Dunlap: Pitt-Penn State War Of Words Is Entertaining
Oh man, this is entertaining.
And I have to admit, seeing coaches caught in some war of words with each other is one of my guilty pleasures --- I can't turn away and I love it when they take it to this level.
With a game on the field more than 300 days away between Pitt and Penn State, the recent he-said, he-said has been quite darn compelling.
And, again, I can't get enough.
It all erupted earlier this week when Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi --- having what would be considered overwhelming success to this point in his first season --- decided to fire a cannonball in the direction of the Penn State offense.
He never explicitly stated who he was referring to, but we ain't dummies, Pat. We know the reference was to Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg's regression when you said the following:
"You could have a talented quarterback with a bad play-caller and make him look bad. You see that around the country, some closer than others."
Wham.
Flush on the jaw.
Knockout.
A one-punch TKO with Penn State coach James Franklin prone on the canvas in la-la land and his mouthpiece about 12 feet from him.
You got your lights turned out, James from State College.
But here's the thing: after Narduzzi's obvious salvo at Penn State, Franklin had a chance for a retort at his weekly news conference.
The Penn State coach was asked a question --- directly --- about Narduzzi's comments and if he had any response to such words.
For the most part, Franklin danced around things with kind words. He lauded Pitt and the state of college football in the state --- explaining how various programs are in good shape --- but clearly wanted to disengage from any sort of verbal sparring.
Some will see this as "taking the high road."
Some might see this as the best way to do business.
Some might see this as the best way to handle things and a touch of class.
If that's your view, so be it.
Here's mine: Right now James Franklin looks like a guy who pushed and pushed and pushed someone and then, finally at the right moment, that someone decided he was going to counter a push with a punch.
And instead of punching back, James Franklin doesn't want to fight anymore.
I don't know about you, but where I'm from (Sharpsburg) that's called "gettin' punked."
From someone who has absolutely no dog in this fight and couldn't really care all that much who wins the Pitt-Penn State game(s), it looks from this view that Franklin got punked by Narduzzi.
It also looks from this view that Franklin had it coming to him --- as he should never have brought only pushes to a fight against someone who knows how to punch.
When Franklin came roaring into the Penn State job in January of 2014 as the young hot-shot coach from Vanderbilt, he did so with a braggadocios swagger and a yap that liked to yap.
On his very first day on the job, Franklin made the bold proclamation that it was his intention to "dominate the state."
No one made him say that.
No one forced those words from his mouth.
He chose them.
He picked the fight.
So spare me any talk of Franklin being some victim now, or Narduzzi saying anything that was out of line.
In about as savvy a way as possible, Narduzzi waited for the perfect time to strike and did so, in my estimation, perfectly.
For his part, Franklin ran away and hid.
But maybe some of Franklin new swagger-lite approach has something to do with the play of his team.
I mean, losing to Temple when you're supposed to be the big, bad football power in the state will, um, humble you.
No matter how good they get, they will always be Temple and you will always be Penn State.
Who knows what will happen between now and Sept. 10, 2016 when Pitt and Penn State finally get together on the football field?
But I know right now it looks like James Franklin started a verbal fight that Pat Narduzzi effectively finished earlier this week.
With a one-punch TKO.
