The general rule when you have to give bad news to the public and media, it is best to do so on a Friday afternoon, when less people are paying attention. If you can time it for a holiday weekend, even better.
Safe to say, the Pitt Athletic Department knew that the news of moving the Navy-Pitt game to mid-week would be poorly received. They didn’t break the news until late afternoon on Friday. Not just a normal Friday. Good Friday of Easter weekend. A good time to get out some bad news as it can slip past a lot of people a lot easier. No chance for any additional comment on the news from Pitt’s AD or Coach Wannstedt except the notes in the media release. No matter how they spin it as a good thing, they knew it wouldn’t be received as such by the fans. The timing of the release is the giveaway.
Kevin Gorman in his blog wonders if Pitt agreed to the Wednesday night game because the only other choice from the Mouse Monopoly would be on Friday night — something Pitt and AD Long stressed they would never agree to do. Interesting point, and totally believable. You have to remember, Pitt only has a little bit of leeway when it comes to when the games get played. The Big East and ESPN have a lot more say considering they are the rights holder.
I don’t know. I do know that this is why for all the attention and exposure the Big East and Pitt gets from ESPN in basketball, the football side is treated as programming filler. It’s why I’m not particularly wild about Pitt and the Big East’s TV contract.
“I haven’t (asked to be released from Kansas State) yet,” said Beasley, who had eight points and nine rebounds. “I’m waiting to see who gets the job first.
“I haven’t talked to (Huggins) yet. He had to do what was best for him, but he still didn’t look out for his recruits. He supposedly had the best recruiting class in the nation, but he didn’t look out for us.”
Beasley said his phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the news broke, and also that he has formalized an early list of schools that could be a good fit for him if released from Kansas State.
“I’m really thinking about Memphis right now. N.C. State and Florida State, too,” he said.
I, like most people, have a job so I can’t even tailgate. They’ve long since taken away our real colors and uniforms and our real fight song because GOD FORBID the student section sings the “Penn State sucks” part. No more on-campus stadium. DAMMIT. We can only take so much of this nonsense.
If the administration doesn’t want to listen to our rants on sites like this, maybe they will when they start receiving less money.
I love Pitt and I love college football, but I’m not going to shell out $1,400.00 plus a year to watch games on Wednesday and Thursday nights, what’s next Monday & Tuesday nights now? College football is tradition, it is meant to be played on Saturday’s, does any major program continually play on these alternate days…not really, and if they do, it’s not to our same level. Shame on Pitt!