I haven't had the heart to mention this sooner or post on this topic but am going to try now. The Panther family lost two panthers earlier this year. My parents both passed earlier this summer within 6 weeks of each other. This has been a difficult year for my brother and I and our families.
My dad was a professor at Pitt who while retired years ago started at Pitt in the late sixties and saw every era off football since - Pitt was unbelievably bad when he started - but the Majors years were just a few years away. Much later when I was a Pitt undergraduate my mom also worked in administration at Pitt for about 10 years. Prior to that she had been an RN.
Both were season tix holders for around 35 years they stopped about 5 years ago mainly due to age/health but both were very dialed in to Pitt.
My entire fandom with Pitt was born as a 10 year old seeing Dorsett and that truly magical 76 season and was because of them . I have truly wonderful memories of those days I'm sure others who were around then can also attest to. Those days were great. Going into Oakland as a family- get lunch somewhere- visit " My Campus Store" and take the climb up cardiac hill to the stadium. In those days you could go on the feild postgame and I remember watching the 70s version of the drumline and band etc after each win .... and they kept winning...and winning... like I said... great times ! My dad at one point got a field pass and got photos I believe Marinos freshman year. He always had a big camera bag with him.
I miss them both dearly and it wil be tough to not talk about whatever the ups and downs of Pitt football (and basketball) may come this season. My mom and I especially talked on the phone often and lots of that was Pitt sports talk.
Mom was a poster here and while I won't say who I'll say she was both a Pitt fan and a Michigan fan. My parents met at U of M when my dad was finishing his doctorate.
Both were really excited back in my days at Pitt when I played in the drumline... in some ways it was full circle from my childhood. Dad got that all on camera too from warm ups at Bellefield Annex to " Out of the Hole!" at Pitt Stadium.
There's plenty of good memories I've forgotten I'm sure but thought I'd share with Panther nation now that I can handle actually writing about this.
I miss you guys