2-4-20 by The Pitt News

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | February 4, 2020 | Volume 110 | Issue 213

GRAD UNION PLANS FOR SECOND ELECTION

HEY, HI, CELLO

Neena Hagen

Senior Staff Writer

Mary Beth Malek, Tina Faigen and Paula Tuttle (from left) of the Zaffiro Trio perform the music of Schultz-Voigt-Mendelssohn at a performance at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on Monday. Romita Das staff photographer

Laurie Kirsch to step down as vice provost after 7 years Mary Rose O’Donnell Assistant News Editor

After working at Pitt for 27 years, Laurie Kirsch will step down from her position as vice provost for faculty affairs, development and diversity on June 30. According to a statement released by Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann Cudd, a search for Kirsch’s successor will begin in the coming weeks. Kirsch became vice provost for faculty affairs, development and diversity seven years ago. She was the chair of the Provost’s Advisory Council on Instructional

Excellence, where she worked to promote the University’s diversity goals, developed new teaching methods and created resources for faculty recruitment and retention. She was also chair of the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Concerns where she began the Spotlight on Women Leaders Program — a program designed to celebrate the accomplishments of female leaders across campus. Before her time as vice provost, Kirsch was a faculty member in the Katz Graduate School of Business, serving as a professor of business administration and

later as a senior associate dean for professional programs. She has won several awards for teaching and information systems research, including the Katz School of Business’ Teaching and Research Excellence Awards and the Magid Igbaria Distinguished Scholar award. Outside of her work at Pitt, Kirsch has held leadership positions in the Association for Information Systems and the Academy of Management and was an editor for various scholarly journals, including “Information Systems Research,” “MIS Quarterly” and “Management Science.”

After months of hearings, appeals and legal disputes between Pitt and graduate student union organizers, Pat Healy, an organizer and Ph.D. student, said the road to a possible graduate student union has been “tiring.” “This has definitely been tiring, especially for those of us who have been organizing on this campaign for a few years now,” Healy said. “We have a hard fight ahead of us.” But according to head organizer Jeff Cech, graduate students won’t have to wait much longer for another election. Cech said United Steelworkers, the union aiding Pitt faculty and graduate students’ unionization efforts, hopes to hold a second union election this semester. Graduate students originally voted against unionization 712 to 675 last April — a margin of 37 votes. The second election could take place anytime from April to the 2020 fall semester, depending on the timing of a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruling on whether Pitt committed unfair labor practices during the election. Graduate student union organizers were encouraged when PLRB official Stephen Helmerich ordered a new election in a proposed September ruling. The proposed ruling said Pitt committed three unfair labor practices during the election, which potentially influenced the results. Union organizers began to prepare for an election last fall, but Pitt filed a formal exception to Helmerich’s ruling. Since Pitt challenged the proposed ruling, the full three-person board must now rule on the issue. The PLRB has yet to rule on Pitt’s excepSee Union on page 2

News

Union, pg. 1

tion, and board spokesperson Lindsay Bracale declined to say when the ruling could happen. “Currently, the board is reviewing the exceptions filed by the University and Union,” Bracale said. “As each case is different, with a wide range of arguments and fact patterns to consider, there is no prescribed date when the board will issue its ruling.” Board meetings take place on the third Tuesday of every month, with the next possible ruling date on Feb. 18. If a ruling happens then, a second graduate student union election would occur about 40 days later, in early April, according to Cech. But if the ruling happens at a later date, or the board rules against the union, that will likely push a vote to the fall. Cech said he thinks it’s “highly unlikely” that the PLRB will reverse the proposed ruling, and he remains optimistic that the

Grad union organizers hold signs against the windows of the Forbes Avenue sky bridge during a demonstration in December. Joy Cao staff photographer board will call for a new election yet again. “The evidence [of unfair labor practices] is overwhelming,” Cech said. “If anything,

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we expect the board to come down harder on Pitt this time.” Pitt spokesperson Kevin Zwick said the

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University maintains that it did nothing wrong in the April election. “As we await the PLRB’s ruling, we remain confident that our actions during the election were legal and appropriate,” Zwick said. “We also believe that the results of that election, in which graduate students voted not to join the United Steelworkers, should be upheld.” Pitt’s graduate union organizers haven’t ceased their campaigning efforts while waiting for a new election. Graduate students held a demonstration in December on the Forbes Avenue sky bridge to rally support, and handed out fliers across campus last semester to tell students about how a union could improve their lives. “If we continue organizing, and we get another [PLRB] ruling in our favor, that shows students that Pitt is not supporting them,” Cech said. “That’s exactly why we need a union.”

February 4, 2020

editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Committee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor-in-chief has the ﬁnal authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor-in-chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, faculty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and editorial oﬃces of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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Opinions column

CORONA VIRUS

IS NO JOKE Paige Lawler

Senior Staff Columnist Gen Z is pretty well known for our dark, usually fatalistic sense of humor. Lately, this has been demonstrated by the jokes about the ongoing outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. I’ve seen and heard plenty of jokes about the virus — both in person and on the internet — and while they’re meant to be harmless and amusing, they are representative of a much larger issue. Jokes about the coronavirus are insensitive and inappropriate as they ultimately play into the racist attitudes and stereotypes that are being perpetrated by the outbreak. This novel coronavirus — specifically called 2019-nCoV — first emerged in December 2019, and became widespread in the second half of January. Scientists suspect that the virus originated in an animal — though the definitive source remains unknown — and was then transferred to humans, likely in a market in Wuhan. It is transmitted between humans via direct contact with droplets — from sneezing or coughing — that contain the virus. The virus has proven difficult to contain due to its incubation period, as people who contract it may appear healthy for up to two weeks before showing symptoms. As such, it is difficult to tell exactly when a person becomes infected,

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and they may spread the virus to others before realizing that they are sick. Though the virus has only had a 2% mortality rate up to this point, it has caused significant panic across the globe due to the limited options for treatment and the absence of a vaccine. It’s easy enough for Americans to brush off the impact of this outbreak, as there are only a few cases in the United States — the eleventh case was confirmed on Monday. However, in mainland China, the virus is spreading quickly despite China’s containment efforts — including putting Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, on lockdown, shutting down public transportation and closing the market where the virus may have originated. More than 7,000 new cases have been confirmed since Jan. 20, bringing the total number of infected persons to more than 17,000. While this number alone is certainly alarming — especially considering how rapidly the virus seems to be spreading — there is a possibility that the spread of the virus is far wider. A study by Northeastern University’s Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological and Socio-technical Systems speculated that — given the spread of the virus on Jan. 29 — the actual number of infected persons could be close to 31,200. Due to the rapid increase in con-

firmed infections, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” on Jan. 30. This was a reversal of its statement that the coronavirus wasn’t a global health emergency only a week prior. This information demonstrates the gravity of the outbreak and why it is not something to be taken lightly. Making jokes about a matter of international health concern is insensitive to the suffering of thousands of people, not to mention it can add to the racist attitudes that have become prominent during the outbreak. The spread of the coronavirus has sparked fear and panic across the globe, leading to increased xenophobia directed at Chinese people. An irrational — though increasingly common — fear seems to be that any Chinese individual could be a carrier of the new virus, leading to a number of harmful movements in different countries. In France, a regional newspaper ran a story with a headline warning citizens about a “Yellow Alert,” while in Japan a trending hashtag on Twitter says “#ChineseDon’tComeToJapan.” In other countries — like South Korea and Vietnam — some businesses have posted notices that customers from mainland China are not welcome in their establishments. In one extreme case, this anti-Chinese sentiment has resulted in death. In Sydney, Australia, a Chinese man experiencing cardiac arrest collapsed outside of a restaurant. Bystanders didn’t administer CPR for fear of the man being infected with the coronavirus, a dangerous assumption that proved fatal for the man. Racist attitudes like these are also present in the United States. Notably, the University of California, Berkeley posted a list of common reactions to the spread of the coronavirus on Instagram on Jan. 30, citing “xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia” as a common response.

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Though the post has since been deleted, and the University has issued a statement apologizing for it, the incident demonstrates how the coronavirus outbreak is being used as a way to justify or normalize racism — which is inexcusable. Normalizing this kind of xenophobia, or any kind for that matter, puts countless people at risk and is, frankly, reprehensible. Jokes about the coronavirus can play into the normalization of these attitudes by spreading false information — like saying that the virus is more contagious or more deadly than it is — or that it’s impacting the world more seriously than it is. In reality, the majority of the outbreak remains in mainland China, where doctors are facing shortages of medical supplies — such as medicines, disinfectants and protective equipment — and have said that any materials donated from foreign countries will be fast-tracked through customs and put to use as soon as possible. Aside from perpetrating harmful stereotypes, jokes about the coronavirus make light of the increasingly serious situation in mainland China. As the number of confirmed cases of infection continues to rise and Chinese hospitals run out of supplies and beds for patients, citizens grow frustrated and sometimes desperate. In one case, a man physically attacked a doctor in a Wuhan hospital after the man’s father in law, who was a patient being treated for the coronavirus, passed away. While the coronavirus has touched other parts of the world, nowhere has the impact been as serious or as widespread as it is in China. Jokes about the coronavirus — while probably not meant to be malicious or otherwise problematic — make light of the situation and belittle the scope of the issue. Paige Lawler writes primarily about environmental policy for The Pitt News. Write to her at pml36@pitt.edu

column

Kobe’s allegations should not be ignored Aidan Segal

Staff Columnist An emotional LeBron James stood center court at the Staples Center — “The House That Kobe Built” — addressing a mourning Laker Nation before tip-off Friday night against the Trailblazers. It was the first game since the fatal helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed all nine people on board, among them Bryant and his 13-yearold daughter, Gianna. “So in the words of Kobe Bryant, ‘Mamba out.’ But in the words of us, ‘Not forgotten.’ Live on brother.” In a most abrupt and devastating ending, the curtain closed on the “Lake Show’s” perennial star at the age of 41. Bryant is remembered for reigning in a new era of basketball excellence, succeeding Michael Jordan as the face of the game for 20 years. But among all of his remembered glory on the hardwood, there is an episode many people are conveniently omitting. When accusations of sexual violence are concerned, it shouldn’t matter how beloved Bryant was to his fans. His alleged actions must be acknowledged as a part of his murky legacy. Bryant was arrested in 2003 on charges of sexual assault of a 19-year-old employee at the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, a hotel in Edwards, Colorado –– an encounter that would forever taint the legacy of the man soon to be posthumonously enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. In a statement issued to his attorney, Bryant believed the encounter to be consensual, but “after months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.” Subjected to death threats and her identity leaked, the accuser decided against testifying, and as a result, the judge dropped the charges against Bryant. Instead she settled out of court. After a tearful press conference apology and a $4 million ring — seemingly by way of apology — for his wife, Bryant slowly began to recover from his disgraced reputation. His endorsements were reinstated and the Lakers gifted him a seven-year contract reportedly worth $136 million.

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Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant leaves the courtroom at the Eagle County Justice Center April 27, 2004, in Eagle, Colorado. Ed Andrieski-Pool/Getty Images/TNS Though the sexual assault case against Bryant preceded the Me Too era, it would be expected that upon reviewing it with a fresher lens in 2020, the public and celebrites alike would disavow Bryant –– not celebrate him. For some odd reason, public opinion turns a blind eye or calls “believing all victims” into question when the accused are acclaimed and talented figures. Look no further than Roman Polanski, Michael Jackson and Cardi B, just to name a few. So-called Hollywood progressives and socially conscious politicians championed Harvey Weinstein –– whose sexual assault case is credited with kicking off the Me Too movement –– and continued to work and socialize with him through the horrid rumors that spread about celebrity circles. So it was no surprise that when Kobe Bryant was awarded an Oscar in 2018 for his animated short film, his presence was not met with backlash, but rather celebration. Many women in attendance at the awards that year wore black dresses in solidarity with sexual assault victims, yet they were revering Bryant. Granted, a presumption of innocence is a necessary principle in matters of sex crimes

–– it is possible for someone to be falsely accused. But why is Bryant being excused from scrutiny and doubt in the era of Me Too? If the consensus among us is to take alleged victims seriously, then it must be applied to everyone. Certainly there is a political implication in all this. Many in the left hold former President Bill Clinton in high esteem, and he is still a respected figure in the contemporary political sphere after multiple accusations of rape. The right is no different in its reverence for President Donald Trump and his alleged sexual misconduct. It is all about sides. People are easily forgiving and willing to forgo their values if the accused is on the right team –– their side. Sports are no different –– just because the star athlete passed away doesn’t mean that his allegations should be ignored or pushed to the back. Bryant’s accuser refuses to speak of him publicly following his death. Bryant undoubtedly inspired a generation of young athletes, and it is true that he used his celebrity to enrich the lives of the less fortunate through his various organizations. He was seemingly a loving and devoted father to his

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daughters, too, calling himself a “girl dad” who scoffed at the idea that he needed a son to continue his legacy. But using the good he did during his life as a defense is pointless. It doesn’t change the unresolved allegation of sexual assault. Bryant’s daughter is innocent in all of this. The death of a child is earth-shattering, and Gianna’s, with all her potential, is especially tragic. Yet another woman to consider is the one who will have to relive the incident — one which Bryant acknowledged had scarred her. The now-36-year-old will once again be subjected to the same slander as she did years ago because of who the accused was. Whatever happened in that hotel room 17 years ago must be acknowledged, and, for that, the halo that has been placed above Bryant’s head by the public must be replaced with an asterisk. The “Black Mamba” may have been a legend on the court, but, off the court, he was still human. Aidan is a junior majoring in English Writing with a certificate in Jewish Studies. He primarily writes about film and Judaism. Write to Aidan at als473@pitt.edu

Culture

Pitt professor recieves National Endowment for the Arts fellowship at pittnews.com

Pitt Stages fades into ‘Oblivion’

Ananya Pathapadu For The Pitt News

The lights move to focus on Julie as she recites a Bible verse. After hearing her own daughter announce that she loves Jesus, Julie’s mother angrily turns to her and yells, telling her she is grounded for bringing religion into their secular home. This clash between religious tolerance and intolerance in a household is what director Sean Cook said he hopes to address in Pitt’s production of playwright Carly Mensch’s “Oblivion.” The show opens Feb. 5 and runs until Feb. 9 in the Henry Heymann Theater. Cook said he found the dichotomy to be particularly relevant within what he describes as a divided country. “I think that’s a conversation that is going on throughout the country in different ways both with religion and race and culture. And I think Carly’s work speaks to that conversation eloquently and in a way that works for universityaged students so that they can engage in that conversation in a creative way,” Cook said. “Oblivion” tells the story of Julie, a teenager at the end of her high school career, who grows up in a secular household. Julie starts to feel lost, and then finds Christiantity and decides to become Christian. Samantha Rose, a sophomore theater arts and communications double major who plays Julie, said her character’s journey to embracing Christianity and how this decision affects the relationship with her family is detailed onstage. “Throughout the course of this show, you see her becoming more and more enthralled with religion, the idea of Christianity and this causes a stir with her family because her parents are super secular and they don’t necessarily believe in any higher being,” Rose said. Rose said Julie’s difficult journey, the support of her best friend Bernard and a divided family all contribute to what she describes as a story audiences don’t necessarily hear much about. “It’s just a family going through some problems and you see all the problems play out onstage and I think it really reflects, in at least some sense, problems that every family will go through some time or another,” Rose said. This show is Pitt’s third LAB production this year, part of a program in which undergraduate

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Director Sean Cook’s production of “Oblivion” will open Feb. 5 and run until Feb. 9 in the Henry Heymann Theater. Image courtesy of Pitt Department of Theatre Arts students have the opportunity to work with MFA performance pedagogy candidates. According to the department website, the MFA in performance pedagogy is a program that allows professional actors to teach at the university level. Cook said the high expectations set by graduate students are met and exceeded by the undergrads. “One of the great things about the LAB productions here at the University of Pittsburgh is that the MFA performance pedagogy candidates, like myself, as well as the Ph.D. graduate students get a chance to mentor the undergraduates,” Cook said. “It requires a different level of commitment out of the students and they all always rise to the occasion.” According to Melina Yelovich, a junior theater arts major and stage manager for the show, the collaboration between graduate and undergraduate students is not only beloved by the graduate students, but by the undergraduate ones as well. The MFA performance pedagogy candidates coach, advise and conduct work-

shops for the undergraduate students, which Yelovich said allows them to learn and expand their skills. “This production is really fun because I am getting to work with Sean, who is one of our MFA students. He is spectacular to work with,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve ever worked with him, and I feel like I’m learning a lot because I’m just in the room, watching a professional actor teach young actors.” Cook said one aspect of Pitt’s production of “Oblivion” that varies from not only other productions of this show, but from most stage productions, is the use of intimacy choreography. Intimacy choreographers help the cast use safe practices for scenes that involve physical touch, such as scenes with familial intimacy or sexual tension. Although intimacy choreography is a relatively new practice in both theater and film, Cook said he hopes that it becomes a more common practice for stage actors and takes pride in

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the fact that Pitt is taking strides to safely execute such physically demanding work. Cook said he felt the story would be better told with the help of intimacy choreography and had the cast trained for this practice. “So part of the story of this play, many elements of the story of this play are going to be told with touch, which we don’t often see in productions,” Cook said. Audiences will get to see how these intimacy practices were used in the show and how Julie’s struggle between religious beliefs and her family’s beliefs will play out starting Feb. 5. In a time where it is easy to divide people by religious and philosophical ideologies, Yelovich said she hopes the audience sees a different perspective and that people think differently about their approach to religion. “I hope it brings you closer to your family, because that’s what the show is about — family coming apart and then coming back together in the end,” she said.

Sports

Silver’s season-salvaging tournament revamped

Sean Tierney Staff Writer

The NBA is star-driven and tailor-made for a culture centered on social media and big personalities. From Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma’s outlandish outlets to this year’s historically talented rookie class to the earth-shattering player movement that happens every summer, professional basketball has no shortage of content to fill airtime on ESPN and posts on Twitter. The league has grown massively in popularity over the past decade. Despite its upward trajectory, there is still one nagging obstacle that holds the NBA back — an 82game regular season. Commissioner Adam Silver and other NBA brass are now desperately searching for a way to keep the NBA relevant within its own season. Even the most die-hard fans know that it’s hard to get excited for any given game in November, which likely has little-to-no impact on the end of the season. The NBA, much like the MLB and NHL, has historically looked to its all-star weekend to inject excitement and promote fan engagement during the dog days of the long season, but the NBA’s all-star weekend fails to live up to the hype. This fact has pushed Silver to explore more extreme measures to maximize league value. Enter the “NBA Cup,” Silver’s European-sports-league-inspired solution to midseason apathy. The idea for a midseason tournament is something that has been kicked around since Silver first assumed the role of commissioner in 2014. But recently his efforts have become more serious — going so far as having a working proposal for how a midseason tournament could be imple-

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mented, which also includes additional schedule changes. The latest public draft was released to all 30 teams, as well as press, on Dec. 20, 2019. Silver commented further on the topic on Jan. 3, saying a more finalized plan will be put before the NBA Board of Governors in April, after further negotiations with owners and the NBA Players Association. It’s unclear whether the NBA Cup will ever become a reality, but for now, we can critique the NBA’s current proposal and have fun creating our own NBA schedule changes. The NBA’s Dec. 20 proposal includes a shortening of the regular season to 78 games, with the addition of a midseason tournament as well a play-in tournament at the end of the season to determine the seventh and eighth seeds for each conference. In addition, the NBA also informed teams of a third-party study that it commissioned, which found that 60% of fans want a shorter regular season, 68% were interested in a midseason tournament and 75% were interested in a play-in tournament to determine playoff seeding. The midseason tournament would be slated to run from late November to midDecember and consist of two main phases — a group phase and a playoff phase. The group phase would consist of each team playing eight divisional games, which will also count toward regular season record. After the group phase, the six divisional leaders and two wild card teams would be seeded into a playoff bracket, which would play out until one team is crowned NBA Cup winner. The current proposal awards $15 million to be split among the winning players and $1.5 million to be split among the winning coaching staff. The current pro-

posal leaves the door open for additional incentives for teams and players. The endof-season play-in tournament for the playoffs would feature the seventh- and eighthplace teams playing for the seventh seed, and the loser of that game would play the winner of a ninth- vs. tenth-place game for the eighth seed. The NBA must implement something meaningful that players and coaches will take seriously. The NBA also wants to discourage the modern trend of “load management,” a symptom of the long regular season with many meaningless games, by making each regular-season game more impactful on the postseason. While the current proposal takes steps in the right direction, it does not do enough to incentivize teams to care about a midseason tournament or curb load management. If the NBA wants players to care about a midseason tournament, then there needs to be playoff implications — money will mean nothing to star players already making millions. Additionally, 78 regular-season games are still too many to make every game meaningful. To address these concerns, I offer a rebuttal, one that takes inspiration from The Ringer founder and CEO Bill Simmons’ proposed schedule changes. First, the NBA season should be shortened to 72 games. In addition to these 72 games, there should be a midseason, single-elimination tournament in November or December. This tournament would include all 30 teams, with each conference on a separate side of the bracket and each conference leader getting a first-round bye. Wins in round one, two and three will count as one win each toward a team’s regular-season record. The teams with byes will earn a free win for round one. A win

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in round four counts as two regular-season wins. Winning the NBA cup championship will count as three additional regularseason wins. The winning team would also be awarded the 31st pick in the following draft. In addition to this midseason tournament, only the top five teams from each conference, by number of total wins, would make the playoffs. The sixththrough 11th-place teams must then each participate in a single play-in game (six vs. 11, seven vs. 10 and eight vs. nine). The winners of these games would fill the final three playoff spots for each conference. These changes may seem complicated, but they effectively address all the things which the NBA is trying to solve. The midseason tournament would be an exhilarating change of pace to get fans excited for games in November — a big money opportunity for the NBA. Teams would be motivated to be successful in the tournament because additional wins may be the key to making the playoffs. When there are only 72 regular-season games and a team needs to finish in the top five of their conference to guarantee a playoff spot, load management becomes a much bigger gamble that teams won’t want to take. If the NBA wants to take a leap ahead of other American sports leagues in the fight for supremacy, it’s going to have to take chances and set itself apart. The schedule changes above would do just that, while also solving some of the most pressing obstacles that the NBA faces in cementing and growing its fan base. Silver has the opportunity to revolutionize the NBA season and do so in a way that fans will enjoy — he should make sure he gets it right.

CHIEFS FACE UNFORGIVING HISTORY IN TITLE DEFENSE

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against San Francisco 49ers defensive linemen Arik Armstead during the second half of the 2020 Super Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, Feb. 2. David Santiago/Miami Herald/TNS

Jack Clay Staff Writer

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes headed to the locker room at halftime, likely disappointed in the pedestrian numbers that he and his nitrous-infused offense had posted in the first half of the 2020 Super Bowl. But in the fourth quarter, he channelled the energy Jennifer Lopez and Shakira had left behind from their electric halftime show. Mahomes delivered 21 unanswered points in the game’s final period and the Kansas City Chiefs earned their first Super Bowl win in 50 years. After the Rams and Patriots combined for 16 total points in last year’s snoozer of a Super Bowl, fans were desperate for the 2020 matchup between the NFL’s best offense and defense to live up to its hype. And it did. A 10-point second-half comeback set to the backdrop of Kansas City fans’ deafening noise made up for last year’s NFL finale flop. Mahomes played far from his best game, but showed up when it counted. He walked away with the Super Bowl MVP award, the

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first quarterback to win a Super Bowl and regular season MVP before turning 25. And as an Eagles fan, I was rooting for former Philadelphia and current Kansas City head coach Andy Reid to get his first ring and a well-deserved cheeseburger. But my Eagles are a cautionary tale for how quickly Super Bowl champions can fall from grace. The Chiefs are on cloud nine and they have every right to be. Only one thing can rain on their parade right now — expectations. They’ve just defeated the 49ers on the sport’s biggest stage. Not only did they win, but did so by scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the final quarter of play. When they return home to Arrowhead Stadium, they’ll have the elusive Lombardi trophy in hand, a prize their franchise hasn’t lifted in 50 years. They boast the league’s best young talent in Mahomes and an all-time great coach in Andy Reid. Their offense is fueled by some of the best skill position players in the league today, and their defense remains one of the most underrated units in the NFL.

The Chiefs have the power to be a defining force in the NFL for the next decade if they play their cards right. They have everything a dynasty-in-the-making needs — a young quarterback surrounded by playmakers, a great coach, formidable defense, a loyal fanbase and a chip on their shoulder. It seems like the time is now for Kansas City. But let’s not rush to conclusions. The 2018 Philadelphia Eagles had a similarly promising story. They’d just defeated the daunting dynasty-creating duo from New England of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and brought home their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Carson Wentz was a budding star, paired with a gutsy head coach in Doug Pederson, fast offense and suffocating defense. The city nearly burned down in a delirious haze of pure joy after they won. The Eagles were flying high and nothing could bring them down. Then reality struck. Today, Philadelphia’s future is shrouded in mystery. They barely made the playoffs in the worst division in football and were booted in the first round. Wentz’s ability to stay on the field is questionable, and fans are calling for gen-

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eral manager Howie Roseman’s job after a few questionable decisions. Roseman’s mistakes include giving underperforming and injury-prone players like DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor new contracts, trading away productive players like Michael Bennett for virtually nothing and letting the player that won them the Super Bowl, Nick Foles, walk away to a new team. If this year’s draft goes poorly, the Eagles could be looking at a rebuilding period just a couple years removed from winning the Super Bowl. That’s not to say that all that will happen to the Chiefs, but Kansas City faces sky-high expectations for the first time in a long time. Maintaining success in this age of salary caps and player movement is already hard enough. And if the team loses steam or Mahomes struggles, it won’t be long before fans become impatient and the entire foundation of this year’s championship team could fade as easily as it appeared. The Eagles clearly couldn’t handle the pressure of expectations. Can Mahomes and the Chiefs? Only time will tell.

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Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent North Oakland Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, Atwood Street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694 North Oakland. Up to 5 bedroom available. Bus line and walking distance. Multiple properties, all east side of Pittsburgh! More info at www. nationalbuilderspitts burgh.com

South Oakland **August 2020, Oakland Square. We have Studios, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments available. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $600‑$1300 ALL UTILITIES IN CLUDED! Off‑street parking available. No pets, smoking or parties. Call 412‑882‑7568 or email tsciulli123@ gmail.com

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1‑2‑3 bedroom apart ments available for August 2020. Owner Managed. 40+ years on campus. Fully fur nished or unfurnished, most units are newly remodeled Kitchens and baths , located on Atwood, Semple, Oakland Ave., Ward, Mckee Place, Juliet. Call or text Tim @ 412‑491‑1330 www. TMKRentals.com 115 Chesterfield Road ‑ nice 3‑bed room house. 1.5 bathrooms. Laundry in unit. Recently remodeled. Good location, close to Cathedral of Learn‑ ing. Rent $1350/ month + utilities. Available February 10th. 412‑881‑0550 2 BR apartment, newly painted, hard wood floors, appli ances. Private home ‑ 2 & 3rd floor. 2,000 sq. ft. Rent includes all utilities. $790/mo. 412‑498‑7355. 264 Robinson St. 2 BR, 3 bath, $1000+utilities. Available August 1st. 412‑884‑8891. 2BR houses and apart ments available in August. Unfurnished, no pets. Atwood/S. Bouquet. Call

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412‑492‑8173 322 S. Bouquet. Huge 2 BR apart ments. Available May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695 3322 Hardie Way. 2 BR, 1 bath. $1100/mo. w/s incl. Call/Text 412‑953‑3295 3444 Ward St. We have studios, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. Bright and spacious. Free heating and free parking. Move May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. Call 412‑361‑2695 3BR house, South Oakland Niagara St. Central Air, Dish washer. $1350+ utili ties. Available August 2020. 412‑276‑6974. Apartments for rent on Semple ‑one bedroom ‑ availabil‑ ity Aug 1 recently renovated and great location. $795/mo.. Includes heat, electric is metered sepa rately. Call or text 412‑720‑5023. Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412‑255‑2175.

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Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt. One bedroom apts. $935 + electric. Avail‑ able for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Now renting for Fall 2020. Apartments and houses of all sizes. Conveniently located throughout South Oakland. Rents start‑ ing as low as $620. John C.R. Kelly Realty. Call today at 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com Oakland Court‑ 2 bedroom house, 1.5 bathrooms. Air con ditioning. Laundry in unit. Newly remo dled. Good location, close to Hillman Li brary. Rent is $800/ month + utilities. Call 412‑881‑0550 Parkview Ave and Blv of the Allies. Nice. 3BD 2.5 BA. Rent 1500+ utilities. Laun‑ dry in Unit. Available Aug 10th 2020. Call 412‑881‑0550 Pet Friendly!! Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

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6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

BD apartments avail able in South Oakland from $800‑$2500 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412‑271‑5550.

Shadyside Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt. Studio, One, Two bed room apts. Thames Ef‑ fecency: $790 Thames 1BD: $990 Brett 2BD: $1600 Available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants & shops. Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546

Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2020 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

Employment Employment Other 1992 ACURA

February 4, 2020

LEGEND 4DR CLEAN WHITE, GOLD EMBLEMS, REWORKED ENGINE,AIR AND AUTO TRANS $2500 412‑621‑6600 134,000 MILES OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Manage ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applicants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central office. Part time or full time OK starting now; full time over the summer. $13/hour. Perfect job for current sopho mores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad stu dents, and first year law students! Mozart Management 412.682.7003 thane@mozartrents. com

For Sale Pets FREE TO GOOD HOME,2 YORKIE PUPPIES RE‑HOM ING, AKC REG, CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL FOR MORE DETAILS ON:lwrnc marc01@gmail.com .