BlueWhiteFootball.com

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/s_499158.html

Scott Paterno on the job. Do I think he can get it done??

Good comment from a poster on another board I visit:

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When the two schools joined conferences, they took on obligations. The Big Ten isn't going to say, forget playing Michigan State. Go Play Pitt. The Big East isn't going to say, forget that Louisville game, go to Beaver Stadium. Penn State probably would make 100% more income playing Sisters of the Poor at home than they would make playing Pitt every other year.

Of course, the game would be a semi-annual bonanza for Pitt, especially as they force fans to purchase, along with the Penn State game, an equal number of tickets to their annual "Sister of the Poor" game.

All that said, I hope that it happens. I doubt that it will, though, until Penn State gets a deal where they're not just giving up income so that Pitt can make income. Someone has to get creative. Maybe Pitt can get the Big East to move their Basketball Tournament from Madison Square Garden to The BJC. That would be a good opener for negotiations.

You mean Pitt wouldn't be a "Sisters of the Poor" game for us?

In all reality, this game would be a great rivalry and I would love to see it back on the schedule. Financially, in the present day NCAA, it's not gonna happen. You can only sell so many seats and we'll sell them for Buffalo or for Pitt, like Floyd said. We have no financial motivation to play them. They should be begging us to play them 2 and 1 or a home and home with a sweet deal for our basketball team thrown in. Maybe it would help them to get all those fans dressed up like empty yellow seats to wear regular football fan gear.

The only thing that I do wonder about, though, is the 12th game. With the 12th game seemingly a permanent fixture, and neither conference taking advantage; and with the Big 10 season ending so early, wouldn't it benefit PSU to schedule Pitt for the weekend after Thanksgiving? Take an off week during conference play. Have a game between the conference season and the January bowl game. Play a team that we'll beat every year, but still is percieved as a quality opponent. Have an actual rival, one that we still harbor hatred for, even though we haven't played in years. Be a highlighted game on the final weekend of the season.

I know that the Big East runs their schedule into the last week of the season, but they would love to get a draw like PSU late in the schedule, when Pitt is usually out of the Big East race anyway. Then they could sell their Thursday night Louisville vs WV game and get a PSU game every other year for Saturday night. This game is a cash cow for Pitt and the Big East and it's a scheduling benefit for PSU.

Oh... and don't tell me that when we end the season by schellacking Pitt, that allumni donations won't be affected.... we'd stand to make a lot of money from playing this game too. Frankly, I'm not excited by Temple, Buffalo and FIU this season. I want quality opponents, not patsies. Get Pitt on the schedule.