I always thought this was legend, guess not.
Sherrill fires Jimmy Johnson at halftime!
- Thread starter happjack
- Start date
Remember it well. Didn't blue and gold bleeding Wanny go with Jimmy?
Only if Jackie stayed...what would have been.
Phil Axelrod, my best friend, wrote that article. He told me at the time that Jackie was upset because he thought it was too negative, and Phil became persona non gratis for some time. Phil was surprised because he thought the article had been very straightforward.
Phil passed away in July 2014 from lung cancer. Duquesne grad but loved Pitt football. His dad was a professor at the Medical School and his mom was the University Chief Librarian.
Phil passed away in July 2014 from lung cancer. Duquesne grad but loved Pitt football. His dad was a professor at the Medical School and his mom was the University Chief Librarian.
Sorry about your friend passing. Pittsburgh media is always negative. Axelrod was too, but nowhere near Smizik, who was a Pitt grad. Gene Collier, who I think was a psu grad ?? Was actually just snarky and sarcastic without being overtly negative.
At that time, the P-G certainly was not negative about Pitt. Mario Parascenzo, the beat writer, was a huge Pitt fan, as was Phil (although Phil rooted for Duquesne in BB). The team was very good in those days so it wasn’t hard to be positive about them.
But, losing to NC State 30-17 in a second tier bowl game was a signal that there were problems. I thought Phil’s article was even-handed about the split in the coaching ranks.
But, losing to NC State 30-17 in a second tier bowl game was a signal that there were problems. I thought Phil’s article was even-handed about the split in the coaching ranks.
we should have went with Jimmy over Jackie in hindsight. or, if Jimmy was an option, gone with him over Foge (yeah, no kidding right).
Sorry to hear about your friend Phil.
While I can see why Sherill might have been upset about the piece, I agree that it is pretty straightforward and that the information is something Pitt fans would like to know about.
Smizik was the sports editor of the Pitt News as was Lair legend, Dream Backfield. So was Martha Munsch who you jobbers never heard of. Board of trustees Reed Smith lawyer.
Maybe, but Jimmy wouldn't have stayed very long anyway. He was born in Texas, retired to Florida, and I don't think it's a coincidence he tried to spend most of his career coaching in Dallas and Miami as soon as he could. He isn't the sort of guy who probably would have wanted to hang around Pittsburgh that long, no matter how good WPIAL was then.
I am too, I was just referring to the long run. but you are right, crazy administration pushed him out, would have done the same with a Johnson or any other successful coach from that era..
this is hopefully a mistaken post if not it could be one of your worse takes ever. The hindsight hire was Jimmy over Foge.
Martha Munsch was the Sports Editor when I joined the staff. I believe she succeeded Smizik. She is one of the smartest people I ever have known. (She hired me.) She was succeeded by Tom Sachs and then Jay Rosenstein. Tom went to law school at Tufts. Jay served in the Navy after graduation, then went to the Columbia University Graduate School Of Journalism, and worked for CBS News for many years.
At least three Reed Smith partners are former Pitt News Editors or Sports Editors: Martha, Fred Frank and Linda Goldstein. Fred and Linda became partners when Reed Smith decided to end its restrictive hiring practices and merged with Pittsburgh’s top Jewish law firm.
Similar threads
