PITTSBURGH - Midweek news and commentary.
n Pitt gets thumped by West Virginia, has one football game remaining.
I know someone who is close to the Pitt program, and he says it's a done deal that there will be a coaching change.
I'm just passing that along. We'll see what happens.
n Coaching Pitt football is not the plum job it once was.
That's a popular theory, which e-mailer Tom made the other day.
It may not be one of the elite jobs in the country, but it's still a good one that's sure to draw a lot of interest if it's open.
You can say Pitt is a stepping stone to something bigger and better, but when hasn't that been true?
John Majors and Jackie Sherrill both parlayed their Pitt success into better opportunities.
When Mike Gottfried signed on in the 1980s, the perception was that Pitt was his last stop before the NFL called.
n James Harrison gets fined. Again.
I don't see how this one can be argued. He led with the crown of his helmet. The NFL has said that's not permitted. That drew a flag on Sunday and a fine on Tuesday.
Here's the deal: They've changed the enforcement of the rules. They outlined the changes for everybody. You adapt, or you get penalized.
Is the NFL watching Harrison closely? Of course. The fourth grade teacher watches the kid who's consistently disruptive more closely than she watches little Courtney, who has never been in trouble in her life.
There are other aggressive players like Harrison on other teams, and they're not getting fined every week.
Harrison has to adjust. It shouldn't be that big a change. You can still make plays. You can still hit players. You're not allowed to attempt to maim them.
There are hundreds of defensive plays every weekend. There are hundreds of players on defensive platoons.
Yet Harrison is one of the few who is drawing consistent penalties.
Is that because the NFL has it in for him, or because Harrison can't grasp the new concept?
I'm voting for the latter.
Harrison needs to get a handle on this. The fines are his business, but the 15-yard penalties are hurting the Steelers.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com. His web log is at altoonamirror.com.
