A few weeks ago, there was an article talking about holidays in terms of handling them as a parent. It was superficially amusing, especially in terms of the male/female dynamic in coping. But Thanksgiving stuck with me, because it is the most food-centric. And by food-centric, I mean preparing dishes. Kitchen and prep time. Most of the others can be faked, and/or unless you live in a warm weather climate can be done on a grill — which sets up a better division of labor for the adults.
Which again sets up that male/female dynamic of cooking vs. grilling. Unless, you are like me, who handles both because my wife can’t cook to save a dying man’s life. She pretty much gave up after serving me a hockey puck (it was supposed to be a boneless chicken breast that she tried to roast in the oven(?)) as part of my birthday dinner during our first year of dating. She can handle baking, because it involves very specific instructions and no room for improvisation, but not anything that involves margins. But I digress.
The point is, for me, Thanksgiving is a hell of a lot of stress. Mainly leading up to it. Planning the menu. Figuring out what I need. Going out to get it (total Bill Parcells on this aspect). Thanksgiving is fine. I’ll happily work in the kitchen all day preparing the meal, drinking wine and whiskey. Letting people float in and out to talk, asking insincerely if they can help (I make the kids serve as prep cooks with peeling and cutting, so they don’t get out of earning the meal).
But everything leading up to it while squeezing in the crunch of work with a short week. FTS. I really should take the week off and make it easy on myself.
Yeah, it’s been a rough week for Pitt football and basketball.
Between having to control the emotions on that front with a very limited amount of time (or, realistically none). Just no chance to converse over the past week. Haven’t even been on Twitter since a brief foray on Monday.
I can’t help but think that some of that is a good thing. There would have been some half-cocked rants,otherwise. To most they would have been understandable. As much as I sometimes position myself as semi-neutral on things. At the end of the day, I still consider myself a Pitt man first and foremost. With all the requisite emotional pain, stress and anger.
The problem is we don’t seem to be allowed to admit when emotion overwhelms common sense as much these days. We go off on a rant. Rather then concede inaccuracies. Rather then admit emotion was stronger then the long view. Too often, in too many parts of things. We double down on the stupidity.
Because we’d rather look like an ignorant ass then back down. Then maybe admit we were a little too emotional. Afraid to have our words thrown back at us later as some example of hypocrisy. So we stay on our position no matter what.
Fuck that.
We screw up. We overreact. We make a mistake. Admit and move on with things. Do penance if it calls for it. Apologize. Why is that so fucking hard to do?
—
Okay, that went on a different direction then I intended. So much for that, “Thanks everyone for reading and I’m grateful you people still want to read my blather” post. I’ll get to that one at some point, but apparently I had to get something else out of my system first.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
H2P
Hoping for a 13-9 Lyke performance tomorrow.
I’ll be thankful if our young team keeps the game competitive with a chance to win at the end.
H2P!
It’s a good time to be a Pitt fan, as the only direction we can go is up.
Or so I tell myself.
I understand. I look at Pitt Blather as a place to vent those emotions. It is therapeutic. And sports is a stressor that we are supposed to enjoy and a way to temporarily forget the REAL challenges, problems and stress in life.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
And now onto the stresses of the Christmas (and basketball) season….
Blow out the hurricanes!
H2P!
No matter how rough a patch Pitt is going through, you are always pro-Pitt. Maybe not pro-coach or pro-player or pro-administration but you stay true to being a Pitt fan. You never waiver on that front.
I’m thankful that you put being a Pitt fan first … and everything else second.
In my opinion, this is where some of the other blogs lose their way. In an effort to remain neutral, when things turn sour, the natural tendency is turn overtly negative. It becomes too emotional .. and the misery just flows out … consuming everything else in it’s way.
Maybe it’s the Gen-X in me, but I enjoy the witty sarcasm with dashes of optimism you present in your arguments. You keep it real without letting the negativity consume you. At the same time, you know how to keep optimism at arms length. It’s within reach but, being a Pitt fan, you know it’s dangerous to let it too close. It’s always lingering out there on the event horizon. Someday, maybe, we’ll get there but until we do …
Your greatest attribute, in my opinion, is the rationality you present. This is what makes the Blather stand out from the crowd.
Thanks for being the true voice of reason for Pitt football and basketball.
Zeise is playing well. Good pass rush too. Maddox with the only bad play on defense getting turned the wrong way.
Miami came to Pittsburgh and got punched in the mouth by a bunch of young, hungry FB players.
H2P!
Turns out he IS the lion.
QO was my favorite as without his desire and determination on those late game runs, I’m not sure Pitt keeps the MO.
H2P!
The Ironhead tribute was pretty cool. I missed the break when Heather presented the Turnover Chain to Stallings. I must have been in the restroom.
The best fan sign of the day was with about 3 minutes remaining in the game and a fan near the student section flashed this – “Bring on ‘Bama”
Classic!
Did anyone else see what I thought I saw pre-game yesterday?
H2P!
“Unranked Pittsburgh has now won four straight games against AP top-three teams.”
2002 #3 VT
2007 #2 wvcc
2016 #2 clemscum
2017 #2 miami
H2P!
H2P!
Illinois after they lose to NW today.
Purdue as their 1st year HC becomes a hot prospect to fill one of the many openings around CFB P5 schools.
Note to Heather: be sure to have a few HC candidates in your back pocket (or purse). Must have HC-ing experience and some measure of success. Coordinators need not apply.
H2P!
I thought for sure he’d at least see the floor.
Attendance up slightly to 3,317
The women’s attendance for one game is higher than the 3 men’s games combined. Sad…
Enjoyable to watch…
They are going to run up the score, a lot of cheap shots being thrown around today.
Interesting news – coaching changes will be maddening this offseason. Will there be any changes made to Pitt’s staff? My guess is NO, with the exception of adding a position coach, maybe for special teams or QB. Would I Lyke to see some coaches moved on from Pitt’s staff? Absolutely!
I respectfully disagree. There will be coaching changes, as the program has digressed. Do not let the glare from the Miami win fool you: we lost to bad teams and our recruiting has fallen off. If HCPN tolerates that, then he accepts mediocrity.
So, my opinion is no changes will be made in keeping with SOP.
Recruiting for this year is not over – still time to flip a few higher rated players and convince the uncommitted that Pitt is it!
H2P!
Who says there is no joy in Mudville?
And Tossing,
Transition year is window dressing jargon by the marketing folks wanting to score Ching-Ching after a shitty year
I’m not sure what sport you watch but, in college football, the transition year is absolutely a real thing.
Go look at successful head coaches 3rd/4th years … the traditional years when you lose the previous coaches starter laden lineup. In Pitt’s case it happened to, in fact, be year 3.
Below points out a few.
link to panthersprey.blogspot.com
When you have a lot of roster turnover … a dip is almost unavoidable. That’s just the reality of 100% roster turnover every 4 to 5 year. Add in coaching changes and lost recruiting years and this is what happens. Duzz has only had two real recruiting classes and they’re either true or redshirt freshman. His first class was put together on the fly in 30 days.
That’s the reality of where Pitt football is right now. Next season should be better and if it’s not, the seat will start to warm.
Ending the Season with a THUD would have surely meant DO or DIE in the Fall.
No longer having the lack of a Quarterback to BLAME, let’s hope Narduzzi and Staff are capable of coming out of the blocks with less than EMBARASSING results.
Tough disciplinarian, not liked by former players in both the college and NFL. Good luck in Tennessee. lol.
Pitt needs to jump on the recruits from all the schools that have fired their head coaches, they our out there for the pickings. I don’t believe we have ever seen more coaching firings.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FROM THE GAME IS WE NOW HAVE A REAL QUARTERBACK.
Texas A&M owes Sumlin a $10.4 million buyout under the terms of his contract, which is to be paid in the next 60 days and isn’t reduced if he takes another coaching job.
Sumlin compiled the second-best winning percentage (.662) for a Texas A&M coach in the modern era of the program. Since 1950, only R.C. Slocum (123-47-2, .721) has a better winning percentage with A&M.
Deep pockets is an understatement…
Their AD clearly defined expectations after thanking Sumlin for his service and high character while at A&M. Expectations are competing annually for the SEC title and occasionally the National Championship.
Note to Heather: do not call A&M to fill the open date in 2019.
H2P!
Schiano Knew?
The psu scandal keeps on keeping on…
Jatavious Harris 6’2” 180
Tennessee: Jimmy Hyams, a sports talk host of WNML, described as “a flagship station of the Tennessee Vols”, tweets tonight that a press conference to announce Greg Schiano was cancelled due to protests, adding, “Unsure if it will be rescheduled tomorrow or if the deal has fallen through. One prominent booster wasn’t happy with Schiano hire.”
Do you work for the government, where results dont matter but excuses do?
Call it a transition year if you must, but i call it inadequate.
We lost to 4-8 Syracuse (but they beat Clemson), and a horrible UNC team, almost lost to a MAC team, got creamed by OSU, and couldn’t move the ball 1.5 yards in four downs against VT. So, sure, a transition year.
I suppose it was a transition start of the year when we lost to Northwestern and Navy the year before.
Aim for the stars, and you might hit a stump.
Aim for a stump, and you’ll hit the dirt.
