Topic: Lincoln Journal online

[W0lfman]

Nothing suprising about Rodriguez move.

It is appalling, or worse, to listen to the reaction of West Virginia University “fans” to the departure of Head Football Coach Rich Rodriguez.
The comments went from the absurd to well beyond the line of common decency.
In Charleston, radio personality “Coach Kidd” was suspended from his job for not toeing the party line. WVU fans, it seems, tolerate no disagreement on any subject regarding WVU.
Coach Kidd has been a well-known Michigan man for years. He never attempted to hide it and, apparently, WVU fans patiently tolerated his support until Rodriguez headed to Ann Arbor.
Coach Kidd blasted the Michigan fight song “repeatedly,” according to station management. Finally, they yanked Coach Kidd from the air andhis co-host,Libby Jo, left with him in suppport.
The indefinite suspension lasted just one day and the pair returned to the air, raising funds for charity in apparent restitution for his”sins” of the previous day.
Station management sounded oddly like Governor Joe Manchin and West Virginia University’s president when they talked of how Rodriguez had “shown no respect” for the “state of West Virginia.”
First of all, let’s get something straight: West Virginia University is not remotely close to being the entire state of West Virginia. There is no way the friendly folks in Morgantown represent me. I am a native West Virgnian. I live here. I am not currently, have never been, and never will be a WVU fan or supporter.
I think West Virginia University virtually steals from the taxpayers of West Virginia. Always have; probably always will. The stated mission of the school is to educate out-of-staters. They could not meet their financial goals without out-of-state money. By force of using their name as the “land grant university” of the Mountain State, foolish legislators routinely provide them with more and more funds while other institutions in the state — institutions, by the way, that serve the students of West Virgnia -- suffer. It is not fair and never has been.
I did not automatically become a West Virgnia University fan by being born in the Stonewall Jackson Hospital at Weston 55 years ago. I am not one today, living in Alum Creek. I am not going to be one tomorrow, regardless of where I live. That is my right and that is my privilege. It isn’t written anywhere in the constitution that the government must provide universal health care or that I must be a Mountaineer fan.
It is the height of egotism for WVU officials to claim to “represent the entire state.”
When WVU finally ap-peared to have the most recent football with Marshall under control, their previously-quiet fans began to chant, “This is our state.”
The sad thing is that they somehow believe that. West Virginia does not belong exclusively to gold and blue supporters. One does not have to be a Mountaineer fan to be a true, blue West Virginian.
In fact, as I previously mentioned, I think it makes more sense to be a Marshall or several other school fans if you are actually a loyal West Virginian.
A broadcaster is removed from the air because he dares disagree with WVU fans about Rodriguez? What happend to the First Amendment? What happened to an individual’s right to an opinion? I suppose disk jockies at Charleston radio stations can only give an opinion if it agrees with themajorityof listeners and advertisers.
Every one of my readers is free to root for WVU if they wish. They have a right to their personal opinion, just as I do.
Rich Rodriguez, as far as I know a loyal West Virginia, did not commit treason when he went to Michigan. Nor did Stonewall Jackson when he entered the Confederate high command in Lexington.
And, I might hasten to add: we are talking about a football team and coach here. This is not life and death, love and war. It is a game. That’s all; a game.

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On the subjectof Rodriguez’ departue, I think it is perfectly understandable.
Let’s go back to my column a couple of weeks ago. Do you recall that the WVU kicker, Pat McAfee, was being threatened with life and limb by disappointed WVU fans?
There were death threats about a kicker who missed two field goals in the Pitt game. Vandals torn into his house and car. This is a young man who had done great things for West Virginia Unversity. He is also a young man not being paid a dime to play football.
I have heard that the threats on McAfee were nothing compared to what Rodriguez and his family heard from upset fans who expected to play for a national championship.
Many have even voiced the opinion that they watched Rodriguez during the Pitt game “and he just wasn’t himself.” Some loonies have suggested that Rodriguez had already talked to Michigan and was on his way there, regardless. Some even more looney ones say he “threw” the Pitt game. What on earth for?
Wouldn’t Coach Rod have looked even better heading to Michigan with a “national championship” ring? Surely he would have known that as would his new employers in Michigan.
It is the height of lunacy for anyone to accuse Rodriguez of not caring about the Pitt game. For goodness’ sake, his team just plain got beat.

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The inside scoop I have on what developed with Rodriguez (who I know from his days of coaching in my hometown of Glenville) is that the WVU administrators had not been happy with him since at least last year.
There were unquestionably power struggles going on between Rodriguez and upper-level administrators in the athletic department. I am told he and Athletic Director Ed Pastilong had not seen eye-to-eye for some time.
Little digs against one another went on for months. Part of the so-called “demands” that Rodriguez put before administrators after talking to Michigan included a request that the coach handle all sideline credential requests.
Some have said that this matter seems petty and was likely dug up by the coach’s lawyers as an excuse to keep from having to pay the $4 million buyout clause in his contract.
But I am told this was just one of the festering matters over which Rodriguez, Pastilong and others had been fighting for months.
And we all know how “small”matters can become “large” if they linger too long. Just ask your ex-wife or former husband.
But the word I have is that WVU officials gave Rodriguez an ultimatum when they finally learned that he was talking with Michigan leaders.
The ultimatum, I am told, went something like this: we dealt with your daliance with Alabama last year and you got a big pay raise and lots of perks. We are willing to “tweak,” but “tweak” only, your existing contract. Little things can be worked out. But you have 24 hours to either stick with us or head to Michigan.
I am told that this ultimatum was like waving a red flag in front of a caged bull. Rodri-guez simply said enough was enough and told Michigan officials he was ready to sign on the dotted line. Certainly Coach Rod was listening to legal advisors all the way. For one thing, they advised him to make his resignation at WVU effective on January 3, the day after the Mountaineers were slated to play in the Fiesta Bowl.
That resignation date raised serious legal concerns on the WVU side about naming even an interim coach. There was said to be some consideration given that if WVU named a new coach, even on a temporary, basis, Rodriguez could use the argument that he had been “fired” and was not responsible for the buyout clause payment.
Finally, Rodriguez talked with WVU officials and changed the resignation date to last Tuesday. And, WVU named Bill Stewart their interim coach for the Fiesta Bowl.
Meanwhile, the search for a new coach was continuing as this column went to bed early for the December 25 holiday.
Doc Holliday was reportedly in line for the position and then Terry Bowden apparently emerged as the top contender. His dad, former WVU Coach Bobby Bowden, even talked to Manchin abou t his son’s interest in the WVU job.
Manchin, sensibly, said he had nothing to do with hiring a replacement for Rodriguez.
I do think Rodriguez is a top-notch coach. Despite the WVU fans who now insist they wanted rid of Rodriguez, I suspect all of them know he will not be easily replaced. In fact, I don’t think either Holliday or Terry Bowden can compare to Rodriguez in coaching ability.
The timing of Coach Rod’s departure also makes it difficult to believe West Virginia will have much of a recruiting class this year. Thus, whoever takes over as coach had best be prepared to compete while missing one year of recruiting and signing of players.

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Losing Rodriguez has caused some WVU fans to moan,”We might even lose to Marshall next year.”
I have carefully explained that Mark Snyder will still be around coaching the Herd,so there is absolutely no fear of that happening. Snyder will, as reported earlier, still be mentoring theHerd though six games since Athletic Director Bob Marcum said he could have that many losses before cleaning out his desk.

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I had a very respectfully disagreeing call about my Snyder opinions from former educator Steve Priestley last week.
Priestly, a Marshall grad and big-time fan, truly believes Snyder will improve his coaching techniques and lead the Herd to greatness. It would be nice if he was right and I was wrong. But how could that ever happen?