A goodbye to Cardiac Hill

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Vox Media has decided to go in another direction and Cardiac Hill will no longer be under the SB Nation brand. Those of us apart of the Cardiac Hill staff would like to send our final message as part of the SB Nation umbrella.

Michael Parra

It was on my birthday last year in October that we got to officially get the site up and running again after the stretch of it being dormant and it was easily the best year for me in the sports journalism world. Since my introduction to the community you all have welcomed me with open arms and it has been fun interacting with you over the last year. Being able to be on location covering Pitt athletics was always a personal dream of mine and I am thankful to have been able to experience that. From the Pitt fans and fellow journalists I have met along the way those are memories I will take with more forever.

Some days it might have been overwhelming, managing a sports website while also working a full-time job as a retail manager and being a father but the rewarding experiences made everything worthwhile and fulfilling. To all of those that have supported and tuned in to Cardiac Hill and interacted with us I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. We will explore all options while we process this and see what is best for us going forward but no matter what it has been an honor. It started covering the rollercoaster of a football season that saw the Panthers carry their momentum to a thrilling Sun Bowl victory over UCLA. Covering the best Pitt men’s basketball season in a long time including being in person when the Panthers stunned the UNC crowd in Chapel Hill en route to their first tournament appearance in years, Being able to talk about these moments with each of you was the best part of it.

So again thank you, this wouldn’t have been the experience it was without every one of you. As always, Hail 2 Pitt.

Wyatt VanDyke

After a few years of bouncing around the internet, writing wherever I could, I reached out to Michael to see if there was space at Cardiac Hill for me. I’ll fully admit I did not grow up a Pitt fan, but after transferring colleges and moving from Iowa out here to Pittsburgh, I saw an opportunity with Cardiac Hill to entrench myself in a sports community that I knew little about. It’s about a year removed from that email to Michael now, and I’m so thankful for everything that’s happened in the time since.

I’m hooked now, a devout Panther fan when it comes specifically to volleyball and men’s basketball. This would’ve been my first season as a credentialed member covering football, and I’m sure the affinity would’ve followed there as well.

Pittsburgh as a city, and as a university community, is an incredible place. In two years it’s transformed from a foreign place to the home I had been seeking for 20 years prior. Cardiac Hill played a big part in that, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had as a result of my time here.

From games at the Pete to the First Four in Dayton, the experiences I’ve had would not be possible without the help of the other two who helped bring back this website from dormancy, and those who read our work. Here’s to hoping that we can find some way to keep bringing you Pitt coverage! Thanks again.

Jordan Opperman

Well, it’s been an enjoyable ride. I am thankful for the opportunity to write off and on for Cardiac Hill for the last few years. It was an exciting time to be able to share my love of Pitt sports with all of you. It gave me such joy in coming up with post ideas, tracking down old players overseas, and covering games at the Pete. It’s been so much fun working with Wyatt and Michael the last year.

Thank you for all the kind words here and on Twitter. It means a lot to see the stories from all of you about reading Cardiac Hill as a kid, in college, before work, etc. And a special thank you to Anson for all the amazing work he did building this site up from nothing. I am happy we were able to continue his legacy through some amazing moments, the ACC Football championship, return to March Madness, several final four appearances, and many more. Take care and

Hail to Pitt, I guess, right?