(This just in from Mikey and Big Bob at the 96.1 Kiss Morning Freak Show : a better clip!)
Well, that was about as ugly as I could've ever imagined.
The Backyard Brawl had a bit of everything: Bob Huggins conjuring up memories of Sam Wyche with a microphone-grabbing rant directed at garbage-hurling Mountaineer fans; the WVU crowd getting a technical foul later in the game for hitting a Pitt assistant coach in the head with what appeared to be a coin; a TV announcer so upset over the airborne change that he nearly lost his voice decrying the act; pushing and shoving between players that left a referee on the ground; and no shortage of vulgar chants from the student section. Yes, the brawl moniker was certainly appropriate for this contest.
Unfortunately for Pitt, they forgot one thing on Wednesday night: their game. Brad Wanamaker and Gilbert Brown were both held scoreless, the team shot a miserable 16-for-53 from the floor and 2-for-10 from three-point range, and they were outrebounded 42-30. Things were so bad for the Panthers that Ashton Gibbs, who was 87-for-92 from the free throw line this year, missed three foul shots.
The end product of those awful ingredients was a lopsided 70-51 WVU win in a game that the Panthers were never in danger of winning. Don't get me wrong, they had their occasional runs, but rarely does playing catch-up at great lengths result in a W.
During the game, we were formally introduced to Mountaineer Deniz Kilicli, the 6'9" Turkish behemoth who made his college debut after an NCAA-mandated 20-game hiatus. The TV announcers compared Kilicli to Kevin Love, and SI recently wondered that he might be the 'Eers "missing link", but after watching him put up nine points in just seven minutes of action, this I can guarantee: Pitt fans will not like him.
The Panthers got Jermaine Dixon back for this one, and he did lead them with 13 points, but that's more an indictment of the rest of the team's offensive ineptitude on the night. Gibbs was the only other Panther to score in double digits, and he topped out at 11.
The non-basketball shenanigans were mildly amusing, but served no purpose other than making everyone involved look bad. Pitt assistant Tom Herrion's change-pelting got announcer Mark Adams more fired up than I've heard an announcer get in a long time. And Huggins' rant will live on in infamy thanks to the internet (and it does give me an excellent excuse to run the Wyche clip from years back):
So to all the WVU fans who were upset at my portrayal of them a night before, congratulations on your victory, and congratulations on proving me right. Say what you want about Pitt, but I can't remember any Panther coach needing to reprimand his home crowd like a mom yelling at her five-year-old for throwing things, nor can I remember any opposing assistant coaches ever getting hit with objects thrown by Pitt fans. Which obviously means I've never seen both happen in the same game.
Mark your calendars for February 12, because that's when these two teams will meet again at The Pete. It's not going to be a game for the faint of heart, that I can promise. It's also going to be a big night for Pitt fans, who will be under the microscope after pointing out the flaws of the Mountaineer faithful. It's in your hands now, Oakland Zoo.
Unfortunately for Pitt, they forgot one thing on Wednesday night: their game. Brad Wanamaker and Gilbert Brown were both held scoreless, the team shot a miserable 16-for-53 from the floor and 2-for-10 from three-point range, and they were outrebounded 42-30. Things were so bad for the Panthers that Ashton Gibbs, who was 87-for-92 from the free throw line this year, missed three foul shots.
The end product of those awful ingredients was a lopsided 70-51 WVU win in a game that the Panthers were never in danger of winning. Don't get me wrong, they had their occasional runs, but rarely does playing catch-up at great lengths result in a W.
During the game, we were formally introduced to Mountaineer Deniz Kilicli, the 6'9" Turkish behemoth who made his college debut after an NCAA-mandated 20-game hiatus. The TV announcers compared Kilicli to Kevin Love, and SI recently wondered that he might be the 'Eers "missing link", but after watching him put up nine points in just seven minutes of action, this I can guarantee: Pitt fans will not like him.
The Panthers got Jermaine Dixon back for this one, and he did lead them with 13 points, but that's more an indictment of the rest of the team's offensive ineptitude on the night. Gibbs was the only other Panther to score in double digits, and he topped out at 11.
The non-basketball shenanigans were mildly amusing, but served no purpose other than making everyone involved look bad. Pitt assistant Tom Herrion's change-pelting got announcer Mark Adams more fired up than I've heard an announcer get in a long time. And Huggins' rant will live on in infamy thanks to the internet (and it does give me an excellent excuse to run the Wyche clip from years back):
So to all the WVU fans who were upset at my portrayal of them a night before, congratulations on your victory, and congratulations on proving me right. Say what you want about Pitt, but I can't remember any Panther coach needing to reprimand his home crowd like a mom yelling at her five-year-old for throwing things, nor can I remember any opposing assistant coaches ever getting hit with objects thrown by Pitt fans. Which obviously means I've never seen both happen in the same game.
Mark your calendars for February 12, because that's when these two teams will meet again at The Pete. It's not going to be a game for the faint of heart, that I can promise. It's also going to be a big night for Pitt fans, who will be under the microscope after pointing out the flaws of the Mountaineer faithful. It's in your hands now, Oakland Zoo.
UPDATE:
Ask and you shall receive. Here's the awesome video of announcer Mark Adams going bonkers around the 40-second mark, courtesy of Mikey at the 96.1 Kiss Morning Freak Show.Email: Mondesishouse@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/mondesishouse Facebook: Facebook Group
