Today PITT starts another new era to go along with the other new three eras we’ve had in the last 12 months. This era may actually last longer than our last era which will be a marked improvement for everyone involved I would think.
Our eras were getting longer though. We went from the 16 day Mike Haywood Era, commonly known around the PITT football program as “Them Bitch Slapping Days of Old” and the longer 338 day Todd Graham Era, referred to as the “There’s No Business Like Show Business” period. Prior to those two we had, of course, the six year Dave Wannstedt Era entitled the “Are We Running Faster Yet?” time period. That ‘run faster’ video never gets old. Funny that people remember that so fondly, huh?
I suggest that we wait at least a few weeks to see if the new hire actually sticks before we start thinking up names for this era. Until then let’s start off by calling it the “Chryst Epoch” as that just sounds more formidable and well… more like we have the Tebow effect helping us.
So after a week of feeling like we were living in a Who song (enjoy!)…
“I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again”
… we may have finally got the answers we were looking for.
Paul Chryst held his first PITT press conference today and in this fan’s opinion hit on all the right notes. Everyone knows that a large attraction of Chryst’s is the fact that he’s the Anti-Graham and, without sounding a bit self righteous, he alluded to that himself when he talked about his emphasis on “actions, not words” and that “every job should be a destination job”.
I don’t get the overstated reports that the guy has no personality either. I think his personality shined through like a beacon of light this afternoon. His just isn’t the “Hey, look at me” attention whore type personality of the rat who just left. He was earnest without being boring, he was affable and obviously thrilled with the new position and he was sincere when he spoke of his responsibilities to the players he be responsible for… which BTW brought forth another backhanded zing at the dearly departed.
Honestly, I loved his sense of humor also as it is wry and subtle but certainly effective. Case in point was when he was discussing the move to Pittsburgh and said that it happened so quickly that the Chrysts really hadn’t had a family discussion about it. Then he turned to them and asked “This is OK with you guys, right?” But he peppered his talk with other bits of lightheartedness and humor for the whole 30+ minutes he spoke.
What Paul Chryst is is a real person and as down to earth as they come. You could feel his passion for certain issues come out when he was answering the media questions and then it was almost like he realized that he wasn’t just sitting around a table with a few friends but was up on the grand stage. He sometimes got so into it that he’d kind of peter out toward the end of the answer and one time even sheepishly said “Huh, I forgot what the question was.”
He was honest also. When asked about moving his family to Pittsburgh he said that another friend of theirs had shown his wife the articles that said Pittsburgh was ranked the #1 place to live in the U.S. and that he hadn’t known that. He did say that he enjoyed the city when he was on the WVU staff visiting for WVU-PITT games and had one time “gone to a festival”. Whatever the hell that means… I think it coachspeak for “We went to a strip joint”. Just kidding, I’m not sure that he’s the type to do that but on the other hand you can tell that he’ll pound down the cold ones and bullshit when he gets a chance.
I guess my first impression when I heard him speaking was that the media had this guy wrongly pegged, which they commonly do. He seemed to me to be mature but in the same breath to be like a big kid who is still inwardly excited as hell about things like this promotion happening to him.
As to the actual football side of things he really didn’t want to talk specifically at all. When asked if he had hired staff, the question was intended to get names, he talked about the fact that they have been in discussions and that they had “a team” coming together. Another question was about the QB situation and he said that he has spoken with Tino Sunseri after the players meeting he held this morning (more on that later) and said that he’s looking forward to seeing all the QBs in the spring.
He didn’t commit on whatever style of offense he may bring but took pains to say that whichever offense you design that it was the player’s who executed it and that he has always remained flexible in understanding their strengths and using that as a basis for the offense. I was shocked that he didn’t get a standing ovation right then given the outcry of Graham’s trying to institute his offense no matter what.
One note. Steve Pederson asked Zach Brown to do Chryst’s introduction to the rest of the players at a team meeting this morning. A class move and the right thing to do IMO – it’s way better to hear accolades straight from a teammate’s mouth rather than platitudes from someone else.
I’ll try to post a more detailed piece about what he brings to the table soon. Holiday stuff takes precedence right now but I’ll end with this. Chryst does not seem like the kind of person who is going to waste his energy and creative juices on self advertising and showboating rather than on matters which are most important to PITT.
He swayed me today and I feel like I got a great Christmas present three days early.
First off he wouldn’t find a program which will be as lenient toward his play as he has in PITT. Secondly, no matter who was going to be the coach he retains the inside track to start for his third and senior year… even if it’s just because of his experience as a starting QB.
The thing everyone on here has to agree with, and I think that we all do, is that we want Chryst to evaluate all three QBs on an equal footing in the Spring, that is something we have not seen since 2007 really as DW was dead set on Bill Stull and then was dead set on Tino Sunseri. If Chryst is serious about adapting his offense, and again, I think we all want that given the results we saw last year, then he has to do so.
It’s telling that Chryst talked with Sunseri yesterday after the meeting. Whether it was Sunseri who initiated contact or if Chryst sought him out, either way it is a positive thing for Sunseri to have happened. That right there tells me Sunseri will have an interest in staying for 2012.
But here’s the thing. Chryst may well look at Ray Graham, Rushel Shell and Issac Bennett and think that he wants to be run heavy out of the I formation with these guys. That right there may take precedence over adapting his approach based on the various QB skills.
Chryst may look at the speed that we now have at the receivers positions and determine that a spread formation would be the way to go and may want a more mobile QB out there a la’ Wilson. If Voytik comes in and plays like gangbusters he may fit that bill. Etc…
Point is adapting to strengths on offense isn’t always about the QB. It can very well be about the strengths and weaknesses of the other offensive units and that QB decision flows from that.
I do believe that we are in much better shape at QB this season then we were going into spring ball last year if only for the fact that we aren’t going to have a prototype QB already set in stone in the HC’s mind. That right there gives Mark Myers a chance to compete and it gives Sunseri another shot and it even gives Voytik an open door maybe – as long as Chryst isn’t dead set on a redshirt for him.
Sure you were right about Graham, but Reed and a lot of folks here just wanted to give Graham a chance and accepted his reasoning about why he stuck with his offense when the players were struggling with it. It’s called SUPPORT. Folks conceded this past season wasn’t going to be great and there would be a learning curve. As the season progressed there was a lot not to like about Graham and his handling of the players, specifically Tino. It became clear that Graham was all about Graham.
In this holiday season, just be thankful that Graham is gone. His Pitt ‘era’ is over. Time to move on. It’s early, but it seems as if we have a nice present under the tree.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
But remember, except for Tino, nobody took a bigger beating on this site than me for the past 11 months.
Happy holidays to you.
My comment is that we are all on the same team! Why do we throw negative statements at each other. I supported Wannstedt when he coached but was enthusiastic for change when Graham was named. I was fooled by Graham, as were many of us, but what difference does it make?
We need to celebrate a new day as we seem to agree that Coach Chryst is the right man to lead our football program. I am proud of our PITT University, our excellent basketball program, our excellent basketball coach Jamie Dixon and the future of PITT football with Coach Chryst. Let’s continue to support the University and each other as long suffering PITT football fans!
To all of you, DRW, Dan, wbb, FRANKCAN, Emel, and everyone else on this site may you and your families have a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah and a blessed New Year!!
HTP!
Merry Chrystmas Guys!! (:
Hail to Pitt!!
I maintain that Wannstedt should have kept his mouth shut. His comments were stupid — for the reasons I said at the time. His complaints were self-serving and still appear to be based on his own anger at being fired — as most of them regarding Pitt have been from him. His Sunseri complaints came off more about the great offense of criticizing the son of his friend.
Why do you think it is hard to be a critic of Wannstedt and Graham? Especially since the issues are so different.
“Thursday, December 22, 2011
2014 Quarterback to Keep an Eye On
One possible future quarterback for the Panthers has suddenly come into play. He’s only a sophomore, but he’s already 6’3″ 215 pounds, has a strong arm, and is very athletic. He also has already been at Elite 11 tryouts and is considered one of the top 2014 quarterbacks in the west, and many think he will eventually develop into one of the best in the country. This season, his first as a starter, he threw for 2,168 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Normally a kid this good, and who currently lives in Palo Alto, CA, is not somebody that would usually consider Pitt. But here’s the catch. The kid’s name is Keller Chryst, and he just happens to be Paul Chryst’s nephew. Keller’s father, Geep, is currently the quarterbacks coach for Jim Harbaugh at San Francisco. That’s why Keller is currently on the west coast.”
The future looks brighter and brighter every day!!
Hail to Pitt!!
Yes, I didn’t even for Fraud. I supported him during the year because he was our coach, but, when he was hired, I didn’t have an opinion, simply because I didn’t do any research or even google him. Didn’t know him from Adam. You can check me on this, Chas’ has an archive right over in the bottome corner of this blog.
So, my statement is, listening quite a bit, googling quite a bit, researching quite a bit, my opinion on this hire is……….
I think Pitt may have hit one out of the friggin’ park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, if one or two people say something good about a guy, that’s one thing…….
But everyone, former assistants in college, in the pros, players, people in the NFL wanting him over and over, jobs offered here and there, seems like he may be a big winner.
You can always say the right things, sounded like a regular dude, that may be here for awhile.
If the Wisky job opens up or an OC in the pros, maybe he goes someday, but, just on what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t be suprised, if he does well, the guy isn’t here for at least 4 or 5 years or maybe longer.
Anyhow, very excited, couldn’t be I would be after getting the rug pulled out on me, but, I can’t wait for Spring ball!!!!!!!
Hail to Pitt!!!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy New Year to all!!!! Stay safe on the roads everyone!!!!
“Why do you think it is hard to be a critic of Wannstedt and Graham? Especially since the issues are so different.”
I think that it may be a matter of interpreting the nature of the criticisms. If DW’s “comments were stupid…were self-serving and still appear to be based on his own anger at being fired”, you are totally correct. If DW’s comments were “Hey, a coach with character in the coaching fraternity shouldn’t openly criticize his players”, I believe that may be a different matter.
Thanks to the rest of you for your opinions. As with my opinions –sometime you’re right and sometimes you’re wrong.
“In the NFL, you do it when a guy is making $10 million a year. You throw him under the bus and try to run him out of town.
“But not a 20-, 18-, 19-year-old college kid who had other places to go and chose to come to Pitt and he won a state championship there at the local high school and his father (Sal) was an All-American there?
“If he can’t play, don’t play him, but do it the right way.”
————————————————–
I agree that even though he was just responding to a interviewer’s question, he should have offered a ‘no comment’
However, I still agree with what he said … and many of you were saying the same thing all along .. if he can’t play, then bench him!
There are several Dave Wannstedt supporters on this blog (I was never was a DW fan and wanted Walt Harris to stay)but he is gone and not coming back.
Many of us were ready for DW to leave when he was fired/resigned and embraced Graham because we wanted something different and Graham was saying all the right things.
Graham screwed all of us. Those that hated the hire and wanted to give DW another year feel like they need to say
I TOLD YOU GUYS.
Ok we get it. You were right about Graham we were wrong about Graham. Graham is indeed a douche but, that says nothing about DW and his time here and many of still feel DW needed to go when he left and many of you feel like he needed another year.
That being said can we please MOVE FORWARD.
Paul Chryst is our new Coach. Let’s all get behind him and our team.
If that’s asking to much can we all agree to get it out of system by say next Saturday and start the new year off on a clean slate?
As stern as I may sound when I rebut stuff, I wake up every morning and go on PITT Blather and look forward to reading wbb’s posts. His, and other differing opinions, are what make this blog so much better than others. And truth be told we actually agree on more things that at first appears.
I will say this, Chas, myself and others who commit to write posts on here and try to remain as balanced as possible, while still injecting personal views and humor when appropriate, do it as a labor of love and it isn’t as easy as it looks. I’m not sure we all understand that when we read these posts.
You really can’t be all things to all people so the best course is to default to satisfying yourself that what you write is as good and fair as can be and will be well received. It isn’t just a matter of sitting down and writing the first things that come to mind because credibility has to be a part of it also. We do a lot of background reading and web surf and sometimes travelling to be able to write what we feel is true about the PITT football program.
Put it this way, last spring I drove 9 hours round trip multiple times, sometimes up and down in the same day, just to watch PITT practices and the Spring game in person, and to talk with people in the know, so that I could write about that on here. During some games I’ve sat in the press box instead of with my friends I buy tickets with so that I could get into conversations about PITT football and learn things that would be of interest to readers on here. That isn’t a great sacrifice and I’m not crying about being invited to be in there – I’m honored to have been asked, but sometimes it would be more fun not to be… and actually the view isn’t as great as you’d think, especially up in the “internet reporter” third tier section which is the Siberia of the place.
There is absolutely no way in the world I would have done that had I not been asked by Chas to contribute on here.
If Chas and I just been sitting around in our underwear in front of a computer and ripping off opinions based on nothing I probably wouldn’t anywhere near as defensive about what we all write on here.
Anyway, off the soapbox and onto wishing each and every person on The PITT Blather a safe, healthy and happy Holiday season in whatever form you celebrate. This is a great time of the year and, another!, exciting time to be a PITT football fan. We have tons of things to learn and talk about with our new head coach.
Graham is a polarizing person and has been since his first press conference. What I think happens with some, certainly not all, but some fans is that they start off with either a positive or negative opinion of someone and then stick with that no matter how things unfold.
My first impression of Graham was pretty good all in all. As I said earlier I lived in Texas and have worked closely with Texans over the years so that bluster was familiar to me and I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to it. But as the practices and the season unfolded I started seeing and hearing things that made me start questioning his coaching and personal issues. I wrote about that as it happened.
I think it’s safe to say that we all had a different opinion of Graham in December than we did in January. But still, given what I KNEW Graham’s course of action to be, I thought that 2012 was going to be a better year based on his recruiting and the players having a year in with his systems was going to help. I loved the fact that he played so many true freshman in support of his plan and that his recruiting was targeted for that reason also.
So, I thought that those close games we lost this season would go the other way next year. I also think that 2013 was going to be a very good year for us with Voytik, Shell, Conwell, Cory Jones and the others being in the program for some time.
So the fact that he tucked his tail between his legs and ran doesn’t change those opinions I have about his building a football team, those are really two different issues – but it certainly changes my opinion of him personally which, if truth be told wasn’t all that high anyway.
I actually laughed out loud and told my wife that “PITT may have dodged a bullet here” when I heard he was gone. I actually believe that had he stayed he might do something really strange and maybe non-football related because you could tell he didn’t handle stress well at all.
Anyway, I can’t wait until after the Rose Bowl when we’ll start getting some actual substance to discuss about Paul Chryst. I know we’ll always talk about old coaches, that’s what fans do, but I’ve a feeling that we’ll all be much more inline with our thoughts about Chryst then we were about Graham.
Dan, you realize this is a blog and not a formal media outlet right? In that, I may drift in my humor a bit but really, there’s a lot of things to laugh about with PITT football and – whether you like it or not – Haywood’s arrest was one of them.
Much like with Graham’s sudden departure, many of us cracked up when we heard of Haywood being arrested, especially after the huge emphasis on discipline and responsibility the administration was publicly taking after the negative incidents that happened under DW.
So, let me assure you that the stab at humor was directed at Haywood only and not at his victim. Accuse me of not being politically correct if you will but let me say that there is a trail of hundreds who have done that before you.
LOL
I will buy them out of joy though.
I take nothing back I ever said about Wanny, nothing!!! He simply stinks. That hasn’t changed one iota. And regardless of Graham being a huge A.H., not professional of Wanny to open his mouth. No class. My opinion of that episode has not changed.
Graham, this seems to fall on deaf ears. Many of us had no opinion of his hire, we knew nothing about him, how could we????
As the year went on, many of us supported him, that is a far cry from being an “apologist” in my humble opinion.
A few of you were right, about his character from the get go, I give you that, he was a bum, and you knew it.
Regardless, many of us still cheer for Pitt to win and try to support the team.
No one had any idea he was going to pull what he did. Please don’t tell me anyone is claiming that????? Someone knew he’d bolt after 1 year, and not even tell his kids goodbye???
Regardless, this will be my last post on this subject, gotten very old, excited about the new coach and the ACC.
I feel I’ve bantered with people, but never used foul language towards them.
One person I was mean too, was DRW, and I apologize. I will try to do better next year.
Merry Christmas to all of you, especially Big Guy, WBB, and DRW, people who I’ve butted heads with a bit before, I sincerely hope you and your families have a safe and joyous Merry Christmas or Hanukkah, and have a fantastic 2012.
Hail to Pitt!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan, you want to cease discussing this subject because you realize that I am about to convince you of the errors of your opinions. It’s okay. I understand.
If I don’t post before Christmas, I want to wish everyone on this board a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or for those of you who are politically correct (and there are some), a Happy Federal Holiday.
Sorry to dissapoint you however I was not a big DW fan.
@Big Guy, we’re good.
@WBB we’ve always been good, differing opinions sometimes, but, we both have mentioned when the other has a good point, or we agree.
I believe I’m just down to DRW.
Ok, DRW, who exactly did a call a name (kinda like this, like I’m in kindergarten again), and where and when.
I mentioned that you could possibly be a narcissist or psychopath, those are the definitions of someone that is only about themselves, and in this case, almost seems like you’re glad Pitt had a mediocre season, just so you could say “I’m right”!!!
That wouldn’t be name-calling, that would be a statement!!! LOL
I admitted mean, because you kept posting the same thing every post, “Michael Myers should start” almost verbatim everytime.
I apologized for that above.
I also offered you an olive branch, not more than 5 posts above, did you not read it??????
So DRW, again, please let us know where I used name calling, or foul language, please specify so I can go back and take a look..
Actually, as far as the country, it’s actually people like you, who “are always right”, that is quite a big problem.
Again, my olive branch is above. I hope you take it, and drop the subject.
If not, I’ll still be here.
Just another trashy move that illustrated TGs true character. Blame someone else.
I couldn’t even be in the room when he had the ball, sometimes, and I really hate Alabama, but those, and other Tino diatribes were some of the stupidest things I have ever seen on this blog.
Going forward, try to keep a little perspective.
Him saying it about someone who had his job, was totally unprofessional and classless. Period.
That’s my opinion. Same way in the business world.
As for Tino, don’t know if you’re spotting me, as there were hundreds, but many a time, can check the archives, I stated,
“not questioning Tino as a son, an uncle, a person, a student, a nephew or a human being”
Said that comment ad nauseum.
As a Div 1 college quarterback, he stunk though, no getting around that.
Also, I personally didn’t go “ballistic”, some may have.
Roll Tide wasn’t the comment however.
It was “nice to see a team playing real football”.
that got some people upset.
you just don’t do that to your head coach, even Fraud Graham, you don’t do that because it could also be seen as calling out the assistant coaches, and your fellow team mates for not performing.
DW should have just “no commented”.
Both entitled to their opiinion, but staying above the fray, and being seen as having “Class” will get you further in the long run.
Especially for people that are seen and heard in public, it would suit them much better.
Just my opinion, Lord knows I haven’t stayed above the fray on here at times….then again, I’m not a public figure.
Just my opinion, you make of lot of good ones also. I wouldn’t expect his Mom to have anything to do with Pitt!!!
He was specifically held back a year in HS in North Carolina so that he could have two years of playing time at Central Catholic, a place he moved to, away from his family, just to play football.
The young man comes from a football family, a coach’s son, and has been groomed since early childhood to play football. He was given the starting job at a BCS school without any competition whatsoever by two separate HCs.
In other words, people around Tino Sunseri did everything possible for him to succeed as a Division I QB all his life… he was given every break and every opportunity on a silver platter.
You know what? Even with all that, with all those benefits that no one else got, he stunk out the joint.
Spare me the outrage that someone actually had the chops to say what we all knew; spare me the outrage that everyone’s picking on poor little Tino Sunseri when in fact he’s already a grown man.
What he’s faced and will face at PITT is part and parcel of his own failures of being able to keep his head under the slightest bit of defensive pressure and his hair pulling decision making with the football.
Let’s let the young man shoulder the blame when its due to him, let’s not protect and make excuses for him any longer. Being able to deal with life’s harsh realities is also part of the learning and growing process.
Secondly, you say that you linked 3 articles last week that were critical of Graham … BFD!! .. this was after he left and you finally realized what a snake he was.
BUT TELL ME ABOUT THE WEEK BEFORE THAT WHEN GRAHAM WAS STILL THE COACH, AND ZEISE MENTIONED IN HIS BLOG THAT THERE WAS A DIVIDE IN THE LOCKERROOM. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS JUST A MENTION AND NOT THE THEME OF THE BLOG … YOU COULDN’T GET ON THIS SITE FAST ENOUGH TO DEFEND GRAHAM WITH AN ENTIRE BLOG … WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT GRAHAM APOLOGIST WOULD DO.