Interesting article on Kevin Pittsnogle

[WVRed]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...n=ncaab,134910

Former West Virginia forward Kevin Pittsnogle is, it's safe to say, one of the more colorful and memorable college athletes of recent years. His slow-big-man-with-outside-game routine was, in its own weird way, spectacular to watch. Better than that, it was effective; West Virginia was rarely as successful before Pittsnogle, and they've yet to regain the tournament mojo they had in the big man's years there. He was a special dude.

So, of course, we want to know what happened to him. Is he playing semi-pro ball? In Europe? Is he ... a middle-school teacher in West Virginia that coaches high school basketball for free? The New York Times found the Pittsnogler, and has the answer:

Now, at 24, he is a middle school teacher in his hometown. He is also an unpaid assistant coach for a high school basketball team. He bowls in leagues three nights a week and occasionally plays bingo at Big Bucks Bingo. His wife, Heather, is a bank teller. They have two children and live in a double-wide trailer, and together they wonder how much appetite they have for uprooting their lives again so Pittsnogle can have one more chance at a basketball career.

It's sort of a sad story -- Pittsnogle seems to be split in two. Half of him wants to play basketball, but the other half of him wants to chill out in West Virginia, teach school, play a little bingo at Big Bucks and live out a life that writer John Branch classifies as the one "he expected and wanted before he shot his way into the national consciousness." And still, he seems torn.

Pittsnogle's desire also might be the least of his worries. According to the story, his weight has ballooned to about 300 pounds, and pro teams are telling him he needs to lose weight to get back in the game. (What, no vegan restaurants in Martinsburg? Sorry. That was mean.) Anyway, in the meantime, he'll still be a hero to people in West Virginia, even if he doesn't have the lifestyle to show it. There are worse fates, yes?

[marcshoe]

When you're seven foot, 300 pounds doesn't mean the same thing it means to the rest of us.

Teaching middle school in Martinsburg, huh? I subbed at a school down in this part of the state last year that could use him. An unbelievably wild place where maybe, just maybe, a seven foot tall, 300-pound man could put a little fear into the students.

Probably not, but maybe.

[hebroncougar]

Not sure how it's sad that a guy is teaching young people and donating time to a high school basketball team. I think the guy in the article needs to understand priorities, there are a lot worse things Pittsnogle could be doing.

[redsfanmia]

Originally Posted by hebroncougar

Not sure how it's sad that a guy is teaching young people and donating time to a high school basketball team. I think the guy in the article needs to understand priorities, there are a lot worse things Pittsnogle could be doing.

Thats what I thought as well, its not like he is homeless and strung out on heroin.

[WMR]

I think the "sadness" that the author was referring to is possibly a dream unfulfilled, not his current occupation or lifestyle.

[Highlifeman21]

I dunno, IMO living in a double-wide trailer in WV reeks of "sadness".

Dude could shoot, though. I hope he gets his weight in order and makes some pro money.