The Fallout
of 2004 Pitt Recruiting Partially
because of the uncertainty regarding Walt Harris’ future,
partially because of questions surrounding the Big East’s
BCS status, and partially because of a disappointing 8-5 record,
Pitt’s recruiting season imploded last year. PSR looks at
the players involved.
James Bryant, MLB, Miami Reading,
PA One of the nation’s top prospects last year, Bryant chose
Miami over the Panthers . . . more.....
University
of Pittsburgh One
would think that after five straight bowls, including the
school’s first New Year’s day bowl in over 20 years, Pitt
was finally ready to cash in with a top 20 recruiting class.
It is a feat that has not been accomplished at the school
since Mike Gottfried coached the Panthers in the late 80’s.
But with the tenuous job status of coach Walt Harris looming
over the season like a dark cloud, the staff spent most of
the recruiting season trying to convince recruits to be a
part of a program in flux . . . more.....
Penn State
University After its
fourth losing season in five years, Penn State concentrated
on upgrading its athleticism with a recruiting class loaded
with speedy multiple-purpose players.
The Nittany Lions gained a measure
of respect with a couple of huge commitments. First, Gateway’s
Justin King, the nation’s top cornerback prospect . . . more.....
PSR Showdown
Neil Rudel of the Altoona Mirror
and the Tribune-Review’s Joe Bendel talk about local recruiting
. . . more.....
West Virginia
University The 2005
recruiting season started out with a bang for West Virginia,
when highly-touted Long Island halfback Jason Gwaltney verbally
committed to the Mountaineers last February. Gwaltney, though,
has since changed his mind and is now deciding between Southern
Cal and Ohio State, although he claims . . . more.....
Eating
Our Own Wow, we are
pretty schitzo, huh?
No disrespect to folks with the
real thing, but this place was all over the board leading
up to and after the Steelers’ loss in the AFC Championship
game. That’s nothing new because the same scenarios unfold
every time the circus comes to town, but the insanity associated
with some of this stuff is almost stunning. Not to mention
funny.
Don’t get us wrong, we love the
passion. We’ve done it all and still engage in it at some
level, in a different way, on the radio . . . more.....
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News Flash:
Pirates’ Fans Want A Winner Pitchers
and catchers report this month as the annual Pirate pilgrimage
to the gulf coast of Florida begins. Can Jason Bay avoid the
sophomore jinx? How will Matt Lawton fit in? Will Jose Mesa
be able to do it again? While these questions will eventually
be answered, the Pirates’ organization has been considering
another question for some time: How do we sell this team to
a public that has grown weary of 12 straight losing seasons?
PNC Park opened to spectacular
reviews in 2001 and the Pirates had their best year ever at
the gate . . . more.....
Dismal Dukes
Forget about steroids
in baseball. Don’t worry about corruption in boxing. There’s
an investigation that’s just screaming for attention: How
does Duquesne manage to post a lousy record in basketball
year after year? If you’re reading this with bifocals, you
may (repeat: may) remember when Dukes basketball was a big
deal, the Nelson twins roamed the earth and the team was at
least moderately successful. The school had a long history
of success through coaches like Dudey Moore, Chick Davies
and Red Manning. When the silly names stopped, so . . . more.....
Open Ice,
Open Minds The people
who market the National Hockey League had better hope fans
across North America don’t react to the resumption of play,
whether that’s next October, next Christmas or about the time
we put a man on Pluto, with the urgency owners and players
displayed over the first four months of this lockout.
With the exception of two December
meetings and two informal three-on-three discussions coaxed
by NHL Players Association president Trevor Linden in January,
fans mostly have been up to their trendy third jerseys in
silence. The national media reacted to the Sept. 15 lockout
by more.....
Demise of
Salary Cap Could Threaten Team Pittsburgh
saw Jaromir Jagr traded to Washington for three AHL players
and a bag of pucks. The city witnessed the trade of Alexei
Kovalev to New York for a pack of journeymen and an oil change
certificate for the zamboni. It experienced Jason Kendall
getting traded to Oakland for two mediocre pitchers, one of
whom (Arthur Rhodes) may not have even gotten word that he
was a Pirate before he was dealt away again.
And the list doesn’t stop there.
How about all the other guys who have left the Steel City
for various places via . . .more.....
Up Close
With Jason Bay
2004 was a history making season
for Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Jason Bay. The 26-year-old
left fielder became the first Pirates’ player to win the Jackie
Robinson National League Rookie of the Year award since its
inception in 1947. The Trail, B.C., native also became the
first Canadian to win Rookie of the Year, voted on the by
the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, in either league.
The Pirates have had four ROY runners-up: Donn Clendenon finished
second to Ken Hubbs in 1962, Johnny Ray finished second to
Steve Sax in 1982, Mike Dunne finished second to Benito Santiago
in 1987 and Orlando Merced finished second to Jeff Bagwell
in 1991 . . . more.....
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