I don’t know about anyone else but my Labor Day weekend has absolutely sucked. What I envisioned versus reality went so far afield that I scarcely know where to start.
Heading into the weekend it was all laid out just right. Everything was in place. Head to Pittsburgh at a reasonable hour in the morning, see my friends, tailgate and drink most of the day. Head in a little early to the stadium to welcome the Paul Chryst era.
Figured on a sloppy win, as the team gets its feet wet with yet another new coaching staff. That YSU might battle, Pitt might look shaky at times, but the outcome never truly in doubt. Back out to the lot, have a drink while traffic let out and optimistically speculate on the good that was seen. Get back to where we all crash — our friend’s place on the South Side. Go out and have a couple drinks, and watch some west coast college football.
Sunday would be a planned early exit. Taking a friend to the airport for an early flight which would let me go down to Central Ohio to pick up my daughter who was spending the weekend with her grandmother. Get back home before noon and have enough time to do some homebrewing and make dinner.
So much for most of that.
The game started late. We didn’t get in, even with that until right before kickoff due to some other things.
The game itself was a debacle, and possibly more stunning and demoralizing than any game since losing to USF under Walt Harris. So depressing that we couldn’t even drag our asses to a bar for a drink after we got back to the South Side. That has never happened before.
Regardless of the game. Regardless of how bad some of the beatdowns have been in the past 10 years, or how late. If it was a night game and we were all there for an overnighter, we always would go out for at least a drink. Instead, we just sat around our friend’s place. Kind of watching the Toledo-Arizona and Arkanasas St.-Oregon games, but not really. Not even wasting the effort or energy on a beer or bourbon.
Get my friend to the airport the next morning and retrieve my daughter from Zaneseville, Ohio. The engine cuts in Cambridge. The only luck was I was popping off of I-70 to refill when it happened. I had enough inertia to drift through the exit ramp and right into a Pilot travel center. My mother-in-law retrieved my daughter and I got to spend the next 4+ hours waiting.
My father-in-law pulled in some favors to actually get someone to check and fix the car that day (coil in the engine went). By the time it was all said and done, I didn’t get home until nearly 10 pm.
I’ve been in no hurry to return to consciousness today. Recap, and other crap coming later.
It is, what it is. We all know they looked terrible, and had no spark or fire at any point. Sometimes you need to get slapped or punched in the face to wake up and get it together, let’s just hope that’s the case here. A few injured/banged up players were probably able to play but didn’t dress cause it was YSU. Last minute suspensions messed up the 2 deep, which limited what adjustments could be made. Chryst learned Saturday night what he’s working with, and has a true evaluation of his team now. Let the adjustments come, and I think we’ll see a team that looks very different @! UC than what we suffered through the other night. H2P Keep the Faith!
(It could be worse…we could all be at work right now)
when chryst hired his asst coachs he did not go after the best DC that was out there or the best LB coach he went with frends or frends of frends
as long as they had a tie in with wisconsin.
That worryed me at the time but i did not say mutch.
think abought this are LB coach was a high school coach last year he never coached in college.
are OC was a TE coach are DL coach was fired after one year at UCLA and chryst was never a head coach.
so even thou we dont have a lot of good players
we are finding out now how bad most of them are
you must still wonder abought the coaching staff
is the staff good enough next year does he need to hire better coachs part of this loss must go on the coachs.
and the way things are going he needs to hire some really super good recrutiers that know the ACC and the south.
H2P!
Average Joe would say, “oh, Cincy will be favored by 14+”
Cincy, only favored by 3 1/2???
Sucker bet, everyone will be jumping on Cincy saying, “holy cow, I can’t believe I only have to give 3 1/2”!!!
Who knows.
I also have seen this same thing and someone ends up saying “wow, was that easy, I knew Cincy was gonna kill them”. LOL
However, more often than not, the bookies usually know their stuff.
Cause the way they played and coached on Saturday night certainly indicated it !!
Don’t know how the front 7’s collective lightbulb comes on in 4 days, but it better happen or UC will ring us up for 50 +.
Anybody think Sir Tino can help us outscore them!
Oy Vey
GRP
I’ve seen everything in betting. It’s just like the stock market. Who knows.
(lol, well a few folks do )
i know the the Dis bad but if tino does not over throw the 2 wide open WR we would have had a tie game at least.
EMel how many games before chryst trys a different
QB i say no more than 5 how abought you ?
Timing at the casinos.
Seems like I might as well flip a coin betting on college or pro football anymore. Seems like 20-30 years ago, you could look at the teams and at least have an idea.
Now, college and NFL, the teams are all so close, I do better if I do what George Costanza started doing, picking the opposite of what I think!!
LOL
they played with about as much emotion.
As the gallon of Milk in your refrigerator, or words to that effect.
a Pittblather classic.
So that would make us Milkduds 🙂
I couldn’t resist !!
Oy Vey
GRP
YSU with senior lines and QB executed well.
Cincy a fast team.
Hope Pitt keeps it close on national TV.
Not the worst game I saw Pitt play – remember the ND 69-0 massacre.
football thats right i got side tracked.
how many games will we win let me see how we look thur then i will tell you.
You are well aware that Sir tino comes equipped with a different set of rules. Instructions that say,
handle with kit gloves, do not fold, spindle or mutilate.
I fear that tired old line, Zeiso started will be once again gracing our Golden Panther ears.
“He gives us our best chance to win ”
Of course they always omit the other part of that.
“he also gives us our best chance to lose”
As always,
Oy Vey (new school motto)
GRP
That’s how you beat the casinos, show up twice a year and one of the times hit for 30K!!!!!!!
LOL
The reporters asking the questions sounded like they worked for the Pitt Public Relations Depatemtn instead ob being journalists — nothing hard hitting. Left Chryst completely off the hook.
Not one person asked if there will be any changes in the starters on either side of the ball for Thursday.
Can’t imagine Chryst allowing Huxtable to start the same eleven.
Obvious that for some starters, it’s not a matter of inexperience, but lack of ability or desire.
This goes espececially for a couple who have started games before.
You can’t play fast on defense, if your young, experienced and confuuuuuuzzzzzed.
I don’t care how many stars they have or don’t have.
Didn’t think I’d be missing Max Gruder so soon.
Where are ya …..Maxie.
Your intelligence and signal calling is missed !
Nut much real journalism going on in any area of life these days. It’s all about sucking up.
Meaning the journalists are saying to us by their lack of asking the appropriate questions. That we should just learn to accept things, as this is the was it is.
In America these days, nobody is held accountable anymore. One just has to look over to the east, towards Creepy Valley. Their ex-President who was forced to resign for his obvious role in Pedophilegate, was given a nice job in Homeland Security.
So he not only isn’t held accountable he’s off scott clean and moved up in rank to Homeland Security. Nice huh
these days suck
they shouls have raked him over the coals abought the coaching or lack there of;
they let him off the hook.
hope you have a better day today…
Like I said, 3rd quarter, things not looking good.
He’s a Jewish guy.
I’ll also substitue the “e” word for his “f” word of choice.
Anyhow, I look over, he’g got something in his hands, I see it’s a dreidel (toy during Hanukkah, little wooden top).
I say with amusement, “hey, what are you doing with that thing”,
he looks at me indignantly and says, “I rub it for luck sometimes, don’t you have an effin’ rosary or somethin’ on ya”
LOL!!!!!
*drumroll*
Tino Sunseri.
Coach, what exactly does taking “ownershp” mean to you?
I agree,Pit will probably win on Thursday and do you know why???? Because thats just what we need to get sucked back in only to wait for the hammer to drop and crush us just when we start believing. We all know how it goes and if you don’t then you haven’t been paying attention to Pitt football for the last 20 years. Just win enough to keep us dummies thinking we have a real chance at something and then crumble right when the opportunity comes knocking. I would say its almost time for basketball but after last year I’m not all that eager to see how that plays out.
P.S. you may have not seen it with all the comments, but, I asked you for a mulligan on my 10-2 Orange Bowl prediction!!! LOL
Are you nervous in keeping your job after that debacle and the fact that you can’t recruit??
What can you and your coaching crew do well?
Why aren’t you angry?
Why don’t you have fire in the belly?
Why should any fans come to the game if that is the product you put on the field?
Seemed the Olinemand and Dlineman were pushed around… are you going to fire the yoga instructor and hire a real S&G coach?
if they still look as bad i will join you both
but i will wait for one more game. before i jump on him with both feet right now i am just pushing with my big toe.
But the secret to Tino taking no sacks?
YSU’s gameplan was not to pressure Tino. Instead they played to stop the run and protect against giving up big pass plays.
Watch out when they play a team that can both blitz and cover!
I was stunned Saturday evening at the sideline disinterest, awful line play and coaching incompetence. I expected more…a lot more. I said early in the week that YSU was the kind of team that would give a Wanny,Graham team trouble. Unless a lot of new folks play, I expect Pitt to get crushed by Cinncy the same way they were crushed by the Penguins….and can we all stop with the giddiness over the PSU loss. Bad karma owns Pittsburgh Sports right now. Bucs lost another.
Joe D needs to ask his questions not so much to coach Chryst but to Smiley and Nordy.
Not an analysis, just my experience over the past years.
When you see a game stick out like a sore thumb, (like Cincy giving Pitt only 3.5), I’ve jumped on those games thinking I’m taking candy from a baby….only to be sitting there at the end of the game, saying…”huh????????”
More of a flippant comment, maybe that’s not the right word, just a comment on some bets over the years.
No, if we play the same way, and Cincy plays half-decently like they are expected to this year, I can’t see anything other than a blowout!!
I have always said a coach gets a couple years to see what he is about.
With that being said, my comments are more to the dis-belief I have at was presented to us.
I don’t claim to know the answers. Very disappoited in the lack of any emotion what so ever from the team.
Also, later in the day today, from what posters are posting, doesn’t sound like a real great press conference either. Still laid back.
I get it, that’s his personality, I’m a bit laid back myself, but, I’m capable of flying off the handle at times.
He can be laid back, but, he better find some fire in his belly, and instill it into his players quickly.
Also, maybe I missed something, but have seen several posters claim the DC, really doesn’t want to be here. What’s that all about. Maybe I missed some posting this summer??
Note, Paul Chryst did not miss open receivers. Paul Chryst did not fumble. Paul Chryst did not miss a tackle. Paul Chryst did not take every snap personally and let a less gifted line beat him on every snap. Pitt players played soft. This is one reason why you don’t see many seniors on big time college roscters that don’t contribute. The coach doesn’t allow non-contributors to poison the young.
Everyone wants to blame Paul Chryst, when there is equal blame (if not more) on Nordenberg, Pederson and Sunseri. After watching Solich beat State Penn, I was reminded of the Pederson debacle at every stop in his career. Pederson got to go.
DAN what is this abought the DC not wanting to be here i had not hard that.
tell me what you know.
but if we dont look better thur and if the season goes to hell maybe we need some new ASST COACHS next year like A NEW LB COACH A NEW DL coach
but time will tell.
Not sure which article, one of the last three including this one.
If I get a minute, and my eyes are refreshed in the a.m., I’ll try to find them.
Figured it was just someone venting, then I saw it again, thought I missed a story somewhere???
Pitt “played” with no sense of urgency or purpose. That team simply went thru the motions.
Coaching? Yes.
Players? Yes.
Pederson? Yes.
Fact is that Pitt has been a clusterf#ck over the last few years and apart from Walt and a couple of seasons under Wanny, a perennial loser.
Pederson took Pitt from rags to respectability and now back to rags, with a little humiliation thrown in courtesy of Haywood and Graham.
I seriously doubt his job is in jeopardy. If he didn’t get canned for the Haywood/Wanny fiasco, he ain’t getting canned now. Nebraska only had to deal with the unprofessionalism of the Solich firing and the disaster of Callahan.
Pitt must deal with the reality of an entrenched idiot and a position that, if vacant, no one worth having would want.
Better yet, we must deal with Pitt allowing an idiot to become entrenched. Think I am wrong? Ask yourself this question. If fired today, what school would hire Pederson? His unemployment span would make Rip Van Winkle blush.
Ask yourself about fundraising. Are you going to drop 5 million into Pitt? What about 500?
No charisma, body bags all over the place, the lack of respect from his peers in college athletics..hell even his cost overruns at the Pete are the stuff of legend: and litigation I might add. DGS won’t allow him to buy a Lego set.
Does anyone not on crack think the ACC came calling because of Pederson?
Pitt has a golden opportunity to frame athletics for decades and it is blowing it!
Temple got tossed from the Big East! The Big East of all places!! Pitt has nowhere to go should the ACC get serious…Pitt does not have the legacy status of Duke!
Bottom line, the story is going to get worse before it gets better and it may never get better. Losses to YSU do not translate into donations…anyone seen Pitt’s new track? Me either.
In case no one has noticed the big dog on the block, college football, has made another jump on the power bar…much like the one in the early 90’s…we missed that one…we are about to miss this one too.
Gentlemen, Pitt football..Pitt athletics can not endure Pederson and survive.
PEDERSON MUST BE FIRED OR PITT RUNS THE RISK OF TAKING DOWN ALL SPORTS!
Now the problem is that you have a head coach who was not the choice of the AD, reporting to someone who didn’t want him. What kind of support do you think Pederson will give? Pederson wants him to fail so that Pederson can say I told you so. This is an embarrasment. Pederson has got to go so Paul Chryst and Pitt have a chance. Chryst has enough of a challenge with players from different factions. Now he has an AD that despises him, not because of the coach, but because the AD was forced to hire him. If Nordy can’t see this, he needs to retire sooner rather than later.
Have you ever noticed in the real world when a new outside CEO is appointed by the Board over an inside executive already entrenched, within a year, the entrenched executive is sent packing. It is the same situation, but in reverse. This is like the Board saying to the CEO, hire this executive even though yu don’t want too. Now ask yourself, how much support will that new hire have? Can Pederson now. I am so in agreement with SFPitt.
Look, you can think anything you like pittisit37, but at the end of the day, Pitt football is in the shitter and it has gone steadily toward that destination since Pederson returned from his “dream job” at Nebraska.
If you are happy with losing to YSU, pleased with a coaching circus, happy with empty seats, etc… then calling this “fruitless” is a self fulfilling prophesy.
Apart from wrestling, the performance of the other teams at Pitt has been sub-par and that is in the Big East.
Pederson hurts Pitt badly.
At this point, Chryst is also incompetent AS A HEAD COACH. But he won’t be fired in the near future because it would make matters even worse. Pitt has taught many people over the years to be good even great in their fields of endeavor. We don’t have anyone to teach our head coach. Paul Chryst must learn to be a head coach on his own or with the help of mentors from other places. While he will be here for a while and maybe a long time if he learns to be successful that doesn’t mean that we are stuck with the staff and players. One of Chryst’s problems is that he didn’t get outside of his comfort zone in hiring staff. Most of them have Wisconsin ties. He needs to shake up the staff now and look to hiring great assistant coaches/recruiters for next year and beyond.
He needs to play the players who are motivated and run off the others. This will reward the contributors and attract talent in future classes. Talented people want to be surrounded by other talented people not those who are just going through the motions.
I really hope that Paul Chryst succeeds. He needs to get to work like his career depends on it because it does.
Lloyd Carr, who had an amazing winning percentage at Michigan — maybe even better than the legendary Bo Schembechler (sp?)…and an even more amazing record vs top 10 teams — lost to App. State in game 1 of 2007, then came on to win nine games that year…including beating Tim Tebow’s Florida in a major bowl.
Clearly not comparing Chryst to Carr in terms of career, but these games happen even to legend coaches. I know we’re all seriously frustrated but it’s game one and he’s playing with other guys’ players so give him a season (at least) to make improvements.
Oops, not so fast my friend, now we got a problem, how does this play out with TV announcers discussing Pitt next year, since we got an invite to the ACC come 2013 and we are happily saying so long to the Big East as of now? Who gets the credit for that? Of cours not that SOB Trump just fired. Must have been Todd Graham before he left for Arizona. Thanks Todd!
Just sayin, rants are easy to come by, often however they’re not thought out all that well however before they slip out.
That doesn’t pass the smell test and is an insult to the ACC. Pitt was chosen because it filled a need for the ACC better than other available schools. The quality of the institution (not WVU), the demographics (not ECU) and the legacy.
I have never suggested that SP does not have accomplishments, but they are well in his past.
Regardless, as others mentioned, Pitt’s and Syracuse’s academics were a big reason along with sports.
I think that’s fantastic, really do. Proud that we are part of the “Brainy” conference in college sports. Referring to the Big 5, the ACC is known as the “smart” conference.
That is good stuff, no great stuff, really is.
I said this yesterday though. Education is first of course, however, there is this pretty big thing called athletics also.
All I’m saying, if we’re not in it to be tops, in all sports actually, but especially football, if we’re not in it to win the ACC and compete with the likes of Va Tech, Clemson, FSU etc. etc., then……
just tell us!!! Fans deserve to know this. If sports is an after thought, fine, don’t tell me we’re here to win championships, if we’re not doing everything we can, to in fact, win championships.
If it’s just, “hey Steve, do the best you can with it, no big deal”, just let us know!!
and if things suck then i will start thinking we need new ASST coachs .
but we cant call for chryst head we have to give him at least 2 years.
but if things go real bad we can get new asst coachs next year i never like the LB coach comeing from high school and the D line coach was fired after one year at UCLA .so i would look at them first but lets see what 3 games brings first then we will have a better handle on things.
