A few late night thoughts, from an outsider’s perspective

[HailToPitt725]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

 

[republion]

That was a very well thought out, very reasonable, and very articulate thought you provided, and I thank you kindly for posting it.

Now, just some friendly advice.... you might want to

DUCK AND COVER!!!

 

[Pardlion]

That seems a long-winded way to say “Pitt sucks”.

 

[AWS1022]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

I’ve always hated Pitt, but just in a “rivalry” kind of way. I also hated WVU, but that’s because I lived in WV for years and heard a lot of trash talking about PSU. The absolute hatred for Pitt for me started with the Sandusky situation and it wasn’t just Pitt. The endless Ped State, Joe knew, enablers BS made me hate a bunch of schools especially Pitt because they were the worst. I also grew to hate others such as Iowa and Rutgers. Kicking someone when they are done and doing so gleefully will cause that person to hate you.

 

[Alphabets]

It's the internet, that's why. In reality, I'm friends with a bunch of Pitt grads, including one football player from the early 2000's. But, on the internet hatred runs rampant mostly due to anonymity. If posters were forced to use real names, photos and addresses the tenor would be a whole lot different. This wasn't an issue in the 70's, 80's, 90's.

 

[RickinDayton]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

Right on!

 

[YYZ86]

I have no idea why you think Pitt and PSU are rivals.

 

[Jerry]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

Thank you.

First, true confessions time: I actually don't hate Pitt and never have.

I look back nostalgically on that roughly 10-year period in the mid-70's and early 80's when both schools were national powerhouses and the game was one of the highlights of the college football season. And even in the decade before that, when Penn State dominated the series, it was a traditional rivalry and a game I looked forward to.

Second, you have to keep the word "hate" in perspective in the context of college football. It's a figurative, not literal, hate. It doesn't consume your soul -- just your Saturdays in the fall.

In fact, one of the joys of the sport is that there's a team you "love" and other teams you "hate." Rooting against the latter is one of the fun parts of the game. For example, I grew up hating the SEC. After a few years in the Big Suck Conference, hating the SEC became secondary to hating Michigan and Ohio State. And so on.

As for your first paragraph about the last six months showing that we as a people have more in common than we think, well, good luck with that. Sadly, I think it's shown the opposite. Sports in general and college football in particular used to be a refuge, at least for a few hours. Now the Powers That Be are doing their best to ruin even that.

 

[fairgambit]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

Thanks for the friendly post.
I have often mentioned on this board that my wife of over 40 years is a Pitt grad, as are some very close friends. I enjoy good natured banter with those Pitt friends but it never rises to acrimony. I have always believed that when Pitt is successful it makes our losses more tolerable and the victories all the sweeter. Our 1981 48-14 win over Pitt was especially memorable because Pitt was ranked #1 at the time. Stay healthy 725.

 

[kentuckycb]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

I don’t hate Pitt at all. Great academic institution with passionate fans. I do hate all the vile jokes about child sex abuse at Penn State’s expense. If you guys could cut that out that’d be much appreciated. And it’s not “a few knuckleheads” either.

 

[HailToPitt725]

It's the internet, that's why. In reality, I'm friends with a bunch of Pitt grads, including one football player from the early 2000's. But, on the internet hatred runs rampant mostly due to anonymity. If posters were forced to use real names, photos and addresses the tenor would be a whole lot different. This wasn't an issue in the 70's, 80's, 90's.

I think this is a very good point.

 

[jrd23psu]

I don't hate Pitt as an institution. My sister even graduated from Pitt. What really turned me to the point of hating Pitt football past just a football rivalry are Pitt football fans after 2011. To this day your own board here on Rivals makes absurd claims or jokes that PSU coaches or fans sexually abuse anyone who goes into the Lasch Building. It's not funny and they aren't joking about it, either.

I am from western, Pa and I am at the point where I hate yinzers. I'm not even as big of a Steelers fan anymore because I cannot stomach being in the same group as people who post on your Rivals board. I'll never move back to western, Pa despite my entire family still living there.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Good post as things certainly get out of hand between various schools. But I would say there is more to the story than they are 2 hrs apart. Rivalries grow over time and often more than one reason. With Pitt/Penn State....there are several.

Prior to the great Pitt teams of the 70s, there were a couple issues at play. One is that Pitt is in Pittsburgh, a city that symbolized power and success. It was the home of huge multinational corporations, massive steel mills, big banks. Meanwhile, Penn State was a rural achool in the middle of nowhere. Pitt people looked down on the rubes and Penn State struggled to gain respect. Pitt struggled during the 60s while Penn State became an 'Eastern Power' but was angered they didn't get national respect.

Then the 70s brought two powerful teams to the spotlight. This made the games intense and that was further fueled by Paterno's declaration of his Great Experiment of stressing academics. Penn Staters took great pride in this but Pitt and others saw it as an insult and arrogance. And under Majors/Fazcio Pitt had multiple issues with players being arrested which added greatly to the back and forth.

Next up was Paterno's attempt to form an Eastern football league and Pitt refusing to do so.

Then it got even worse when Penn State became a national power and Pitt fell off the charts. Penn Staters sought revenge for decades of perceived slights and Pitt people were envious, embarrassed, and angry.

Then the ultimate hit the fan. Sandusky. Pitt people wallowed in vengeance and loved seeing them rubes get their comeupance. Penn Staters were embarrassed but angered by the vitriol. For several years one couldn't even wear Penn State clothing around the area without being targeted. That kinda stuff lingers a long time.

And now we have the refusal of Penn State to play Pitt, which really pisses off the Pitters.....more Penn State arrogance.

I imagine there is a lot history to other rivalries too. Alabama/Auburn, Texas/Ok, Ohio State and that team from the north. But the Pitt/Penn State rival has many layers that I doubt the others do. All that being said I agree that it is way over blown. But this kinda history doesn't fade away easily.

 

[Thomas1945]

HailToPITT725 nobody here hates PITT, and I’m sure that no one at PITT hates PSU. We’re all just having a good time joking around. Now go home and get your shoe shine box.

 

[Lion84]

I have no issues with the back and forth about PSU as a farmers school and cow fields etc but when you joke about child rape it ends for me and some of the scum on the Liar wallow in that stuff. I know they are in the minority but there was more than a little of it when we played recently and that is why I am glad the series is over and could care less if we ever play again and I did enjoy it when we played in the 80's but that was more good natured and now it's just vile.

 

[Bob78]

I look back nostalgically on that roughly 10-year period in the mid-70's and early 80's when both schools were national powerhouses and the game was one of the highlights of the college football season. And even in the decade before that, when Penn State dominated the series, it was a traditional rivalry and a game I looked forward to.

Bingo, Jerry. Nicely said.

This encapsulates how many of us decades-long PSU fans feel wrt Pitt. That time has passed, so be it, but as you say, the Pitt game, and the anticipation of the game, was a highlight of any season for a long time.

 

[Media Fan]

Internet sports boards:
1. Where anyone of any intellect or lack thereof can saying anything without people knowing their age, gender, or otherwise.
2. Where fewer than 50 posters can be seen to represent 25,000 students and 350,000 alumni.
3. Where there is no screen for the truth ( the worst part for me).
4. Where bad behavior flourishes: bad language, the I’m right, you’re wrong culture, thoughtful exchange is limited, virtually complete intolerance.
Etc.
Ah yes, the internet

 

[Madsol]

I don't think there's a lot of mystery to it: the hard core, internet Pitt fans cannot and will not accept that Pitt and Penn State operate on two different planes in the CFB universe. Call that arrogance if you want, I don't care. I call it truth. So the constant comparing of Pitt to Penn State always leaves them lacking, which leads to bitterness and a lashing out of Sandusky jokes; thus, why a sizable portion of the Penn State fanbase would be happy to never play Pitt again.

 

[The Spin Meister]

I have no issues with the back and forth about PSU as a farmers school and cow fields etc but when you joke about child rape it ends for me and some of the scum on the Liar wallow in that stuff. I know they are in the minority but there was more than a little of it when we played recently and that is why I am glad the series is over and could care less if we ever play again and I did enjoy it when we played in the 80's but that was more good natured and now it's just vile.

And it is very bad that it is not only allowed on The Lair....Pitt board.....but encouraged. It is not just a few bad apples.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

As for your first paragraph about the last six months showing that we as a people have more in common than we think, well, good luck with that. Sadly, I think it's shown the opposite. Sports in general and college football in particular used to be a refuge, at least for a few hours. Now the Powers That Be are doing their best to ruin even that.

While I applaud and wish H2P was spot-on, unfortunately, I think Jerry is probably right. Sports aside, we have way too many divisions in our national discourse that obstruct our paths to working together. Too many people refuse to leave their camps. Hubris trumps humility. Negotiation has (wrongfully) become synonymous with capitulation, all to the detriment of our greater good. We don’t allow anyone else to just be different - they have to be better or worse.

 

[PSUSignore]

I don't care enough about Pitt to consider them the scum of the earth. I'm sure the Pitt fans will say I'm full of it and that PSU fans all view them as rivals and we hate them. I don't see how anyone can objectively compare Pitt and PSU and reach the conclusion that they are similar in terms of on field performance over the last 50 years, Pitt simply hasn't been on the same level and it's obvious when comparing wins, bowl games, rankings, etc. I'm not being elitist, it's just the truth that Pitt hasn't been as consistently relevant. I think PSU fans outside of western PA that weren't around for the era when Pitt was regularly competitive and nationally ranked really don't care. My interest in beating Pitt when they are on the schedule is slightly higher only because I don't want to hear the endless yapping from the Pitt fans that hate us, because they live for PSU games while most PSU fans I know don't get excited to play Pitt.

 

[john4psu]

I've asked myself those questions as well.

Why do Pitt fans hate Joe Paterno? And this started nearly 50 years ago and not just recently. Because his team your team every year like a drum and defeated Pitt every year from 1966 through 1975.

Is that reason enough to hate someone? His team beat your team? In a sport? In a game? Evidently so to Pitt fans.

Enough for Pitt fans to issue death threats to Sue and Joe Paterno and Chuck Fusina. Is that beyond what a rivalry should be about? You tell me.

 

[CF LION]

If you want to see hate and disgust for rivals, head over to Test Board and witness Team D and Team R go at it.

Or, just observe what's going on in the country. There isn't much in the way of "friendly competitiveness" between rivals in any arena anymore.

 

[Lion Son/Husband/Father]

SMD puss boy.

 

[NC2017]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

What does this have to do with the China virus?

 

[harbest]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

Back in the day, when Pitt was still in the Big East, I went on your board to suggest you guys get out of that failed football conference and look into getting into the Big 10 so we could play each other for almost every season like we always did for almost 100 years. I was met with such derision and verbal garbage thrown my way that led to my attitude that Pitt could clearly go to hell. It is also the reason behind my sig pic. I went on several B10 boards to wish them well on their bowl games. All responded in kind except for Michigan. As a human being, I am a believer in welcoming strangers with an open hand, but if you decline my offer the wrong way, beware of my closed fist coming out from behind me.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

I think this is a very good point.

Also from Western PA and do not hate Pitt; had lots of friends go there and it's a very good school. I went to more than a few games at the old stadium (saw Michael Vick dismantle them) and think they shot themselves in the foot when they tore it down. If Penn State isn't playing, I probably have more interest in a Pitt game than nearly any other (unless a marquee match up). I wasn't around for the series hey day, so my experiences with the rivalry are very recent. I don't care what fans say - especially online. No Pitt fan I've spoken to in person has ever said anything about Sandusky (Paterno - maybe, but mostly because they resent him not wanting to play Pitt). My biggest issue with Pitt is their coach and his sh*t talking of Penn State. He can eat a bag; I wouldn't mind playing Pitt more regularly.

 

[PSU2UNC]

It's the internet, that's why. In reality, I'm friends with a bunch of Pitt grads, including one football player from the early 2000's. But, on the internet hatred runs rampant mostly due to anonymity. If posters were forced to use real names, photos and addresses the tenor would be a whole lot different. This wasn't an issue in the 70's, 80's, 90's.

It is much worse due to the internet.

And perhaps the animosity would have faded without the internet during the time off from playing each other.

But I will tell you that going to high school in Pittsburgh (not truly "pre-internet", but in terms of access it was; I did not have my first email account until sophomore year at PSU and that was only because I was taking engineering classes), there was a huge amount of animosity/trash talk (which sometimes got quite heated) among my friends who were "Pitt fans" (Pitt was only a few years removed from Marino et al so there were a lot of people with ZERO ties to the school who had jumped on the bandwagon) and a few of us PSU fans. (an aside: of that crew of friends, I believe zero actually ended up going to Pitt (and not because they couldn't get in) and most of the PSU folks in my friend group (granted there were fewer of us) DID go to PSU.

 

[Ski]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

I took my 12 year old daughter to the last PSU/Pitt game at Pitt Stadium. You should have heard the language screamed our way from 20 year old female Pitt students on the way into the Big Urinal. No scorn for Pitt and its fans is too much. I won't even go into the Sandusky affair. F Pitt and F you.

 

[NICNEM_PSU80]

For me the dislike started years ago because we were powerhouses that played tough games that determined who was the best in the conference and sometimes the nation. A true rivalry. The back and forth between fans was sharp but fun. I am sure that there was a bit of youthful arrogance on both sides. My favorite come back was just saying 48-14.

Later in life I learned that Pitt forced the series to be 2 home games at Pitt to 1 home game at PSU for an extended period of time. That to me was not banter regarding a rivalry but true arrogance. Fairness dictates that needs to be corrected.

Add the overwhelming Ped State screaming at the Pitt game in 2016 was just over the top. I went to the game with friends from Pitt but even some of their crowd could not hold back from being in my face.

The truth is I would like to play Pitt every year as a non conference game. It would be a nice scrimmage to prepare us for the Big 10 game schedule. That said the series would have to be 2 home games to 1 until the life time series was evened out. Now I am sure that Pitt won’t agree to that because the only way they can make money is to play PSU.

So there you have it, fix the long term series and back off the Ped State crap and maybe Pitt has a shot at having a viable football program.

48-14

 

[Connorpozlee]

Why rivalries? Because it’s sports. Rivalries make it more fun. It’s fun to throw a victory over a friend’s (or family member’s) favorite team in their face. It’s also fun to get a loss thrown at you. It’s about the bragging rights.

 

[olelion]

I've asked myself those questions as well.

Why do Pitt fans hate Joe Paterno? And this started nearly 50 years ago and not just recently. Because his team your team every year like a drum and defeated Pitt every year from 1966 through 1975.

Is that reason enough to hate someone? His team beat your team? In a sport? In a game? Evidently so to Pitt fans.

Enough for Pitt fans to issue death threats to Sue and Joe Paterno and Chuck Fusina. Is that beyond what a rivalry should be about? You tell me.

Paterno is hated by many of the Pitt fan base because he ended Pitt football

 

[Woodpecker]

I don't like Pitt ... but I HATE Lafayette (Lehigh '75)

 

[MacNit07]

It's the internet, that's why. In reality, I'm friends with a bunch of Pitt grads, including one football player from the early 2000's. But, on the internet hatred runs rampant mostly due to anonymity. If posters were forced to use real names, photos and addresses the tenor would be a whole lot different. This wasn't an issue in the 70's, 80's, 90's.

In the 70s and 80s, Pitt fans made substantive violent threats against Sue that needed FBI investigation/intervention. So don’t blame the internet.

 

[YYZ86]

Why rivalries? Because it’s sports. Rivalries make it more fun. It’s fun to throw a victory over a friend’s (or family member’s) favorite team in their face. It’s also fun to get a loss thrown at you. It’s about the bragging rights.

Then you have had a lot of fun over the last 60 years because it is so lopsided in PSUs favor. To us that don’t live near Pittsburgh, it is like playing Akron.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Then you have had a lot of fun over the last 60 years because it is so lopsided in PSUs favor. To us that don’t live near Pittsburgh, it is like playing Akron.

I don’t know any Pitt fans. I live in Kentucky. I wasn’t necessarily talking about Pitt-Penn State specifically but rivalries in general.

 

[YYZ86]

I don’t know any Pitt fans. I live in Kentucky. I wasn’t necessarily talking about Pitt-Penn State specifically but rivalries in general.

Ok fair enough.

 

[GregInPitt]

Feel free to consider this a run-on tangent more than anything.

If the past six months have taught me anything, it’s that life is short and should be treated as such. It’s also taught me that through all this “noise,” we as a people collectively have more in common with each other than we think.

So why is it that, when it comes to things such as sports, we have rivalries? I’m not talking about good, healthy rivalries that’re based on two teams frequently playing each other while having a common level of respect for one another, but consuming rivalries that transcend the game itself and become filled with hatred, disrespect, and disgust.

Have we ever thought about why we arbitrarily declare an opposing school or city to be the scum of the earth? In most cases, location is a common theme amongst rivalries. In the case of a Pitt fan, isn’t it strange that I grew up being told that Penn State is our biggest rival, meaning I must dislike everything about them and those associated with them? The same can be said for a Penn State fan and Ohio State, Michigan State, or whoever else you consider to be your rival these days. The ironic thing is, a lot of those associated with “the enemy” are our friends and family members.

Have you ever actually thought about why you dislike a particular school or team? Was it a specific event throughout the years, a build-up over time, or just because that’s who everyone else associated to your team has chosen to dislike?

Then I think about the Pitt-Penn State series that resumed in 2016. (Some of) the games were fun, but it was just filled with a lot of nastiness and useless vitriol from both sides. Heck, what’s the point of visiting a message board just to get into an endless, irrelevant argument about nothing? When you think about it, it was silly in hindsight; most of the young people with a dog in the fight had no recollection of a Pitt-Penn State game, much less it being a significant matchup, but fought each other and exchanged cruel barbs because the schools are located ~2 hours away. The same can be said for any other rivalry in any other sport on any other level of competition.

I guess the point I’m getting to is that is it worth it to have these types of emotions build up over sports? Why can’t we just cheer on our team instead of absolutely despising opponents, certain ones more so than others? This isn’t a comment directed towards Pitt and/or Penn State, but rather in general. Maybe I’m growing “soft” or perhaps the six month layoff has made me grown apathetic toward the subject, but, going back to the “we’re more similar than different” comment, what’s the point of these heated fights online and between fanbases? It becomes even more nonsensical when you consider that, more often than not, many of these same feelings aren’t shared by the players themselves.

Is it the instinctive competitive nature of humans, that we must “be better” than our neighbors and make sure they hear about it, too? Even if there’s heated emotions after a particular game or series, why does this carry over for generations of fans when the “rivalry” itself is long gone?

Alas, maybe I’m just tired of all the bickering in the world nowadays. I use sports as a vehicle to escape everything else happening but I see the same fights, just with different material. I’ll buck the trend and say that I wish you and yours good health throughout these troubling times. I’ll be the first one to say I’ll enjoy the moment I see Penn State back on the field and fans inside your stadium because that’ll mean life has regained its normalcy.

Nice to see some common sense from a Pitt fan. So I'll give you my perspective.

I bleed Blue and White. I began following PSU when my older brother went off to PSU in 1967. Really before that, as we always seemed to follow PSU. But we followed Pitt as well. I then attended PSU and obviously my love for PSU football was only strengthened. But back in the 80's I got a graduate degree from Pitt, met my wife (PSU undergrad) that was finishing her grad degree from Pitt, so we have some respect for Pitt as an institution.

Back then, yes the PSU/Pitt games were big events. The 48-14 game is likely still one of my top 5 PSU football memories. But then Pitt football declined. The landscape of college football changed, with stadiums being expanded, greater TV exposure,.... But Pitt didn't really participate in the changes like the real top programs. So that wore on Pitt fans.

In the 80's and 90's I had season tickets to Pitt basketball. I'm a sports fan, basketball fan, and the only local (to me) real college BB was Pitt. And yet with pitt playing Georgetown, or Syracuse, the Pitt "fans" interject PSU into their fight song. Sad.

Over the years since then, as PSU and Pitt went in different directions the hate from Pitt fans only seemed to increase. I found it pretty impossible to talk college sports with a Pitt fan. One of my wife's best friends husband, a plumber who never attended college but is a lifelong Pitt fan, continued to insult Paterno shortly after the Sandusky crimes were exposed when we were out to dinner with them, quoting the "facts" he heard from Pitt "fans" to me. Why would anyone with a brain antagonize a PSU grad like that at that time? I should have decked the clown, but out of respect for his wife I just told the gals that I was ready to leave.

And then the paranoia that Duzzy showed when PSU and Pitt had their 4 year series. Media blackouts. Saying it's the biggest game for them. Just plain stupid. I did love it when Franklin said it was just like playing Akron, as it really is just an out of conference game for PSU that can only hurt PSU if PSU loses and not really add to PSU's resume when PSU beats Pitt. That really is the truth, but it gives Pitt fans a case of hysteria. PSU really is better off playing a team with a more recognized national name, where more respect can be gained, as it's one tougher OOC game.

I've had other interactions with Pitt fans that lead me to believe that there are far too many Pitt fans that are just off their rockers. Some I tell that I had season tickets to Pitt BB for 10+ years, and they don't know how to respond. But in general I avoid conversations on sports with Pitt fans, as there are just too many of them that can't control themselves, that don't have a sense of how far into a discussion that includes rivalry (actual or perceived) that a respectful conversation can include.....

So the fact that I have a degree from Pitt, and that my oldest son just finished his Master from Pitt as well, and that I would like to cheer for Pitt as a second team now that PSU and Pitt have gone separate ways, just gets overshadowed by the memories of the Pitt jerks that I have come across over the last 50 years.....

 

[MacNit07]

Nice to see some common sense from a Pitt fan. So I'll give you my perspective.

I bleed Blue and White. I began following PSU when my older brother went off to PSU in 1967. Really before that, as we always seemed to follow PSU. But we followed Pitt as well. I then attended PSU and obviously my love for PSU football was only strengthened. But back in the 80's I got a graduate degree from Pitt, met my wife (PSU undergrad) that was finishing her grad degree from Pitt, to we have some respect for Pitt as an institution.

Back then, yes the PSU/Pitt games were big events. The 48-14 game is likely still one of my top 5 PSU football memories. But then Pitt football declined. The landscape of college football changed, with stadiums being expanded, greater TV exposure,.... But Pitt didn't really participate in the changes like the real top programs. So that wore on Pitt fans.

In the 80's and 90's I had season tickets to Pitt basketball. I'm a sports fan, basketball fan, and the only local (to me) real college BB was Pitt. And yet with pitt playing Georgetown, or Syracuse, the Pitt "fans" interject PSU into their fight song. Sad.

Over the years since then, as PSU and Pitt went in different directions the hate from Pitt fans only seemed to increase. I found it pretty impossible to talk college sports with a Pitt fan. One of my wife's best friends husband, a plumber who never attended college but is a lifelong Pitt fan, continued to insult Paterno shortly after the Sandusky crimes were exposed when we were out to dinner with them, quoting the "facts" he heard from Pitt "fans" to me. Why would anyone with a brain antagonize a PSU grad like that at that time? I should have decked the clown, but out of respect for his wife I just told the gals that I was ready to leave.

And then the paranoia that Duzzy showed when PSU and Pitt had their 4 year series. Media blackouts. Saying it's the biggest game for them. Just plain stupid. I did love it when Franklin said it was just like playing Akron, as it really is just an out of conference game for PSU that can only hurt PSU if PSU loses and not really add to PSU's resume when PSU beats Pitt. That really is the truth, but it gives Pitt fans a case of hysteria. PSU really is better off playing a team with a more recognized national name, where more respect can be gained, as it's one tougher OOC game.

I've had other interactions with Pitt fans that lead me to believe that there are far too many Pitt fans that are just off their rockers. Some I tell that I had season tickets to Pitt BB for 10+ years, and they don't know how to respond. But in general I avoid conversations on sports with Pitt fans, as there are just too many of them that can't control themselves, that don't have a sense of how far into a discussion that includes rivalry (actual or perceived) that a respectful conversation can include.....

So the fact that I have a degree from Pitt, and that my oldest son just finished his Master from Pitt as well, and that I would like to cheer for Pitt as a second team now that PSU and Pitt have gone separate ways, just gets overshadowed by the memories of the Pitt jerks that I have come across over the last 50 years.....

Great summary of what goes on here in Pittsburgh. My youngest daughter’s godfather and PSU roommate of mine also has a degree from Pitt. And what you articulated was almost exactly what I have heard him describe many times.

 

[MacNit07]

I took my 12 year old daughter to the last PSU/Pitt game at Pitt Stadium. You should have heard the language screamed our way from 20 year old female Pitt students on the way into the Big Urinal. No scorn for Pitt and its fans is too much. I won't even go into the Sandusky affair. F Pitt and F you.

Had the same thing happen to me in the last game at 3 Rivers Stadium (pre-Sandusky). If I had seen this type of behavior at Beaver Stadium by PSU fans, I can assure you they would have been called out.