:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1529513/GYI0062700097.jpg)
As we mentioned on Monday, Cardiac Hill is proud to welcome the bloggers from Pitt Script aboard. This week, we'll be running Q&As with each of the three guys coming aboard.
Here's the first one with Bryan M. - the first of two Bryans joining us. Bryan started The Fighting Wannstaches with two other guys, Joe and Anthony. They merged with Pitt Script and we're glad to have him aboard.
What are your ties to Pitt?
Growing up, I was always a fan of a certain mid-western Catholic university known for its storied football past. However, that quickly changed after not being accepted (stupid leprechauns). Being left to choose between Pitt and Penn State, I decided that I would take my talents to Oakland and there was never a second thought about it. In my four years at Pitt, I can claim that I carried the goalposts after the last game in Pitt Stadium and was part of the Oakland Zoo the last time it stormed the court. What more can you ask from a college experience to would make you a hardcore fan for life?
Tell us a little about how you, Joe, and Anthony started The Fighting Wannstaches.
During the 2009 season opener against Youngstown State, we were talking to the fans sitting in front of us about the greatness of Dave Wannstedt's mustache. Someone mentioned how great it would be to have a fuzzy Wannstache on a tshirt. The idea stuck, so we had our old college roommate draw us up a logo, and by the next game two weeks later, t-shirts were made and the Fighting Wannstaches were born. We continued to grow the awareness of the Fighting Wannstaches by getting our logo to appear on ESPN GameDay and by the fortune of having the "Fear The 'Stache" video campaign go viral. The fact that the team reached the Top 10 also helped quite a bit.
Obviously the name is a reference to Dave Wannstedt and his mustache. Did you guys ever get to meet him or hear from him or other players about the site?
We never actually had a chance to meet Coach Wannstedt. However, several players from the 2009 team and members of Coach Wannstedt's family became fans of our site on Facebook. The local ESPN Radio affiliate picked up on our "Fear The 'Stache" campaign and helped promote it prior to the 2009 Notre Dame game with a radio interview and by handing out signs and t-shirts prior to the game . The Sales Manager at the radio station said that Coach Wannstedt caught wind of this and asked to take a couple t-shirts home for his family.
Favorite/Worst moment as a Pitt fan?
There are many ways I can go with this. The 13-9 game is obviously a great moment in Pitt history, but I will have to say the win over Virginia Tech in 2003 is my favorite moment. From the day starting with ESPN GameDay's first visit to town and ending with Lousaka Polite's game winning TD with less than a minute left, the excitement around that day was simply incredible.
As for worst moment, it's hard to decide between blowing a 21-point lead to Cincinnati for the Sugar Bowl and the Scottie Reynolds game for the Final Four, both within a nine-month span. OK, now I'm getting upset thinking about these games, I don't want to talk about it anymore.
What do you hope to bring to Cardiac Hill?
I'm a hyperemotional, mostly realistic, semi-rational fan that likes to bring these characteristics, along with a sense of humor, to my writing. I also like to dig into the numbers and stats as to what's going on behind the scenes. It's a unique combination that I look forward to sharing with a large audience.
Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.