No Pitt game today. The present is bleak. The future nebulous. Time to take not of past Pitt greats.

As most are aware, Curtis Martin will be honored by Pitt at the Navy game on Wednesday.

Also attending the game will be two former teammates who will be rooting for different teams that night.

Navy’s last win over Pitt came in 1985 during the senior season of tailback Napoleon McCallum, a two-time honorable mention All-American who would play in the National Football League.

Navy and Pitt were once regular opponents, playing 19 consecutive games between 1961-1979 and seven straight times from 1983-89. The Panthers hold a 20-13-3 lead in the series, which dates back to 1912.

Two of the finest players to participate in the rivalry – former Pittsburgh tailback Tony Dorsett and ex-Navy quarterback Roger Staubach – will be in attendance at Heinz Field on Wednesday. Dorsett and Staubach were longtime teammates with the Dallas Cowboys, playing in two Super Bowls together.

The article added another tidbit that made me go, “What, 1, 2, 3, 4… crap.”

However, the once-proud program has never been quite the same since head coach Jackie Sherrill left after leading Pitt to an 11-1 record and Sugar Bowl victory in 1981. Longtime assistant Serafino “Foge” Fazio took over and mediocrity soon set in. The Panthers have suffered 14 losing or non-winning seasons since and gone through six head coaches.

Urp.

It’s been nearly 48 hours since I logged on, what’d I miss?

The 5-year old gave the wife an extremely difficult time while I was in Pittsburgh. That meant spending all of Sunday doing my best to make it up to her by taking care of the kids and generally providing her with downtime. She’s already glaring at me when I mentioned next week’s game so I might be taking my daughter to her first Pitt game about a year earlier than I thought.

We had the opportunity over the last year or two to move closer to the 50-yard line in our seats because of our accumulated points in season tickets. We steadfastly refused because our present seats had us right next to the student section. A pleasant distraction and usually a good source of humor when a student was too drunk to barely stand. So, this year they moved the student section by a whole section. The band was apparently relocated to the other end to accomplish this. Frustrating.

At the game, Carl Krauser.

Krauser was very cool about people who started coming up to him and ask to take a picture with him. It’s always a good thing when alum, who don’t live in the ‘Burgh any longer will still come by when getting a chance (not too sure about the track suit, but that’s just me). That’s also a good reflection on the athletic department to make sure they keep connecting with the past players.

Eventually he had to leave his seat when people essentially started began lining up to pose with him, like some Vegas greeter. Still, he kept smiling and was gracious and engaging to all comers, even as he started inching up the aisle. I know he polarizes people to this day with his game and play at Pitt. As a person and alum, he is what you want from Pitt players.

Lots of high school recruits and their families at the game. Apparently they had seats somewhere near us, but much lower. Saw a steady stream of kids (and some parents) with name tags going up and down the aisle past us. Some names were familiar — Lucas Nix, Zeke DeCicco and Chris Hayden-Martin. Others included James Harvey, Jim Sabia, Nick Sizemore, and a few others.

Finally, there’s a new Pitt blog out there called The Cat Basket. I don’t know if these are the students, or if it’s just a coincidence. I’m assuming a connection. Not too sure I agree with their take on the video intro. And definitely not the whole need for AC/DC.

More to come in a bit about the actual game and media

Adam Zagoria blogs a bit about Dan Jennings from New York. A class of 2009 or 2010 recruit at the power forward/center spot. He’s had a very good summer with his AAU team, the New York Gauchos.

Jennings has an application in at Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and could end up there this season, according to Book Richardson, the former Gauchos director. After that, depending upon his academic situation, Jennings could prep for a year before being a high-major D-1 player.

“He could be a Top 50 player because he works so hard and he’s a sponge,” Richardson said. “He’s a freak of nature. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s quick and very agile. He would probably spend a year at Oak Hill and then a year of prep if he’s not academically eligible.”

If he does go to play for Steve Smith at Oak Hill, folks can watch him on ESPN2 against St. Benedict’s on Dec. 13 in a game that will take place in Lexington, Ky.

In terms of Jennings’ college situation, the young man said he had received offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Pitt, Xavier, Memphis, South Florida and that Arizona had showed interest.

“I like Arizona a lot,” he said. “I also like Memphis and Pittsburgh.”

…

Jennings said he is tight with Theodore, the Seton Hall recruit, and with Pitt-bound guard Travon Woodall of Paterson and St. Anthony. Both have talked to Jennings about coming to their schools to form a strong guard/big man tandem.

Jennings has essentially ruled out Seton Hall, Rutgers and St. John’s at this time. Saying he doesn’t want to be that close to home. If you just go by the schools interested in him, obviously he has a lot of potential.

Looking to some alum, Aaron Gray has been working out with the Chicago Bulls conditioning and strength coaches since the summer league ended.

“Working with the staff here is a great opportunity,” said Gray, a 7-footer who spent four years at the University of Pittsburgh. “The work I put in this summer is going to be one of the keys to me being on the court.”

Given that he was a second round draft pick, there are no guarantees for Gray. The majority of players taken after the first round do not end up in the NBA; rather they either play in the NBA’s Development League or go overseas. And that’s exactly what is motivating Gray this summer.

“It’s great because I’m kind of the underdog again,” he said. “I’ve kind of played that role my whole life and had some good success at Pitt. Now I’m here, back at the bottom of the totem pole, where I’ve been before. I’ve worked my way up to the top before and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to do the same here.”

Meanwhile, Levon Kendall played a bit in the summer league for the Utah Jazz. He will be heading to Greece to play professionally. Right now, he is playing on the Canadian national team. His hometown paper in Vancouver is giving him one of the biggest slurp jobs I’ve ever read.

It had to be a little frustrating for Vancouver’s Levon Kendall on Wednesday playing for Canada against Argentina.

The performance of the starters was so pathetic the game was virtually over by the time the big Kits grad got off coach Leo Rautins’ bench to put in his typical 18 to 20 minutes in a very effective role for a team trying to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Just what he’s doing there instead of starting is another matter, but presumably Rautins knows his personnel better than it appeared against the Argie,s who won 85-70.

…

That’s unlikely now. But this surely can’t diminish Kendall’s performance. The former Pittsburgh Panther has been outstanding for Canada, particularly in Monday’s second-round victory over Uruguay.

The 23-year-old is set to begin his pro career in Greece with Panionios and the way his development is going it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see him get some NBA time before he ends his tremendous basketball career.

“I signed a two-year deal and it has an out after one if I get an NBA offer,” said Kendall, almost certainly being scouted closely by NBA teams at this competition given his rate of improvement, particularly at the offensive end. “I played with the Utah Jazz team in the summer league and did pretty well so hopefully they’ll be watching.”

Kendall took a lot of abuse at times for always getting the national commentators gushing about his intangibles at Pitt while fans just wanted something more tangible.

Have to admit, I didn’t have a chance to watch the Saints exhibition game last night. Read through everyone’s comments later so, I almost feel like I did see it. Despite a statistically mixed bag and harsh self-criticism from Tyler Palko —

“Tyler did a pretty decent job for his first time out there with a significant amount of snaps,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “His first interception was my fault. I thought he hung in there.

“He needs to learn how to protect the football better. In his first night, there are some things he did OK and other things he needs to work on. Those reps for him will be valuable to learn from the tape.”

Palko finished with 172 yards and a touchdown on a 17-of-25 slate. He showed his grit with a team-high 47 yards rushing on four carries. He also threw two interceptions, including one in the endzone.

“When you don’t come out with the win, it’s hard to feel good about it,” the rookie out of Pitt said. “I’d probably give myself a C-minus or D. We didn’t win and that’s not a good thing.

“There were some things I was not happy with. When you turn the ball over twice and you don’t win, it hurts.”

— Palko seemed to have won some people and has support from within the organization.

“I thought Tyler did a fine job,” said Brees. “Every young quarterback is going to make mistakes. What I liked is the way Tyler responded. He keeps on improving, and he’s going to get better.”

Palko finished 15-of-27 for 172 yards and was sacked twice. Still, he had mobility and escape instincts to finish with 47 yards, turning losses into positive yardage.

The kid who threw for 66 touchdowns at Pitt, second only to NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, suggests he’s a work in progress. But with Brees and Payton in his corner, he appears to have a better than decent shot to hang around and do some good if opportunity calls.

In the NFL, you never know when that opportunity might arrive. Obviously, the number one prayer offered by all Saints fans is directed toward the continued health, and well being, of No. 9.

In the case of Tyler Palko, living in a climate of a savvy coach and quarterback, the rookie could not be in a better position.

And he knows it.

That was one of the reasons Palko signed with New Orleans. Palko being kept by the Saints was echoed by one of the Saints beat writers.

Tyler Palko is going to be the No. 3 quarterback. This is just a prediction. Nothing official. But the rookie from Pitt is a favorite of Coach Sean Payton so he would have had to play really poorly to blow his opportunity. On the contrary, though, Palko played well. He led the Saints to two scoring drives, including a picture-perfect 2-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem on a fade route. All in all, Payton had to be pleased with his effort. Payton won’t like the interception he threw in the end zone but he had to love the way the rookie competeted and led the offense. Those are the kind of things Payton wants to see out of his young signal caller. As Drew Brees said last night, he was benched three times as a young quarterback for throwing interceptions. Decision-making will come in time.

Some weren’t as impressed and don’t think much of Palko’s game.

Free-agent quarterback Tyler Palko took over for Brees in the second quarter, and while his name rhymes with the immortal Shane Falco of “The Replacements” fame, the kid doesn’t have much of an NFL future.

(See strength, arm.)

The writer of that comment (Larry Holder of the Sun Herald) provides a neat little lesson in information and quote manipulation. From the Sean Payton quotes (take a look at the top of the post for the full quote) earlier it seems that he was reasonably happy with with Palko’s performance in the bigger picture. Now, how did Holder treat it in his notes on the game?

Saints coach Sean Payton said Palko did a “decent job.”

“He’s got to learn to protect the football better,” Payton said. “He did OK. Those reps are valuable and he will learn from them.”

It’s not at all uncommon. It’s just something to watch. Always much easier in two or more paper towns.

Glad I got that TE’s post off when I did, because the house lost power for almost 24 hours. Plenty of townships are in a state of emergency because of the rain/wind/other natural disasters. I was going to go over to McKnight Road until I saw on KDKA that it was covered in a foot or two of water — ugh. Hopefully all of you readers out there in the Pittsburgh area are doing well after an ugly day.

Another place that knows a little too much about rain and wind damage is the City of New Orleans, Tyler Palko’s new home. Palko, who turned 24 yesterday, is going to have an opportunity to take some big steps towards the Saints’ third-string QB job. Once Drew Brees plays the first quarter, Palko will be next in line to play against the Buffalo Bills’ defense tonight.

He’s going to get a lot more playing time than he did against the Steelers on Sunday — it’s expected that he’ll play deep into the second half.

“I just want to know what I have with a player, and the only way I can do that is play him,” Payton said. “I’m anxious to see his development, his progressions, his ball security, how he handles his decision-making and seeing if we can move the ball while he’s in there.”

He knows what he has to work with in order to impress the coaches.

“It’s exciting, but your window of opportunity is very small,” Palko said. “So you have got to make the most of it when you get your chances. . . . Here (at camp), you’re kind of like an afterthought. You have to continue to have the mentality of getting reps and stealing reps — watching Drew and Jamie, really taking from that.”

On Sunday, Palko was 4-for-8 for 53 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. He also almost got teammate Robert Meachem killed while leading him over the middle with a pass.

I don’t have an excuse. Posting, even in speculation, about why Pat Bostick went home was just wrong, regardless of my intent.

Of course, that isn’t really good enough. I owe an explanation of how I got to that point.

When I saw the articles and the statement from Coach Wannstedt about Pat Bostick leaving for a while, I focused on the last sentence:

“No timetable has been set for his return. we are leaving that judgment to Pat and intend to do everything we can to be supportive of him and his family.”

I took that to mean it was a legitimate family/personal issue.

I was also curious as to what it was. I went to the Lancaster newspaper to see if there was anything happening and saw the article. Being from the Lebanon area (about 15 miles away), I know Lititz does not have a particularly large population and a simple white pages search yielded a single “Bostick.” The two things mean nothing. It did make me wonder and worry some more.

Worry enough, that I went to the message boards to see if there was anything else out there. I started reading the worry and speculation that Bostick was leaving the program for whatever reason. Oh, woe unto Pitt. Why do these things keep happening to “us?” And I got pissed.

Pissed that other Pitt fans were flying off the handle and apparently ready to turn on the kid without another thought. Pissed at an overreaction. Pissed because I thought I knew better.

The smart thing would have been to just walk away from the keyboard for a while. Cool down. Do something else.

Instead I stupidly added my own speculation. I did it because in that space of time, I presumed myself to be some sort of superior fan. I made one of the biggest mistake a fan can do — see himself as some sort of representative of the team and/or “true fans.” Some sort of protector of the interests of the team and players. That’s when fans do the stupid crap that gives fandom a bad name. It’s not being biased that gets fans in trouble. It’s when the fans think they are part of the team or representing them directly.

I knew shortly after I posted it, that I shouldn’t have. I knew better, and I still screwed up. Regardless of my intent, I was wrong. I’m not going to delete or edit out what I wrote. Scrubbing a post doesn’t change it, and I have to own my mistake. All I’m going to do is add a link to this post.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry to Pat Bostick and Bostick family for publishing my own speculation about what is a private and personal issue. I’m sorry to Pitt and Pitt Athletic Department for pretending to be some sort of rep. And I’m sorry to everyone who reads this for crossing the line.

Chas mentioned that Pitt released the 2007 football media guide for download — so I read it from electronic cover-to-cover. Things that I liked/caught my eye/were interesting/etc…

Page 6, “This Is Panther Football” —

Dave Wannstedt and Stillers’ coach Mike Tomlin posed for a picture together. There was talk that Wanny only took the Pitt job as a way to eventually get the Steelers job. Oh, the irony.

Page 6, “This Is Panther Football” —

We were in a staff meeting and I’m sitting at the far end of the table — it was the ’76 year, the year we (Pitt) won the National Championship — and I think my job that day was to make the coffee. I’m looking at Coach (John) Majors and said to myself, “Someday, I will be the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.” -Dave Wannstedt

Page 7, “This Is Panther Football” —

I believe I can make a difference on the football field, but just as important, I believe I can make a difference at the university and in the community. I think all those things are vital and all those things are very important.

I hardly believe any college football player would say this without having it written down for him.

Page 8, “This Is Panthers Football” —

With 49 consensus All-Americans, Pitt is 7th among Division 1-A programs. And Penn State fans tell us we have no history.

Page 9, “This Is Panthers Football” —

The outfit Tony Dorsett wore to accept his Heisman Trophy was spectacular. Must have been a ’70’s thing, I guess?

Page 10, “This Is Panthers Football” —

On a page subtitled “Championship Caliber Staff” lies a picture of Paul Rhoads.

Page 13, “This Is Panthers Football” —

A collage of Pitt players in the NFL including Kevan Barlow in his Steelers practice uni. There’s some doubt as to whether he’ll even make the team.

Page 15, “This Is Panthers Football” —

Tyler Palko makes two appearances on the “Pitt Is So Great Because We’re Community Minded” page. Seriously though, Palko is known to be a great guy and his love and care for a friend with Down Syndrome are well documented.

Page 17, “This Is Panthers Football” —

The point in having a page about the Petersen Events Center is what…? I don’t seem to be able to recall the last time I saw a Pitt football game played at the Pete.

Page 20, “This Is Panthers Football” —

The player’s lounge in the Pitt locker room at the UPMC Center looks like a pretty nice place, yeah?

Page 22, “This Is Panthers Football” —

The U of Pitt was founded in a log cabin back in 1787. Our school was founded in a log cabin and I’m damn proud of it.

Page 23, “This Is Panthers Football” —

While Pittsburgh used to be called Steel Town, they need to call it Knowledge Town. -President Bush

That President of ours, always good for some comedic relief.

Page 26, “This Is Panthers Football” —

On a personal note, I almost got my own picture in the media guide (sort of). At College Basketball Gameday back in January I was in the front row, dead center…but in the picture they used, a giant flag is being waved and blocking me from view. Grrr…

Page 41, “2007 Preview” —

The title page of the section about the upcoming season features the picture above. Offensive lineman Jeff Otah blocking…his own teammate?

Page 42, “2007 Preview” —

The QB section notes that Tyler Palko took all of the meaningful snaps of the past three years and I become more and more unsure about the 2007 season.

Page 46, “Preseason Depth Chart” —

The preseason depth chart they have does not include the incoming recruiting class so it’s not really what we’re looking for.

Page 48, “Preseason Honors” —

I never knew that there were s many preseason awards and lists out there. It seems like every player on the Pitt roster is listed with some sort of award they could receive.

Page 64, “Coach Profiles” —

Fact you didn’t know: Chris LaSala, assistant AD and director of football operations, is a graduate of West Virginia.

Page 69, “Coaching Staff” —

Yet another fact you didn’t know: There is such an award called the “Big East Video Coordinator of the Year.” Our video guy, Chad Bogard, is a two time recipient of the award.

Page 73, “Player Profiles: Chris Bova” —

While scanning the profiles I came across the word matriculating. If you know what that means without looking it up then I’m impressed.

Page 92, “Player Profiles: Austin Ransom” —

I think Austin Ransom wins the award for the best hair on the team.

Looks like a certain Simpson’s character.

Page 99, “Player Profiles: Oderick Turner” —

In high school, Turner was the NJ state high jump champion. Jumping over a height of 6-4, he can clear me by 2 inches.

Page 107, “2007 Rosters” —

The pronunciation guide clears up a debate I had with someone last year about how to say Jovani Chappel’s last name. For the record, it’s “sha-PELL”.

Page 113-130, “2006 Season in Review” —

This whole section is just stats from a disappointing year and is pretty dull in general.

Page 134, “Team Records” —

All kinds of fun info in this section and especially on this page.

Longest play from scrimmage in team history: 91 yards (George McLaren in 1917 and Alex Van Pelt in 1992)

In 1914 we beat Dickinson by a score of 96-0. More recently, we pounded Rutgers 76-0, back in 1977. On the other hand, the biggest margin of defeat came in a 72-0 loss to Ohio State back in 1996.

Page 135, “The Last Time…” —

The last time we had a punt return for a TD is Revis’ against WVU. I don’t think we’ll be forgetting that one anytime soon.

Page 131-164, “Team Record Book” —

The above two items were just a small sample from what I think is the best section of the guide. If you’re going to read one section, this is the one.

Page 166, “Pro Football” —

The guide lists 23 Panthers on NFL teams, however it was done before Curtis Martin retired so the actual number is 22. The most former Panthers on one team is three: Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Lee, and Gerald Hayes of the Arizona Cardinals. The Jets (Darrelle Revis, Hank Poteat) and the Saints (Tyler Palko, Rob Petitti) are the only other teams with more than one former Pitt player.

Page 183, “Postseason Games” —

They have picture of Palko from last year’s Senior Bowl…but not one of the ones with him in a script Pitt helmet.

Inside back cover —

Forget the words, I just really like the actual photo they used.

So there it is, (most) of the good stuff to see in this year’s football media guide. The season is just around the corner.

The sense, even down in Louisiana, seems to be that Tyler Palko will have to really be terrible not to at least stay with the team this year. Coach Sean Payton personally contacted Palko about signing with the Saints if he wasn’t drafted, and Palko has been the first to arrive, last to leave player.

Yeah, you’ve heard it a million times, one of the oldest clichés: He’s the first guy on the practice field every morning, and the last one to leave every night.

But in the case of Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Palko, it’s true. He is the one guy who has been making the coaching assistants put in the most overtime throughout the first week of training camp.

…

“I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’m just trying to get my extra work in. And when I get a chance to play in the preseason, hopefully the work will pay off,” said Palko, who shrugged off the notion that he’s trying to impress the coaches and evaluators with his regiment. “I don’t really believe in that. When you’re at this level, that stuff really doesn’t matter. If you’re good enough to play, you’ll be good enough to play.

“I just like to get out and get some extra work in, and I hate sitting around the locker room. So I guess that’s why I’m out there a little early.”

Still, the exhibition season will be big for the 3d stringer.

“Those live snaps you get at quarterback over the period of four or five games are very important,” Payton said. “I think for both of them, the preseason games will be important to evaluate that position.”

I can’t believe I’ll actually be watching the 3d quarter of an exhibition.

It is entirely possible I may actually watch a little of the Hall of Fame Game — beyond the first quarter — just to see Tyler Palko on the field in a New Orleans Saints uniform.

The former West Allegheny High School and Pitt star quarterback will play some time in the second half when the New Orleans Saints play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Drew Brees will start for the Saints and play a series or two. Backup QB Jamie Martin will finish the first half. In the second half, Palko and Jason Fife, who are battling for the No. 3 job, will split time.

“It’s accurate to say that those live snaps you receive at quarterback over the period of four or five games are very important,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.

Last year when the Saints won the NFC South Division and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, they kept only two quarterbacks most of the year (Brees, a first-team All-Pro last year, and Martin, a journeyman who’s only started eight games in his 12-year pro career.

New Orleans Coach Sean Payton seems to really want Palko to succeed.

There are some other youngsters to watch: second-year receiver Lance Moore could end up being the punt/kick returner; Rutgers free-agent cornerback Joe Porter has impressed while Payton mentioned Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko, another undrafted rookie.

Payton’s eyes lit up when he spoke of Palko’s passing background at Pitt, which is interesting because should the Saints lose Brees, their season figures to go downhill fast. Jamie Martin is the backup, but he isn’t physically imposing.

At the very least, Payton seems to believe Palko could become a solid back-up. Palko performed well in minicamps, but has made some mistakes in training camp. Big shock, it came from trying to do too much.

Often, he has struggled to decide where to throw before being forced to scramble out of the pocket. On one such occasion, as he rolled frantically to his right, the lefty attempted to flip a short backhanded pass about 10-yards down field, then watched it get intercepted and returned to the end zone.

“He’s had a lot thrown at him. … He’s probably pushed it a little bit to try to make plays,” Payton said after a recent practice. “He’s handled the installation well, but like any young quarterback, there is a lot going on in their minds and it’s moving pretty quickly. You just hope each practice he gets better.”

…

Payton did not seem terribly disturbed by Palko’s botched, desperate, backhanded pass, considering that it happened early in training camp. But Palko will need to avoid making the same mistakes twice.

“That indiscriminate decision where you are trying to force something can be common with young quarterbacks – and you have to eliminate them,” Payton said.

There are some habits that take a while to shake.

I’m sure tomorrow we can expect a story or two about Palko coming to play the team he grew up watching. The usual cliches are expected to be overused.

Having a good summer league has nothing to do with how good you will actually be in the pros. It does, however, affect whether you are going to get a contract. Aaron Gray had a solid summer.

Surprises: Aaron Gray, who averaged just about 10 points and 5.5 rebounds a game over the entire course of both summer leagues. Some suggested he could be a steal going so deep into the second round of June’s draft, and now it’s looking as though Chicago might be able to use his size and some of his low post moves. John Paxson has said he may explore giving Gray some time in the developmental league, but it also wouldn’t be surprising to see him on the roster come October.

Gray made “honorable mention” in the Orlando summer league session. He has also signed a contract with Chicago. The terms, of course, were not disclosed. It’s a bit jarring though, to see him in a Bulls jersey.

If you have Comcast On Demand, turn it on right now. There you’ll find a replay of Pitt vs. Providence from January 25, 1988. With Pitt holding a 6-5 lead and 15:24 left in the first half, we start the fast break. Jerome Lane gets the ball, winds up, slams it — broken backboard, glass everywhere, crowd goes nuts.

Here’s how: Your Town > Local Sports > Fox Sports Pittsburgh > Pitt Hoops

It’s the original broadcast with a few cutaways where FSN’s Rob King interviews former guard Jason Matthews. Watch it for yourself and you’ll enjoy it. You can also Pitt and UConn play for the 2003 Big East Championship with some commentary from Brandin Knight.

On the football side of the On Demand fun, you can watch the Blue-Gold game that happened back in the spring. I’ve yet to watch more than a few minutes of it but you might be able to gauge how a few more players look after watching it. From the On Demand main menu, go to Your Town > College Life > Pitt > Athletics. Your commentators for the game are FSN’s Marshall Harris as well as Foge Fazio.

Two new positions inside the Pitt basketball offices are being filled. Former point guard Brandin Knight was named Director of Men’s Basketball Operations while Mark Rhodehamel will take over the position of Director of Women’s Basketball Operations.

The position the Knight is taking over became open once David Cox left after a short tenure here in order to take a spot down at Georgetown.

Knight, who served the 2006-07 academic year as Pitt’s Program Assistant/Video Coordinator, will manage the day-to-day operations of the men’s basketball program, serve as liaison to athletic department officials as well as coordinate student-athletes’ practice, game and daily schedules.

Rhodehamel, who will now do similar jobs for the women’s team, has done a ton of other jobs for Pitt. Some of them include assisting as tournament manager for the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament held at the Pete, producing presentations for facilities updates and tournament operations, as well as overseeing operations for several athletic program events including football, gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

News is really light in case you hadn’t noticed, so a little bit of how Aaron Gray doing a good job in the summer league.

Gray has impressed coaches thus far with his size, physical play and toughness.

“He has a big body and isn’t afraid to use it,” coach Scott Skiles said.

Skiles is watching league play courtside as assistant Jim Boylan runs the team.

“I think Gray’s movements can be deceptive,” Skiles said. “He can appear to be slow. But he is covering ground. He has a chance because he has legit size and he plays like a big man. He likes to use his size and rebound. He has made good decisions with the ball.”

Gray finished with 15 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes against the Heat, not that he’s impressed with anything he does in summer league anyway.

“I’m more trying to learn our system and the defensive principles,” Gray said. “I’ve felt good getting up and down the floor, and I grew up hitting people because I played football. You learn quickly it’s better to hit than get hit.”

Yes, summer league doesn’t mean much as far as the numbers. For Gray, though, playing well means being on the roster in the fall. After both summer league sessions, Gray will be heading to Las Vegas for a big man camp that is run by Pitt alum and former Pitt coach Tim Grgurich.

There’s also a great Q&A (puffer) with Gray on the Bulls.com.

Bulls.com: You were named the Big East’s most improved player in 2005.06. What allowed you to go from a guy coming off the bench to the team leader that year?

Gray: “The main thing was having more of an opportunity to play. My coaching staff always believed in me and so did my teammates, even when I wasn’t playing a lot. Chris Taft (selected with the 42nd pick of the 2005 NBA Draft) was ahead of me and I had to wait for my time. When he left to pursue the NBA, I was ready. Coach Dixon didn’t go out and recruit three other seven-footers because he was confident in me and my abilities. I knew I was able to step up into a bigger role, and going against Chris Taft and Chevy Troutman and players like that every day in practice only helped me improve my game. When my time came, I was ready.”

…

Bulls.com: After considering leaving school for the draft last year, you decided on another year at Pitt. What factored into that decision?

Gray: “In looking ahead at the rest of my life, it just wasn’t an opportunity I could pass up. Maybe I’d have been drafted higher last year and I’d be in a position to make more money, but it was more of a life decision for me. I’d have always wondered how good we could have been or how far we could have gone. We went to the Sweet Sixteen and I got to be a part of that. We had a good team with a lot of guys back and I really enjoyed college. I love the University of Pittsburgh; the people and the city treated me great. I kind of felt like I owed it to them a little bit to come back for another year.”

[Emphasis added.]

I know many are getting antsy to see more football posts, but I’m just not there yet. This despite a steady perusal of “Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview.” Hopefully the Big East Media Days next week will generate something amusing and kick me in that direction.

In the meantime, I highly recommend the 2-part series “Enter the Octonion” (Part 1 and Part 2) from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician. It had me at “God dammit I need to stop doing whippets.”

Meanwhile, for the more nostalgic, there is a nice piece on former Pitt QB Fred Mazurek who led the 1963 9-1 Pitt team to no bowl appearance that year.

On a less proud alumni note, Bill Maas is done as a broadcaster for Fox Sports after his arrest for felony drug and weapons. Way to nail that daily double.

On the positive side, a nice puffer on Jason Pinkston looking to have a big year somewhere on the O-line.

“We’ve basically just been running and lifting and training hard with Buddy,” Pinkston said. “So, we’re just trying to get ready for camp and the season, and I think we’re all working hard to get there. I played in the spring at about 315 pounds, and I lost around 15 pounds and put a lot of muscle on since then. So, I’m about 300 even right now. And I feel real good.

“This is a very important offseason for us. We just started with Buddy a short time ago, and he expects a lot from us. So, we’re working hard to get back to the type of Pitt team that we were in the past. The guys you mentioned, I think it was good for all of us to kind of get a taste for it last year. And now we’re ready to play even more this season.”

Pinkston’s improvement has given hope to an offensive line that has been maligned in recent years for inconsistent play and depth problems due to injuries and attrition. He certainly appears to be capable of handling a starting assignment, should McGlynn move to center or anywhere else for that matter. And while nothing is set, Pitt’s coaching staff has more options on the line than it has in a while. And that can’t hurt.

The Center position is going to be the issue. If Vangas or Bachman can get their play to a level that lets them start, Pinkston helps supply depth on the O-line. If he starts, that means McGlynn is at Center and on every play, O-Line Coach Paul Dunn will be praying that no one gets hurt.

Couple of stories on former Pitt football players.

Troy Benson, a former linebacker, who played for Pitt in the early 80s gets a “where are they now” piece. He still seems a bit frustrated about the 1982 season.

“That was our most underachieving team,” he said. “We didn’t play to the best of our abilities.”

Pitt started that ’82 season ranked first in the nation. Benson said it was difficult with the transition from one head coach to another.

“There’s no doubt we should have gone undefeated, and if Jackie (Sherrill) had stayed, I think we would have won the national championship,” Benson said.

Yeah, not the best feeling to know that team goes down in college football as one of the most talented and disappointing teams.

Meanwhile, former Pitt CB and present Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Torrie Cox has been suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the substance abuse policy. The, uh, good news. It probably wasn’t for illegal drugs or steroids.

The substance that landed Cox in the league’s substance-abuse program to begin with apparently is not an illegal drug, but likely alcohol, something that has long been an issue with Cox.

“I can assure you that this has nothing to do with illegal narcotics, ” his agent, Peter Schaffer, said from Denver. “I love him. He’s a great kid.”

Schaffer declined to elaborate, citing the league’s stance that specifics about those in the program remain confidential. The league and the franchise will not comment on the matter. But Schaffer suggested that a look at Cox’s history would help answer some questions. Cox, 26, has twice been charged with DUI since 2004, the second time earning him a one-game suspension handed down by the Bucs in 2005. It also was a violation of probation. Adjudication was withheld on all charges.

Cox mainly plays special teams, but was expected to compete for the starting nickleback job. The suspension costs him about a quarter of his salary. Roughly $140,000. That’s an expensive bar tab.