Not a shock that Pitt appears to be staying in the Big East for 2012. $20 million without a Big 12-like $10 million subsidy to help is not going to be forthcoming from Pitt. Nor would it be likely that the Big East would be as compliant with the potential to see the conference down to 6 or 5 for 2012.
The only real news regarding the move to the ACC, is that Big East Stooge Commish John Marinatto is actually stating something everyone already knew.
Big East Commissioner John Marinatto says his league “might be open to a discussion” about allowing Syracuse and Pittsburgh to join the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2013 football season.
The Big East reached a settlement with West Virginia on Monday that allows the school to become a member of the Big 12 in 2012.
…
Marinatto had previously said that the Big East intends to hold all three schools in the conference until 2014.
“But given the strength and speed of our expansion efforts, I think our board might be open to a discussion about 2013,” Marinatto said in a telephone interview.
No kidding. By 2013, for better or worse the Big East will have SDSU, UCF, SMU, Houston, Memphis and Boise St. to go with UConn, USF, Rutgers, Cinci and Louisville. There is no reality where the Big East wants to have a 13-team conference for one season. Fall to 11, then back up to 12 in 2015 when Navy comes.
The issue for 2013 is money. $20 million is the number for leaving immediately — and that does seem to be the going rate in all conferences. Colorado, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Mizzou all paid about that much to leave quickly. The speculation is that Pitt and Syracuse will be paying around $10 million to leave. Perhaps, but I think it will be less than that. More than the $5 million, but not $10 million.
First of all, that $20 million WVU is paying, is not just going to the remaining members. You can bet that even Pitt will see some of it in the form of money to help pay for another game. All 7 remaining Big East teams will need another game. Many of them, between either WVU or TCU need at least another home game. That’s on the Big East to help fix. Choices for 1-A options are limited. Considering that the Big East let the Mountaineers out for more money, that money has to be used to help the other seven schools.
As it stands Pitt is down two home games. They only have 2 conference home games and 4 conference roadies thanks to this mess. While the Big East may do some schedule rejiggering to give Pitt another conference home game, there are still gaps to fill. Pitt already bought out their UCF home game to accommodate TCU’s arrival. They will have to buy another home game — possibly 2 if the Big East doesn’t fix the schedule.
The Big East is going to help pay for that. That’s why AD Steve Pederson has stated that the Big East is actively trying to get Pitt another game. As well as for some other schools in the conference. That takes some money off that settlement. Say, $5 million to help the Big East football teams get some games (assuming they don’t use it to help pay for one of the future teams to come early). But either way, that $20 million buyout from WVU is not so much a complete buyout as to help pay for immediate scheduling corrections.
The Big East and Pitt don’t want to have to go messy lawsuit. If the Big East doesn’t help pay for buying a game (or even 2), then you can assume that it will come off the final bill Pitt pays for leaving after 2012.
As for WVU’s departure. WVU AD Ollie Luck, is now in the spin mode since he will have to deal with the end of the Backyard Brawl at his end. So, commence effort to placate Hoopies by suggesting it will be Pitt that won’t play.
This will also be the first time since 1942 that West Virginia won’t face Pitt in the annual “Backyard Brawl”.
The heated rivalry is over for now and they will never face again in conference play, but Luck said he is open to scheduling a match up down the road.
“It will be difficult to schedule,” stated Luck. “I certainly would welcome a conversation with Steve Pederson, my counterpart at Pitt, once Steve has a handle on what they want to do with their non-conference schedule.”
Quite a bit more diplomatic than his earlier claims of how much Pitt needed the game.
Bob Huggins is even spinning that the basketball side shouldn’t end.
Dixon does the basketball schedule on his own. He was noncommital on the WVu series when asked about it in October. He will speak with reporters later today after practice.
Huggins said he would be surprised if the two schools did not find a way to continue the series.
“I’d be shocked,” Huggins said. “We’ve been playing since 1904. We’re all looking for good non-conference games.”
To which Coach Dixon remains noncommittal it seems.
Dixon said most of non-league sked for next year is done. On WVU: “When things settle, we’ll go from there. No decision will be made today.”
Roughly translated: “We’re good, because on the basketball side, it’s the Hoopies not Pitt that need the ‘economic boost.’ “
Pitt should at least should have the leverage for scheduling the game next year at The Pete.
Pitt and Syracuse are helping out the BE by not leaving the conference in 2012 like WV. Therefore, John Marinatto should allow Pitt and Syracuse to leave in 2013 with a token fine. JMO,
HTP!
In the last 5 years alone ..
- WVU gave out an unearned MBA to the governor’s daughter
- Morgantown passed an ordinance to outlaw couch burning
- a coin thrown from the adult section hit a Pitt assistant BB coach in the forehead
- both their current head FB coach and BB coach have been involved in drunken / embarrassing incidents
- their lame duck coach FB asked some media members to dig up dirt on his soon to be successor
- the WVU student union offered to buy the obscene t-shirts that were being worn at the football games
(and I’m sure I omitted a few things)
They are now the B12′s embarrassment
Scheduling wise, I think Pitt is better off going to FSU this year instead of scheduling another FCS team for home. I mean seriously what value is nontelevised blah home game that will be empty? I’d imagine Pitt vs. FSU would at least be on ESPN.
Hoopie fans will be clammoring for us to play them in the future. The reality of traveling to Texas, or Oklahoma or Iowa or Kansas will really wear on the fans and there will be discontent among the ranks of the inbred.
BTW did you know that Hoopies actually LIKE ties in a game because that love to kiss their sisters?
(They understand why it will be this way, they understand Pitt will be in ACC soon, just laughing at the situation, they aren’t taking pot shots at Pitt.)
I said this the past couple days, I’d much rather see Pitt at FSU on the tube, than go down to a garbage game.
Allready have Youngstown St. and the BE conf garbage at home. Add TWO more junk games and you got what could be Pitt’s worst home schedule in Pitt’s history.
I know the home games are money, but, aren’t away games also, that are on tv?
Wow, you get someone like Maine and New Hampshire to go with Youngstown State, you have a real mess on your hands ticket sales wise.
Die hards will be there, but, the casual fan or general public, not a chance.
Not blaming Steve or Nordy on this one, the ACC is coming, but, they’re gonna have to pull a rabbit out of their hat for this season.
Maybe something up their sleeve, I hope so.
But the strain of these travels will be the costs incurred by the other teams (basketball, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, etc) Yes, it is an attractive football and to a lesser degree basketball conference, but it is anything an optimal situation.
One more thing … for the ACC to ignore Lousiville and WVU which are geographically compatible, only proves the empasis it puts on academics.
I guess their reputation preceeds them!
No word yet on what “Rent a Center” stores in TX, AZ, etc. plans are to protect their couches. LOL
To me, the absence of those games won’t make a difference. Future games will just be games with no real anticipation. My guess is that attendance at Pitt will dwindle just like BC’s attendance is dwindling. They are in a city (like Pitt), having a program with a long tradition. UConn is in the middle of nowhere and is an upstart in football, but they outdrew BC.
The anticipation for Pitt fans will be to see the new O and D, and Coach Chryst, and how he will do with the players, and the new recruits.
Now, after that, the anticipation I have will be jacked!!!
No anticipation to see Clemson, Maryland, Fla. St. Ga Tech, Miami etc. etc. I will be pumped!!!
Add to that, Notre Dame and Penn State on the schedule, and Steve-o saying he’d like to get the Penn St game a little more regularly.
The hope that Coach Chryst can take us to the next level.
Actually, Pitt could be in the perfect storm in a few years.
1. Coach Chryst builds the program and wins
2. Joining ACC, Clemson, Miami, FSU, Maryland et
al. Fantastic.
3. Adding to the ACC conference schedule, ND&PSU.
If things go right, could be one of the best times in Pitt football history coming up!!!
***This year, schedule a dud*** Admitted.
Let Chryst get his feet wet, try to win, hell with only 7 teams, try and steal a BCS bid, wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth to the BE and WVU???
Things are skyrocketing at Pitt, my above post was only about this years home schedule.
Should not have been taken as a negative, as I also mentioned, on the fan, they were just acknowledging Pitt has a little problem with it’s home schedule this year, not taking any shots at Pitt whatsoever. They acknowledged good things coming Pitt’s way also.
This fall, just a bump in the road, and towards the end, they even said, “wow, if Pitt improves a little with Chryst, they could steal a BCS bid”
Hail to Pitt!!!!
1) Good coaching/recruiting =’s winning =’s attendance increases!
2) Nothing is more exciting than having Big East
powerhouses like Lousisville, Cincy and USF on your home schedule.
3) If Pitt develops a decent team with Chryst & Co. I firmly believe that ACC schools such as FSU, Maryland, Clemson and Va Tech will draw much larger crowds to Heinz than a big game with mighty Rutgers!!
4) Add the renewal of our long standing and very HARD FOUGHT rivalry with PSU ++ one more decent
Div I school and you have the recipe for an increase in attendance. BigGuy you are way, way
out on a limb and a big gust of wind is sending you to the ground…I hope you have good medical insurance.
No anticipation to see Clemson, Miami, Fla. St., Ga. Tech, Va. Tech???? Add ND and PSU???
My lack of a ? made it seem like a question, which is completely different than my intent, which of course would be,
you’d have to be nuts to not anticipate our future schedule, including two rivals ND and PSU, especially if we are winning!!!
? can make a sentence entirely different!! LOL
Add to your list that the hoopies authorized beer sales at football games to REDUCE drunkenness. Only in Morganhole…
And for the other open date, if WVU is so hell bent on continuing this series, then buy yourself out of one of your other minor games and come play at Pitt this year like you were supposed to. If you can’t do that, then we’re not interested in any future games with you either.
The pious vitriol being spewed towards WVU seems very hypocritical. Isn’t this how PSU and their fans looked upon (and still do) Pitt when they ended the Pitt-PSU series? Didn’t JoePa call us a bunch of criminals after our last game at Beaver Stadium?
It appears it is our turn to be pompous seeing how we are now the snobs looking down our noses at WVU.
The Hoopies have only themselves to blame for their boorish behavior and other schools like Va Tech refuse to play them ever again due to safety concerns.
Furthermore, Poopy Pants was the true hypocrit in the end.
And if I appear pompous for looking down on 3rd tier academic institutions, so be it. Those racist inbreds can go back to raping sheep.
UCLA
Michigan State
Oklahoma
Miami (FL)
West Virginia
TCU
Syracuse
Notre Dame
Army (a power house in ’60)
Penn State
Attendance at games was disappointing. (My recollection: in the low 40,000’s except for the ND home games.) We need fans with your enthusiasm. Hopefully you are correct in anticipating renewed enthusiasm with the Pitt fan base. But based upon my review of history and the existing landscape, I place myself in the skeptics’ column.
Pitt is extremely fortunate they had another long-time opponent that could step in when PSU left. With as much tradition as we are losing in all sports due to the almighty dollar, I think preserving a little of that tradition would be a positive in a world of negatives.
Who is to say whether we can develop another rivalry in the ACC. VT? Maybe. Would it come close to the rivalry that Pitt-WVU built for 100 years? Not at first, but maybe after a couple of decades, it will. But it’s 50/50 whether I’ll be alive to see it.
I’ve posted before that I like having a game to circle on the calendar. If we blow off WVU, will we ever have another to circle? Fyi – PSU still doesn’t have one.
@isnore, spot on. If Pitt wins, Heinz Field will be filled.
them would mutch rather play penn state every year i hate penn state but at least you can go to there games with out geting hit with coins or worse.
Let the red necks stay in the big 12 piss on them
Caveat, if they can play them every year. Going to be tough. 9 conf games, leaves three spots. If Pitt wants two cupcakes for home games, that leaves one game to alternate with ND and PSU.
As for the PSU fans I know personally, some may say “oh, Ohio St is our rival now”.
I am telling you, getting a couple JW’s in them or quite a few Anchor Steams, and they will seethe “I hate Pitt and everything abouth them”, and we haven’t played in 12 years!!! Old and young I have in family, work. They won’t verbalize it soberly, but lying underneath, there is still some hatred.
Sure, some really may have moved on, but I honestly believe, it would not take much to ignite the rivalry.
Now, if we play two games every 10 years, ya, thats not so hot.
@GhostofHormon. Ya, that’s the only thing that I was disappointed in, was hoping to be in with Marylands division to get that rivalry going.
Oh well, remember fellas, along with winning bringing attendance, winning also makes it a lot easier to develop a good rivalry.
All it takes, is one bad call to change an outcome, one crowd incident, one total beatdown on the field or court, and suddenly you have a rivalry with someone.
Like someone said above, you win, a lot of good things happen.
You end up being a top 10 or 20 team every year, suddenly all of the other teams in your conference that are in the top 10 or 20 become huge games, in football and hoops.
EVERY home game for Pitt should be at the Pete…including the game against Duquense (if they want to have their home game at Consol, fine). I don’t care how big the game is, or how many extra tickets they could sell. The Consol is the Pens home arena…not Pitt’s.
give it 2 years and we will hate VT and we have ND and if we get PSU back .
Guaranteed sell out too.
Does anyone know the comparison, for having a so called cupcake game at home, compared to playing a rival or another bcs team even if on the road, that gets picked up by television???
I was just thinking, 9 conference games, 3 openings. I’ll give you 1 cupcake, why does it have to be two????
I mean, how much money are we talking about??
Example
H New Hampshire H New Hampshire
H UMASS A Nebraska
H PSU H PSU
9 conf games 9 conf games
I realize some years, we will have 5 home conf, and 4 away conf, and vice-versa the next year.
And we’d have home and home with PSU and/or ND.
I guess what I’m asking simply (which I never do) LOL, is, does anyone know, all things being equal, what is the monetary difference between, say,
having a home game against New Hampshire vs.
having an away game at Nebraska, that is televised?
Anyone know any figures, roughly???
I think you get my jist.
I’d like to see the rivalry continue in both sports in some for or another. I hate them, and I LOVE beating them.
The problem is football scheduling.
I think we’re going to see this more and more with the superconferences forming. Teams will only have 1 open date available for a “real” opponent (ie, FBS BCS school).
So, you say you use that one open date on a non-conference rivalry game that’s pretty much locked in every year.
Ok, what if you have more than 1 non-con rival (as in WVU, Penn State, AND Notre Dame for Pitt)?
What if you’re serious about contending for national titles and would like to schedule a non-rival, non-conference, powerhouse team?
There’s just no room for it.
The LOGICAL thing to do would be to have teams do away with games against FCS schools. It makes sense, being as though playing them is as ridiculous as having the Yankees play the Altoona Curve.
You get one “cupcake” game against a FBS non-BCS school, then after that it’s all big boys.
However, Maryland is at least is in a suburb of a major city and their enrollment (37,000) is much clloser to Pitt’s.
WVU thinks AAU stands for ‘academics are useless’ or ‘alcoholics are us’ .. take your pick
The second option would leave the Panthers one game short of a full 12-game schedule, but it would give them six home games and enable them to play another non-conference road game if that is the only choice available.”
#2 works for me. have ‘cuse come to heinz field and schedule pitt @ FSU in sept. i’d make that trip!
FSU on the road for the TV money.
than play a cupcake here just for a home game
and we would get double money they woul pay us for playing them they need a game plus it would be on tv.
“ask a Pitt fan, do you want to win 66-0 against Stony Brook, or lose 15-14 to Michigan, you know they would all say the 66-0 game”.
Call me crazy…..well let me re-state my opinion, I guess if you knew the outcome, you’d take a W.
Now that I think about it, his question was wrong.
It should have been, if you had the option of
a.) playing Stony Brook and a 95% chance of
blowing them out
or
b.) playing Michigan and say, having a 50/50
chance of losing.
I think it’s pretty obvious, or am I nuts?
This would be the better question I feel.
His premise of a W distorts the thought of the question.
Certainly not me, others may have other opinions.
and see how meany go when we play ND or if we played texas cook is out of touch with pitt just like that outher pitt hater smallzik misspelled
on purpose. you get the point.
wisconsin only has 8 coachs is he afreid they will steal him agein or what.
As far as that reform school 75 miles to the South, I care so little about playing them, seeing them and hearing about them that I will not even mention their name. Good riddance!
HTP!
Your memory of Pitt’s attendance in the late 50′s / early 60′s is correct.
You referred to 1960 Iron Mike’s last year and if I recall we had 2 games with low attendance…Miami and WVU. I don’t remember why the attendance was below 40,000 with Miami, however, if my memory serves me correctly WVU was an absolute disaster in 1960 winning 0, that’s ZERO games that year.
In addition we had another home game in 1960 that had horrible weather (I think I have the correct year)….Army.
In the 50′s//60′s a crowd of 40-45,000 was considered decent. You forget that football powerhouses like Notre Dame and PSU had stadiums that seated less than 60,000.
The Big 10 ruled the roost and the independents were not the powerhouses that you might seem to remember. For example, Syracuse, a potent team in the 60′s played in Archbold Stadium, a concrete monstrosity with gaping cracks all over the place…a RAT HOLE!! Archbold, if it was jammed to the rafters probably held less than 45,000.
Pitt will draw an average of 50,000+ in the ACC if it can place a quality team on the field!!
Still have most of the programs and the Post Gazette Sunday articles (remember the front page would have huge pictures of Saturday’s game with an arrow showing the flight of the ball?? The play where Rudy Lachasee from Tulane beat Charley Hall deep to win the game comes to mind most!) A
Anyhow, it was where I fell in love with Pitt Football. Attendence was low for those games but clean up took forever. It was in the day where you could easily come into Pitt Stadium with entire bottles of liquor. Most were empty or filled with urine (if you remember the troughs in the men’s room’s were always overflowing). Took us forever to clean them up. On a crisp sunny Fall day in the Burgh on a Saturday afternoon, I can still smell the odor of hot dogs boiling and hot chocolate brewing. I will never forgive those who tore down Pitt Stadium and did not replace it with a stadium on campus! Hear that SP!
A little looking backward on the old times…
To this day, when I smell cigar smoke, I think of a cool fall crisp day at Pitt Stadium.
Guy two or three rows in front of us always had them for the games.
There was always a drunken group in front of us that sang the Peabody High School fight song every game.
Also, a little later, a guy with an air horn, that blasted it, after every score, the number of points we had, at that particular time.
I think he always had a gorilla mask, or some halloween type mask on, at all times. He was down about 10 rows.
I’d kill to be with my Dad at a game right now.
Great memories.
and the hell with WVU.
Then I became competely enthralled in the following years and thought there was nothing better than college football (both Pitt and PSU were annual Top 10 finishers in late 70s/early 80s) .. and this was when the Steelers had their legendary teams.
Despite the rocky years since, college football remains No. 1 with me .. and the NFL has waned greatly.
they used to yell hugh then wait for a few seconds and yell green.
And the bottles under the seats and the lines and the hot dogs i loved the old stadium
I to would like to go back to 1962 and do it all over till 1988 . like to go around one more time.
My first one was against Northwestern in ’72!! Still have the ticket stub.
I remember the USC game also. First time my brother was allowed to drive on his own, down to the city!!! And, I think you’re right on about the score. 16-7 or 16-9 sticks in my head.
A.D. west vs. A.D. east!!!
I haven’t thought about that in years, thanks!!!
Does anyone remember, I guess the 70′s, for awhile they were handing out red and green pieces of cloth??
Red was for stop (defense), green for go (offense)
We haven’t played them in decades, and we’ll likely crush them, but it will put some fannies in the seats. Even if it’s a one game deal, a lot of Dukes fans will show up just for the novelty of it. I’d rather play them than the Citadel.
I loved the smell of the hot dogs boiling and the hot chocolate. I too will never forgive that smiley jerk for destroying our Pitt Stadium.
A good many years ago I was at a Pitt-West Virginia, not too many years after they opened their new stadium. The fans on the upper level were throwing things down on the Pitt section below. The PA anouncer got on the PA system and asked the fans to please stop throwing things form the upper deck, because some of the people below are Mountaineer fans. Only in Morgantown!
Grove City and a few others. My Pitt acceptance was the last one. I cried when I opened the letter. Got an invite signed by Dave Hart to go out for the freshman team…obviously, he never saw me play.
I add some of this for the younger guys who are just making memories now. Sometimes I/we get a little crazy on this site and overemotional about the twists and turns our alma mater has taken. This past year is so bizarre that no one would believe it, if we were all not witnesses.
No matter what has happened or will happen, I could not be prouder to be a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh!
Now, if only Gibbs can stop those damn turnovers at the top of the key!!
Renew your season tickets for the players , for the new coach, and for the impression it will make on recruits for the 2013 class.
“Ladies and gentleman and children of all ages…The University of Pittsburgh is PROUD to present under the direction of Robert L. Arthur…THE WORLD FAMOUS….VARSITY MARCHING BAND… the drums would pound away in unison and the band led by our drum major would come charging out from under the entrance in the end zone….another day…another game against Syracuse or Navy or…yes, the HATED Penn State Nittany Lions.
HAIL TO PITT…Isnore Class of ’63.
Gene Sobolewski Education
John Maczuzak Electrical Engineer
Ernie Borghetti Dentist
Ed Adamchik Business Administration
Ray Popp Unknown
Chuck Ahlborn Dentist
Fred Mazurek Accounting; Law
Paul Martha Law
Pete Billey Dentist
Rick Leeson Dentist
Ah, degrees/education like that are from yesteryear.
In 1963, rules required players to play both ways (offense and defense). As I recall, the starting lineup on the 1963 team was comprised of:
Pitt Tavern before and after the game. No surprise they closed down since they only grossed more that $100 5 times a year.
Homecoming floats around the Pitt Stadium track for the game.
Memory lane, thanks Dan
Apres float making-
Beers at The Luna Bar with Nicky the waiter who looked exactly like Nikita Khruschev!!
I remember reading about Frank Clark’s FG in Sunday’s Press
I remember Steelers playing at Pitt Stadium in late 60s
I remember how Dorsett owned ND all 4 years
I remember Carson Long’s bad day vs PSU
I remember Dorsett going > 6000 yds vs PSU in 24-7 win at 3 Rivers
I remember Tom Yewcic in ’76
I remember Cavanaugh getting hurt in opener vs ND in ’77 and defense fought so valiantly
I remember PItt getting ripped off at Florida St in ’80
I rememebr the clock running out in ’83 but PSU was allowed 1 more play when they kicked the tying FG
I remember Coach Gottfried running down the sideline when a Pitt DB returned an interception to seal the game vs PSU in late 80s
I marched under Bob Arthur ’70 was last year band was all male…. u years I came “Out of the Hole” at Pitt Stadium.. Just look at the first post for as little Piit Eye Candy!!
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/871534-a-47-1-2-project-a-how-to-do-it-the-hard-way-guide.html
Memories on top of memories!! HTP!!
Pitt Band!
I had friends in the Band and they recruited me so that we could go on the trips.
I will never forget seeing Pitt destroy Notre Dame in South Bend.
My favorite Pitt game of all time still remains the 1960 game against Syracuse in the dump, Archbold Stadium. Ditka was beyond belief and Pitt shut out a great Syracuse team 10-0.
Yes, Pitt stopped the one and only legend…Ernie Davis on Syracuse Parents Day…loved every moment of it…Pitt football has had many great games in the past and hopefully we will once again have a fanbase that knows that our history says that we are a football school.
a trip did you ever run down the hill.
i to remmber fred mazurak and bob longo
but the game that hooked mewas when eric crabtree
and garrett ford had 7 TD between them.
I think crabtree had 3 td and ford had 4 tds
i was hooked after that game it was so exciting
DAN do you remmber that game.
do they play as loud as they used to our are they handcuffed now.
I remember being at a game in 1984 I believe it was, when Pitt played PSU and state had a first and goal at like the 1 yard line. Pitt’s coach put Bill Fralic in on defense, and Pitt’s D stopped them four times in a row.
That cb would be one Billy Owens in 1987. Still get goosebumps every time I see the highlight of that play remembering how me and a buddy of mine went completely insane screaming as he ran down the sideline….good times indeed.
I remember the walk up Cardiac Hill with Pittsburgh Press vendors hawking their special stadium editions with my dad. We would have season tickets, but I would nag him to sit in the Pitt student section where there always was room. The frat thugs would try to make everybody move around because they were holding seats for their superiors. This was back in the 60s and the only game that ever sold out was Notre Dame. The Coca Cola was always straight cane sugar and flavoring, a little flat, but always provided a buzz and a good mixer for the students. Looking down at the Pete I can feel the ghosts of games past, and my dad.
Also, to those of you younger panther fans, enjoy the stories, you will have memories too, even at Heinz Field.
Yes, I long for Pitt Stadium, but, I would never take anything away from younger Pitt fans today.
A lot of your memories will be when you are 8,9, 10 years old, and started going to games.
And, if it’s Heinz Field, that shouldn’t diminish your Pitt memories one bit.
We’re just enjoying some old moments, and we are here because we still love Pitt, even in Heinz.
We got the Pete out of the deal, but, the Stadium did have character, even though not so many amenities.
***Just to show we’re all in this together, actually, one of my favorite memories was just 12 years or so ago, at THREE RIVERS STADIUM!!!!
Yep, stadium really didn’t matter, Pitt 12 PSU 0.
Why that one, well, I knew we weren’t going to be playing them again for awhile, and I went with my Dad.
I knew he was getting older, and had some health issues. I had thoughts of a loss, and I can remember clearer than day, grabbing his coat and practically punching his arm off as they counted down the last 10 seconds and we had down it.
Had bragging rights in the family. He passed away in 08′, and that was his last Pitt-PSU game.
So, all kinds of things make memories, and I look forward to some great memories in Heinz with hopefully a great team with Coach Chryst and the ACC coming!!!
Pitt Stadium was a special place though.
Hail to Pitt!!!
@BigGuy, great memory, starting line up, impressive.
@isnore. Band was always great, Pitt Script!!! Still is.
@Frank, ya, I ran down it a few times, to get to the bars!!! No, I don’t remember that game.
@Tony, ya, a lot of my Pitt stuff is tied to my Dad also. Sometimes I drive up there and get out of the car, and just stand and look down for 5 or 10 minutes!!
He started his junior year, cut short with knee surgery beginning of Senior.
Anyhow, just saw Mr. Cecconi a few months ago at church. He still looks great!!!
My Dad and Bimbo hitchhiked together to Kiski for camp!!!
My Dad always laughed, he just left a hut in the Pacific, and when he got to Kiski, there were those same type of huts again!!!
Also, Herbie Douglas and Jimmie Joe Robinson, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Douglas.
So, I got to meet a few, but just about all of those names I heard him talk about.
He wasnt’ a star, but a good athlete, and got to start quite a few games. Defensive halfback they called it back then.
My Dad was a very self-deprecating guy, had an interception against Penn St., ran it back, and said he got hit so hard he fumbled the ball, but it went out of bounds.
He also spoke of getting clobbered by Leon Hart at ND.
Also, getting beat 67-0 at Michigan!!! ha ha
They did have one 5-5 year, one lousy year. He did go 2-0 against Penn St.
Says best game they ever played, was a loss, at Ohio St that they should have won.
Well, I could go on sir, but, I just wanted to let you know, there still are connections to the past around!!!!
Hail to Pitt!! Goodnight all!!
I just saw Mr. Cec
@wbb, don’t remember your first three, but the rest I certainly do remember. Carson Long, money kicker, missed 3??? I think?? Wasn’t his wife in labor or something??? Cold as hell, at Three Rivers right??
@complit, great trivia question. I think I have heard that over the years, but, you would have stumped me at the bar!!!!
I know this has been mostly a football discussion and, while I did go to a game at the old Pitt Stadium in ’74 and I enjoy Heinz Field, I love the Pete and my best Pitt memories are the Big East Tournament at MSG.
http://pittnews.com/newsstory/mens-basketball-former-players-analyze-panthers/
I would have been very impressed. I think you underestimate the appreciation for history and culture many young fans have. When my dad talked to me about Pitt football, he was speaking about going to see the Jock Sutherland teams in the 1930s. Even now I remember the pride he had in his voice. Just like many fans on this board take each defeat to heart, he was torn up by what happened to Pitt football in the 1960s. It was really hard for him to go to games in the era. You are right in one way, though. College football has become more like arena football with no conference loyalties, rivalries coming and going, and clown costume uniforms. But any fans who annually go through the media guide and see all the past records, Rose Bowls, All-Americans, and those tough-as-nails schedules of the 1950s appreciate Pitt football for what is, what it was, and what it can become.
Or how about Roger Houston promoting the next home game and yelling…”BEEEEEEE THERRRREEE”
Kevin, Pitt ’87
I am originally from Noo Yawk and did not have any Pitt connections. In fact, I had never been to a college football game and had only attended a few high school games (My high school had OUTSTANDING basketball and our football field was in the process of being torn down).
When I got to Pitt I had the opportunity to learn bout Pitt’s amazing football history. Stories were told about Marshall Goldberg and the Pitt/Fordham rivalry, etc. I learned that Pop Warner and Jock Sutherland had been Pitt coaches.
Entering old Pitt Stadium you could almost feel the past history of Pitt Football (remember please that our basketball team was awful in those days).
If a student enters Notre Dame, USC, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. believe me they hear about the glories of football. I did my graduate work at The University of Pennsylvania and it was not unusual to hear about the glorious Quaker teams that ran rampant in Franklin Field. The Penn/Cornell Game was still a big thing in those days. So, BigGuy the answer is YES…I believe that today’s Pitt students would be interested to know that Pitt has had a glorious history on the gridiron….I blame our athletic department for allowing much of it to drift away. Stevie has no interest in preserving anything from the past.
WE CAN ALL MAKE FUN OF PSU, HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THE SCHOOL SPIRIT THAT EXISTS WHEN THE BLUEBAND MARCHES ON TO THE FIELD AND THE PLAYERS COME RUNNING OUT IN UNIFORMS THAT DATE BACK 50 YEARS!!
Well that is exactly the reason Pitt is in the position they are in. You should support the team no matter what if you want the school to provide a good product.
If we all (Pitt fans) show support no matter what then better coaches will want to come here, better athletes will also.
Poor fan base, look at BB now, people jumping ship already.
Next trivia… Ass’t Band Director under Robert L. Arthur was a volunteer Pitt Dentist (Prof.) “Doc” Anderson…. wait for it !!
Father of Jack Anderson (who also was in the band and is now Director)
Benny Benack scored a lot of the music. Frankie Gustine was a great financial supporter of the Band.
@frankarms It’s absurd to criticize people for not wanting to attend those horrible home games. Games against FCS teams are like preseason NFL games. Are Steelers fans bad because they don’t pack Heinz field in August? No. Pitt could potentially play 3 HORRIBLE teams home (maybe 2 FCS teams and another FBS bottom feeder). If the schedule looks like that, why would anyone buy season tickets. I know I won’t. I will buy a ticket for the Va Tech game and then scalp tickets for the other games. People basically give away tickets for those FCS games.
Also, could you please explain what “bad” position Pitt is in right now? I’m pretty sure Pitt athletics have top facilities, a top basketball program, a rising baseball program and a football program that has been close and could get over the hump with good coaching. Plus, Pitt is going to the ACC soon a top conference. Such a “bad” position indeed.
The Varsity Marching Band was chosen to play The National Anthem at Forbes Field for the opening game of the 1960 World Series. The Anthem was sung by Pittsburgh’s own, Bille Eckstine (for the youth who post here he was a very popular singer and band leader in the 40′s, 50′ and 60′s.
Forbes Field’s sound system was nothing comparable to today’s hi-tech audio systems and the words Roberto Clemente sounded like///Roberto Erto//Clemente Ente.
The band started to play the Anthem and poor Billy started to sing, however, the notes and his words were rebounding throughout the ballpark.
I was standing fairly close to the microphone and could clearly see the panic on his face as he struggled to keep up with the Band. The Band was perfect, however, Billy looked like he was going to trash his pants.
After the Bucs won the Series the Band did a halftime tribute to the Champions with one of the Band managers pretending to run the bases after Maz hit the winning home run. The Stadium erupted with an enormous standing ovation…quite possibly the loudest cheering ever heard for a Pitt Band halftime show!!
garrett ford was in 1965 ford had 356 yd
crabtree 206 yd there was a total of 1071 yd in the game WVU won the game 63 to 48 but you were on the edge of your seat for whole game.
One place where tradition runs deep.
We play the Hoopies tonight (9PM) for what could be one of the last encounters with the couch burning nation for quite some time.
Pitt basketball is down so far this year that I almost forgot about the game. The NCAA is not going to see Pitt this year and the NIT (who cares) could be our destination.
THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS THAT WE WIN TONIGHT AND SEND WVU OFF TO THE BIG 12 WITH A BAD TASTE IN THEIR TOBACCO CHEWING MOUTHS!!
Football- Coach Chryst, moving to ACC
Basketball- When you take a step back, and look at it, c’mon, 10 years of the tournament. Coach Dixon has one of the top, if not top player coming in next year, with another big recruit to go along side him. Moving to ACC.
I think we could we heading for some great rides in football and basketball the next couple of years.
I remember the Eric Crabtree game. I had the privilege of having season tickets just in front of Anderson’s wife and met him on occasion. My life has been devoted (other than Pitt) to choral music so I followed the Pitt Band. For years they would come out and play with the best local high school bands in a concert. I still cannot get over how good the HS Bands were in WPA and most 200 members. I used to dream about the Pitt Band coming out of the tunnel at quick step after the trumpets played their flourish. The opening number was “The Conquerer”. Does anyone remember that the Pitt Band always played the other team’s fight song as a salute! Will never forget my first Pitt/ND game at the stadium. When the Pitt band played the ND Fight song the entire place went nuts! Does anyone remember Alan Popsack sp? the long time drum major?
BTW, my recollection is that Pitt was scheduled to play Penn State the weekend after JFK was assassinated. The game was postponed as a result; however, the Orange Bowl committee had to make a selection before the postponed game took place. They gambled that Penn State would beat Pitt and chose them. Wrong decision/selection.
My time with the Pitt Band made me a Pitt sports fan. I witnessed 2 years of Dave Hart and 2 years of Carl DePasqua without the benefit of alcohol.
Does anyone remember pep rallies on Friday nights in front of the union? The band would march down Cardiac Hill, play H2P at the Union, then march single file thru the Cathedral and then the Towers and then march back up Cardiac Hill. I get chest pains just thinking about that march today. The echo of the drum line in the Commons Room was awesome.
The elder Jack Anderson is still the most friendly, upbeat person I have ever met. And Jack the younger is right up there too.
Lets take one last victory over the hoopies.
Hail to Pitt!
wisconsin has only 8 coachs is he in fear that if he names one wisconsin will take him also like thay did the last one. name a RB COACH
the RB coach wisconsin has 8 coachs is our HC in
fear that if he names a RB coach that wisconsin
will take him like they did the last one.
name a RB coach .
Rev. George, Bob Long and Chuck Rhinehold tried their best, but I think that Pitt’s hellraisers overwhelmed them.
