Ron Cook column on Chuck Tanner

Just something I've noticed over the years ... the P-G's columnists have a habit of drastically changing their positions in the span of a couple of days. More than once I've seen a P-G columnist lobby for, say, more patience for Pirates GM Dave Littlefield on a Sunday, then turn around three days later and call for his head.

 

Yeah, by Friday Bob Smizik will be calling Tanner out for "turning his back" on the drug problems that the 1980's Pirates had. He'l also blame him for not ratting out the Pirate Parrot.

 

Just a question - Why the picture of Walt Harris? And what is he doing these days?

 

That's Wlat to you.

 

Huh?

 

Inside joke among a few posters SportsJournalists.com posters. Somebody filled me in once, but I forgot the story already.

 

I've actually met Walt Harris, way back before he became, well, Walt Harris. He seemed to be a very nice guy. When he got hired at Pitt, I thought he was a good choice and he did a good job for the most part.

I have no idea, however, what happened at Stanford.

 

He also got destroyed by Ohio State recruiting Ohio and PA.

It's no coincidence that Ohio State got really freaking good when Pitt and PSU slid back a little.

 

He wasn't as bad as people in Pittsburgh make him out to be, but he seemed to hit a plateau in terms of developing the program and failed to bring in elite recruits, even in his own backyard.

It also hurt that Pitt lost some high-profile local recruits who had committed, then changed their minds and went elsewhere. Not that these were guys who are now starring in college (the best is probably Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli, who is nothing special), but it hurt his reputation locally.

 

I must have missed when Pitt was really good under Johnny Majors....and Paul Hackett....and Mike Gottfried for that matter.

 

True...the return of Majors in particular was a disaster.

 

No love for Foge Fazio?