The Lesser of the Two or Three... You Pick???
What does it really mean to be "Mountaineer Faithful" or "A True Mountaineer"?
Over the last few months I have asked myself this question over and over. Yeah, when RichRod decided to abandon his
post as head coach at WVU for a seemingly better gig in Ann Arbor, I was hacked off. I wanted him to fail, over and
over again. I wanted the Wolverines of Michigan to have the worst seasons ever. Turns out, my wishes pretty much
came true. After three seasons of failed attempts at Big Ten football, the University of Michigan chose to fire the
West Virginia native, Rich Rodriguez, as head coach of its football program.
I have to admit that I believe the powers
that be in the Michigan Athletic Department, have made a mistake. Coach Rodriguez would have given them a stellar performance
in the 2011-12 season. He had built his program just the way he wanted and it was ready to blossom. Oh well, not
my call and I am glad. Looks like the folks at Clemson now have a reason to be excited.
Fast forward to December
2010-newly hired West Virginia University Athletic Director, Oliver Luck, announces the hiring of a new offensive coordinator,
Dana Holgorson. Holgorson, with previous stints at several schools, including Oklahoma State and Houston-probably where
Luck became familiar with him-seemed to be the saving grace for current WVU head coach, Bill Stewart, his football program
and the Mountaineer Faithful.
Weeeeell, not quite.
Yes, Holgorson has shown he is quite capable of leading
an offense to do great things. Yes, he has had great success everywhere he has been. Yes, I was excited when he
was named OC at WVU.
However, then came the news of the horrific plan that Luck had in his mind. Holgorson is
actually the Head Coach in Waiting for WVU. Argh!! OK Scott deal with it. Though I did not like what Luck
and Holgorson were doing to Bill Stewart, I had to accept it.
With a past, present and future like Holgorson's;
I knew there would be times when the athletic department at WVU would have to answer to some sort of report concerning a drunk
and disorderly coach. Although, I had no clue that it would happen this soon. What made it all worse was the fact
that it would be the head coach (in-waiting).
I give you that background of my thoughts and facts to say this...
A true Mountaineer would never stab a great coach in the back like Luck did Stewart.
A true Mountaineer
would not go on drunken escapades-over and over-and cause a bad light to be so brightly illuminated on the great University
and state of West Virginia-as did Holgorson.
A true Mountaineer would not abandon the state to become a weasel--the
dictionary definition of wolverine.
But, a true Mountaineer should have an easier time forgiving a fellow Mountaineer
and product of West Virginia, than forgiving and forgetting one who might be what is considered "an outsider"-who
damages the reputation and admiration of a great state and its great University.
Now, I'm not saying don't forgive
Oliver Luck and Dana Holgorson. I am just saying forget them.
It's time the Mountaineer Faithful stand up and
tell Oliver Luck and Dana Holgorson how we feel and what we think of their ignorant, hasty, alcohol induced decisions.
Even if it means bringing back a Mountaineer who wasn't as faithful as he should have been.
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