You might say the Pitt Panthers "Virginia Tech'd" the Georgetown Hoyas Tuesday evening with a 73-45 thrashing at the Verizon Center in DC.
The reason I bring up Virginia Tech is because Pitt's football team lost its first two games of the season in very ugly fashion before unloading a surprise beatdown on the then 13th ranked Hokies at Heinz Field back in Week 3 of the college football season.
I'm not sure if fans were as upset and distraught about the plight of the basketball team after an 0-2 start to the Big East schedule, but I do know the Panthers dropped their first seven conference games a year ago on their way to missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade.
The last thing anyone wanted to see was another long-stretch of winless play in the Big East to start the season.
Unlike the football team, who could only parlay the Virginia Tech win into another trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl, let's hope Jamie Dixon and Co. find a way to build on the impressive Georgetown victory and return to some real March Madness, and not the CBI kind.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
A.J. McCarron's girlfriend and the overreactions of reactionary people
I was aware that "something" happened between ESPN's Brent Musburger and Katherine Webb, the super, duper hot girlfriend of Alabama quarterback and national champion A.J. McCarron, during the telecast of Monday night's BCS National championship game between the Tide and Notre Dame, but I didn't know what.
I wasn't sure if Musburger made a pass at Webb during pre-game warm-ups, had his spotter pass an inappropriate note to her during the game, or just simply screamed, "Damn, that girl is fine! I'd hit that!"
It wasn't until Tuesday evening, when I arrived home from work and searched the Internet to find out what the deal was, that I finally realized how "low" Musburger went.
The uproar was over a comment Musburger made about Webb during the telecast. Here's the quote courtesy of the LA Times (viewer discretion is strongly advised) : "You quarterbacks," the 73-year-old Musburger says. "You get all the good-looking women. What a beautiful woman."
What a dirty old fart.
Seriously, though. That's what had everyone in an uproar?
Where are we headed as a society when simply pointing out the obvious and complimenting a beautiful woman (with a totally hot body and legs that go on forever) is a bad thing?
I guess it was bad enough for ESPN to apologize on behalf of Musburger: “We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test,” ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys tweeted. “However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
I've had my share of girlfriends in my day (and not all of them were Miss State), and I can tell you that calling a woman "beautiful" isn't really a bad thing. In fact, it's strongly encouraged, and women have a "what have you done for me lately" mentality about compliments. If you're not complimenting your woman now, you better do it in the next few minutes or you're going to be replaced.
I've heard of people being reprimanded for making anti-semitic, anti-black, anti-ugly and anti-fat remarks, but this is the first time I've ever heard of the PC police coming out on behalf of a beautiful woman for being called beautiful.
To her credit, Webb wasn't offended by Musburger's remarks and even defended the long-time sportscaster.
So not only is Webb a gorgeous woman--with a full set of curves and the kind of legs you'd like to suck on for a day--she also seems smart and rational.
Good for her.
Sometime in the mid-90's, between his stints as head coach at Notre Dame and South Carolina, Lou Holtz was doing studio work for CBS and at one point during one of the broadcasts, the network flashed a picture of Holtz from the late 70's/early 80's. Obviously, Coach's style looked a bit dated in the picture--including his hair--and upon seeing the picture, Holtz "joked," "That's the last time I will let a retarded person cut my hair."
I can't remember if there was nervous, awkward laughter on the set, but I know my uncle and I turned to one another and said, "He's going to get in trouble for that."
However, there was no trouble, no apology, and no suspension.
So, as a society, we've gone from nothing being said about a famous coach making an insensitive remark about mentally handicapped people, to being in an uproar over a college football announcer commenting on how beautiful Miss Alabama is?
Gotta love the Internet Age.
PS,
I wouldn't kick Katherine Webb out of bed.........if ya know what I mean. *wink*.
What a dirty old fart.
Seriously, though. That's what had everyone in an uproar?
Where are we headed as a society when simply pointing out the obvious and complimenting a beautiful woman (with a totally hot body and legs that go on forever) is a bad thing?
I guess it was bad enough for ESPN to apologize on behalf of Musburger: “We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test,” ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys tweeted. “However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
I've had my share of girlfriends in my day (and not all of them were Miss State), and I can tell you that calling a woman "beautiful" isn't really a bad thing. In fact, it's strongly encouraged, and women have a "what have you done for me lately" mentality about compliments. If you're not complimenting your woman now, you better do it in the next few minutes or you're going to be replaced.
I've heard of people being reprimanded for making anti-semitic, anti-black, anti-ugly and anti-fat remarks, but this is the first time I've ever heard of the PC police coming out on behalf of a beautiful woman for being called beautiful.
To her credit, Webb wasn't offended by Musburger's remarks and even defended the long-time sportscaster.
So not only is Webb a gorgeous woman--with a full set of curves and the kind of legs you'd like to suck on for a day--she also seems smart and rational.
Good for her.
Sometime in the mid-90's, between his stints as head coach at Notre Dame and South Carolina, Lou Holtz was doing studio work for CBS and at one point during one of the broadcasts, the network flashed a picture of Holtz from the late 70's/early 80's. Obviously, Coach's style looked a bit dated in the picture--including his hair--and upon seeing the picture, Holtz "joked," "That's the last time I will let a retarded person cut my hair."
I can't remember if there was nervous, awkward laughter on the set, but I know my uncle and I turned to one another and said, "He's going to get in trouble for that."
However, there was no trouble, no apology, and no suspension.
So, as a society, we've gone from nothing being said about a famous coach making an insensitive remark about mentally handicapped people, to being in an uproar over a college football announcer commenting on how beautiful Miss Alabama is?
Gotta love the Internet Age.
PS,
I wouldn't kick Katherine Webb out of bed.........if ya know what I mean. *wink*.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Alabama wins third national title in four years after thrashing Fighting Irish Monday night
Some might call the SEC championship game the de facto national championship game, and they'd be right. Not only did an SEC team appear in the BCS National Title game for the seventh straight season, it claimed its seventh title in a row thanks to a 42-14 victory by Alabama over Notre Dame on Monday night.
The Crimson Tide were favored by 9 1/2 points over the Fighting Irish, who came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. However, it could have been 19 1/2 points and nobody would have batted an eye. That's how dominate No. 2 Alabama figured to be, and the perennial powerhouse more than lived up to the hype.
The Tide jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead and cruised to victory behind quarterback A.J. McCarron, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
Perhaps more impressive than the SEC's dominance in the title game in recent years is the fact that it was Alabama's third national title in four seasons. That kind of dominance in college football's most dominating conference is something to be applauded.
As for Notre Dame, the team made a surprising showing in 2012 by marching through the regular season undefeated after not even being ranked at the start of the year and made its first ever appearance in a BCS title game.
A victory would have given the Irish their first national title since Lou Holtz coached them to a victory over West Virginia in 1988.
Head coach Chip Kelly will have to wait at least another season to bring Notre Dame and its rabid and loyal national fan base a championship.
For yet another year, the Tide will be rolling with the BCS trophy and the right to be called "Number one!"
The Crimson Tide were favored by 9 1/2 points over the Fighting Irish, who came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. However, it could have been 19 1/2 points and nobody would have batted an eye. That's how dominate No. 2 Alabama figured to be, and the perennial powerhouse more than lived up to the hype.
The Tide jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead and cruised to victory behind quarterback A.J. McCarron, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
Perhaps more impressive than the SEC's dominance in the title game in recent years is the fact that it was Alabama's third national title in four seasons. That kind of dominance in college football's most dominating conference is something to be applauded.
As for Notre Dame, the team made a surprising showing in 2012 by marching through the regular season undefeated after not even being ranked at the start of the year and made its first ever appearance in a BCS title game.
A victory would have given the Irish their first national title since Lou Holtz coached them to a victory over West Virginia in 1988.
Head coach Chip Kelly will have to wait at least another season to bring Notre Dame and its rabid and loyal national fan base a championship.
For yet another year, the Tide will be rolling with the BCS trophy and the right to be called "Number one!"
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Things that I hope are part of the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement
It was announced early on Sunday that the NHL and the players union have reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, which would end the season long lockout.
I don't know what the terms are of this new agreement, but as a kind of casual fan of hockey, there are a list of things that I hope are included in the new agreement; things that will make the sport a little more appealing in my eyes.
Below is my list:
1) "You know what they say: 'A two goal lead in the third period is the toughest to protect.'"
This is a phrase uttered every time a hockey team has a two goal lead in the third period or blows one. Only in hockey would a late two-score lead be considered a curse. To quote Chandler Bing from Friends when Ross was complaining about his women "troubles", "Oh, I know, this must be so hard. 'Oh no. Two women love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet's too small for my fifties, AND MY DIAMOND SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT!'"
Anyway, I hope the new CBA has language that includes a $25,000 fine for any hockey player who uses this excuse after his team just blew a two-goal lead in the third period. It would also be nice if an announcer could be fined $15,000 for saying this and a fan could be cut off from buying anymore beer if he or she utters this phrase.
2) "Sidney Crosby is a gutless whiner!"
The Penguins Sidney Crosby isn't just the best player in the game, he's also the face of the NHL and an all-around good guy. But that doesn't stop the national hockey media personalities like Don Cherry from calling him, among other things, a whiner.
Only in the NHL would the national talking heads show disdain for the league's top draw. Can you imagine CBS or NBC bashing Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and calling them "punks"? That would never happen. Heck, ESPN is totally in love with all things Tim Tebow and he totally sucks.
This attitude, of course, falls in line with the neanderthal thinking of a lot of NHL purists who would rather see goonism dominate the sport than skill and finesse.
I hope the new CBA includes a clause where any national guy (I'm talking to you Mike Milbury) would be forced to fight Georges Laraque anytime he refers to Crosby as a "coward."
Of course, calling out your league's top stars instead of propping them up is what keeps your league a distant fourth among the country's professional sports leagues........Speaking of which.
3) NBC should be fined $10,000 everytime I tune in to watch the Stanley Cup Finals only to see another episode of "The Voice" instead.
The Super Bowl will be on CBS next month. The World Series is always on Fox. The NBA Finals are on ABC. You know what channel the NHL Stanley Cup Finals are on? The NBC Sports Network. In other words, cable. Not all the games are on cable, of course, just the first four. But what if it's a sweep? If you want people to take your sport a little more seriously, and if you want to really build a fan base, make NBC show every game of the finals on its top network.
4) "It's always tough to win the first game at home after a long road trip."
Much like the two-goal lead in the third period "problem," this appears to be another weird aspect of the hockey culture. Every year, every team loses at least one home game following a long road trip. And not only does the team lose, the players look totally lifeless and disinterested. When asked to speak on their performance afterward, the "it's tough to win the first home game after a long road swing" excuse is usually spewed by either the coach, the players or both.
Oh yes, I can certainly understand why being at home in your own bed, and practicing at your own arena would be so hard after days of living in hotels.
If it's so hard for hockey teams to play at home after a long trip, tickets should be half-price. It's only fair.
5) "At least hockey players are class-acts."
You normally see this phrase on someone's facebook wall after an NBA/NFL/MLB/Tour de France athlete gets busted for something.
Yes, I know, hockey players are angels, saints and all around good guys who never get arrested ( except for when they do), and they really make the pro athletes of other sports look bad in that regard.
And the good deed the Penguins did in '10, when they helped people by shoveling their cars out of the snow, didn't help any.
What's next? Are you going to rescue kittens from trees? So smug. More crime as part of the new CBA, please.
6) "Mario Lemieux was a better player than Wayne Gretzky. Mario was just injured a lot!"
This phrase gets shouted by thousands of Penguins fans each and every year, and it probably will for as long as there is time. Penguins fans certainly have an inferiority complex when Mario and Gretzky get compared, and while an argument could be made that Lemieux was maybe the more gifted of the two, the fact is Gretzky holds most of the records.
I know Mario sustained many nagging injuries throughout his career (not to mention a bout with cancer), but that doesn't take away from what Gretzky was able to accomplish. When No. 99 was doing his thing in the 80's, there was no doubt who was considered the greatest in the game. In fact, you might say Gretzky was the Babe Ruth of his sport and will probably always be considered the greatest of all-time by many.
As for Mario, there's nothing wrong with being considered the second greatest player in the history of the NHL.
Anyway, I would like to see every Penguins fan fined $66 everytime they get defensive during a conversation that involves Mario and Gretzky.
7) "Stop talking about football so much!"
Hockey fans are a defensive bunch, in general, and they act threatened when any sports discussion includes too much football, baseball or basketball. But there's a reason those sports get talked about more: They're more popular.
Of course, I understand why hockey fans feel threatened. I can relate because it's how I feel anytime a group of women sit around and talk about how hot Channing Tatum is.
I workout, too, damn it.
Anyway, hockey fans should be forced to watch curling on the NBC Sports Network anytime they get too defensive about the popularity of the NHL.
8) What is offsides in hockey?
Speaking of women, there are a lot of attractive women who like hockey, and I want to pretend like I know what I'm talking about if I ever have to discuss aspects of the sport. I have no idea what offsides is, and I don't think I ever will, no matter how many times it's explained to me.
All hockey announcers should be forced to explain this infraction every time it occurs in a game.
9) "It's a curse to touch the trophy awarded for winning the conference finals."
Athletes are superstitious by nature, but the act (or non-act) of NHL players not touching the trophy during the celebration following a conference championship is just totally ridiculous. Some say it's bad luck, but for my money, if you're able to make it through three grueling best of seven series, good luck is probably on your side.
Mario Lemieux picked up the Wales Trophy ( pre-curse) and paraded it around the old Civic Arena following the Penguins' first Eastern Conference championship in 1991. At that point, it was the greatest achievement in team history. Being proud of just making it to the finals? Wow. What a concept.
Pittsburgh's players also touched the Wales Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009 and went on to win the Stanley Cup. I guess the curse took the year off.
From now on, any player who refuses to touch the trophy awarded for winning the conference should be forced to wear one of Don Cherry's suits.
Yuck.
This concludes my wish list for the new CBA. I could continue, but it's the NHL, and by the time I publish this, the players may be locked out again.
I don't know what the terms are of this new agreement, but as a kind of casual fan of hockey, there are a list of things that I hope are included in the new agreement; things that will make the sport a little more appealing in my eyes.
Below is my list:
1) "You know what they say: 'A two goal lead in the third period is the toughest to protect.'"
This is a phrase uttered every time a hockey team has a two goal lead in the third period or blows one. Only in hockey would a late two-score lead be considered a curse. To quote Chandler Bing from Friends when Ross was complaining about his women "troubles", "Oh, I know, this must be so hard. 'Oh no. Two women love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet's too small for my fifties, AND MY DIAMOND SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT!'"
Anyway, I hope the new CBA has language that includes a $25,000 fine for any hockey player who uses this excuse after his team just blew a two-goal lead in the third period. It would also be nice if an announcer could be fined $15,000 for saying this and a fan could be cut off from buying anymore beer if he or she utters this phrase.
2) "Sidney Crosby is a gutless whiner!"
The Penguins Sidney Crosby isn't just the best player in the game, he's also the face of the NHL and an all-around good guy. But that doesn't stop the national hockey media personalities like Don Cherry from calling him, among other things, a whiner.
Only in the NHL would the national talking heads show disdain for the league's top draw. Can you imagine CBS or NBC bashing Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and calling them "punks"? That would never happen. Heck, ESPN is totally in love with all things Tim Tebow and he totally sucks.
This attitude, of course, falls in line with the neanderthal thinking of a lot of NHL purists who would rather see goonism dominate the sport than skill and finesse.
I hope the new CBA includes a clause where any national guy (I'm talking to you Mike Milbury) would be forced to fight Georges Laraque anytime he refers to Crosby as a "coward."
Of course, calling out your league's top stars instead of propping them up is what keeps your league a distant fourth among the country's professional sports leagues........Speaking of which.
3) NBC should be fined $10,000 everytime I tune in to watch the Stanley Cup Finals only to see another episode of "The Voice" instead.
The Super Bowl will be on CBS next month. The World Series is always on Fox. The NBA Finals are on ABC. You know what channel the NHL Stanley Cup Finals are on? The NBC Sports Network. In other words, cable. Not all the games are on cable, of course, just the first four. But what if it's a sweep? If you want people to take your sport a little more seriously, and if you want to really build a fan base, make NBC show every game of the finals on its top network.
4) "It's always tough to win the first game at home after a long road trip."
Much like the two-goal lead in the third period "problem," this appears to be another weird aspect of the hockey culture. Every year, every team loses at least one home game following a long road trip. And not only does the team lose, the players look totally lifeless and disinterested. When asked to speak on their performance afterward, the "it's tough to win the first home game after a long road swing" excuse is usually spewed by either the coach, the players or both.
Oh yes, I can certainly understand why being at home in your own bed, and practicing at your own arena would be so hard after days of living in hotels.
If it's so hard for hockey teams to play at home after a long trip, tickets should be half-price. It's only fair.
5) "At least hockey players are class-acts."
You normally see this phrase on someone's facebook wall after an NBA/NFL/MLB/Tour de France athlete gets busted for something.
Yes, I know, hockey players are angels, saints and all around good guys who never get arrested ( except for when they do), and they really make the pro athletes of other sports look bad in that regard.
And the good deed the Penguins did in '10, when they helped people by shoveling their cars out of the snow, didn't help any.
What's next? Are you going to rescue kittens from trees? So smug. More crime as part of the new CBA, please.
6) "Mario Lemieux was a better player than Wayne Gretzky. Mario was just injured a lot!"
This phrase gets shouted by thousands of Penguins fans each and every year, and it probably will for as long as there is time. Penguins fans certainly have an inferiority complex when Mario and Gretzky get compared, and while an argument could be made that Lemieux was maybe the more gifted of the two, the fact is Gretzky holds most of the records.
I know Mario sustained many nagging injuries throughout his career (not to mention a bout with cancer), but that doesn't take away from what Gretzky was able to accomplish. When No. 99 was doing his thing in the 80's, there was no doubt who was considered the greatest in the game. In fact, you might say Gretzky was the Babe Ruth of his sport and will probably always be considered the greatest of all-time by many.
As for Mario, there's nothing wrong with being considered the second greatest player in the history of the NHL.
Anyway, I would like to see every Penguins fan fined $66 everytime they get defensive during a conversation that involves Mario and Gretzky.
7) "Stop talking about football so much!"
Hockey fans are a defensive bunch, in general, and they act threatened when any sports discussion includes too much football, baseball or basketball. But there's a reason those sports get talked about more: They're more popular.
Of course, I understand why hockey fans feel threatened. I can relate because it's how I feel anytime a group of women sit around and talk about how hot Channing Tatum is.
I workout, too, damn it.
Anyway, hockey fans should be forced to watch curling on the NBC Sports Network anytime they get too defensive about the popularity of the NHL.
8) What is offsides in hockey?
Speaking of women, there are a lot of attractive women who like hockey, and I want to pretend like I know what I'm talking about if I ever have to discuss aspects of the sport. I have no idea what offsides is, and I don't think I ever will, no matter how many times it's explained to me.
All hockey announcers should be forced to explain this infraction every time it occurs in a game.
9) "It's a curse to touch the trophy awarded for winning the conference finals."
Athletes are superstitious by nature, but the act (or non-act) of NHL players not touching the trophy during the celebration following a conference championship is just totally ridiculous. Some say it's bad luck, but for my money, if you're able to make it through three grueling best of seven series, good luck is probably on your side.
Mario Lemieux picked up the Wales Trophy ( pre-curse) and paraded it around the old Civic Arena following the Penguins' first Eastern Conference championship in 1991. At that point, it was the greatest achievement in team history. Being proud of just making it to the finals? Wow. What a concept.
Pittsburgh's players also touched the Wales Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009 and went on to win the Stanley Cup. I guess the curse took the year off.
From now on, any player who refuses to touch the trophy awarded for winning the conference should be forced to wear one of Don Cherry's suits.
Yuck.
This concludes my wish list for the new CBA. I could continue, but it's the NHL, and by the time I publish this, the players may be locked out again.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Who is the greatest defensive player in NFL history?
Is Ray Lewis the greatest defensive player ever? Is he at least the greatest linebacker in NFL history? Maybe it's Deacon Jones or Steeler Nation's own "Mean" Joe Greene.
In the wake of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announcing his retirement this week, ESPN is conducting a poll to see who the fans think is the greatest NFL defender in the history of the league.
I voted for Joe Greene, but then again, I'm a little biased. I know No. 75 was certainly the player who ushered in an era of excellence when he became Chuck Noll's first ever draft choice shortly after becoming head coach in 1969.
Vote for your all-time defender on the link provided.
In the wake of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announcing his retirement this week, ESPN is conducting a poll to see who the fans think is the greatest NFL defender in the history of the league.
I voted for Joe Greene, but then again, I'm a little biased. I know No. 75 was certainly the player who ushered in an era of excellence when he became Chuck Noll's first ever draft choice shortly after becoming head coach in 1969.
Vote for your all-time defender on the link provided.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Bowls the Pitt Panthers could play in once they jump to the ACC
With the Panthers two days away from playing in the BBVA Compass Bowl for the third straight season, it's only natural to not be very excited about that. Unfortunately, Pitt is a Big East member, and the BBVA (or as I like to call it"The Seventh Cousin of them all,") is part of the Big East bowl affiliation, and the only real way to avoid such an invite is to not finish at 6-6, which Pitt has done for the past two seasons.
Fortunately, the Panthers will be jumping to the ACC next season, and that means different bowl affiliations. However, it doesn't necessarily mean a higher pedigree of bowl games. It wouldn't be surprising to see Pitt struggle next season. For one thing, the football team will have a schedule full of mostly unfamiliar opponents. And secondly, the ACC is an upgrade from the Big East (if only slightly.)
Like a local radio head said recently, "There are no Florida States in the Big East.")
So, if Pitt is indeed going to struggle for the next season or two, what middling bowls will the program and its fans have to look forward to in upcoming seasons?
Thanks to this wikipedia site which details the ACC and its bowl affiliations, I can see that the ACC champion is the number one choice for the Orange Bowl and has been since 2006. That's not a bad bowl to be tied to. Miami is nice this time of year or any time, really.
However, since the Panthers haven't earned a BCS berth since January of 2005, we better take a look at some of those "lesser" bowls that are affiliated with the ACC.
-The Chick-fil-A Bowl: Perhaps better known as the Peach Bowl, the site of the game is in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.The second choice of ACC teams usually goes to this bowl, and the opponent is normally a pretty decent SEC team--Clemson just knocked off #9 LSU on New Year's Eve. Not a bad game and not a bad destination for Panthers fans. Of course, if it ever came down to a choice between Pitt and Notre Dame (that program sticks its nose in everything), you better make reservations in Miami, Fla. for.........
-The Russell Athletic Bowl: The bid for this game usually goes to the third choice of ACC teams, and is played in Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. So, while it may not be the Orange Bowl, citrus is involved (it used to be known as the Tangerine Bowl, and Pitt actually played in this game following the 2001 season). I could see the Panthers earning a bid to this game during a year in-which they blow a two-score lead in the ACC Championship game and are then passed over by Notre Dame for the Chick-fil-A bowl.
-The Hyundai Sun Bowl: This isn't a bad bowl, as it still gets to include its original name right after the sponsor of the year--always a sign of prestige and cache. The site of the game is El Paso, Texas, and according to wikipedia, this bowl often goes to either the ACC runner-up or the fourth place team. I could see Pitt earning a trip to this bowl. The Panthers have played in this bowl twice since 1989--most recently the infamous 3-0 loss to Oregon St. on December 31st, 2008.
-Belk Bowl: Now this is right up Pitt's alley. The game is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and goes to the fifth choice from the ACC. The Panthers have actually played in this bowl two other times--once following the 2003 season when it was called the Continental Tire Bowl and a second time following the 2009 season when it was called the Meineke Car Care Bowl. However, most long-time Pitt fans often refer to the 2009 game as The Pitt Loses Out on a Chance to Go to the Sugar Bowl and Has to Settle for This Crap? Bowl. Oh, the pageantry.
Oh well. That's all the bowls I'll go over now. Anything after Belk is just the ACC's version of BBVA.
Fortunately, the Panthers will be jumping to the ACC next season, and that means different bowl affiliations. However, it doesn't necessarily mean a higher pedigree of bowl games. It wouldn't be surprising to see Pitt struggle next season. For one thing, the football team will have a schedule full of mostly unfamiliar opponents. And secondly, the ACC is an upgrade from the Big East (if only slightly.)
Like a local radio head said recently, "There are no Florida States in the Big East.")
So, if Pitt is indeed going to struggle for the next season or two, what middling bowls will the program and its fans have to look forward to in upcoming seasons?
Thanks to this wikipedia site which details the ACC and its bowl affiliations, I can see that the ACC champion is the number one choice for the Orange Bowl and has been since 2006. That's not a bad bowl to be tied to. Miami is nice this time of year or any time, really.
However, since the Panthers haven't earned a BCS berth since January of 2005, we better take a look at some of those "lesser" bowls that are affiliated with the ACC.
-The Chick-fil-A Bowl: Perhaps better known as the Peach Bowl, the site of the game is in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.The second choice of ACC teams usually goes to this bowl, and the opponent is normally a pretty decent SEC team--Clemson just knocked off #9 LSU on New Year's Eve. Not a bad game and not a bad destination for Panthers fans. Of course, if it ever came down to a choice between Pitt and Notre Dame (that program sticks its nose in everything), you better make reservations in Miami, Fla. for.........
-The Russell Athletic Bowl: The bid for this game usually goes to the third choice of ACC teams, and is played in Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. So, while it may not be the Orange Bowl, citrus is involved (it used to be known as the Tangerine Bowl, and Pitt actually played in this game following the 2001 season). I could see the Panthers earning a bid to this game during a year in-which they blow a two-score lead in the ACC Championship game and are then passed over by Notre Dame for the Chick-fil-A bowl.
-The Hyundai Sun Bowl: This isn't a bad bowl, as it still gets to include its original name right after the sponsor of the year--always a sign of prestige and cache. The site of the game is El Paso, Texas, and according to wikipedia, this bowl often goes to either the ACC runner-up or the fourth place team. I could see Pitt earning a trip to this bowl. The Panthers have played in this bowl twice since 1989--most recently the infamous 3-0 loss to Oregon St. on December 31st, 2008.
-Belk Bowl: Now this is right up Pitt's alley. The game is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and goes to the fifth choice from the ACC. The Panthers have actually played in this bowl two other times--once following the 2003 season when it was called the Continental Tire Bowl and a second time following the 2009 season when it was called the Meineke Car Care Bowl. However, most long-time Pitt fans often refer to the 2009 game as The Pitt Loses Out on a Chance to Go to the Sugar Bowl and Has to Settle for This Crap? Bowl. Oh, the pageantry.
Oh well. That's all the bowls I'll go over now. Anything after Belk is just the ACC's version of BBVA.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012: The Year of the "Lost Season" for Pittsburgh Area Sports Teams
The Pittsburgh sports scene has had some pretty exciting years in recent memory.
Take 2005, for example. The Pitt Panthers football program actually earned a BCS bid and played in the Fiesta bowl in January of '05. Later that year, the Steelers actually won their first championship in a quarter of a century with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
From 2008-2010, Pittsburgh sports fans were really spoiled after the Penguins made back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup finals--including the team's third championship in the summer of 2009--and the Steelers won another Super Bowl following the 2008 season and appeared in Super Bowl XLV two seasons later.
Heck, the Pitt Panthers men's basketball program even made it to the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament following the 2008/09 season.
Of course, sports can by very cyclical, and the past couple of cycles haven't been too kind to Pittsburgh area teams, especially the just concluded year of 2012.
Below is a recap of what went very down in Pittsburgh area sports in 2012:
2011/2012 Pitt Panthers: Your CBI Champions
The 2011/12 Panthers men's basketball season was supposed to be like many others in the previous decade, and it sure appeared that way when the team was ranked ninth early in the year. However, non-conference home losses to Long Beach State and Wagner (as well as the defection of big man Khem Birch) foretold what was yet to come, as Pitt proceeded to drop its first seven games in conference play before finishing the regular season at 5-13 in the Big East and 16-15 overall. After going 1-1 in the Big East tournament, there was no shot for the 17-16 Panthers to be invited to the Big Dance, but after making it to the NCAA tournament for 10 straight seasons, many hoped an NIT bid would be in order. Unfortunately, Pitt didn't have enough cache for the Not Important Tournament and had to settle for a bid to the CBI. Proudly, the Panthers took care of business against the Woffords of the basketball world along the way to the best of three finals. After falling at Washington St. in the first game, the Panthers took the last two at the Peterson Events Center to claim their first CBI championship.
2011/2012 Pittsburgh Penguins: If you don't win your division, your punishment is a first round match-up with the Flyers
The Penguins were flying high down the stretch and entered the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs with 108 points, the second most in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh plays in the Atlantic Division, a division where four teams finished the year with more than 100 points, including the New York Rangers, who had 109 points and won the division and the first seed in the playoffs. Since the three division winners get the top three seeds in the playoffs, that meant the Penguins could only get the fourth seed and a date in the first round with their blood rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, who finished just behind Pittsburgh with 103 points. Philadelphia defeated the Penguins four times in six regular season match-ups (four out of five in games that mattered), and once the postseason started, the dominance continued, as Pittsburgh fell behind 3-0 in the series before winning the next two to give the fans some hope. Unfortunately for the Penguins and their fans, they put on a lackluster performance in Game 6 in Philadelphia and were eliminated in the first round for the second straight season. Had Pittsburgh been able to accumulate just two more points during the regular season..............
PS,
The NHL decided to lock its players out for the start of the 2012/2013 season, so it was a lost year for Penguins fans in more ways than one.
2012 Pittsburgh Pirates: So good at the start of year, they had to be historically crappy down the stretch just to reach 20 straight losing seasons
Andrew McCutchen was the talk of baseball with his MVP (and Triple Crown) like numbers. Zoltan was the best thing going since the Terrible Towel ( or at least We All We Got!) It was one of those magical seasons Pirates fans had been dreaming about for decades (literally). After 19 straight losing seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates were 60-44 and four games up in the National League's Wild Card chase. Pittsburgh was on a 40-20 tear, and even .500 baseball down the stretch probably would have been enough to earn a wild card spot. Unfortunately, much like the 2011 season, the Pirates finished the year by going 19-39 over the last two months, and they not only missed the playoffs, they made it 20 straight years of losing with a 79-83 record. Not only was the collapse bad, it was historic, as no team in baseball had ever been that many games over .500 that late in the season and then finished with a losing record.
Beat 'em, Bucs! At least they made history.....again.
Penn St. Nittany Lions: Jerry Sandusky sex scandal rocks State College as the football program is stripped of bowl eligibility for four seasons
It all came crashing down for the Nittany Lions in late 2011. Long-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was the center of a child molestation investigation. He would soon be charged and eventually found guilty last summer.
Because many high ranking Penn St. officials spent years covering up the Sandusky scandal--including legendary head coach Joe Paterno who passed away last January shortly after being fired--the program received severe penalties from the NCAA, including no bowl eligibility for four seasons starting in 2012.
The football team actually finished with an 8-4 record under first year head coach Bill O'Brien, but the disappointment of no bowl games could be just the tip of the iceberg for Penn St. as the loss of revenue and scholarships could have a long-lasting effect.
West Virginia Mountaineers leave the Big East for the Big 12 conference and realize they're not in Kansas anymore. They're actually in Kansas St., and that program is pretty damn awesome
After the defections of Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M from the Big 12 in recent years, there was talk that WVU could actually dominate the conference in its first season. And truth be told, it sure looked like that would be the case when the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start--including back-to-back victories over Baylor (ranked 25th) and Texas (ranked 11th)--and were up to No. 4 in the nation. There was talk of a possible national title.............then Texas Tech came along and handed West Virginia a humiliating 49-14 defeat that sparked a fall from grace, as the Mountaineers would drop five straight games--including home losses to Kansas St. (ranked fourth) and Oklahoma (ranked 12). WVU would finish the season at 7-5 (4-5 in the Big 12). The Mountaineers earned a berth in the Pinstripe Bowl and fittingly lost 38-14 to Syracuse, an old Big East foe.
2012 Pitt Panthers football program: New head coach. Same BBVA Compass Bowl smell
It was probably expected that the Panthers would struggle in 2012, especially after a third coaching regime in as many seasons, but I don't think anyone could have predicted an opening loss to the division II Youngstown St. Penguins in Week 1. However, that's what happened. That, and a beat-down in Cincinnati in Week 2. Surprisingly, however, Pitt would knock off future ACC foe and 13th ranked Virginia Tech in Week 3. The Panthers would also come within a few inches of changing the National Title landscape when kicker Kevin Harper missed a 33 yard field goal against Notre Dame in double-overtime that would have given them the upset win. Instead, the Fighting Irish would go on to win in triple overtime, and Pitt would lose at lowly UConn the following game before finishing off the year by defeating a ranked Rutgers team and then taking care of business in South Florida to improve to 6-6 and become bowl eligible. And the bowl the Panthers were once again eligible for was the BBVA Compass Bowl for a third year in a row.
2012 Pittsburgh Steelers
You can always count on the Pittsburgh Steelers to lift the region up, and give sports fans a reason to hope and dream.........except for this season. The Steelers were totally mediocre in 2012, and as I wrote in my postgame article for Behind The Steel Curtain, they just seemed out of sync the entire year. Despite having the inside track for a postseason berth from about mid-season on, Pittsburgh simply couldn't overcome key injuries, critical mistakes and uneven performances in all three phases and would drop five of seven down the stretch to finish 8-8 and out of the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The Steelers are long in the tooth in many areas, and an 8-8 record could be a pretty common one in subsequent years. Of course, I thought that before, only to be pleasantly surprised by Super Bowl success.
There you have it. The 2012 sports year in review. 2013 couldn't possibly be worse for Pittsburgh sports........or could it?
Take 2005, for example. The Pitt Panthers football program actually earned a BCS bid and played in the Fiesta bowl in January of '05. Later that year, the Steelers actually won their first championship in a quarter of a century with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
From 2008-2010, Pittsburgh sports fans were really spoiled after the Penguins made back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup finals--including the team's third championship in the summer of 2009--and the Steelers won another Super Bowl following the 2008 season and appeared in Super Bowl XLV two seasons later.
Heck, the Pitt Panthers men's basketball program even made it to the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament following the 2008/09 season.
Of course, sports can by very cyclical, and the past couple of cycles haven't been too kind to Pittsburgh area teams, especially the just concluded year of 2012.
Below is a recap of what went very down in Pittsburgh area sports in 2012:
2011/2012 Pitt Panthers: Your CBI Champions
The 2011/12 Panthers men's basketball season was supposed to be like many others in the previous decade, and it sure appeared that way when the team was ranked ninth early in the year. However, non-conference home losses to Long Beach State and Wagner (as well as the defection of big man Khem Birch) foretold what was yet to come, as Pitt proceeded to drop its first seven games in conference play before finishing the regular season at 5-13 in the Big East and 16-15 overall. After going 1-1 in the Big East tournament, there was no shot for the 17-16 Panthers to be invited to the Big Dance, but after making it to the NCAA tournament for 10 straight seasons, many hoped an NIT bid would be in order. Unfortunately, Pitt didn't have enough cache for the Not Important Tournament and had to settle for a bid to the CBI. Proudly, the Panthers took care of business against the Woffords of the basketball world along the way to the best of three finals. After falling at Washington St. in the first game, the Panthers took the last two at the Peterson Events Center to claim their first CBI championship.
2011/2012 Pittsburgh Penguins: If you don't win your division, your punishment is a first round match-up with the Flyers
The Penguins were flying high down the stretch and entered the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs with 108 points, the second most in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh plays in the Atlantic Division, a division where four teams finished the year with more than 100 points, including the New York Rangers, who had 109 points and won the division and the first seed in the playoffs. Since the three division winners get the top three seeds in the playoffs, that meant the Penguins could only get the fourth seed and a date in the first round with their blood rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, who finished just behind Pittsburgh with 103 points. Philadelphia defeated the Penguins four times in six regular season match-ups (four out of five in games that mattered), and once the postseason started, the dominance continued, as Pittsburgh fell behind 3-0 in the series before winning the next two to give the fans some hope. Unfortunately for the Penguins and their fans, they put on a lackluster performance in Game 6 in Philadelphia and were eliminated in the first round for the second straight season. Had Pittsburgh been able to accumulate just two more points during the regular season..............
PS,
The NHL decided to lock its players out for the start of the 2012/2013 season, so it was a lost year for Penguins fans in more ways than one.
2012 Pittsburgh Pirates: So good at the start of year, they had to be historically crappy down the stretch just to reach 20 straight losing seasons
Andrew McCutchen was the talk of baseball with his MVP (and Triple Crown) like numbers. Zoltan was the best thing going since the Terrible Towel ( or at least We All We Got!) It was one of those magical seasons Pirates fans had been dreaming about for decades (literally). After 19 straight losing seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates were 60-44 and four games up in the National League's Wild Card chase. Pittsburgh was on a 40-20 tear, and even .500 baseball down the stretch probably would have been enough to earn a wild card spot. Unfortunately, much like the 2011 season, the Pirates finished the year by going 19-39 over the last two months, and they not only missed the playoffs, they made it 20 straight years of losing with a 79-83 record. Not only was the collapse bad, it was historic, as no team in baseball had ever been that many games over .500 that late in the season and then finished with a losing record.
Beat 'em, Bucs! At least they made history.....again.
Penn St. Nittany Lions: Jerry Sandusky sex scandal rocks State College as the football program is stripped of bowl eligibility for four seasons
It all came crashing down for the Nittany Lions in late 2011. Long-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was the center of a child molestation investigation. He would soon be charged and eventually found guilty last summer.
Because many high ranking Penn St. officials spent years covering up the Sandusky scandal--including legendary head coach Joe Paterno who passed away last January shortly after being fired--the program received severe penalties from the NCAA, including no bowl eligibility for four seasons starting in 2012.
The football team actually finished with an 8-4 record under first year head coach Bill O'Brien, but the disappointment of no bowl games could be just the tip of the iceberg for Penn St. as the loss of revenue and scholarships could have a long-lasting effect.
West Virginia Mountaineers leave the Big East for the Big 12 conference and realize they're not in Kansas anymore. They're actually in Kansas St., and that program is pretty damn awesome
After the defections of Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M from the Big 12 in recent years, there was talk that WVU could actually dominate the conference in its first season. And truth be told, it sure looked like that would be the case when the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start--including back-to-back victories over Baylor (ranked 25th) and Texas (ranked 11th)--and were up to No. 4 in the nation. There was talk of a possible national title.............then Texas Tech came along and handed West Virginia a humiliating 49-14 defeat that sparked a fall from grace, as the Mountaineers would drop five straight games--including home losses to Kansas St. (ranked fourth) and Oklahoma (ranked 12). WVU would finish the season at 7-5 (4-5 in the Big 12). The Mountaineers earned a berth in the Pinstripe Bowl and fittingly lost 38-14 to Syracuse, an old Big East foe.
2012 Pitt Panthers football program: New head coach. Same BBVA Compass Bowl smell
It was probably expected that the Panthers would struggle in 2012, especially after a third coaching regime in as many seasons, but I don't think anyone could have predicted an opening loss to the division II Youngstown St. Penguins in Week 1. However, that's what happened. That, and a beat-down in Cincinnati in Week 2. Surprisingly, however, Pitt would knock off future ACC foe and 13th ranked Virginia Tech in Week 3. The Panthers would also come within a few inches of changing the National Title landscape when kicker Kevin Harper missed a 33 yard field goal against Notre Dame in double-overtime that would have given them the upset win. Instead, the Fighting Irish would go on to win in triple overtime, and Pitt would lose at lowly UConn the following game before finishing off the year by defeating a ranked Rutgers team and then taking care of business in South Florida to improve to 6-6 and become bowl eligible. And the bowl the Panthers were once again eligible for was the BBVA Compass Bowl for a third year in a row.
2012 Pittsburgh Steelers
You can always count on the Pittsburgh Steelers to lift the region up, and give sports fans a reason to hope and dream.........except for this season. The Steelers were totally mediocre in 2012, and as I wrote in my postgame article for Behind The Steel Curtain, they just seemed out of sync the entire year. Despite having the inside track for a postseason berth from about mid-season on, Pittsburgh simply couldn't overcome key injuries, critical mistakes and uneven performances in all three phases and would drop five of seven down the stretch to finish 8-8 and out of the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The Steelers are long in the tooth in many areas, and an 8-8 record could be a pretty common one in subsequent years. Of course, I thought that before, only to be pleasantly surprised by Super Bowl success.
There you have it. The 2012 sports year in review. 2013 couldn't possibly be worse for Pittsburgh sports........or could it?
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