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April 13, 2013

It’s Been a Great Ride…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Reed @ 5:42 pm

My friends, I’d like to take a few minutes and let you all know just how much I’ve appreciated both the opportunity to contribute to The PITT Blather as a writer and the interactions we have had when you all commented on those articles.

I posted 154  pieces on here and am proud of every one of them.  I am most proud though of the fantastic readers and commenters on this site and of the truly high level of discourse we have had over the years.  It has been a real blast to be able to travel around representing the Blather, researching issues, trying to get the facts and then letting you all know what I found out and my thoughts and opinions and how I came to them.

As you can see over the last year The PITT Blather has added some new writers.  There will be  an injection of new writing blood with at least two new contributors, one a student-athlete from PITT, weighing in.  Justin is a well grounded and detailed writer and a great read.  That is well and good and I wish them all the best.

With that, I’m going to move onto other things and let the Blather go on without me.  I know, I know – it is no big loss and it probably isn’t.  There is going to be quality stuff on here as there has always been and hopefully just as much good and detailed discussion as we have all had in the past.

I have nothing but gratitude for Chas Rich for the chance he gave me to be part of this blog.  I not sure the readers know this but Chas is about the best possible publisher there is.  In all my time here he changed only one article and that was to make it more readable.  Other than that I was free to write what I wanted and when I wanted with no fear of editing or censorship – and I wrote some pretty controversial things.

Of course I’ll still read The Blather every morning and evening and comment as I have been doing.  There just won’t be many, if any, articles with my name on them any longer.  If anyone is at all interested in what I have to say more formally about PITT football just look around, I’ll still be attending practices, talking with others and writing and posting in other sites.  This really is going to be a fun and interesting second year for Paul Chryst and PITT football with a ton of things to talk about.

My true thanks to all, goodbye and Hail to Pitt!

Reed





You will be missed and don’t be too humble. I learned much from your insights as well did many others I am sure. I raise a Dogfish Head Imperial IPA in your honor. You’re worth the 9 percent alcohol. H2P!

Comment by TX Panther 04.13.13 @ 5:54 pm

Sorry to hear you won’t be writing anymore Reed.

Enjoyed your insightful writings whether or not I agreed with them, lol (just kidding)

I wish you good luck and much success in the future !!

I raise my glass of Bookers Bourbon in cheers to you !

Hail to Pitt !
Veritas et Virtus
Reed you’re a Great Guy !

Comment by EMel 04.13.13 @ 5:58 pm

Glad to see that you will still be posting comments as you have a unique perspective that most of us have not had

Comment by wbb 04.13.13 @ 6:01 pm

I’ll miss your posts, Reed. Thanks for your contribution.

Comment by steve1 04.13.13 @ 6:03 pm

Justin is, and will be an excellent writer. He has his eye on a sportswriting career and thus gets all the space he needs to wow’em as he’s been doing.

I’ll probably throw something up now and then to stir the pot but it’s getting old to travel for two days for each practice and interviews. I’ll save that for the actual games themselves.

We’ll still have a ton to discuss…

Comment by Reed 04.13.13 @ 6:26 pm

Thanks Reed, your camp reports have been great. You have helped us get acquainted with many of the players. Most of all, you have kept the conversation going and the debate lively.

Let’s hope your replacements keep us as informed as you have.

Comment by gc 04.13.13 @ 6:27 pm

Reed, you did a great job. Thank you the good reads

Comment by Timmeh 04.13.13 @ 6:28 pm

Thanks for all of your columns and posts. Also thanks for your level headed views, remarks and demeanor. If you are attending the GT game please let us know where you will be tailgating, it would be a honor to meet you upfront and a quite a few inches above me LOL!!!

THANK YOU REED….SEMPER PARATUS and HTP…

Comment by Kenny 04.13.13 @ 6:30 pm

Reed i dont think you should stop i would not think
it takes that much time out of your day.
dont stop .

Comment by FRANKCAN 04.13.13 @ 6:40 pm

We’ll miss you, Reed. Thanks for your always informative and thoughtful comments over the years. Don’t be a stranger.

Comment by Jeff 04.13.13 @ 6:41 pm

Reed:
Thanks for your thoughts and insightful observations.

Comment by The Turk 04.13.13 @ 6:48 pm

FRANKCAN, You had me at “Sunseri“.

Hey, I’ll be around proving you wrong still. Commenting on these posts fills my Blather fix also.

Comment by Reed 04.13.13 @ 6:54 pm

Reed, glad to see you will still be posting. You did well in helping to change the culture on the site to a more positive following. Negativity hurts the site and believe it or not, recruiting.

Any chance you could supplant our current AD?

Comment by dhuffdaddy 04.13.13 @ 6:57 pm

Reed,

I’ve truly enjoyed and learned a lot from your posts. Hope we get to meet at a Pitt gathering someday.

Thank you!

Comment by Bowling Green Panther 04.13.13 @ 6:59 pm

Interesting things going on in the sports admin dept lately. Personally, I think things have been handled very well especially the Shell issue and the women’s BB coach hire. McConnell-Serio had a laundry list of places she could have been coaching. It wasn’t a slam dunk that PITT would get her.

Comment by Reed 04.13.13 @ 7:01 pm

Your insight is a big part of why I started reading, and eventually, commenting on, this site. Hope to see many more of your comments in the future. Thanks!

Comment by panther94 04.13.13 @ 7:12 pm

Rushel Shell, Stephen Adams, and now Reed….when it rains it pours!! Great reading on here and thank you!

Comment by Pendlum 04.13.13 @ 7:54 pm

I’m new to the community but I really appreciated your posts and comments. The entire blog is a class act. Thank you.

Comment by Pittscript 04.13.13 @ 7:59 pm

Thanks Reed….ATB

Comment by Jackagain 04.13.13 @ 8:23 pm

Reed, please tell me that you are not moving to an ASU Blog!

Comment by HbgFrank 04.13.13 @ 8:26 pm

Glad to see you’ll still be commenting Reed.

You are where I got a lot of my x’s and o’s.

Always extremely informitive articles and information.

You have been a huge part of the Blather.

There is no way you could not be missed, but, again, happy to see you will still be commenting on the Blather and will still be around.

Yes, Chas deserves kudo’s for this site, I haven’t seen any better in the college athletic world.

Good luck to Justin and any others!!!

Thanks Reed!!!

HTP!!!

Comment by Dan 04.13.13 @ 9:22 pm

Reed – Thank you for all you have done for Pitt Fans and for this site. Even though you killed a few of my posts (and they well desevered) during emotional football games, I have always thought your work to be well researched and well said.\

Very best to you in your endeavors,,,and thanks so much for not mentioning “the toughest QB to ever play for Pitt, by name!)

I think this team may suprise in a good way this year.

Comment by Dan 72 04.13.13 @ 9:44 pm

Good luck, Reed. I’ve enjoyed your writing.

Comment by auggiefrom latrobe 04.13.13 @ 10:52 pm

Geez Reed. Just as I was warming up to you.. (LOL!)

(I remember some back-and-forths between us (differing opinions..to say the least) as early as 2004.)

But let me tell you:
You really have been a major contributor here, and you will be missed — your writing skill-style progressed to the point where, at times, I needed look to the column header to make certain I wasn’t reading Chas. Doubtlessly, a high compliment.

Will still look for your participation in posts-comments.

Regards, –Neil

Comment by Neil 04.13.13 @ 11:57 pm

thanks Reed. put that gas money you will save into some good whiskey. Keep posting. Always enjoyed your insight from the sidelines. HTP

Comment by Bossdaws 04.14.13 @ 7:58 am

Hey Reed, from one Taylor’s bar alumni to another, your posts will be missed. They were always interesting and informative. And if you’re going to be blogging elsewhere, I hope you’ll tell us where and when. Happy trails.

Comment by velvil 04.14.13 @ 8:08 am

Reed, really have appreciated your contributions, best of luck in future endeavors. Don’t be a stranger – H2P!

Comment by Iron Duke 04.14.13 @ 8:42 am

Thanks Reed, I appreciated your writing style and perspectives. You were informative and entertaining, thanks again.

Comment by Rob 04.14.13 @ 9:02 am

Reed who? Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself, last opportunity to bust your balls, although I found myself almost always shaking my head in agreement with your posts. Sorry that you won’t be contributing any longer to the Blather. You were always a good read Reed!

Comment by Dr. Tom 04.14.13 @ 9:24 am

Thanks for your time….I know how precious it is.
You will be missed.

Comment by sfpitt 04.14.13 @ 11:28 am

Reed: You will be missed!! Big time!! Thank you for your objectivity, journalistic skill and your loyalty to the university. I wish you the best for the future in whichever field you choose. Rev. George from Columbus

Comment by Rev. George Mehaffey 04.14.13 @ 12:25 pm

Reed – thanks for all your time & effort. I enjoyed your articles & input. (but I enjoy all the posts & comments on the Blather.)

I am confused though. Is there a fifth post on Pitt’s things for spring series or is the biggest worry for Pitt is finding a replacement for your writing?

Comment by PITT-cocks fan 04.14.13 @ 12:28 pm

Reed, I was in Minneapolis at meetings over the weekend and I initially missed this post. I want you know how much I appreciated your reports. They were well done and we Pitt sports junkies all looked forward to reading them. Take care and best of luck. Oh yes, and ………….Hail to Pitt!

Comment by Justinian 04.14.13 @ 6:23 pm

I’m letting that 5th post for Pitt’s things for Spring slide but here’s what it would have been.

Our coaching staff. I’m not sold on how well HCPC can coach a football team on game days. He made some mistakes (at least they were mistakes in my mind) that were either due to poor football sense or complete timidity. Both of those qualities are not the stuff successful HCs are made of.

I question some of his staff hires and am wary of his latest move to have Matt House fleet up to DC. On one hand I think that Chryst reached out to other DC candidates only to have them turn the job down for whatever reason. On the other hand I wonder if House wasn’t his choice all along and he did interviews only as a formality. I suspect the latter is true and question that decision.

This 2013 season will be a great litmus test for how good of a DC House will be. He’s familiar with the player personnel and knows what sort of talent he has on defense, which is considerable BTW. With nine returning players who have previously started on defense he should be able to replicate the defensive standings that we had last season: Total Defense – 17th; Passing – 20th; Scoring – 23rd; Rushing – 20th, etc. That is a sound foundation for going into a new season.

So then why did a rookie QB light up that defense with 82% passing for 358 yards and three TDs? Why give up 250 yards at a 5.0 ypc clip to three previous backup running backs? That isn’t a case of the offense being a bit ahead of the defense or something, it was a bloodbath. We were only missing one starting DB during the Spring Game yet it was Air Voytik out there. That leads me to believe that our defense is really a work in progress with the new DC and his new systems. Yes, it is just Spring but that was an eye-opener.

We’ve no Special Teams coach; a LB coach who his ex-HS players seem to hate; a staff who can’t land most of the local the big fish recruits without some sort of extenuating circumstances involved(PSU sanctions & twin daughters for example) and so on.

I do love the way Paul Chryst has handled his off the field leadership demands required of him to execute as both the HC and in loco parentis and I think those things are truly important for a good HC. I also like his demeanor and think he’s a great role model for the youth on his roster, but unless I seem some real changes in his game day coaching I’ll still be wary that he’s the ‘answer’ at PITT.

Huh, I just said I wasn’t going to write on here anymore and this is what you guys made me do…

Comment by Reed 04.15.13 @ 5:33 am

Great stuff Reed. I always respect your opinion. Thank you for the time and effort you have put in for us Pitt junkies. H2P!

Comment by Panther Fan in Hoopieland 04.15.13 @ 8:05 am

Thanks Reed.

Comment by DC33 04.15.13 @ 8:33 am

Ditto – Thanks Reed!

Comment by CompLit 04.15.13 @ 11:49 am

Reed your writing has been consistently excellent and well reasoned. We’ll all miss you, but glad you won’t be a stranger. As for the “5th column” so to speak, couldn’t agree with you more.

Comment by Taxing Matters 04.15.13 @ 12:05 pm

Thanks Reed. I enjoyed your postings and appreciate the time you gave to the Blog on our behalf.

Comment by Pitt Fan in Atlanta 04.15.13 @ 2:16 pm

Thanks Reed. I have enjoyed your always thoughtful, insightful and well written articles. Your comments on the PSU situation early on got me more interested in and involved in this blog. I hope that as you (perhaps unintentionally) suggest, you won’t be able to stay away and wind up writing more articles in spite of yourself. All the best to you whatever way you go!

Comment by OPFIM 04.15.13 @ 9:42 pm

Reed … Thank You! I’m an avid follower of the Blather, infrequent commenter.

I have considered your posts insightful, well presented, and subjective…the consummate, journalistic professional. Let me echo the other comments, and offer my simple words of “nicely done.”

I humbly offer you the highest compliment I can give a journalist, “You made me think.”

To that point, I firmly agree with your comments with Chryst’s choice of DC. I was really hoping for Tom Bradley. Certainly the ‘Nit Factor’ will cause the most ardent of Pitt Fans some consternation, but we need results. He’s a proven DC, wants the job, and he can recruit. What am I missing? What is Stevie Boy’s problem?

Comment by Iowa Panther 04.15.13 @ 10:49 pm

Reed, thanks for all of the time and work you put into your posts here. They were always well-written, well-thought-out and entertaining.

Comment by Navy Panther 04.16.13 @ 6:57 am

Thanks Reed – always loved your posts. All the best.

Comment by PITT it IS 04.16.13 @ 9:07 am

Reed,

Will miss your articles on this site.

Best wishes.

MajorMajors

Comment by MajorMajors 04.16.13 @ 1:49 pm

Reed,

Very disappointing news but I am sure you will appreciate the extra time moving forward. Passing the torch and moving on to new challenges and interests can be a difficult decision. Kudos for making it. Thank you for your time and energy with your writing and insights. It is appreciated.

Comment by FG 04.16.13 @ 10:11 pm

Outstanding, Reed. Thanks.

Hail To Pitt!

Comment by Digdug 04.16.13 @ 10:37 pm

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