I don’t have an excuse. Posting, even in speculation, about why Pat Bostick went home was just wrong, regardless of my intent.

Of course, that isn’t really good enough. I owe an explanation of how I got to that point.

When I saw the articles and the statement from Coach Wannstedt about Pat Bostick leaving for a while, I focused on the last sentence:

“No timetable has been set for his return. we are leaving that judgment to Pat and intend to do everything we can to be supportive of him and his family.”

I took that to mean it was a legitimate family/personal issue.

I was also curious as to what it was. I went to the Lancaster newspaper to see if there was anything happening and saw the article. Being from the Lebanon area (about 15 miles away), I know Lititz does not have a particularly large population and a simple white pages search yielded a single “Bostick.” The two things mean nothing. It did make me wonder and worry some more.

Worry enough, that I went to the message boards to see if there was anything else out there. I started reading the worry and speculation that Bostick was leaving the program for whatever reason. Oh, woe unto Pitt. Why do these things keep happening to “us?” And I got pissed.

Pissed that other Pitt fans were flying off the handle and apparently ready to turn on the kid without another thought. Pissed at an overreaction. Pissed because I thought I knew better.

The smart thing would have been to just walk away from the keyboard for a while. Cool down. Do something else.

Instead I stupidly added my own speculation. I did it because in that space of time, I presumed myself to be some sort of superior fan. I made one of the biggest mistake a fan can do — see himself as some sort of representative of the team and/or “true fans.” Some sort of protector of the interests of the team and players. That’s when fans do the stupid crap that gives fandom a bad name. It’s not being biased that gets fans in trouble. It’s when the fans think they are part of the team or representing them directly.

I knew shortly after I posted it, that I shouldn’t have. I knew better, and I still screwed up. Regardless of my intent, I was wrong. I’m not going to delete or edit out what I wrote. Scrubbing a post doesn’t change it, and I have to own my mistake. All I’m going to do is add a link to this post.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry to Pat Bostick and Bostick family for publishing my own speculation about what is a private and personal issue. I’m sorry to Pitt and Pitt Athletic Department for pretending to be some sort of rep. And I’m sorry to everyone who reads this for crossing the line.

I know many are getting antsy to see more football posts, but I’m just not there yet. This despite a steady perusal of “Phil Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview.” Hopefully the Big East Media Days next week will generate something amusing and kick me in that direction.

In the meantime, I highly recommend the 2-part series “Enter the Octonion” (Part 1 and Part 2) from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician. It had me at “God dammit I need to stop doing whippets.”

Meanwhile, for the more nostalgic, there is a nice piece on former Pitt QB Fred Mazurek who led the 1963 9-1 Pitt team to no bowl appearance that year.

On a less proud alumni note, Bill Maas is done as a broadcaster for Fox Sports after his arrest for felony drug and weapons. Way to nail that daily double.

On the positive side, a nice puffer on Jason Pinkston looking to have a big year somewhere on the O-line.

“We’ve basically just been running and lifting and training hard with Buddy,” Pinkston said. “So, we’re just trying to get ready for camp and the season, and I think we’re all working hard to get there. I played in the spring at about 315 pounds, and I lost around 15 pounds and put a lot of muscle on since then. So, I’m about 300 even right now. And I feel real good.

“This is a very important offseason for us. We just started with Buddy a short time ago, and he expects a lot from us. So, we’re working hard to get back to the type of Pitt team that we were in the past. The guys you mentioned, I think it was good for all of us to kind of get a taste for it last year. And now we’re ready to play even more this season.”

Pinkston’s improvement has given hope to an offensive line that has been maligned in recent years for inconsistent play and depth problems due to injuries and attrition. He certainly appears to be capable of handling a starting assignment, should McGlynn move to center or anywhere else for that matter. And while nothing is set, Pitt’s coaching staff has more options on the line than it has in a while. And that can’t hurt.

The Center position is going to be the issue. If Vangas or Bachman can get their play to a level that lets them start, Pinkston helps supply depth on the O-line. If he starts, that means McGlynn is at Center and on every play, O-Line Coach Paul Dunn will be praying that no one gets hurt.

Couple of stories on former Pitt football players.

Troy Benson, a former linebacker, who played for Pitt in the early 80s gets a “where are they now” piece. He still seems a bit frustrated about the 1982 season.

“That was our most underachieving team,” he said. “We didn’t play to the best of our abilities.”

Pitt started that ‘82 season ranked first in the nation. Benson said it was difficult with the transition from one head coach to another.

“There’s no doubt we should have gone undefeated, and if Jackie (Sherrill) had stayed, I think we would have won the national championship,” Benson said.

Yeah, not the best feeling to know that team goes down in college football as one of the most talented and disappointing teams.

Meanwhile, former Pitt CB and present Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Torrie Cox has been suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the substance abuse policy. The, uh, good news. It probably wasn’t for illegal drugs or steroids.

The substance that landed Cox in the league’s substance-abuse program to begin with apparently is not an illegal drug, but likely alcohol, something that has long been an issue with Cox.

“I can assure you that this has nothing to do with illegal narcotics, ” his agent, Peter Schaffer, said from Denver. “I love him. He’s a great kid.”

Schaffer declined to elaborate, citing the league’s stance that specifics about those in the program remain confidential. The league and the franchise will not comment on the matter. But Schaffer suggested that a look at Cox’s history would help answer some questions. Cox, 26, has twice been charged with DUI since 2004, the second time earning him a one-game suspension handed down by the Bucs in 2005. It also was a violation of probation. Adjudication was withheld on all charges.

Cox mainly plays special teams, but was expected to compete for the starting nickleback job. The suspension costs him about a quarter of his salary. Roughly $140,000. That’s an expensive bar tab.

I look forward to this story in the next alumni e-mail.

A former defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Raiders and the Cleveland Browns pleaded guilty yesterday to helping his live-in girlfriend run a high-end prostitution ring out of his parents’ Monroeville home.

Three other defendants face charges this month in connection with the prostitution and drug ring investigators say was run by the ball player’s girlfriend, Amy Schifano.

After kissing his mother and hustling his parents out of the courtroom, a subdued John Robert “Buck” Buczkowski, 43, stepped forward and pleaded to two counts of promoting prostitution, six counts of possessing and dealing cocaine, and one count each of participating in a corrupt organization, conspiracy, dealing in the proceeds of an illegal activity and illegal use of a cell phone.

He faced a sentence of 43¹/₂ to 87 years had he gone to trial. Instead, he agreed to testify against his co-defendants if they proceed to trial.

After a short-lived career in the NFL, the former Gateway and University of Pittsburgh football star bought the Gold Rush restaurant and bar in Monroeville and ran it with his parents.

The girlfriend seems to have been a real go-getter. She seemed to be the brains and facing the most charges. Buck apparently was the muscle.

I didn’t believe it then, or now. No, not the charges, the claim that this was a high-end prostitution ring. Out of Monroeville? For around $200/appointment? Talk about the affordable prices in Pittsburgh.

Congrats definitely to Aaron Gray for winning the Big East Scholar-Athlete Award. There’s a cynical side of me that thinks part of why he got it was an additional reward for deferring the NBA for another year. Not to mention, that with his expected financial windfall, he’ll probably just donate the $2000 scholarship money to the school or some other group.

The article in the P-G, though, does have an error. It states that Gray is the first Pitt player to win it. How can they forget the immortal Darren Morningstar? The winner of the award back in 1992.

As for the new Syracuse basketball unis. Not nearly as hideous as expected when they aren’t wearing the base layer. That or the Syracuse players opted for larger jerseys to minimize the contour. I posted my observations here.

So the Penguins won in an overtime/shootout thriller last night. Whatta great game. Sorry, that’s honestly the last time I’ll ever mention the Pens on this blog.

On the other hand, the last time Antonio Bryant was mentioned on this blog was after his little reckless/drunken driving ordeal when he was clocking at over 100 on a freeway in his Lamborghini.

Now, he’s been cut by the Niners.

The 49ers hoped they achieved addition by subtraction Thursday with the release of troubled wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

Bryant was waived after a meeting last weekend in Indianapolis with 49ers coach Mike Nolan. Bryant, according to his financial adviser Chuck Sanders, asked for a larger role in the offense next season. Nolan said that because Bryant is in the middle of a four-game suspension and possibly faces jail time stemming from his Nov. 20 arrest on reckless driving and resisting arrest charges, that he couldn’t depend on Bryant.

I guess he still won’t be able to afford a belt.

Aw, geez, Antonio. That was my initial reaction.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Antonio Bryant was arrested on reckless and drunken driving charges after his Lamborghini was seen speeding faster than 100 mph on a freeway, police said Tuesday.

Bryant, 25, was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence and resisting arrest, police Capt. Kevin Raffaelli said.

An officer entering U.S. Highway 101 saw Bryant speed past and tried unsuccessfully to catch him, Raffaelli said. He radioed another officer who pulled over Bryant.

The next reaction I had was, “Damn. He’s got a Lamborghini.”

On the field, he’d been fine. Relatively problem free this year. Now this.

I really don’t want to bother writing much about Joe Pa, and Penn St., but what the hell. I can’t let this Joe Paterno press conference quote from today go past without preserving it from disappearing down a memory hole.

…Akron is awfully clever. The guy who is the head coach at Akron was on Pitt’s staff when they embarrassed us out there. It wasn’t even close. As I said, the quarterback is awfully good. There are a lot of quarterbacks around the country and I think we are playing against all of the good ones.

And yet, he would rather keep the embarrassment from the last game then renew the series.

Shocking.

With Maurice Clarett, many ask how a kid with such potential to earn a fortune in football could piss it all away. I’m now wondering how he managed to hold it together as long as he did.

Maurice Clarett was arrested early Wednesday after a highway chase that ended with police using Mace on the former Ohio State running back and finding four loaded guns in his sport utility vehicle, a police spokesman said.

Officers used Mace to subdue Clarett after a stun gun was ineffective because the former Fiesta Bowl star was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, Sgt. Michael Woods said.

“It took several officers to get him handcuffed,” Woods said. “Even after he was placed in the paddy wagon, he was still kicking at the doors and being a problem for the officers.”

Safe to say that the entire Buckeye Nation is just hoping he goes to jail very soon and for a long time. Just so they don’t have to take more crap for having to acknowledge he was ever a part of their team. Right Lee?