It’s ugly, but it’s ours. 🙂

Hey, I might be the only fan alive that actually likes that trophy! Maybe because I spent so much time on ships earlier on in my career – but that old engine order telegraph is about as nautical as you can get – and speaks to the beginnings of interstate commerce by steamboat that really built America and of the growth of the two cities. Everyone thinks Pittsburgh got its start as a Steel Town, but in reality it was the river boat traffic that gave us our first importance and identity.

At least it means something and took some imagination – unlike almost every other trophy that tend to look just like every other one.

But, most importantly of all – that’s what the players ran to grab as the seconds were ticking away toward our win, so maybe us fans laugh at it – but apparently the kids suiting up and busting ass on the field don’t – and that gives it valuable meaning right there. That trophy isn’t for you or me or Joe Fan, its for the team that wins the game – and those type of things (corny as us cynical fans might think) is what separates college football players from their mercenary brothers in the NFL, and thank God for that.

Since I’m awake and on a roll here I’ll add one more thought…

We fans take our shots at the PITT administration, players and coaches on a regular basis – and some of the stuff I read on here and other websites are about as rude and insulting as can be written – and I know that “its a website” or “it just my opinion” but people do read these sites and have to be affected by what they see on here. Now, you have a team that just did exactly what we fans have been wanting them to do, they played hard and left their hearts out on the playing field, won the game and celebrated by hoisting up a trophy granted to the winning team…. and don’t they look happy to have it? So, First thing after the game articles and posts pop up – written by PITT fans – about how ridiculous the whole rivalry and trophy thing is.

Sends a pretty clear message to those kids I think. Not only are we fair weather fans for the most part – we really don’t care how you players personally feel about playing in the games – we just want you to win so we fans can puff out our chests Monday morning at work.

I’m glad to have that trophy every year.

I personally dont see why this topic always pops up on here…I could honestly care less what the trophy looks like. And how the trophy looks certainly has nothing to do with the credibility of the teams or the game itself. And lets not pretend we are the only team with a weird trophy:

link to en.wikipedia.org

Go Pitt!

I’ll echo these statements made by Reed and Rex above.

The trophy looks a bit contrived, but I found this article that appeared on Cincy’s Scout.com website a while back…

link to cincinnati.scout.com

…and it’s kind of interesting to see what really goes into it. While I like the way the top of the steel plate was cut (to show the path of the river running between Cincy and Pittsbugrh), I could do without the “Connect Four” circular cutouts in the steel plate, which eventually get filled with a disc engraved with the winner and score of each game (that’s a bit cheesy to me, but I get what they’re going for). But I do like the engine order telegraph as an homage to two cities who exist because of their start as river ports. It manages to capture a bit of history of the two cities in its design.

The whole thing to me does seem a bit contrived and maybe a little forced, but at some point I’m sure most of these trophies were as well. Yet many of them have held up to become integral parts of NCAA football tradition, and as Reed said above, thank God for that.

I don’t mind it.

I mean, yeah it’s funnny looking, and it’s not a “real” rivalry (hey that never stopped Penn State and MSU did it?)… but who the hell knows? In 30 years it might mean a little bit more, or at least be accpeted by future fans.

Besides, it’s the one trophy we seem to be able to consistently win! Hey, I’ll take it!

And also, it’s been a tough season, and seeing the picture of our guys having a blast holding the trophy after the game who really gives a fuck what a bunch of snarky internet writers say about it? Sometimes it’s just about the guys on the field having fun.

I love the trophy. Watching the players slam the lever to the “Pitt side” was the highlight of the season to this point. Maybe I’m in the minority here.

Jimbo – Good points. Not having played big time college football myself, I sometimes watch these kids and wonder about how and what motivates them. Sure, some are looking at making the NFL – but almost all must realize that will never happen. Some might feel obligated because of the scholarship that was offered – but there are millions of college students that find ways to pay for school that don’t play sports. So that leaves other motivations, and I believe the main thing is for them to be “a part of” something bigger then themselves, and for the love of the game. That’s where these kids grab my respect – when they suit up every day and grind through all the practices and meetings and, in cases like PITT’s year to date, listening to all the slings and arrows of disgruntled followers. But they keep doing it, over and over and over, and very few pack up and quit. They get up and, for the most part, play every game with their teammates like it means something more then just a ‘W’ in the win column.

I think we all tend to forget their point of view and the effort they expend to entertain us sometimes. We let our disappointment with how the wins and losses are stacking up (this “tough season” as you say) override what we owe – as alumni and fans of the team – to the kids themselves. That’s why it pains me to read – not so much in the articles written by this Blog owner, but certainly in some of the in-game and post-game comments submitted on here and other message boards, the very personal attacks on these young kids after they might not have done well on the field. In my opinion, if a kid goes out and gives it his best effort then he deserves to be treated with respect. There’s a difference between analyzing Bostick’s arm strength or footwork and how truly vilified Kevan Smith was after his poor outing. Maybe I’m just old enough to feel that there is still room for grace and showing thanks to these players, even in their poor showings, instead of treating them like they are just numbers on a jersey and positions on the field.

So yes, sometimes it is just about kids themselves, having fun out on the field, and here’s hoping they have more fun the rest of the season.

someone on that link wrote about the River City Trophy.

“It won’t beat Navy, but it’ll make the Kessel run in three and a half parsecs.”

nice Star War reference, haha

Fine. If no one is going to say it then I am.

“We really got trouble. Right here in River City. With a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for” I guess Pitt. Or POS trophy, one or the other.

Don’t get it? Just let it go then.

Jon – if you remember how that song starts out….

“Well, either you’re closing your eyes

To a situation you do now wish to acknowledge

Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated

By the presence of (Dave Wannstedt) in your community.”

It’s actually supposed to be a “pool table in your community”, but since most fans want to run DW out on a rail I think it fits.