Cameron Heyward, the son of the late Pitt great Craig “Ironhead” Heyward chose Ohio State over Georgia and LSU. It’s probably wrong of me to feel a twinge of bitterness about this. Pitt was crossed off his list a couple months ago. It’s just that, it seemed then, that the reasons were because of a desire to stay closer to his home after the passing of his father. Not, surely not because Pitt was deemed unworthy and the implosion in the second half of the year. Then to read this.
The choice of the Buckeyes was a big hit with his grandmother, who lives 2 1/2 hours away in Pittsburgh. Heyward’s mother, Charlotte Heyward-Blackwell, was raised in Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Pitt, where she first met Craig Heyward.
“It’s a little far away,” Heyward-Blackwell said, “but I think it’s the next chapter in his life and it’s a really good fit.”
It’s not personal rejection. It’s not personal rejection.
I’m also trying to figure out how he’s learned from his mistakes and not simply failed upward.
Ligashesky, who had an uneven run as Pitt’s tight ends coach and special teams coordinator from 2000-03, returned this week to that same practice complex after being hired as the Steelers’ special teams coach. He replaced Kevin Spencer, who took the same job with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 44-year-old Ligashesky is vocal, animated and expressive on the practice field, a man who often seems as wrapped up in the action as his very players. That apparently impressed new Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, a hands-on motivator himself, even though Ligashesky was recently fired by the St. Louis Rams after two seasons.
“He’s a good coach with a bright future,” Cardinals coach Scott Linehan said of Ligashesky. “But we need to make some improvements on special teams. Sometimes change is good for both parties.”
The Rams special teams sucked this past year. There was no sorrow in letting him go and apparently the Rams were interviewing replacements before he was actually fired.
The swinging-gate crap with the extra point against Texas A&M was brought up again. Fascinating:
Pitt had two other assistant coaches who worked with special teams players at the time, Bryan Deal and defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, but Ligashesky was in charge of the units.
And yet, Deal is the only one coaching high school football these days.
In a bit of self-promotion, AOL wanted some posts explaining why certain schools could lay claim to having great impact/being vital to Superbowl memories. So, going with the underdog, I made the case for Pitt.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The University of Pittsburgh announced today its 2007 football schedule, which includes 12-regular season games and seven home contests at Heinz Field.
The schedule includes games against six teams that advanced to bowl games in 2006; three teams that finished among the top 12 in the final national rankings; non-conference games against the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten; and the resumption of Pitt’s historic series with the Naval Academy, which has advanced to four consecutive bowl games.
Beginning on Monday, Feb. 5, fans can purchase season tickets via the Internet at PittsburghPanthers.com, by phone (800/643-PITT) or in person at the Petersen Events Center ticket office.
Season-ticket packages range in price from $99 to $199, and there are two new promotions for the season. The “1st and 10” promotion provides fans the opportunity to buy one season ticket at full price and get the second for only $10. The “7 in ’07” plan allows groups of four or more to reserve tickets for $77.
Current season-ticket holders who renew online will receive a $10 discount. Single-game tickets, if available, will not go on sale until August.
All times are to be announced.
Sept. 1 Eastern Michigan
Sept. 8 Grambling
Sept. 15 at Michigan State
Sept. 22 Connecticut
Sept. 29 at Virginia
Oct. 6 OPEN
Oct. 13 Navy
Oct. 20 Cincinnati
Oct. 27 at Louisville
Nov. 3 Syracuse
Nov. 10 OPEN
Nov. 17 at Rutgers
Nov. 24 South Florida
Dec. 1 at West Virginia
Home schedule stinks, but all in all, not a bad schedule.
In terms of the schedule: C’mon…really now, just how “historical” is a Pitt-Navy matchup antway? It’s hardly army-navy, nor is it navy-BC. But it is one of two home games (alongside USF) that possess any legit potential for a regional broadcast. The majority of our Away games, however, should garner enough attn. to be televised (or at least challenge for air-time) when Pitt visits @Rutgers, @L’Ville, @WVU, @MSU (new coach at Michigan State is the factor), and possibly, possibly @UVA, though unlikely.
It’s not like the schedule was unknown, but with it now ‘official’, I’d be feeling pretty grumpy if I were a season ticket holder. As it is, I live too far away to feel guilty or take any flack for not attending home games. And though a trip to the Burgh might demand my attendence v. Navy, I can’t fathom WTF AD Long was thinking by scheduling Eastern Michigan and Grambling — remember, we actually PAY for these teams to visit us.
There is a ray of hope, though. A slim chance that, provided all verbal commits sign LOI in the coming week, Panther football might be a hotter ticket than expected come mid-Oct; that is, supposing Pat Bostick delivers and McCoy follows through (as critics suggest they will) — Navy, Cincy, and Syracuse might draw a crowd if the team heads into their first bye-week at 5-0, even 4-1.
My fingers are crossed.
GO PITT FOOTBALL!
