Pat Forde weighs in on the Stallings hire, and it's not good

[mvk112]

Your inability to escape the endless hole of negativity is starting to create some delusional aspects to your posting, You see an anti Jamie bogeyman behind every door. The fact is, many on here were very supportive of Jamie and thought he did a great job, but now Jamie is gone and it's time to just move on. The hire may not be as appealing to some as it is to others, but even most of those who don't like the hire are reasonable enough to give the man a fair chance over the next few years to prove his worth on the basketball surface. Come on now, even you must have a little fairness running in you.

Saying Stallings' expectations should be the NCAA tournament is not being negative. I've said he's done a good job retaining the recruits and hiring a staff thus far. I'm skeptical that he's going to do anything more at Pitt than he did at Vanderbilt, if that is being negative, then whatever.

If you don't think there's a ton of Pitt football fans that resented the success the previous hoops coach had, for raising the level of the program to where Pitt was routinely referred to as a basketball school nationally, then you haven't been around here much the past ten years. There were threads here a few weeks back celebrating the 'fact' that Pitt is back to where it belongs as a football school.

 

[QuitCallingMeWanny]

Saying Stallings' expectations should be the NCAA tournament is not being negative. I've said he's done a good job retaining the recruits and hiring a staff thus far. I'm skeptical that he's going to do anything more at Pitt than he did at Vanderbilt, if that is being negative, then whatever.

If you don't think there's a ton of Pitt football fans that resented the success the previous hoops coach had, for raising the level of the program to where Pitt was routinely referred to as a basketball school nationally, then you haven't been around here much the past ten years. There were threads here a few weeks back celebrating the 'fact' that Pitt is back to where it belongs as a football school.

This we agree on, the weird football vs. basketball dynamic is one of the weirdest things to occur on these message boards, and that is saying something

 

[Pittguy1980]

And early exits from the ncaa's... If you're going to tell the story, tell the whole story, groupie.

I prefer to place value on a coach by his overall body of work rather than a couple games in March. Only small minded people do that.

 

[sherepower]

So, you can excuse ALL cheating that goes unpunished??? That means it's OK to lie, steal, cheat on your spouse and sell heroin to grade school kids if you don't get caught?? Nice set of ethics, there, shere.

Its amazing how far off the rails this thread became.
My point from the very beginning was Pitt was not some bigtime cheater as many on here suggested.
Because of me saying this. I have horrible ethics lol. Geezus some of you folks are out of your minds

 

[NTOP]

Its amazing how far off the rails this thread became.
My point from the very beginning was Pitt was not some bigtime cheater as many on here suggested.
Because of me saying this. I have horrible ethics lol. Geezus some of you folks are out of your minds

That is what you posted. I'd rather be out of my mind than saddled with yours.

 

[playtowin1]

Saying Stallings' expectations should be the NCAA tournament is not being negative. I've said he's done a good job retaining the recruits and hiring a staff thus far. I'm skeptical that he's going to do anything more at Pitt than he did at Vanderbilt, if that is being negative, then whatever.

If you don't think there's a ton of Pitt football fans that resented the success the previous hoops coach had, for raising the level of the program to where Pitt was routinely referred to as a basketball school nationally, then you haven't been around here much the past ten years. There were threads here a few weeks back celebrating the 'fact' that Pitt is back to where it belongs as a football school.

Be honest now, it's been more than skeptical on your part. It has been constant attack mode. For me and many others, we root as hard for basketball as for football and want nothing but success for both programs. I think 99.9 percent of the fans do. This isn't about football vs. basketball. This is about success of everything that is PITT. I can tell you right now, I get as nervous and anxious watching or listening to both sports as probably everyone on this board does. Let's give Stallings a fair shake and not be ready to pounce at the first mistake and say I told you so. I am impressed by him thus far in seeing what has happened player wise, coaching moves, handling of the press, and overall demeanor, considering he walked into a volatile situation. It takes a strong man to keep his focus through something like that. Whether that translates to success on the court itself is to be played out. Recruiting will be fun to watch over the next several months, and that will be another indicator along the way as to what might play out later. Good Luck to coach Stallings and Good Luck to coach Narduzzi.

 

[Delpanther]

Sorta like getting "a little bit pregnant"?? Don't break the rules, no worries. Sadly, it might be impossible to avoid breaking the rules, there are so many.

Not at all-there's plenty of gray. You have to learn how to play in the gray area. If not, you lose. That's not cheating; that's being smart.

 

[Delpanther]

I prefer to place value on a coach by his overall body of work rather than a couple games in March. Only small minded people do that.

Yea, skew the story to suit your fancy, groupie. Spoken like a wide eyed groupie!

 

[TD_6082]

Not at all-there's plenty of gray. You have to learn how to play in the gray area. If not, you lose. That's not cheating; that's being smart.

You have to learn you to cheat and not get caught first and foremost. If you do get caught, make sure whatever happened can't be traced back to someone employed by the school and that it can't be proven they have any knowledge of it.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

You have to learn you to cheat and not get caught first and foremost. If you do get caught, make sure whatever happened can't be traced back to someone employed by the school and that it can't be proven they have any knowledge of it.

Man, reading this board has gotten really depressing.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

A del vs souf fight. Can we just assume both are wrong? Just kidding.

Souf just continues on, I am sure with a smirk on his face in these debates. But I have to say Del is amongst the worst debaters on these forums. Maybe #1. And that is saying something.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Its amazing how far off the rails this thread became.
My point from the very beginning was Pitt was not some bigtime cheater as many on here suggested.
Because of me saying this. I have horrible ethics lol. Geezus some of you folks are out of your minds

But we were. Jesus again, I posted countless article after article. And again, as they say "tip of the iceberg". When you get sanctioned and investigated for infractions, those are likely the tip of the iceberg. The NCAA does NOT want to punish these schools as Harve has indicated.

But again, I posted numerous articles back in the late 80's and early 90's about Pitt's recruiting improprieties. And I posted numerous articles on Mississippi State's sanctions, almost on a yearly basis. Again, tip of the iceberg.

In these debates, where people fall off the rails and somehow misread or represent discussion to fit a narrative of "Jamie Sucks" or "Jamie is Great" when actually these were never the point of the discussion.

 

[Harve74]

But we were. Jesus again, I posted countless article after article. And again, as they say "tip of the iceberg". When you get sanctioned and investigated for infractions, those are likely the tip of the iceberg. The NCAA does NOT want to punish these schools as Harve has indicated.

But again, I posted numerous articles back in the late 80's and early 90's about Pitt's recruiting improprieties. And I posted numerous articles on Mississippi State's sanctions, almost on a yearly basis. Again, tip of the iceberg.

In these debates, where people fall off the rails and somehow misread or represent discussion to fit a narrative of "Jamie Sucks" or "Jamie is Great" when actually these were never the point of the discussion.

Owtie, he just chooses to keep his head in the sand. It was well-known coast to coast. Anybody who was around in those days couldn't miss the line of a couple dozen Monte Carlos parked in the players' parking lot. Or even the fact that they had to CREATE a players' parking lot after Dorsett's car got booted.

He's got a buddy who supposedly told him he didn't get paid. There's a better chance the guy is lying to him than that he was a starting caliber player and WASN'T getting paid. Maybe he wasn't a high enough rated recruit to get paid when he was recruited, but guys who excelled and earned it got on the payroll.

I hung around with a bunch of guys and just about everybody who was anybody was getting something. I even knew some of the boosters who were doing the paying. To deny that is like denying the Sun comes up every morning. It went on EVERYWHERE, PSU,ND, you name it.

 

[Delpanther]

Souf just continues on, I am sure with a smirk on his face in these debates. But I have to say Del is amongst the worst debaters on these forums. Maybe #1. And that is saying something.

Actually, you're the worst-your views on every issue oscillate from one end of the spectrum to the other. Not an ounce of consistency in anything you say. I think it's also an intelligence issue.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Souf just continues on, I am sure with a smirk on his face in these debates. But I have to say Del is amongst the worst debaters on these forums. Maybe #1. And that is saying something.

Pretty much,
Like I've said before, I post and argue for my own entertainment.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Actually, you're the worst-your views on every issue oscillate from one end of the spectrum to the other. Not an ounce of consistency in anything you say. I think it's also an intelligence issue.

No doubt you are consistent in these debates.
Just not in the way you think.

 

[Delpanther]

No doubt you are consistent in these debates.
Just not in the way you think.

You're not much brighter than the other guy....very obvious.

 

[Delpanther]

Pretty much,
Like I've said before, I post and argue for my own entertainment.

Which is precisely why you require a discussion with your therapist....555,000 posts later on every blog on the internet....and equally despised throughout.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Which is precisely why you require a discussion with your therapist....555,000 posts later on every blog on the internet....and equally despised throughout.

I don't post to be liked by anonymous strangers.
As noted, for my own entertainment.

 

[Delpanther]

I don't post to be liked by anonymous strangers.
As noted, for my own entertainment.

You post incessantly because of a deep seated need to be "noticed"(along with the endless boredom associated with what you do))...a therapeutic need, no doubt.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

You post incessantly because of a deep seated need to be "noticed"(along with the endless boredom associated with what you do))...a therapeutic need, no doubt.

If I wanted to be noticed, I wouldn't have a pseudonym.
Why do you post and argue in a losing fashion so consistently?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Actually, you're the worst-your views on every issue oscillate from one end of the spectrum to the other. Not an ounce of consistency in anything you say. I think it's also an intelligence issue.

Says the man who still argues the earth is flat. It is no character flaw or sign of weakness to when upon given further information, you change or alter your stance.

 

[Delpanther]

Says the man who still argues the earth is flat. It is no character flaw or sign of weakness to when upon given further information, you change or alter your stance.

Let's hear some Bucco chatter...clueless. You don't provide any information that influences my position...because it's mostly your view of the world. Buccos...bobbleheads, crappy lineup...that's the bottom line.

 

[Delpanther]

If I wanted to be noticed, I wouldn't have a pseudonym.
Why do you post and argue in a losing fashion so consistently?

I've got you pegged...that's at least one accurate assessment.

 

[NTOP]

I think the initial reaction covered this.

But people forget a couple important facts:

1. Jamie Dixon left on his own. We didn't force him we didn't push him. So if the replacement on paper doesn't look as good as Dixon, so what? We didn't have a choice in the matter. He was the 7th highest paid coach in the NCAA we couldn't justify paying him any more than he was. **edited for dt**

2. There are legit road blocks at Vanderbilt. It's funny the same people that incessantly excused Dixon because of Pitts lack of tradition and recruiting road blocks won't acknowledge the challenges stallings had.

3. Finally who was hired that was better?

Pastner? Piskiell? Drew? Underwood? Think an argument is there that not one of those guys is a better hire than stallings

#1 isn't a fact...it's your opinion.
#2. Didn't the guy at Vandy dismiss this??
3. Dixon was better.

When an AD starts pushing buttons with a successful coach, perhaps it's his way of getting his own choice in place. Make Dixon uncomfortable enough to want to leave, and make it cheap on TCU to hire him. That old canard about always having a new coach in your speed dial might not have been the case, here.....perhaps that number was in Turners" phone?
I doubt the total story will become public.

 

[bobfree]

#1 isn't a fact...it's your opinion.
#2. Didn't the guy at Vandy dismiss this??
3. Dixon was better.

When an AD starts pushing buttons with a successful coach, perhaps it's his way of getting his own choice in place. Make Dixon uncomfortable enough to want to leave, and make it cheap on TCU to hire him. That old canard about always having a new coach in your speed dial might not have been the case, here.....perhaps that number was in Turners" phone?
I doubt the total story will become public.

Several respected people including dt Pitt and steinbrink stated Dixon was not forced out. So my "opinion" has more validity than yours.

To your second point you use another opinion to back up your point.

You like Dixon more than Pitt. That's your choice. Go root for tcu. You're butt hurt big time that your idol left, but it's time to get over it. Just my opinion

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Let's hear some Bucco chatter...clueless. You don't provide any information that influences my position...because it's mostly your view of the world. Buccos...bobbleheads, crappy lineup...that's the bottom line.

Del, again the Pirates won 98 games. They have the second most wins in MLB the past 3 years. AND this year they haven't played a dozen games yet.

That being said, I predicted they would not make the playoffs this year and would take a step back before hopefully moving forward next year as Glasnow, Taillon and Bell graduate to the bigs. I ain't buying Bobbleheads and stuff like that either. But.....again, facts win out over opinions. I don't think Nutting is in it to win it necessarily either. But again, tell me how giving up say Bell and Glasnow last Trade deadline for David Price would have helped the Pirates anymore than JA Happ did?

Some of their moves mystify me also. But they have worked. So far.

 

[Delpanther]

Del, again the Pirates won 98 games. They have the second most wins in MLB the past 3 years. AND this year they haven't played a dozen games yet.

That being said, I predicted they would not make the playoffs this year and would take a step back before hopefully moving forward next year as Glasnow, Taillon and Bell graduate to the bigs. I ain't buying Bobbleheads and stuff like that either. But.....again, facts win out over opinions. I don't think Nutting is in it to win it necessarily either. But again, tell me how giving up say Bell and Glasnow last Trade deadline for David Price would have helped the Pirates anymore than JA Happ did?

Some of their moves mystify me also. But they have worked. So far.

I hope the Bucs win it all. I've been a huge Pirates fan since the day I was born. I hope I'm wrong about this team. I want a world series championship! 37 years since the last one.....that's a long dry spell.

 

[bobfree]

And you're a liar. My loyalty is with Pitt....whose AD jettisoned Dixon. Of course you have a different view....all jackals do. They survive on carrion....incapable of providing for themselves. No wonder you like Stallings....he's leftovers.

I shouldnt engage you but what did I "lie" about?

And the rest of your post is nonsense.

 

[sherepower]

Owtie, he just chooses to keep his head in the sand. It was well-known coast to coast. Anybody who was around in those days couldn't miss the line of a couple dozen Monte Carlos parked in the players' parking lot. Or even the fact that they had to CREATE a players' parking lot after Dorsett's car got booted.

He's got a buddy who supposedly told him he didn't get paid. There's a better chance the guy is lying to him than that he was a starting caliber player and WASN'T getting paid. Maybe he wasn't a high enough rated recruit to get paid when he was recruited, but guys who excelled and earned it got on the payroll.

I hung around with a bunch of guys and just about everybody who was anybody was getting something. I even knew some of the boosters who were doing the paying. To deny that is like denying the Sun comes up every morning. It went on EVERYWHERE, PSU,ND, you name it.

Ummm. He was very highly recruited.

One day playing hoops in front of his house. Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno, Foge Fazio and Lou Holtz came by one after the other. Again, everyone wanted him. Believe me, if Pitt paid him money. He would of told me

For someone who says he loves Pitt. You sure like to throw them under the bus lately. I am starting to think you were more of a Dixon fan instead of a Pitt fan. Frankly that would be extremely sad

 

[drp1tt]

Yeah, live in your little yinzer world, comparing a local hack to a national writer. SMH There are people outside of Pittsburgh, that know an awful lot more about basketball than you can possibly understand.

If he has been following Dixon and Pitt the last 4-5 years and watch the slow down in recruiting and the style they are trying to play with out the right players, then this should be no surprise that Pitt moved on. If Forde really so well attuned to what is going on then he is indeed a very biased reporter. Only time will really tell.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Ummm. He was very highly recruited.

One day playing hoops in front of his house. Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno, Foge Fazio and Lou Holtz came by one after the other. Again, everyone wanted him. Believe me, if Pitt paid him money. He would of told me

For someone who says he loves Pitt. You sure like to throw them under the bus lately. I am starting to think you were more of a Dixon fan instead of a Pitt fan. Frankly that would be extremely sad

Regardless Shere, I am not sure if you are still friends with Dean, but ask him about Gottfried and D'Alonzo. Come on man, we cheated really, really bad back in those days. The biggest crime in it all, both in football and basketball, we still screwed it up.

 

[Harve74]

Regardless Shere, I am not sure if you are still friends with Dean, but ask him about Gottfried and D'Alonzo. Come on man, we cheated really, really bad back in those days. The biggest crime in it all, both in football and basketball, we still screwed it up.

Your last sentence says it all. We couldn't even cheat well.

 

[Harve74]

Ummm. He was very highly recruited.

One day playing hoops in front of his house. Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno, Foge Fazio and Lou Holtz came by one after the other. Again, everyone wanted him. Believe me, if Pitt paid him money. He would of told me

For someone who says he loves Pitt. You sure like to throw them under the bus lately. I am starting to think you were more of a Dixon fan instead of a Pitt fan. Frankly that would be extremely sad

Barnes is throwing enough people under the bus for everyone. Didn't like the hire when it happened. Everything he does I hate it worse.

I've posted freely about Pitt's excesses in the Golden Panther years all along. Those things were common knowledge and appeared in print frequently. I was here through a good portion of that era and there were plenty of worse things happened than the stuff I've written about.

You really must have had your head in the sand.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Your last sentence says it all. We couldn't even cheat well.

Harve, you are older than me, But I am not that young. Do you remember the Ail in The Family Episode where Archie admonishes Edith for cheating, calling her "Edith the Good" "you cheat, you don't cheat to win, you cheat to lose!" Well we did that. Not out of benevolence but incompetence.

 

[sherepower]

Regardless Shere, I am not sure if you are still friends with Dean, but ask him about Gottfried and D'Alonzo. Come on man, we cheated really, really bad back in those days. The biggest crime in it all, both in football and basketball, we still screwed it up.

I know,all about those two. Again, if he was getting paid by Pitt. He would of told me.

Now were there guys who loved to hang around athletes who paid for drinks and dinners. Just to make them feel like some big shots. Absolutely!

 

[Delpanther]

I know,all about those two. Again, if he was getting paid by Pitt. He would of told me.

Now were there guys who loved to hang around athletes who paid for drinks and dinners. Just to make them feel like some big shots. Absolutely!

Shere, I wish someone would explain to me the compulsive need of the same handful of posters to swear at least once per year that Pitt has to cheat to be successful-it's ridiculous and it's tiresome. Maybe Pitt played in the margins of the rules for a time-so what-everyone has done it and most do, EXCEPT Pitt. Pitt needs to understand what the NCAA allows and doesn't allow because if they don't play by the same rules as everyone else, they are destined to be average.

 

[NTOP]

I shouldnt engage you but what did I "lie" about?

And the rest of your post is nonsense.

You lied about my loyalties. Pitt comes before any coach. But, I also like to think that Pitt acts with integrity. If not, they don't deserve my loyalty.

 

[Harve74]

I know,all about those two. Again, if he was getting paid by Pitt. He would of told me.

Now were there guys who loved to hang around athletes who paid for drinks and dinners. Just to make them feel like some big shots. Absolutely!

Your first sentence basically defines boosters.

Drinks, dinner, clothes, bling, envelopes in lockers after games, cars....it's all the same to the NCAA. Remember Free Shoes University?

All of those happened. And to some extent, still do most places. The money almost never comes directly from the school.

It comes from boosters. Generally there are coaches aware of the deals and even coordinating them, but not usually the head coach. The head coach generally needs deniability if it crashes down on the school. Somebody further down the ladder takes the fall.

 

[thebadby2]

Yeah, the fact that Cal is the only coach in NCAA history to have not only one but two Final Four's vacated is all because if his great personality too.

This is a guy who lied to recruits, claiming Lou Carnaseca was dying of cancer, to try to get an advantage. He's slime.

Stick your ostrich head back in the sand if you want. You're not living in the same world everyone else is.

Agree with your thoughts on Cal...

however I just noticed your new tag line below. Assuming you mean it the way I think you mean it--and I can't imagine any other context for it but as a direct reference to Dixon's departure--that's a really weird and overly dramatic thing to say.

I hardly think Pitt basketball will descend into chaos with Dixon's departure. Not sure where you've been the past 5 years, but we have just been treading water. Dixon leaving isn't going to crumble an empire--he didn't leave an empire to crumble. You can rationalize it any way you want to but it's a fact, and it wasn't going to get appreciably better any time soon. We weren't getting the necessary players. And I know you love the guy, I like him myself and thought he did a good job here, but we aren't losing a legend or hall of fame coach here. Just a decent guy who did a very good job for a number of years with the solid foundation of a program that his prior boss built for him. He could never get it over the hump in March, and he was not able to adequately respond to his personnel problems and change of league scenery. IMO, Dixon isn't half the coach that his mentor is. I suspect TC will find that our over the next several years. Anyone who's looking for big things to happen at TCU now is bound to be very disappointed.

I'm not crazy about his replacement either, it was a weak and disappointing hire, but I don't think it will be much of a downgrade from the Pitt basketball of the last 5 years. But--is there a hire that would have satisfied you?