I’ll admit it: I’m going to miss Joe Alexander. Yes, yes, nothing is official and he may very well tell some dot-com soon that he’s staying in school, but I doubt it. You’d have a better chance convincing me John Hoover is running this blog than you would Joe Alexander coming back to school. I think he’s too good and, more importantly, too smart. Lucky are the NBA writers who’ll get to know the young man. 

DraftExpress: Who is a player that you admire and respect?

Joe Alexander: Matt Harpring, because he’s basically in the league off toughness and being a team guy. He passes the ball a lot, runs the floor, he does a great job.

Matt Harpring? Really, Matt Harpring? I don’t think he ever took it to the tin … with alacrity!

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. There are no do-overs, John Terry.

thacker said:

For Immediate Release: By Jesse Jacobs, Press Secretary for Senator Robert C. Byrd, In the event that Joseph Alexander opts for the NBA draft rather than return to West Virginia University, the Senator will take to floor of the United States Senate and openly weep.

Oh, god, not twice in one month. Joe, you just gotta keep that from happening.  

And we’re off! 

Shannon said:

Merry Christmas!  

Kudos to Shannon, who maintained faith Devin Ebanks would sign with WVU. Shannon will soon be espousing faith in me winning the lottery. Twice.

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

Wow, that’s just great. I may have missed my calling. When I was in grade school, we took a class tour at Charleston Newspapers. Other kids were fascinated by the presses, by the layout process, and such. Me? I was fascinated to find out that someone other than the author of articles writes headlines.

First, this is a reference to an early look at how headline writers will handle the excellence of Ebanks in the future. And by the way, the most common misconception I encounter about newspapers concerns the fact the author of the headline is not the author of the story. Cub and Boy scout honor.  

StraightOuttaNorthCentral said:

And, sweet mother of god, is that a reference to deveining shrimp in the third one? At first I thought it was a Detlef Schrempf reference, but I figured that was way too far of a reach. Or, at least I did until I saw the Devin Hester reference right after it.

I’m telling you, it’s going to be madness.  

Erinn said:

Xrayted will have you know, Mike, that it isn’t the emergency room. It’s the emergency department.

Oh, I suppose that’s because it’s a department of rooms for emergencies? Please.

X-Rayted said:

It is true, we have several rooms in the emergency department. It is also true that Mike has a big problem with his equilibrium. He tries to transform routine plays into web gems. He also slides wrong, but that’s another story entirely.

This is my place, but it’s not my place to dissect and defend outside criticism.

BG AL said:

Mike fell down??? Again???  

…ah, screw it. I didn’t fall. I slid legging out a double in our recent softball game. I just so happen to have tragically thin skin on my knees after years of reckless baseball — onion paper epidermis is how I believe it was phrased — and it looks like someone took a cheese grater to my right leg. (Sorry.) How it happened, I have no idea because I wear high socks. And a protective pad. I don’t slide wrong either. It’s a classic “b slide” — right ankle under left knee — and Tom Emanski thought the pop-up was beautiful. As for the web gems, pardon me, but I’m not as graceful as I used to be … and I wasn’t all that elegant in the first place. There’s a reason someone gave me the Georgia Teck Ramblin’ Wreck hat I still wear — it’s probably a pretty fair description. The funny thing is that even with slides and stumbles in the outfield, I seem to catch everything. And since no one wants to mention it, I was 3-for-3 with two runs, one RBI and two doubles in said game. Those are modest numbers by softball standards, but you must understand I only had one double all of last season, the same season in which I broke my leg and missed but two games. Phew. That feels better. 

JX said: 

A year ago i’d have made a much more colorful comment…instead, i’ll just say, oh happy day!

Here’s hoping Alexander the Great comes back, teaming Ebanks with the Unblockable Turn Around Jumper will be HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE.

Personally, I praise the Mythical Powers of John Flowers Gravity Defying Headband for this one! (but, then again, I praise the Headband for EVERYTHING)

OK, a return to normalcy. I’ve had some great team names for fantasy football — I’m both proud and ashamed of last year’s — but there’s a good chance I’m either the Belgian Pistols or John Flowers’ Headband this year. The latter will vex many friends.  

OB1 said:

Casazza, had no idea you and the wife were soccer hooligans.  

I’d be honored to be a hooligan. I’ll take a Kopite though for I’ll never walk alone. 

Erinn said:

Cool, but I think it better suits Mountaineer Field.

She, of course, means “United Roads” as played at Manchester United games. I’m inclined to agree.

 Shannon said:

I wonder if they fire a rifle as well.  

Not legally. 

glibglub said:

Marshall fans will not appreciate Mr. Moss’ garb. I say more power to him. But if I should ever get the chance to talk to him, I’d tell him that his friends at Intajuice should invest in some sturdier cups. I put my thumb right through the side of one of those flimsy things a couple weeks ago. Had only a few sips and lost my whole overpriced smoothie . . . But all is forgiven now, Randy!

Jackie Chiles would like to speak with you!

thacker said:

The Wall Street Journal today reported that West Virginia University’s Board of Governors is in informal discussions of whether or not to sue Randy Moss over trademark infringement. The Journal further stated from unknown sources that the primary consideration of litigation is the fear that a former coach may produce a garment that depicts a ‘Flying WV’ flying upside down and that any litigation should be considered a preemptive strike.

What’s sad is I actually googled this because I saw this as being entirely possible. 

X-Rayted said:

Gus Frerotte does not think that head-butting the rim is a good idea…

Enjoy the long weekend! Back on Tuesday.