I am flabbergasted at the attacks on Dave Wannstedt in the newspaper and on talk radio today.
Wannstedt is being shredded for his failure to accompany the Pitt football team to its third-rate bowl game in Birmingham, Ala. It’s almost as though these people have forgotten he was fired .
As was written here yesterday, this issue should have been resolved before Wannstedt was fired Dec. 7. That it was not is the fault of athletic director Steve Pederson. Wannstedt also deserves some blame for not making the decision sooner.
But people are acting as though he refused to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. Or that he would not accompany his football team in its quest for the national championship.
Let me repeat:
* He was fired.
* The game in question is some TV programming known as the BBVA Compass Bowl.
* The opponent is Kentucky, which is 6-6.
Dave Wannstedt has served Pitt loyally for six years. He put his heart and most of his time into this program. He left nothing on the table. He has every right to walk away at this time.
What purpose would it serve for him to be in Birmingham. He would be a distraction. The questions would be about his firing, his successor. There are news conferences every day at these bowl games. He doesn’t need that. Pitt doesn’t need that.
I just don’t get it. To go after Wannstedt for such a petty offense is unfathomable.
When I hear one of his players criticize Wannstedt, I might think he did something wrong.
He did nothing wrong. He did the right thing.
Now some are feasting on his decision and using it to kick a good man while he’s down.
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