Idle Thoughts- Todd Graham Wins A Major Shell Game
I'm not one to share my opinion, but since you asked...
- Rushel Shell did what most said he would do on Friday and committed to Pitt next fall, playing in the Todd Graham, high-octane offense he's been promoting since coming here. Shell's addition to the class of 2012 couldn't have come at a better time for Graham, who's Panthers are coming off their worst loss of the season to Rutgers. Graham also has Mark Bisnowaty, the very large OT from Fox Chapel in his fold. Grabbing one or two more of the best the area has to offer talent wise and Graham can put a nice bow-tie on what is looking like a great job in recruiting the best players Western Pa has each year.
- Who is going to be the 1st teammate of Sidney Crosby to hit him hard in practice? Answer...nobody.
- Aaron Asham's playing to the crowd last night after decking Washington's Jay Beagle with one punch was amusing at that moment, but was unsportsmanlike. The fight, if you can even call it that, lasted about 15 seconds, ending with Beagle asleep on the ice and Asham taunting him as doing so. Asham did apologize after the game and rightly so. Some may call for him to be suspended for the nonsense he showed in gloating. I'm not willing to go that far, but again, fighting in the NHL comes under a microscope. No worries, as the Canucks who run the NHL will continue to ignore the issue they so closely guard as 'tradition.'
- The talk leading up to Rushel Shell choosing a school was that his size would not fit what Todd Graham's offense needed in a back. Nonsense. I don't think Graham will mind if Shell can do what Ray Graham is doing this year, production wise.
- Joe Paterno sounds like he's about to take a dirt nap each time he speaks. It's as if he's really working hard to breathe just to speak about the last team he will ever coach at Penn State.
- Urban Meyer to Penn State would mean a National Title for the Lions no later than by the end of the 2014 season. I don't know if that will happen, but if there was one program Meyer could go to and do an even greater job than what he 1st did for Utah, then returning Florida to past glory, it would be Penn State. USC & Notre Dame may be the only other two, but those jobs are secure for now. Make no doubt, no matter how many wins the Lions record, this is it for Joe. He will be gone after this season and it's the best thing that can happen for the We Are camp.
- It's good to hear the Pirates will be heard on The Fan starting in 2012. Now lets see if they can put a full six months of competitive baseball together. They managed four, before collapsing in August. The ride was refreshing, but winning is the elusive holy grail every Pirates fan dreams of.
- Nobody is going to be surprised that Paul Maholm won't be on the 2012 roster. I just hope they put some of that 9+ million they would have been on the hook for Maholm towards signing Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker to long-term deals.
- Tiger Woods will not win a PGA sponsored, or Major golf tournament in 2012.
- How can anybody blame Pitt for taking the ACC's bid? The Big East is never going to be a football first type of conference. It was built as a basketball league and is still run by them. They should have made Notre Dame an offer to join in all sports, or push them out last year. At least they could have stood a chance in all of this college football conference swapping had they forced ND's hand. Now they are looking at adding East Carolina and perhaps Air Force? Stick a fork in the Big East now and say bye-bye to your AQ status for the BCS.
- My prediction for the Steelers this week is that you will expect them to breeze by Jacksonville, but they won't. The game will not be decided until the end, with the Steelers winning by seven or less.
- If this QB Todd Graham has recruited from Tennessee is any good, you can start to feel a little bit better about what he intends to do while here. I feel with some talent he feels is the best fit, that Graham can deliver a 10 win season and a BCS bid. The question is will it happen while in the Big East or ACC?
- I hate to say it but I knew the Texas Rangers were going to win the AL Pennant. I came to this conclusion of course just after they took a 3-1 series lead over Detroit on Wednesday night.
- Does anybody miss the NBA? Yeah, I thought the answer to that question was no.
JP is a secret member of the Galactic Empire. When he's not chasing down Jedi across the Clemente Bridge, he can be heard hosting sports talk on Saturday mornings starting at 7am, in addition to anchoring sports-updates on Sports Radio 93.7 The Fan. Follow JP on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/937Phillips
