Cannon Firing Line
Shrinkage
By Ellis G. Cannon
PSR Publisher

What was the name of that movie a few years ago, something about “Mom I Shrunk the Kids,” or something?

I feel the same way these days, if you haven’t noticed. I mean, look around. Did these guys even leave me with a head shot photo or is that gone too?

Actually, that’s fine. I love this look – no, not me, the layout – fitting even more information into the Report than ever before. And, hey, if I have to be sacrificed, I’m all for it.

Just like folks who have followed Penn State, West Virginia and Pitt football this season, all of whom have dealt with shrinkage in one form or the other through their respective seasons.

With respect to PSU and WVU, you were hard pressed to find anyone giving them much of a chance going into this season. You know the storylines; JoePa and his Nits were over their heads in the Big 10 while Coach Rod and the ‘Eers were too young to do anything even in the watered down Big East.

Regardless of how they fare in November, it seems like those who minimized expectations may have been a little premature, huh?

Perhaps people can now say the same thing about Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers, although it’s coming from a totally different perspective. Unlike their local brethren, the Panthers were universally touted as a Top 25 team in the preseason. With soaring expectations, there was nothing small about anything involving the Pitt program. Just the opposite.

However, after a most humbling start sized down the hype, the Panthers find themselves on the edge of coming off the mat, albeit with unfavorable odds. Still, after going from over-hyped to irrelevant faster than you can shrink a guy’s column, Pitt now has a chance to change that.

Much as the Lions and Mountaineers have done all season. I just hope that also applies to shrunken columns by the publisher.

“Ellis Cannon’s Sportsline Pittsburgh” airs weeknights, 6-8 p.m. on FM NewsTalk 104.7.