… but my attention has been elsewhere.

Let’s be responsible and appropriate here, but also honest and, if necessary, blunt. Try to remember there was no arrest and no punishment has been assigned or announced. Might have been a long day and a bad night. Might need to know better, too.

Still, there is a discussion to be had here and I think it begins with a question: Where, if anywhere, do things go from here?

(I never do this because I never care about this — and that’s a flaw of mine — but the outlet getting credit in very small circles for breaking the story most certainly didn’t break the story. I realize larger circles are pointing the finger in the proper direction, but little things eat at me. There’s credibility involved and it bothers me when others allow theirs to be falsely enhanced. Finally, would you be surprised to know I’m leaving town Friday morning for four days and a graduation in Birmingham, Ala.?)

(Continuing very important things in parentheses, the final round of sit-downs at the Big East meetings was cancelled today because of earlier-than-expected departures. Brett McMurphy — See?! It’s not that hard! — reports Oliver Luck needed to get back to campus ASAP.)

(I’m told WVU will have a comment, either in a release or a conference call, before the end of the day in which the situation will be updated or advanced.)

(Here’s the text of a press release from the Nitro PD this afternoon:

On May 18th 2011 at approximately 3:20 am, Nitro Police responded to a disturbance call at the Mardi Gras Casino in which the Casino wanted a patron escorted from the property.

Upon the officers arrival they spoke with a male, who was identified as Dana Holgerson.  Officers asked Mr. Holgerson to walk outside the casino, to which Mr. Holgerson complied.

Officers asked Mr. Holgerson to sit on a bench and await a taxi cab to pick him up.  Mr. Holgerson sat on the bench outside the casino and awaited the cab.  The cab arrived and Mr. Holgerson got into the cab and left.

No report was taken in this matter due to Mr. Holgerson not violating any laws.

Really, there’s nothing new in there and it looks quite innocent. The hook, though, is that something or some things happened inside Mardi Gras Casino & Resort that prompted the call to the police. An officer who responded to the call said they are typically dispatched there when someone needs to be removed. No one at the casino is talking, so we don’t know what encouraged them to call the police. That’s the blank that needs to be filled, ideally by the casino.)

(And, alas, here is your statement from Oliver Luck and Dana Holgorsen … with still nothing from the casino. And I mean nothing — no humans answering phones, no returning of messages, no indication the establishment will do anything other than preserve the privacy of its customers.

OLIVER LUCK:

“After looking into the details and throughly investigating what took place last week, I believe inappropriate behavior did occur.

“Coach Stewart and I have made it clear, and will reiterate, that our coaches and staff are representing the University and the state at all times. We expect them to always display appropriate behavior.

“I take this matter very seriously, but I do not plan on commenting on it further.”

DANA HOLGORSEN:

“I learned a valuable lesson from this incident. As a football coach, I am always in the public eye and I have to hold myself to a higher standard, which is what I ask our players to do. I’m sorry that this incident has put the University and the football program in a difficult position. I will not put myself in that situation again.”

Your thoughts?)