Tradition is important. In college football it is one of the biggest draws to fans of the game and of the team they are going to see. So much so that even I, a Pitt fan, knows every Saturday in the Fall in Blacksburg, Virginia you can count on Virginia Tech running out to Metallica's Enter Sandman. The Clemson Tigers touch Howard's Rock and run down the hill into the stadium.  Pitt does not have anything half as cool as that, but the team kind of botched their normal entrance anyway.

Pitt normally comes out to something like this, and that has at least been going on for the better part of their tenure at Heinz Field. At the 2:18 mark of that video, the one song starts to play with the Panther running around the city and eventually the video ends with the Panther running over the logo of the other team. All while that is happening, they show the team slowly walking out of the locker room towards the field.  As the team runs onto the field, they should come out to fireworks with the band making a tunnel like they have been doing for years now with the PA announcer saying his usual "Bring on your 2015 Pitt Panthers!"

So that's what should happen on a Saturday in the Fall at Heinz Field, an average tradition, but something we have all grown accustomed to nonetheless.  Pitt does not have much in the way of "game day tradition" as other places, and a lot of that stems from playing in an NFL stadium.  In my opinion, it does not allow them to do the little things they always want to do. The team has adapted, though, and has made the most out of Heinz Field anyway.

Anyway though, halfway through the normal video routine of the Panther running around, the team just kind of ran onto the field, and it felt so "blah". Maybe the new staff botched it or something, but Pitt's entrance was underwhelming yesterday and it looked half-assed. I'm not on the fan committee, so I have to voice my opinion on the matter here. I mean the band was still in formation standing in the middle of the field, it just looked bizarre.

It's just the little things that  a season ticket holder since 2003, like myself, would notice. Heck maybe some of you reading his think I am a little crazy.  I'm really not asking for much, but Scott Barnes and the athletic department has a month to figure out a proper way for the team to enter the playing field. I hope they figure it out because yesterday was sort of a letdown. The entrance should be in the manner that gets the fans excited to watch the team, and the players to get excited to play in front of them.

Also noticeable, when they do the big, drawn out "Let's"   "Go"   "Pitt" cheer, it seemed to coincide with one of the bands' cheers, and nobody really knew what to do.  The band continued to play, while the cheeleaders did their thing and the crowd kind of didn't do anything.  I do not know what goes on and how that is orchestrated, but if the band is doing one thing, the cheerleaders should be synced with them, and vice versa.  It just felt like a sloppy production all around Heinz Field on Saturday.

P.S.  move Sweet Caroline to before the game, or don't play it all. But that's a different story.