It was written Tuesday that the football team’s entrance wouldn’t be very different this year than it was last year… and apparently this sort of thing interests people a great deal. I have to admit, I don’t pay much attention to the entrance. After the marching band and the national anthem, I’m usually loading up on coffee and stashing cookies for first-half sustenance.

Anyhow, this status quo didn’t really sit well with people and e-mailers let me know of their disappointment. Only one, though, offered a suggestion. Take it away, Roger Lowman:

Not sure about you but the inflatable helmet routine is not what I want to see.  It seems to be too much of a copy cat.  WVU needs something original.  I have always thought that they should remake the tunnel entrance/exit to look like a Coal Mine entrance complete with timbers, real coal etc.  Put a big ol’ lump of West By God coal for the players to slap on the way out right in the middle. Play any LOUD rock song you want while the video plays, fade the music and blast “fire in the hole” over the sound system and blow smoke out of the tunnel (dry ice I guess), then you hear, “Let’s bring on the Mountaineers” as the team runs on the field to band playing and crowd screaming.
 
That’s a blue collar entrance for a blue collar team.  I think the fans will appreciate the entrance look, the “Fire in the Hole” as all part of the great state of WV.  It’s something we can identify with. Certainly beats the blow up helmet.

I’m not going to lie to you: I’d watch that, cookies be damned. I might even get goosebumps. I thought I’d forward that along to WVU as food for thought, if not for this season, than for the future. But why send one when I can send many?

Fire away with your suggestions for the team entrance — and good luck topping Roger’s.