Pitt: Dave Wannstedt's Hot Seat Splitting Fan Base With Apologists and Lunatics

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writer Paul Zeise had to spend considerable time and space in his Red Shirt Diaries defending his use of the term "lunatic fringe." He has demeaningly used this term to describe Pitt fans who write to him after a loss, demanding Wannstedt's head.

Keep in mind the Pitt fan base is not infinitely large. Most Pitt fans are dual or triple program supporters of Panther athletics. There are no lunatic fans in the Pitt basketball supporters—just lunatics like the Oakland Zoo and fans who wait two to three years to gain eligibility for men's hoops season tickets. They are so pro-Pitt basketball and so pro-Jaime Dixon, they are indeed lunatics.

Paul has nothing to say about the other side of the football fan base consisting of those who pander to Wannstadt's coach speak and cliched analysis of his latest game day turd.

One fan wrote to Paul yesterday arguing that Wannstadt is one good quarterback away from reaching the "next level."

Someone needs to tell this lost soul that Dave Wannstedt has never developed a good quarterback in 16 seasons as a head coach. Bill Stall's improvement last season over 2008 is a direct result of Frank Cignetti's efforts, not Dave Wannstedt's.

Stating that the Pitt football program is one good quarterback away from the next level is an unintelligent oversimplification of a situation that is riddled with problems. Evidence? Today's discussion in the Pittsburgh media is all about the Panthers' inability to successfully use the screen pass play.

One screen worked effectively against Syracuse. One. Wannstadt claims his team can't effectively practice the screen because injuries often occur on the cuts. So why are screen passes the topic du jour? Pitt can't run them well and Wannstadt doesn't want to practice them. No brain science needed here.

Defensive coordinator Bill Bennett weighed in about Pitt's problems stopping UConn's Jordan Todman last week. Bennett admitted to coaching errors. His honesty is refreshing, but it's no cover for what he is really saying: I didn't do my job.

Bennett allowed free safety Jared Holley to engage in a matchup on UConn's first touchdown that didn't favor the Pitt defense breaking up the play.

Bennett also said he had problems "fitting at another position," meaning the outside linebacker and Pitt defenders didn't get knocked off the ball.

How Bennett or Wannstadt could have missed a possibly game-changing timeout with UConn driving on a 4th-and-1 ends up being explained to fans by Bennett as this: "Hindsight, what I would have liked to have done was call a timeout..." (www.post-gazette.com, November 18, 2010)

Bennett never volunteered why his Pitt defense didn't put eight in the box to stop the run. Todman ran for 225 against the Panthers.

Coach Wannstadt offered his apologists the usual soft food for the toothless. "We just need to keep getting better," and "Don't know how those mistakes happened..but they can be corrected..."

In case you haven't kept up, Wannstadt just completed three-fourths of the 2010 season in his sixth year at Pitt, 16th year as a head coach. If the past is a useful tool to predict the future, Wannstadt's legacy is already set and Pitt's fate is sealed.

And remember, Mr. Zeise, your use of "lunatic fringe" is a humorous, ludicrous way to describe the devoted Pitt fans who live in the real world, and are rational, reality-based, and real pissed.