Don't Fall in Love

Penn State has announced a home and home series with Pitt, thanks to the Miami Hurricanes backing out of a scheduled series in 2016-2017.

Forgive me for not doing cartwheels.  I am not excited about this.

Instead of going to the ball with Cinderella, we are taking the really ugly step-sister.  WooHoo!
Seriously, Pitt football isn't even worthy of the ugly step-sister role.  Pitt is toe fungus on the deformed foot of the ugly stepsister.

Some sportswriters are musing this could be the catalyst to bring these two rivals back together for an annual game.

Maybe, just maybe, this two-year flirtation - probably after the Lions' lead swinger, Joe Paterno, is no longer on the sidelines, but even that's not a certainty - will rekindle that old flame.

On the other side of the dance floor, athletic director Tim Curley insists that Penn State won't go steady with Pitt again.

“Right now, we wouldn’t be interested in [playing Pitt] on an annual basis…

Its going to be real important for us to continue to move around the country and play some intersectional games around the country.

Barring the possibility of Pitt joining the Big Ten, I do not foresee PSU entertaining this as an annual game, when more attractive OOC matchups like Alabama could be had.

I'd be fine with replacing Temple with Pitt.  Or Indiana State.  But the panthers have no desire to sign on for single games at Beaver Stadium, or a 2 for 1 or even a  3 for 1 deal which makes more sense financially for Penn State.

Perhaps the most attractive side-story to this temporary series renewal is this:  will JoePa still be coaching?

Jopacabana (adapted from Barry Manilow's Copacabana)

Her name was Pittsburgh, she was a showgirl
With yellow pom poms in the air and a dress cut down to there
She would merengue and do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a star, Big East always tended bar
Across a B-Ball floor, they worked from 8 till 4
They were young and they had each other
Who could ask for more?

At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana (Jopacabana)
The hottest spot north of Savannah (here)
At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Jopa....they fell in love
(Jopa Jopacabana)

His name was JoePa, he coached the Lions
He was escorted to his chair, he saw Pittsburgh dancin' there
And when she finished, he called her over
But Joepa went a bit too far, Big East sailed across the bar
And then the punches flew and chairs were smashed in two
There was blood and a single gunshot
But just who shot who?

At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana (Jopacabana)
The hottest spot north of Savannah (here)
At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Jopa....she lost her love

(Jopa. . Jopacabana)
(Jopa Jopacabana) (Jopacabana, ahh ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh ahh ahh Jopa Jopacabana)
(Talking Savannah have a banana)
(Music and passion...always the fash--shun)

Her name is Pittsburgh, she was a showgirl
But that was 30 years ago, when Pitt used to have a show
Now it's the Big Ten, but not for Pittsburgh
Still in the dress she used to wear, old Pitt stadium isn’t there
She sits there so refined, and drinks herself half-blind
She lost her youth and she lost her rival
Now she's lost her mind!

At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana (Jopacabana)
The hottest spot north of Savannah (here)
At the Jopa (JO!), Jopacabana
Music and passion were always the fashion
At the Jopa....don't fall in love
(Jopa) don't fall in love
Jopacabana
Jopacabana