10 commandments of Pitt football

Everybody knows Pittsburgh is passionate about sports, more passionate than most places. Whether it’s hockey, baseball, or football, the entire city comes to a halt. In light of all this Panther pride after beating Penn State, here are the 10 Commandments of Pitt Football to remind us of our love.

Thou shall honor Narduzzi 

After only a little over a year at Pitt, Coach Pat Narduzzi has become a beloved figure in the Pitt community.  As soon as he arrived, you were able to see an immediate change in our team.  He brought a fire and a passion to their game play, and in turn brought a fire and a passion back to the fans. That passion brought us an amazing 2015 season, a talented recruiting class (#PittIsIt), and a 2016 season starting on the right foot. For that, he’ll be a legend in Pittsburgh for years to come.

Thou shall ALWAYS hate on Penn State

When I first moved to Pittsburgh, my roommate told me, “Around here you’re either a Penn State family or a Pitt family. You can’t be both.”  Over the past two years, I’ve definitely seen that to be true.

I cannot count how many random “Fuck Penn State” chants I have heard at parties and even random past football games.  Although we hadn’t played Penn State in 16 years, the rivalry was still going strong.  Now that we actually played and kicked their asses, the competition next year will be even better.

Thou shall appreciate the view

Heinz Field is a professional football stadium with a professional level view.  Pittsburgh has one of the most breathtaking skylines, and you can see it from your seat.

Thou shall have a good time tailgating

What would game day be without tailgating? Getting to fuel off of cheap beer and painting your bodies blue and gold with all of your best friends is so satisfying. It’s hard not to overdo the tailgate, but Panthers don’t judge because sometimes tailgating gets the best of you. It happens to the best of us, but some corn hole and delicious Pittsburgh food helps you get into the game.  Also #RIPGravelLot.

Thou shall always make it into the game on time

Although tailgating can sometimes get the best of you, you have to get into Heinz on time, if not early.  The atmosphere right before kick off is necessary in order to properly pump yourself up for the next four quarters. Everybody in the stands cheering and jumping around to “Thunder” by AC/DC while we watch the video of Roc running through Pittsburgh, and then seeing our Pitt Panthers running onto the field is something you don’t want to miss.

Also, you never know what could happen during kick off, especially with Quadree Henderson’s return skills.

Thou shall participate in Sweet Caroline 

Sweet Caroline is a new but beloved tradition.  No matter what, everybody stays for the end of the third quarter to wrap our arms around each other and belt out the well-known song.  In this moment, everybody comes together as a community to show our school spirit and our love for Pitt.

Even after you graduate from Pitt, every time you hear Neil Diamond’s classic, whether it’s a DJ at a wedding or on the radio in the car, you will always think of these football games and yell “Let’s go Pitt!”

Thou shall participate in game traditions

As a freshman coming to your first game, you have many traditions to learn.  After every touchdown, people lift others into the air as many times as the points we have.  You should definitely participate in that before you graduate.  There are also some chants, including one for first downs, complete with a drumroll on the seat in front of you.  We also do a drumroll to pump up the defense.

Thou shall make a huge deal about the Victory Lights being turned on

Already the most beautiful building on campus in the world, it gets far prettier after a win,  Every time Pitt wins a game, the Cathedral of Learning lights up.  The lights stay on for a couple days, and many use a shining Cathy to make it back to campus after a night of celebration.  If you don’t put it on your Snapchat story or take a picture of it, you’re doing it wrong.

Thou shall stay all four quarters and always have faith 

The Pitt football team is looking damn good this year, and no matter how uneven the score may be, you must believe in your Panthers.

I don’t care if you want to beat the traffic, you better be staying until the end to see the team rush the field in victory. If you need some help staying all four quarters, we have you covered here (the nachos at Heinz Field are key).

And above all, thou shall ALWAYS Hail to Pitt! 

Once a Panther, always a Panther.