Gator Bowl Rumors, etc.

Well, here are the rumors I'm hearing from WVU at the Gator Bowl:

• Slaton really is injured and, if the game were today, he would not play. It will be a game time decision but he's having a very difficult time with that leg.
• White is not 100% and might not play either. He's fine in the shotgun and can play but the ankle won't hold up if he tries to run. If you're going to be stuck with an immobile quarterback, Jarrett Brown would be a better solution.
• Darius Reynaud may be injured as well. I have no specifics on that but I've heard that he may not be playing either...more if I hear anything else.

With all that, who knows how this Gator Bowl could go. Colson could be the main running back with Schmitt seeing heavy time in the backfield. Sophomore Ed Collington could also see some action in the backfield if Slaton is on the bench. Should be interesting...

Huge win for WVU against UConn. The Mountaineers played tough ball against a very agressive Huskies team. I hate to say UConn was thuggish but they were holding, hitting, tugging...it was ugly. WVU abused the UConn defense by going to the basket instead of settling for 3's. The 1-3-1 completely frustrated the young Huskies and they could get the ball inside cleanly. Bawinkle played scared. Alexander looked a little off at times but still had a good game. I thought Summers stepped up big time and Smalligan put in some good minutes. Butler was a beast and Ruoff played well when it really matted. But Young and Nichols were obviously the players of the game...as they should be considering they have, by far, the most experience.

Hopefully this will give the young Mountaineer squad confidence that they can win against any Big East team. By far, this is the best win of the season. It's a really athletic team and I am highly, highly impressed. They could really accomplish some things this year that I would have thought impossible at the end of last year.

UCLA Lays Egg / Cowboys Falling Apart

I must admit that I was really disappointed by UCLA last night as they laid an egg last night in the Emerald Bowl against Florida State. I had looked forward to FSU having a real losing season for the first time since '76 but it wasn't to be. I'm still not sure about the officiating in the game. The Conference USA officials missed some calls...not that it really made a difference in the game. But, I'd still like to see what Greg Carr did to get open in the 4th quarter when the defender was laying on the turf. And did anyone else think Jeff Bowden was crying after that touchdown pass?

Why is anyone surprised the Cowboys are falling apart at the seams? I believe Terrell Owens plays for the Cowboys and the Cowboys have lost a couple games...so, obviously there are going to be some issues. How has no one hauled off and completely knocked T.O. out? The restraint some players show is remarkable. He spends 3 hours with his opponents the day before a crucial game, drops passes during the game, complains about not being involved following the game while wearing a Santa hat. How is this possible?

I think Terrance Newman finally stating some frustration with T.O. is just the tip of the iceberg. The man basically said that if he doesn't get thrown to early in a game, he is out of the game. What kind of message is that? There is no way I could handle him...I would have choked him out long ago. He has to be bipolar. He has serious issues. I don't know if the Cowboys will beat Detroit but I would guess they will be out of the playoffs in the first round and then T.O. will no longer be a Cowboy. Or Bill Parcells will no longer be a Cowboy.

Last, how is Shawne Merriman an All-Star? Merriman was suspended by the NFL for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He missed 4 games this season because of that suspension. Now, I'm not saying Merriman hasn't had a good year despite the suspension. But, I would think the NFL would not want to honor someone who tested positive for using drugs. What message does that send? I don't think the NFL cares...they would prefer people not to get caught. That's the message I'm getting. It's really disappointing. I just don't think it's right.

Best of Quite Frankly?

ESPN2 completely boggled my mind last night by airing a Best of Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith last night. How did anyone come up with a Best of... show? How is it possible to compare something infinitely awesome with something else infinitely awesome? Each segment, each show is so remarkably well done that it is completely and utterly impossible to determine which is better. You cannot say one Stephen A. Smith segment is better than any other...the same as you can't say infinity is greater than infinity.

Any attempts to determine which Quite Frankly should be considered a "Best of" would cause a person's brain to explode. Obviously, everything Stephen A. says is of the utmost importance, otherwise he wouldn't YELL EVERYTHING! The only thing I could conceive of would require playing all the Quite Frankly shows but removing Stephen A.'s guests and simply airing only Stephen A. without all the fluff. 100% Stephen A. Smith...that's truly a "Best of" I can support.

Oh, and someone make sure Stephen A. has plenty of cheese doodles. Those cheese doodles are DELICIOUS!!!

WVU/Georgia Tech Breakdown - GT Offense

Well, the big bowl between West Virginia and Georgia Tech is rapidly approaching so it's time to give the breakdown of the game. Obviously the story so far of the Gator Bowl is quarterback Reggie Ball and, to a lesser extent, cornerback Kenny Scott being declared academically ineligible. Sophomore Taylor Bennett will take over for Ball in the game. Bennett has not had a lot of playing time in 2006, going 16-29 for 197 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

But, as many will say, passers don't get much worse than Ball who went 135-304 for 1820 yards, 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. And that is with Calvin Johnson who many consider the best wide receiver in football. So, losing Ball may not be as bad as you would think.

By all indications, Bennett is a pocket passer and will likely be looking for All-American Calvin Johnson deep down the field to exploit the weak West Virginia secondary. Jeff Casteel needs to come after Bennett a lot in this game and West Virginia needs to at least knock Bennett around a bit to keep him scared. If we give him all day to pick apart our defense...well, we've seen what happens then. Quinton Andrews, Eric Wicks and the boys are also going to have to step it up and not allow 10-yard cushions for receivers every play, especially is WVU can't get pressure in the backfield (which we've shown problems doing at times this year). And keep Antonio Lewis away from Johnson.

If we double team Johnson every play, the Yellow Jackets haven't necessarily spread the ball around. Johnson has 67 catches, next is James Johnson with 37 catches. You have to go all the way down to Chris Dunlap with 9 catches for 3rd in the receiving corps. Of course, that probably is due to Ball's inability to throw the ball this year.

In the backfield, Georgia Tech will be trying to give us a healthy dose of Tashard Choice who has 1304 yards on 270 rushes and led the ACC in rushing. WVU has been excellent against the rush all year and I don't see Choice as the guy who is going to break the defense but too much focus on Johnson could make it a dream game for Choice. Reggie Ball was GT's second leading rusher in 2006 and third is freshman Jamal Evans with 205 yards on 39 attempts. Evans will see limited, if any, action in the game.

So, with that information what can we read into the game? WVU's defense is in a better position with Ball being out of the game despite Ball's problems this season. Georgia Tech lost their poised and veteran quarterback and their second leading rusher. Bennett isn't going to run the ball much so WVU can focus on covering Calvin Johnson in the secondary and force Bennett to look to other receivers for completions. WVU needs to contain Choice, which I don't see as a major issue, and they need to get pressure on Bennett early and often. I think WVU can force at least 2 turnovers in this game by bringing the blitz and exploiting Bennett's youth. All in all, I think our defense can step up and stop GT.

Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian.

Well, I got several very nice Christmas gifts...it was a nice Christmas Eve for sure. But the highlight for me had to be a large box that I unwrapped and it had a couple big Fragile stickers on it. Obviously, my mind raced directly to "A Christmas Story" and the "Fra-gee-lay, must be Italian" started.

The lines continued..."it could be a bowling alley." So, I cut open the box and started digging through the paper that filled the box to the top. And, what to my wondering eyes should appear but a lamp shade. At this point, it was becoming too eerie as the lamp scene was playing out on TBS as we were living it in the living room. "Well, would you look at that? Holy smokes. Do you know what this is? This is a lamp! Isn't that great? What a GREAT lamp.

Here is a picture of the lamp I received for Christmas that I think I have to take to the office for all to enjoy:

The lamp stands about 20" high...great for a desk. I just hope the soft glow of electric sex gleaming from my desk doesn't create a distraction for my fellow employees. What a great lamp.

Anyway, everything else went well for Christmas Eve. I'm still not feeling very well which isn't very cool. But, hey, I'll get over it probably. Hope everyone else is having a great holiday...take care.

Christmas Eve

Well, it appears to be the day before Christmas but I don't know how much Christmas spirit is out there. With temperatures hanging relatively high and no snow anywhere in sight, I can't say it is looking a lot like Christmas. But the calendar says that it is so and I have no reason to dispute that.


I watched both National Lampoon's Vacation and Christmas Vacation last night and laughed heartily through both. The original Vacation remains the best in the series but Christmas vacation is funny. After watching it again, I'm amazed by how much Julia Louis-Dryfess steals the show despite her brief appearances as one of the neighbors. Very funny. Electrocuted cat - hilarious. The Christmas lights - classic. Good stuff.


I'm ashamed to admit this one but I watched a couple hours of Janice Dickinson's Modeling Agency yesterday too. Who greenlighted this thing? Man, it was like a train wreck...I just couldn't look away. I am seriously contemplating a lawsuit against Dickinson for lost time.


I also went to play football yesterday but for a very, very short period of time. I slipped in the mood and I think I may have pulled something. It's a little muddy out there...and I believe I may be coming down with a sickness. Scratchy throat, congested head, all the good signs of a Christmas illness.


But I digress. It's Christmas Eve and I hope everyone is having a great holiday. I'm sure I'll talk to some of you today and some I will see between now and New Years...and some of you I may not converse with until sometime in the New Year...but, regardless, I hope you and your family have a great Christmas.

Bowl Predictions

I can't believe I forgot to do this before...I already missed the first bowl and didn't get my predictions up. Luckily, I have the paper I filled out laying in front of me so I'll tell you now. It's unfortunate I didn't do it before you filled out your bowl pools because these are the winners:

Poinsettia Bowl - TCU v. Northern Illinois. Winner: TCU
Las Vegas Bowl - BYU v. Oregon. Winner: Oregon
New Orleans Bowl - Rice v. Troy State. Winner: Rice
Papa John's.com Bowl - South Florida v. East Carolina. Winner: USF
New Mexico Bowl - New Mexico v. San Jose State. Winner: New Mexico
Armed Forces Bowl - Utah v. Tulsa. Winner: Tulsa
Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii v. Arizona State. Winner: Hawaii
Motor City Bowl - Central Michigan v. Middle Tennessee State. Winner: C. Michigan
Emerald Bowl - UCLA v. Florida State. Winner: UCLA
Independence Bowl - Oklahoma State v. Alabama. Winner: OK State
Holiday Bowl - California v. Texas A&M. Winner: Cal
Texas Bowl - Rutgers v. Kansas State. Winner: Rutgers
Music City Bowl - Clemson v. Kentucky. Winner: Clemson
Sun Bowl - Oregon State v. Missouri. Winner: OSU
Liberty Bowl - South Carolina v. Houston. Winner: South Carolina
Insight Bowl - Texas Tech v. Minnesota. Winner: Texas Tech
Champs Sports Bowl - Maryland v. Purdue. Winner: Maryland
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Boston College v. Navy. Winner: Navy
Alama Bowl - Texas v. Iowa. Winner: Texas
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl - Virginia Tech v. Georgia. Winner: VTech
MPC Computers Bowl - Miami v. Nevada. Winner: Nevada
Outback Bowl - Tennessee v. Penn State. Winner: UT
Cotton Bowl - Auburn v. Nebraska. Winner: UA
Capital One Bowl - Arkansas v. Wisconsin. Winner: Wisconsin
Gator Bowl - WVU v. Georgia Tech. Winner: West Virginia
Rose Bowl - USC v. Michigan. Winner: Michigan
Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma v. Boise State. Winner: OK
Orange Bowl - Louisville v. Wake Forest. Winner: Louisville
Sugar Bowl - LSU v. Notre Dame. Winner: LSU
International Bowl - Cincinnati v. Western Michigan. Winner: Cincinnati
GMAC Bowl - Soutern Mississippi v. Ohio. Winner: So. Miss.
BCS National Championship Game - Ohio State v. Florida. Winner: Ohio State

So, there's the winners...do with them what you will.

Christmas Music

With Christmas rapidly approaching, one thing you can count on is being bombarded with Christmas music on every channel. I don't know about you but I get tired of hearing the same old tunes every year over and over. It's nice for a day or something but it eventually grates on my nerves. I mean, I like Christmas music and all but it gets old. With that said, there are always a few exceptions that I actually look forward to hearing and can't wait to get out every year...and here they are:

• Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas. That's just great music...classic. It's one of those CDs I could really listen to all year long...it's just that good.
• Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas 1984. Steamroller has come out with 5 or 6 Christmas CDs but the original is still the best. Nothing says Christmas more than hearing Steamroller's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" blaring at an NFL game during the Christmas season.
• Glenn Miller - In The Christmas Mood. Hey, how can you go wrong with the Big Band King cooking on Christmas music? Just a great CD.
• Jimmy Buffett - Christmas Island. Just a fun CD. Christmas in the Keys...sounds like fun to me.
• Manhattan Transfer - The Christmas Album. Another great jazz Christmas album...just really fun to listen to.

There's a lot of good Christmas music...and a lot of bad out there too (Hippopotomus, anyone?) but some CDs are just fun to pull out for Christmas. Listening to Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas isn't all the much fun though.

WE ARE ...

SICK OF MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY!!! Another night of McConaughey on Monday Night Football. Do you think the guy has a movie coming out? I mean, I would never guess it from the 8 billion commercials and the celebrity guest appearances at every sporting event airing on ESPN. I haven't seen ESPN this restrained on publicity since "Junction Boys" or "A Season on the Brink." Or maybe a North Carolina/Duke game with "Full Circle."

I understand marketing for movies and whatnot and, of course, they are going after the ESPN-type crowd...but there becomes a point of oversaturation and I am there. I will not be going to see "We Are Marshall" in the movie theatres...and here is why:

1. I really, really dislike Matthew McConaughey. I just don't like him...his stoner voice is annoying and I just don't want to watch him in any movie. As far as I'm concerned, he could have been in "Dazed & Confused" and his career end shortly thereafter.
2. It's a docu-drama. Part of it is real, part is fiction. I am not a big fan...I would rather watch a true documentary on the events of the crash and the aftermath rather than have someone make up stories about what occurred in the subsequent years. I have no interest in the love story that I am sure exists (I honestly don't have any idea because I haven't read any review, even though I hear the reviews are positive).
3. The marketing has been too agressive for me. Usually when a movie pushes this hard for an audience, the results are disappointing. Once again, haven't seen it but hear reviews are positive but considering the amount of coverage it has received, I don't want to see it.
4. I don't like going to the movies. Yeah, that's the real reason I will not be going to the theatres to watch "We Are Marshall." I just don't like going to the movies...to see anything. And this one doesn't change that.

This really doesn't have anything to do with Marshall or my like or dislike thereof. I'm sure their fans can't get any more obnoxious so I don't think this will make any difference. I'm just glad the movie is finally going to be out and maybe, within a few weeks, we can stop hearing about it. The commercials really have wore me out...any interest I might have had in watching the movie has been completely ruined by the marketing. I just want it to end. I might eventually see it on DVD...might not. Only time will tell...

Sports Writer

I'm not saying that a sports writer for the newspaper or a "journalist" for ESPN has the easiest job in the world...but I am saying that it is a job that many people would enjoy having. But some sports writers just aren't very good...and today's example is none other than good ol' Stephen A. Smith. Last night Stephen A. reported on the Knicks/Nuggets brawl. Let's recap his revealing story:

• Carmello Anthony is going to be suspended. Probably more than 5 games. Stephen A. thinks it could be 15-20 but he has no idea.
• Isiah Thomas may have told Anthony to stay out of the lane.
• George Karl may have been running up the score a little bit which made Thomas mad.
• Karl may have been upset about the handling of the Larry Brown situation in New York and may have been sending Thomas a message.
• Larry Brown and George Karl are both part of the "UNC family" and are friends.
• David Stern has been trying to clean up the NBA's image.

And, that was it. That was Stephen A.'s 90-second segment on SportsCenter. Are you kidding me? I could have wrote that exact same story in 5 minutes. There are no league sources speculating on what the penalties may be. There's no conversations with Stu Jackson. Nothing...he did zero work on that story. If I had the connections Stephen A. should have, I could have reported a story 10-times better. Stephen A. puts no effort in his job and gets paid big bucks for it. Of course, he defended Thomas because...well, Stephen A. likes to defend certain segments of the population.

Anyway, if I were in Stephen A.'s position, I would do better work. Pick up the phone and get a scoop on something. Otherwise, don't waste my time with your "reporting." Stephen A. is horrible and I don't understand why he has his own show. He's a waste of time.

ANOTHER NBA Fight

Well, to be honest, I'd rather get into a fight and be suspended than play for Isiah Thomas but I have no idea what Carmello was thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OU3poUtNsE

This is another huge black-eye for the NBA just as they were getting over the Palace Brawl. Once again, the league looks like a bunch of thugs. I support David Stern in his efforts to try to change the league's image for the hip-hop style it exudes now to something more mainstream but it appears those efforts are coming up short. Once again, this will turn fans off to the game...and that's a shame because it could be great again.

My Recommendation to the Consultants

Do this to a few people and the amount of people playing games will drop dramatically. They'll learn...they'll learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Y1ERbjvBw

Week in Closing

First, this article struck me as odd when I read it on CBSSportsline.com on Wednesday: Parents discuss offense with Hogs AD. I mean, I'm sure parents discuss these types of things with assistant coaches and whatnot all the time...but going to the AD? Something didn't add up. Thankfully, our good friend Pat Forde at ESPN.com cleared things up for me: Melodrama stirred by the straw of teenage celebrity. Sounds like a first-class program that Nutt is running down there.

I've ignored it pretty much but I can't any longer. The folks over at Deadspin have been fighting with the Barbaro Message Board. In case you don't know, Barbaro is the horse that broke its leg during the Preakness. Unlike most horses, though, Barbaro wasn't put down...instead, he has been nursed back to health, suffering a few setbacks, in a touching story that has gripped the nation.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine created a message board for Barbaro well-wishers to post messages to the, uhhh, horse. The people at Deadspin pointed out that Barbaro is a horse and, most likely, can't read. And probably doesn't care. And the Deadspin commenters spammed the Barbaro message board causing a great clash. It continues today. If you would like to read some of the great comments on the Barbaro message board, head on over there. It's a place for, ummmm...special people.

The Big Finish:

• Don't make fun of Obama's ears.
• The Clinton Machine knows about shady land deals.
• Red Sox bought some Japanese man.
• Don't look now but Rich Rodriguez is putting together one heckuva recruiting class
• Jerry Porter called Kellen Winslow a bad name and got in trouble
• Commissioner Goodell says he's trying to help Bengals players end problems with law

And, I think that about covers it for now...have a good one. And get well Barbaro, wherever you may be.

Barack Obama and Iran

First up, Barack Hussein Obama...the Democrat who is supposed to give Sir Edmund Hillary Rodham Rodham a run for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2008. I'll be honest...I don't know a whole lot about the guy and I don't plan to know much about him before next year. What I do know is that the primaries are over a year away and I don't see any possible way someone with so little political clout can maintain momentum over such a long period of time. People will be completely burnt out on this guy in 3 months...I just don't know about a sustained Obama attack for the next year.

On the same topic, there is audio of Obama asking Maureen Dowd not to make fun of his ears. Here's the exchange:

OBAMA (off mic): You talked about my ears, and I just want to put you on notice: I'm very sensitive about -- What I told them was, ''I was teased relentlessly when I was a kid about my big ears.'"
DOWD (purring): We're trying to toughen you up.

Folks, can you imagine some politicians asking the same of reporters? I'm not saying any politician should have their looks made fun of...but if some politicians made a similar request, it would be all over the place and it would show how weak they were. "How will he handle the criticism of the country if he can't handle having X made fun of?" would be all over the news. Once again, I don't think anyone should make fun of Obama's ears...but for Maureen Dowd to give the "we're just trying to toughen you up" response it ridiculous.

Second, how about those Iranians? Holocaust conference...and we wonder why we can't negotiate with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And why are people shocked he would hold such a conference? He has been denying the Holocaust for at least 2 years and has been threatening to whipe Israel off the map for the same amount of time. Why are people suddenly shocked by his denial of the Holocaust? Because he invited in other people who shared his belief? So what?

This man is a nut...plain and simple. And we want to include him in the decision making in Iraq? I just don't see where this path is leading. Are we hold out some hope that Ahmadinejad will suddenly become friendly to the West? It's not going to happen folks. This man is set on the destruction of Israel and the establishment of a worldwide Islamic movement. Nothing else will do. I don't know how much longer it's going to take before people wake up and realize you cannot negotiate with those who seek to destroy you.

Allen Iverson

The 76ers have finally had enough of Iverson...a couple years too late in my opinion. So, in honor of the pending Iverson trade, I bring you my favorite sports moment by Allen Iverson:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

The Bobs

I don't think I wrote about this previously...and, if I did, I apologize. This one is more about work and the recent visit by consultants and our "Long-Term IT Strategy." Sounds like fun, eh?

Anyway, over the course of the past several months an outside consulting firm has interviewed employees to determine what they like and dislike about the current computer system. And while the marks were pretty good, the biggest complaint is incompatibility with our clients and customers. The biggest obstacle remains that we have continued to use Corel's WordPerfect while most people in the free world have switched to Microsoft Word.

WordPerfect has several advantages over Word, especially in the legal world. WordPerfect is a much easier program when it comes to making macros and templates for everyday use. Word requires a lot of VB work to accomplish the same tasks. It's a real pain...but, the consultants have recommended we switch because of our clients. So, that's going to happen for sure.

In all likelihood we will also be dumping Novell's Netware in favor of Microsoft. We'll get rid of Novell's Groupwise in favor of Outlook and setup some Exchange servers. It's going to be one heck of a transition...and costly at that. We're looking at taking a "fork lift" approach...which means we'll pick up our current servers, haul them out of the building and bring in all new servers, plug 'em in and go with it. Obviously, that will require a lot of behind-the-scenes work to get them ready because we can't afford much downtime, if any.

The final strategic plan is due this week...should be a hoot. I can guarantee the final price will hit 7-figures. I figure implementation will beging 2nd quarter of 2007. I may end up bringing a cot to work and just living here because it's going to be one heck of a busy year. I'll keep you posted on where we stand once it begins...should be an interesting transition.

I don't hate Alabama...

Poor Alabama. Poor, poor Alabama. First off, I would suggest they not look at this shirt. Too many people already own it. I don't know what to tell them to do. It's very sad. Alabama...coachless. Maybe they should have kept Mike Shula after all.

I would have more sympathy for Alabama if I hadn't listened to Paul Finebaum from al.com last night. Finebaum was rightfully upset about RR rejecting the Crimson Tide. I remember being upset with Bobby Huggins and Dan Dakich during our b-ball coaching search. No one likes to be rejected. But Finebaum didn't limit his frustration to Rich Rod or WVU...no, he attacked Rita Rodriguez. And that is completely unacceptable to me. He made fun of her age, her looks, etc. And that should be off-limits. I don't know if Finebaum is truly the voice of Alabama faithful, but if he is, I have nothing but disdain remaining for Alabama. If Finebaum is their voice, I hope they never find a coach...and I hope War Eagle whips up on them every year. Alabama, dump Finebaum, quit being insane and get over yourselves. The world does not, and never will again, revolve around Alabama football.

Knew it all along

There was never any doubt. Why would anyone ever leave WVU? Come on folks...did you fall for that? Rich Rod played you like a fiddle. He said he planned to stay here for the rest of his career...is that not enough? We're going to have Coach Rod for a long, long time...or at least through the weekend.

Anyway, what does this do to WVU and recruiting? Some people say it helped because it got the coach and program national exposure. I disagree...it plants seeds of doubt that Rod is committed to the program long term and shows a weakness in the program to be able to retain coaches for long periods. My first thought is that Coach Rod will probably leave next year or the year after...there's no way he will be here 4-5 years. He might be...but I don't know if I believe that...how is a recruit supposed to believe that?

But, the biggest disappointment of this whole thing for Mountaineer fans is that I won't be the head coach next year. I know you all wanted to see me on the sidelines but, alas, I will remain at my desk and plan for my takeover next year. Give it time. The best part: we screwed Alabama...how awesome.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who kept up on the story and fed information...especially:

WeMustIgniteThisCouch.com
BlueGoldNews.com
Mr. Davis from WVConfidential.com
WVMetroNews.com
and Mr. Moran from locations unknown

and I'm sure there were others...it was a lot of fun. Let's do it again after basketball season.

Bryant Gumbel = Worse Announcer Ever

The Steelers/Browns game, which was on the NFL Network which Time-Warner does not carry but somehow KDKA was able to work out something to show the game in Pittsburgh, was on last night. (Talk about your run-on sentences). Anyway, the announcing tandem of Gumbel and Chris Collinsworth has to be the worst in the world. I even like Collinsworth but Gumbel is just horrendous. I mean just horribly bad. He sounds completely disinterested in the game and his voice just drove me crazy. I think he may possibly be the worst play-by-play guy ever. Seriously...ever.

The Steelers won. Wow...they beat the Browns. The Browns might be as bad as Gumbel. Regardless, Pittsburgh is now 6-7 and still out of the playoff hunt. I heard Roethlisberger telling reporters after the game that the Steelers are now 1-0. 1-0? No, you're 6-7. 1-0 I would be happy with. 6-7, not so much. But, hey, at least you can still talk.

As for the death watch, it continues today. He's gone, he's not gone...I'm not sure how much I care at the moment. I just want it to end. ESPN reported he was gone...he talks to someone at the Charleston Gazette last night and says no deal has been made. Come on! Someone's making stuff up or lying or, at the very least, being very disingenuous. Let's end it already...I have recruiting to do if they're going to name me the next head coach. I need to get on the road today if we're going to have a competitive team over my tenure. Let's go!

Writing on the Wall

The Death Watch is near an end and it looks pretty bad for Mountaineer fans. Here's just some of the things out there:

From the Post-Gazette:
Earlier in the day, at about 10 a.m., Alabama athletic director Mal Moore reportedly arrived in Morgantown to offer Rodriguez the job as the Alabama coach. The Mobile Press-Register, which first reported the story, said it was believed that Alabama's offer would match the highest coaching salary now being paid in the SEC. Auburn's Tommy Tuberville is the highest-paid coach in the SEC at $2.2 million per year. Rodriguez currently makes $1 million at West Virginia.

From Southern Sports Tonight:
Rich Rodriguez will be named the new head football coach at the University of Alabama in a Friday press conference. The West Virginia coach will take over the Crimson Tide program vacated by Mike Shula, who was fired two weeks ago. Rodriguez and his wife, Rita, met with Alabama athletic director Mal Moore in New York City earlier in the week, and according to sources at both West Virginia and Alabama, Moore called Rodriguez Wednesday night with an official offer. Rodriguez is in Jacksonville on Thursday and is scheduled to fly via private plane to Tuscaloosa early Friday morning for a press conference later in the day. The terms of Rodriguez's contract with Alabama is not known at this time, other than Alabama has agreed to pay the $2 million buyout in his West Virginia contract. According to one West Virginia assistant coach, Rodriguez will like to coach the Mountaineers in their upcoming Gator Bowl game before taking over in Tuscaloosa, but no official agreement has been reached yet.

From Bluegoldnews.com:
Tonight in Jacksonville, Florida, there is a confab of Gator Bowl officials and representatives of the 2007 Gator Bowl teams, West Virginia and Georgia Tech. Included is West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez. But bowl officials reportedly have been told that Rodriguez won't be there to coach the Mountaineers in the game. That does not necessarily mean that Rich Rodriguez is headed to Alabama as the new head football coach of the Crimson Tide. But if he is not going to be coaching West Virginia in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day from Jacksonville, Florida, that could be an indication he is accepting the Alabama offer.

Obviously there could still be some amazing thing that occurred and Rich Rod recommits to the University tomorrow...but it appears highly unlikely. Out of the three sources I mention above, the bluegoldnews seems to be the most damaging...it seems like an odd rumor to make up without some knowledge...but odd regardless.

So, we'll wait until the official word tomorrow and either a) be thankful that Rich is staying, or b) start looking at coaching candidates. Ah, what a bunch of garbage!

Death Watch Nears End

Well, it will all be coming to a close soon. Praise be. According to TimesDaily.com, the offer has been extended and Rodriguez has until tomorrow to decide his and our fates. If he stays, there will be much rejoicing in the Mountain State. If he leaves, I think we all come down with bubonic plague or something like that...either way, it will be over.

Anyway, nice win for the Mountaineer basketball team last night. Appears we may live and die by the 3-pointer again. Good defense...still lacking an inside game but we have some players who look like they can drive the lane and maybe make some things happen. NC State isn't a great team...they just got a new coach and I'm sure they're working through some problems but it's a great win over an ACC team.

So, that's all for this morning...I'm just so happy that this Coach Rod garbage will be over SOON. My work product has gone way downhill since this thing started...there's just not a good way to monitor all the news and still get anything accomplished.

Death Watch Update

The unsubstantiated "reports" continue to fly in. Here's one of my favorites:

"Ivan Maisel was just on the radio and said that RR is a done deal via a radio telephone interview? I'm hearing that Maisel got this from 3 different sources at Bama AND 3 different sources from WV. He apparently said that the only reason he is coming out and saying this is that he trusts his sources completely. Ivan felt it would break tonight with an announcement on Thursday. He mentioned a figure of around 2.3 mill for 7 years. I may be off by a few grand. He also said the ESPN coverage of the Bama search had been very poor...all WV coaches were called back to town last night, Thurs. Christmas party cancelled, RR flying back from NY to address coaches."

That means almost nothing to me. Anyway, I'm pretty annoyed with Coach Rod and with WVU on this whole thing. Either 1) RR is screwing WVU through this by saying he wasn't leaving and 3-4 days later leaving or 2) WVU isn't coming through on promises they made to RR. Some are reporting that RR is unhappy with the renovations being done because they aren't happening quick enough or as promised...I have no idea. Most important right now is that West Virginia basketball plays NC State tonight in Charleston. That's what I'm waiting for. As for the RR stuff, it's a bunch of people making stuff up...if I hear anything "true," I'll pass it along.

Anyway, congratulations to all the Mountaineers who received Big East honors:

Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick White

First Team All-Big East:
Jeremy Sheffey
Dan Mozes
Patrick White
Steve Slaton
Keilein Dykes
Eric Wicks (unanimous selection)

Second Team All-Big East:
Darius Reynaud
Ryan Stanchek
Vaughn Rivers

Not too shabby.

Death Watch Continues

Well, it's not really a death watch but it seems to have that feel. I don't know if Rodriguez is leaving or not but reading the WVU sports message boards...well, there's a real divide in opinions. Some people are encouraging Pastilong to fire Rodriguez and burn down his house while others are saying Eddie P. should give Rod anything he wants, including the keys to the university and pay him approximately $8 billion a year.

Here's what we know:

• Alabama needs a coach...soon.
• Coach Rod is one of the hottest names in college football.
• Coach Rod met with Alabama's Mal Moore for an "informal" meeting that lasted 90 minutes.
• Alabama has plenty of money to pay RR's buyout and pay him well.
• Alabama has better facilities than West Virginia.
• RR said "I plan on being at West Virginia the rest of my career." The keyword: PLAN.
• WVU fans are going crazy.

Here's what else is out there:

• Moore planned to discuss hiring Rodriguez with university president Dr. Robert Witt, a handful of influential boosters and, yes, the NCAA (Alabama is still on probation).
• RR has made it clear that he wants to know soon if he must make a decision because of recruiting.
• Here's some things Eddie P. had to say: He reminded that Rodriguez’s salary was increased (to $1.1 million), along with the salary pool for his assistant coaches, at that time along with the strong commitment for improving facilities at Puskar Center. “We very much want him to continue as our coach,” Pastilong stressed. “We will continue to provide the necessary resources for success.”
• RR talked to EP before and after his meeting with Mal Moore.

I don't know what's going to happen really...I'm not sure anyone does. It appears RR has not been offered a job so he can't accept it if it is not offered. And, I would guess, it will not be offered unless Mal Moore is 100% certain that RR is going to accept it (at least publicly). In the meantime, everyone should chill out for a bit and see what happens (and start looking for a new coach?) It'll be over soon enough.

From the Rumor Mill

I'm hearing that WVU's Rodriguez has talked with WVU officials and plans on staying if West Virginia will make him one of the top 20 highest paid coaches in the the country. Rodriguez is currently around 37th I believe. To make him one of the Top 20, the University would have to increase his salary $300,000 - $400,000 per year.

Rutgers' Greg Schiano and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier both received a $500,000 per year raise after their names came up in coach searches. Rodriguez is looking for a similar payday. Of course, even with the raise, it would still be chump change if Alabama truly offered $3 million per year.

UPDATE: ESPN is reporting that Rodriguez is talking to Alabama. This isn't necessarily a surprise but is still a little disheartening. Of course, Schiano talked to Miami and you see how that worked out.

UPDATE 2: MSNBC is reporting that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Rich Rod will have the Alabama job in 48-hours. I don't know if they mean he'll be offered the job or if he is expected to take the job.

UPDATE 3: Rodriguez confirmed his meeting with Mal Moore of Alabama and said they talked for 1 1/2 hours. No word on whether an offer was made, will be made and if or when one will be made or if he would accept an offer. Schiano met with Paul Dee and that didn't turn out bad for Rutgers. Hopefully Eddie Pastilong is somewhere near with a checkbook...

UPDATE 4: Final update for tonight. Interest story on AJC. Seems Rod wants more $$$ for himself and his staff and commitments to upgrade facilities but those requests haven't been agreed to by Eddie Pastilong. We should know our fate within the next 24-48 hours I would guess.

Greg Schiano is Awesome

Greg Schiano could have easily taken his success at Rutgers, packed it in a suitcase and headed to sunny Florida to become the new coach of a "big-time" program at Miami. He would have received a huge payday (and huge headaches). Instead, Schiano has committed to Rutgers and will continue to build on that program. He will be getting a major raise at Rutgers, which he deserves considering the amount of increased revenue the Scarlet Knights made off their football program this year.

Schiano has also told Rutgers officials that his pay is secondary to improving Rutgers facilities and making the upgrades to make Rutgers "a Top 10 program." At the top of his current wish list is an expansion of 41,500-seat Rutgers Stadium. Several home games were sellouts this season, including the final two games in which temporary bleachers added 2,000 seats to the south end zone. Season ticket sales have already increased by 5,000 for next season, Schiano said Monday.

Pretty awesome if you ask me. Rumor is that Schiano will probably stay at Rutgers until the Penn State job opens up...that is the job he really wants after JoePa leaves. But, in the mean time, Schiano is an awesome guy for staying at Rutgers. It helps that program and it really helps the Big East.

Now, if Rich Rodriguez would make a similar commitment at WVU, I would feel a lot better. Rodriguez stated he had not talked to anyone at Alabama on Friday before the big Rutgers/WVU game. But he still hasn't closed the door on the possibility of going to Alabama. The "my plans are...WVU" is not a firm commitment because plans change quickly. There's still a lot of talk in Alabama that RR is their next coach. Hopefully, Rich will pull a Schiano and continue building a legacy at West Virginia...at least until Bobby retires.

Only Three-Shopping-Weeks Left

You'd better get out there and get to shopping because there's only 3 weeks left before that giant gift giving and taking event known as "Christmas." There's supposedly a story of a birth of someone behind the Christmas holiday but it was forgotten long ago...so, now it's all about Macy's and Wal-Mart.

Personally, I enjoy Christmas because I enjoy giving people gifts. But, there are some downfalls of the holiday season...let's review what they are:

• Christmas lights. Sorry...I am not a big fan of giant outdoor displays. I mean, there are nice displays and then there is the Griswald Christmas. I just don't need to see that.


• 100 Days of Christmas. Seriously...Christmas is starting at Halloween now. Why is it necessary to stop advertising Christmas in October or before? Let's chill until after Thanksgiving.


• The Attack on Christmas. I am so sick of hearing people attack Christmas. If you don't want to celebrate Christmas, don't. Get over yourself...no one is forcing you to celebrate...why does the minority in this country insist upon forcing their beliefs on the majority? There's something wrong with that.


• The Anxious. I mean the anxious people. People get real uptight around Christmas. What will I buy people? What if I forget someone? What if someone gives me a gift and I didn't buy them one? Will I have enough money? That's the downfall of giving gifts...it freaks people out.

So, Christmas is a good holiday but people need to chill out and enjoy the season rather than freak out and I could definitely do with less commercialism but I don't see that changing. So, you'd better get out there and get to shopping...not much time left. As for me, I'm shopping online only...no wait.

Strength of Schedule

While this is fresh on my mind I want to point out that, according to CBS Sportsline, West Virginia played a tougher schedule than Louisville, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Wisconsin AND Ohio State. CBS says WVU's schedule was the 25th most difficult in the nation...so, everyone who said WVU's schedule was too weak to earn a spot in the national championship game didn't know what they were talking about because WVU's was tougher than Ohio States (who was 37th).

Obviously, it doesn't matter now but the constant complaint that the Big East's schedule is weak is false. Rutgers was 33rd and Louisville was 35th, still both better than THE OSU. West Virginia played 6 bowl teams this season (East Carolina, Maryland, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida and Rutgers).

Anyway, I don't want to hear about SOS considering Ohio State did not play, or even come close to playing, the toughest schedule in the country. If SOS means so much, maybe Florida should be playing Michigan (#1 and #2 in SOS) and Ohio State should be playing Boise State (#85, BTW).

Oh, and I'm seriously leaning towards going to the Gator Bowl now...for some reason, over the course of 8 hours, my excitement for the game rose immensely...I think Jacksonville sounds like fun.

Wow

One year ago, West Virginia won a wild game at Mylan Puskar Stadium in triple overtime by stopping a two-point conversion which prevented Louisville from going winning the Big East and going to the BCS. This year, by playing a eerily similar game, WVU prevents Rutgers from winning the Big East and going to the BCS and, instead, allows Louisville to go to the Sugar Bowl. And much like last year, WVU played with their backup quarterback. And, once again, a classic thriller in Morgantown was overshadowed by USC and received hardly any coverage...which doesn't seem quite right.

Regardless, WVU came out and played hard without their Heisman-caliber quarterback and with less to play for than Rutgers. It would have been easy for this WVU squad to pack it in and be happy going to the Sun or Texas Bowl and finishing out a disappointing season. Instead, they stood tall and, after some initial mistakes, settled in to play good football. The offense wasn't explosive without White but, instead, showed the ability to move the ball on several good drives. The defense played poorly on two drives but, other than that, they played well against the 13th ranked team in the nation...I was impressed.

I was happy to see a very large crowd at Mylan Puskar Stadium brave the freezing weather. The student section was full by mid-first quarter, which isn't great but at least they finally showed. I am becoming a little disgruntled with the amount of whining fans who increase weekly. This people standing at random times cussing Rod and his staff are really showing their ignorance because they obviously have no understanding of the game...but I digress.

It looks likely that another Gator Bowl berth is forthcoming. Not sure if I can stomach traveling to Jacksonville for another Gator Bowl. Not saying we can't win, just saying I don't think I want to go. If we play Georgia Tech, the secondary will be tested. Reggie Ball played horribly against Wake in the ACC Championship game but surely he can find Calvin Johnson a few times.

Oh, speaking of the ACC Championship Game -- they should be very embarrassed -- there were more people at Louisville/UConn and at WVU/Rutgers than at that "championship" game. I saw more empty seats at Alltel Stadium than I saw full. I hope John Swofford cried last night.

Anyway, GTech v. WVU is a good matchup and West Virginia fans travel well. I might go...I'm going back and forth in my head as I write. If, for some reason, the Gator picks a Big 12 team, we are off to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Not so good. But, congratulations to the Mountaineers on a great win last night and on consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. If Rich Rod stays, I don't see any reason we can't make it 3 in a row!

Maybe it's true

UPDATE: Pat Forde says MetroNews and Greg Hunter are "morons" and have a comprehension problem:
http://www.finebaum.com/media/interviews/20061201Pat_Forde.wax

I'm hearing from multiple sources that the story that ran in from MetroNews Sports is true and that Coach Rodriguez will accept the job from Alabama worth $22 million for 7 years. Here's that story:

Pat Forde, ESPN.com college football and basketball columnist, reported on Friday’s “The Dan Patrick Show” on ESPN Radio that West Virginia University football coach Rich Rodriguez will receive an offer from the University of Alabama Saturday night to become the Crimson Tide’s next head coach. That offer will apparently be made after WVU’s regular season finale against Rutgers.

Forde’s revelation follows other media reports in the past few days which indicate that Alabama has now centered its attention on Rodriguez, after first approaching and then being spurned by current Miami Dolphin coach Nick Saban and current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

Reportedly, Tide officials are ready to offer Rodriguez a guaranteed, seven-year contract worth over $3 million per year. The 43-year-old Rodriguez made $1.1 million last year at WVU, his fifth as the head coach of his alma mater. A native of Grant Town, W.Va., and a 1985 graduate of West Virginia University, Rodriguez signed a new seven-year contract with WVU this past summer calling for him to receive a guaranteed salary of $900,000 per year plus bonuses, and that guaranteed salary would increase by $50,000 each year over the life of the contract. There are also a variety of bonuses available, including an additional $75,000 for a Big East regular season title, $75,000 for a BCS bowl appearance, $25,000 for a non-BCS bowl appearance, $150,000 for a national championship and $10,000 for satisfactory evaluation of the team’s academic achievement, as well as various other incentives.

Rodriguez’s current contract at WVU also includes a hefty buy-out clause. If either the University or Rodriguez would terminate the contract prior to Aug. 31, 2007, the buy-out would be $2 million. That buy-out decreases to $1.5 million after Aug. 31, 2007.

Despite that buyout, several sources within the West Virginia athletic department have indicated that Rodriguez has said he is ready to accept the Alabama job, if offered, and that he’s already talking to members of his staff about accompanying him to Tuscaloosa.

To this point, most of the negotiations between Rodriguez and Alabama have apparently been done between agents and other third parties, so it does not appear that Rich has sat down with Alabama athletic director Mal Moore and reached a definite agreement. But all signs indicate negotiations are moving in that direction. There is time for either side to change their mind, but to this point, it appears likely that Rodriguez will become the next head coach at Alabama. An official announcement could come as early as Sunday or Monday.

If indeed Rodriguez does depart WVU, the Mountaineers will then quickly have to go into their own search mode, looking for a new head coach. Already the names of candidates are swirling; current LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who is a native of Clarksburg; current WVU assistants Jeff Casteel, Calvin Magee, Bill Stewart and Rick Trickett, former Mountaineer assistants/players Duke Henshaw, Terry Bowden, Doc Holliday, Steven Dunlap and Bill Legg are some of the names mentioned who have West Virginia ties, but of course, there also figure to be candidates without ties to the state.

If West Virginia winds up searching for a new football coach, it appears that Mountaineer officials don’t want to make a rush to judgment. WVU officials have admitted that in the men’s basketball coaching search after Gale Catlett’s retirement in 2002, they pulled the trigger too quickly on Dan Dakich after being turned down by Bobby Huggins. Obviously Dakich’s here-today, gone-tomorrow act left many at WVU shaken, and even though John Beilein’s hire turned the potentially disastrous situation into a rose, the lasting impression on West Virginia officials is they don’t want to rush into another decision which is so important on so many different levels for the Mountaineer athletic department.

If true, West Virginia will have to work hard to keep the recruits who have committed to West Virginia. And West Virginia may have to work hard to keep QB Pat White who is from Daphne, Alabama. Could you imagine losing RichRod and Pat White in a single blow?

There's still hope that it might not happen but if there's a $3 million + per year offer out there, Rich would have to be an idiot to turn it down. West Virginia can't compete with that type of money...and it's a crying shame. More later...

Dallas Clark's "Biggest Hit Ever"

Well, this was an interesting story...the fine folks over at Rooster Teeth, who make the always funny Red vs. Blue, was also the creators of the Madden 2007 "Biggest Hit Ever" Commercial. You know the commercial...the one where Dallas Clark receives a pass from Manning only to be leveled at the hands of Eagles safety Brian Dawkins and defensive end Darren Howard. Someone in the background is overheard saying "I can't bear to watch this. I'm gonna go eat a sandwich," doing the many replays.

If you haven't seen it, here it is...very funny:



Anyway, Dallas Clark wasn't overly pleased with the commerical. "Everyone has told me about it,'' Clark said to the Indianapolis Star. "I haven't seen the commercial, but I'm upset about it. It makes me look like a punk.'' So, the people at Rooster Teeth have made a second video in hopes that Dallas Clark will not eat them for dinner:

Must Beat Rutgers

Alright, I officially declare the period of mourning for WVU's loss to USF to be over. Time to move on and beat the Scarlet Knights. Granted, we're not playing for as much as we anticipated...but 10 wins in a season is not a thing at which to scoff. Do you realize how many seasons we would have been overjoyed with 10 wins?

Would we rather be back in the Nehlen days? Honestly? I do miss the Nehlen defenses but we have an offensive minded head coach and we're relying heavily on the offense to win games. On defense, we leave something to be desired. But I still wouldn't switch...we just have to improve.

I think we can beat Rutgers by using some mis-direction and play action passes DOWN THE FIELD. Rutgers defense aggresively pursues the ball and we MUST use that against them. If we fall into the same rut we did against USF, it could be a long day at Mylan Puskar Stadium. A win, we could sneak into the Gator Bowl...I still feel like it's a Sun Bowl kinda year.

Hopefully we don't have to listen to Coach Rod announce he is leaving for Alabama after the game. I don't think he's going anywhere...but the eerie silence coming from Morgantown scare me more than all the loud "he's leaving" talk.

So, I encourage everyone to brave the cold weather on Saturday to cheer on the Mountaineers and thank the Mountaineer seniors for their contribution to the program. If you're going to skip out on the game because you're a girl, then give your tickets to someone who will fill the seats. Anything less than standing room only is really unacceptable. Mountaineers 38 - RU 21