By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media columnist
Looking ahead to tipoff …
Game: Pitt (16-4, 4-3 Big East) vs. DePaul (10-8, 1-4)
Time: 4:02 p.m.
Site: Petersen Events Center
TV, radio: Root Sports, ESPN3, 93.7 The Fan
Here is Pitt’s official page.
And here is the Trib’s Pitt basketball page. Kevin Gorman is on the scene.


This new format looks GREAT!
Will Mark Aguirre be at the game today?
H2P !
I wish we had the post numbers back. And also a refresh at the bottom of the page. Then all would be right with the world.
I wish the morning links would show up when I post them instead of sitting there waiting for moderation. Only did 3 basketball links this morning and they still did not post.
DK: They will. It’ll take time.
Yes, I noticed your song explanation flying out there and figured the links were trapped in an alternate universe.
Yes, a bit weird–I can see the links and reply to them and others can see the reply but not the post I an replying to.
and for that matter, wouldn’t it be considerate for you and nice for us if you had a separate, dedicated section for morning links to the right, amidst Archives, Recent Posts, Recent Comments? Where you could post them once per day and have them appear on all threads? In which you would not need all those separate emails?
Ah. Just a dog’s dream.
separate posts, of course.
Dejan’s up this early?
The Mayans were right.
Or his plane just landed.
And since I am in my cantankerous poodle mode, i’m the contrarian who DOESN’T want +s and -s.
Never liked them. Intellectually lazy.
If you agree or disagree, SAY so. Explain WHY. That is what a blog is FOR, for Dog’s Sake.
Agree. Because you’re intelligent.
My wife put you up to that.
Dogs can smell sarcasm a mile away.
And since nobody is asking, just number the first, independent post in each thread. That is the only way to keep the #s from constantly changing. Unless walt posts. And disappears.
JAL’s Mr. Spaceman Morning Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZMg-fvn-s
1 Detroit Free Press
Once star at Central Michigan, Trey Zeigler now flourishing off the bench at Pittsburgh
http://www.freep.com/article/20130126/SPORTS08/301260074/central-michigan-ernie-zeigler-pittsburgh?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs
2 Tribune Review
Pitt basketball readies for pressure test
http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/3336335-74/pitt-depaul-team#axzz2J5DSOskq
3 Cardiac Hill
To storm or not to storm – is court storming okay?
http://www.cardiachill.com/2013/1/25/3913716/storming-the-court-college-basketball-ncaa-pitt-panthers-pittsburgh-panthers-tray-woodall
Mr. Spaceman The Byrds 1966
Great song. Always loved the Byrds. Never even knew their song Turn, Turn, Turn was from Ecclesiastes until later in life.
Whoa!
Try a little hair of the dog, JiMBo.
And automatic refresh. I want that too. And pancakes.
Now why do some posts have a reply button and some don’t?
They are all there. If we are replying and imbedded in another post, it is ABOVE. If it is a reply post, it is BELOW. If it is my wife, it is ANNOYED.
So why do you have Roberto as your avatar above and gray man here? Could you be on with two different email addresses?
Or did we already break the new toy?
I remember that once in the “old old place” I took a picture of Dejan, painted it orange, drew horns, and an evil looking mustache and used that as an avatar for awhile.
I took it down. Too confusing. People couldn’t tell us apart.
Ah. The good old days.
DK is not up, Drew. That was an auto-reply.
Lucky, Do you know if there is a place on the new blog that I can go and nominate your post for POST OF THE DAY? (the post about auto-reply, I have to say that because there are no more numbers)
Don’t worry, TC. I’ll receive the honor right here in the field. Like getting a medal on the battlefield. Thanks.
Have we figured out that if we pick an avatar, will it follow us to every site that we use the email address attached to it?
So if I use the same email address for this and facebook, will they be the same avatar? Which will not be good for hiding and protecting our identity. Gotta go, I think the cops are at the door……………
Maybe we just don’t use an avatar
Are the instructions on how to do it anywhere?
yes, Dave G posted them…
Go to gravatar.com
sign up, use an email address that you use on here
and follow directions on their site.
Thanks
your dog may be prettier, but mine is meaner.
and she’s a little pisher.
Cute dog, Biz.
It does not change Facebook or Linked In. (I checked.) Can’t speak for other sites or blogs.
Same here, had to make sure Linked In was untouched.
Now everyone can see my mug…. maybe I should put Grumpy there instead.
Did not change any site i have posted on
Does anyone know where i can get a picture of Liraino’s right arm for my avatar?
Stuart
LIKE
Oh. Right. I don’t like LIKE.
nevermind.
I’m a little surprised JoeyBats’ avatar (Hoka Hey) got through the sensors.
You accidentally pluralized that.
+1
you just did that to p*** me off
+2
Eric. Write a column.
Right now. Right here.
That’ll show him.
Drew – I’m thinking apologists would hate to read this.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-truth-about-rod-barajas/
What Rod Barajas did or didn’t do last year is absolutely no concern of me.
Whoops–censors.
Penguins defense is struggling big time.
The breakout system doesn’t make sense for the majority of these defensemen… well it just doesn’t make any sense.
The defensemen have been weak in the hitting department as you’ll see below and clearing the net as usual is a problem.
Orpik -9
Despres, Engelland, Niskanen – 3
Letang, Lovejoy – 2
Martin – 1
I don’t know what you’re getting at, Eric. If it’s about hockey, can it at least wait another couple threads?
(~whew~ Makes me dizzy to do that.)
Hey, Eric. This is a basketball thread.
lol, hard to believe that one… I thought the only round thing some of you knew how to talk about was baseball.
and SEC football. “We” live for SEC football.
A football is round?
Oh man, we’re growing further apart…
SEC football fans are like Yankee fans
Speak for yourself.
Baseball isn’t the only thing we “know” how to talk about. But it’s our passion. Sickness, some might say . . .
Rooting for the Pirates, I’ll admit is a sickness but I was born with it.
I think I uploaded an avatar
I guess not
that sight doubles as a Mensa application.
Ah. It must be broken.
THANK you Dejan.
These REPLY thingees were just MEANT for me.
I could LIVE on Reply. I’m sure everyone will just LOVE that.
I can’t wait till everyone else begs you to get rid of them.
I may never post another original, um, post again.
(Some might say I never have.)
So when we gonna get sound effects?
There I am. As pretty and annoying as I ever was
A few more posts and you’ll outdo yourself
TC, I see an avatar there for you.
I almost went with the C64, but couldn’t find it
I’m thinking of changing my avatar. Does anyone have a picture of the mayor of Winnipeg?
Sure.
But how will we tell the difference between yours and Dejan’s posts?
I see what you’re saying, but I have to think the Mayor’s hair will be combed.
JAL’s links are much appreciated. When I first saw them I thought there were from a trib employee
Ah. Another employee accusation.
If Pepperidge Farm = Pirates, Trib must be Town Talk.
Who makes moldy bread? We have to employ Thunder.
I use Google Chrome and I keep getting “page unresponsive” pop-ups on this site now.
Trib server guys might want to take a look.
My pregame comments for Pitt-Depaul… just for Drew and under 9,000 words.
*Will Jamie Dixon adjust and start letting his young players run the floor. When Steven Adams is moving, he plays well. Go Pitt!
Holy Crap that’s good.
Congrats. Seriously.
Now if i only cared about pitt.
Found this story interesting
11 Sacramento Bee
Baseball mystery — How did bible with players’ signatures end up in library bin?
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/26/5142081/baseball-mystery-how-did-bible.html
See??
Throw away The Good Book and look what happens to them.
Probably put in the library’s bin in October 1992 and they just now found it.
Quick. Somebody throw in Thunder’s avatar.
That should offset the bible.
Very interesting. I’d love to have that Bible. That’s the year I was born and, being a Pirate fan, would make a nice collectors item to hand down to one of my sons.
Sounds like something that would turn up on Storage Wars. Those folk probably could all use a Bible, too.
Holy Crap (so to speak). You were born THEN?
Back before they even HAD drugs for child birth?
No wonder you’re spunky.
I had that misshapen head thingee for awhile cause they had to use the salad spoons
I was a C-section if you must know. My mom was 42. Unplanned to say the least. My head stayed big.
P)
I can see that.
Hint. Don’t go to the theater.
JAL,
Great find on this story!!
I would be tempted to bid on this Bible.
I likes the new format!
If you do The Window again this season, you need an avatar from The Sting.
or Casino.
I just read how to to the whole Avatar thing. It will be a work in progress.
Perfect. Three 7′s. God’s perfect number.
I like it too Lucky!!
Dejan. Special request for a Duquesne thread to go up sometime before halftime
(this time)
Do they play hockey? 8)
don’t push me.
i have my incontinent avatar up.
Good point.
I’m moving over to the Duquesne thread.
That was offered as a public service. So you all can stay here and avoid me.
And talk baseball and stuff.
“DK: I have no idea what you’re getting at, Groat. If it’s about baseball, can it at least wait another couple months?”
Dejan, you are an intriguing fellow. You are obviously intelligent, and your wordsmithing is a beautiful art . . . . . but your reading comprehension is extremely poor. Maybe it’s the caffeine! When you snap at someone, it is almost always because you become defensive or take offense at something the person here has NOT said. A second interesting observation is the infrequency of you backing down from your misreading, even when it is pointed out to you.
Let me exegete my comment to you yesterday. I complimented you on your writing of a HOCKEY story that I actually remember reading back in the 90′s in the P-G. I complimented you on getting to the “heart” of the story and not falling prey to the negative peripheries of the situation. I complimented your sensitivity in portraying not just an event (last game, foolish NHL) but capturing a spirit of a community. I complimented you on spending your own money (“on his own dime”) to endeavor this quest. As you shared the incident in the “Wakeup Call” without your readers necessarily being able to engage or point to your actual writing (until Pitt—Michael came through in locating the article via google), it obviously was a watershed moment in your life. I complimented your “heart,” your courage to do all this.
I used brief words YOU WROTE in another article to inject humor into my maudlin congratulating you for a job well done. And I encouraged you to always hold onto that zest and beautiful approach to writing and life.
Now where is the “baseball” in this scenario? What am I supposed to wait a couple months about? To compliment you? To congratulate you? To use your own words?
In the last 3 weeks I have made comments at this site about NBA basketball, college basketball, high school basketball, NFL football, college football, hockey, Minor League baseball, Major League baseball, Pitt, Duquesne, the Pirates, soccer (only derisively!), and marbles! Do you only hear my voice talking about baseball?
This negative attitude you’ve taken toward baseball the last 7 weeks or so——let’s wait for another time to discuss that. You mention so often, too often, that you haven’t written anything about baseball for __ weeks. Has your editor told you to lay off baseball? Has the Pirate Front Office gotten to the Trib. Another time, another place.
Staying just on this issue you do not need to apologize to me for snapping injudiciously at me, but I do think you owe Jandy and Lucky, and maybe Arriba Wilver, an apology. They were just being “Good Samaritans” to help you catch the truth of a statement, and you jumped on them too. I’m man enough to stand behind my words, but they were innocent bystanders trying to correct a situation and you barked at them.
Let me try to say in unadorned fashion—in Pittsburghese—what I wrote to you yesterday:
. . . . Dejan, ya done good! Now do it again!
Is that clear enough for you?
DK: You’re right, I’m wrong. Simple as that.
As for baseball, it’s not baseball season and, more to the point, the offseason hasn’t exactly generated a wealth of news lately. Karstens re-signing might have been about it, and I wrote about it.
When there’s baseball news again, I’ll write about baseball. Moreover, when the local team is in Bradenton, I’ll spend a week there in early March. No holds barred, as always.
For right now, my focus has just been elsewhere. Like where things are actually happening.
It was reported today that an Egyptian judge sentenced some unruly soccer fans to death.
And all WE do is talk baseball on hockey threads.
Rob B was on the FAN this morning, if I heard him right, he said he was told a certain teams payroll next season will be “pushing 70 million”, right now, out of pocket its supposedly close to 77 million
Probably that team is the Marlins?
Nope, its our club, so look for 7 or so million in salary dumps, er ah, baseball moves
Great.
I didn’t understand why RB didn’t mention the portion of that payroll that was being paid by other teams. He said someone will have to go. I don’t agree.
I heard that too today and wondered if that was correct.
Which it doesn’t look like it is.
The 70 million is out of pocket, from the vault at Federal Street and does not include the $$ being paid by the Yanks and Astros
According to Pirates Prospects, as of 1/21, the Pirates had $68 mil out of pocket commited for 2013 and that includes the estimate for Liriano, the outstanding arbitrations’ estimates and deducts the amounts from New York and Houston.
Pitt leading 14-10 with 13:48 to play in first half.
Villanova and Georgetown win again.
officiating in this Pitt-DePaul game is horrendous… my goodness.
Dante Taylor with two nice shots at the free throw line…
32 points with 8 minutes left in first half, might be a record. Triple digit blowout time.
Once again Panthers getting balanced scoring as Johnson, Moore, Taylor Wright contributing from off bench. Dixon is starting to ise hos depth to his advantage gettimg lots of combinations on the floor.
Very good start in game that could turn into blow out.
Nice to see Ziegler getting more comfotable in his role on team, asserting himself much more and starting to become a nice offensive piece.
Looking at the cascading-rhomboid reply boxes might be seizure inducing.
Half a hundred in play for first half.
I’m thinking that the alternating khaki/olive drab text boxes signifies a Hoka Hey mentality.
That is as dominant a half of basketball you will see. Panthers get out to 23 point lead with all 10 players scorig, seven with 5+ points, a 29-18 rebounding edge and holding the opposition to 27% from the field while Pitt shot 50% from the field.
This team is showing improvement as the season goes along and has the definite look of an NCAA tourney team that will be a tough out with as deep as this team plays especially if the offense starts clicking to go with this shutdown defense employed.
That win over Villanova is looking better each day.
Very true…the Georgetown road win is looking better as well.
Pitt with a 38 point victory, its most dominating performance of the year. They out rebound DePaul 50-29 hold them to 26% from the field and get four players to score in double digits.
Panthers 2-0 in Big East play in the gold uni’s keep them coming! Pitt moves into sole possession of third place in Big East play at 5-3.
Quick turn around as Panthers head to Louisville for Big Minday than return to te Pete to face top team Syracuse, great opportunity to make a move!
Im excited for the next few weeks. Tough games, quick turnarounds. Should be some good basketball.
Impressive win for Pitt as they took care of business against a bad team.