Paul Zeise, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, last December.
And don’t forget Notre Dame is playing against Pitt, against Connecticut, against Syracuse (and they wanted to play Rutgers but of course, Rutgers being Rutgers declined an eight-year deal to play four at Notre Dame and four at the new Giants Stadium because Rutgers wanted the games on campus, which is ridiculous. The amount of money and exposure and the guaranteed national television appearance which would have come from playing at Giants Stadium against Notre Dame would have been far more than any home game against Army or Morgan State or whatever rent-a-win opponent Rutgers wants to bring to its campus) — so those teams are benefitting from being aligned with Notre Dame
Paul Zeise yesterday, on why Pitt couldn't drop everything to play Michigan.
The idea that Pitt "turned down" a series with Michigan is laughable. The Cliff Notes version is this -- Pitt needed a home-and-home in back-to-back years to replace a Clemson series (Clemson asked out of the contract and Pitt gave in) which was scheduled for 2010-11. Michigan needed a game next year -- the two talked and worked something out for next season but it was clear that they couldn't work out the return trip to Pitt in 2011. When it became clear that Michigan (which agreed to a return trip but not until 2014 or so) couldn't make a return trip in 2011 - the talks died. It wasn't either sides fault, it happens all the time -- teams try to schedule games but sometimes the dates and/or logistics just don't work out.
Now, I happen to think that his newer reasoning is dead on. It's funny how carrying an athletic department's water can help someone see the light on these matters however.
Quick refresher being that Zeise received several angry emails in response to his December column, because he was speculating out of pure ignorance, and Knight fans called him out on that. He then proceeded to lash out in response, in a way that only served to make him look even worse. I'm not advocating a new wave of messages, even if Zeise technically deserves all the second guessing and rolled eyes that we can muster. Don't give him the smug satisfaction. Just smile, nod your head, maybe dig up a few of those old H.B. Blades comments from 2006 and chuckle for a moment.