For all the haters...
- Thread starter PITTsburghFAN
- Start date
I've heard (not sure how true) that the ACC preferred UConn over Pitt, but was blocked by Boston College.
It's difficult to pass much judgment since Pederson had to contend with a lot of structural problems with the university's athletic programs...Pitt was walking a tight rope for at least twenty years. But if I had to draw a conclusion about the merits of Pederson, I would say he was a good deal maker and was good with specific projects to add infrastructure and guide the transition from the BE to the ACC. But he was a very bad manager and administrator...obviously not a good fund raiser, nor a good evaluator of coaches that were a fit with the university.
Given what's happened over the past two decades, Pitt is damn lucky to have landed in a safe spot.
This post was edited on 3/30 5:02 PM by Den of Hacks
This post was edited on 3/30 6:01 PM by Den of Hacks
It's difficult to pass much judgment since Pederson had to contend with a lot of structural problems with the university's athletic programs...Pitt was walking a tight rope for at least twenty years. But if I had to draw a conclusion about the merits of Pederson, I would say he was a good deal maker and was good with specific projects to add infrastructure and guide the transition from the BE to the ACC. But he was a very bad manager and administrator...obviously not a good fund raiser, nor a good evaluator of coaches that were a fit with the university.
Given what's happened over the past two decades, Pitt is damn lucky to have landed in a safe spot.
This post was edited on 3/30 5:02 PM by Den of Hacks
This post was edited on 3/30 6:01 PM by Den of Hacks
Best to have someone else read to you CP. Suggest you get someone other than your typist. Far too many edits for such short outbursts of temper.
If not Howland's opinion... how about this guy?
Beano Cook. Perhaps the most learned college football observer of his time. And a Pitt man.
Beano said it early, often, and consistently: "Steve Pederson saved Pitt football"
If SP's decisions go a different direction in the late 90's and early 2000's, who knows if Pitt even survives?? Walt Harris did a masterful job turning things around. The decision to move the brand-new Heinz Field gave Pitt a buzz... and glorious venue to play in (btw... I loved Pitt Stadium).
But back to the main point: For the Haters - was Beano a lyin' fool, too??
Beano Cook. Perhaps the most learned college football observer of his time. And a Pitt man.
Beano said it early, often, and consistently: "Steve Pederson saved Pitt football"
If SP's decisions go a different direction in the late 90's and early 2000's, who knows if Pitt even survives?? Walt Harris did a masterful job turning things around. The decision to move the brand-new Heinz Field gave Pitt a buzz... and glorious venue to play in (btw... I loved Pitt Stadium).
But back to the main point: For the Haters - was Beano a lyin' fool, too??
Re: If not Howland's opinion... how about this guy?
You're right, Gallagher is the fool. Steve Pederson should be immediately rehired with a ten year guaranteed contract and a $10,000, 000 bonus, so that he can once again save Pitt football. He can fire Narduzzi with nary a thought of a replacement, hire a ridiculous mid major woman beater, followed by a slick talking snake-oil salesman who never unpacks his suitcase. Sustaining this brilliant new campaign, Steve can then rechristen the team the Allegheny County felines. As a final Tour de Force, he will then have us feverishly courted by the Nfl as a gratis new member. Our Savior.
You're right, Gallagher is the fool. Steve Pederson should be immediately rehired with a ten year guaranteed contract and a $10,000, 000 bonus, so that he can once again save Pitt football. He can fire Narduzzi with nary a thought of a replacement, hire a ridiculous mid major woman beater, followed by a slick talking snake-oil salesman who never unpacks his suitcase. Sustaining this brilliant new campaign, Steve can then rechristen the team the Allegheny County felines. As a final Tour de Force, he will then have us feverishly courted by the Nfl as a gratis new member. Our Savior.
Re: Credit Given & One More Thing Saved Pitt From Sandusky, LINK!
Correction....Nordenberg vision for Pitt Sports started it and his choice of Pederson was part of it, and no problem many agree Pederson's first tenure rebuilt the Pitt Football Program and Basketball. No one thinks Pederson is a bad person, but his time at Pitt ended just as it did at Nebraska. It is up to Pederson to find another job and I always thought he would make a terrific Conference Commissioner and said it many times.
The other tribute that can be given to Steve Pederson is that he rejected both Gerry Sandusky in 1996 and Tom Bradley a number of times. Both Sandusky and Bradley wanted the Pitt Head Coaching job, and both said if one of them got it, they would bring the other one with them????
Pitt Job Interests Sandusky Link:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19961213&id=H4JeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-GENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1727,6567200&hl=en
Your Problem now is this Link:
Emanuel (Pittsburgh)
Should Pitt hire Tom Bradley?
Beano Cook
(3:13 PM)
My answer to that is yes. I think he would be a good choice. So would Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads.
LINK TO THINK:
https://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/41705/ncaa-fb-with-beano-cook
It is recognized that Pederson and Howland were paid millions to do their jobs at Pitt and both did them, and both left too, and now both are part of History and you can thank them for doing their jobs, but neither will be back at Pitt!
It is time for you to move on and Howland too, Pitt has and will be just fine without either of them!
PITT HEADLESS AD!
This post was edited on 4/1 12:17 PM by CaptainSidneyReilly
Correction....Nordenberg vision for Pitt Sports started it and his choice of Pederson was part of it, and no problem many agree Pederson's first tenure rebuilt the Pitt Football Program and Basketball. No one thinks Pederson is a bad person, but his time at Pitt ended just as it did at Nebraska. It is up to Pederson to find another job and I always thought he would make a terrific Conference Commissioner and said it many times.
The other tribute that can be given to Steve Pederson is that he rejected both Gerry Sandusky in 1996 and Tom Bradley a number of times. Both Sandusky and Bradley wanted the Pitt Head Coaching job, and both said if one of them got it, they would bring the other one with them????
Pitt Job Interests Sandusky Link:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19961213&id=H4JeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-GENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1727,6567200&hl=en
Your Problem now is this Link:
Emanuel (Pittsburgh)
Should Pitt hire Tom Bradley?
Beano Cook
(3:13 PM)
My answer to that is yes. I think he would be a good choice. So would Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads.
LINK TO THINK:
https://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/41705/ncaa-fb-with-beano-cook
It is recognized that Pederson and Howland were paid millions to do their jobs at Pitt and both did them, and both left too, and now both are part of History and you can thank them for doing their jobs, but neither will be back at Pitt!
It is time for you to move on and Howland too, Pitt has and will be just fine without either of them!
PITT HEADLESS AD!
This post was edited on 4/1 12:17 PM by CaptainSidneyReilly
Re: Credit Given & One More Thing Saved Pitt From Sandusky, LINK!
Captain, I would sure like to know how the ACC move came about from its inception. Who called whom and the different maneuvering involved. Was wondering if that's ever been written about factually. Thanks in advance if you or anyone else has this available for all of us to read about.
Captain, I would sure like to know how the ACC move came about from its inception. Who called whom and the different maneuvering involved. Was wondering if that's ever been written about factually. Thanks in advance if you or anyone else has this available for all of us to read about.
Re: Vietvet1, I Can Share One Small Tidbit!
I can tell you one thing I know for sure and verified it. Way back even before any ACC raid. Way back in 2001 Nordenberg was asked if Pitt would consider leaving the Big East and the answer was no at Bowl Game, and shortly after the ACC was already making plans to expand. This came from a very good dependable source thatw as there.
I would like to see a Book on all the Conference Expansions and written by an Insider with good inside information. I do not have any but followed it closely back then and when.
In any event, the way I see it, Steve Pederson's name was on the Athletic Directors Door and he had to be part of it. So I give him Kudos although I admit there are far better sources on the lair or at Pitt that know the full story, especially Steve.
I do know as a Former Golden Panther few to none liked Steve and quit giving and the ones that did told me, Steve only calls them when he needs something. At the same time, Steve made sure Boosters were put under control to prevent any NCAA Violations potentials and he ran a clean compliance ship at Pitt.
Other schools like Bama, USC, Miami, WVU, and Penn State all paid a big price for not watching that aspect and all the compliance rules and regulations.
I always though the ACC-Big East FB Schools should have expanded together into one Conference of 18 Schools minus Temple and South Florida (No Need For 2 or 3 Schools from One State) including ULou and UCincy and including Notre Dame.
Just my opinion, not Gospel!
BC
UCONN
CUSE
PITT
RUTGERS
ND
ULOU
UCINCY
WVU
FSU
MIAMI
DUKE
UNC
NCS
WAKE
GT
VT
UVA
I can tell you one thing I know for sure and verified it. Way back even before any ACC raid. Way back in 2001 Nordenberg was asked if Pitt would consider leaving the Big East and the answer was no at Bowl Game, and shortly after the ACC was already making plans to expand. This came from a very good dependable source thatw as there.
I would like to see a Book on all the Conference Expansions and written by an Insider with good inside information. I do not have any but followed it closely back then and when.
In any event, the way I see it, Steve Pederson's name was on the Athletic Directors Door and he had to be part of it. So I give him Kudos although I admit there are far better sources on the lair or at Pitt that know the full story, especially Steve.
I do know as a Former Golden Panther few to none liked Steve and quit giving and the ones that did told me, Steve only calls them when he needs something. At the same time, Steve made sure Boosters were put under control to prevent any NCAA Violations potentials and he ran a clean compliance ship at Pitt.
Other schools like Bama, USC, Miami, WVU, and Penn State all paid a big price for not watching that aspect and all the compliance rules and regulations.
I always though the ACC-Big East FB Schools should have expanded together into one Conference of 18 Schools minus Temple and South Florida (No Need For 2 or 3 Schools from One State) including ULou and UCincy and including Notre Dame.
Just my opinion, not Gospel!
BC
UCONN
CUSE
PITT
RUTGERS
ND
ULOU
UCINCY
WVU
FSU
MIAMI
DUKE
UNC
NCS
WAKE
GT
VT
UVA
Re: Vietvet1, I Can Share One Small Tidbit!
Captain, thanks much for sharing. I also was a member of the Golden Panthers from their inception. Factually I was told first hand by a former player and a professional medical person that they were going to stop any further giving to the program after DW was let go without any back up plan. Those were great times with the Golden Panthers. I will always have fond memories of the events held under the Golden Panthers banner. great times!
Captain, thanks much for sharing. I also was a member of the Golden Panthers from their inception. Factually I was told first hand by a former player and a professional medical person that they were going to stop any further giving to the program after DW was let go without any back up plan. Those were great times with the Golden Panthers. I will always have fond memories of the events held under the Golden Panthers banner. great times!
Re: Vietvet1, I Can Share One Small Tidbit!
I don't want the sports programs my school advertises on (which is what D1 football and basketball is, let's be honest) to rape boys (or anyone else) and cover it up for decades. Such behavior needed to be met with extermination, so no other would dare cover it up and enable it again. Epic fail on the part of the NCAA (and Congress, which should have marched the NCAA onto capital hill to strong arm it to happen once it was clear the NCAA was going to puss out).
But as far as the other, petty issues like the other schools mentioned have conducted (payments, partial qualifiers, overlooking silly 'crimes' like failing a reefer test) and the like) ... I don't dig those things either, but I hate losing (and having my Alma mater publicly mocked as a result) a while lot more.
The NCAA has long established, basically since the members laid down the law after SMU (that sanctions need to be toothless), that such things are subject to such laughable 'discipline', versus the mammoth returns they bring to the programs in question, that they should be considered the minimum cost of doing business for programs that willingly sign on to P5 membership. Which Pitt has.
And Steve had time in OSU, as well as Nebraska of course, so he knew damn well this is the case to be even competitive, let alone a consistent winner. He might be as arrogant as people say, or whatever. So what? The most successful guys in college sports are. But he came from places that know how to do it right ... which is to say, wrong.
Let's not attribute Pitt's dubious post-Wannstedt 'strategy' to him.
What was the "big price" they paid, exactly?Originally posted by CaptainSidneyRe
Other schools like Bama, USC, Miami, WVU, and Penn State all paid a big price for not watching that aspect and all the compliance rules.
I don't want the sports programs my school advertises on (which is what D1 football and basketball is, let's be honest) to rape boys (or anyone else) and cover it up for decades. Such behavior needed to be met with extermination, so no other would dare cover it up and enable it again. Epic fail on the part of the NCAA (and Congress, which should have marched the NCAA onto capital hill to strong arm it to happen once it was clear the NCAA was going to puss out).
But as far as the other, petty issues like the other schools mentioned have conducted (payments, partial qualifiers, overlooking silly 'crimes' like failing a reefer test) and the like) ... I don't dig those things either, but I hate losing (and having my Alma mater publicly mocked as a result) a while lot more.
The NCAA has long established, basically since the members laid down the law after SMU (that sanctions need to be toothless), that such things are subject to such laughable 'discipline', versus the mammoth returns they bring to the programs in question, that they should be considered the minimum cost of doing business for programs that willingly sign on to P5 membership. Which Pitt has.
And Steve had time in OSU, as well as Nebraska of course, so he knew damn well this is the case to be even competitive, let alone a consistent winner. He might be as arrogant as people say, or whatever. So what? The most successful guys in college sports are. But he came from places that know how to do it right ... which is to say, wrong.
Let's not attribute Pitt's dubious post-Wannstedt 'strategy' to him.
I don't think football was the deciding factor in getting Pitt into the ACC. I think it was a factor but not THE factor. I just know for a fact that neither was basketball THE factor. Otherwise they would have chosen UConn, regardless of how BC felt about their addition. Does anyone really believe that Clemson or Florida State gives two schitts what BC thinks about anything?
I also don't agree that facilities did it. Have you ever been to the Carrier Dome? That place is a DUMP! We still don't have a track and field facility. Rather, I think geography and institutional profile were much bigger factors. In fact, I know they were,
The ACC has long had designs on controlling the Eastern seaboard in a similar way that the Pac-12 does the West Coast. That desire only heightened in this cable television era. When the Big 12 began playing footsie with Pitt - also because of our institutional profile and geography - that spurred the ACC to act quickly or risk losing out on Pennsylvania - the Northeast's second most population dense state behind only New York, which was also included in the ACC's most recent expansion.
That was not coincidental.
Also, due to our strong past and brand equity, Pitt's football ratings remain high as compared to our on-field performance. The Harrisburg Patriot-News ran a graphic a few years back comparing a bunch of Big Ten candidates and Pitt finished third behind only Notre Dame and Nebraska and well ahead of the likes of Rutgers, Syracuse, Missouri, Colorado, etc.
As for the facilities, people are free to believe whatever they want. However, I believe that Pitt presented a false choice to its alums/fans. I don't agree that we had to choose between having a good on campus college basketball arena or a good on campus college football stadium. I think that is complete nonsense - which is why you never hear of this type of controversy happening anywhere else. Now, I do think what they did was the cheapest and most expedient option. Also, I don't think what they did was a horrible choice by any means. It just wasn't the best possible choice, IMHO.
We DEFINITELY could have renovated/right-sized Pitt Stadium AND built a brand new on campus basketball arena. However, that would have taken planning and relationship-building - two areas at which the previous administration was woefully inadequate.
I have a very different view of an AD's job then did Pederson. I would NEVER, EVER tell a coach what scheme to run or which players should play more or less frequently as he allegedly did with both Harris and Wannstedt. That is LUDICROUS and disturbing. He was nowhere near qualified to manke any of those determinations. He was not Pitt's general manager, he was out athletics director. Those jobs are NOT the same. His jobs were to schedule opponents, hire/fire coaches and most importantly to RAISE MONEY. His job was to remove hurdles, not to become one.
If the local corporations aren't donating to Pitt athletics, whose fault is that? If our fans aren't donating commensurate with our competition, whose fault is that? Guess whose job it is to convince people to willingly part with their hard-earned money? That is a LOT more important than meeting with a coach and telling him that the backup TE should see more balls next week. If Cincinnati raise money in a worse circumstance - and they have - then why can't Pitt?
Relationships matter and my-way-or-the-highway guys have a short shelf life - especially when they attempt that management style on people who don't actually work for them and therefore do not have to capitulate to their nonsensical demands.
I do not hate Steve Pederson and I do agree that he did do some good things here. However, with a little regard for his consumers and a basic understanding of public relations, he could have done much more here. Instead I would call his tenure pedestrian at best (which is a great song, BTW) and it is absurd for people to ignore the many legitimate reasons I listed for my criticisms and be blindly and mindlessly labeled a hater.
It's cool though. Like my dear old Ma always told me as a child, that's why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors. I don't think Steve Pederson's legacy will be fondly remembered by most Pitt fans but I am perfectly fine with those who disagree with me on that or any number of other issues.
