe in this room,” he said.

But holdovers from previous coaching regimes didn’t have the opportunity to play for the man who recruited them.

“They didn’t have a chance to read the disclaimer,” Chryst said.

Well, um, at least there’s room for Charles Sims if he is interested.

In a more positive story, here’s the annual trip by Pitt athletes to help in Haiti.

The Saturday home game versus the New Mexico Lobos has a start time. Good news! It’s not a nooner. Not in the ACC, man. Not with their ACC Network syndication. That’s not how they roll. This ain’t the Big East. This game starts at 12:30 pm.

Well, yeah. Not much that can be done about that right now. As far as conference TV games go, it is a dog. For those of you without ACC syndication, the game will also be on ESPN3.

Speaking of the ACC, they did announce the bowl line-up for the coming year. Destinations like Shreveport, Nashville and El Paso are on the dance card. Along with San Francisco, D.C. and of course Charlotte. In the future we can expect to see the Pin Stripe Bowl added, and the game that could be Pitt’s next Birmingham: Detroit.

The Detroit Lions are expected to create and operate a new bowl game at Ford Field starting in 2014, which would eliminate the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl after this season, sources said Tuesday.

The Lions are in negotiations with the Big Ten to have a Big Ten team annually in the new bowl game in Detroit, sources said. The Big Ten’s opponent would no longer be from the Mid-American Conference, a source said. A team from the ACC is the most likely opponent for the Big Ten, sources said.

It’s not too late to bring back Toronto and the International Bowl.





Deroit vs Birmingham.

Comment by wbb 05.24.13 @ 8:49 am

There was also some chatter about who would be our rival in the ACC….It’s looking more and more like the Cuse to me.

Comment by HbgFrank 05.24.13 @ 8:52 am

I think our ACC rivals will be VT, U or Cuse in that order. Of course PSU and ND are traditional forever.

Hope we get some FB recruits soon. Chryst plays an honest game.

Comment by Frank MD 05.24.13 @ 9:02 am

The U wouldn’t look at us as a rival. They have FSU, UF…I can see VT and Syracuse but we need to get some smashmouth football and some good close games and some bad blood to create a real rivalry you know.

Comment by Upittbaseball 05.24.13 @ 9:22 am

Wow… re: Doakes.
Disappointing as lacking in depth.
I believe when there are lots of players and depth, that provides for better competition and cream rises to the top.
I support the suspension Chryst is making. However, I don’t believe he is consistent and that may be problematic down the road. ie. Chapman and KK.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 9:36 am

If you have to pick your rival then is it really a rivalry?

Comment by Coach Ditka 05.24.13 @ 9:38 am

A real rivalry is recognized by both teams which is why Va Tech or ND currently wouldn’t qualify. VT has Clemson, U, GT and FSU, all I think would be recognized. ND has USC, Mich St, Purdue and I wouldn’t doubt that they might have dropped Pitt just like they did Mich (or maybe instead of them) .. they also play Navy and BC just as much (if not more) as they play Pitt.

With Maryland leaving, wehave no geographic rival within the ACC … but one may develop.

Comment by wbb 05.24.13 @ 9:40 am

I get frustrated with comments about Chryst not being consistent in his punishment. It’s possible he might be inconsistent, but we don’t know all the facts and circumstances surrounding these situations to make sound judgement. Based on what I’ve seen from coach and the staff, I think there has to be a legitimate reason why KK hasn’t been dismissed yet – and it’s not because we need him for depth on the dline. Maybe I’m wrong too. But you know that the whole story and all the details are never going to be made public in most of these cases.

Comment by JJ 05.24.13 @ 9:54 am

JJ,
Regarding Chapman, what he did is EXACTLY the same as Steve williams. Smacking or grabbing some girl. Williams was kicked off the team within 48 hrs of the incident.
We don’t know the specifics of KK, but hard to imagine why he is not kicked off the team.
I have no problem with suspensions or kicking them off the team, so long as Chryst is consistent.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 10:08 am

Remember, schools have many rivalries, not just one.

A rivalry can develop from a bad call that helps a team win, an incident somewhere (not that I’m cheering for any “incidents”), playing in a game that decides who goes to the championship game every year (we can only hope), and even playing the same team in the championship game several years in a row to see who goes to the BCS game. (Again, we can only hope).

So, Syracuse from familiarity, and I would also say Va. Tech. If you look on their message boards, they may not consider us a rival, but they are well aware that we’ve beaten them 4 times in a row.

Comment by Dan 05.24.13 @ 10:11 am

I’m sure there are reasons for Chryst’s punishment methods …. and not just because KK is a DT where there is not much depth, and Chapman is a 4-star promising frehman

Comment by wbb 05.24.13 @ 10:13 am

A few thoughts. Can rivalries be one sided? Even if the other team does not consider you a rival does that mean that you do not always want to beat them regularly? Some PSU fans would say that Pitt is not a rival but we knew better. ND wants to beat Pitt because of PA fan base and recruiting Catholic kids in PA. VT does not like Pitt because we gave them bad defeats. The Cuse rivalry fell off after the 60s. The U has natural geographic rivals but Pitt has played them going way back.

Comment by Frank MD 05.24.13 @ 10:20 am

Chryst will not last long enough for me to remember how to spell his name. What a shame. This will mean another 5-6 years done the drain.

Where will we find that right combo in coaching to be a winner?

Forget about rivalies guys, I’m not sure we will have a football team!

Hell, my grandson’s play lacrosse and soccer. That’s were my interst will be. Probably at some Div 2 team.

I’ll be better that watching Pitt self destruct.

Comment by Old Pitt Grad 05.24.13 @ 10:38 am

Pitt.Dan83
What I’m saying is Williams could have had several strikes against him already that we (the public) didn’t know about. There could have been history there that we didn’t know about. As far as we know with Chapman, this is the first time he has ever shown this type of behavior. I’m not sticking up for either guy and I’m not supporting letting this stuff go. I’m just saying that 99% of the time, we don’t get the whole story and we definitely don’t know everything that is going on with a situation. So you can’t totally compare one incident to the next. Trust me, I don’t believe in running a shady program or letting guys off the hook because they are players on the football team. I’m totally against a lot of the crap Paterno pulled to often get his guys out of trouble over the years. I just don’t think we can pass judgment on Chryst yet for being inconsistent in discipline.

Comment by JJ 05.24.13 @ 10:42 am

KK was not actually at the house when the cops invaded the house. From what I heard, They watched him leave the house, in which he was going somewhere else, picked him up in the cop car. So maybe that is why he is getting off

Comment by pitt 2015 05.24.13 @ 10:50 am

pitt2015, Doesn’t KK live in the house?
JJ, sorry, the Willams behavior and Chapmen behavior requires the same discipline whether 1st offense or 10th offense. In my opinion, kicked off the team. I’ve never heard of Williams being suspended in the past, (no game or practice suspension).
Based on the information, it appears from the outside looking in (in my opinion) that Chryst is inconsistent with Chapmen and KK.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 11:19 am

As for rivalries, Pitt’s only rival was the annual Pitt/Penn State game. When Joe killed this annual classic some folks turned south to WVU. I never considered the Pitt/WVU game to be a rivalry. Pitt’s rival will always be Penn State. Hopefully, AD’s from both schools will again make this game an annual event. After-all, Penn State’s fight song acknowledges Pitt in their fight song. ” …Beat Pitt… “

Comment by MariettaMike 05.24.13 @ 11:37 am

MM, Someone put it best.
Pitt fans over 35 think PSU is the rivalary that should continue.
Pitt fans under 35 think WVU is the rivalary that should continue.
That observation, whoever made it, is very true.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 11:42 am

I hope Chryst is a winner for no other reason than shutting the nay Sayers up. For God’s sake give him a chance.

Comment by Oklahomeboy 05.24.13 @ 11:52 am

Dan 83 – how do you know Chapman and WIlliams behavior are the same? Neither of us were there and the last time I checked Chapman pleaded innocent. What if the girl has an ax to grind and there is no substance to the claim. Let it play out and if Chapman is guilty, then I am with you.

Comment by Winedogs 05.24.13 @ 12:05 pm

@Old Pitt Grad, are you serious? Giving up on Chryst in his second year? You may as well just stop paying attention and come back in a year or two when we are in a better position with the team Chryst will have molded. Then you can jump on the bandwagon and say how you always liked Chryst.

Comment by panther94 05.24.13 @ 12:20 pm

Well Pitt is my team but my school was cal u of pa so I hope mr Doakes goes there. Decent school and they had a linemen drafted this year so good luck man.

Comment by Carey 05.24.13 @ 12:27 pm

Penn State and WVU will never be rivaly games again because the games won’t mean that much now that we are in different conferences. A new rival must arise from the ACC.

Comment by rayhpgh 05.24.13 @ 12:59 pm

Fl – Fl St are in different conferences; Ok – Tx were in different conferences for 80 years; So Carolina – Clemson are in difference conferences.

Rivals are usually within the conference, or within a geographical area. The only exception I can think of is ND – USC.

Comment by wbb 05.24.13 @ 1:04 pm

Panther94. I love you man but Chryst will be farming cheese in 3 years 50 miles outside of Green Bay. Have a great holiday brother. Need to beat Seton Hall or the season ends today.

Comment by Upittbaseball 05.24.13 @ 1:12 pm

Nobody wants to play football for Pitt? My contacts have moved on, can anybody tell me what’s going on?

Meanwhile, while Toad Graham can tweet/phone in his resignation, poor Shelly cannot:
link to espn.go.com

Comment by steve1 05.24.13 @ 1:29 pm

winedog,
They are the same type of incident. Below is a link to williams and chapman. you tell me the difference.
link to post-gazette.com
link to espn.go.com
link to recordpub.com

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 1:29 pm

We weren’t in the same conference as Penn St. I don’t think it will matter either. I mean, when you have kids growing up in the same town or area choosing between Pitt and Penn St., the rivalry will develop for the younger folks. It’s good for both schools to have that because kids will want to be part of that.

Comment by panther94 05.24.13 @ 1:47 pm

@ Pitt.Dan83 I think he may. Im not 100 % sure. But he left the hoouse at like 10 to go out, cops picked him up and made him sit in the car for 2 hours until they raided it

Comment by pitt 2015 05.24.13 @ 1:55 pm

Pitt-PSU will fire up immediately. Especially if Pitt wins a few. Became a great rivalry because so many people in PGH, went to Pitt or PSU. Neighbors, co-workers, family.

@Old Pitt Grad, certainly your right, but unless you’re being sarcastic, I can think of know reason in the world why you would check in and read the Pitt Blather, let alone post on it.

To each their own. Strange.

Comment by Dan 05.24.13 @ 2:16 pm

pitt2015,
If KK lives in the house, then he should be kicked off the team.
The story I read was that KK came out of the house and the cops were at the sidewalk ready to go in. They held him at the sidewalk.
KK got charged for prohibited acts of some sort.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 2:25 pm

Pitt bb suffering postseason-itis, down 4 – 0 top of the 3rd.

Comment by steve1 05.24.13 @ 2:54 pm

Dan 83 – how do you know Chapman and WIlliams behavior are the same? Neither of us were there and the last time I checked Chapman pleaded innocent. What if the girl has an ax to grind and there is no substance to the claim. Let it play out and if Chapman is guilty, then I am with you.

Comment by Winedogs 05.24.13 @ 12:05 pm

Agree with Winedogs.

Why do most ppl assume the female is always right.
Some of these girls/women are great at baiting boys/men. And some of them are just tramps.
And some would not like that their former or current boyfriend left them, to go away. In this instance, Travon left for Pittsburgh. So the ax to grind could very well be in play here.

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:24 pm

Was looking over the Ped State fight songs online.

None of them appear to have “Beat Pitt” in them.

So they probably removed it. Which is good, as who wants to be associated with pedophiles/boy rapists.

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:26 pm

Poopy Pants JoPedo killed one of the best college rivalries.

It was better than 99% of them out there.

May the JoPedo rot eternally in hell. Sandusky will join his buddy shortly !

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:30 pm

I thought Doakes was progressing pretty good, on the field.

Anybody know what he did to get suspended for both the Schmuck Bowl Game and then Spring practice ?

We’ve had more kids jumping ship in both football & basketball than Capt. Blye’s ship did. lol

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:42 pm

**Note

See the last blog, on why Pitt football is:

A Storied Program without doubt !

Just as the Pirates are one of Major League Baseball’s “Storied Franchises”

That too without a doubt !

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:44 pm

Oh, so exciting…Pitt ties it at 6-6. Still up bottom of the 7th

Comment by steve1 05.24.13 @ 4:51 pm

On ESPN3

Comment by steve1 05.24.13 @ 4:52 pm

Emel,
You can say the same thing about Steve Williams. He pleaded innocent. But was kicked off the team within 48 hrs. Black and blue marks don’t lie.
To quote Chryst,
Chryst is consistently Inconsistent in how he punishes players.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 05.24.13 @ 5:34 pm

idk about black & blue marks. Kind of hard to tell on certain skin tones.

But the girl who said she was fearful of Chapman, wasn’t so in fear to go to his house…..by herself.

And what is she, 17, 18 years old.

Girls today are by no means Joan of Arc’s.

And some are very spiteful. We shall see how this plays out.

It’s supposed to be in front of a woman judge/magistrate I believe.

Oy Vey !

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 6:02 pm

As far as consistency, it seems like most ppl are hypocrites today. So why should PC be any different.

It appears to be a cultural thing. As we keep slipping into a deeper abyss.

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 6:06 pm

Pitt beat SH in 12.

Comment by Frank MD 05.24.13 @ 6:25 pm

EMel – I don’t know for a fact but I believe Doakes failed a NCAA drug test (as opposed to a PITT test) and thus had a mandatory one year suspension. Obviously something else happened to have that extended.

Does anyone really wonder any longer why we were putting up losing seasons recently?

Comment by Reed 05.26.13 @ 9:09 am

Was looking over the Ped State fight songs online.

None of them appear to have “Beat Pitt” in them.

So they probably removed it. Which is good, as who wants to be associated with pedophiles/boy rapists.

Comment by EMel 05.24.13 @ 4:26 pm

link to blueband.psu.edu

Comment by MariettaMike 05.26.13 @ 9:48 pm

@EMel — At least Penn State is polite in “Beat Pitt.” In GA Tech’s fight song they chorus “…to hell with Georgia.” But that’s what rivals do. My opinion: Pitt / Penn State true rivals. 🙂

Comment by MariettaMike 05.26.13 @ 10:02 pm

Doakes will be on an nfl roster if he goes to CalU and his pee is normal over the next two years. You can’t teach his roadgrader size. He appeared to be getting a nasty streak to him too.

I think we are due for another commit.

Paul Chryst will right the ship. Expect a few more changes in personnel to make more schollies available for next year.

Comment by dhuffdaddy 05.27.13 @ 9:44 pm

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