Helping Pitt Fans Deal With Their Todd Graham Angst, To Make Peace And Move On

Hey there Pitt fan,

How are you holding up there, slugger? That bad? We're sorry. It'll get better.

We know it's tough. Having your coach leave after a single cup of .500 coffee, after all the other coaching turmoil you've had to endure in recent years.

We want to talk to you about this grudge you hold over Todd Graham leaving. Initial outrage is understandable, but five months later and it's still going strong. Anything Graham related, most having nothing to do with your school, seemingly elicits rage.

Now, going through four head coaches in a calendar year has certainly got to put you on edge, Panther Nation, but lashing out because of that is just making your situation worse. Getting riled up, and then continously bashing at every available (and unavailable) turn isn't doing anybody any good. It's not hurting Todd Graham or ASU, and it's not helping you. Here's a simple three-word action plan, that we'll let an expert outline for you.

And, as anyone knows, you do not go against the words of Sir Paul. Never.

Right now, you're stuck in the second stage of grief: anger. You battled through the first--denial--with "No, not again" and "No way he leaves via text message". That one you got over quickly. Woot. But this second stage...this one has lingered. It's time to leapfrog the third and fourth stages (bargaining and depression) and just land smack dab in the middle of acceptance.

Accept that he didn't want to be a Pitt. Accept his apology that it was a mistake. Accept that he's totally won over the Arizona State community. Accept that, yes, we may one day soon have the rug pulled out from us. Let it go, man.

If he was so bad as a coach and person, why raise such a fuss? Why not just wish him a spiteful "Good riddance" and get back to hating on Tino Sunseri? You actually have a lot going for you. Paul Chryst is one helluva coach. During ASU's search, he was on my top five list. You've got one of the best running backs in the nation. You get to see the greatest team in all of sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers, up close. You have Primanti Brothers, for crying out loud. Those last two give you a win over everyone else.

We're sure you're thinking this is just a trolling post, designed as middle finger in article form. It's not. Yeah, the constant tweets and article comments posted anytime your "Todd Graham" sense tingles is sometimes hilarious, sometimes annoying, but really...this is 2012. Coaching carousels are reality. The days of Bobby, Joe, Woody and Bo are over. Five-year plans are lucky to now see a third season.

Seriously, why waste your time filling the internet with useless hate? Granted, useless antagonism makes up 63% of the internet, but why add to it over a football coach? He didn't pull a Bobby Petrino, he didn't leave the Panthers with years of NCAA sanctions, he didn't even cost the school that much money.

It's not worth it. Yeah, we have to admit we laughed when we first saw "Fraud Graham". It was witty then. Now it's just sad.

I'm not going to be hypocritical and pretend that your persistent warnings of "he's going to do it again" are without merit. We understand his time could be short, for the reasons/current culture of the game discussed earlier. Most anything is possible (well, except Arizona going to a Rose Bowl). The only thing to do is worry about your own team and program, we'll worry about our's.

Let's just call a truce, have a couple of Iron City beers and look forward to a new season and a new era for our football teams. Deal?

Regards,

Sun Devils who use the Internet

P.S. The Iron Cities will have to be on you, for some reason they don't sell it out here anymore.