The Pitt News
Learning to be sentinmental, from Drake | pg. 6
Top five games in the Pitt vs. PSU rivalry | pg. 8
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 7, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 20
BILL CLINTON COMING TO PGH Emily Brindley
Assistant News Editor
Students gather around a Pyrenees in the year’s first Therapy Dog Tuesday event in the Cathedral John Hamilton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PEDUTO FOCUSES ON INNOVATION Grant Jones
For The PItt News Pittsburgh is the model city for the 21st century, and current college students are poised to play a key role in building it, Mayor Bill Peduto told students Tuesday night. In a speech to the members of the Pitt College Democrats on Tuesday, Peduto talked about the Steel City’s future, placing a heavy emphasis on its commitment to reinventing itself through innovation, mostly in the transportation industry. “From that sleepy little western frontier,
to the industrial giant, to the economic collapse, to the rebirth,” Peduto said. “That’s where we’re at in Pittsburgh’s history.” In August, Pittsburgh became the first city to introduce driverless Ubers. Although Peduto said he is proud of the innovation, he said he did not think the autonomous cars would replace public transit. Focusing a significant amount of the evening’s direction on biking and public transit, the Mayor elaborated on the need for better and more reliable buses, part of his sweeping vision for modernizing public transportation
in the city. With everything from driverless cars to buses to bike lanes, Peduto said his plans also include a new bus system called Bus Rapid Transit, which will primarily run down Fifth and Forbes Avenues from Downtown to Oakland. BRT, mainly sponsored by Sustainable Pittsburgh, would include low-floor buses as well as fare collection stations at the stops themselves to reduce the time passengers spend at bus stops. The system, however, is still in the planning stages. See Peduto on page 3
Just days after a visit from Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine and current Vice President Joe Biden, Former President Bill Clinton will swing by Pittsburgh this Friday for the Democratic party’s latest stop in the Steel City. At 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 9, the Pennsylvania Democrats will host the potential first gentleman at the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum in the Homewood North neighborhood. According to 2010 census data, that neighborhood consists of 93 percent black residents, a demographic Hillary Clinton has consistently fared better with than her opponent, GOP candidate Donald Trump. A recent NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll reported that 87 percent of black voters support Hillary Clinton and eight percent of black voters support Trump. In Pennsylvania at large, Clinton has maintained a lead over Trump since July. A CBS/YouGov poll this week placed Clinton eight points ahead of the Republican candidate. And a Washington Post-SurveyMonkey poll conducted in all 50 states, released Tuesday, placed Pennsylvania as one of six states that “leans democratic” and estimated Clinton has a four-point lead over Trump in Pennsylvania. According to a release from the Clinton campaign, Bill Clinton’s speech on Friday will focus on the importance of this year’s election for Pennsylvania voters and their families and See Clinton on page 3
News SGB MEMBERS PITCH SEMESTER PLANS Leo Dorman Staff Writer
Pitt’s Student Government Board members are prepared to turn their ideas into action this year by outlining plans for a research database as well as a weeklong event to promote female empowerment. On Tuesday night, SGB member Rohit Anand proposed launching a database that would allow students to search a single website for undergraduate research opportunities at Pitt instead of combing through individual department websites and sending out multiple emails to faculty members. The database would streamline the process of connecting students and faculty, Anand said. The design of the database would also ease the burden on professors and help them fill undergraduate research positions, according to Anand. Students could search for a project that fits their needs based on certain fields or interests while professors could easily sort through postings of qualified undergraduate candidates, similar to a job board. If created, the database would help Pitt students from any discipline get involved in research. A humanities student, for example, could easily find an opening for research in their field of interest in ancient Greek poetry without having to sort through openings in
SGB president Natalie Dall formally nominated committee members and other positions at the meeting Tuesday night. Will Miller SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER the chemistry or math departments. “Everyone knows there’s great research at Pitt, but it can be hard to find the right type that you want,” Anand said. “No professor has time to read hundreds of emails.” At this point, the project is still in its planning stage, and Anand does not yet know
when it will be available. Anand said he has already met with various department heads in the psychology and neuroscience departments to gauge interest and said he has had positive feedback. He plans to meet with the administration and the Office of Undergraduate Research in coming weeks and to set up
a student survey. While Anand plans the research database, SGB members Sydney Harper and Sam Jankowitz are focusing on planning a week devoted to women’s empowerment in the spring semester. The week is meant to inspiring self confidence in women at Pitt. Harper, a senior, said she’s drawing her inspiration from her attendance at last year’s Pitt Women’s Leadership Experience. The speakers and bonding with other women encouraged her to create the same experience for a broader number Pitt women. Harper envisions a weeklong experience, with speakers and events ranging topics that are applicable to any woman in the audience. Her goal is for it to culminate in a gala type of event with a dance and celebration at the end of the week. “What I really want is to have something that lasts for years,” Harper said. Jankowitz also decided to extend a second initiative, this one focusing on body image, from an event into a yearlong campaign. Based off the feedback and suggestions she received on her initiative, Jankowitz decided that a campaign, instead of a single event, would be the best way to cover more topics related to physical self confidence. The campaign would introduce women to exercise classes they aren’t familiar with. See SGB on page 4
PITT, COMMUNITY PREP FOR TAILGATES Emily Brindley and Lauren Rosenblatt
But for Saturday’s game, now only four days away, Pitt is preparing a more extensive campaign encouraging students to party reThe Pitt News Staff sponsibly and be conscious of those around In August, Vice Provost and Dean of Stu- them. dents Kenyon Bonner was already planning The expanded messaging campaign is the ways to keep rowdy students under control result of an unofficial task force Bonner anduring Saturday’s Pitt vs. Penn State football nounced in August, which included represengame. tatives from the police department, Student For most football games, Pitt launches a Affairs, Pitt Athletics and the Title IX Office to messaging campaign for students through make sure all branches of the University were social media, Campus Connect messages and “on the same page” for game day. Pitt’s website encouraging students to “celBonner debuted the idea when he attended ebrate responsibly” before, during and after an Oakwatch meeting, a group of Oakland the game. residents founded to bridge relations between
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students and permanent residents of the neighborhood. “When we beat Penn State, we will be prepared,” Bonner said at the meeting. Pitt did not formally announce the task force but instead marketed it as a temporary collaboration between the departments. According to Bonner, Pitt does not have additional plans for this game other than ramping up the messaging campaign. “There aren’t any unique concerns, but there are going to be more people than we typically get, and there’s an emotional element to this game that we may not have with other games,” Bonner said. “We want students to
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be respectful of each other, but at the end of the day, it’s a typical football game where you have a lot of students converging on the North Shore.” Bonner said the University will send out more messages than usual this weekend and will distribute handbills before students board buses to Heinz Field. According to Bonner, these messages will focus on sportsmanship and “respecting the rivalry.” Although the University is encouraging camaraderie among fans, Twitter users on both sides of the rivalry have unofficially named See Tailgate on page 4
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The Pitt News
Peduto, pg. 3
Editor-in-Chief ELIZABETH LEPRO editor@pittnews.com
Mayor Bill Peduto spoke about Pittsburgh’s future and bike lanes at the Pitt College Democrats event Tuesday night. Margot Smith STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER “It has fewer stops and works like a subway with wheels,” Peduto said. “It runs on a very highly efficient, low time basis.” According to Pittsburgh BRT’s website, the Pittsburgh Port Authority and its contractors submitted a formal BRT plan to the Federal Transit Administration in the spring of 2013. At Tuesday’s event, Kevin Burk, president of the College Democrats, said he considers Pittsburgh a “fairly bikeable” city but prefers the city bus system because it’s easy to use. “If I really need to get anywhere, I think it’s very easy to get around,” Burk said. “I mainly use the buses [because] I don’t really have a car.” Although he is not yet done with his term, which is set to end in 2018, Peduto said he wants his administration to be re-
membered for making Pittsburgh a bikeable city as a way to be more eco-friendly. But in order to increase biking, he said the bike lanes need to be safer. A common complaint the mayor hears from citizens is from people age 50 and up who want to use the bike lanes but are terrified of being hit. Last week, a cyclist was struck and killed by a vehicle on West Carson Street. Peduto described a protected bike path that will stretch from Oakland to the Point downtown, which he believes will motivate more people to bike. “[That] will open it up for people my age who are scared as hell to be on the road on a bike,” Peduto said. Ethan Baker, a senior neuroscience major, said that even though he bikes all over See Peduto on page 4
Clinton, pg. 1
Bill Clinton’s stop in Pittsburgh later this week highlights the Democrats’ focus on key battleground states like Pennsylvania this cycle. Hillary Clinton hosted a rally at Carnegie Mellon University’s campus on April 6 during which Mayor Peduto spoke and officially endorsed Clinton’s campaign. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also campaigned here prior to the primaries. The last Republican to visit Pittsburgh was Trump, who made a campaign stop at the airport in June. He had previously visited Oakland in April for a town hall-style meeting at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum.
will be encouraging Pennsylvania residents to register to vote. As an official campaign event, his speech will emphasize Hillary Clinton’s ability to be a strong leader for the country, the release said. Bill Clinton has campaigned for his wife in Pittsburgh before. On April 20, less than a week before the Pennsylvania primary election, Bill Clinton spoke on Pitt-Johnstown’s campus and in South Side, encouraging Pennsylvania voters to turn out and support Hillary Clinton in the primary.
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Emily Brindley | Assistant News Editor Alexandria Stryker | Assistant Copy Danni Zhou | Assistant News Editor Copy Staff Matt Moret | Assistant Opinions Editor Amanda Sobczak Matthew Maelli Ashwini Sivaganesh | Assistant Sports Editor Bridget Montgomery Michelle Reagle Jordan Mondell | Assistant Visual Editor Corey Foreman Sarah Choflet Emily Hower | Assistant Layout Editor Katie Krater Sydney Mengel Amanda Reed | Online Engagement Editor Kelsey Hunter
Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and
student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, 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, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.
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Peduto, pg. 3
Hopefully, Jankowtiz said, it would give women the chance to experience new classes without any negative pressure. “I’ve never taken a spin class, so I know that’s something I would love to do,” Jankowitz said. The campaign would also have a component devoted to food and nutrition. Jankowitz plans on reaching out to Sodexo and the Food Committee for help in encouraging healthy options at Pitt. SGB President Natalie Dall ended the meeting by formally appointing several positions and committee members since they had not done so last spring after they were elected. She appointed board member Max Kneis to vice president and chief of finance and Anand to vice president and chief of cabinet. Allocations: The Biomedical Engineering Society requested $2,250. The board approved $1,964 and denied $286. Over the summer, one member of the Allocations committee stepped down because he received a co-op that was not in Pittsburgh. Carrie Weeks, who was the first alternate, is now replacing him on the allocations committee.
the city, he avoids areas around Pitt’s campus. “The protected bike lane on Penn through the Strip is great,” Baker said. “[But] Oakland is the worst area to bike anywhere in the city. Since last November, when Pitt professor Susan Hicks was killed after a car struck her bicycle, organizations such as BikePGH have been pushing for the city to put bike lanes in Oakland and surrounding areas. On Sept. 1, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that it was partnering with the city, Carnegie Mellon University and Whitman, Requardt and Associates in a plan to put bike lanes on each side of the road from Craig Street to Beeler Street as well as adding safety buffers to existing bike lanes. Peduto ended the evening by shifting his focus from planning to inspiring, by elaborating on the importance of student involvement in political campaigns. He encouraged students to volunteer for a campaign or apply for an internship in the city government. When it comes to politics, Peduto said Pittsburgh is “ground zero.”
To emphasize the importance of student involvement in politics, Peduto told a story about a man named Joe Barker. In the 1800s, Barker was a rude and passionate street preacher who focused his hatred on immigrants and Catholics, according to Peduto. The police arrested Barker during one of his public rants, and Barker decided to run for mayor, while imprisoned, as a candidate for the “Anti-Catholic” party. Barker won. During his one-year term from 1850-51, Barker fired the police officers who’d arrested him and hired in a new staff of officers, according to Peduto. He had the bishop of the Catholic church imprisoned, after which the bishop’s church burned down and the police caught no suspects. Barker’s term caused religious and social strife in the city of Pittsburgh. Peduto linked Barker’s story to this year’s election with adage that history tends to repeat itself. “The times that we think are the most awful times in politics are just an example of what happened before. It’s a pendulum that swings back and forth,” Peduto said. “Your role is to help to push it in the right direction.”
Tailgate, pg. 2 this week “Pitt/Penn State hate week.” Penn State fans have also started a campaign on Twitter called White Out Heinz Field, encouraging Penn State students and fans to all wear white when they come to the game to make the Nittany fanbase more obvious. In regards to amped up security and safety concerns, Pitt Police did not respond by the time of publication to comment about their preparations for the game. Although attendees at the Oakwatch meeting in August expressed concerns about parties and other disruptive activity this weekend, Hanson Kappelman, co-founder of Oakwatch, said on Tuesday partying in Oakland has become less destructive in recent years. “Over the last few years, we’ve generally seen a trend toward more responsible partying,” Kappelman said. “[But] obviously, PittPenn State is the rivalry. That will draw extra attention from students.” Kannu Sahni, Pitt’s Director of Community Relations, said for a game like this, more planning than usual is required. He encouraged students not to be bystanders but instead to reach out for help if they notice anything concerning. “The goal is not to get people in trouble,” Sahni said. “The goal is to keep people safe.”
The Pitt news crossword 9/7/16
SGB, pg. 2
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Opinions
column
from the editorial board
DRAKE REDEFINES MASCULINITY
ITT closure signals forprofit education failure ITT Technical Institute made millions selling overpriced training for skilled trade jobs and marketing it as the American Dream. Now, it’s paying the price for selling education for a profit — unfortunately, so are its students. This week, ITT Technical Institute announced that it will cease operations nationwide at more than 130 campuses in 39 states — two of which are in the Pittsburgh area — after the U.S. Department of Education said it could no longer enroll new students using federal financial aid funds such as Pell Grants and student loans. More than 8,000 employees will lose their jobs and about 35,000 students will be affected by the closure. Over the last two years, ITT, one of the largest for-profit technical institutes in the nation, has been under federal investigation for allegations of fraud, deceptive marketing and steering students into predatory loans. In 2014, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the chain for exploiting its students by pushing them to borrow private loans that would likely end in defaults. Although the tech school claimed to give an education to underserved populations, its business practices proved to hurt the very people — typically older adults coming back to school for the first time since high school — it was trying to serve. Instead of giving its students jobs, thousands of them fell into crippling debt and loan defaults similar to that of the 2008 financial crisis. Once again, we’ve learned the hard way that using a public service such as education to make a profit only leads to excessive practices that fail to serve people adequately. In 2015, ITT reported almost $850 million in total revenue — $580 million of which was sourced from federal aid. At the same time, ITT had one of the highest for-profit tuition rates. Bachelor’s programs could cost up to $88,000. Given that the majority of its revenue came from the federal aid, ITT abused the assistance that was meant to give thousands of students access to a decent education. According to ITT, the default rate of its student loans has increased, growing from 21.1 percent for students in 2005 to 26.3 percent for
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students entering repayment in 2008. When almost a quarter of its students could not pay back their student loans, that should have been a warning that students at ITT Tech were not getting the quality education they were promised. And now, many of its students will not get any education at all. By closing its doors, ITT denies current students the diplomas they were counting on to go into the workforce. Roughly 35,000 students will be impacted by these closures and will either have to apply for loan discharge or transfer their credits to the few universities that accept them. With very limited options, countless students will have to start from scratch or go through a tedious process just to get the education they worked so hard to achieve. The company blamed the U.S. Department of Education for its closures, not its risky, casinostyle behaviors. “With what we believe is a complete disregard by the U.S. Department of Education for due process to the company, hundreds of thousands of current students and alumni and more than 8,000 employees will be negatively affected,” the company said in a statement. The discredited school is partially right. ITT Tech should be embarrassed, but so should the U.S. Department of Education. The United States should be embarrassed at this educational malfunction. We let education become a profitable enterprise, and we let ITT make it one by exploiting people who would not otherwise have gone to college. The U.S. Department of Education had every right to withdraw funding from its institutes. It should focus, in the future, on funding educational opportunities that actually benefit atypical college students. Now, it should also worry about all the students who cannot afford to pay off their loans and have no other options but to start over. This is a pure example of how corporatizing higher education can be dangerous, and hopefully, it will serve as a cautionary tale for the future of the American education system: don’t offer students a second chance at education and job prospects if you can’t deliver.
Aby Sobotka-Briner Illustrator
Marlo Safi Columnist
Last week, Drake was the subject of the snub heard ‘round the Twittersphere. On Aug. 28, Drake presented Rihanna with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, lauding her for her success as the presenter of her award should, but then unabashedly, in front of millions, professed his seven-year love for her on national television. After the adulation, Drake went in for what looked like unrequited kiss after he spoke endlessly about her work, success and staying real in an industry that produces overthe-top personas to maintain their status. The interaction — from the high praise to the rejection — was wholly Drake, the epitome of his persona. He put a woman on a pedestal, expressed his true feelings,and walked away with his tail between his legs — all of the
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characteristics of “soft” Drake. Then, in a seemingly not-so-soft move this week, the Canadian rapper opened a new “dance experience” club — subtext: exotic dancing — in Houston called The Ballet. But his club has a twist: women are quite literally going to stand on pedestals and the dress code is strictly business attire. He wants to appreciate exotic dancing as an art and a chosen job, and hopefully, he’ll follow through with this plan. Much like a rapper founded by Lil Wayne who doesn’t play the “rap game” quite like those who came before him, Drake is now a nightclub owner with a mission to change the way nightclubs operate. In the world of hip-hop, where being “soft” and sensitive is taboo, Drake has managed to overcome the status quo and achieve 85 Billboard Hot 100 Entries. While artists such as Lil Wayne may take an occasional break from See Safi on page 7
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Safi, pg. 6 rapping about “Sicilian bitches” to release more benign, less misogynistic songs such as “How to Love,” it’s atypical for rappers to do that as often as Drake does. In fact, rappers and rap fans often ridicule his knack for romanticism, calling Drake “soft” and not a “real” rapper. Yet the hip-hop and rap genres claim the youngest audience among all others, meaning the most impressionable people in our country regularly listen to artists who boast their hypermasculinity and portray manhood as being rough, violent and aggressive. Drake has painted himself as a gentle, funny guy. Of course, he’s not all mush, and he’s not perfect — he’s made it clear he still likes being called “Big Daddy” in the bedroom. But Drake’s popularity means that more young men are listening to lyrics that portray men as being capable of the same emotions as women who ruminate on their ex, who document sexual triumphs as more than just tally marks and who — gasp — even cry. Since the 2010 release of the album that launched his career, “So Far Gone,” Drake has remodeled masculinity’s potential to be something other than pompous and brawny with no room for compassion or sensitivity. This is
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striking because he’s done so in a genre of music that had originally not been exposed to such behavior. He is proof that respect for women and emotional sensitivity can not only be successful but praiseworthy. Considering “manhood” is a concept that differs from man to man, and the ways in which it’s portrayed in the music young men listen to means artists such as Drake have an impact on how men portray masculinity throughout their lives. While many rap lyrics mentioning women reduce them to objects, some lyrics actually discuss more sinister acts against women such as physical violence. I hesitate to even utter Tyler, The Creator’s lyrics in “Bitch Suck D***,” where “bitch” is repeated 26 times, and lyrics such as, “Your bitch work for me, she my dishwasher,” could be considered one of his more PG lines. Despite rap’s original “Golden Rule” being peace, love, unity and having fun, mainstream corporate rap in the ’80s caused a rapid paradigm shift that normalized bashing homosexual people and trashing women. It has become a dangerous game of who is the baddest and who is the most unhinged. According to the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, discussing what it means to be a “man” with young men
can help begin the lifelong conversation about their role in preventing and ending violence against women. This includes telling young men that sensitivity and strength can coexist, and in a genre of music that has shunned sensitivity, Drake is a successful figure that should encourage the next generation of men to purge violence as a tactic when interacting with women. In a 2006 psychology study by Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, male participants were exposed to either sexually aggressive misogynistic lyrics or neutral lyrics. The men who were exposed to the sexually aggressive lyrics demonstrated more aggressive behavior toward women. Whether you consider Drake a real rapper or not due to his unabashed compassion and sensitivity, his influence is undeniable. Frankly, I’d be floored if anyone were to bring me a 15-year-old who didn’t know the lyrics to “One Dance.” And for once, I’m glad the kids are listening. From “Houstatlantavegas” — the ode to a dancer Drake fell in love with and the song that has moved me to tears since 2009 — to several tracks off of the 2016 album “Views,” Drake’s M.O. is sentimentalism toward the women that have come and gone in his life. In songs such as “Own It,” Drake covets the intimacy of lovemaking, commitment and trust
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as opposed to the vulgar and detached nature of casual sex that many rappers use as another leverage tool to prove their masculinity. In “Make Me Proud,” Drake raps about his affinity with educated women, a “type” that strays away from the subject of songs quite like shaking your “ass” is in Mystikal’s “Shake It Fast” or “lady lumps” in Lil Wayne’s catchy tune “Lollipop” that we all blindly danced to in middle school. Drake rejected the glorified facades of hypermasculinity and injected the ability to be strong and sensitive, masculine and emotional in rap. While some consider Drake to be as soft as a roll of Charmin, I take comfort in knowing my little brother is listening to Drake’s album over Eminem’s or Lil Wayne’s and that he, along with millions of other men, find Drake’s lyrics relatable, just as myself and millions of other women do. So, indulge in exchanging a few Drake memes and don’t be ashamed when “Marvin’s Room” comes up on your Spotify playlist, and you get the feels. Drake is plenty masculine without the need to resort to violence in his lyrics, and his popularity means millions of young men must agree. We like boys who cry when Drizzy plays, and don’t let Rihanna tell you otherwise.
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Sports
the game tony dorsett saved
STORIED PAST OF PITT/PSU Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
This Saturday at Heinz Field, the Pitt Panthers and Penn State Nittany Lions will renew one of college football’s most storied rivalries after a 16-year hiatus. The in-state battle for supremacy between Pennsylvania’s only Power Five conference schools –– now known as the Keystone Classic –– has created plenty of drama between fans, players and even coaches over the course of 96 meetings since 1893. Penn State won the first game by a 32-0 shutout in 1893 and leads the all-time series 50-42-4, but Pitt battled back and won the last meetup in 2000. Here is a look back at the five most significant games between the Panthers and the Nittany Lions:
16, 2000 The last game Pitt 12,Sept. penn state 0
The last time these two teams met, Penn State had taken complete control of the rivalry. The Nittany Lions won seven matchups in a row from 1989 to 1992 and then again from 1997 to 1999 after a five-year hiatus. In 2000, the teams squared off at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh for the final time, and Pitt’s defense closed one chapter of the rivalry the same way Penn State started it –– with a shutout. The game was also the beginning of quarterback Rod Rutherford’s illustrious career with Pitt. A pair of field goals by Nick Lotz sandwiched around Rutherford’s weaving 62-yard touchdown reception from John Turman gave the Panthers a 12-0 victory in what seemed to be the final matchup in the series at the time. Rutherford went on to become one of the most decorated quarterbacks in program history, tying Dan Marino’s single-season school record of 37 touchdown passes during the 2003-04 season. This electric performance is where he first made a name for himself.
the neck & neck game Nov. 26, 1982 penn state 19, pitt 10
The 1982 matchup was a clash between two of the top five teams in the nation: the No. 2 Nittany Lions and the No. 5 Panthers. Both teams entered with nine wins against just one loss, and the winner would remain in the chase for the national championship going into its bowl game. Pitt forced three turnovers in the first half, but the Nittany Lions managed to keep the game close as the Panthers led 7-3 at halftime. For the second year in a row, Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge outplayed Marino in a come-from-behind victory, and the Nittany Lions dashed Pitt’s national title hopes –– this time with the help of four field goals by Nick Gancitano. Penn State would go on to defeat No. 1 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, 27-23, to earn its first national championship.
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Nov. 26, 1978 pitt 24, penn state 7
The Nittany Lions entered the season finale showdown with the Panthers in 1976 having won ten consecutive meetings in the series dating back to 1966, the first year Paterno took over as head coach. They won the first nine of those matchups by at least 20 points. Pitt had nearly ended the streak a year earlier, but Panthers kicker Carson Long missed three field goals and had an extra point blocked in a crushing 7-6 defeat. In 1976, the Panthers emerged as the best team in the nation but still faced one obstacle standing between them and a chance to play for a national championship –– Paterno and those Nittany Lions. With the game tied 7-7 at halftime, Pitt head coach Johnny Majors decided to shift Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett from halfback to fullback. The move paid off, as the future Hall of Famer ripped off 173 rushing yards in the second half, finishing with 224 yards and two scores. Dorsett led the No. 1 Panthers to a 24-7 win to cap off a perfect regular season and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for over 6,000 career yards. Pitt went on to defeat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl 27-3, clinching its first national championship in 39 years.
the “unethical” game
Nov. 24, 1978
penn state 17, pitt 10
Penn State owned the rivalry in the ‘90s, winning all six games that decade. But in the ‘70s and ‘80s, both the Panthers and the Nittany Lions always seemed to be in the national title chase by the time the teams met in late November. These showdowns featured rosters that were littered with NFL talent, and the whole country tuned in to see who was going to emerge as the best team in Pennsylvania with a chance to play in a national championship. The teams’ 1978 meeting proved to be one of the most fiery. In 1978, Penn State was the team with title hopes on the line. According to The Morning Call, Pitt head coach Jackie Sherrill called Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno “unethical” after asking officials to inspect Pitt players’ cleats before the game. The Panthers came out fired up and looked ready to derail Penn State’s season. Late in the fourth quarter, No. 15 Pitt led 10-7 against No. 1 Penn State. Rather than attempt a gametying field goal, the Nittany Lions went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Panthers’ 4-yard line and converted with a go-ahead touchdown run by Mike Guman. An interception sealed the 17-10 win and a chance at a national championship for Penn State, but Alabama defeated the Nittany Lions in the Sugar Bowl, 14-7.
the “patsy” game
Nov. 24, 1978 Penn state 48, pitt 14
The New York Times quoted Paterno before the 1981 meeting as saying, “I would rather have a tough schedule and lose a couple of games than have a patsy schedule and be ranked No. 1.” He may not have mentioned the Panthers by name, but everyone knew Paterno was purposefully calling out Pitt’s schedule — one he didn’t think was particularly rigorous. Pitt entered the game undefeated and as the top-ranked team in the nation, but Penn State’s coach wasn’t buying the Panthers’ strength. Early on in the November game, it looked like Paterno was going to regret those words as Pitt jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first ten minutes on a pair of touchdown passes by Dan Marino. Then, when defensive back Roger Jackson intercepted a would-be third touchdown pass in the end zone for the Nittany Lions, a seismic shift in momentum occurred. Penn State scored the next 48 points to win, 48-14, ending the Panthers’ perfect season and knocking them out of the national championship game.
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NFL: STEELERS TO SEND GB PACKING Steve Rotstein the 2001 season, the Patriots have won the land Patriots Sports Editor
When the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers square off on Thursday night, it will be exactly seven months since the Broncos defeated the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, 24-10. The Super Bowl rematch to kick off the 2016-17 NFL season will mark the first time since 1970 the previous year’s Super Bowl opponents have played the first week the following year. A lot has changed for both teams since Feb. 7, as future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning announced his retirement and the Panthers traded away All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman. As for the rest of the league, this is how you can expect the new season to play out: AFC East Since Tom Brady became the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback during
AFC East division in 13 out of 15 seasons –– including the past seven in a row. This year, Brady faces a four-game suspension to start the season because of Deflateg a t e , and unlike last year, he’s actually going to serve his time. Still, it’s tough to imagine another team in the division, either the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills or Miami Dolphins, having a strong enough season to dethrone the Patriots. If anyone has a chance to do it, it’s the Jets. Predicted division winner: New Eng-
AFC North Speaking of suspensions, the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with a couple of their own. All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell is going to miss the first three games of the season for missing a drug test while dynamic wide rec e i v e r Martavis Bryant will miss the entire season for failing a drug test. It’s not the first time the Steelers have lost Bell and Bryant to suspensions, and they do still have the best wide receiver in the game in Antonio Brown and a very ca-
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pable backup running back in DeAngelo Williams. The suspensions will open the door for the Cincinnati Bengals to repeat as AFC North champions, but the Steelers will be the best team in the division once Bell returns. Predicted division winner: Pittsburgh Steelers AFC South Last year’s AFC South champion Houston Texans have won three of the last seven division crowns while the Indianapolis Colts have won the last four. Both the Texans and Colts have a shot to win it again this year, but neither is the favorite. Led by an explosive young offense featuring quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Allen Robinson, the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars enter the season as the odds-on favorite to win the AFC South. Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans may be a long shot, but don’t be surprised if they make a run at the division title this year as well. See Super Bowl on page 10
The Pitt News SuDoku 9/7/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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Super Bowl, pg. 9 Predicted division winner: Jacksonville Jaguars AFC West The Denver Broncos are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but after losing quarterback Peyton Manning to retirement –– along with his very capable backup, Brock Osweiler, to free agency –– they won’t even be the best team in their division this year. Expect the Kansas City Chiefs and Oak-
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land Raiders to battle it out for the AFC West crown while the Broncos finish just behind them in third place. The Chiefs return running back Jamaal Charles and feature playmakers all over the defense while young stars Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack will make the Raiders a force for years to come. Denver might still have the best defense, but both Oakland and Kansas City have more experienced quarterbacks and more well-rounded rosters. Predicted division winner: Kansas City Chiefs
NFC East As usual, the NFC East is a wide-open division that anybody can win. Now that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is expected to miss at least half the season with a back injury, the New York Giants have the most accomplished quarterback by far in two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning –– as well as the best player in the division in wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Last year’s division winner, the Washington Redskins, added cornerback Josh Norman in an attempt to slow the Giants
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down. Expect the New Year’s Day matchup between the Giants and Redskins in the last week of the regular season to decide this year’s NFC East title. Predicted division winner: New York Giants NFC North The Minnesota Vikings ended the Green Bay Packers’ streak of four straight division titles last season, but the Vikings’ chances to repeat took a big hit after losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for the season with a torn ACL and dislocated knee. Minnesota traded for Sam Bradford to replace Bridgewater, but he has a history of being injury-prone. Even if he can stay healthy, the Packers are easily the best team in the division this year with two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Predicted division winner: Green Bay Packers NFC South Last year’s NFC South champion Carolina Panthers started the 2015 season 14-0 before finishing 15-1 and eventually falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Led by reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton, the Panthers return top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from an ACL injury to the highest-scoring offense in the league. Carolina’s offense will be scary, but the strength of their team is the defense –– featuring All-Pro linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. The Panthers should be far and away the best team in the division again in 2016. Predicted division winner: Carolina Panthers NFC West The Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, arguably the top two teams in the NFC, should lead a two-team race again to decide the NFC West champion. Both teams have high-powered offenses led by Pro Bowl quarterbacks, but both are known more for their hard-hitting defenses. No matter which team wins the division, expect the second-place finisher to make it into the playoffs as a Wild Card team with a chance to make a deep postseason run. The health of talented second-year running backs David Johnson of Arizona and Thomas Rawls of Seattle will play a big role in deciding which team comes out on top. Predicted division winners: Seattle Seahawks
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