What happened?

[pbrad]

This program has worn me down. After the 2 best hires in my time, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill, its been downhill. All American after All American was produced in the 70's and early 80's. We were the prime tv attraction playing the peds on national tv around Thanksgiving. We would bring teams like USC and Oklahoma to PITT stadium watched by sellout crowds and those teams were worried coming here.

There are many reasons things have gone south with the PITT program, but I now realize we are Illinois, we are Wake Forest, we are BC without the win over PITT but most of all we are delusional that these things will change. I will watch but no longer scream from my seat or even in front of the tv. I am worn down.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

This program has worn me down. After the 2 best hires in my time, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill, its been downhill. All American after All American was produced in the 70's and early 80's. We were the prime tv attraction playing the peds on national tv around Thanksgiving. We would bring teams like USC and Oklahoma to PITT stadium watched by sellout crowds and those teams were worried coming here.

There are many reasons things have gone south with the PITT program, but I now realize we are Illinois, we are Wake Forest, we are BC without the win over PITT but most of all we are delusional that these things will change. I will watch but no longer scream from my seat or even in front of the tv. I am worn down.

We paid players during the glory days. Now we dont and most others do. That's the quick answer.

 

[eyebugs]

This program has worn me down. After the 2 best hires in my time, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill, its been downhill. All American after All American was produced in the 70's and early 80's. We were the prime tv attraction playing the peds on national tv around Thanksgiving. We would bring teams like USC and Oklahoma to PITT stadium watched by sellout crowds and those teams were worried coming here.

There are many reasons things have gone south with the PITT program, but I now realize we are Illinois, we are Wake Forest, we are BC without the win over PITT but most of all we are delusional that these things will change. I will watch but no longer scream from my seat or even in front of the tv. I am worn down.

Seriously get a life.. Its college football played by 18-22 yo kids.. Its frustrating during the game but support the team. If you are so worn down don't watch.. Get a hobby

 

[ThePanthers]

It was downhill to the mid 90s and then went uphill and now is stagnant.

 

[pbrad]

Seriously get a life.. Its college football played by 18-22 yo kids.. Its frustrating during the game but support the team. If you are so worn down don't watch.. Get a hobby

I have a life, but now it will not involve spending a whole Saturday travelling to and from Heinz to watch a team of 18=22 year olds as you say with the chance they lose to Delaware.You obviously have never witnessed a well coached great playing team.

 

[pbrad]

We paid players during the glory days. Now we dont and most others do. That's the quick answer.

SMF I wish that was the only answer.

 

[DruidTM]

Hackett happened

 

[eyebugs]

I have a life, but now it will not involve spending a whole Saturday travelling to and from Heinz to watch a team of 18=22 year olds as you say with the chance they lose to Delaware.You obviously have never witnessed a well coached great playing team.

Well I did see a great well coached team full of NFL players lose to Pitt on their home field...Did you?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Majors and Sherill coached for a dirty program in one of the most talent rich football meccas of the country. Now WPIAL is lucky to get even one player in the top 300 list. This thread is absurd!

 

[UptownPrivileges]

Back then we got alot of NJ players too

 

[HailToPitt725]

I know this is anecdotal evidence and everyone is different, but I kinda find it funny when people say “that’s it!” when a Pitt season ends.

To me, it’s like being a Pirates fan. IMO, you know there’s a decent chance they’ll disappoint and shouldn’t expect anything less from them. It’s like after all the disappointment and heartbreaks, this is the final straw? Set the expectations low so that when they do succeed, it’ll feel great. I don’t root for Pitt because I expect them to be a winner every season. I root for them because it’s where my family is from and is the school that gave my steel-mill-rooted family everything we have today. Because of that I’ll stand by them no matter how bad we are.

My attitude with them is that I’ve stuck with them this long, I might as well stay with it!

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

Majors and Sherill coached for a dirty program ....!

Just stop. You have no evidence to back this up. Where’s the probation? And again... your buddies in Centre County were doing far more nefarious deeds at the time.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Just stop. You have no evidence to back this up. Where’s the probation? And again... your buddies in Centre County were doing far more nefarious deeds at the time.

Haha my buddies in Centre County? Jesus Christ, I was born and still live in the city of Pittsburgh, went to Pitt, and think PSU deserved the death penalty.

I am glad Tony Dorsett had a Cadillac in college. We won and it was a fine car.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Back then we got alot of NJ players too

Yes, and there was more eastern football talent in general. And recruiting was unscientific enough that we could recruit Hugh Green to Pitt almost by accident out of Mississippi without an SEC team grabbing him first.

Johnny also broke up the gentlemen's agreement on scholarship limits, a brilliant first year move to eventually set up 1976. I don't know what the equivalent is today, but we're not doing it.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

I am glad Tony Dorsett had a Cadillac in college. We won and it was a fine car.

Says you. Again... what year did Pitt go on probation? They didn’t. So quit trying to demean and ridicule their success.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Majors and Sherill coached for a dirty program in one of the most talent rich football meccas of the country. Now WPIAL is lucky to get even one player in the top 300 list. This thread is absurd!

70's and 80's was the wild west with paying players. of course pitt did it, as did everyone. SMU wasn't the only ones, they just got too good too quick and upset the blue bloods in texas with their newfound success..

it would be naïve to think any actual decent program wasn't at least a bit dirty back then.. getting recruits by paying them doesn't demean any success of the program. we are all fine with it, the ncaa is fine with it. just don't get out of hand, don't go overboard (like SMU) and everyone will look the other way..

 

[Pantherguy4]

I know this is anecdotal evidence and everyone is different, but I kinda find it funny when people say “that’s it!” when a Pitt season ends.

To me, it’s like being a Pirates fan. IMO, you know there’s a decent chance they’ll disappoint and shouldn’t expect anything less from them. It’s like after all the disappointment and heartbreaks, this is the final straw? Set the expectations low so that when they do succeed, it’ll feel great. I don’t root for Pitt because I expect them to be a winner every season. I root for them because it’s where my family is from and is the school that gave my steel-mill-rooted family everything we have today. Because of that I’ll stand by them no matter how bad we are.

My attitude with them is that I’ve stuck with them this long, I might as well stay with it!

Great post! I root for PITT because it is where I earned my degrees. I love the Panthers and will be back at Heinz Field next fall. HAIL TO PITT!

 

[PittFamily2]

Back then we got alot of NJ players too

They play soccer today.
I grew up in NJ and back in the day the BIG10 had a pipeline to the good NJ players out of the big schools, catholic, prep, and public.
At that time football was big in NJ.
Its all soccer fields today some towns cant field HS football teams.
NY has either passed or is reviewing a law that prevents tackle football in the state until the kid is 12.

By that time they selected and are training in another sport.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

This program has worn me down. After the 2 best hires in my time, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill, its been downhill. All American after All American was produced in the 70's and early 80's. We were the prime tv attraction playing the peds on national tv around Thanksgiving. We would bring teams like USC and Oklahoma to PITT stadium watched by sellout crowds and those teams were worried coming here.

There are many reasons things have gone south with the PITT program, but I now realize we are Illinois, we are Wake Forest, we are BC without the win over PITT but most of all we are delusional that these things will change. I will watch but no longer scream from my seat or even in front of the tv. I am worn down.

So worn down, that you got on a Pitt message board to let a bunch of Pitt fans know that you are done? Go be a drama queen. No one cares.

 

[pbrad]

So worn down, that you got on a Pitt message board to let a bunch of Pitt fans know that you are done? Go be a drama queen. No one cares.

When you have had season tickets for 46 years I think you are allowed to be "worn down". Let me know when you hit the 46 year mark.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

When you have had season tickets for 46 years I think you are allowed to be "worn down". Let me know when you hit the 46 year mark.

1990-96 - Things can get a lot worse than what they are now.

 

[Mikefln]

70's and 80's was the wild west with paying players. of course pitt did it, as did everyone. SMU wasn't the only ones, they just got too good too quick and upset the blue bloods in texas with their newfound success..

it would be naïve to think any actual decent program wasn't at least a bit dirty back then.. getting recruits by paying them doesn't demean any success of the program. we are all fine with it, the ncaa is fine with it. just don't get out of hand, don't go overboard (like SMU) and everyone will look the other way..

Actually it was not the Texas schools who blew the whistle on SMU. It was actually Pitt, and to a lesser degreePSU, WVU, and ND that did.

SMU got a commitment from All American Sean Stopperich from Canon Mac after he already committed to Pitt. So the locals schools and ND went to the NCAA saying something along the lines of "to lose a Texas kid to SMU is one thing, but losing a WPA kid to SMU is something else. What is going on there."

Once the NCAA investigated Scott S situation, they had everything they needed to put SMU away.