We begin with a counter perpetuated by Team Rodriguez against WVU and a request to depose Ed Pastilong. One part was somewhat intriguing.

In the deposition notice filed at the courthouse on High Street in Morgantown, Pastilong was asked to produce several documents, including any personal documents regarding the employment contract and dispute between Rodriguez and WVU, those containing information “given by the Athletic Department of West Virginia University to any … person associated with the news media concerning Richard Rodriguez from December 1, 2006 to present,” those Pastilong had from the WVU Foundation or “any affiliated entity” such as the Mountaineer Athletic Club, as well as Pastilong’s diary/calendar for 2007, which shows meeting dates with Rodriguez.  

That’s pretty specific and leads me to believe they have an idea they know what they’re looking for in a general sense. Team Rodriguez plans to interrogate about a dozen officials and one wonders if certain media might be on the list. There was a lot of sourcing going as a lot of sensitive material was presented to the public.

Also of note:

– Eddie’s diary? “Dear diary: Just had a Diet Pepsi. I prefer Diet Coke. Will try Diet Sprite later. Do they make Diet 7-Up? Casazza called. Perhaps he knows.”
– Team Rodriguez wants audits of the 1100 Club — I can’t get my hands on them, but lawyers can…why didn’t I just get a lawyer? — as a way to explore WVU’s admitted use of 1100 Club money for non-1100 Club purposes. What this will prove, I don’t know. It certainly doesn’t justify walking out on a contract.
– Quote Rodriguez’s lawyer: The university “thinks they’ve got $4 million coming to them, but they are ignoring the fact that they probably breached the agreement…” Wait, what? So that $287,758.28 payment to Rodriguez last month — mind you, on the exact date it was due by — constitutes a breach? Who knew?

Onto the Feedback. As always comments appear as posted. In other words, any edits I conduct breach our contract.

Karl said:

Do you think with Pastilong gone there’s a chance Coach Rodriguez might come back? That would be awesome!

That would be awesome!

Mack said:

Steve Slaton can say what he wants about Calvin Magee… but I think if one person’s presence on next year’s team helped to make up Slaton’s mind about whether to stay or go, it was Noel Devine.

Couldn’t agree more. Really, would Devine have been the starter, if not in name than in productivity? We’ll never know, but that debate stands next to Major Harris and the stay-or-go question.

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

Actually, I’m a little more worried about whoever wrote up the sample Wonderlic you linked to! Check out question #3:

Paper cells for 21 cents per pad. What will 5 pads cost?

“Cells”? Boy oh boy, we better turn them cameras off!

OK, so many of you are definitely smarter than Vince Young, a sportswriter with unique diction, and a guy who types the words from a sample Wonderlic test onto his Web site. Yes!

Jonathan Shachter said:

The better question is whether Vince Young is smarter than Randy Cross.

Is this a trick question?

Shannon said:

Space Hog? What in the world?

The airport delay was horrible. Fortunately, I had great music in the meantime.

OB1 said:

Hey, at least they weren’t wearing a Chicago Bears Erik Kramer jersey.

Now that the Browns signed Derek Anderson and I believe we have some semblance of direction, I wonder what it’s like being a Bears fan. Certainly, you’re not a fan of quarterback play. Check the Kramer blurb. People were wearing his jersey?

Erik Kramer, North Carolina State:  Kramer would be known as one of the top three quarterbacks in Bears history, with McMahon and Luckman, if he could have done it for more than one year.  Kramer piloted Ron Turner’s first brilliantly successful offense in 1995, setting Bears season records for attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes.  But he was hurt in 1994, 96, and 98.  His original three-year deal, inked in 1994, was extended for two more in ’98, but he was cut after the first year.  Signed: 1994 Started in: 1994-1998 Released: 1999

Homer said:

I have seen a Bo Orlando jersey in the stands at Mountaineer Field.

I would be more impressed by a Hostetler belly shirt jersey.

Noted! When you examine his career, it’s safe to say never see another Hostetler (belly shirt).

thacker said:

For more expediated air travel, I have found that traveling under the pseudonym of Billy Bob O. bin Loaden, an eccentric oil tycoon from Odessa, Texas will help. This is especially true if identification has been manufactered by Ms. Farnsworth’s 3rd grade art class, you are dressed as a Hare Krishna devotee and hum the music of Cat Stevens.

Thanks, I’ll stick with the current model: 20-something business traveler, frequent one-way plane tickets, dark skin tone, two Zs in his last name, doesn’t shave daily, sometimes has two laptops.

Shannon said:

Just throwing this out there. What happens if the team beats UConn and Pitt and then drops St. John’s.

Good question. I said initially WVU had to beat St. John’s. Period. I guess in one way, you could say a team that beats UConn and Pitt has no business losing to St. John’s. Then again, wouldn’t wins against UConn and Pitt be buoys for an anchor-like loss to St. John’s? I think so. Thank you, Shannon, for untwisting my twisted logic.  

Boothe Davis said:

Who the heck is Bill Staewrt..?

Typo. Whoops.

Boothe Davis said:

and does he like to appear in front of “them cameras…?”

Whoops. Never happened… By the way, I had this crazy dream that WVU’s football coach helped open the new Kroger in Morgantown. Whew. Weird! What’s that? He what? What year is this? How long was I in the airport?

JP said:

I hear Ed Collington, John Holmes and James Ingram were the first customers in the hippie lettuce aisle.

Before you enjoy your weekend, enjoy the Name of the Year Contest!