On this morning let me say, from the bottom of my heart, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays in any way you celebrate.
The PITT Blather has been a part of my life for years first as a reader, then as a commenter and now as a contributor. The most important thing to me is all of the other people on here who take the time to discuss one of our favorite things – PITT sports. We are a unique breed I believe and I’ve met all kinds.
We will rejoice when good things happen, commiserate when bad things do and debate issues with vigor and respect. Who else does those things you may ask? Good friends do. That is what I consider all of you to be, no matter how emotionally we may argue about a subject.
In my opinion it is better for us to not have the type of football team that does nothing but win all the time with a coach who stays for 800 years and that has a fan base which is so completely aligned with one another that they march in lockstep. Wins are great and I do want as many as we can get, but as a fan I enjoy the reality and drama of the 360 degrees of our football program because it gets all of us much more involved in conversation.
I think we all got a holiday gift with Paul Chryst and while results will be measured over the course of next season it feels right to me… regardless of how well we do in his first year. We will be involved emotionally, excited and apprehensive, disappointed and content. In other words, we will be fans.
I wake every morning, get a big cup o’ joe, settle behind the computer and start going down my routine football sites, always saving The PITT Blather for last in case I may find something interesting to share with you. It is a routine I have and one I like. Then we start talking, all of us.
To me that is a Christmas gift each and every day and I thank you.
So, on this special morning let me pass my best wishes to all of you and my hope that you and yours are safe, happy and healthy this holiday season and that you enjoy life as much as I. To our friends in the military, here and deployed, let me stand and salute you on this day as I do on every day, look you in the eye and tell you that my respect for you has no bounds.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !
For those of you who are as crazy as me, that do not get the PG, or live out of the area, there is a nice piece on Paul Chryst in this Christmas mornings Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Paul Chryst.
Go to: post-gazette.com
or
and click on Sports
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas guys!!
Thanks for being there through good and bad.
Thanks to all Pitt athletes that give their all to entertain us.
Season’s Greetings to all.
I feel like we did get a great gift in our new coaching hire. Paul Chryst appears to be a true coach who will adapt his style to his team and make effective game time adjustments. Thos two qualities alone can make Pitt Football exciting to watch and relevant once again.
Thank you for all of your efforts on this blog Chas and Reed. Reading and discussing posts here is a daily “gift” in which I indulge gladly.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Hail to Pitt!
Chas / Reed, thank you for keeping this forum interesting and civil. We may be too critical of Pitt at times but that’s because we are passionate about being a Pitt sports fan.
Hail to Pitt!
Chas, when we next meet I’ll bring the dreidles and gelt even if its out of season.
Thanks for everything.
I’m only post occasionally, but I read the site all the time. Happy holidays, and thanks for the time you put in to make this such a great blog.
May I ask where you are stationed, how long in, etc.?
Hail To Pitt!
A big part of my writings on here is taking shots at the head coach and the mistakes and silliness they show.
I might have to scrounge around for something to write folks.
Love reading the commentary on the site.
May you have a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays as well.
And to everyone in the PITT family on Pitt Blather
Thank you for reading my rants and thoughts on our favorite University. And to Chas for having someplace for me and all of us to express ourselves about all things Pitt football and basketball. Thanks for the venue Chas!
I’ve got 14 years in Naval Aviation, currently assigned to a staff position in Germany (I really lucked out this time around), but otherwise mostly home-stationed on the West Coast with the usual deployments to the Pacific and the Middle East. Pitt class of ’97, which means I went to school during the absolute nadir of the football program (we went something like 12-32 during my college years).
I’m curious, what is your day job? And thanks again for writing and posting your insightful commentary during your spare time.
Ain’t staff jobs fun? Like a stick in the eye but they are necessary if you want to keeping moving up and get your own Command.
Good luck and stay safe.
Reed
Reed, I am also getting nervous about our new head coach. Can we expect shirts to read “what would Chryst do?” These are exciting times to be a Pitt fan and I appreciate the floor every once in awhile to air it out. To be candid, I do think the group has their hands on the pulse of what is going on, except when they don’t.
Thanks for the reminder about the military Reed! I ask that we all take a collective moment to lift up their families during the holidays! Thanks guys!
I appreciate you all, even when you disagree with me. You have to be wrong sometimes guys…lol
Thanks guys!
Merry Christmas to all!
And I wonder even about that. I read in a Wisconsin paper that Bielema didn’t require Chryst to recruit anything but the QB position and he got some good ones to go to UW.
Even if he doesn’t like recruiting that doesn’t mean he isn’t, or won’t be good at it. I’m sure lots of college recruiters don’t like the fact that in doing it they spend weeks on end away from the family and work 20 hour days.
Case in point, I hate bureaucracy but when Uncle Sam kicked me upstairs to a HQ regulatory department head position and a bureaucrat role I buckled down and kicked ass. Very often this is the case with anyone who is a genuine professional, which Chryst appears to be, and understands that you can’t pick and choose every aspect of your position.
I’ll hold a wait and see approach with this issue until there is something concrete we can point to. Feb 2, 2012 will be a benchmark i suppose much like Graham’s first class was but really, LOI day in 2013 will be the first full measure of his abilities in recruiting.
Plus, his staff will be doing about 95% of the recruiting anyway… he’ll just be the closer.
I bet we’ll be real happy with his, and his staff’s, expertise in this field, especially in WPA.
Next year has to be more concerned with just the X & Os right? I hope so. Best wishes to all involved in the Pitt Blather for a healthy and Happy 2012 and of course HTP.
Something tells me that Chryst is going to assemble an amazing staff (if Pitt has provided enough of a budget). He seems to be the type of individual that is genuinely liked and respected by members of the coaching fraternity..A HUGE PLUS FOR PITT!!
Chryst has been coaching on a MUCH HIGHER plane than Grahamass and I am positive that he will assemble the kind of staff that could hold its own
on any top 15 ranked team in the country.
Let’s face it, the Panthers need a reeducation on the basics of football….one quick example would be how our receivers get in to position for making 1st downs..YARDMARKER AWARENESS!! I am very excited about Chryst and what he will bring to our program.
The coachs that would have taken the job a year ago wont touch the job now every big name has turned you down so far this year.
when you say we are penn state it does not mean what it did last year.
so come down to earth get real live with it.
you will have to hire some who is not a star.
