In a weird way, I genuinely enjoy Penn State sportswriters telling me that Pitt won’t hire Tom Bradley because we can’t get past our blind hatred of anything connected to the Nittany Lions, as I believe Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) senior sportswriter Ron Bracken is doing here.
“The odds are better that I’ll pin Kerry McCoy than that Bradley will get the Pitt job. Which is less a reflection on his qualifications than his heritage. The biggest obstacle in Bradley’s path to becoming the head Panther is his ties to Penn State. He played there, both of his brothers have played there and he has coached nowhere else but there. Bradley has been told privately by a Pitt administrator that while the school would love to have him, it would never happen because he was “a Penn State guy.”
First off, don’t tell me who to hate and how much to hate them. My desire for Pitt to succeed supersedes any distaste I have for your isolated little hick-assed farmers school, and I certainly hope that the Pitt administration feels the same way. Secondly, which Pitt administrator, exactly? Was it a real, flesh-and-blood administrator or just the same guy who gave Dan Rather Dubya’s military records? Was it Jeff Long? I doubt it.
Not that Bracken doesn’t make a good secondary point.
“There is also this to consider: What Penn State assistant coach, besides George Welsh, has left the program and become a successful head coach at another school? Casting not one aspersion in Bradley’s direction, but Penn State has not exactly been known as the cradle of coaches during Joe Paterno’s tenure.”
I guess we’re just assuming that Paul Pasqualoni hasn’t been successful? Well, I guess I won’t argue that much. Bracken continues on to suggest that this might be a good reason for Penn State itself to look outside of its own family for Paterno’s successor. Very good point, and one that I hope everybody up at University Park ignores.
But the funny part is, due to a careless website editor, a second, smaller story was stapled on to the tail end of Bracken’s commentary. And this smaller piece fully explains why so many of us Panther fans are excited about potentially stealing Tom Bradley away.
Lee picks Lions
Shawn Lee, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound running back-defensive back from Upper St. Clair High near Pittsburgh announced Thursday that he would sign a letter of intent with Penn State on Feb. 2. He made the announcement after Joe Paterno and Tom Bradley visited the high school. He becomes the 12th athlete to give the Lions a verbal commitment and the third this week.
Exactly. Another solid recruit (Rivals gives Lee 3 stars) plucked out of the WPIAL by Bradley. His recruiting prowess in Western Pennsylvania is the main reason why so many of us Panther fans are interested in your defensive coordinator. The job he did coaching said defense this past fall would be the second reason. In any case, our love of Pitt will always trump our hatred of you. Get over yourself, already.
Speaking of Rivals, Pitt’s football recruiting class is currently ranked 43rd. Not bad for a drifting, coachless wreck. Incidentally, Nebraska is #1 (how?), Ohio State #5, Michigan #6, Penn State #33 (that’s the best recruiting class you’ve had in years?), and West Virginia #35 (unfortunately, they’re the only Big East program ranked ahead of us).
Hail to either Bradley or Pelini.
