So the Pitt basketball players started tweeting ominous news this afternoon. Finally — just as I’m supposed to be doing family time at my daughter’s holiday concert — the secret leaks that Khem Birch is at a minimum contemplating a transfer from Pitt.

ALOPEWQWVCXRLUTSFDO;ISDYOTDO[SFD!!!!!

No one is sure the exact reason. Is it playing time? Is it playing center? Is it having to earn his playing time?

I am trying not overreact. Or react at all. It could just be some frustration. It could be real. It just seems ridiculous. Napalming the kid when there isn’t enough to go on, seems a bit much.

A mid-season transfer is a dumb move for any player. It still means sitting out a full year. It means trying to get into a rotation mid-way through the following year.

So, as if there wasn’t enough to angst about with Pitt. Two straight Decembers to forget.

UPDATE: And it now appears the crisis has passed (for now). Please return to being pissed of at AD Pederson and angsting over the next football head coach and saving the recruiting class.

Can we all give Chas a standing ovation for his work over the last two days please?

And while we are at it, accept my thanks also for all the good and decent discussions and debates you commenters have provided.

This blog has always been enjoyable to read and, for me, to contribute articles to. Chas is the reason it has the great reputation it does but the discussion after his posts contribute greatly to that also.

I think these last two days have been top shelf as far as talking PITT football goes.

Thanks Chas.

I’ll get to some media stuff in a bit. Right now I’m waiting for some new tires to be put on my car. Yeah, on top of Graham bolting yesterday, in-laws came for a visit through the end of the week and I got a flat. Yesterday was just so much fun.

So while I’m killing time, I might as well list the coaches I would be pleased to see Pitt hire and the ones that there is no way in hell they will touch.

It isn’t detailed. I just haven’t had a chance to go deep into guys yet.

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For oh, so many reasons.

The obvious is that he will manage to be the 4th Pitt football head coach in just the last 12 months. Yeah, yeah, 62 years for 2 PSU coaches or whatever.

That’s not why the next coach has it so bad.

The fan base is at an all time low in terms of  just coping. Expectations are low, and I’m willing to bet so are the willingness to hear any excuses.

All that talk about how Pitt is now a basketball school and blaming it on the move to Heinz Field and no on-campus stadium. Bull.

It’s about the W-L.

There’s a belief. There’s hope. There’s an expectation with Pitt basketball of success. When was the last time you truly felt that about Pitt football? Not just for the season, but the next few years? I mean, you could look back on the previous couple and then look ahead and say, “yeah, it’s happening.” Instead, it’s been, “this year could be the breakthrough to start something… I hope.”

Coming into 2011, I thought Todd Graham was going to have a rough time if Pitt didn’t win right away. Partially because of the way he pushed and promoted high expectations. But because the media wasn’t going to play as nice as they did with Wannstedt at first.

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