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Collegiate Athletics.
and the beast of the east.
So what, there is another football besides American ball. And the
gals on that field deserved recognition.
Update: The Soccer Gals have tentatively agreed to substitute for
West Virginia University football's kick-off return coverage
special team that ranks 119th in Division One college
football.
Baba Wawa and the White Bros.
Dateline: New York, 29 October 08 1428 HRS
ZULU.
Barbara Walters, better known as Baba Wawa,
recently asked Brent Musberger about the White brothers. Musberger responded
with a “What?”.
Barbara was quoted as stating, “Wisten
to me, you dofus, not the White brudders who fwew airpwanes. The White
brudders who pway for West Virginia University. I hope Pat White
dwills you in the face with a football.”
The juvenile sense of humor aside, the White's
exemplify collegiate athletics, its purpose, its foundation and what college
sports brings to a university. The remarkable thing is that kids like them
fill collegiate athletics from top to bottom. It is what WVU's Bill Stewart has often
referred to as, its about character and not characters.
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The Litigation Theme Song.
Dateline: Morgantown, 01 July 08 0412 HRS
ZULU.
The Athletic Department of West Virginia
University, Big Machine Records and Taylor Swift have announced a joint
production to re-release Miss Swift's hit video,
Picture
to Burn
. Miss Swift, a
fan of college football, stated, I am so pleased to be asked to
develop a new video of "Picture to Burn" that will showcase this example
of collegiate sportsmanship.
If you need or want to listen to the song
instead of the video, a link is provided within the right sidebar of this content page.
top of page
Bobby Knight, NCAA Play–offs and
Underdogs.
Dateline: Somewhere, 16 March 08 2312 HRS
ZULU.
Bobby Knight, along with his experience and
his credentials, speaks for himself and pulls no punches. His analysis
of the NCAA collegiate basketball selection for the play–offs
deserves some strong consideration. Knight's view is that selection
should be expanded to one hundred twenty–eight teams from its
current sixty–four team format. His view is to keep selection as is
for the current sixty–four teams, add the next layer of
sixty–four teams and schedule them to play the first group at that
first level school's home court. As he noted, it would add only one extra
day of games to the current game schedule.
With Knight's analysis of expansion considered,
take a look at Georgia's performance during the Southeastern Conference
championship. At the time of the start of the conference championship
series, Georgia was dead last in the rankings. Four games and one tornado,
later, with two of those games played by Georgia in one day, the Bulldogs
won the conference championship. That was some come–from–behind
gut ball playing.
Before
that SEC series, Georgia didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell
of getting into the NCAA championship series. Who has the right to tell,
for example, the Arizona States, the Daytons, the Virginia Techs that they
just aren't good enough to play for that championship? Or the right to
tell any ballplayer and the school that they can't play and experience
the fun and be given a chance?
Yeah, I like Knight's suggestion.
It is part of the value of collegiate athletics. With the right attitude,
underdogs do plow the field. Let the underdogs in and teach us all a few
forgotten things. And if the underdogs don't during a given season, let
them experience the fun, anyway. They have earned it.
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Calvin Magee, Ethnicity and Hair
Color.
Dateline: Somewhere, 05 March 08 1202 HRS
ZULU.
A few things have been lightly gnawing at me
concerning Calvin Magee's last few months at WVU, his departure and allegations
of race discrimination since he left.
Calvin Magee has
opened discussions with the West Virginia office investigating his
accusations of racism. He has asked the Black Coaches and Administrators
to closely participate in the probe, as well. [The Pittsburgh
Post–Gazette, 02 March 2008.]
Magee [is] waiting for results
of racism probe.
My best guess
concerning your complaints are that they happened but not in the context
of any sort of racial discrimination. Unfortunately, you were collateral
damage, as were many, of someone else's actions on how to resign
without honor. You stood with your boss in Michigan prior to coming back
to help prepare for the Fiesta Bowl. That on the surface said, at the
least, “I have committed to Michigan”.
I commend you
coming back and, in my mind, it spoke of your commitment
to those kids and spoke of your honor. However, sometimes, actions can
be ambiguous to others and those actions need to be backed by a strong
voice. They were not. Some of the responsibility is yours, also.
Someone pointed
to your skin. You know as well as I that the last two slurs before the
ultimate and final threat of “My dad can beat up your dad”
is that of calling into question someone's ethnicity or their sexual
orientation. Kids will be kids and jackasses will be jackasses.
The president of
the University, Mike Garrison, didn't shake your hand and congratulate
you after the Fiesta Bowl victory. Did you really need a handshake from
Garrison, a man who obviously needs some maturing? Or, would you have
done what Noel Devine did during the ball game when the governor tried to
congratulate Devine along the sidelines? Devine simply walked away with
justification. There were more important things that mattered to Devine
at the time. I doubt seriously that Devine's refusal lay in a basis of
ethnic discrimination.
I grew up in
West Virginia at a time wherein a lot of ethnic strife was occurring
throughout the country and followed by a lot of turmoil of school
desegregation. West Virginia never had that problem. Hell, we were all just
too damn poor to afford separate schools even if we wanted them. Everyone
was in the same damn boat. Skin color to us was as significant as someone's
hair color. The roots of the state are founded in such a perception and
belief.
Part of being a
Mountaineer is getting tossed into that bubble of ethnic slur. I can't
imagine discrimination because of skin color but I can because of origin.
Though origin, granted, is not as overt. Frankly, I have never minded such
slurs against myself. The state as a whole, I have and do mind.
If your complaint
is based on principal and objection to the whole, I can understand it and
respect it. However, I find it hard to believe that the university, as a
whole, bases anything upon those types of discriminatory beliefs. What you
experienced may have been nothing more than isolated juvenile reaction to
less than ideal events.
Magee,
if you still buy into that “Once a Mountaineer, Always a
Mountaineer” state–of–being thing, you are always
welcome in my home and at my dinner table, ‘orange hair’ or
a Schmitt mohawk cut or whatever. I bet a lot of other West Virginians, in state
and out, feel the same. You see, Magee, it goes with the territory.
Racism Part Deux
17 April 2008 1856 HRS ZULU.
I was
wrong. Magee, you are, at best, slightly confused or, at worst, have lost
your courage somewhere along the way. Sort of like, where have all the
cowboys gone.
You say, or
have been reported, to have notified the Black Coaches Association over
racial allegations made towards you. Then you tell the press that it
wasn't about race and that it is about how the Athletic Director and
University president treated you. Between that, you finger some poor kid
who was employed, for less than a year, as a fund raiser for the
Mountaineer Athletic Club as the guy who pointed at your skin and
referenced color. What to hell did this kid know about what happens in
the Athletic Department? At best, this kid would have been able to
report nothing but hearsay. I understand, — hearsay and rumors can
be lethal.
Rather than picking
on some poor kid while under pressure from your boss and the misguided
advice from a monkey of a sport's agent, why don't you try standing on
your own two feet and set an example for the University of Michigan and
for the student athletes who are under your charge.
Yeah Calvin,
duty and loyalty above all else except honor. Maybe it is time to find
your balls and your courage.
Source: Accused
Worker Says Rodriguez Offered Job Assistance .
Source: Ex-WVU
Coach Names Source of Racist Comment .
Source: The Larry Aschebrook
Affidavit .
The Racial Discrimination Affidavit requires Adobe
Reader for viewing.
Now,
you know the rest of the story. —Paul Harvey.
top of page
Bill Stewart, Zero Tolerance and
Student Athletes.
Dateline: Somewhere, 07 February 08 2334 HRS
ZULU.
Bill Stewart, Head Football Coach of the
WVU Mountaineers, today,
dismissed three University football
players from “all aspects of the Mountaineer football
family”
.
The three ballplayers,
the night before, had been charged with felony drug possession.
It
appears that Stewart, with his timely dismissal, has firmly set a zero
tolerance policy for his student athletes. That is a good thing,
— Honor both on and off the field.
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Jerry West, Basketball and College
Athletic Departments.
Dateline: Somewhere, 27 January 08 2234 HRS ZULU.
Fair
UseLast night, I watched the West Virginia and
Georgetown basketball game. It was a damn good ball game. It was the
first basketball game that I have watched since Number 44, Jerry West,
played for WVU.
With all
of the turmoil, performance and credibility problems with the WVU athletic
department, I have a question: “Mr. West, are you
busy?”
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The Current State of Collegiate
Athletics.
Dateline: Somewhere, 07 January 08 2242 HRS
ZULU.
Maybe
the problem at hand is that collegiate athletics is progressing towards
a business model. I don't want to see that model succeed. In fact, I
want it kicked right out of the stadium.
I want to
see more dynasties built around genuine tradition, hard work and the foundations
of collegiate athletics. I want the Bo Schembechlers, the Woody Hayes, the Joe
Paternos. I want the underdogs. I want to continue to see the Appalachian
States take on the Michigans and win. I want to see the Boise States
take on and execute some of the most beautifully executed plays, the hook
and ladder and the statue of liberty in the 2007 Fiesta bowl, that I have
ever seen. I want to see the Marshalls who literally rise out of ashes
and claim a national championship. I want to hear that cry of “We are
Marshall!” and feel it reverberate in my gut. I love the Rutgers, who
played the first football game, do what they are doing. I love the Pitts
who can out coach a WVU
and win. I really love the WVUs who can bounce
back from adversity and play up to their full potential. Or the Michigans
and make a statement about an honorable coach. And then, there are the
Kansas States, Missouris, Hawaiis, the U-Conns, the FAUs. I want the
traditions of the old Notre Dames. I want collegiate football to move
more to the military service academy model — the old way — the best
way. Yeah. Navy football and The United States Marine Corps Stadium!
I damn sure
don't want them playing for the name of a fast–food snack or a credit
card company or for the coffers of anyone, universities included. I don't
want the sport further bastardized by grade school antics of university
administrations. I don't want the sport driven by boosters and alumni who
want to relive their youth. Nor, the sport driven by out of control rivalries
that cost coaches their jobs. I don't want rabid fan bases going on forums,
acting like a bunch of monkeys and denigrating tradition and purpose of
collegiate athletics. I damn sure don't want those rabid fans taking to the
streets. I don't want excuses that are rationalized away as ‘business’.
I don't want to see coaches and university presidents or meetings in the
middle of nowhere that take on the appearance of the Colts skittering out
of Baltimore in the middle of the night. I don't want collegiate athletics
to become a playground for professional sports. I want those things eradicated,
vaporized and stepped on for what they are.
Foremost,
I want what is taught to the student-athletes preserved,
continued, respected and revered. I want young kids playing a game for each other,
for themselves and for the fun of the game. These sports are not about
you or me. These are games played by those kids who take the field of play.
We are lucky enough to see, through them, the beauty of it all. If we
are lucky enough, we can re–learn some of the things those kids are
learning and teaching themselves. God knows that it is sorely needed.
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The Morning after the 2008 Fiesta
Bowl.
Dateline: Tempe, Arizona, 03 January 08 1700 HRS
ZULU.
With the Mountaineers
first defensive series and their second offensive series, it was clearly
evident that Oklahoma was in for a fight. West Virginia was playing ball
for all of the right reasons. For the entire game, they played with
genuine pride and heart, played for themselves, played for each other
and played for their love of the game.
After
the game, Bob Stoops, coach for the Oklahoma
Sooners, pragmatically noted that West Virginia had out–coached
Oklahoma and had out–played them defensively, offensively and on
special teams.
Jimmy
Johnson, Fox Sports analyst and former head coach
for Miami University, the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins, had
resoundingly picked, prior to the start of the game, Oklahoma to win.
At the end of the game, a surprised and impressed Johnson stated:
This football team could have beaten
anybody, tonight.
With all the
adversity that faced the WVU
squad and how they played the Fiesta Bowl, Stewart and team created a new
version of Mountaineer football, —‘Chesty’ Puller West Virginia football.
Bill Stewart, Head Coach.
This morning, Mike Garrison, President of West Virginia
University, announced that Bill Stewart had been hired as the new
Mountaineer's football coach. Stewart received, prior to and after the
bowl game, resounding endorsement and support from the Mountaineer squad.
If
it's good enough for Stewart and his men, it's damn sure good enough for me.
top of page
The Morning after the “The Backyard
Brawl”.
Dateline: Somewhere, 03 December 07 1646 HRS
EST.
Fair
UseIt has been one hell
of a collegiate football season. It has shown parity. It has, again,
proven one of the beauties of collegiate athletics, —Any given team
can win over any other given team on any given day.
I
empathize with how the WVU ballplayers may be
feeling this morning. That said and how it applies to all collegiate
athletics, the players took to the field and did so with heart and honor.
That counts for a lot.
When you again take
to the field on January 2008 at the
Fiesta Bowl, play with honor and heart and play for the fun of the game.
Win or lose, any individual or team who does that will always have earned
respect.
Postscript:
If the Mountaineers do that, there is not a team in this
country this year that can withstand the onslaught.
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The NCAA.
Dateline: Somewhere, 02 December 07 0932 HRS EST.
Fair
UseWhile
watching the Louisiana State University and Arkansas football game, LSU's emotionless performance
during the first half of the ball game was bothering me. How much had the
Les Miles and Michigan discussions over Miles moving to Michigan impacted
the ball players' attitude. Only the LSU ball players can answer that but
logic says that it could have been a contributing factor. If so, it was
a factor that should not have been part of the ball game.
Over the
last few years, there seems to have been quite a bit of turmoil
within the collegiate coaching ranks. The National Collegiate Athletic
Association [NCAA] should consider putting a clamp on firing, hiring,
employment discussions, etc. until after the close of a given sport's
season.
It is
about time that a majority of the various alumni
take a backseat, stop trying to control athletic programs, stop trying
to ‘take the field’ [something that most of them never had the
balls to do when they were in college] and let the kids play the sport.
Finally
to colleges and coaches, if you
take someone to the dance, have the honor to both dance the dance and to
leave with that same person at the end of the dance.
top of page
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.
Once a Mountaineer Always a
Mountaineer.
West Virginia University Mountaineers vs University of
North Carolina Tarheels.
Final Score: 31-30.
Pat White. The first and only quarterback in the history
of the NCAA
to win four, count 'em, four consecutive bowl games.
- 2005 Sugar Bowl: WVU vs Georgia 38-35.
- 2006 Gator Bowl: WVU vs Georgia Tech 38-35.
- 2007 Fiesta Bowl: WVU vs Oklahoma 48-28.
- 2008 Meineke Bowl: WVU vs UNC 31-30.
Pat White exemplifies everything that is good, of value
and beautiful within collegiate athletics. White, you will be missed very
much. Thank you for being you and a Mountaineer.
And thanks to every other kid whoever wore the uniform
and stepped out onto the field of play.
After the bowl game, White quietly stated:
Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer. ESPN
Sports broadcast of the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl, 27 December
2008.
Damn right. There is a parallel motto, —Semper Fidelis.
The Fiesta Bowl – 2008.
West Virginia University Mountaineers vs Oklahoma
University Sooners.
Final Score: 48-28.
Everyone was underestimating the WVU ballplayers and their
coaching staff. Too many thought the recent adversity of the loss to Pitt
and the Rodriguez departure was too much to overcome. Apparently, no one
on the outside told the WVU squad what is or what is not too much.
The performance of the Mountaineers and the final score
spoke differently. The result said it all.
As Jimmy Johnson stated after the end of the Fiesta
Bowl:
This football team could have beaten anybody,
tonight. Fox Sports broadcast of the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
West Virginia University Marching
Band.
MP3 Pro Stereo Audio
Apple's Quicktime
[EXT] is recommended.
Fight
Mountaineers
[D – Fight] Accessibility Long Description for the Fight
Mountaineers audio.
Hail,
West Virginia
[D – Hail] Accessibility Long Description for the Hail West
Virginia audio.
For visualizations and closed captioning for those who need or want it,
launch the music in Window's Media Player,
Hail West Virginia
CC.
Media player will launch on your desktop. . Closed
captioning within the media player must be enabled to view the captions.
Microsoft's Windows
Media Player . [EXT] is
required to view.
West Virginia University Mountaineer
Football.
The Beast of the East.
Collegiate Coaching, Fans and Dolly Parton.
This season is like most other collegiate football seasons. Fans scream
for the firing of the coach of their favorite college football program.
Dolly Parton, a passionate college football enthusiast and in conjunction
with the NCAA,
has agreed to a remake of her well received “Shinolah” music
video in response to those fans repeated irrational wailings.
Parton will re-write the lyrics of the music to reflect its
new theme, “You don't know football or know shit from Shinolah”.
The Adobe Flash Player [EXT]is required for viewing.
“It takes a lot of money to look like a slut.”
—Dolly Parton.
Just gotta respect and love a woman like that
particulary when she is Dolly.
Some of the Fun and Spirit of Collegiate Athletics.
Ryan J. Boyd, the WVU YMCA
Guy.
WVU versus UCLA Game on
February 10, 2007.
During every WVU home men's and women's basketball game, Ryan J. Boyd
has gotten up to dance in front of the crowd to the music of The Village
People, The YMCA. Over several years, Boyd and his dance have become
a fan favorite.
I first saw this video of Boyd when I first heard of him in February
2008. My first reaction was this kid has balls. Boyd earned my immediate
respect. After watching the crowds reaction and the fun of it all, all
I can say is, “Give them hell, Boyd and keep on having fun.”
The Adobe Flash Player [EXT]is required for viewing.
Boyd is Back.
Several weeks ago, in August 2008, YouTube removed the Ryan J. Boyd
WVU Guy videos from its service. Some thing was just plain wrong about
Boyd being removed from the Internet. That couldn't be allowed to stand.
Ryan J. Boyd is back!
Rodriguez, Threats and ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’
Journalism.
Rich Rodriguez, Coach, University of
Michigan.
Fair
Use
11 Jan 2008 2147 HRS ZULU
Recently there have been a lot of reports throughout various newspapers
of threats, destruction of property and harassment against various members
of Rich Rodriguez's family. Such actions should never be taken lightly.
Two examples of these types of reports are within the Detroit Free Press U-M coach
Rich Rodriguez's family suffering threats, insults in W. Va.
and the Charleston Daily Mail Rodriguez's
mom says family has received harassment, threats.
.
The disturbing thing, outside of such purported threats, is that no
newspaper, that has reported such incidents, has performed any due diligence
to substantiate such claims. Not one newspaper, that I have uncovered,
has reported that such claims are unsubstantiated nor have they
reported that such claims are, merely, allegations.
It has been three days since the last newspaper report of such incidents
occurring. As of 11 January 2008, contacts made to the Sheriff Departments
of Marion County, West Virginia [Jurisdiction of Grant Town and
Fairmont, West Virginia], Monongalia County, West Virginia [Jurisdiction
of Morgantown, West Virginia] and the West Virginia State Police barracks
of the same jurisdictions have all stated that no reports or complaints
have been received or filed regarding any of these claims as reported by
these various newspapers.
The press has reported, again without due diligence, the Rodriguez
personal residence in Cheat Lake, Monongalia County, West Virginia was
vandalized. It has, also, been reported that abusive signs had been
placed at the gated community of Rodriguez. Wrong.
No reports were or have been made to any law enforcement agency within
Monongalia County. In fact, according to the Chief of the Monongalia County
Sheriffs Department, no such destruction or property defamation has been
observed by any member of staff or law enforcement nor has any been
reported. Two 911 calls were made from the Rodriguez residence within
the last three months. One in November of 2007 for a false fire alarm.
The second and latest, on 12 December 2007, was a false burglar alarm
wherein a member of the family had forgotten to disable the alarm
system of the residence upon entry into the residence.
The above, in my view, are material oversights in journalism. Both newspapers,
along with other papers that have reported the same, could have taken the
time to perform the due diligence that I did and discover, as I did, that
no reports of such claims by anyone was or has been made to
appropriate law enforcement. This is a substantive point.
These newspapers present, within their reporting, claims that take on
the appearance of fact. No article states that the claims are, simply,
unsubstantiated allegations. If in fact such threats did occur, they
should be reported to law enforcement immediately and not allowed, under
any condition, to stand. However, until then, these claims are nothing
more than fiction and, at best, unsubstantiated allegations.
It is nothing more than, again, another example of “Monkey See,
Monkey Do” journalism.
West Virginia University Mountaineer
Football.
2007 Big East Champions.
Passion and Collegiate Athletics?
Not Hardly.
There are a few things a hell of a lot more important
than sports.
Picture to Burn
.
Taylor Swift, eighteen year old musician and
song writer.
This piece of music seems to describe the entire
debacle known as West Virginia University Board of Governors versus
Richard Rodriguez, Civil Action Number: 07-C-851.
EditorialFair Use of the Picture to Burn
audio.
Music | Picture to Burn
Taylor Swift | Country Pop | 2008
MP3 | Stereo
[D] Accessibility Long Description for the music.
Launch the music of Taylor Swift's in your browser's preferred audio plug-in,
Picture to Burn
.
Apple's Quicktime
[EXT] is recommended.
For visualizations and closed captioning for those who need or want it,
launch the music in Window's Media Player,
Picture to Burn
CC.
Media player will launch on your desktop. . Closed
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Microsoft's Windows
Media Player . [EXT] is
required to view.