9-13-23

The Pitt News

Backyard Brawl Edition

Game preview pg. 2

Student traditions at Pitt and WVU pg. 6

Pitt football prepares for Backyard Brawl against West Virginia

Brian Sherry Sports Editor

Pitt football’s 27-21 loss to Cincinnati last Saturday disappointed many Panthers fans, leaving many wondering how the program should proceed. From calls to replace redshirt

senior quarterback Phil Jurkovec to head coach Pat Narduzzi having to respond to questions about booing during the loss, it’s evident that fans are upset about Pitt’s rough game against the Bearcats.

But Pitt has an opportunity to silence the noise with a win in the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia on Saturday. The Panthers defeated the Mountaineers 38-31 last year at Acrisure Stadium thanks to a game-saving pick-six from thenjunior cornerback M.J. Devonshire. But the Panthers must travel to Morgantown for this year’s game, creating a serious hurdle for the team if they want to build on last year’s win.

Here are the biggest storylines heading into the 106th edition of the Backyard Brawl.

Drama in Pitt’s quarterback room Jurkovec struggled mightily last week against Cincinnati. The redshirt senior quarterback completed just 31% of his passes and was sacked five times, causing some Panthers fans

and one touchdown. Donaldson’s performance was one of the biggest factors in the Mountaineers’ ability to keep the game close.

But this year, against an arguably weaker Pitt defensive line, Donaldson could help the Mountaineers ultimately overtake the Panthers. Donaldson is a large, physical running back, standing 6 foot 1 and 238 pounds.

Considering Pitt’s disastrous run defense last week, Donaldson is a player to watch out for as he seeks to have another big game in the Backyard Brawl.

Pitt’s offensive line needs to step up.

Last week, Pitt gave up five sacks, which contributed greatly to Jurkovec’s poor performance. This can not happen again if the Panthers hope to leave Morgantown with a win.

to boo Jurkovec during the game. Still, when asked if he considered changing quarterbacks during the loss, Narduzzi responded with a simple “no.”

With redshirt junior Christian Veilleux and Nate Yarnell on the roster, Pitt has options if it wants to move on from Jurkovec. Although, considering Narduzzi’s brief answer after the Cincinnati game, it does not look likely that the redshirt senior is going anywhere anytime soon.

How will Pitt get past West Virginia’s strong offensive line?

The Mountaineers’ biggest strength is undoubtedly their offensive line. Returning four of five starters from last season, the Mountaineers have a strong force protecting their junior quarterback Garrett Greene. In West Virginia’s 38-15 loss to Penn State, the offensive line held up relatively well, giving up just three sacks and assisting the Mountaineer run game.

Junior center Zach Frazier leads the West Virginia offensive line. Standing at 6 foot 3 and 308 pounds, Frazier is quick for his size and could even make an impact in the NFL in the near future.

Considering Pitt’s defense only earned two sacks and gave up 229 rushing yards against Cincinnati, some players must step up to overcome a much more powerful offensive line in West Virginia.

How will Pitt stop West Virginia sophomore running back CJ Donaldson Jr?

In last year’s Backyard Brawl, Donaldson ran all over the Panthers, rushing for 125 yards

Expect Panthers redshirt senior offensive lineman Matt Goncalves to step up against the Mountaineers. After the loss to Cincinnati, Goncalves took responsibility for his unit’s poor performance and vowed to do better.

“We got to prepare for it like we prepared for [Cincinnati], but even better,” Goncalves said. “We gotta come in, watch more film. We, on the practice field, got to do a lot better and work harder.”

How will the environment affect the game?

Mountaineer Field — which will host the Brawl this year — has a capacity of 60,000. Expect Mountaineer fans to occupy as many of those 60,000 seats as possible. While 60,000 attendees are less than last year's Backyard Brawl attendance of 70,000, the smaller, more intimate environment at Mountaineer Field could make for a louder game than last year.

The energy on Saturday could actually play a major role in determining the outcome.

Prediction: West Virginia gets its revenge, beating Pitt 28-21

With a strong offensive line and running back, West Virginia enters the game with the ability to exploit one of the Panthers’ weak spots. Pitt gave up 229 rushing yards last week, ultimately costing them the game. Expect a similar result this week.

This matchup is not favorable to Pitt in any way. The Panthers will have to travel to Morgantown and face off against a running back who has burned them in the past. I expect the Panthers to limp back to Pittsburgh with a long road ahead of them.

Players pile on each other during the Backyard Brawl on Thursday Sept. 1, 2022. Hannah Wilson | Senior Staff PhotograPher

The Backyard Brawl is the best rivalry in all of sports

Brian Sherry Sports Editor

One year ago, on a blisteringly hot Thursday evening in September, Pitt and West Virginia’s football teams took the field for a primetime season-opening matchup. But this was not a normal meeting between these two old rivals. Pitt and West Virginia had not met on a football field in nearly 11 years, leaving many to wonder if a new generation of fans would embrace the rivalry.

But over the course of the night, one thing became clear — the Backyard Brawl was alive and well. Over 70,000 Pitt and West Virginia fans poured into Acrisure Stadium, breaking the record for the most attended sporting event in Pittsburgh.

As the players lined up for the opening kickoff, the energy in Acrisure Stadium turned electric. Pitt — who was heavily favored entering the matchup — fell behind early. Meanwhile, West Virginia — emboldened by a strong showing from its fanbase — looked capable of running away with the upset.

With its hopes slowly diminishing, Pitt found its hero in then-junior cornerback M.J. Devonshire. With 3:41 remaining on the clock in a tied ball game, West Virginia looked ready to deliver a dagger and finally overcome the Panthers.

But Devonshire had other plans. Devonshire picked off a pass from former West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels and found himself open with room to run. The junior cornerback ran all the way into the end zone, giving Pitt the gamewinning 38-31 lead and forever cementing himself in the history of the rivalry.

Devonshire’s pick six in the 105th edition of the Backyard Brawl is just one story in a legacy of heroes and electric finishes that the rivalry has to offer. Now, as the 106th edition of the Brawl approaches, I think one thing is evident — the Backyard Brawl is the best rivalry in all of sports.

From The Game to El Clásico, one of the things that makes sports great is rivalries. But few rivalries around the globe have as much history and tradition as the Backyard Brawl. For

starters, the rivalry first began in 1895, which makes it 128 years old this year. This makes the Backyard Brawl two years older than The Game, six years older than the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry and seven years older than El Clásico.

Of course, the rivalry has changed significantly since it was first played back in 1895. Along the way, some great moments have echoed through the generations and are still remembered today.

Many older West Virginia fans will remember the “Garbage Game” in 1961, when the Mountaineers crushed the Panthers 20-6 after a Pitt player told The Pitt News that West Virginia was “rebuilding with Western Pennsylvania garbage.”

And no Pitt fan will ever forget the 100th edition of the Brawl, as the final score of the game — 13-9 — is still used by Panthers fans to mock their West Virginia counterparts.

The location also plays a major role in the rivalry. It’s not called the Backyard Brawl for nothing, as the two schools are separated by only 80 miles. Not many rivalries can claim the level of closeness that the Backyard Brawl offers.

But what makes the Backyard Brawl truly one of the best rivalries in sports is the fans. No matter what either team’s record is or where they rank in the country, both schools’ fans show up every time they play each other. Even last year, after Pitt and West Virginia took an 11-year break from each other, over 70,000 fans still coalesced in Pittsburgh to renew the much beloved rivalry.

And each fanbase's shared love of the rivalry isn’t the only thing they have in common. West Virginia and Pittsburgh are both blue-collar, working-class regions that often get overlooked nationally. But the Brawl offers both fanbases a chance to come together, often on prime time, and showcase their sheer hatred for each other.

Sure, Mountaineer fans may sometimes hurl rocks and beer bottles at the Pitt buses and Panther coaches may make fun of West Virginia residents on the radio, but the rivalry does more to unite than divide. At the end of the day, both fanbases share similarities and call the same region of northern Appalachia home.

Offensive Lineman Chris Vangas celebrates after a victory in Morgantown on Dec. 1, 2007.

TPN File Photo

Amos Hall Starbucks baristas strike in response to ‘mismanagement’

Bella Markovitz Staff Writer

The baristas at the Amos Hall Starbucks knew that August 24 would be especially busy, as it was both move-in day for Amos Hall and the launch of Starbucks’ fall menu. That’s exactly why they chose that day to strike.

Their labor union, Workers United, ensured that the workers received strike pay for the single day that they were on strike. The next day they returned to work.

“We specifically chose that day to say, ‘Okay, well, if you're gonna scab and you want to prove that you can do our jobs, do it,’” Cas Borowitz, a barista and strike captain at the Amos Hall Starbucks, said.

Managers opened the store anyway and staffed it with other managers from local Starbucks locations. But according to barista Lillian Brewington, this made for a “terrible launch day.”

“They had a full staff of managers and everything there, but there was still a major wait,” Brew-

ington said. “They broke the front door that had just been fixed because they kept trying to prop it open…They didn't know how to shut down the espresso machines, so those were messed up for hours the next day.”

According to Borowitz, the managers fell about an hour behind on mobile orders as well.

Borowitz said the strike was the Amos Hall Starbucks employees’ response to “management’s dismissive attitude and general disrespect.”

At the end of July, new management took over at the Amos Hall location. According to Brewington, these new managers “brought a lot of changes” to the store, without listening to the objections of employees.

“Amos Hall runs differently from other Starbucks [stores] because of how busy we get…You can’t do the same things that you do at other places to pick up the workload, and one of those things is hours,” Brewington said. “They've been cutting hours pretty massively for most of our partners, and one of the ways that they've been doing that

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is scheduling us just under six hours a shift… And they've openly told us that they're doing that so they don't have to run breaks.”

According to Amos Hall baristas and strike captains Borowitz and Haven Bowman, they and their fellow baristas attempted multiple times to voice their concerns to their managers prior to the strike.

“They seemed really comfortable with how the store was in the summer when it's super slow… We were voicing our concerns that they were getting way too comfortable,” Borowitz said.

This included concerns regarding staffing shortages, scheduling issues and Starbucks and OSHA policy violations such as asking sick baristas to stay at work. But they said the new managers disregarded their employees’ concerns, even when creating the work schedules for Pitt’s orientation week.

“We were all like, ‘this is severely understaffed, this would be properly staffed if we were still doing the summer numbers, but we are severely understaffed for the business that we're about to receive,’” Borowitz said. “And we were basically just told, ‘Well, we can't go over labor.’”

According to Borowitz, managers are allotted a certain number of working hours per week for them to distribute amongst the baristas.

“So, when someone says we need to be under labor, it's actually because management gets a pay increase whenever they keep the labor low and the numbers high for sales,” they said.

In an email response to a request for comment, a Starbucks spokesperson addressed some of the allegations.

“The Amos Hall store is fully staffed,” the spokesperson said. “Notably, management actively recruited and hired to support an expected increase in customer demand driven by return to school.”

Brewington said she found this answer “misleading.”

“It doesn’t matter how many workers you have if you don’t use and staff those workers properly,” Brewington said.

On the day of the strike, the Pittsburgh Starbucks Workers United X account posted pictures of the picketing baristas.

“Today, Starbucks workers at the Amos Hall and Eastside locations are on strike! There has been a series of unjust disciplinary actions happening across Pittsburgh recently. With rampant favoritism and understaffing at our stores, these workers took the the streets!”

Borowitz said the “unjust disciplinary actions” referred to in the post was the firing of four

Starbucks baristas in 2022 who were involved in unionizing efforts: James Green, Brett Taborelli, Kimberly Manfre and Victoria Tambellini.

A June 30, 2023, ruling by National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge Robert Ringler found the firings to be illegal and ordered Starbucks to reinstate the four baristas. As of September 11, at least one of the four fired workers has returned to work, according to a Pittsburgh Starbucks Workers United Instagram post.

Since Amos Hall Starbucks workers joined Workers United in May 2022, several other Pittsburgh Starbucks locations have also successfully unionized.

The Starbucks spokesperson also said while they “respect [their] partners’ right to engage in protest activities,” bargaining representatives from Workers United, the union representing the Amos Hall Starbucks employees, have “consistently failed to show up” for Starbucks employees.

“In fact, Workers United has only met Starbucks in-person to progress negotiations for 10 stores over the past two years,” the spokesperson said.

Brewington, who says she attended a meeting a few months ago with Starbucks Workers United representatives and Starbucks lawyers, also took issue with this comment.

“They’re the ones who don’t listen. We met up with them and we had our papers which have our demands, what we’re asking for, to bargain with,” Brewington said. “And they didn’t even read the document.”

Borowitz hoped that the strike would motivate management to listen to the baristas. However, since a promotional buy one, get one deal on September 7, Borowitz is still concerned.

“We had a store record of business with a 500-plus drink half an hour and all our bars being backed up by an hour with only six people on the floor,” Borowitz said. “Once again, we were not properly staffed at all or treated with any respect throughout.”

The exterior of Starbucks in Amos Hall on Fifth Avenue. Alyssa Carnevali | Staff PhotograPher

Students, faculty give takes on 2023 Backyard Brawl

Jermaine Sykes Assisant Sports Editor

College football is arguably the most popular sport — deservedly or not — at the University of Pittsburgh. With a deep history of past success and bitter rivalries, many people first heard of Pitt through their efforts on the football field.

But with its success and culture, Pitt has made fans out of its faculty and students, including business school professor Yun-Oh Whang, who is both faculty and an alum.

“I’ve been watching Pitt football since I came to graduate school here in 1995,” Whang said. “I left the University and returned as a professor nine years ago, but I’ve maintained my fandom throughout the years.”

The Backyard Brawl takes place this weekend between Pitt and its archrival West Virginia. And despite the Brawl taking place in Morgantown this weekend, Pitt fans are still heavily anticipating the 106th matchup.

But the Panthers’ loss to Cincinnati last Saturday left a sour taste in some fans’ mouths as they look forward to the Backyard Brawl.

“I think Cincinnati was the better team,” Whang said. “We have to thank Cincinnati for exposing our weaknesses, but a lot of people were disappointed with the results of the game.”

Whang is not the only Pitt fan upset about the results of last Saturday. From older to younger Pitt fans, an upset loss at home will always leave fans desiring more.

“I have just been a fan for a little over a year,” sophomore Dom Salow said. “The loss was not a good feeling, and I’m not sure how I feel headed down to West Virginia.”

As a sophomore, the first Pitt game Salow attended was the reinstallment of the Backyard Brawl last season. Salow has yet to see signs of improvement from the Panthers since last season, so his expectations are low.

Not all newer fans feel the same way, though. Senior education major Hallie Sill became a Pitt fan four years ago and is confident heading into enemy territory.

“I’ll be a Pitt football fan even when I graduate,” Sill said. “I’ll never say the Panthers won’t win.”

For Pittsburgh transplants, it may take a while to truly understand the extent of the Backyard Brawl. The gap in the rivalry between the two regional foes over the past decade limited its reach to some younger fans.

But for others, age doesn’t matter. First-year student Alaina Gasparovich, a Robinson Township native, grew up on Pitt football. Gasparovich was almost offended when asked about her passion for Pitt football and their rivalry with the Mountaineers.

“I was born and raised here,” Gasparovich said.

“On a scale of 1-10, my passion is 100. It’s through the roof.”

From seasoned and lifelong fans to novice fans, the Backyard Brawl sparks plenty of opinions from fans. But what about predictions and hot takes?

For Whang, a win on Saturday relies on the Panthers’ effort and execution.

“I think we’re going to win,” Whang said. “But we will have to show something. We need to show our fighting spirit if we want to get a win on the road.”

Whang maintained a neutral attitude toward the matchup and tempered expectations heading into the Brawl. Gasparovich, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

“I think we score 40 points against the Mountaineers this year,” Gasparovich said. “I predict us to win 40-18.”

A high-scoring, blowout affair is not in the cards for Sill, who has faith in the Panthers but predicts a lower-scoring bout due to an elite defensive performance.

“I believe our defense will pull through for us and intercept West Virginia a few times,” Sill said. “Pitt wins 21-14.”

All in all, the takes were vastly cool. Most fans have modest expectations after the Cincinnati game but expect the Panthers to prevail as the victor.

That is, except for Salow, who chose the Mountaineers to upset the Panthers at home and set couches ablaze in the streets of Morgantown.

“I think [Phil] Jurkovec will throw a good amount of picks,” Salow said. “I would score the game 28-14 in favor of West Virginia.”

Saturday marks the 106th edition of the Backyard Brawl. And from the “Garbage Game,” to “13-9” to “The Pitt 6”, legendary moments were created. New fans are made with each extension of the rivalry. And while their opinions on the final outcome may differ, the Backyard Brawl keeps fans excited to tune in.

Pitt students in Oakland take photos of the Victory Lights after Pitt defeated WVU in the Backyard Brawl on Thursday Sept. 1, 2022.

Nate Yonamine | Senior Staff PhotograPher

The Backyard Brawl: A vitriolic

Ryleigh Lord News Editor

After the 11-year hiatus that ended last year with a Pitt victory, the Backyard Brawl and its ensuing vitriol and excitement returns this Saturday at Mountaineer Field.

From burning couches to displaying effigies of head coaches, the Brawl has a contentious history that dates back to 1895, when Pitt won 8-0. Since then, the game has turned into a battleground of insults and deep-rooted Appalachian rivalry.

Pitt players have become accustomed to the treatment they receive on the way into Morgantown, West Virginia, which oftentimes includes “getting pelted with beer bottles and rocks.”

In fact, it’s a tradition that the Panthers have come to relish. In 2007, when Pitt won 13-9 and pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the brawl, getting harassed on the bus only made the players more excited to get on the field. Then-head coach Dave Wannstedt recounted the moment the team realized what was going on.

“So we’re driving in on the bus, and it’s quiet,” Wannstedt said. “And all of a sudden…

Bang! Bang! Bang!...and then the whole bus just comes alive.”

Pitt fans have their own traditions, especially the ones who live in “enemy” territory. James Scabilloni, a Pitt class of 1982 alumnae, lived in Morgantown for ten years. On the 10th anniversary of Pitt’s 2007 win, he surprised his West Virginian coworkers with a cake that had the 9-7 score on top.

In the past, fans of both teams took the rivalry to extremes. Oftentimes, regardless of the outcome of the game, Pitt fans burn couches as a way to mark the occasion. Couch burning has a long history in West Virginia and was initially co-opted by Pitt fans as a way to poke fun at the Mountaineers. Now, though, it’s become a Pittsburgh tradition in its own right.

Pat Narduzzi, Pitt’s current football coach, said he enjoys the rivalry because of how it brings the Pitt community together.

“I want to embrace it for our kids, because it’s important to us,” Narduzzi said. “And if it’s important to our fans in the Panther nation, it’s important to me. That’s what we do, is go fight for each other, and so that’s what it’s all about.”

Liz Scabilloni, a junior communication sciences disorders major and James Scabil-

loni’s niece, is one of the many students traveling to Morgantown on Saturday to cheer for the Panthers. She said she’s preparing to be met with the traditional behavior that has become expected of the Brawl.

“When my dad and uncle went to games in Morgantown, a few different times they had things thrown at them in the stands,” Scabilloni said. “But I’m not scared of it because that’s, you know, the nature of the Brawl. It’s part of what makes it so exciting and such an event to be at.”

For WVU students and alumni, Backyard Brawl traditions range from furniture destruction to original song lyrics, all paying homage to the long-standing, sportsmanlike rivalry.

One of the most infamous WVU traditions, couch burning, dates back to a Backyard Brawl football game played in 1975, according to the Herald Dispatch.

A field goal in the final seconds of the fourth quarter awarded the Mountaineers a win over the Panthers and caused fans to ignite multiple bonfires at off-campus student housing after the game.

Lauren Taylor

Executive News Editor at WVU’s The Daily Athenaeum

Furniture, like this loveseat on Meyran Avenue, blazed late into the night all across Oakland after Pitt won the Backyard Brawl on Dec. 1, 2007. TPN File Photo

Appalachian tradition

Again in 1981, a Backyard Brawl basketball game win prompted a Mountaineer fire-setting frenzy in Sunnyside, a Morgantown neighborhood located just outside of WVU’s downtown campus.

Reports of street fires following rivalry wins continued throughout the early 2000s, with a peak of 255 street fires reported in 2003, according to The DA in 2012.

In 2015, the city of Morgantown banned upholstered patio furniture within city limits, in an effort to curb the post rivalry game tradition.

The song “Country Roads” by John Denver entered WVU’s history in 1972, according to the WVU Alumni Association.

It was at this time that the Mountaineer Marching Band, known as The Pride of West Virginia, began playing the song during its pregame show.

Following all home wins, Mountaineer fans lock arms and remain in the stadium to sing along throughout the song’s completion.

In 1980, John Denver performed “Country Roads” live during the pregame performance at the opening of Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.

A popular rendition of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond is a musical Mountaineer tradition encapsulating the infamous rivalry with the Pittsburgh Panthers.

During the song’s hook, “Sweet Caroline” is followed by three short words, “Eat shit Pitt.”

Although the origin of the altered song lyrics is unknown, hundreds of YouTube videos depict Mountaineer fans participating in the tradition in various locations.

Anywhere a Mountaineer fan stands, the introduction of “Sweet Caroline” will shortly be followed by an enthusiastic “Eat shit Pitt.”

A tradition of WVU’s football past, and many other collegiate football fan bases, occurs as the time clock strikes zero.

Football fans pour out of their seats in a brief wave, storming the field to celebrate an upset win.

The last time WVU football fans stormed the field at Milan Puskar Stadium occurred in 2003 following an upset win over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Thousands of Mountaineer fans stormed the field to celebrate the win, with fans even attempting to tear down the stadium goal posts.

With the return of the WVU-Pitt matchup to Morgantown, excitement is building on campus as fans prepare for the return of traditions long celebrated in the face of a rivalry game.

The Mountaineers will take on the Panthers in the 106th Backyard Brawl on Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

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Photos from the 2007 Backyard Brawl on Dec. 1, 2007. TPN File Photo

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