Technically speaking, the WordPress manager says this is post No. 498. I tend to disagree. We started this thing back in September and had absolutely no momentum, no buzz for a few weeks. People began clicking and contributing in October and then out of nowhere one day, when I couldn’t get on to post something, I received a call from the Charleston office on a number I’d never seen.

I was worried.

Turns out that during some routine maintenance someone went to delete some stuff off the server and accidentally deleted the blog. The guy who called couldn’t have been more apologetic and I couldn’t have been more sympathetic. It wasn’t his fault. I wasn’t as mad as he probably thought I’d be. Accidents happen. Let’s move one.

Plus, it’s not like we had something amazing going here. I was told most of the posts could be retrieved and I felt better, but we were looking at something like 30 entries. For the longest time I assumed we got about half back. Well, I started reviewing the early work here — and, jeez, was that painful — and as best as I can tell, we got all but two back.

That makes this post No. 500. If you were here for No. 1, if you knew we had 12 comments in 30 September posts, you’d be surprised.

Something happened along the way, of course. Part of me thinks it was Rich Rodriguez and believes Product Rodriguez must be spark plugs because he was the catalyst here. The whole of me, however, thinks it’s you. This is easy stuff, really, because you make it so easy. And fruitful. And enjoyable.

I wasn’t sold when the blog didn’t miss a beat when I was on vacation — I was sold way before that. I gambled on something and was rewarded with, in my opinion, the best thing we’ve done here.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed out loud at comments or thought, “Wait, can this get me fired?” I privately tell people I wish I was as funny as some of the contributions and people publicly tell me they can’t get enough of the blog. I know what they mean. Posting a subject is one thing. Posting the subjects that generate the intelligent, hysterical, relevant and provocative commentary is something different.

It’s what makes things go here. Let’s keep going, shall we?

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. Here’s why:

Frank Lincoln said:

For the life ofI me I don’t have any idea what you were talking about What does blog really meanIt seems like a long email to me.

I’m flattered.

OB1 said:

I was thoroughly impressed and thought Dusty did a wonderful job of arguing P-Rod’s side. He spoke intelligently and chose his words with a great sensitivity…

…all while helping himself to thirds and the Shoney’s breakfast buffet.

Now that’s talent.

Poor, poor Dusty. Let’s assume he plays at least a significant role in all of this — something short of what might be him holding a smoking gun, but something past just being a character witness. Could there be a more unlikely key player in such a deep drama? I say no.

thacker said:

Rutledge made a statement that struck a chord, [paraphrased] Maybe Rich Rodriquez didn’t want to go to Michigan as much as he wanted to make West Virginia a ‘Michigan’.

I still do not believe for a moment that Rodriguez ever has made any disparaging remarks towards WVU and/or the state. I believe, too, that no ’smoking gun’ recording exists relative to the final meeting between Garrison and Rodriguez — it would have been out of character to plan for such a thing.

One thing that is still gnawing at me is Larry Aschebrook. Brown’s deposition states that Aschebrook overheard comments made by the university administration that the buyout would be reduced. Aschebrook left his position very suddenly. He cannot be subpoenaed to testify from Arizona … the state has no jurisdiction.

With adjustments within the BOG and need to appoint an interim president, one thing the board may have to give serious consideration is whether to settle this litigation. Without settlement, it could very well restrict availability of qualified candidates.

Hmmm. I believe just about anything because, let’s be honest, we’ve seen just about everything and it’s been for real. To that, I totally believe Rodriguez would reach a decisive moment and just turn his back on everyone and everything. Does that mean I think he said it? Not necessarily. Did it happen? We’ll never know. Does it matter? Not really. Now as for L.A., he remains an intriguing character for those very reasons — his exit was sudden, to say the least, and he’s just untouchable right now. Of course, he could volunteer some information if he wanted. Don’t get it wrong here. He’s not hiding, but he’s not coming out any time soon. He doesn’t need to be involved in something he didn’t want to be involved in in the first place. Don’t forget, there remains a possibility he could sue P-Rod and/or Calvin Magee for what he says is the untrue allegation he said Magee would never get the head coaching position because he’s black.

jmbwvu said:

But that’s just the thing here. All this he said, he said is irrelevant. There is a signed contract w/ a liquidated damages clause. In sworn testimony, Product Rod was accompanied to the signing of his contract by his wife, agent, and personal financial advisor. The defense is the side calling all these “witnesses” and conducting the various depositions, WVU wants a decision. It’s a typical defense tactic. You don’t defend the action, you attack the process. The problem here is P-Rod signed his name on the dotted line and there is no getting around this for him.

OB1–Please tell me the first part of your post was satire. This Rutledge guy sounded as smart as his third chin looks good.

Very well put. The tactics are somewhat blatant now and everyone is onto them. It’s what WVU’s attorneys have said from the start to the most recent developments. All these depositions go down and all WVU says is, in essence, “Nothing has changed our view.” And I’m sure OB1 was kidding. 

Shannon said:

If you think about it, it makes sense to bring Dusty along for the ride. Dusty certainly could throw his weight around had the meeting got a little on the tense side of life. Maybe even throw a bionic elbow for good measure.

…and I’m sure Shannon wasn’t kidding. In case you didn’t know, Dusty is somewhat large. Really nice guy, though. And did you know he was the last player-coach in the WVIAC? There’s more to him than meets the eye. What’s that? Oh, stop. I didn’t even say that.

glibglub said:

Hard to believe Dusty could make any recordings surreptitiously at the Garrison residence. The man is not built for stealth. If there is a recording, perhaps it contains statements that neither side wants to air.

Well, at this stage, I’m not sure there’s anything left that would be embarrassing to Team P-Rod. What do they have to lose if said recording exists? As for doing it surreptitiously, it’s been made quite clear in the depositions Dusty was in another room and Garrison could not see him … or, presumably, what he was doing.

Karl said:

It is my understanding that WV, like my home NJ, is a state with a one-party consent law for recording conversations. In other words, I could record a conversation I’m having with you. But if it’s someone not involved with the conversation, and there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy (a closed door, or it takes place in another room where it’s not supposed to be heard), it is actually a crime.

That Robon is asking all of these questions about DR’s position makes me wonder if they were trying to get Garrison to place him in a spot that would make such a tape admissable. Otherwise, if a recording existed, I can’t think of any other reason why they wouldn’t have revealed it sooner. It would seem to have had the potential to end this whole case much faster.

You are correct, sir. And out of nowhere, WVU has plans to depose Dusty. Remember from his conversation with Hoppy Kercheval Tuesday, Rutledge said he was in an adjacent room and there was no door, just an opening. I found that very specific, particularly after depositions went into great detail about the meeting between P-Rod and Garrison.

jmbwvu said:

And maybe this potential recorded conversation was/is the “bombshell” that Mike Brown referred to a while back?! So now that this story has it’s own Matt Walsh shall we refer to it from here on as: Product Rodriguez Gate.

Wouldn’t that be something? The previous shell that contained a bomb was a dud and left us wondering if all the bluster before it was necessary. Then again, are they capable of such a thing?

oklahomamountaineer said:

The Garrison deposition drives home a number of points that we can be sure:

1. Mike Brown wanted PRod out of the hills and every year was going to be a new payday…..

2. PRod is driven, emotional, and felt like he was driven into a corner and couldn’t stay.

3. Pastalong couldn’t control him and it drove him nuts…..heck, Rich even wanted his job. The best he could do is “stiffle” Rich’s lists……..

4. Garrison was not cut out to be WVU’s President, but was a darn good witness.

5. PRod needs to do a better job picking agents and attorneys…..overpriced and overmatched.

6. Bingo.

Chris in DC said:

First off – love this blog! I read it everyday, although this is my first post. Keep up the good work, Mike!

The thing that has amazed me through this entire process is the career projection that Mike Brown had achieved before this fiasco. How did ‘Ice Cream’ go from gaining an engineering degree, to the ‘Waterboy’ who made picks for a gambling service, to the agent of one of the brightest young coaching stars in the country? How does a guy go from being a call in guest to a radio show to giving ultimatums to a university president? His only clients appear to be Rich and Calvin Magee. How did he and Rich get involved? Mike, I would LOVE to see an in depth analysis of the man who, in my mind, has been the root of this entire debacle.

Thanks!

Chris in DC

Well, first off, welcome to the party. Second, I was actually working on a story much like the one you requested. Got sidetracked by work-related events that had a lot and had nothing to do with the story. Over time, he became irrelevant. What I do remember, though, was that 1) Nobody liked the guy. 2) He was said to be calculated and manipulative. 3) He wasn’t a lawyer or a even a trained agent. 4) It was impossible to get people to talk on the record about him. I think all of that was probably a product of the times. But, again, he more or less faded away and became nothing more than an antagonist who didn’t deserve the notoriety, let alone the time spent describing his character. Then his deposition was released and we learned more than we ever knew about him. Per your questions, I don’t know how to answer them other than to say P-Rod made a terrible decision and that the ascent of Mike Brown is subsequently stunning.

Shannon said:

Mike,

This is a pet concern of mine, financial budgets for athletics departments of public institutions. Does the profits take into account tax payer money that the programs receive such as in the way of maintenance of athletic fields and buildings? Athletic departments receive benefits from other funds within a school and so profits can sometimes be deceiving.

As I understand things, what you describe is what happens at WVU … and many other schools in the country.

jmbwvu said:

Two teams I think every Mountaineer fan would love to see on the schedule, well three:

1) Notre Dame
2) Penn State (why won’t they schedule WVU anymore?)
3) Michigan (this HAS to happen, even if in the Big House).

1) Remember, Notre Dame was looking for series with Big East opponents and, obviously, nothing clicked with WVU. Notre Dame is rather picky about sites and WVU doesn’t have much interest in playing in third-party locations. 2) Beats me, but Big Ten teams don’t do a lot of exotic nonconference stuff — some, but not a lot — and really, really like to play as many home games as possible. 3) Will never happen. I honestly don’t think either side would be open to such an arrangement, though I think one side could be convinced while the other wouldn’t dare engage.

thacker said:

The Detroit Free Press today reported that the Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, has privately communicated to Mary Sue Coleman that it would be ill advised to consider any football contests between UM and WVU for at least twenty years. Granholm stated that with pending commitments of units of the Michigan National Guard to the Afghani and Iraqi Theatres, the National Guard would be hard pressed, in the near term, to maintain order and keep the respective fan bases under control. Granholm stated that she doesn’t want the Detroit problems to end up looking like a campfire jamboree compared to what would happen in Ann Arbor if such an event where held.  

See? 

JP said:

Michigan will never agree play WVU in Morgantown to play b/c they’re scared to, as well they should be, and WVU shouldn’t agree to games just in Ann Arbor. WVU should schedule more Big 10 or SEC schools if they will not treat WVU like a MAC school and try to get 2 for 1s, which they probably will b/c THEY TOO are scared to come to Morgantown to play. If you’re scared, get a dog.

WVU SHOULD NOT extend the series with Marshall. There is no benefit to WVU b/c WVU is supposed to win every time and when we do, we get no bump in our strength of schedule.

Scared is one adjective, but I do think there are still strong bonds between the coaching staff in Michigan and many of the players in Morgantown. It’d be awkward playing a game with so much on the line for nobody really involved in the actual competition. I mean, I don’t think Pat White would want to beat Michigan because of the lawsuit. Any game would be no less than five years down the road. In addition, scheduling equity is much better now and teams are open to playing fair with WVU because a nonconference game in Morgantown is probably getting on TV. Not only that, but WVU fans travel and make for a nice little economic impact for away games. As for Marshall, I don’t think it’ll be extended beyond he current deal. That’s just my opinion, though.  

glibglub said:

Yeah, I don’t think Meeechigan will schedule WVU in my lifetime. But stranger things have happened. The l’il series with FSU is the result of the Big East v ACC lawsuit. Who knows? Maybe a WVU-UM series could come about in a settlement of the lawsuit against RR. Governors Granholm and Manchin could place friendly bets over the game. The loser gets a year’s supply of Product Rodriguez.  

Speaking of product, let’s close in style with your ideas about whatever the hell Product Rodriguez is…

Erinn said:

Remember L’Oreal’s tagline? I think Product Rodriguez might try to cabbage it:
“Product Rodriguez. Because I’m worth it.”

Or perhaps the PRod camp will take a hint from the U.S. Marines:
“Product Rodriguez: We’re looking for a few good men. (God knows we need one or two.)”

Let’s take a lesson from Gillette, but mix it up a bit.
“Product Rodriguez: The Best 4 Million Can Get.”

There’s always the tagline from Cialis:
“Product Rodriguez: Will You Be Ready [to pay $4 million to keep me]?”
or
“Product Rodriguez: Will You Be Ready [to lose to the Ohio State]?”

Morgan Stanley likes to say “one client at a time.” Perhaps PRod would say, “Product Rodriguez: 4 million at a time.”

I wonder if Mike Brown likes to drink milk.
“Product Rodriguez: Got millions?”

… and I’m spent.

Shannon said:

Side effects to using Product Rodriguez include balding, over aggressive personalities, mental fatigue, and urinary problems. Should these side effects continue for four more than 4 hours, consult your doctor or local sports agent.

Product Rodriguez is only available at Ann Arbor, Michigan locations of Meijer and Busch’s Market. Product Rodriguez is an officially licensed product of Spot the Ball. Not to be used while using other hair care products, Tylenol, or Viagra.

Josh:

Product Rodriguez-coming to a realty near you

Call now and get a minisized portion of Product Gibson attached to the back end of Product Rodriguez

Michael said:

Product Rodriguez: The first truly small & non invasive topically applied pregnancy probe for college age cheerleaders and non-Hispanic realtors.

Warning: Product Rodiguez’s efficaciousness is limited to a tiny sub set of male members with rather large or expanded egos.

glibglub said:

Surgeon General’s Warning: Product Rodriguez has not been proven effective against an opposing defense that crowds the line of scrimmage and executes proper tackling technique. If this condition persists for four quarters, discontinue use of Product Rodriguez and consult a physician, or a coach who has a Plan B.

Here’s to 500 more! Enjoy the weekend.