link to nationalchamps.net

The history of the helmets – I am of the opinion that the current helmet set looks too much like, ND, Army, Navy, Akron, etc… nothing to provide any distinction.

I hope Pitt vs. Penn State never happens again, especially now that they may need us.
Went to every game between the 2 since 1972 and loved it, but that old fart ruined it for me and I for one would never attend the game.
Pitt season ticket holder.

Frankarms, It really annoys me when I hear the announcers on ESPN refer to the team as Pittsburgh. That didn’t happen before Steve Pederson. At least Dave Wannstedt brought back, “Pitt” as a logo. To anyone who attended the university, grew up in the city, or lived within 150 miles of the city, it’s always been “Pitt!” Steve Pederson when he wanted to re-brand the school athletic program, had no idea how important our idenity is to us

I really hope they play 2 of 3 (ND, PSU, WVU) every year. I know that isn’t very likely with a 9 game conf schedule. Even if PSU is down for the near future, this game will be beneficial for PA’s brand of football in my opinion.

ArmPitt, I’m with you. I realize with the move to the ACC there is no way we will be able to play all three, it would be nice to two of them on the schedule. However, because of the issues involved with the new conference schedules, it probably will only be one. Virginia Tech has already voiced their desire with the ACC, that they want to renew their rivalry with Pitt in any new division allignment.

Yeah there will definitely be some growing pains with such a beefed up ACC schedule and 2 of ND/PSU/WVU. The games will be sweet though. I’d rather watch a 8-4 team through that schedule, then a fluffed up big east 10 win team. It’ll probably get a ton more exposure too.

Thinking outside the box-

Pitt clearly has a marketing problem, both internally within the University community and externally with the general public.

Pedersen has no clue whatsoever as to how to present Pitt ….name Pitt/Pittsburgh…logo a miserable looking fat cat….color of uniform, etc. A TOTAL DISASTER … he is an idiot!!

So, why not propose that the Katz Business School do a special marketing study on presenting the University to the outside world…Pitt Script//yes or no. Uniform style…traditional
(pick the era) or ultra modern (Nike). Colors
are Blue, royal blue, navy blue, etc, etc what a mess. Gold/bright color/mustard/light or dark mustard and on and it goes. Pick a panther logo that sells and is distinct. Pedersen is an idiot!!

This is the kind of study that would provide an excellent research vehicle for Pitt grad students as well as a means of resolving the on-going lunacy that has come from Pedersen & Co.

We can laugh all we want to about PSU, however, the traditional uniform, colors, lack of names and Nittany Lion Logo all cry…PENN STATE!!

WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF OUSELVES>>ALLOW THE KATZ BUSINESS SCHOOL TO DO THE RESEARCH AND PROPOSE
A PLAN!! Oh by the way, did I express my opinion that Pedersen is an idiot?

@Justinian, wow, does that peeve me. Can’t stand it!!!! I’m hear them say “Pittsburgh”, and I think, who are you talking about.

You are correct, we never referred to by that before “Big Ego” got in the way.

@FRANKARMS, I agree with you. How about this though. Not just pining for the old days, (actually, it wasn’t that long ago, it could still be changed back with no one missing a beat, if EGO could just admit a mistake), but,

if MISTER EGO is worried about marketing, someone else gets credit for this posted a few weeks ago, can’t remember who, when we go to the ACC, there are going to be FOUR other teams with basically the same color gold.

There helmets are the same color gold as ours, let alone the pants.

Wake Forest, Fla. St., Ga. Tech and B.C.

So, for marketing, why not the mustard and royal blue to stick out and identify ourselves differntly and have our own identity???

He’ll never admit he was wrong!!!! The only reason he let the “Pitt” stay when he came back, was because he knew there would be a lynch mob.

***I actually think our uniforms do look nice now, and I believe the block “Pitt” actually looks very collegiate, I don’t mind it, at least it’s not that monster, dog, cujo thing that was on the helmets for awhile***

Just seems like a lot of teams have the same, Navy, ND come to mind, plus the gold, a lot have that.

Mustard and Royal, you knew it was Pitt, no one else, “that’s Pitt”!!

Yeah you wouldn’t know that Pitt was the first athletic program to use the panther. Nothing screams tradition. Roc looks like a hand me down and the unis aren’t recognizable.

Serious analysis is 100% needed. Great suggestion on Katz doing it. I don’t care if its old school or what. Just something distinct. The Carolina Panthers were able to update their logo. Why is this impossible for the athletic dept?

@Dan I was at the Pitt-Florida State game that you are talking about. I am pretty sure it was 1982. It was a monsoon and worse. It was pretty even in the first half. Then the rain got so bad that nobody could run without falling down. The stand were metal so that when the lightning started striking most of us went under the stands for a while. Marino destroyed them with his passing. Great game. We had a great rivalry with FSU in those days. We were both in contention for National Championships.

Pitt has a lot in common with Penn State and Notre Dame. Similar academics and culture. We have nothing in common with the hoopies so forget them. The Penn State rivalry goes back over 100 years and Notre Dame at least to the time of Rockne and Sutherland. We should resume the PSU series and keep ND.

How do we become boosters? Can we pool our money together and become one shared booster to push our ideas on the program?

IIRC the decision to change the name to Pittsburgh was after Smiley hired a marketing firm to research the team’s identity. What was communicated back was that nobody knew who “Pitt” was outside of Pittsburgh. Was it because our teams hadn’t been relevant since the 80’s? Was it made up to push an agenda? Who knows? What I do know is that when I bring up “Pitt” here in the DC region it’s a 50/50 shot that folks know what I am talking about. When I mention “Pittsburgh” everybody assumes the Steelers. Personally, I think if you win consistently, your name doesn’t matter as much.

In regards to the rivalry games…

I don’t care if we ever play WVU, period. After we move to the ACC it becomes irrelevant. Oh maybe we get a recruit or two…big deal. Screw the hoopies and their ovine wife/sisters.

How does playing ND help us in anyway? Home games are half ND fans. Away games are irrelevant. If we win consistently we would be on National TV on our own right. It’s not like we are going to sway any ND fan to cross over to our side. Those folks are brainwashed morons.

Speaking of brainwashed morons, let’s talk PSU. I would think that this rivalry has the best chance to help us from a recruiting perspective plus it is good for the State. Outside of the State I don’t think anyone really cares. Personally, I do not want to help this institution at all.

Why can’t we foster new rivalries?

@Houston, thanks!! I knew I wasn’t dreaming it!!

@ArmPitt, that’s a great idea, however, I believe Smug Smile Steve would dismiss us with a wave of the hand.

I had a boss like him once, asked for ideas and made you feel like you were part of the team, and then went ahead and did what he wanted every time.

I’m all for it Yeti!! Actually, I can’t wait. I haven’t gone to many away games the past 5 years.

I had no joy in going to Rutgers, UCONN or Cincinnati. None.

Suddenly, I, some friends, and my family are all talking about road trips again.

Clemson, Virginia, UNC, and believe it or not, my family is making me put a DUKE football weekend on the schedule.

They want to go down and stroll around the campus and check it out. I’ve heard it’s really beautiful!!

Any fanbase who chants Eat $hit Pitt, is not a worthy adversary. The Hoopies can go back home and rape sheep.

@Dan, click on
link to cfbdatawarehouse.com
it gives you the game results throughout Pitt history.

W 09-18-1982 Pitt 37 Florida St. 17
Tallahassee, FL

College football is supposed to be about having fun. Playing PSU and ND is fun. Playing and winning the big bowl games is fun. I agree with Dan that the is no joy in playing Rutgers, UConn or Cinci. I will add wvu to that for obvious reasons.
Let’s do what we need to to rebuild our program to national promenence and have some fun in the process.

I like the idea of Pitt returning to the PITT Script…….. but let’s be different than the Major/Sherrill era and instead of the blue “Pitt” on mustard gold/yellow…… let’s have a gold “Pitt” on a bright blue base. For you guys into hex and rgb I’m recommending gold ( FFD700, RGB 255,215,0 ) and for blue ( 034FFF, rgb 3,79,255 ). Is anyone here in the Pitt program enough to bring it to their attention??

RGB 61,89,171

I like the Cobalt blue better.

@ TX Panther. Cobalt is a nice blue……

Here ya go………… an ebay auction for a Pitt football signed by Fraud Graham…….!!

link to ebay.com

The Backyard Brawl definitely needs to continue. That game has as much passion and energy from the fan bases as any rivalry game in the country. The next time we play PSU will be the first time we played them in 15 years or so…that rivalry is dead. It pains me to say that because I grew up in the intensity of that rivalry. I have two interns working with me, one of whom is a PSU grad, guess what he and all of his friends and all of the PSU future alum care about the Pitt vs. PSU game? Squat! They could care less because they don’t know the game as a rivalry. Also, I don’t consider ND to be a “rival”. Its a big game, I have attended Pitt ND game in Pittsburgh and South Bend (as an aside, that is a great place to see a game with a fantastic fan base), but I don’t see it as a “rival”. Mostly, I hate to lose it because then I have to listen to my brothers who are ND fans barking about how great ND is. If Pitt was going to “rotate” teams every other year, I would rather it be PSU and WVU than ND and WVU.

@Dan – Be careful, my boss just attended an executive seminar at Duke and now can’t say enough goods things about the Campus and the University. So much so that his now planning to send his kids there someday.

@TX Panther – I think the Eat S@#$ PITT chant is funny. Just like I always thought the P-E-N-N Penn State Sucks chant was funny WHEN WE WERE PLAYING PENN STATE – If we were playing Miami or some other team, then it just sounded stupid. I wonder if the WVU fans chant Eat S@#$ Pitt at all of their games or just whey they play us!

If Pitt fans want Stevie to change colors and go back to Pitt script, there are sites like change.org and petitiononline.com where you can make your voice heard without needing to have Booster dollars. I signed one recently to help oust Spanier at State Penn. They do get noticed and from time to time can actually work.

Penn State Sucks is an old school classic. When Sweet Caroline comes on and I make it back for Homecoming, instead of chanting Let’s Go Pitt, I’ll be chanting Penn State Sucks. I might get some looks, but the truth needs to be told.

Lots of great ideas guys, really good chat!!!

Hey, one thing I would worry about, and I have checked those sites out above, I will, and maybe this is because I’m old (44yo), but I don’t think I’d really care for becoming an Oregon or Maryland.

If someone can use the colors and script…
(I’m ok with a modernization, touch up), that’s all well and good, but, frankly, if we’re talking about going NIKE COMBAT, or again, Maryland or Oregon, I actually think I’d prefer to stay the way we are.

Again, I’d be ok with a dress up, up to date it, but please tell me were not talking about looking like some sort of modern day transformer or something.

If we can dress up the traditional, that’s fine, but let’s not have 13 different combinations of uniforms.

Ahhh, not to worry, Steve made his decision and we’re lucky we went back to “Pitt” when he wasn’t here!!!

Guys, I will check out your links when I get back from my meeting.

Great posts all, I was worn out on recruiting and coaching!!!

@mtoolmn, real quick, before I go, interesting stuff, I take it those are specific colors. Any links to any good color sites, or just google “colors”.

I’d find that interesting. Ok, later fellas.

Pitt Script will never come back…unless it comes back in a different script. The logo has entered the public domain and Pitt won’t be the exclusive seller/distributor of it as a logo thus taking $$ out of the Universitie’s pockets. That’s what I’ve been told anyways.

@TX Panther – I try to tell 5 people every day that Penn St. sucks.

@HbgFrank – Using the hoopies as your example is not helping your case. 🙂

@Houston Panther – I bet I can have fun in Tallahassee and/or Miami. “Let’s pack up the car and head to Central PA!” doesn’t just roll off the tongue.

If I have to go spend an afternoon or evening in South Beach in order to support my team, then I am willing to take that sacrifice!

@Dan……. just google “rgb colors” or “hex colors”

Script with current colors???? Would steve-o go for that or is that just an absolute fantasy. Agree on not becoming a Maryland or Oregon but I was at the ysu game several years ago and people from Youngstown were all saying they never understood why Pitt went away from the script logo and colors.

Looks like Rutgers is losing 1/2 their coaches to Tampa / Schiano just 2 days after recruits committed……..

Penn State Sucks is an old school classic. When Sweet Caroline comes on and I make it back for Homecoming, instead of chanting Let’s Go Pitt, I’ll be chanting Penn State Sucks. I might get some looks, but the truth needs to be told.

Well played TX Panther. I have done this as well for several years and now all four of my daughters do it as well.

@MarkP and KeyboardKev, great links. Both awesome sites. Mark, I have been to nationalchamps.net, great site if your a college football junkie. Kev, went over a lot of scores over the years, brought back a lot of memories I had forgotten about, always went with my Dad who passed a few years ago.

Amazing, look at a score, and that triggers, “ya, I remember that, that was up against Army at West Point, we stayed at Uncle Bob’s house in Ossining”

Thanks both. Others should check them out.

@mtoolmn, thanks for the google words, and, actually, that ebay Fraud Graham football might be worth something someday, if he ever goes postal!!! LOL

ala, Newman having David Berkowitz’s mail bag in Seinfeld!!! LOL

I would definitively keep that football for a long time… it will be worth something someday to a PITT trivia collector.

I like the new uniforms and I went to school at PITT during the Dorsett years when the old uniform was becoming well recognized nationally.

I hope every one knows that the sole reasons for all these uniform changes is to market and sell more PITT gear.

I do dread that we break down and do the Maryland/Oregon thing. Let’s stay as conservative with as much class as possible.

I hope whoever bought that football, for the princely sum of $39, plans to blow it up in the middle of the parking lot, at the first tailgate of the year. Bet raffling off chances to damage it would raise a bit more than $39.