| |
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| When you walk in our shop, you know you're in the heart of Mountaineer Country. |
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WVU sat on the Top 10 [ dzielski ]
|
| WVU Football sat on the Top 10!
WVU Football had a great fall to 43 then
All of Coach Stewart's coaches and
All of Coach Stewart's players...
Can They put WVU Football back together again?
Beat MU!
|
SPORTS MAN [ T-MAN ]
|
| Hi I'm T-MAN. I'm going to be bringing you sports info every
week. I'll bring you info about pretty much every sport.
This week I'm going to talk about football. I'm a huge
Mountaineer fan, but I think our first three games we are
going to kill the teams. I'm not trying to say that were the
best
team in the country, but I think we will get a lot of grief
from sports scouts. After our first three games I think
we'll have better competition. Thats all for now. T-MAN OUTLast updated on 21-Jul-08 |
Hey [ WVU#11 ]
|
| What is up people. thanks for coming to my blog!!!!!!!11 |
Flying WV now available for Virginia Residents [ marylandmountie ]
|
| WVU grads living in Virginia can now proudly fly their
colors on their state issued license plates.
Register
hereLast updated on 19-May-08 |
Thanks Coach Rod for "A Long Time" [ wvdj105 ]
|
| Thanks Coach Rod for "A
Long Time" |
Flying WV License Plates for Virginia Residents [ marylandmountie ]
|
| Thanks to the efforts of the National Capital Area Chapter
WVU Alumni Association, Commonwealth of Virginia residents
will soon be able to register for WVU Alumni license plates.
Members of the WVU NCAC will receive information and an
application in the mail.
|
WVU Alumni Networking in Washington DC [ marylandmountie ]
|
| Any WVU Alumni interested in networking with other business
professionals should check out the
Mountaineer
Alliance. The Mountaineer Alliance meets on the last
Tuesday of each month for a networking lunch at alumni-owned
Ragtime in Arlington, Virginia.
The group is part of the National Capital Area Chapter WVU
Alumni Association, one of the largest, most active alumni
chapters in the country.
Premier
Membership in the Mountaineer Alliance includes banner
advertising and a special member profile.
|
Honor, Trust, and Integrity [ texasmountaineer ]
|
| Editorial as posted in the Dominion Post
I would have never thought I would ever write a counter
editorial to support Rich Rodriguez, but here I am. It is
very disappointing Rich has decided to leave the
Mountaineers, but even more disappointing, to read an
article where Boosters are furious over WVU's decision to
let Rich go to Michigan.
Yes, I am upset he is gone. We all are. But we need to sit
and reflect on what has transpired over the last two years
and the two National Championship games that almost were.
1. Last years loss to South Florida was a game that
should have been won. But it seemed we lost the game when
Rich lost focus. He was distracted by Alabama.
2. This years loss to Pitt was a game that should have
been won.But now it seems as if Rich was preoccupied with
an opening at Michigan.
Two games that changed the path of the teams potential to
capture an elusive prize, A National Championship.
Both games were lost do to integrity issues with Rich's
commitment to his Team, the University, and the State.
As recent as last Friday, he is quoted as "I am here to
stay". We all thought he would never leave. Then on
Saturday he tells Pastilong he is going to Michigan. Rich
lied to his team, lied to the University, lied to the
State,and lied to the Nation. Where is the trust? How
could he have let his team down like this? I thought
college football was about honor?
Did we forget what being a Mountaineer is all about? I
grew up with a teaching that a man was good for his word.
You can tell a person's character by his actions. I may
have misjudged Rich as I trusted everything I read. He was
proud to be a Mountaineer, proud to be at West Virginia,
and Proud of his Team. If this were all true, then why
would he even entertain talking to Michigan? His actions
speak louder then his words. He did not want to be at WVU.
All the respect I had for a fellow Mountaineer is gone.
Pat White and Steve Slayton should be credited with the
hurry up offense. With out them WVU would not be where
they are today. But the very team that made him into the
coach he is today are betrayed by Rich's personal gain.
The fact he called Terrelle Pryor before telling his own
team he was going to Michigan is a major character flaw in
my mind. He is raiding the prospects that are future
Mountaineers.
While Rich's stay at WVU is just another chapter in the
programs legacy. Thanks for the memories, but I support
the University 100%. We can not sacrifice honor, trust,
or integrity to have a winning team. I am proud to be a
Mountaineer! Are you?
____________________________________________________
You can call me anything you want but if I lack honor,
trust and integrity, you can't call me a Mountaineer! |
An Article to make you feel good! [ texasmountaineer ]
|
| By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
The outrage over Rich Rodriguez's sudden departure from
West Virginia has been as appropriate as it is venomous.
By turning his back on his home state and his alma mater,
and by going against the pledge he made a year ago when
Alabama came calling, Rodriguez has revealed himself to be
the worst possible mercenary.
And a guy you're better off without, character-wise, over
the long haul.
But what about the football ramifications of Fraudriguez'
flight to Ann Arbor?
story continues below
Again, the Mountaineers will be better off without him,
something Mountaineers' fans may come to realize once the
outrage subsides and perspective is applied.
Forget the 60-26 record.
Rodriguez can and should be judged on one game and one
game only:
Pitt 13, West Virginia 9.
The circumstances were these:
West Virginia was playing for a spot in the national
championship game, at home, as a 28.5-point favorite
against a team it had dominated recently and should have
again.
And the Mountaineers choked.
Rodriguez choked.
In terms of preparation, motivation and willingness and
ability to adjust, Rodriguez had nothing.
He'll never have as golden an opportunity to play for the
national championship again.
But the real point is he had such a shot; you can get
there from Morgantown.
The perception is it's much easier to get there from Ann
Arbor, but the reality is Michigan has won exactly half a
national championship since everyone stopped wearing
leather helmets (prior to sharing the 1997 title with
Nebraska, Michigan had last prevailed in 1948).
And Rodriguez' regular seasons will now end against Ohio
State rather than Pitt.
He hasn't so much improved his chances to reach the top of
the mountain as he has run away from the heat generated by
Mountaineers' faithful in the wake of the Pitt game.
The Pitt game, by the way, was the second time this season
that West Virginia fell flat on its face with something at
stake, the other time being the turnover party WVU threw
at South Florida.
Having choked in such a fashion, Rodriguez opted to follow
a path previously traveled by former West Virginia
basketball coach John Beilein.
Beilein's team didn't choke in the 2005 NCAA Tournament,
but his "Cinderella" Mountaineers were unable to make it
to the Final Four despite achieving a 20-point lead in the
Regional Final against Louisville.
West Virginia didn't finish.
Sound familiar?
Knowing his best chance had been blown, Beilein ran away
in search of basketball Nirvana in Ann Arbor.
How's that working out for you, coach?
Your former team is ranked and doing just fine without
you.
As it has with Bob Huggins, there's a chance West Virginia
can do better once Rodriguez is replaced (Tom Bradley,
perhaps?).
In the meantime, Michigan is giddy now that it finally
found someone who actually wants to coach there, and
Rodriguez' ego has been appropriately stroked.
The school that couldn't beat Appalachian State, and the
coach who couldn't beat Pitt.
A marriage of arrogance.
Those two deserve each other.
Merry Christmas.
Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-
Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-
320-7923 |
WVU [ satonforhiesman22 ]
|
| WVU WIN LIST
2006 Sugar Bowl
2007 Gator Bowl
2008 BCS National Championship |
Thank you, Lady Mountaineers [ tnmountie ]
|
| Thank your for the memorable season. You have shown great
determination and lots of heart, not to mention some
outstanding talent. WVU fans need to start really
supporting you in earnest by packing the Coliseum for
games.
Congrats on a great run! |
NCAA Wrestling Tournament Day 3 [ natman ]
|
| CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 24-2) vs #3 Nathan
Morgan (Oklahoma St, jun, 18-4) Result: Morgan
pins Rader in 4:27; Rader to wrestle for 5th Place
Match Notes
Bout 585 -- 1st Period: After some scrambling at the
start, takedown for Morgan 1:00
in...stalemate...1:15...roll-through ends in a Rader
escape...0:59 RT for Morgan...Morgan back in for a
takedown...0:30...Morgan rides out the period. 2nd Period:
Rader chooses down...escape
Rader...stalemate...1:30...Morgan single, finishes for
2...0:45...turns Rader, working for a fall, and gets it at
4:27.
CONSOLATION FINALS - 5TH PLACE ROUND
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 24-3) vs Don Fisch
(Rider, jun, 32-10) Result: Fisch pins Rader in
3:42; Rader finishes in 6th Place
Match Notes
1st: a surprisingly quiet first period between Rader and
Fisch. no score into the 2nd. 2nd: Fisch, with authority,
elevates Rader and plants him on his back....Gets the
FALL!!! Fisch, the unseeded wrestler from Rider with the
Fall at 3:42.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
Two EWL Conference wrestlers reached the tournament
finals, televised tonight on ESPN at 8:00 PM. Edinboro
true sophomore Gregor Gillespie (34-2) reach the 149-pound
final in dramatic fashion as he upset previously
undefeated Minnesota sophomore Dustin Schlatter, 3-2. One
of Gillespie's two losses came at the hands of WVU
sophomore David Jauregui on February 15th.
The other finalist is Pitt's #2 seed at 174 pounds, junior
Keith Gavin (28-3). Gavin will be hard pressed to take
home the title, though, as he must face off against
unbeaten Missouri senior Ben Askren (36-0), the defending
174-pound champion who has not lost a match since the 2005
final.
The EWL has wrestled fairly well in the 2007
championships, sending ten wrestlers to the important
round of 12 as eight of those went on to become All-
Americans.
The 2007 EWL All-Americans:
125 6th Place: #9 Obenson Blanc (Lock Haven, jun, 34-8)
141 6th Place: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 24-4)
149 1-2 Place: #5 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro, soph, 34-2)
157 5th Place: #11 Matt Kocher (Pitt, jun, 27-9)
165 7th Place: #7 Deonte Penn (Edinboro, sen, 37-4)
174 1-2 Place: #2 Keith Gavin (Pitt, jun, 28-3)
184 4th Place: #7 Alex Clemsen (Edinboro, sen, 37-4)
285 8th Place: #9 Mike Spaid (Bloomsburg, jun, 36-8)
In the team standings, WVU will finish in 28th Place with
21.0 points. WVU has no wrestlers remaining in tonight's
championship finals, but neither do any of the schools
behind them in the standings. Edinboro is currently in
11th place with 52.0 points, while Pitt is just inside the
top 20 at #19 with 30.0 points.
Other noteable schools:
#33 15.5 pts Lock Haven (EWL)
#37 10.5 pts Bloomsburg (EWL)
#49 3.0 pts Clevemand State (EWL)
#60 1.0 pts Virginia Tech (ACC, formerly EWL)
#65 0.0 pts Clarion (EWL)
Minnesota leads overall with 92.0 points but has only one
wrestler in tonight's finals. Iowa State is a close
second with 84.5 points but can still win the title with
their three finalists.
LINKS
Rogers is the only WVU grappler to remain in the
championship bracket after upsetting the #11 and #6 seeds
in yesterday's action. Dustin will face #3 seed
Ryan "Bubba" Gritter (Central Michigan, jun, 30-5) in this
morning's quarterfinal round. Rogers has already
guaranteed himself a top-12 finish and needs to win one
more match to garner All-American accolades.
The other four WVU wrestlers in the consolation bracket
must win two consecutive matches to reach the round of 12
and three consecutive matches for top-8 All-American
status.
WVU sophomore Brandon Rader is poised to become the first-
ever four-time All-American at WVU despite losing a
heartbreaking 14-13 second round bout last night. 141
pounds has proven to be one of the more solid weight
classes this year, as the #5, #6, #7, #8, #9 #10 and #12
seeds all lost on the first day.
As a team, the Mountaineers remain tied for 28th place
with 8.5 points. Fellow EWL member Edinboro flourished
yesterday on the strength of three quarterfinalists. The
Fighting Scots, with 17.5 points, are in 8th place.
SESSION THREE; FRIDAY MORNING
QUARTERFINALS
285: Dustin Rogers (WVU, jun, 19-7) vs #3 Ryan "Bubba"
Gritter (Central Michigan, jun, 30-5)
Result: Gritter 3, Rogers 1, OT
Match Notes
Surprisingly no real action in the first period. Gritter
goes down to start the 2nd and Rogers cuts him. Rogers
down and gets out right away. Gritter in on a double, but
Rogers whizzers as time expires. Gritter gets a front
headlock and scores a takedown 30 seconds into the extra
period.
SECOND ROUND CONSOLATIONS
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 20-2) vs David Roberts
(Cal
Poly, sen, 13-9)
Result: Rader 18, Roberts 3 (tech fall)
Match Notes
Bout 358 -- 1st Period: Rader strikes with a takedown in
the first 10 seconds...Roberts out, and Rader right back
in for 2 more...Rader cuts Roberts...Rader drops to a
double for 2...Rader adds two back points...1:00...Rader
aggressively controlling on top...0:20...Roberts works out
for an escape at the end of the frame. 2nd Period: Roberts
defers, Rader chooses down...Rader reaches around, gets
the reversal and puts Roberts to his back...tack on three
near-fall points for Rader...0:30...Rader rides out the
period, with nearly 3:00 of total RT. 3rd Period: Roberts
selects neutral...takedown, Rader...Rader with another
tilt...earns the 3-point near fall for an 18-3 win in 5:32.
149: David Jauregui (WVU, soph, 21-5) vs Matt Moley
(Bloomsburg, fresh, 26-13)
Result: Moley 3, Jauregui 2; JAUREGUI ELIMINATED
Match Notes
PERIOD 1: With a Scoreless first period, Moley with chose
down to start the Seocnd period; PERIOD 2: Escape by Moley
with 1:40 left in the period; Stall call on Jauregui;
PERIOD 3: Jauregui takes down, Stall warning on Moley;
Escape Jauregui; Takedown Moley; with 15seconds left in
the bout; Escape Jauregui to end the bout.
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU, soph, 20-7) vs Matthew Maciag
(Wisconsin, jun, 15-10)
Result: Brenner 14, Maciag 6, Major decision
Match Notes
PERIOD 1: Takedown Brenner and he's looking for back
points; Escape for Maciag; takedown Brenner with 37
seconds left in the period PERIOD 2: Maciag takes down;
Brenner lets Maciag up for the escape; Takedown by Brenner
on the edge of the mat; Escape Maciag; Takedown Brenner;
Escape by Maciag to head into the Third period; PERIOD 3:
Brenner takes down, Escape Brenner with 1:56 left in the
bout; Takedown Maciag ; Escape Brenner; 1 point locked
hands for Brenner; Takedown Brenner
197: Jared Villers (WVU, jun, 26-6) vs Eric Lapotsky
(Bucknell, soph, 27-5)
Result: Villers 7, Lapotsky 3
Match Notes
Lapotsky with a single and scores. Stall warning against
Villers. Villers with the reversal. Blood time for
Lapotsky. Villers with a tilt and two nearfall as the
period ends. Blood time for Lapotsky. Lapotsky chooses
down for the second period. Stall warning against
Lapotsky. Villers rides the period out. Villers chooses
down for the third period. Villers with the reversal.
Lapotsky with the escape. Riding time for Villers.
THIRD ROUND CONSOLATIONS
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 21-2) vs Matt Ciasulli
(Lehigh, sen, 31-7)
Result: Rader 15, Ciasulli 6, Major Decision
Match Notes
1st: Rader shoots a double with authority dumping Ciasulli
to the mat. Escape Ciasulli, but another Rader takedown
soon follows. Escape Ciasulli. Rader again with the
takedown and rides him out. 2nd: we go neutral to start
the 2nd. Takedown Ciasulli. Rader catches the arm and
dumps Ciasulli to his back. Ciasulli able to bail, but
gives up the reversal. Rader rides him out and now has
well over 2 minutes of riding time. 3rd: Again neutral.
Rader explodes on the whistle and scores on a double leg.
Ciasulli rolls through and gets the reversal. Rader gets
an escape and a gets a penalty point to take a 12-6 lead.
Rader with the late takedown and wins 15-6 with riding
time.
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU, soph, 21-7) vs Joshua Weitzel
(Oklahoma, jun, 27-8)
Result: Weitzel 3, Brenner 2, BRENNER ELIMINATED
Match Notes
Brenner scores first with a takedown. Weitzel with the
escape. Weitzel chooses down for the second period.
Weitzel with a switch for the reversal. Weitzel rides out
the period. Brenner chooses neutral for the third period.
Riding time is not a factor. Brenner in on a
shot...Weitzel holding on...time expires.
197: Jared Villers (WVU, jun, 27-6) vs Hudson Taylor
(Maryland, fresh, 28-9)
Result: Taylor wind by pinfall over Villers in
1:29; VILLERS ELIMINATED
Match Notes
Villers around, but Taylor has the whizzer in, hits it and
finally gets around for the TD...2-0 Taylor..Villers with
some injury time...on the restart, Taylor pressuring,
trying to get the half in...now Villers stands..Taylor
tries to bear hug him down as he turns, but Villers gets
on top for the 2reversal and 2NF, but before he can get a
good hold on Taylor, Taylor gets the reversal for the 4-4
tie...Now Taylor with a front leg trip, and steamrolls
Villers for the pin at 1:29
SESSION FOUR; FRIDAY NIGHT
FOURTH ROUND CONSOLATIONS
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 22-2) vs #4 Manuel
Rivera (Minnesota, jun, 38-3) Result: Rader 9,
Rivera 5; RADER = ALL-AMERICAN!!
Match Notes
1st: Rader with the takedown and goes ahead 2-0. Escape
Rivera after 68 seconds of riding time. 2nd: Rader chooses
top. Escape Rivera, but Rader gets right in and scores his
2nd takedown of the match. Escape Rivera. Rivera catches
Rader out of position and scoots around to tie the match.
3rd: Rivera chooses bottom and nearly gets cheap tilted
for two. Rader ride time advantage builds to over two
minutes. Rivera esacpes and needs a takedown to even this
match, but Rader is the one who gets the takedown and wins
9-5 with riding time.
285: Dustin Rogers (WVU, jun, 19-8) vs #12 Wade Sauer (Cal
St-Fullerton, soph, 28-12) Result: Sauer 9, Rogers
2; ROGERS ELIMINATED Match Notes
1st: Sauer in on a leg, but can't do anything with it.
Takedown Rogers as Sauer falls into the scorers table.
2nd: Sauer comes storming out in the 2nd with a two
takedowns and 3 nearfall to boot. 3rd: Sauer wins going
away 9-2.
CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 23-2) vs Jeff Jaggers
(Ohio State, soph, 20-9) Result: Rader 8, Jaggers
6
Match Notes
1st: Rader with the takedown on the edge 55 seconds into
the period. Escape Jaggers. Rader in again and gets his
2nd takedown of the match. Jaggers out, trails by 2.
Jaggers tries to go behind Rader, but Rader explodes with
his hips and comes out on top for the takedown. Jaggers
takes injury time. Rader puts Jaggers on his back for 2nf
as the 1st period ends. 2nd: Jaggers escapes and now adds
a takedown, trails by 3. 3rd: Rader underneath as the 3rd
begins. Jaggers seems content to ride Rader out here in
the 3rd. Nearly had Rader on his back, but falls 8-6 after
receiving a RT point.
LINKS
MSN Sportsnet: Five Alive
(WVU Wrestling) Last updated on 17-Mar-07 |
NCAA Wrestling Tournament Day 1 [ natman ]
|
| The NCAA Wrestling Tournament used to occur on the weekend
prior to the NCAA Hoops Tourney opening rounds up until
about four or five years ago. Unfortunately, wrestling
now
gets lost in the shuffle as the entire country devours
itself in hoops bracketology during basketball's opening
rounds.
I will be following our Mountaineer grapplers live via
InterMat
throughout most of the next three days and will try to
share their results on here as quickly as they occur. So
look for
"live" coverage plus NCAA
Wrestling
news/notes/tidbits about our Mountaineers on this blog
throughout the weekend!
NEWS & NOTES
For the first time in the 77-year history of the Division
I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal
round
will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on
ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the 3rd
through 8th place finishers who are honored as All-
Americans.
The 2007 championships will now have four of the six
sessions on live television with the finals in a primetime
time slot on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 17.
Session three will air at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 16 on
ESPNU and session four following at 7 p.m. on ESPNU and in
syndication.
In my previous entry, I mentioned Parkersburg South's Chad
Porter as a West Virginia native in the NCAA Tournament
field. One other wrestler with ties to the mountain
state,
Ohio sophomore Jake Frerichs
(19-8, MAC runner-up), actually wrestled for Nitro as a
freshman and sophomore before his father transferred jobs
into Ohio.
Going by "Jacob" Frerichs, Jake finished 3rd in the 2001
WV state wrestling tournament at 103 lbs. as a freshman
(44-
2) before finishing second in 2002 as a sophomore (125
lbs,
41-2). His career record as a WV wrestler: 85-4. Jake
wrestled for fabled Ohio program St. Paris Graham and won
an Ohio Division II title at 145 lbs. as a senior.
WVU SESSION ONE REPORT
Not a good start for the Mountaineers as Anderson &
Fryling
both lose their pigtail bouts...Fryling's match is rather
disappointing as he was favored...Both wrestlers must now
win five consecutive consolation matches to reach the top
8 (All-American status)
JARED VILLERS PULLS OFF THE UPSET!!! Villers 8, #6
Bergman
5
DUSTIN ROGERS PULLS OFF ANOTHER UPSET!!! Rogers 3, #11
Nadolsky 1 in Overtime!!
Mountaineer upperweights finishing STRONG! 3 of 7
wrestlers still alive in championship bracket.
WVU wrestlers currently tied for 28th place with 5.0 team
points
PIGTAILS (Sort of like the play-in game)
133: Mark Anderson (WVU, Fresh, 12-16) vs Christian
Staylor
(Old Dominion, Sen, 20-8)
Result: Staylor 6, Anderson 0 Match Notes
Bout 1 -- 1st Period: 45 seconds in, no score...Staylor
with the first takedown under 1:00...Staylor rides out
period 1 with 0:43 RT. 2nd Period: Staylor defers,
Anderson
takes down...Staylor trying for the tilt, no luck...1:15
left...Staylor gets a 1-count on the turn, no points...off
the edge, 0:51, Staylor still in control with 1:52
RT...under :30 left...Staylor rides out the entire period
for a total of 2:43 RT, still leading 2-0. 3rd Period:
Staylor chooses down...Anderson cuts him right
away...Staylor on another shot and the takedown (5-
0)...wrestlers roll off the mat, injury time for
Staylor...Staylor good to go with 1:19 left...Staylor
continues the ride, warned for stalling (0:45)...Staylor
over 4:00 RT as time runs out for a 6-0 victory.
157: Zac Fryling (WVU, Jun, 21-6) vs Jacob Yost
(Chattanooga, Sen, 21-5)
Result: Yost 9, Fryling 3 Match Notes -
Fryling shot, throw by by Yost to back TD2 2pts Back. 4-0
1pt escape Fryling 50 sec left in 1st period. Yost 1 min
Ride Time Period 2: Yost starts down. 1pt escape: Yost TD2
46 sec. left in 2nd Period. Stall call on Yost, 17sec left
in 2nd period. Period 3: Neutral: Yost leads 7-1 with 1:53
ridetime. TD2 Fryling, Escape Yost.
Parkersburg native Chad Porter lost his pigtail match
by 10-5 decision to Bakersfield's Daniel Atondo.
Former Nitro wrestler Jake Frerichs lost his first round
match 7-3 to #9 seed Chris Oliver from Nebraska-Lincoln.
ROUND ONE
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, Soph, 19-1) vs Kyle Borshoff
(American, Fresh, 16-13)
Result: Rader 14, Borshoff 10,
Match Notes
2 Rader right off the whistle witha double. Rader riding
tough. Rader almost scores with a tilt, but Borshoff rolls
through. Granby attempt thwarted by Rader. Escape for
Borshoff. Takedown Borshoff witha single. Rader out with
ease. Rader passes the arm with a drag and spears Borshoff
to the mat. Borshoff goes down and gets the escape.
Takedown Rader, Escape Borshoff. Rader goes down and gets
a reversal with a switch. Escape for Borshoff. Good shot
by Borshoff and converts for 2. Borshoff cuts him. 35
seconds to go. 2 more for borshoff. Cuts rader again. 4
seconds left. Desperation attempt gices rader 2 more. 1:31
riding.
149: David Jauregui (WVU, Soph, 20-4) vs Matt Coughlin
(Indiana, Fresh, 27-14)
Result: Coughlin 5, Jauregui 3
Match Notes
Bout 75: No scoring for the first period. Coughlin chooses
down for the second period. Coughlin gets the escape.
Coughlin with a takedown of the couter. Jauregui chooses
down for the third period. Jauregui with the reversal.
Coughlin with a reversal and Jauregui gets the escape.
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU, Soph, 19-6) vs Ken Robertson
(Eastern Illinois, soph, 19-6)
Result: Robertson 8, Brenner 2
Match Notes
Brenner with an underhook to a high crotch, but cannot
finish right in front of the score table. Another high
crotch unfinished by Brenner. Robertson scores on a single
leg with 30 seconds left in the period. Robertson riding
both legs hard to end the period. Robertson chooses down
and gets a quick escape. Robertson forcing the action and
Brenner is warned for stalling. Brenner warned again and
Robertson gets the stalling point. Brenner shoots and
tries
to come out the back door, and Robertson is penalized for
illegal head scissors. Brenner chooses neutral and gives
up
a takedown right away. Brenner adds another escape to
close
out the match 8-2.
197: Jared Villers (WVU, Jun, 25-5) vs #6 J.D. Bergman
(Ohio State, Jun, 22-7)
Result: Villers 8, Bergman 5
Match Notes
PERIOD 1: Takedown villers, quick escape by Bergman,
another takedown by villers, reversal and two back points
by Bergman to end the first period. PERIOD 2: Villers
takes
down, follows with an escape to tie the match at 5-5;
Villers get a takedown goes ahead 7-5 PERIOD 3: Bergman
takes down, Villers building ridetime up over a minute
with
about 50 seconds left in the bout. Both wrestlers have a
stall warning. Villers will finish on top to win 8-5
285: Dustin Rogers (WVU, Jun, 17-7) vs Spencer Nadolsky
(North Carolina, Sen, 23-8)
Result: Rogers 3, Nadolsky 1, OT
Match Notes
Bout 165 -- 1st Period: 90 seconds of scoreless action to
begin...1:00...0:30...lots of leaning...end of period. 2nd
Period: Rogers defers, Nadolsky chooses down...Nadolsky
out
almost immediately off the whistle...1:15...0:30...more
leaning...end of period. 3rd Period: Rogers chooses
down...Nadolsky hanging on around front...off the
mat...1:30...escape for Rogers...Nadolsky with 0:27
RT...1:00 remaining...0:30...0:10...headed to SV, tied 1-
1.
SV-1: Nadolsky tries a single, Rogers fighting
away...Rogers counters, takes Nadolsky down to his back,
no
count...Rogers with the 3-1 SV-1 decision.
WVU SESSION TWO REPORT
Championship Round Two
141: #7 Brandon Rader (WVU, soph, 20-1) vs Michael Keefe
(Chattanooga, sen, 30-6, Southern champ)
Result: Keefe 14, Rader 13
Match Notes
Bout 223 -- 1st Period: Takedown off the whistle for
Rader...escape for Keefe, followed by a Rader
takedown...Keefe peels away...1:15...takedown,
Rader...escape, Keefe...0:20...Keefe gets a takedown as
the period ends. 2nd Period: Rader starts down...Rader
escapes...Keefe with the takedown to even it at 7-
7...Keefe riding, Rader RT back under 1:00...escape,
Rader...Rader in for a takedown...Keefe reversal...Keefe
rides out the last 0:15. 3rd Period: Keefe starts on
bottom, trailing 10-9...Keefe peels the hands for an
escape...Rader powers a double for 2...1:10...Keefe
reverses, 12-12...stalemate (0:50)...escape for
Rader...0:30...Keefe with a takedown at 0:17...RT not a
factor...Keefe prevails, 14-13.
197: Jared Villers (WVU, jun, 26-5) vs #11 Chris Weidman
(Hofstra, sen, 29-7)
Result: Weidman 9, Villers 2
Match Notes
Bout 314 -- 1st Period: Takedown for Weidman, Villers with
the escape...1:00 left...0:30...Weidman with the late
takedown, rolls Villers for a 2-point near fall as time
expires. 2nd Period: Villers defers, Weidman chooses
down...escape for Weidman...1:30...1:00...0:30...end of
period. 3rd Period: Villers chooses down...escape for
Villers...1:00...takedown, Weidman...0:30...stall warning,
Villers...RT will not be a factor...Weidman advances with
a 9-2 decision.
285: Dustin Rogers (WVU, jun, 18-7) vs #6 Ed Prendergast
(Navy, jun, 36-5)
Results: Rogers 8, #6 Prendergast 2
Match Notes ????
Consolation Pigtails
133: Mark Anderson (WVU, fresh, 12-17) vs Ricky Donald
(Bloomsburg, soph, 25-11)
Result: Donald 1, Anderson 0, ANDERSON ELIMINATED
Match Notes
Bout 171 -- 1st Period: No scoring in the first
minute...Donald in deep, Anderson sprawls out, off the
mat...1:00...stalemate...0:40, no scoring...handfighting
and tie-ups...end of period. 2nd Period: Donald will start
on bottom...Donald with the escape...off the
mat...1:30...Anderson picks up a single, can't finish, out
of bounds...0:45...Donald on the attack, Anderson hips
out, stalemate...0:10...end of period. 3rd Period:
Anderson selects neutral...Anderson on another shot,
stalemate...1:30...1:00...0:30...Anderson aggressive on
the shot, can't finish...Donald advances by a 1-0 decision.
157: Zac Fryling (WVU, jun, 21-7) vs Jake Frerichs (Ohio,
soph, 19-9)
Result: Fryling 4, Frerichs 3
Match Notes
PERIOD 1: No Score with 1 min left in the first period.
Take down Fryling followed by a quick escape by Frerichs.
PERIOD 2: Neutral; PERIOD 3; Frerichs take down to start
the third; Escape Frerichs. Fryling in on a double leg,
takedown Fryling; Fryling lets Frerichs up score is now 4-
3 Fryling.
Consolation Round One
149: David Jauregui (WVU, soph, 20-5) vs Jermaine Thompson
(Eastern Michigan, sen, 23-11)
Result: Jauregui 5, Thompson 4
Match Notes
NONE???
157: Zac Fryling (WVU, jun, 22-7) vs #8 Seth Martin (Lock
Haven, sen, 35-6)
Result: Martin 11, Fryling 1, FRYLING ELIMINATED
Match Notes
Bout 261 -- 1st Period: No scoring in the first
minute...stall warning against
Fryling...1:30...1:00...takedown, Martin (2-
0)...0:30...end of period. 2nd Period: Martin defers,
Fryling takes neutral...1:15...stalling, Fryling, point
for Martin (3-0)...0:40...takedown, Martin (5-0)...end of
period. 3rd Period: Martin chooses down...escape Martin (6-
0)...Martin with a takedown (8-0)...1:30...escape, Fryling
(8-1)...1:00...takedown, Martin (10-1)...0:15...Martin
2:00 RT for the 11-1 major decision.
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU, soph, 19-7) vs Grant Turner (Iowa
St, sen, 17-15)
Result: Brenner 9, Turner 4
Match Notes
Bout 292 -- 1st Period: Brenner tries a shot on the edge,
no points...Brenner converts a single into a
takedown...Turner escapes...1:30...Brenner lifts Turner on
his shoulder and dumps him for 2...0:45...escape,
Turner...0:20...end of period. 2nd Period: Turner chooses
down...1:30...escape, Turner...1:00...0:30...Brenner with
a takedown at :01 to end the period. 3rd Period: Brenner
chooses neutral...1:30...1:00...Brenner counters a Turner
shot for a takedown...escape, Turner...0:30...riding time
for Brenner (1:04) makes the final score 9-4.
LINKS
MSNsportsNET.com Wrestling
Article
MSNsportsNET.com:
Finishing the Job (Brandon Rader, Jared Villers)
Session One bout-by-bout
results
Team Scores after Session One
WVU Daily Athenaeum - Seven WVU wrestlers
enter NCAAs Last updated on 16-Mar-07 |
WVU Wrestling Notebook 3/12/07 [ natman ]
|
WVU Wrestling Notebook
Seven WVU wrestlers are off to the
Palace of Auburn Hills
in Detroit, Michigan this week to compete in the
NCAA Wrestling
Tournament. Although there are no Greg Joneses
on the current team, several WVU matmen have realistic
shots at
achieving All-American status by placing within the top 8
in
their respective weight classes.
Brackets released
NCAA Tournament Brackets were
released Monday evening at
roughly 5:00pm. The number of participants per weight
class varies from anywhere to 30-36 grapplers per bracket,
depending on the number of wildcards.
Only one WVU wrestler is seeded - returning All-American
Brandon Rader is
seeded 7th at 141 lbs. He will face
American's Kyle Borshoff
(freshman, 16-13 record, 4th
place finisher from the EIWA Conference) in the first
round. Should Rader (soph, 19-1, EWL champion) win, he
will probably draw Wisconsin's #10 seed
Kyle Ruschell
(fresh, 27-7, Big 10 runner-up) in the second round. If
Rader gets by Ruschell, he will probably face his toughest
competition to date this season, UC-Davis' unbeaten #2
seed Derek Moore
(senior, 19-0, Pac-10 champ) in the
quarterfinal round. Winning in the quarters guarantees a
top-6 finish, therefore garnering All-American accolades.
WVU's other EWL Champion, junior
Jared Villers (25-5),
received a rather unlucky draw at 197 lbs. as he battles
#6 seeded J.D. Bergman (Ohio
State, junior, 22-7, Big 10
runner-up) in the first round. Should Villers pull off
the upset, he will probably battle Hofstra's #11 seed
Chris Weidman (senior, 28-7, CAA champ) in round two.
Three more WVU qualifiers with solid All-America potential
include EWL Runners-up
David Jauregui (149
lbs, soph, 20-
4) and Kurt Brenner (174
lbs,
soph, 19-6) along with third
place finisher
Zac Fryling (157 lbs,
junior, 21-6).
Jauregui has a good chance to win his first-round match
with Indiana's Matt Coughlin
(fresh, 27-14, Big 10 6th
Place) before facing Oklahoma stud
Matthew Storniolo
(senior, 16-1, Big 12 champ) in round two.
Drawn into one of the larger weight classes, Fryling must
wrestle a pigtail bout (a preliminary match wrestled
before the first round) against Chattanooga's Jacob Yost
(senior, 21-5, Southern champ) before having a chance to
upset Northern Iowa's #10 seeded Moza Fay (soph, 29-8,
West Region champ).
At 174 pounds, Brenner will probably face Maryland's #12
seed Mike Letts (fresh, 29-5, ACC champ) who must also
wrestle a pigtail bout before potentially locking horns
with Brenner.
The final two WVU qualifiers are looking to gain some NCAA
experience and could surprise by stealing a few victories
in the process. At 133 lbs, redshirt freshman
Mark Anderson (12-16)
picked the perfect time to get hot as he
rattled off two major upsets in the EWL tournament to
finish a surprising second. Anderson was rewarded with
Old Dominion's Christian Staylor (senior, 20-8, CAA runner-
up) in another pigtail match that will actually be the
very first bout of the entire NCAA tournament.
Dustin Rogers
(junior,
17-7) suffered
the exact opposite fate of Anderson
during the EWL Tournament as he endured a bizarre
cold streak finishing 5th as the #2 seed. Rogers even
lost a bout with Cleveland State heavyweight Rashard Goff
by a 5-1 score - a wrestler Rogers absolutely destroyed in
WVU's final dual match only a week prior in a
17-4 rout. Perhaps Dustin was a little under the weather
during the EWL tournament, because the EWL coaches granted
him another chance via an NCAA wildcard ticket despite his
fifth-place showing. Rogers will face North Carolina
senior Spencer
Nadolsky (23-8, ACC runner-up) in the first
round.
Wrestling begins Thursday at 11:00 AM!
Wild cards
Unlike the NCAA Basketball Tournament in which a
conference truly has no idea how many bids it will receive
each year - the NCAA Wrestling Tournament actually awards
conferences with
"slots"
based
on merit
earned in previous years. Depending on how a conference's
wrestlers fared in the NCAA Tournament during a specified
period over the previous years, slots may be gained or
lost the following year.
Unfortunately for the EWL, a recent string of poor NCAA
showings has resulted in a continuing trend of dwinding
slots since 1999. Just eight years ago, the EWL had a
whopping 41 available slots for their wrestlers to land
NCAA bids. The conference was able to take the top 3
finishers in each weight class plus 11 wild cards. In
2000, it dropped to 39, where it remained until falling to
38 in 2003, 37 in 2004, 36 in 2005 and 35 last year.
Some slots were expected to be lost once Virginia Tech
left to join the ACC three years ago, but the wheels came
off the wagon last year when very few of the EWL's 35
wrestlers advanced through to the consolation round of 12
(the last match one must win to ensure All-American
status, the base criteria in determining a conference's
future bids).
The result: upstart conferences like the MAC and EIWA
wrestled above and beyond their means as the EWL faltered,
resulting in a loss of 3 bids to 32 for the EWL in this
year's tournament while other conferences gained another
slot or two. Rather than take the top 3 finishers in each
weight class plus 2 wild cards, the EWL coaches chose to
take only the top 2 in each class plus 12 wildcards.
Why? Because the coaches must take the best possible
wrestlers to the national tournament - those with the best
chance of reaching that elusive round of 12 (R12) - in
order to help slow the alarming loss of EWL NCAA slots.
In cases of strong weight classes (such as the EWL's 157
and 285 divisions) 5 wrestlers were chosen from each.
This counteracts a few of the weaker EWL classes (such as
125, 165 and 184) in which only two wrestlers were
selected.
Unfortunately for WVU,
Chance Litton
finished
3rd at 184
lbs but was passed over by the EWL coaches for NCAA
consideration. In any previous year he would be headed to
Detroit. But, the coaches know more than fans, parents
and wrestlers and they have a vested interest in sending
the EWL's top 32 wrestlers to the big dance - if they fare
well, more slots may be available the following year.
West Virginia Natives in the Field
Along with Brandon Rader
(Parkers
burg), the state of West
Virginia sports one other native in the tournament field,
Liberty's Chad Porter
(165
lbs, fresh, 30-11, East Region
Champ). Porter was a two-time state champion for
Parkersb
urg South, winning two AAA titles - at 152 as a
senior (2006, 43-4) and 135 as a sophomore (2004, 27-5)
while finishing second twice - at 152 as a junior (2005,
37-6) and at 119 as a freshman (2003, 27-12). Porter's
prep record: 134-27, which is not too shabby for the
national-caliber schedule Parkersburg South faces each
year. With returning NCAA qualifier
Larry Hall out this
year at 165, WVU sure could have used Chad in his place.
Last updated on 15-Mar-07 |
Wrestling: No. 6 Edinboro 21, WVU 16 [ natman ]
|
| Morgantown - The shorthanded WVU wrestling team turned in
one of its best performances of the year Thursday night as
they battled to avenge last year's 40-5 shellacking at
Edinboro, losing in a hard-fought 21-16 defeat.
Mountaineer wrestling fans were cautiously optimistic upon
entering the Coliseum, as top WVU grappler Brandon Rader
was penciled into the 141-lb. weight class in the night's
program, a good omen that his injured finger was indeed
fully healed and they would finally get to see him in
action. But that initial enthusiasm was quickly tempered
as the wrestlers lined up to shake hands during team
introductions and the dreaded "No Entry" was announced as
Edinboro's 141-lb. WVU opponent.
Ironically, the only WVU mat man to win against Edinboro
in last year's dual meet loss would play a critical role
Thursday night - by not wrestling at all.
The 15-1 Fighting Scots would therefore be benefactors of
a 6-0 advantage over the 4-4 unranked Mountaineers, with
only 9 wrestling bouts left to pull out the win. To do so
would have been an incredible accomplishment, and after
the first two matches it seemed even more insurmountable.
Sophomore walk-on Scott Stuart (2-11), filling in much of
the past two seasons for injury-plagued Kyle Turnbull at
125 lbs, wrestled one of his better matches in losing by
decision 8-3 to Eric Morrill (12-13). 3-0 Scots.
Edinboro sent hard-nosed sophomore Ricky Deubel (22-9)
onto the mat at 133, while WVU countered with redshirt
freshman Mark Anderson (9-13). Anderson found himself down
4-0 rather quickly as Deubel scored a takedown plus two
nearfall points on a tilt, then shifted into cruise
control in an 8-4 decision. 6-0 Scots.
Freshman Daryl Cocozzo (22-11), another solid young
Edinboro grappler, walked to the center of the mat to
receive his forfeit at 141 lbs; 12-0 Scots with only 7
bouts remaining.
With their backs against the wall, WVU sent sophomore 149-
pounder David Jauregui (16-3) to face Edinboro's highest
ranked wrestler, true sophomore Gregor Gillespie (26-1), a
returning All-American who finished 7th in the nation in
2006. The first period went as expected: Gillespie jumped
out to a 4-2 lead. Gillespie chose the bottom position to
start the second period, and quickly escaped for a 5-2
advantage (there's that magic number combination, five-
two). Jauregui then "flipped the switch" and took
Gillespie down to make it 5-4. Gillespie escaped again
and scored a takedown of his own for an 8-4 advantage,
before Jauregui reversed him, then scored a penalty
stalling point while Gillespie rested on bottom. WVU
fans, sensing Gillespie was either sick or in worse shape
physically than Jauregui, smelled blood and began calling
for another stall penalty. The second period would end
with Jauregui down 8-7, but the momentum had clearly
shifted to the Mountaineers. Jauregui chose neutral to
begin the third and took the All-American down again to
lead 9-8. Another stalling point brought it to 10-8
before Gillespie escaped late for the 10-9 final.
Jauregui scored what is perhaps the biggest win of his
career, upsetting the 5th-ranked wrestler in the nation,
and WVU was on the board down 12-3 overall. Gillespie's
career record fell to a still-impressive 72-6.
Zac Fryling (17-5), a junior who redshirted last year
while sitting behind All-American Matt Lebe, followed with
another monumental upset over 10th-ranked senior Matt Hill
(27-2) at 157. After a scoreless first period, a Hill
escape in the second, and a Fryling escape in the third,
the bout moved into overtime tied at 1-1. Hill was in the
bottom position first and Fryling rode him out despite
several restarts. In the second overtime, needing only an
escape within 30 seconds to win, Fryling broke free from
Hill's grasp in about half that time and then held off a
final flurry in which Hill needed to score a late takedown
to win. Hill's frustration began to show as time wound
down and he delivered a few blows to the head, to which
the referee quickly stopped the match and penalized him.
As time ran out, Fryling pumped both fists in the air
towards the crowd and muttered something the ref did not
care for, and Fryling himself was also assessed a one-
point penalty as the match ended 3-2. Ironcially, it was
Hill who knocked off WVU's Lebe in the dual match last
year, winning 6-4 in overtime. Fryling exacted a little
revenge on Matt's behalf - Scots lead now cut in half, 12-
6.
The 165-pound weight class, on paper perhaps the biggest
mismatch of the evening, found WVU junior Eric Connolly (6-
10) facing off against another returning All-American, No.
8 ranked Deonte Penn (28-2), the nation's 4th-place
finisher in 2006. Penn made quick work of the overmatched
Connolly as he scored the pin in 2:19. Edinboro now led,
18-6.
To reach victory, WVU would now have to win the remaining
four bouts while scoring bonus points (major decision,
technical fall, injury default, disqualification or
pinfall) in at least one of them.
WVU sophomore Kurt Brenner (6-2), himself battling a
shoulder injury much of the season, would score the
Mountaineers' third major upset of the evening as he
knocked off 18th-ranked Edinboro sophomore Phil Moricone
(22-6) with a close 4-3 victory at 174 pounds. Moricone
drew first blood with an early takedown, but Brenner
quickly escaped. Leading 2-1 to start the second,
Moricone began on bottom and escaped. With only about 15
seconds remaining, Brenner scored a late takedown and rode
Moricone out to end the second. The third period began
with both wrestlers tied at 3-3. It was Brenner's turn on
bottom, and he escaped and fended off several Moricone
takedown attempts over the remainder of the period to eke
out the hard-fought victory. Deficit again cut in half,
18-9.
No. 10 Alex Clemsen (28-2), who came within one win of
reaching All-American status in 2006, earned a tough
decision over WVU true sophomore Chance Litton (16-10) by
a score of 3-1 at 184 pounds. Clemsen took Litton down in
the first, and the two exchanged escapes over the
remaining two periods before Litton came close to scoring
a late takedown that would have tied the match up at 3-3
sending it to overtime. The veteran Clemson fought off
the charge and he practically sealed the team victory for
Edinboro as WVU would need two pins in the final two
weight classes to earn a tie. Scots lead, 21-9.
WVU's only other ranked wrestler besides Rader, junior 197-
pounder No. 15 Jared Villers (21-5) returned the favor by
fending off Fighting Scot senior Jim Gibson (18-7) by the
same 3-1 score. WVU wrestling buffs may remember Gibson
from the last time he wrestled in Morgantown, as he lasted
a mere 13 seconds against #1 Greg Jones back in 2005 in a
bout that was practically over before the announcer could
finish introducing the wrestlers. Scots lead cut to 21-12.
In the evening's final battle, two solid heavyweights were
expected to slug their way through a low-scoring defensive
struggle that turned out to be one of the biggest routs of
the night. WVU junior Dustin Rogers (14-4), a former JUCO
national champion, practically scored at will landing six
takedowns in a 17-4 major decision over sophomore Joe
Fendone (22-7). Fendone could not muster a single
offensive point as Rogers' relentless assault would have
sealed the victory for WVU if a healthy Rader had wrestled
and won by decision. Scots win by a final score of 21-16.
The boisterous crowd, pleased with watching the
Mountaineers win 5 of the 9 wrestled bouts, exited the
Coliseum with heads held high as many will return Sunday
afternoon to watch this young team's final home dual meet
of the season against Cleveland State at 1:00 pm.
NOTES: The WVU wresters do not field a senior in the
starting lineup, which bodes well for the 2007-2008 year
as long as they stay healthy and stay eligible...
Among the spectators Thursday night were football stars
Steve Slaton, Pat White and Jarrett Brown - it's nice to
see some of WVU's superstars come out to support their
fellow athletes in other sports...
WVU's lineup, including Rader, features one freshman, five
sophomores, and four juniors...
Edinboro wrestled Pitt the following night (Friday),
destroying the Panthers to the tune of 37-3...
WVU's Zac Fryling posted his second straight upset of a
top ten wrestler, as a week ago he upset ninth-ranked Seth
Martin of Lock Haven, who handed Edinboro's Hill his only
two losses...
Edinboro ties school record for wins in a season,
previously set in 1987-88 and 1994-95, and wins the EWL
dual meet title for the second straight year.
MSN Write-
Up
Edinboro Write-Up
Video
Footage of entire WVU-Edinboro match Last updated on 19-Feb-07 |
70-65 [ tnmountie ]
|
| Got to see most of the 2nd half. All I can say is, these
kids have defied all expectations. Who (Honestly, anybody
in their right mind?) would have thought this team, with
12 freshman and sophomores, would be 19-5, have wins over
NC State, Villanova, UConn, and now UCLA? And is now
staring straight down the barrel of a third straight trip
to March Madness.
Jim, we may need to have ANOTHER petition drive to keep
Coach B here. The guy is a miracle worker. |
Thoughts on Noel Devine. [ wvugyrl ]
|
| I'm not entirely familiar with NCAA recruiting
regulations, or Florida stalking laws for that matter, but
somewhere in my imagination I see myself contacting Noel
Devine to persuade him that he belongs at WVU - and it has
little to do with his athletic abilities.
Until today I knew almost nothing about Noel other than
his Scout and Rivals rankings and that he'd bypassed
Florida State to become a Mountaineer. I'd heard a few
quips about his perceived lack of intelligence made by a
jealous Hokie fan, but disregarded this as an incredibly
amusing irony. Upon discovering his solid verbal had been
reduced to placating evasion, I employed the Google armory
to determine fault. While others have been familiar with
Noel's story for some time, I was truly unprepared for
what I found. Long before he became the 15th highest
ranked high school prospect, Noel's parents died of AIDS,
he'd fathered two of his own children, and continues to
fight real-life opponents that other recruits cannot
fathom.
With a story like that, Noel was indisputably fated to be
a Mountaineer. He may have attracted the attention of
higher ranked programs, bigger stadiums, and warmer
climates, but there is a reason Noel was drawn to WVU. We
have built legends on the backs of guys who never had it
easy - guys who fought for everything and still had
nothing but aches and aspirations before they came here.
Having more than once been referred to as a group of
misfits, we take the small, play the young, and make NFL
prospects out of walk-ons. From the words on Dan Mozes's
wrist to the sad departure of Pat Liebig to care for his
ailing father, very few of our players are without a story
of their own. Here, at a smaller school in a state
comprised of people who know personal struggle first-hand,
these guys have found the off-the-field support they
needed to honor those stories on the field.
While I believe he will find what he really needs as a
Mountaineer, most important here is that Noel Devine DOES
go to college, anywhere. For such a gift to go
undisplayed would be a heart-breaking ending to his story.
Last updated on 08-Feb-07 |
Hokie Creativity (or so they think). [ auditeer ]
|
| I live in roanoke, VA. 35 miles East of the festering
crap hole known as Blacksburg, VA.
In The Commonwealth of Virginia, custom plates run $10 a
year. So, they are cheap and everyone has them.
Also, Hokies are everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
With a VA personalized plate with an emblem on it, you are
allowed 6 letters. Obviously, every combination of H-O-K-
I-E-S has been done. I was leaving Paul's Luncheonette on
Friday after lunch, and happened to see a custom VT plate.
Apparently, this stellar Hokie thought he'd be creative
and spell Hokies backwards.
Things went wrong. Very wrong:

Now, with the age of Photoshop, most people would think
this is a fake. The VA DMA provides 'create a plate'
online where you can see if the plate you want has been
taken. To support my claim, here is a screenshot from the
VA DMV shown that the plate is indeed taken.

Crokey Jokey Chokie My, Whose afraid of VPI? Last updated on 05-Feb-07 |
2007 Football: Big East vs. ACC [ jim ]
|
| The ACC just released its schedule for the 2007 football
season. Everyone knows how the Big East smacked around John
Swofford's puppets last year. Well, folks around tobacco
road might witness the same again this year.
Here are the 2007 Big East vs. ACC games:
1. UConn @ Duke (9/1)
2. WVU @ Maryland (9/13)
3. UNC @ South Florida (9/22)
4. Maryland @ Rutgers (9/29)
5. Louisville @ NC State (9/29)
6. Pitt @ Virginia (9/29)
7. UConn @ Virginia (10/13)
With the exception of #7, I would assume the BE team would
be favored in each of them.
You might have noticed... we play at Maryland on a Thursday
night. That means national TV again.
Plus, here is a game of special interest...
CMU @ Clemson (10/20): Butch Jones versus Tommy Bowden
Last updated on 24-Jan-07 |
Rod Smith [ gweedoe ]
|
| I just want to say... THat I am happy Rod Smith is coming
to WVU. Some of you may remember my tantrum when we
thought RichRod was going to Bama... and I was yelling
like a little school girl... and saying hire Rod Smith...
Well.. Someone must have been listening... I think that
even losing some of the people we have lost. That Rod
Smith will be great for the Team... He beat us with that
offence this year and he played it under RichRod at
Glennville! I am happy... and feel much better about the
mass exodus of the coaching staff, not that we have hire 2
people from that USF team that took us to the barn this
past year!
GWEEDOE OUT! |
Pac-10 Stealing some of the Big East's 2007 TV slots? [ natman ]
|
| According to last year's Pac-10 TV schedule, the conference
took part in only two non-Saturday television games, both on
ESPN: Oregon State @ Boise State on Thursday 9/7 and Oregon
@ Oregon State on Friday 11/24.
With a new TV partnership with ESPN starting in 2007, look
for an average of six Pac-10 games per year to air on ESPN
or ESPN2, and the Big East may be the conference conceding
the air time.
In years past, the Pac-10 has been unwilling to move games
into less than desirable weekday timeslots. But that is
beginning to change, as evidenced by the conference schedule
released this past Friday.
New Thursday evening games feature Oregon at Arizona on
November 15 and USC at Arizona State on Thanksgiving night,
November 22. Both games will be televised on ESPN. The
WVU-Pitt game was played on Thanksgiving night in both 2004
and 2005 before moving to the November 15 Thursday night
slot this past year. With both television slots already
taken, the Backyard Brawl is sure to move for yet the third
time in as many years.
The Washington State at Washington Apple Cup game will be
played on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, November 24,
and the remaining four Pac-10 traditional rivalry games will
be played on Championship Saturday, December 1. One of
these games, Arizona at Arizona State, has already been
slotted for either ESPN or ESPN2.
During the past couple of years, the Big East has owned ESPN
on Championship Saturday with UConn at Louisville kicking
off at noon and Rutgers at WVU starting at 7:45 in 2006,
while Louisville at UConn landed the coveted ESPN primetime
slot back in 2005.
But the Pac-10 has slowly moved in on the Big East's turf.
Back in 2005, only one Pac-10 game was played on the final
regular season Saturday: UCLA at USC, on ABC. Last year,
FSN complemented ABC's USC at UCLA game by adding Stanford
at Cal. And in 2007, the conference is doubling its
Championship Saturday exposure with four rivalry games, as
Oregon State at Oregon and the aforementioned Arizona at
Arizona State joins those two games.
How much will the Pac-10's new deal affect the Big East
television schedule? Fans should know within a few weeks,
as the Big East normally releases its upcoming football
schedule sometime during the first week in February.
Sources:
http://www.pac-10.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/060606aab.html
http://www.pac-10.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011907aab.html
http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011907aaa.html
http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=21867
http://mattsarz44017.tripod.com/2006/week14.html
http://www.nationalchamps.net/2005/tv_listings/dec3.htm
|
My First Blog [ dzielski ]
|
| WOW, This is the first time I have ever Blogged... Can you
remember your first time? Well, I figured since the
football season has ended,of course the Gator Bowl is
still yet to play but you'll have probably figured that
out by now, that I would have my first Blog experience.
I'll likely watch the game on January 1st with the family
and friends. I was thinking about throwing a party at
home but not sure if that's going to happen if you know
what I mean. Well, that's what I know and that's what I
think and all I have to say for now. |
Shades of (Greg) Blue [ auditeer ]
|
| GATOR BOWL
No. 13 West Virginia (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (9-4)
No coach in the country garnered more headlines this month
than Rich Rodriguez. The revered Mountaineers coach said
no to Alabama and received a hefty raise. Now he needs to
fix his secondary and figure out how to counter a fast
defense.
Georgia Tech 24, West Virginia 21.
Yeh- we've never seen such athletes....such speed...
I guess we'll just hafta 'Run faster'??? |
Wow, I have another BLOG [ psycho7244 ]
|
| I don't know how much I will post here, but I think that it
is a good thing that WVgameDay has done with the creation of
this site.
They have not only given us another place to get together,
but a place to share our own WVU photos and much more.
I would like to thank Jim and all that he has done for the
Mountaineer Family. |
Just pushing this farther down the list. [ wvugyrl ]
|
| Soon I'll write more, but I want to keep this up as a
reminder.
|
I AM SORRY! [ gweedoe ]
|
| THANK YOU RICHROD!!!Last updated on 08-Dec-06 |
Sadder than when the Dodgers left Brooklyn. [ wvugyrl ]
|
| It's nearly 2 am and I've been in this chair for the best
part of the last 24 hours - the edge of the chair,
searching for information, confirmation, or even
consolation. I've learned a lot in the past 24 hours,
about myself, people, and politics.
I've learned that I have a problem, that WVU football is
emotional for me and that this team, from Coach Rod to the
guy who stole my folding chair at last week's tailgate,
have become my family by proxy. (Ok, maybe not the chair
thief, but I wanted to work that into the tirade). I've
learned how to simultaneously toggle multiple message
boards and news sources. I've learned how to follow the
flight plan of any aircraft that leaves Morgantown, that
you can piece together a public person's schedule by
compiling bits of info from several slightly shady
sources.
I've learned that I am painfully disappointed with the
mountaineer fan base. The disappointment was planted in my
heart the day of the South Florida game, when the
heartbroken team walked of the field in silence - nobody
applauded in thanks for their efforts that day, people
left bitterly mumbling comments about wasted ticket money.
But as the RichRod negotiations unfolded, my
disappointment has overcome me like a virus.
Previously, Coach Rod was a celebrity - a local idol.
Suddenly there is not a good word left for him in the
Bible. If I were him and I happened upon any message board
tonight, I'd go to Alabama too, because it seems as though
everyone has turned their backs on him. We can argue over
particulars - that it wasn't his leaving, but his
execution of the negotiations, his so-called greed (a
ridiculous claim), or his careful wording ("as long as
they'll have me"), but in the end, to me at least, it
feels as though we've let coach rod down.
Assuming his (potential?!) departure is rationalized with
a lack of administrative support, both financial and
otherwise, he's made a powerful statement about who he is
as a man. He isn't currently asking for more money for
himself. He's been fighting for increased staff salaries
and the new academic center for years - the latter of
which he offered to initiate with his own donation. Look
at those two things - who is he fighting for there? He is
looking out for his staff and his players. You can tell a
lot about a person by the way they stand for their
subordinates, and here is a man putting his professional
integrity on the line for someone else's paycheck. A new
academic center - a place where our players can balance
the strain of a demanding athletic schedule with
additional learning resources shows that Coach Rod cares
about the futures of his players beyond their football
careers. Very few will play professional ball, some even
played at the college level primarily to fund their
otherwise unattainable dream of a college education.
Honorable demands - my respect for Coach Rod is only
augmented by his respect for others.
I don't know what was (if it is) the proverbial line in
the sand, maybe the administration came through with too
little too late, or maybe he really was thinking about his
own, personal goals beyond West Virginia University.
While it hurts to see him go, he does have that right.
If RichRod does indeed leave to coach the Crimson Tide, it
will be a sad day for West Virginia. The events have
connected me with this state in a way that I had not
before. I suddenly identify with the sadness of a down-
trodden people, whose efforts to get ahead lead to
perrenial dissapointment. Coach Rod represented all that
is good about West Virginia - its heart and soul, its warm
and supportive people, its determination to rise above its
underdog status and achieve something great.
We, as the mountaineer nation, are hurting. I am sure
there are a few others like me out there who have used the
success of the mountaineers as a crutch - something to
hold on to during hard times in our own lives. The idea of
reversing the roles is frightening - are we strong enough
as a fan base to support a rebuilding program as it leans
on us?
The past day has made me realize that these events
resemble a no-fault divorce. We are still in love with
Coach Rod, and even though he still loves us he's found a
new love and decided it's time to move on. And like any
broken heart who can't let go, we revert to the childlike
shame of ridiculing his decision only because the pain in
our heart superceeds rationality and comprehension.
So here is my attempt to transcend that pain.. . .
Coach Rod, I thank you for making me a Mountaineer,
because as I'm sure you know, there is no greater thing to
be in life. I'm hurt that you left, I thought we'd be
together forever, watch the boys grow into men and move
on. In the end, I know that West Virginia will hold that
special place in your heart that nobody else can fill. May
the country roads always take you home, you will always
belong here, and you will always be one of us.
You will be missed,
season ticket holder, section 214, row 33.
It's my resolution from here on out not to be one of those
fans that has recently come to disappoint me. If Earthly
(more like financially) possible, I will be in
Jacksonville, I'll be at the Spring game, fall fan day,
and every single game next season.
And if you stay - my brick on the Touchdown Terrace will
read "Thanks Coach Rod" |
Thanks to all who participated [ jim ]
|
| Thanks to everyone that participated in the 24 hour petition
drive.
See:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/10426.html
You may view the final petiton results and submitted
comments here...
http://www.wvgameday.com/saveCoachRod/petitionResults.pdf
I just sent it to:
Governor Manchin, Ed Pastilong, David Hardesty, Rich
Rodriguez, Calvin Magee, Jeff Casteel, Rick Trickett, Herb
Hand, Tony Gibson, Bill Kirelawich, Bill Stewart, Bruce
Tall, Butch Jones, Shelly Poe, John Antonik, Mitch Vingle,
Mike Casazza, and Kevin Kinder.
Here is the email:
=============
You may or may not be aware that we hosted a 24 hour
petition drive to let the WVU Athletic Department know
that we, as fans, are OK with paying more for Coach
Rod.
In those 24 hours, we collected 99 pages of signatures
and comments of how important Rich and his staff are to
us.
You may view the final petiton results and submitted
comments here...
http://www.wvgameday.com/saveCoachRod/petitionResults.pdf
I realize that this probably won't stack up to a hill
of beans, but it is nice to read all the comments of
what RR means to each person. You might enjoy it too.
Jim Dierwechter
P.S. Now my personal opinion:
Please do NOT be short-sighted on this. You keep
quoting how this is a business like any other... and
you need to balance the checkbooks.
Well, do what any other business would do... pass on
the costs to the consumer, i.e. the fans. As this
petition shows, we are willing to pay for the product
WE WANT.
And, we want RICH.
=============================
I'll keep you posted if I receive anything (I doubt I will).
But, again, I really enjoyed reading the comments from
fellow Mountaineers.
Jim
Last updated on 07-Dec-06 |
To be perfectly honest.... [ tnmountie ]
|
| I'll take Jarrett Brown over any STARTING quarterback in
the ACC. The performance I saw Saturday night was
remarkable. Consider the factors:
1) His first start, against an athletic defense
2) New Year's Day bowl bid on the line
3) Prime-time Sat. night on ESPN
Trailing by 3 with 2:00 left, and he takes us down the
field for the tying FG.
OT, hits Myles with a beautiful pass, after stepping up to
avoid the pass rush. Then the 2-pt. pass.
Remarkable. |
COACH ROD, DOING THE RIGHT THING....WVU? [ Mr.Gibbs ]
|
| Way to go coach! You brought continued success and a
boost to the much maligned Big East by keeping it real on
the field. We've pulled out quality talent from the
backyard of the evil tower of Babel that is Pitt. We've
dominated our conference year-in year-out. You built a
program around players regularly overlooked as top-notch
athletes and blue-chip recruits yet through solid coaching
and a great staff, have put this blue-collar team at the
forefront of America's (real) Game! The team itself seems
to mirror the fanbase, hard-nosed, hard-working, strong-
willed, loyal people, who often seem to care as much about
their team as they would their own family. The Sugar
Bowl, how sweet it was! Super Steve and his alter-ego at
QB, Pat White, among many others are your brood, your
kids, and how exciting and special they are. We
appreciate the respect this program has received from the
media, but it's the respect for the players, the school,
and all the WVU fans that you've helped to strengthen that
is most to be admired. Chest bumps for everyone!
Now, WVU's leadership needs to understand that "Greatness
is (also) Learned" outside of the classroom. Being
consistently at the top in athletics and academics will
continue to attract potential students, athletes, and most
importantly for your budget, FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS. 2010 =
30K students, while maintaining standards in and outside
of the books, maybe given the right conditions for
success. Football is not everything, but it certainly has
brought many financial opportunities and accolades for the
school not otherwise realized without sustained greatness.
A Mountaineer I will always be, and if I learned one
important lesson while attending this fine institution, it
is that, "It is a painful thing to look at your own
trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has
made it." -Sophocles
Do the right thing WVU, take care of the man who has
brought you to this level and has made us all proud. He's
made an investment in this team, we've made an investment
into this school, keep the circle going. He's our Coach
and it's your job to keep it that way. If you don't, we
will all be in a world of trouble, believe it.
-Chris |
It's time for WVU to step up [ jim ]
|
| Rich Rod to Alabama... that's all anyone is talking about.
We know that Rich is from West Virginia. We know that Rich
is a WVU alum. We know that Rich played for WVU. We know
that Rich and Rita are Cheat Lake parents. We know that
Rich has previously referred to this gig as his "dream job".
If we lose Rich to Alabama, I think we have a far greater
problem than just finding a new coach. I think we have to
fix the problems that caused us to lose a great one. If we
can't keep Rich, who could we keep?
It's no secret that Rich, compared to other coaches, is
severely underpaid. Although if Coach Rod is genuinely
interested in Alabama, I'm sure that it is NOT completely
based on money. Rich wants to win. To win, WVU has to
commit to winning.
Continuity breeds success. Replacing a coach every 5-6
years will NEVER amount to an elite program. Look what's
happened to Utah since Urban Meyer left. On the flip side,
look what's happened to the status of Virginia Tech football
by being able to keep Frank Beamer. Continuity breeds success.
There are many components to a commitment from WVU, none
more obvious than money. When we talk money, it's not
necessarily directly for Rich. In fact, from what I know of
Rich and what I've heard about the contract negotiations...
"staff money" is one of the biggest problems.
The success of a head coach is largely related to the
quality of his staff. To get a quality staff, you have to
pay market value. To keep a quality staff, you have to pay
above market value. Continuity breeds success.
Unfortunately, WVU pays under market value AND
expects the
quality staff. Somehow, to this point, we've been able to
accomplish that. Our current staff is top notch and we need
to keep them.
So, now let's get specific.
Rich is the 3rd highest paid coach in the Big East. Over
the past 4 years, we've been the best team and have by far
the largest average attendance and best TV ratings in the
conference... so why is Rich the 3rd highest paid coach?
Rich makes $643,000 less than Bobby Petrino. That's 58%
more than Rich.
Now the assistants... Back in June, Rich was seeking a
$50,000 pay raise for each assistant. That would be
$450,000 (9 assistants). If Rich went to Alabama, taking
the expected pay for Alabama assistants, there would be well
over $1 million available for that cause. I have been told
that assistants would about double their current pay. All
Rich was seeking was $50,000 per coach.
So, let's quickly total how much we're short in my personal
assessment of market value.
First, make Rich the highest paid coach in the Big East,
using SEC rates. His new salary? $2 million. We need $900,000.
Second, get the assistants their due. Match Alabama's model
and bump the staff pay $1 million, distributed as Rich sees fit.
So, where do we come up with $1.9 million?
To answer that question, we need to see where we differ from
other "big time" schools. Specifically, I gathered some
data with the help of BamaMag.com and Inside The Ville's
message boarders.
WVU seems to be in line with average ticket prices, although
a little under those of our "peers". WVU's range from
$32-$35. Louisville from $32-$38, and Alabama from $40-$45.
This year, we had 7 home games. Next year, we only have 6.
Using data gathered from my buddy Mark DeVault's
MountaineerStats.com, we're averaging 58,518 this year.
Without the dismal USF game, we're averaging 59,663. So, if
we took the worst-case of 6 home games and multiplied it by
an average attendance of 58,000, that's 348,000 tickets. If
we do a modest ticket price bump of $3/ticket... that's an
additional generated revenue of $1,044,000.
OK, we have $856,000 to go.
Now, here's where WVU really differs from schools in our
"class". The donations. I am a Director's Level donor in
the Mountaineer Athletic Club. We have Red Zone seats.
Essentially, to sit in the Red Zone, there is a required
donation of $300 per ticket (+ the ticket price). To many
of you, this may seem like a lot. But, compared to the
similar structures of the Louisville and Alabama athletic
clubs, it's a bargain.
Without going into all the differences, I can simplify it
greatly. My donation level gets me seats on the 27 yard
line. My donation level is the same as those sitting on the
50. This donation level is also the same for those sitting
in the upper deck on the 35. In total, there are 11
sections in Mountaineer Field that are Red Zone seats, i.e.
the same donation level (see:
http://www.msnsportsnet.com/page.cfm?section=9606).
With the help of a nice lady at the WVU ticket office, I
came up with the following assessment. Each Red Zone
section is a little different in the number of rows and
number of seats in each. But, as a rough estimate, let's
figure on 44 rows, 30 seats wide. Now, if we re-classify
the 4 best sections in the Red Zone, i.e. those between the
40s on each side, we have just matched the practices of our
competitors.
Specifically, at Alabama those 40-50 yard line seats require
up to a $1,000 donation. At Louisville, it's up to $700.
At WVU? $300. Each section sits about 1,320 people (44x30).
4 sections is 5,280 people. If we bump these 4 sections to
a still-below-market-value of $500 donation, that's an
additional $1,056,000 in revenue. So, now we not only have
our $1.9 million of wishful thinking money, but we have
$156,000 to boot.
We, as a fan-base, have been spoiled with getting incredible
personnel for well below their value. To survive, to
compete, to endure the tribulations of college football,
we cannot expect to keep doing that.
The above scenario is only one example of how creativity can
solve problems. I'm sure many of you could derive your own
ideas. If that's true, then what's the problem? Why can't
there be one "scenario" that works to get it done and keep
these guys here? They, and we, deserve nothing less.
Jim
Last updated on 01-Dec-06 |
Thoughts on RR and Alabama [ jim ]
|
| Like thousands of others, I have been glued to my computer,
looking for the latest "word" on the RR to Alabama story.
I'm not a rumor-spreader, and I'm not one quick to bite on
some stranger's "inside source". So, I've been trying to
rely on facts and credible sources, as few and far between
as they may be.
When the Dominion Post states that an ABC
affiliate in
Alabama informed them RR would be announced as the new coach
soon (see the DP today, November 30th), and hours later
retracted the story... what's up?
When the Charleston Daily Mail cites
possession of flight
logs for a plane registered to The Tide Pride flying from
Tuscaloosa to Lewisburg, WV for about a half an hour
excursion, and then flies back... what's up?
When "possibly credible" sources, such as the host of a UA
sports radio program, columnist to BamaMag.com, and Ivan
Maisel from ESPN post updates that RR has been contacted...
yet RR denies any such contact... what's up?
It is now Thursday. I listened to the Coach Rod show last
night, and I accept his words to be genuine. Over the past
day and a half, I just wonder how we got here...
Would you leave Pat and Steve (as sophomores) and a
team slated for greatness next year, your alma mater,
your hometown area, and demi-God status here? ... especially
for a place (Alabama) shown to be quick
triggered when
it comes to firing coaches?
Rich has so much "fan-credit" in the bank, that it would
take season after season of failure for people to turn on
him. At Alabama? 8-4 and bye bye.
Don't think we don't have our hopes on greater things than
8-4 too. In fact, if he wants a national championship,
it's obviously easier to do it from WVU than it is from
Alabama in the SEC.
I can only hope, like many of you, that this is a
bargaining chip to get what he wants here. Lord knows that
people like Herb Hand can never be
appreciated enough. I read that our assistants would about
double their pay at UA. Wow.
So, I think I've finally made it to the point of making a
point. If the "rumors" are true... obviously there's a lot
we don't know about the association of (RR and his staff)
and the University. As I mentioned above, on the surface,
why Alabama? Why now?
It amazes me how much I care about this program. Yet, it's
probably not any more than you (the one reading this). My
inner-fabric is hoping RR stays one of us. If he goes, I
think we have a bigger problem than just
finding a new coach. We will need to correct the problems
that caused us to lose a great one.
If we can't keep RR... a WV native, a WVU alum, a Cheat Lake
dad, and a guy previously quoted as saying this was his "dream
job"... who could we keep?
We all knew Don Nehlen's tenure was an exception to the
rule. But, perhaps we never accepted that knowledge.
Here's to hoping my son walks on to play football for WVU in
2014... for Coach Rodriguez.
Last updated on 30-Nov-06 |
My source close to WVU athletic department... [ auditeer ]
|
| Just told me there is 95% chance that we will be White-
less this weekend against Rutgers. |
Mike Tranghese conversation [ jim ]
|
| I sat in on the Big East coaches' conference call again
today, and Mike Tranghese joined too.
I asked Mr. Tranghese if he had spoken to the Gator in
relation to who they'd prefer... WVU or Texas.
His answer... "Yes".
But, he said that's all he wanted to say, and that he had
talked to some Athletic Directors about that. He said
something along the lines of...
"Of course, your interest is on West Virginia, and they
still have to play Rutgers."
And, he mentioned that committees have opinions on Monday
that may not be the same on Friday. So, no matter what they
discussed, it could still change.
Basically, he was polite about it, but would not expand on
the content of the conversation(s) with the Gator. But, WVU
is being discussed.
However, my personal sense (perhaps on the optimistic side)
was that WVU-Clemson would be enticing, and WVU's chances in
the Gator completely hinge on us beating Rutgers. Without
him saying so, I came out of that conversation with the
sense that the Gator just might be swaying to us.
Sorry this wasn't more informative, but I wanted to pass
along this little conversation I had with Mr. Tranghese today.
UPDATE: 28-NOV-06:
A great write-up by the Charleston Gazette points out that
the Gator needs to do 2 things to help their cause in
finding a new sponsor next year...
Fill the seats
Get TV ratings
If the Gator can get Clemson (seat fillers), then they'll go
with Texas (TV). If they can't get Clemson, they'll be
looking at WVU to fill the seats.
See:
Predicting
WVU's Bowl Chances
Jim
Last updated on 28-Nov-06 |
Nothing to say... [ auditeer ]
|
Last updated on 27-Nov-06 |
Is it STILL possible? Don't call me crazy... yet. [ jim ]
|
| It's been about 29 hours since the hearts of Mountaineer
Country were officially broken. Well, actually add 3+ hours
to that, as most "informed" fans walked out of Mountaineer
Field saying... "if Pitt beats Louisville, we'll still get
the BCS bid, as the 3-way tie would be back in effect."
However, Pitt still is looking for the mysterious "speed
pill", and the Cardinals looked like a team ready for a BCS
challenge.
Perhaps I'm the perennial optimist, but here are some new
thoughts from my silver-lined cloud. Are you kidding me?
Could it still be true? I broke down the BCS bids, and
discovered a chance for WVU just yet.
Before we begin, we have to announce the new BCS rankings.
WVU is #15. To be eligible, we have to be top #14. But,
thankfully, Rutgers is prey at #13 for our bump-up chances.
Plus, #9 Arkansas must play #4 Florida, and #12 Oklahoma
must play #20 Nebraska. If Arkansas and Oklahoma lose, we
should jump to at least #12.
National Championship: #1 OSU vs #2 USC
Rose Bowl: #3 Michigan vs _____________
Sugar Bowl: #4 Florida vs. _____________
Orange Bowl: Wake/GT vs. ______________
Fiesta Bowl: #12 Okla / Neb vs. ___________
Now, teams "already in" would be Notre Dame, Boise and
Louisville... each for reasons everyone is well aware of by now.
Here's the hinging event for WVU's BCS hopes...
Let's assume USC beats UCLA and hope Florida beats
Arkansas.
The Rose has the option of Louisville, Notre Dame, Boise, or
the 4th at-large team. If they choose Notre Dame (for a
Mich-ND rematch... which many people are predicting), I
think we may get the 4th at-large.
Here's why...
The next pick would be the Sugar, who would have the
following teams to choose from to play Florida...
Louisville, Boise, #5 LSU, #11 Auburn, a #11-#14 Virginia
Tech, possibly a #14 Tennessee.... or a #11-#13 WVU.
The Sugar will NOT take another SEC team... which drops the
options to Louisville, Boise, Va Tech or WVU.
Does the Sugar find interest in a 10-2 WVU... a team with
(2) 2007 Heisman hopefuls? This decision only exists if the
Rose takes Notre Dame... but some expect them to offer a
Michigan-LSU matchup.
Call me crazy, but it's still "possible". However, knowing
the Sugar's ties with the SEC, you'd have to expect them to
offer Florida-Louisville, allowing the Orange to take a 2nd
SEC team as the 4th at-large... i.e. LSU.
Jim
Last updated on 29-Nov-06 |
Virginia Tek's November Centerfold Model [ auditeer ]
|
 |
Analyzing the Rutgers chaos... WVU to the Rose Bowl? [ jim ]
|
| Cincinnati caused some chaos in the Big East with their win
over Rutgers. Most of you know this, but I'll start with it
anyway...
Before Rutgers lost, everyone was assuming a 3-way tie for
the Big East title, as if WVU beat Rutgers, each of RU, UL,
and WVU would be 6-1 in conference. The tie would first
attempted to be resolved by defining a "mini-conference", as
follows... each of the 3 teams would be 1-1 against the
other 2. So, the tie would need to go to the 2nd
tie-breaker, which is the BCS ranking. So, in the event of
the previously expected 3-way tie, the highest ranked team
in the BCS would get the Big East's bid. Again, in this
previously expected scenario, WVU would have been that team.
However, Rutgers losing now makes the likely scenario to be
a 2-way tie between WVU and UL. In this event, UL would get
the bid because of the head-to-head win against us.
So, with that "common knowledge" out of the way, let's start
talking about how WVU could still get a BCS invite. All
scenarios are based on WVU winning out. Although I
personally am taking nothing for granted, the analyses below
assume that.
There are 10 teams in the BCS, 6 of which are derived from
the designated conference champions... leaving 4 "at-large"
teams.
Amongst the many clauses of the BCS, they begin with: To be
eligible for a BCS at-large invitation, a team must be in
the top 14 of the final BCS.
AT-LARGE #1:
Clause: If Notre Dame is in the top 8, then they are an
automatic invite.
However, I find little value in this rule, as if Notre Dame
is eligible, i.e. in the top 14, they most likely will be
selected anyway. So, essentially, if Notre Dame is in the
top 14, then they will get an invite.
Notre Dame is currently #5 in the BCS. Their only game left
is at #3 USC. It would be hard to imagine a scenario where,
even if they lose, they would fall outside of the top 14.
So, consider Notre Dame as at-large #1.
AT-LARGE #2:
Clause: Any team from a non-BCS conference gets an automatic
invite if they do either of the following:
a) They finish in the top 12
b) They finish in the top 16 and finish ahead of a BCS
conference champion
Boise State is currently #11. And, each of the possible
champs of the ACC (Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston
College, and Maryland) are #16, #20, #18, and #26
respectively. So, unless Boise State loses at Nevada in
their final game, consider Boise as at-large #2. However, I
would like to go on record that Boise very well could lose
this week.
AT-LARGE #3:
Clause: A BCS conference team that didn't win their
conference's automatic bid, yet finishes at #3, will get an
automatic invite as an at-large.
Michigan is currently #2.
AT-LARGE #4:
Clause: A BCS conference team that didn't win their
conference's automatic bid, yet finishes at #4, will get an
automatic invite as an at-large if (and only if) no team
qualified the same way as the #3 team.
WVU is currently #7. If LSU beats #6 Arkansas in their
final game, and then Arkansas beats #4 Florida in the SEC
Championship, that means 2 teams ahead of us will lose. #3
USC and #5 Notre Dame play each other. One must lose, so
make that 3 teams ahead of us that will go down. Put us at
#4 then.
So, if Michigan finishes at #2, we are an automatic at-large
by finishing in the top 4. However, if Michigan finishes at
#3, we don't get an automatic bid by finishing at #4.
If we don't get the AUTOMATIC at-large by finishing
#4, let's look at how we could be "selected" for the 4th
at-large.
There appear to be 3 legitimate options for who will play
Ohio State in the BCS Championship. Let's see what each
option brings. But first remember, no conference can earn
2 at-large bids to the BCS
If Michigan finishes #2:
Rose gets USC, but loses OSU (and Michigan) to the NC. They
can replace OSU with either Notre Dame, Boise, Louisville,
or the 4th at-large. Since USC would have just played Notre
Dame, don't expect the Irish here. Neither of Boise or
Louisville are that attractive either. So, whomever the
Rose selects to play USC would be the 4th at-large. The top
considerations would be Oklahoma or WVU.
If USC finishes #2:
The Rose would lose USC to the NC, but would take Michigan
as the Big 10 replacement. Again, their choices would be
Notre Dame, Boise, Louisville, or the 4th at-large. Since
Michigan would have already played Notre Dame, don't expect
the Irish here either. Neither of Boise or Louisville are
that attractive either. So, whomever the Rose selects to
play Michigan would be the 4th at-large. The top
considerations would be Oklahoma or WVU.
If Florida finishes #2:
The Rose would be USC versus Michigan. The Sugar would next
need to replace their "seed", i.e. Florida, and would most
likely take an SEC team, i.e. Auburn, LSU or Arkansas. So,
the 4th at-large would go to the SEC.
In conclusion...
In my opinion, if WVU were to obtain an at-large selection,
all roads point to Pasadena, as I don't expect the Rose to
offer a Michigan - ND rematch, nor a USC - ND rematch, nor a
(Mich or USC) - Boise game, nor a (Mich or USC) - Louisville
game.
Finally, as a reminder...
If Nevada beats Boise, another at-large spot
opens. So, root for Nevada.
If Pitt beats Louisville (and we win out), WVU
wins the Big East's bid. So, go Pitt. That would make
things a lot easier on the fans of West Virginia.
Neither the ACC nor the Pac-10 appear likely to
have a 2nd team in the final top 14. So, they would be
ineligible for consideration of the 4th at-large selection.
Also, the Big 10 already has 2 teams in, so they are
ineligible for that pick too. So, it would come down to a
team from the Big 12, the Big East or the SEC.
Last updated on 19-Nov-06 |
Thursday's 4 topics [ jim ]
|
| Hope everyone is well.
Man oh man. I started offering $0.07 for each
"Daily Find" posted on the site. We've had 3 folks that
have really started participating in that rewards program...
none more than "natman".
Natman is a SERIOUS news gatherer. You should see his
efforts at:
http://www.wvgameday.com/getNewsItems.cfm
tnmountie, gweedoe, and sulli are 3 members that
have taken advantage of our $25 offer for content.
Basically, we're looking for your experiences, trip report,
or some other creative idea.
Send us an idea, and we'll agree to sponsor it or not.
Email: jim@wvgameday.com
I would love a "Blue Lot Correspondent" for Saturday's
game... as an example. The concept is to traverse the Blue
Lot looking for human interest stories. Anyone interested,
please email me. $25 and online stardom is waiting to be had.
The University Chapter of the Alumni Association
is having a TGIF gathering at Kegler's II at 5:30 on Friday.
WVGameDay.com is sponsoring it. So, if you want to come
grab some snacks and brews before the basketball game,
please do!
As usual, we'll have our increasingly popular
merchandise tent at the game on Saturday. We are on the
corner of Don Nehlen and Valley View (i.e. the intersection
just below the student entrance to the stadium).
Jim
Last updated on 09-Nov-06 |
Mandel said it best: [ auditeer ]
|
| West Virginia Mountaineers (7-1)
A whole lot of people saw the Mountaineers in action for
the first time last Thursday, and they saw just how
electrifying Pat White and Steve Slaton can be. The
Chicago Bears would have trouble tackling those guys.
Unfortunately, they also saw that West Virginia's
secondary can't cover a pole.
Next game: Saturday vs. Cincinnati.
Speaking of oddities- does anyone else get this
on their screen after posting to the forum?
 Last updated on 08-Nov-06 |
Still have a lot to play for.... [ tnmountie ]
|
| The season is not over by a longshot. Possible Big East
title, and another BCS bid is a realistic scenario.
Remember, bowl organziers love us because we follow this
team to the ends of the earth.
So keep the faith. Let's hope for a Rutgers upset of
Louisville, and then on Dec. 2, it could a HUGE game in
Morgantown. |
Its a tradition [ eastbeast927 ]
|
| I always watch BIG WVU games with my Dad. Tonight will be
no different. I'll show up in full WVU apparel, Dad and Mom
will have the channel on after Jeopardy, and I'll supply the
beer and munchies. Its a winning combination. One of my
brothers may join us, and we'll be pumped for a Mountaineer
victory.
Dad is usually a bit of a skeptic, and I the consumate
optimist when it comes to how we'll do and that will be our
pre-game warmup discussion. He'll say how good UL's offense
is, and I'll say that we'll score more points than UL will.
He'll say that UL will shut down our running game, and I'll
counter with the fact that we'll come out throwing and that
PW has more TD's this year than Brohm. I'll list the keys
to the game, including taking an early lead to take the
crowd out like we did at the Sugar Bowl.
In the end, we'll toast the Mountaineers with our final beer
of the evening, long after Mom has gone to bed.
It's a great day to be a Mountaineer fan. |
NATIONWIDE PROTEST TODAY!!!!!!!! [ auditeer ]
|
| If you are watching the game, or having a watching event,
DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT order pizza from Papa Johns!
*****************
Remeber how last year it got out about VT making available
for pre-order FedEx Orange Bowl Shirts? Some WVU fan made
a nice little collage (at bottom)
ENJOY!
*****************
Tonight, I'll be at All Sports Cafe ('where the goal is to
score') watching the game at a WVU Blue Ridge Alumni
Chapter hosted event.
I gotta say Mike Chapman (Chappy) does one hell of a job
with this chapter!.
***********************8
Here's the kinds of 'accolades' Tek gets around here-
Congrats- you beat a bunch of nuns at basketball...
Lady Chokies beat
Nuns to be.
VT
2006 Orange Bowl Shirt Collage Last updated on 02-Nov-06 |
Yay! I won the October Caption this contest! [ auditeer ]
|
| For those of you who don't read the forums -that is
EVERYONE
it seems- I live in Roanoke, VA- 35 miles from that
wretched
cesspool of thuggery and crime we know as Bleaksburg, VA-
where the women are men, and the middle school girls are
nervous.
This is my first blog- so I just gotta say GO EERS!
Croaky Joeky Chokey My- Lose Lose VPI!
By the way, if'n my good buddy in L'ville comes through and
gives me the word on Thursday morning that he's got two
tickets in hand for the WVU game, you can bet jurass I'll
taking ahalf day and heading WEST!
Last updated on 02-Nov-06 |
We have a chance [ eastbeast927 ]
|
| We have the opportunity to make the game on Thursday night
the premier event of the college football season. It would
be great if we made this game as exciting or more than last
season's. We actually can steal the thunder from the
OSU/Michigan game. Some things in our favor:
We're way up in the fan polls.
We're not playing opposite any other game with
the magnitude of our game (last year we played opposite ND/USC).
Our offenses are very exciting to watch. OSU's
is too, but Michigan's isn't that flashy.
We're on national TV in prime time.
This game has as much "title game" potential as
the OSU/Michigan game.
There is bad blood between OSU and Michigan,
everyone knows that. BUT, not that many people know about
the level of the rivalry that has developed in one year
between UL and WVU. I look for there to be a lot of pushing
and shoving and personal fouls on the part of UL (hopefully
not on the part of WVU, but retaliatory shoves usually get
the flags).
This game will have the attention of the media
who are eager to throw cold water on the BE's chances for
the national title game. A highly-competitive, well-played
game by one or both teams will get many "style points" for
both teams.
A runaway game for the Mountaineers will land WVU
some accolades for showing the Sugar Bowl win was not a
fluke and that our program has arrived on the national
level. Then, the media will be eager to boost our program.
Either way, the media will be a major player in
how we are perceived.Last updated on 30-Oct-06 |
Big East Power [ SILKDASHOCKER ]
|
| The Big East Conference is probably deeper than it has ever
been. With three teams at the top sitting at 7-0 after this
week. It's the only conference in college football with
three undefeateds remaining.
With November 2nd contest between WVU and Louisville
looming, and Rutgers playing at UConn next Sunday night on
ESPN, it looks like the three heavyweights will survive
week 9 with an unblemished record. The last 4 weeks of the
season will tell the story in the Big East, beginning on
Nov. 2nd, and ending in Morgantown with a match between
Rutgers and WVU, possibly for the Big East title, and a
hopeful BCS title game on the line.
I'm glad i have my ticket for the Rutgers game already
secured. That may be one of those monumental nights in
Mountaineer history.
|
Va Tech win is a good thing [ jim ]
|
| I know it's fun to hate Virginia Tech. In today's college
football, my "rooting" priorities culminate from the absence
of a playoff system. So, despite having a dire hatred for
the Hokies, here are 3 reasons why Virginia Tech beating #10
Clemson is a good thing for WVU and the Big East.
Rutgers moves up one
Rutgers was behind Clemson in every major poll, including
the BCS, where Clemson was #12 and Rutgers was #14.
Cincy's Strength of Schedule
All 6 of the computer polls use strength of schedule (SoS)
as an ingredient. Most break this down into two smaller
components... direct SoS and indirect SoS. For example,
WVU's direct SoS features Marshall, Maryland,
i.e. teams we play. WVU's indirect SoS
features the teams of the teams we play.
So, since Cincy played Virginia Tech, and nobody on our
schedule played Clemson, WVU is aided more by a Virginia
Tech win than a Clemson win, as it helps our indirect SoS.
Watering down the ACC
Another ACC "frontrunner" goes down. Assuming Clemson falls
accordingly, the ACC's top team in the current BCS standings
is now Boston College at #17. As other BCS conferences'
leaders are ascending the rankings, the ACC's "heavyweights"
keep dropping into mediocrity.
So, although any WVU fan would have a real tough time
cheering for the Hokies of the Blacksburg Penitentiary, it
only makes sense to. WVU benefited by the outcome last
night, and that should be the #1 focus of any true WVU fan.
Last updated on 27-Oct-06 |
Some Louisville Gold (and Blue) Nuggets [ jim ]
|
| I feel like I just drank 5 energy drinks. We have 7 days
until the showdown, and every time my Country Roads ring
tone goes off, add another energy drink to the list.
I'm sure our 6 hour drive will feature previous seasons'
highlight DVDs, including last year's UL game. I'm sure
I'll lose my voice Wednesday night somewhere. I'm sure win
or lose, it'll be another road trip well worth it.
Here are a couple of things I wanted to make sure everyone
traveling to Louisville was aware of...
Alumni Association Gathering
The Alumni Association is having a really neat
event. From 5:00-7:00 on Thursday (yes, right before the
game)... the Alumni Assoc has rented out a bar right across
the street from the stadium. Here are the exact details:
Join fellow WVU Alumni and Friends for a pre-game tailgate
party!
Thursday, November 2, 2006
5 - 7 pm
The Cardinal Inn
2799 S Floyd St
Louisville, KY
Directly across from Papa John's Stadium
The cost to attend is $25 per person and includes BBQ, Hot
Dogs, Cole Slaw, Potato Salad, Chips, Soda, Water, and Two
Beer Tickets. A cash bar will also be available.
RSVP's and payments must be made to Gregg Cave at
gregg.cave@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-4731, by October 27, 2006.
Louisville Slugger Perks for WVU Fans
Greg Hunter from Blue Gold News posted this on his
site regarding the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
This sounds pretty neat, and we're personally planning on
taking advantage of it...
With thousands of WVU fans traveling to Louisville
for the Mountaineers game versus the Cardinals Nov. 2, the
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory would like to extend a
special welcome and discount admission offer to them.
From Wednesday Nov. 1 through Sunday Nov. 5, fans wearing
WVU gear (hats, sweatshirts, etc.) to the museum's box
office can purchase one regular-priced adult admission and
get a second adult admission free.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is one of
Louisville's most popular destinations for visitors of all
ages. The museum offers fans the opportunity to see
one-of-a-kind baseball memorabilia and visit interactive
exhibits. Visitors also have the opportunity to see
Louisville Slugger bats used by many of today's baseball
superstars made right before their very eyes during the
factory tour. Every visitor who takes the factory tour also
receives a free souvenir mini-bat.
If WVU fans are looking for a unique gift or souvenir from
their trip to Louisville, they can purchase their very own
personalized Louisville Slugger bat. Bats can be
personalized with their signature or a special message and
fans can choose from different bat styles and finishes.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is located at 800
West Main Street in downtown Louisville.
WVU Section
The WVU section is section 203. So, those looking
for scalpers (whether online or at the stadium), be sure to
get in proximity to 203!
Have a great weekend.
Jim
Last updated on 26-Oct-06 |
It's going to be a long 7 days [ tnmountie ]
|
| Can the Louisville game finally get here? Please?
I think I will be a nervous wreck by the time kickoff
arrives. So nervous, I may not even watch. Out of sheer
superstition. I usually tape the games anyway. 2003 Va.
Tech game? Didn't watch until the 4th qtr. Ditto 2002 at
Blacksburg, 2002 at Pitt, and 2005 against Louisville.
Who would have imagined this scenario: Dec. 2. Cold
snowy day in Morgantown. The biggest story of the
season. Rutgers, the little team that could, could be 11-
0, playing 11-0 WVU for an outright BE championship, and a
possible berth in the BCS title game. The brain
shudders........ |
Wearing the Old Gold and Blue [ eastbeast927 ]
|
| Being a huge WVU fan is evident wherever I go, as I almost
always sport some kind of apparel sporting the colors or the
flying WV. This year, I made a habit of wearing the colors
to every race I've done. I race walk, and its easy to spot
me coming in either my gold hat or navy shirt with the
flyiing WV. Everyone I race with knows I'm a huge
supporter, asking if I went to the game last week, and when
I say yes, they say, "I figured you would be there." I
don't do too badly, usually in the top three of my age
group, if not in the top 3 overall. The top 3 in my age
group usually places me in the top 10 overall, so I'm doing
the school colors proud.
I walked this morning 10/21/06 in Warwood, north of
Wheeling, and finished 2nd in my age group after a
convincing win last night at UConn.

Go Mountaineers. |
The love for WVU is everywhere [ tnmountie ]
|
| After my trip to Starkville, the wife and I packed up the
kids and trekked off to Hilton Head for some much-needed R
& R. And even in South Carolina, our fans are out in
force. I wore my jersey to the Fall Festival at the
Hilton Head HarborTown Marina and got slaps on the back.
Another evening, we pulled into an ice cream shop for
dessert. As soon we got out of the SUV, a lady sitting on
a park bench saw my front license plate with the flying WV
and said "Let's go, Mountaineers!"
With the success of the football and basketball programs,
and the incredible job being performed by the men's and
women's soccer programs, it is truly a special time to be
a fan of the Gold and Blue. |
Mid-October ramblings from a day of talk radio [ jim ]
|
| Yeah, the BCS rankings have been released. News flash...
the computers don't like West Virginia.
Today, like most days, my "day job" was enhanced by ESPN
Radio streaming in the background. Combine that with a 105
minute commute between Fairmont and Morgantown because I-79
was closed for an accident... which meant I got a fill of
Sirius Radio and then the Statewide Sportsline. Here's a
summary of what I learned today.
1) The All-Criminal-Conference (ACC) is just that. A one
game suspension for brawling... that's hilarious. Randy
Edsall recently kicked 5 players off the UConn football team
merely for buying beer... and most of them were over 21!
Contrary to the statements of Miami and the ACC, Larry Coker
does not have control. Randy Edsall... he has control. The
ACC cited an interest in academic and institutional
reputation when they recruited Miami. Again, that's
hilarious. A one game suspension for 12 of the 13 they've
fingered. Hilarious.
2) The beauty of the computer polls... WVU ranges from 5th
to 22nd amongst the 6 polls. 22nd? Jeff Sagarin and his
Elo-Chess formula don't like WVU football. Likewise, the
WVU Chess Team is also getting the shaft from his
Elo-Football formula.
3) On the other hand, Richard Billingsly has us 5th. Know
what I learned today? RB uses last year's finish as the
initial starting point for rankings this year. Most of the
computer polls start with "empty" values, and await until
week 4 to consider themselves to have enough data for an
initial "base". Not RB. So, although I'm loving the RB
poll right now (it's WVU's best of the 6), I hardly consider
it fair to involve 2005's campaign at all.
4) The WVU defense, at this point in the season, is
statistically better than last year's. John Antonik had a
great article on MSN today on that.
I am a Philadelpia Eagles fan... which embeds an
appreciation of the bend-don't-break defense. Jimmy
Johnson's (not the blow-dried JJ that founded Thug U)
defenses perennially were the class of the league in scoring
defense, but not total defense. As such, I have come to
realize that I'm not as freakazoidal as others on the
essence of this year's defensive units. Once we get past
running just the base sets, we'll be even more
"statistically significant".
5) Despite my assessment above, I still was shocked about
the manner in which the deep ball was successful in the
first half versus Syracuse. We had two 10 year olds sitting
with us this week... one plays safety and one plays outside
linebacker for a local youth football team. Both kids know
the cardinal rule of a safety. I read today "why" the
safety was burnt... but I still don't understand it. I
equate this to missing the bunt on a suicide squeeze.
6) Cincinnati is for real... despite their 3-4 record. If
Grutza puts 2 more feet on that running heave, it's a 14-13
Cincy lead at halftime in Columbus. The Hokies needed every
second to prevail in Blacksburg. Louisville suffered the
same plight at home as VaTech. That's 3 road games against
major competition. Yes, it's 3 losses... but it's 3 tough
showings. So, when the Bearcats come rolling into Morgantown
on November 11th, I hope we're ready.
7) I really, really, really wish Marshall would quit blowing
2nd half leads. Our strength of schedule is suffering for
it. However, the current record of our last 5 opponents is
26-7. That should help down the stretch. "We Play For
Championships"? Marshall is 1-8 in their last 9 games...
and the lone win was against Hofstra.
8) It's mid-October and the Big East already has 4 teams
bowl-eligible. If things go wacky enough, there are
permutations of all 8 teams getting to 6 wins, as the NCAA
voted this year to consider 6-6 as bowl eligible. 7 of the
8 being bowl eligible is less wacky, and 6 of 8 is realistic.
9) Marlon LeBlanc, head coach of the WVU men's soccer team,
had a great comment on the Statewide Sportsline tonight.
WVU has the best "football" program in the country. Each of
the "football" team, and the men's and women's
soccer/"futbol" teams are in the top 10. No other school
can make that claim.
10) If Pitt beats Rutgers this week... but not too
convincingly, there's a good chance the Big East will have 4
ranked teams this week. That'd be 50% of the conference in
the top 25. Wow. But, I've half-heartedly become a 2006
Rutgers fan. I have developed a "who to root for" hobby
this year, but I'm very unsettled on this one.
Last updated on 17-Oct-06 |
Not Notre Dame! [ brit ]
|
| Seems like any chance we have for the championship will
rest not only on us to win out, but for Cal or (ugh) Notre
Dame to beat USC. Come on Cal - I'd hate to have to root
for the Irish. |
Seeing if I can Participate [ 4the-eers ]
|
| Well I'm testing this sucker out and was wondering if does
work do you have to be sport only oriented? |
Va Tech meltdown [ perlo399 ]
|
| It was great to see Tech not only lose the game but show a
national TV audience that this program is going downhill.
Not only did they lose, but showed a fight among teamates
on the sidelines in clear view of the cameras.
Kirk Herbstriet said it best that ever since Michael Vick
led them to national title game they have been getting big
time recruits. Big time recruits that forgot about the
lunch pail attitude that made Tech a power and got a me
first attitude that focuses on getting them to the NFL.
Next week Tech will be out of the top 25 hoping to be one
of the others recieving votes. Karma, you gotta love it. |
We miss your booth at the mall [ iseggie ]
|
| Xmas is coming would be a great idea for holiday
shopping. If you need help let us know. |
Mountie In Iraq... [ erikenyart ]
|
| Fisrt of all, great to see so many WVU fans in one awesome
forum, thanks Jim!!!
Secondly, my name is Erik Enyart, DEC 98 WVU grad, I am an
Army CPT serving in Balad, Iraq. I have been lucky enough
to watch 2 WVU games live on tv this year on AFN, however,
I have only been able to catch the rest on the computer
which goes in and out. Does anyone have the Miss St or E.
Carolina game recorded onto DVD? I will pay someone to
send me copies of those games, as well as the rest of the
season over here?! Please help!!!
GO MOUNTIES!!!
CPT EE. |
Testing it out. . . [ wvugyrl ]
|
| We have blogs!!! This is an awesome idea! |
I am testing this out too [ jen ]
|
| Same as Pete. I am testing this too.
Tonya moved to South Carolina. We miss her!
Jen Last updated on 12-Oct-06 |
Welcome everyone [ pete ]
|
|
Jim set this up, and he wanted me to test it out.
Welcome to my blog.
So, does it work?
Last updated on 12-Oct-06 |
Big East Fan's Guide for 07-Oct-06 [ jim ]
|
| Last week I received some emails asking how could I root for
Va Tech. The answer is simple... I'm a WVU fan first and
foremost. Last week, a win for Va Tech helped WVU more than
a loss did. So, in today's age of college football computer
polls, I had to bear the disdain and root for WVU
via the
Hokies. But, no tears were shed when Calvin Johnson
dismantled them.
For the not-faint-of-heart, see the basis for my Big
East Stength of Schedule / Out of Conference tracking:
http://www.tellshowbcs.com/SOSP.html
Anyway, here's this week's list of who to root for...
in regards to improving our strength of schedule by
rooting for Big East out-of-conference opponents. I've
eliminated the teams with byes, Div 1-AA teams, those
playing a Big East team this week, and those that
already played (UCF @ Marshall).
Plus, we all know that any WVU fan is rooting for
Michigan State over Michigan, Washington over USC, etc.
But, today's blog is solely based on BE OoC Sos. If you
understand what I just wrote, you are within the
demographic for this article.
Number of games versus the Big East in parentheses.
Army (1) vs. VMI
East Carolina (1) vs. Virginia (1)
FIU (1) vs. North Texas
Illinois (2) vs. Indiana (1)
Iowa (1) vs. Purdue
Kansas (1) vs. Texas A&M
Kansas State (1) vs. Oklahoma State
Kentucky (1) vs. South Carolina
Maryland (1) @ Georgia Tech
Miami, OH (2) vs. Northern Illinois
Mich State (1) @ Michigan
Navy (2) @ Air Force
North Carolina (2) @ Miami, FL (1)
Ohio (1) vs. Western Michigan
Temple (1) vs. Kent State
Toledo (1) vs. Central Michigan
Wake (2) vs. Clemson
Wyoming (1) @ New Mexico
There are some obvious exceptions too. Although Ohio
State played Cincinnati this year, no WVU fan should be
rooting for #1 OSU to beat Bowling Green.
East Carolina hosts Virginia this week. Both have
played one Big East team. ECU is directly on WVU's
schedule, while UVA is indirectly (played Pitt, whom we
will play). Irregardless of that difference, if a Big
East fan is given the choice of rooting for ECU or UVA,
ECU it is.
Illinois hosts Indiana. Illinois has played 2 Big East
teams, while Indiana has played one. An Illinois win
helps us more.
Finally, along these same thoughts... North Carolina
plays at Miami, FL this week. UNC will play 2 Big East
teams (Rutgers, South Florida), while Miami only has
Louisville this year. So, using the logic in the
Illinois - Indiana game, we should root for UNC, right?
On this one, I'm not so sure. I see the "perception"
value in Miami finishing strong... as Louisville could
be vying for a BCS berth, where a win over a strong
Miami image will carry more weight in the "perception"
of Louisville. So, for this game, I'll give it a toss up.
Enjoy.
P.S. I am a huge Razorback and Husky (Washington) fan
this week too.
P.S.P.S. If you despise this column, contact Myles
Brand at the NCAA and ask for a playoff system.
Last updated on 06-Oct-06 |
Updates [ jim ]
|
| Well... in those 16 games of "who to root for", the Big East
needs won 6 and lost 10.
As a result, WVU's projected strength of schedule dropped
from #72 to #81.
See:
http://www.tellshowbcs.com/SOSP.html
Last updated on 02-Oct-06 |
WVU / Big East Fans' [ jim ]
|
| The Mountaineers are off this week, and I'm sure well all
be rooting for Iowa to beat Ohio State, for USC to lose at
Washington State, and for Auburn to be beaten by South
Carolina (tonight). Obviously, each of the games above could
help us move up in 2 of the 3 components of the BCS
rankings, which come out in mid October... the Coaches Poll
and the Harris Poll. The third component, as most of us
know, is the standing within the 6 computer rankings,
whereby a MAJOR ingredient to each of these is strength of
schedule (SoS).
I have amassed the list of Big East out-of-conference (OoC)
opponents this year, eliminating the ones that either have a
bye week or are playing a Big East team this week (and, one
already played on Tuesday... UCF).
In today's day and age, it's hilarious, yet deflating, to
realize that the Arkansas State @ FIU game might matter to
the pursuits of WVU. Yes, that game is a small fragment in
the sum, but the accumulation of these small values is why
our projected strength of schedule is in a quandry. See:
http://www.tellshowbcs.com/SOSP.html
If you are a WVU fan, or a supporter of the Big East in
general, here's your "who to root for" guide for the weekend
of September 30th, 2006. As I mentioned above, this excludes
the obvious ones... come on Iowa! Plus, I can't wait to
watch real grass in HD with the overhead cam on ESPN
tonight, as I hope my remote energy is what catapults South
Carolina over Auburn.
Number of games against the Big East in parentheses.
Akron (1) @ Kent State
Army (1) vs. Rice
FIU (1) vs. Arkansas State
Indiana (1) vs. Wisconsin
Kansas (1) @ Nebraska
Kansas State (1) @ Baylor
Kentucky (1) vs. Central Michigan
Miami, FL (1) vs. Houston
Miss State (1) @ LSU
MTSU (1) @ North Texas
Ohio (1) vs. Bowling Green
Temple (1) @ Vanderbilt
UVA (1) @ Duke
VT (1) vs. Georgia Tech
Wake (2) vs. Liberty
Illinois (2) @ Michigan State (1)
This last game features two teams that are OOC opponents to
the Big East. Illinois played Syracuse and Rutgers. Michigan
State played Pitt. A win by Illinois helps the conference's
SoS twice as much as a win by Michigan State. Last updated on 28-Sep-06 |
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