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September 5, 2015

Open Thread: 2015 Kickoff

Filed under: Football,Open Thread — Chas @ 8:01 am

First one in quite a while. Have you missed them? I’m sure you have.

1pm start. If you aren’t watching it at Heinz Field you are either listening to a radio (or a stream on the internet) or watching on ESPN3.com. The Pitt game notes has plenty of info for listening/viewing.

It will be a hot one.

Lot’s of curiosity. Beyond simply the debut of a new coach for Pitt — I kind of feel like we are veterans of that process by now. I’m thinking about the changes to the way the students are being transported. To the atmosphere. All the other things that go into the “gameday experience.”

There’s a risk of a sort of placebo effect. Or Peterson-free effect that may make everything seem better, but I’m genuinely curious. A lot of stuff has been in the works to try and improve the environment around Pitt games at Heinz Field.

In the end, though,  they are all secondary to having a successful, winning program. That cures many of the perceived ills.

Here’s hoping today is the first step in that direction.

 





We’ve all vented today about the YSU game, now lets focus on Akron. I hope anyone who can get there Saturday does, I have 3 going from my family and from what I’m hearing, should be a good Pitt showing. Lets get win number 2 and get the Duzz train building up steam heading into Iowa to beat those corn eatn farm boys.

Comment by Moe Greene 09.06.15 @ 9:56 pm

Oakland is a dump. Let’s not show outsiders how the students really live.

Comment by Chris 09.06.15 @ 10:01 pm

I think too many of the folks never lived on campus. Their memory of Pitt was as a commuter.

I not only lived on campus I grew up in the East End, so Oakland was in my blood.

We lost so many of our traditions when Cornhole/Nerdy destroyed Pitt Stadium. Can you imagine a team with 9 National Championships and in a sport where Pitt has only won a national championship in….tearing down their on campus stadium with no plans to replace it.

Like someone posted, we could have played hoops at even larger Consul Energy Center, while still having an on campus football stadium.

Stupidest move in the history of college football.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:03 pm

milobloom:

I hope you rethink your comments to TXPanther. Direct your “you should have been there” to the fans in Pittsburgh who didn’t show up.

Personally, I attended games at Pitt Stadium, flying up from Houston for the weekend.

I will not, however, go back to Heinz. I’ve been there, it’s ugly, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the college football experience.

And don’t waste your time with criticism. It’s my damn dollar. When Pitt took its football program off campus, it took a huge risk.

I’ve been to see Pitt at on campus stadiums for away games – Notre Dame, Iowa, Navy, Rutgers.

for me it’s not a matter of cost. It’s a matter of making the statement that COLLEGE FOOTBALL DOES NOT BELONG IN PRO STADIUMS.

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:03 pm

And I’ve been to enough games at Heinz Field…to tell you unequivocally…..there is no spirit of Pitt Stadium in Heinz Field.

Despite the rib cookoffs, casinos and all the other junk.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:06 pm

Honestly, you guys who live away and think this is still 1980 in Pittsburgh crack me up. I love Oakland but it is not even in the top 10 areas to hang out in the city at this point, whether your 8 or 18 or 80.

I’ll say it for the thousandth time. Attendance at Pitt games has absolutely nothing to do with atmosphere or the stadium being off campus or things to do with your kids before or after the games or the length of the urinal troughs in the restrooms.

It has everything to do with a mediocre at best program in a pro sports town playing only one meaningful football game at home in 30 years, and losing. I can’t believe as many people still show up as they do.

And please stop with the comparisons to LSU and Florida and anywhere else. Pitt never was and never will be those places. Pitt is Pitt. Embrace our uniqueness. How about just come to a game and stop bitching. You bust on fans for leaving because it was a hot day, but you won’t come because the music is to loud. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.

Comment by Iron Duke 09.06.15 @ 10:06 pm

I’m starting to really like Richie Walsh…

link to twitter.com

Comment by Jackagain 09.06.15 @ 10:06 pm

Emel:

You are right and we’ve discussed this before.

To highlight to hideousness of what was Steve Pederson and Nordenberg they refused to play at the Mellon Arena when Howland had his best teams.

Then they turn around and cry baby about not having access to larger facilities. Down comes the stadium and up goes Peterson – a middling college basketball arena.

Pederson and Nordenberg created a stench – kind of like rotting meat or a dead body – that lingers on far longer than their actual presence.

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:07 pm

~ Chris

Oakland is the nicest it’s ever been, (well at least in the last 50 years), right now.

Most of the junk stores have been bought out, they have it much much cleaner than back in the 70’s and 80’s. And it has much less crime.

So I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:10 pm

Chris Dokish ?@ChrisDokish Sep 5
Current career totals:

Robert Foster- 10 catches, 94 yards

Tyler Boyd- 163 catches, 2435 yards

Nothing like staying home and playing

Comment by Jackagain 09.06.15 @ 10:10 pm

@Tony Ok well one more since it is a holiday tomorrow………”In the late 80s, which you reference, Pitt had capacity crowds for Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State. One of the largest crowds at Pitt Stadium was in 1981 against Penn State.” no argument here..though 1981 was not late 80’s…I argue that if Pitt had a 1981 team now, Pitt would sell out Heinz field every game.
And I remember the 1988 OSU Pitt game very very well..beautiful September night…the entire visiting side was Red and Pitt won big that night, I won’t argue that was a great night to be in Oakland..but I was a lot younger than as well.

“For big games Pitt stadium accommodated 60-62,000 – not far off Heinz.” ..Yes they added seats in the endzone….(They also moved games to Three Rivers as well until they install lights at Pitt Stadium.)

“Other 60,000+ crowds at Pitt stadium: Pitt-Notre Dame 1982; Pitt-Notre Dame 1997″…no argument there as well…now go back and look at attendance figures for games not including Notre Dame or PSU…You notice WVU games weren’t sell outs and now that is a given…look up the Average yearly attendance for every Pitt season and then get back to me on how much better attendance was in Oakland compared to Heinz Field.

Comment by milobloom 09.06.15 @ 10:10 pm

JoeKnew:

Pittsburgh is a small city of barely 300,000 people. I was in Oakland this summer. It doesn’t look that difference from the Oakland I lived in. Except the Oakland I lived in was bigger, denser, and Pitt had many more commuter students. So now Oakland is bigger with Pitt students who live in dorms.

Where do you live? You sound like a Yinzer who thinks Pittsburgh is the center of the universe. It’s ranked 60th in city size. There are seven Forbes 500 corporations who call it home. Seven.

More students live on Oakland now than did years ago. So you are completely wrong. Of course they go to Oakland bars eateries. They live there for God’s sake.

Maybe you’re young but you make leaps of logic in your assumptions. Please go observe Oakland and report back.

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:13 pm

On this subject of hot-air balloons and NFL Stadium amenities..

Why it is that folks continually profess that “winning” will park some ass in the yellow seat is rubbish. I am CAS ’93 alum and diehard fan “now.” Back “then” (20+ years ago) — and certainly not without the persuasion and wholesome “incentive” that is fraternity hazing (Standard bearers) — you’d never have caught me at Pitt stadium, lest for the occasional night game. And on the latter occasions, strictly influenced by the b*tches and HOs. Sorry, brothers, but the home team didn’t get my ass up THE HILL on game day Saturday. And if for one reason only I made it over a severe hangover was because IT WAS ON CAMPUS AND I COULD COME AND GO [LEAVE THE VENUE] WITHOUT NEEDLESSLY CONTEMPLATING THE NECESSITY TO FORD THE THREE RIVER CHANNELS SUPPOSING THE GAME SUCKED AND I WANTED TO SHIT IN A FAMILIAR ABODE. Get real folks, you are an age 18-22 undergraduate ONCE.
The students WILL NOT REGULARLY SHOW UNTIL AN ON-CAMPUS IS BUILT.
Most kids do not give a hoot about a W or L. They want “atmosphere.” Upittbaseball (at some point above) didn’t stutter. Playing at Heinz field is a commercially saturated concrete jungle. It is “fixed.” And the very idea of taking a “bus” outside of your familiar “stomping grounds” to be holed-up in some austere NFL arena where I guess one can buy some Steelers jerseys just seems so crazy that I cannot believe some of the folks on here who just will not fng tire talking about the “stadium” and its atmosphere.
The situation will NEVER better itself. Not as long as kids will be kids, or students, rather. A students priorities are tad different than yours and mine at this point. When they graduate and become the alum and “fan” you want them to be “now” they might attend a game or two or three a year (depending on proximity) and likely watch each event broadcasted @ESPN3.
I haven’t been back to see a game in years. This has mostly to do with logistics (I am not a Pittsburgh native). HOWEVER, if I were given the opportunity to revisit old Pitt Stadium, you’d have found me in attendance Saturday Sept 5 vs YSU.
I ain’t taking the travel and trouble and expenses to visit Heinz for such a contest. Period.

Comment by Neil 09.06.15 @ 10:13 pm

different not difference

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:14 pm

Yep Tony…

There is still a super large Cornhole Dinocat at midfield-ish on the inner stadium wall facade.

Are we ever going to kill that hideous thing ??

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:14 pm

More comical coments from the land of Pedo’s & black shoes…

link to pennlive.com

Comment by Jackagain 09.06.15 @ 10:15 pm

By the way, I’m no fan of Heinz…but I still go.

Comment by Iron Duke 09.06.15 @ 10:15 pm

@Tony77019 Nope no need to rethink…
I would only criticize you for not going to Pitt games if you were like the other posters criticizing the ones who do go…like you very well said it’s their (your) dollar so if they want to leave early or watch game in concourse or club so be it. Just like you have the right to not go.

Comment by milobloom 09.06.15 @ 10:18 pm

Joeknew – Please teach me the ways of the world oh wise one. Please. I promise I will listen and take notes. You know everything and I want to be as good as you one day. Please take in a poor Fayette County Boy. All I do is wish I was reliving the glory days and wasn’t a washed up ball player. Please have some ways of the world classes for me in Bloomfield.

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 10:20 pm

Milobloom: WVU games at Heinz were sold out during the Walt Harris era long after the disaster of JMII. The last Pitt-WVU game at Heinz was not sold out, nor was the Pitt-Miami game, the Pitt-Utah game and 99% of the games at Heinz.

Since Pederson regularly lied about attendance, you can’t prove that for the average opponent (and in 1989 Pitt averaged 49,000 per home game except East Carolina which was played in a blistering wind and low temps) Heinz is significantly better. Yes it is larger and will have larger crowds for the same opponents I mentioned selling out Pitt stadium.

JMII even had sellouts at Pitt Stadium – for Ohio State and West Virginia.

Okay, enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:22 pm

@Iron Duke…Let me say as well all things equal I would take the OnCampus stadium as well but it ain’t going to happen and it certainly isn’t the reason for attendance issues at Pitt.
I also don’t whine about it and not go to games either because of it.

Comment by milobloom 09.06.15 @ 10:23 pm

Neil – Great Post! Probably Post of the Year.

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 10:24 pm

Emel:

and that dinocat was clearly prominent in the ESPN3 telecast. Was it there on the side line crape paper last year? I have to admit I was taken aback when I saw it.

Comment by Tony77019 09.06.15 @ 10:25 pm

@Tony I’m not going by Pederson’s numbers but from my own experience..We’ll agree to disgree…have a good one.

Comment by milobloom 09.06.15 @ 10:25 pm

~ Neil

Great description of that commercially saturated concrete jungle, known as Heinz Field.

All that corporate crap around the giant video screen is disgusting.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:26 pm

Yep Tony…it was almost like ESPN was trying to keep that hideous thing in the pic all the time.

The All Seeing Dinocat of Cornhole.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:27 pm

@Neil Another poster who doesn’t go games…even when a student and they were on campus except for night games complaining about Heinz field.

Comment by milobloom 09.06.15 @ 10:29 pm

I don’t remember seeing one as large as that….on the facade last year.

Cornhole probably had it written in his Golden Parachute…..that his Dinocat had to be displayed prominently in the stadium for a minimum of a 5 year period, so he could snicker while watching.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:31 pm

Milo or Joeknew is EJ or Smug Steve I’m convinced.

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 10:33 pm

That Dinocat is on the 50 Yard line banner that looked like it was printed at Kinko’s prior to kickoff.

No ACC anywhere and Pitt in a Circle at the 50 done by the local 5th graders from Bethel Park

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 10:35 pm

It was their art class project !

Part of Pitt partners education program.

Comment by Emel 09.06.15 @ 10:49 pm

LMAO EMEL.

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 10:52 pm

Upitt, you Southern Yinzer you, you do remind me of a 6 yr old with the same old tired rants. You never took anyone’s advice in your life so why should you do so now. 5 yrs from now your posts will be the same. Hope you enjoy living in the Carrick of the South!

Also, ACC is on both sides of the field you dumb shit, you just can’t see it on TV. This is the problem when you never show up at a game or you would know that.!! But far be it from me to educate the all knowing who had to move south to make a living as moonshine sales were dropping and the still needed too much work!

Comment by JoeKnew 09.06.15 @ 10:54 pm

Joeknew – I must give credit where credit is due…. Pretty funny shit!

Moonshine sales were dropping! LMAO

Carrick of the South? I presume you mean DFW? I don’t get that one but I will give it to you anyway.

Goodnight my Bloomfield Buddy.

Comment by Upittbaseball 09.06.15 @ 11:08 pm

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