Dec. 2-7 Blog
December 03, 2007 10:15 AM | General
We’re changing things up a little bit. For the past four years Campus Connection has kind of been like a weekly blog full of tidbits, notes, commentary, quasi-opinion and weak stabs at humor that have sometimes hit the mark and at other times completely missed. Well, to keep up with the Jones', we’ve decided to turn Campus Connection into a daily blog. If we miss a day then you know we’re struggling.
Hope you enjoy it ...
Uncomfortable Reporter
Posted By John Antonik: December 6, 2007 (3:25 pm)
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit gave a revealing interview to Detroit’s WDFN-AM Monday about his erroneous report last weekend that an agreement was imminent between LSU coach Les Miles and Michigan to become the Wolverines’ next head football coach.
A transcript of Herbstreit's interview appeared in Tuesday's Detroit Free Press.
Herbstreit had been tipped off by someone close to the situation that both parties were moving close to an agreement prior to LSU’s SEC championship game against Tennessee.
“I had some information that, trust me on this, it was very accurate based on not a source but someone that was going to be involved in the situation,” Herbstreit told WDFN. “I made the mistake, I guess, of telling the ESPN bosses it and in doing that they are journalists and they said you’ve got an obligation to talk about that and go with it.”
Herbstreit hinted that LSU’s proactive approach of calling a news conference and having Miles address the situation before the championship game may have forced Miles’ hand.
“They kind of forced him to make a decision probably before he was ready to and said, listen, we cannot afford to have this thing continue to linger,” Herbstreit said. “Let’s put this to bed once and for all.”
Herbstreit says he has taken grief from both sides – Michigan fans because of his Ohio State ties and from LSU fans for his Big Ten ties.
“I think it’s ironic that people from LSU think that I had deliberately tried to create a disturbance for them to get ready for an SEC title game and Michigan people think that I tried to prevent them from getting their coach. Are you out of your mind?” Herbstreit said.
Herbstreit admits his days of breaking news stories are over.
“I’ll leave it to the professionals to break stories – leave that up to Pat Forde and the others to do that stuff,” Herbstreit said.
The Readers Write
Posted By John Antonik: December 5, 2007 (3:39 pm)
Travis Jones forwarded me the email Pat McAfee’s father sent to Sportsline yesterday that was read on air. It is both disgusting and shocking the treatment McAfee has received by couple of pathetic, ignorant hooligans for the two missed field goals he had in the first quarter of the Pitt game.
As sickening and depressing as it is to realize that there are idiots like that associated with our great University, I am also bolstered by the supportive emails that have come in today from the great fans we have from all over the world. Here is a small sampling of the feelings true dyed-in-wool Mountaineer fans have for Pat McAfee …
Hang in there Pat! I know I’m not mad our disappointed in you! Keep your chin up!!
TSgt Steven L Beckett
USAF Retired
Pat,
I sent a letter yesterday … before hearing about the horrid behavior that has caused your father to speak out. I am DISGUSTED that anyone who thinks they are a fan would do something so ridiculous. I hope that you know that 99% of fans fully support you, the rest of the team and the coaching staff regardless of a loss or a victory. I hope that you have taken these threats to the police. Whoever is responsible for this should be punished. You are an INCREDIBLE kicker and punter. Don’t let anyone ever tell you any differently. Not only are your kicks amazing, but your ability to knock a guy off his feet on a return is always fun to watch … even if he is already halfway down the field!!! Keep your head up! Do not let the very few despicable “non-fans” take away any of the pride you should have for all that you have done for this team. I am so proud that we get another shot at a BCS again this year against an Oklahoma team that is one of the nation’s best. I think that we will show the nation that what the Mountaineers are all about!!!
PS: if you go on the ESPN WVU message boards…you will see the outpouring of support for you and your teammates.
LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!!
Keri M. Riley
Schwendeman Agency, Inc.
Please tell Pat McAfee how proud we are of him. I have heard about the threats to him after the Pitt game. I hope he knows that football is not an end in itself. Rather it is an activity to prepare all of us, players and fans, for the challenges life puts before us. The experiences we have that are originally perceived to be negative often turn into the most valuable. They are to be cherished because they enrich us to be able to appreciate the positive experiences.
Unfortunately, there are a few that cannot look beyond life's disappointments. Pat, I hope you can do so and experience the many fruits that life has in store for you. You will now be a stronger person that will have many victories in life that will be more significant than any football game.
From a Mountaineer fan in Florida that enjoys your victories … but also appreciates the value of your defeats.
Best wishes,
David Steurer
I would like to say that the way us die-hard fans have reacted to the loss to Pitt is just showing the players and the rest of the world how really ignorant we are.
After the initial disappointment, I had to realize that in 1977 I played for the best 2-8 team in the state. We did not go into each game looking for a way to lose, but we did lose.
Anyone that has played organized sports should have better sense than to blame our boys for anything other than having an off game at a time they obviously played a well coached team that had something to prove to the country. I am proud of the Mountaineer football team, the coaches and for the most part the fans. The ones who sound off their stupidity is making the rest of us look stupid and horrible as well.
The threats against Pat MacAfee have sickened all the true Mountaineer fans. I mean how many people have ever tried to kick a field goal?
I did try when I played, it isn't an easy thing to do under ideal conditions - I believe there was a good breeze that night, it was cold and slightly damp added to the pressure that those young men were under, I personally am as proud of the team today as I was after the UCONN game. We do not need fans like those that make threats against our young men in Gold and Blue. I cannot call them true fans. I hope that the players can forgive those loud-mouth people and not think of all of us that way.
I look forward to watching the Fiesta Bowl (win or lose), because we do have the best team and the best players in the country. I love to watch them showcase their God-given talent: they are an amazing group of young men and they deserve better fans they have seen from a lot of people. There is no place in sports for the home team to be booed, threatened, insulted (either home or visitors) or degraded in anyway. The only pay they receive is respect and support from the real Mountaineer faithful. As for the ones that sending threatening messages to possibly the best kicker in the country, I say why don't you try to kick in the next game? Their comments are disgusting and immature.
I feel shamed that certain fans have voiced their opinions in such a manner.
For what its worth to the players and coaches I would like to say thank you for all you have done for the State and the fans to make us proud of the school and the team and each and every player in all sports, I am proud to be a Mountaineer and very proud of the Mountaineers to a person. We love you all.
Dave
Show your support for Pat McAfee and the West Virginia football team for another great season.
... Cleaning out a crowded mailbox:
Here is a letter I received from a student manager on the 1975 team that takes exception to a story I wrote last week concerning Bill McKenzie’s game-winning field goal against Pitt. This email was also posted on the Blue & Gold News web site today under the headline John Antonik does not report the facts:
I was the Head Manager for the team that year. At old Mountaineer field we did not have nets to block the kicks from going into the stands, so the managers had to go in the stands to retrieve the balls from the fans. It was not always an easy thing to do. Bill's kick was into the tunnel end of the field (where the opposing team locker room was, the side near Sunnyside). After the kick was made, the ball somehow got into Bernie's hands. Bernie immediately took the ball and ran out of the stadium through the tunnel and out to Sunnyside, and then up Sunnyside (sic). I ran after him, and talked him into giving me the "game ball" only under the consideration that I would get him a replacement ball. I brought the ball back to the locker room (Bernie did not come to the locker room) and gave it to Bobby Bowden, who presented it to McKenzie. And yes, I did convince Carl Roberts to give me a ball to give to Bernie. That was tough. Just so you know.
And now we all know the rest of the story ...
Finally, one last item concerning the great Pitt victory over West Virginia last Saturday night: Before everyone in Pittsburgh gets too carried away don't forget that this is the same Dave Wannstedt that chose to throw a fade on fourth and one at the goal line in overtime to lose to Navy. If memory serves me correct, the great LeSean McCoy was playing for the Panthers that night as well.
Student Turnout for Basketball Games
Posted By John Antonik: December 5, 2007 (9:16 am)
Coach Bob Huggins wants more students at West Virginia University men's basketball games. On Monday during his statewide radio show Huggins pointed out that only 400 WVU students showed up for the team’s 110-44 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 27.
Another sparse student turnout followed against Winthrop on Saturday, Dec. 1. WVU students have access to more than 3,000 seats at the WVU Coliseum for home basketball games.
Huggins said that WVU students only used the full allotment of tickets just once last year against Pitt; the student section was not filled for West Virginia’s nationally televised game against No. 2-ranked UCLA.
“Our students have a great opportunity to get great seats," Huggins told listeners of his show. “The general public would pay a lot of money to sit in (those seats.) How many students sit at half court? How many students get to sit in chair-back seats? There is not very many. So our students have it pretty good when it comes to how they are treated and what type of seats they get.”
Huggins recently wrote an open letter to the WVU student body expressing the importance of having a vibrant and active student section at West Virginia home basketball games. He also challenged the students to show up for Saturday’s home game against 6-1 Duquesne and for the remaining home games this season.
Huggins also admitted that if students are not going to come to the games that he would prefer the University sell some of those seats to people that want to come to the games.
One student caller complained to Huggins that some of the games so far have not been appealing, explaining that a lot of students are waiting for teams like Syracuse to come to the Coliseum.
“If you want to see Syracuse play, then maybe you ought to transfer to Syracuse,” was Huggins’ response.
During his only season at Kansas State last year, Huggins challenged K-State students to come to the games and they responded. It will be interesting to see how West Virginia students react.
Sagarin Ratings
Posted By John Antonik: December 3, 2007 (10:16 am)
West Virginia’s victory over Winthrop last Saturday could reap big rewards for the Mountaineers in March. West Virginia’s 17-point win over the Eagles last Saturday has lifted the Mountaineers to 16th in this week’s Sagarin Ratings.
Winthrop, 4-3 this year with wins over Georgia Tech and East Carolina, was one of the few games Coach Bob Huggins was able to add to the schedule this year because most of the slots were already occupied. Winthrop is presently 62nd in this week’s Sagarin rankings.
West Virginia’s next best non-conference victory is against No. 144 New Mexico State, now 2-6. Tennessee, which beat West Virginia by two points in the Legends Classic, is rated 11th this week. The Vols have one loss this season to Texas.
The Mountaineers have an opportunity to secure two more quality non-conference wins this week with games against No. 104 Auburn in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday night and at home against No. 84 Duquesne on Saturday. The two teams have a combined 10-2 record so far this season.
