Penn State football coach Joe Paterno visited Pittsburgh on June 19 and, as usual, the topic of renewing the Pitt-Penn State series came up from the local reporters. (Post-Gazette story, Tribune-Review story).
As usual, Paterno rattled off his unreasonable excuses for not playing Pitt in what was once one of the top rivalries in the nation.
Among Paterno's ramblings last week:

1. Paterno said last week, "Now, if Pitt would say tomorrow that we'll play twice up at your place (State College) and once down here (Pittsburgh) …," implying he's ready to resume the rivalry. Some doubt he's sincere.
Why should Pitt ever agree to this? Penn State is clearly, and not-so-modestly, considering themselves above Pitt as a football program.

2. Paterno says there's no room on his schedule for Pitt in a home-and-home series.
He said that when college football was an 11-game season. He continues to say it with a 12-game season.
Meanwhile, Penn State schedules Syracuse and Virginia - programs easily comparable to Pitt and obviously below the holy and perfect Nittany Lions - in an even home-and-home series. Where's the fun in that?

3. Paterno complained that "The last time we came to Pitt, they charged more money for our game than any other game."
He's referring to Pitt requiring people to purchase the Temple game if they wanted to see the Penn State game.
So what?
Pitt often does that when Notre Dame visits Pitt, too. Does Notre Dame complain? Or even notice?
Whose to blame Pitt for trying to create a home atmosphere at its own stadium?
If Paterno thinks Pitt should mind its own business when he requires a two-for-one deal in the series, then he should butt out of Pitt's business decisions in selling tickets.

Obviously, Penn State doesn't need Pitt on its football schedule. The Lions are clearly thriving without them.
For that matter, Penn State doesn't need Syracuse, Virginia, Central Florida, Florida International, Buffalo, Cathedral Prep, McDowell, or the Sisters of the Poor. Penn State would fill Beaver Stadium's 110,000 seats no matter who they'd play. Perhaps that says more about their fans than the program.
The Pitt-Penn State rivalry is what made Penn State as a high-profile football program.
The peak years of the series were from 1974-76, when Pitt and Penn State played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. It was a great, neutral site atmosphere. Yes, the game was in Pittsburgh, much closer to Pitt's campus. But there are gobs of Penn State grads in Allegheny County. The site was essentially a neutral.
It also brought Penn State to the forefront in NCAA football radar. The entire nation saw Penn State hang with, and often beat, a power such as Pitt. The respect was finally earned for the Nittany Lions.
Remember, Penn State was had been snubbed for a national championship after it went undefeated in 1969. Texas got the nod. Penn State wasn't considered on Texas' level back then, despite the perfect season.
While it's true Paterno doesn't make the schedule for Penn State, the series would start back up tomorrow if he gave his thumbs up.
The Pitt-Penn State series will resume someday. Louisville-Kentucky got back on each others' schedules in basketball. Iowa-Iowa State got it together in football. I have no doubt Pitt and Penn State will, too.
It's a shame, but there is only one man keeping the series from resuming.
sean.heilman@timesnews.com