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March 15, 2013

Just Because… West Virginia

Filed under: General Stupidity — Chas @ 10:12 am

Since everyone is still bummed about yesterday’s loss, here’s a distraction.

For the most part, I haven’t given much thought to our erstwhile Backyard Brawl brethren. Still certain stories catch the eye.

Turns out those travel burdens in the Big 12 are as onerous as expected. If not more so. To the point where the Big 12 may have to help.

West Virginia University’s athletic department and the Big 12 Conference have agreed to attempt to make some travel changes to accommodate the problems the Mountaineers faced during their first season in the league.

Athletic Director Oliver Luck says the league offered no guarantees because “scheduling is always a challenge” but the league has agreed to attempt to make life on the road easier in a number of areas when it can.

WVU geographically is out of place in the Big 12, with every trip not only being of 1,700 miles round trip or more but fighting a time zone change which costs them an hour returning to Morgantown.

Football did not present as much of a problem as basketball, with weekly trips and mostly weekend games, but, according to Luck, the league was agreeable to trying to arrange it so the Mountaineers do not have to travel on back-to-back weeks for conference games during the season.

The Big 12 has to be as helpful as possible to the Hoopies. Oh, they aren’t going anywhere, but if the Big 12 ever hopes to snag a school from the ACC — as WV message boarders often predict to be imminent — then they need to make it appear as if the travel problems are not insurmountable and screwing teams in the Eastern timezone that happen to be over 1700 miles from the rest of the conference members.

So the Big 12 will play around with its rules on travel. Try and find some way to accommodate the needs of the student athletes — stop snickering this involves more than the basketball team. Not to mention — since the story did its best not to — the way to reduce the cost for multiple trips. That’s the big reason for considering relaxing conference rules on how long a team can be away from its campus — which is for making sure the kids can actually get to class. All those trips add up.

Then there is this:

To foster a more family-friendly game day experience, West Virginia University athletic officials are setting aside one section at Milan Puskar Stadium.

In family-friendly section, all spitting must be done into a cup.

Dubbed the “Family FunZone,” the seating section will be alcohol-free and cater to fans who would like to bring their children to home football games.

And by “alcohol-free” they mean, you just have to bring your own.

Matt Wells, assistant athletic director for marketing and sales, said the new section was a response to fan feedback.

Wells said officials have been focusing on ways to improve the fan experience on game days. Since officials introduced stadium beer sales in 2011, Wells said, some fans have asked for an alcohol-free seating section.

Coming soon, meth-free seating.

“Some of the feedback we heard as a department was to provide some type of area where it’s alcohol-free, more family-friendly and encourages fans to watch their language,” Wells said.

“Encourages fans to watch their language.” Do you want them drunk and unintelligible to complete incoherence, or do you want them sober enough that the expletives are understandable? Make up your mind.

WVU fans have gained a reputation for bad behavior over the years.

In 2011, Athletic Director Oliver Luck had to ask fans to stop wearing T-shirts that said “WEST F*****VIRGINIA” to games.

After last year’s WVU-Texas football game, more than 40 fires were set in Morgantown. Dozens of police officers in riot gear had to use pepper spray and tear gas to disperse a crowd of about 1,000 in the Sunnyside section of town.

This whole article is fantastic. I am so happy it exists.

The university has countered with tactics designed to cut down on rowdiness.

Go on…

Last year, the school introduced Goodwill City Ambassadors to greet opposing teams, and law enforcement officials increased patrol efforts.

And that worked so well with the aforementioned Texas game.

The 2011 introduction of beer sales itself was part of a broader strategy to keep people in the stadium and away from excessive drinking at tailgate parties.

Methadone clinics and needle exchanges work on the same principle.





Hahahaha.

Comment by Velvil 03.15.13 @ 10:45 am

I believe the move the Big 12, will turn out to be the worst thing that ever happened for the West Virginia athletic teams. Do you remember the competetion between Louisville and WVU for the Big 12 invatation? In retrospect, they may have been better served staying put. Who knows, after Maryland left, they may have ultimately wound up in the ACC. In the ACC they could be playing, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Virginia and other schools closer to home.

Comment by Justinian 03.15.13 @ 10:53 am

I don’t know why everyone seems to forget this, but in the summer of 2011 (a couple of months before the announcment of us joing the ACC), it was documented that we were approached by the B12 .. but that is apparently how far it went.

I’m sure the travel implications had much to do with it, not to mention the instability of the B12 mainly due to Texas’ dominance which was a major facor back then.

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 11:26 am

I’ve posted this before, but, with glee, have decided to re-post:

In the last 5 years alone …
– WVU gave out an unearned MBA to the governor’s daughter
-their ex-football coach who the year before used a potential offer from Alabama to leverage a better contract, then sued WVU (his own alma mater) after he abruptly left the following year
– his successor asked some media members to dig up dirt on his soon to be successor
– the city of Morgantown passed an ordinance to outlaw couch burning
– a coin thrown from the WVU adult section hit a Pitt assistant BB coach in the forehead
– both their current head FB coach and BB coach have been involved in drunken and / or embarrassing incidents at casino/resorts
– the WVU student union offered to buy the obscene t-shirts that were being worn at the football games
– a pregnant LSU fan was assaulted in the parking lot by a WVU fan
– WVU sells beer at their stadium in an effort to DECREASE drunkenness by their fans
– their mascot uses his musket to shoot bears out of trees .. and tapes it.

Hoopie U is now the B12’s concern

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 11:35 am

right west ???ing virginny

Comment by 63 team 03.15.13 @ 11:45 am

Hahahaha!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! aaahhhHAHAHAHA!!

Comment by Get the Glory 03.15.13 @ 11:47 am

We should be respectful and sympathetic to our neighbors to the south, as they have always been to us. Shame on you people!

Comment by longsufferingpittfan 03.15.13 @ 12:02 pm

wbb, Not to forget, at a Pitt-West Virginia game that I attended in Morgantown, the stadium PA anouncer asked the West Virginia fans to please stop throwing debris on the people below, in the Pitt section, BECAUSE some of the people below were Mountaineer fans.

Comment by Justinian 03.15.13 @ 12:18 pm

Only in West Virginia, do couples both wear the same T-shirt that reads “STUPID”, because neither one of them has the required IQ qualifying them to wear the coordinated “I’M WITH STUPID —>” T-shirt that goes along with it.

Comment by Dr. Tom 03.15.13 @ 12:35 pm

it is what it is to bad so sad NOT.

Comment by FRANKCAN 03.15.13 @ 12:52 pm

I hope that one of the football schools wins the big east this year ND or louisville or syracuse
then the catholic 7 can go there own way knowing the football schools won the last big east title.

Comment by FRANKCAN 03.15.13 @ 1:01 pm

My good source tells me Pitt was NEVER invited to join the Big 12.

Comment by steve1 03.15.13 @ 1:26 pm

I’m not saying that they were ever invited .. several sources said they were approached but nothing ever materialized. Again, it is possible that at that time, Pitt knew they were being considered by the ACC and/or they didn’t think the B12 was a good match (whether it was the travel or U of Texas issue, or both)

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 1:56 pm

I am on record with this but will repeat it.
WVU has passed its zenith and will go down from here. Luck will be gone within 5 years. Nothing in his backgound suggests success for anyone but him.
Sleeze ball head football coach will be gone.
Ever expanding Huggie will explode on a flight back from Lubbock next season…sure he gae up the booze, but not the doughnuts.
They are over extended and isolated.

Comment by sfpitt 03.15.13 @ 3:27 pm

Don’t intend to pile on here. WVU in the
ACC would create great regional rivalries
with UVA, VT, etc. Unfortunate that WVU
rather UL has been exiled to the Big 12.
They might be rowdy in an unsportsmanlike
way however we have gotten accustomed
to it over the last 100 years.

Comment by JR 03.15.13 @ 3:40 pm

Wbb is right they wanted us before they ask WVU
had we said we were intrested they would have taken us.

Comment by FRANKCAN 03.15.13 @ 5:19 pm

Orangebloods ran an article that said Texas was pushing for PITT to join the Big 12. (of course they would want Pitt before anyone else, and of course the Hoopies) I think one of the major things was the Big 12 needed a team immediately for the next year and Pitt would have been uncomfortable doing that. The Hillbillies after Pitt & Cuse signed up with the ACC …..were not!

Also when Pitt was approached thie was BEFORE the Big 12 somewhat stabilized with their neverending grant to TV rights written into the Conf. agreement.

Had we not been invited to the ACC, like say they took Uconn. We would probably still be in the ACC now with Maryland leaving.

But if not, we too might be in the Big 12.

And you guys would have been looking for dates in Ames, Iowa after the big game. haha

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 6:01 pm

ACC wouldn’t take WVU. It wanted in. Academics kept it out. And it kept it out if the SEC, which is pretty funny considering some of the schools that are already in the SEC.

Comment by Velvil 03.15.13 @ 6:01 pm

That all being said.

Like to conduct a poll of Blatherers. (sp)

Would you consider the Hoopies to be better off than say Cincinnati, Uconn or USF ?>?

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 6:06 pm

@Velvil

And how do L-Ville academics stack up to WVcc’s ?

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 6:08 pm

This is a good way to forget about yesterday I suppose. And overcome the foreboding of next week.

Hoopie therapy. Good idea Chas….:-)

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 6:14 pm

I agree that WVU was denied membership in the ACC nd SEC as it was widely reported as such, and it is well known that they applied much like most other BE schools.

Louisville was not originally considered due to ther academics but I would have to believe that their recent inclusion had much to do with the appeasement of some of the ACC schools who are looking to get out. Face it .. both their FB and BB programs are at a level that puts them near the top of the ACC, and the Ville adds needed prestige …. when you consider this along with their location, and mosly who else was available, they were the logical choice

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 6:55 pm

Agree L-Ville has pretty good programs, atm. The BB program is much solid and has a much longer tradition than it’s football.

But isn’t all this conf. expansion supposed to be about adding large TV markets. L-Ville is #50 or #48 depending on the list.

Cincinnati is #35
Hartford & New Haven Conn. is #30
Tampa -St. Pete (USF) is #14
Philadelphia (Temple) is #4

So in essence the ACC took the school with the smallest TV market on the 5. lol

Me thinks ESPN must have had something to do with it.

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 7:12 pm

Much like the B1G took scrub Rutgers because of it’s TV market.

By that standard, the ACC should have added Temple.

Which leads me to believe the ACC must not be serious about an ACC TV Network.

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 7:14 pm

WVU is an easy target now. Yeah I get the animosity and their fan base is largely cretins, but they belong in the ACC and would make it a better conference. I hope their trials and tribulations and the potential demise of their programs is a cautionary tale for further conference cross-country musical chairs (you paying attention FSU? Clemson?) Thank God we didn’t move to the Big 12(10). I mean, how the bleep do you even get to Lubbock from Pittsburgh???

Comment by Iron Duke 03.15.13 @ 7:53 pm

To your poll Emel…

Ya, I think they are still better off than the three you mentioned.

Bad years in both sports, travel, but still getting some money from Big 12, and they have a place at the table.

If I’m UCONN, Cincy, or USF, I’m still worried about the future and trying how to figure out how to get into the ACC or Big12.

Now, if Holgy is losing it, and location is hurting recruiting, and same for Huggy bear, it may be different shortly.

If both sports rebound, then they’re still ok.

If this is the beginning of a trend due to isolation and travel, then they will be in trouble soon.

Even if you have some cash, no fun for anyone to have losing programs.

As much as I hate them, would have loved them to be in ACC. Since they’re not, screw em’!

All in all, I think being in one of the Big 5 conferences cements them ahead of the other 3.

Who knows, if that crap starts again, we could be in a pickle all over again!!!

Comment by Dan 03.15.13 @ 7:59 pm

GOOD NEWS….not much out there being talked about conference expansion lately.

BAD NEWS…..not much out there being talked about conference expansion lately.

Comment by Dan 03.15.13 @ 8:01 pm

Cuse and Gtown in OT. Guess I gotta root for future ACC brethren.

Comment by Iron Duke 03.15.13 @ 8:09 pm

March Madness – Duke gets upset, Cuse in OT.

wish we were part of it but still luv it

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 8:16 pm

Cuse turned Gtown over at the end just like they did to Pitt. Same D, same result.

Comment by Iron Duke 03.15.13 @ 8:23 pm

Why would the Big 12 want Pitt?

Why would Pitt want the Big 12?

Absurd.

If we got a call, it was a crank call.

Comment by steve1 03.15.13 @ 8:45 pm

Haven’t seen Gonzaga play since December and I doubt they are. But I haven’t seen any great teams in college basketball this season at all.

There’s a only a turnover or a couple missed FT’s difference between all these teams.

Comment by EMel 03.15.13 @ 8:47 pm

very thin line between winning and losing. It’s amazing how forgiving fans and media can be after a close win vs a close loss

Comment by wbb 03.15.13 @ 8:53 pm

the catholic 7 goes down the drain it will be a football school that wins the last big east playoff

Comment by FRANKCAN 03.15.13 @ 9:15 pm

Frank, The Catholic 7 teams will probably do better now that they don’t have to compete with Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, and UConn. They will have the conference to themselves and with the TV package they will probably do well recruiting the New York City players. One thing I know, not many in the NY area will be watching Rutgers on the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten invited an albatross that will bring little or nothing to the conference.

Comment by Justinian 03.15.13 @ 9:42 pm

Eh. Look on the bright side, Hoopies, you’ll really be racking up the frequent flyer miles!

Comment by Lou 03.15.13 @ 9:53 pm

Was watchin’ the game in a public location yesterday when a lady next to me said, “Looks like the boys in white need some target practice.” I’m not sure I’ll ever forget that…or the feeling.

Comment by panther94 03.15.13 @ 9:55 pm

I hope Cuse wins tomorrow instead of L’Ville….I’d rather see one of the traditional BE teams win the last one instead of a CUSA transfer.

Comment by Jackagain 03.15.13 @ 10:51 pm

Too bad WVU went to the Big XII before Maryland left. Would have been nice to have Pitt’s only actual rival in the conference.

Comment by Chris 03.15.13 @ 11:49 pm

I was thinking when Louisville and Notre Dame were playing, too bad both teams couldn’t lose.
I’m glad that Notre Dame lost.

Comment by Justinian 03.16.13 @ 7:40 am

What makes everyone so sure that WVU would have been selected in lieu of Louisville. Academmically, they are about the same and currently Ville has a slight edge in the FB program and a definite bigger edge in BB. I’m not sure who has the edge in the TV market but don’t see a decided edge here

Comment by wbb 03.16.13 @ 9:05 am

Louisville has better hotels and restaurants, airport access. Do teams still fly into greater Pitt to go to WVU. If so what a pain for Texas et al when they come to town. Adding WVU has increased all Big 12 budgets.

Comment by gc 03.16.13 @ 9:47 am

Louisville brings football to the ACC. And it gives Pitt a western partner and likely rival. Much the same reason MD and Rutgers were added to the big 10 — to help Penn State have more local rivals.

Comment by Velvil 03.16.13 @ 1:05 pm

LMAO article today!

WVU should fade pretty quickly from WPA consciousness and recruiting because there is no reason for kids to pay attention… they don’t play us anymore and who wants that lifestyle in the B-12…?? Oh Yeah, and then when you get to the dust bowl you have to run your a$# off given the style of football… and by November you are running on frozen dust too…

Comment by Pittscript 03.16.13 @ 3:49 pm

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