Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is thinking of going to law school. Oh, the student loans will be an albatross, but once out I can hack it in court for, say, three years because of all the legal dealings witnessed while covering this WVU beat. By 2017, I should be satisfactorily employed in a college football or basketball program somewhere. I want to swing my sword, so that’s the plan.

By the way, that’s a purposeful choice of words because of what’s been done to ESPN’s Bruce Feldman. Ridiculousness. I can’t remember seeing a reaction quite like this before. It’s a unique case and the social media changes everything, but, man, it’s taken off quickly and nastily. I don’t have an ESPN Insider account or a The Magazine subscription, but if I did …

This is another case where what’s happened isn’t the story, but what happens next is. I’m curious in the outcome here. The unintentional consequence is the book and Mr. Feldman have received a big boost out of this, which is probably what the suspenders wanted to avoid. Can there be a reconciliation — ESPN, despite all its criticisms, is still ESPN — or does someone woo Feldman, who is just really, really good at what he does, to a presumably happier place? I’m also curious if any of you care, either before reading this or afterward.

I digress. Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. #FreeBruce

Josh24601 said:

Welcome to the big chair, Mr. Holgorsen. Time to grow a mustache.

I picture him tousling his mustache in his office, thinking of ways to use seven eligible receivers on a play, but not for this. He didn’t even allow time for a wispy mustache. Fast action. And what would happen if he did indeed grow a mustache? I think parts of the internet would quake and collapse.

Sam said:

So this is Busick’s official heel turn, yes?

Ring the bell! Took 37 minutes to fill in the blank I left.

elm2 said:

I really think it is time to leave to Casino thing in the past . . . getting really old

Can’t separate relevant issues.

johnny oz said:

I believe this kid’s dad was — or is — a police officer. What a shame.

Was, yes. Brother is a state trooper.

Karl said:

That takes care of the vacant scholarship handed down by the NCAA.

It does, but they’re looking at being two or three shy anyhow. At worst, Busick’s will go to a deserving walk-on.

Wayne said:

The more I learn about this hire, the more that I like it. First impressions are so important to recruits and Hammond seems to have some ideas on how to make WVU look good these kids and thir parents.

Exactly. That’s the true value of his hiring, I believe. A from-the-ground-up approach to recruiting.

ffejboc said:

Who needs an expensive legal team? Next time some court case arises, WVU can save a whole lot of money by just using their receivers coach, their recruiting coordinator and their athletic director.

I’d prefer Franklin & Bash, but I think Luck, Roberts & Hammond, LLC, will do just fine.

glibglub said:

Great, but for the love of all that’s holy, don’t say swag. The NCAA will hear swag and think freebies.

I’ll forward this along, but it will be a crippling blow to the new regime’s vocabulary.

Mack said:

Every time you hire a coach, you want the opposite of what you had before. Rodriguez was generally angry and perceived as an upwardly mobile jerk. So, they hire Bill Stewart, a country bumpkin who always wanted to be the coach at WVU. They fire Stewart and start hiring Harvard grads.

Let’s just hope the next WVU head coach isn’t a man who’s never had a drink in his life.

You had me up until the last line. It is there where I nearly spilled coffee.

Jeff in Akron said:

I thought WVU would be in worse shape with the NCAA because the problems happened under two different coaches. When the NCAA added to Michigan’s penatly, I was sure they would add significant time and penalties to WVU. Luck’s approach was different, and received a different outcome.

Now, let’s hope Hammond (spelling, Bill) actually keeps WVU out of hot water in the future. I remember reading that Luck said the NCAA expects some violations and accepts them, if the offending school reports them in a timely fashion. I assume that is a major part of Hammond’s charter. Sure, his main job is to keep WVU out of trouble to begin with, but, there are bound to be some violations. NCAA rules are too many to not break some of them at some time.

Mike, is my memory off?

No, you’re pretty much spot on. He’s not going to encourage or tolerate, of course, but I think he realizes there are bound to be some missteps — secondary stuff. I mean, he’s not going to be happy with mistakes, but he’s not going to expect a clean ledger every year. It’s about impossible to attain and, as such, wasted energy. If it happens, gravy.

SheikYbuti said:

I keep coming to the thought that there ought to be some sort of middle ground between “major” and “minor” violations. I am having some difficulty lumping the rather tangential involvement of grad assistants during summer workouts in with stuff like paying players, agents, or headhunters, or with, for instance, placing football players in summer jobs with outrageous hourly salaries but requiring them to do little or no work. Lest anyone think I’m biased in WVU’s favor on this count, I hasten to add that I consider what our former soccer coach apparently did undoubtedly should have been classified as “major” violations. I simply hate that we’re now susceptible to being lumped in with Free Shoes University and others of that ilk. On the other hand, perhaps it demonstrates our ability to fit in with the SEC, should that invitation ever come.

I’m with you. Goes back to the recent thesis: Evolution of problems has outpaced regulation. There are things that were once major that now seem, by comparison, to be secondary. Then again, WVU’s base problem was not keeping tabs on the operations, which is a no-no because when you do that, you allow for just about anything to happen. That’s the major violation, I would think. Yet I’d also acknowledge working outside of the rules to gain a competitive advantage is a major thing, though perhaps not as big as some other cases we’ve witnessed.

Karl said:

I continue to view the Stewart violations through the prism of the consecutive penalties on kickoffs that we were called for in the Cincy game in 2009. In an attempt to minimize the return weapon that was Mardy Gilyard, Stew — the special teams coordinator at the time — sent players into motion early to get a jump start. After the game, Stew had an interesting explanation for what most of us assumed were incredibly boneheaded mistakes — they were deliberate. It’s not that Stew or the players didn’t know the rules. He just thought the refs saw and penalized this violation so infrequently that he didn’t think anyone would call it, especially not twice in a row. Oll Prideful thought he was pretty clever.

In sum, Stew cheated. He broke a rule he thought was too far below the radar or anyone to care about and he got caught. Seems to me there’s a good chance that’s exactly what happened with the NCAA accusations.

Damn! Well put. You’ll be seeing that again soon. I can almost guarantee it.

hershy112 said:

You have to give Bill Stewart credit though. He tried to make it right. I mean, he tried to even it up in the bowl game preparations.

Too soon?

Never!

Jeff in Akron said:

What impresses me is the cerebral approach, far different than anything WVU has done in recruiting to date. Plus, the kids Roberts is trying to impress have to be impressed by his approach, it raises the bar.

When Roberts leaves and the next coach comes in with his pitch, I have to believe, its a tough act to follow.

Back to that eight page report, is the city of Morgantown going to publish it? If it works on recruits, it could work for tourists too. I’m certain the report is not a list of the “in” nite clubs. However, I hope it clearly defines the one-way streets and which direction one should travel on those streets. For those that are directionally challenged.

Well, since I’m pretty sure the city is going to lose its annual AAU summer tournament, perhaps it would like to get its hands on these notes to attract other economic opportunities. Or to build a massive gymnasium. Either one.

ffejboc said:

A question for Mike.

Are all the recruiters on their own to come up with their own presenations?

Or is there an internal memo in the football office that outlines the high points of what they should be discussing with prospective student athletes and their families?

Because from the sounds of this story, Mr. Roberts was on his own coming up with the appropriate Mountaineer propaganda, and what he chose to share or not share.

They’re on their own. I’m sure they are given talking points about the town, campus and program, but, as best as I can tell, how they organize, support and present these points is an individual endeavor. I’m also sure the other gentlemen have effective vehicles, too, and even if they all differ, they probably share the same premise.

Drew said:

How long before Roberts and Hammond are named partners?

Do they bear any resemblance to Franklin and Bash?

Does Luck actually think he’s running a law firm and not an athletic department?

Would Stew and Mullen still be here if they went to law school?

What do all these lawyers think about the Clemens mistrial?

Will the weekly Tuesday radio show have a segment on legal advice?

Are they contractually required to do a certain amount of pro bono work?

Over/under on how many times Roberts yells “Objection!” at a ref after a bad call?

How many lawyers does it take to coach a football team?

I read this and thought of no less than three stories I can write when camp begins. Proof again I contribute very little to this relationship.

Dave said:

Mike,
I do have a question in the context of the web of “should players be paid” and “what happens in their contract if they leave early for whatever reason.”

In some respects, should Terrelle Pryor be asked to pay restitution?

Should Busick, given the position and late season, be asked by the university for restitution? Is there a conduct clause in scholarship grants?

Whoa, heavy stuff. If we ever head down that road, I think you’ve touched on a critical point. My opinion would be that, yes, there should be restitution because it makes sense to have that in place as a protection for the university. My fear would be lawyers saying it is a punitive clause and contracts are not supposed to punish for exiting an agreement.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

DH’s first test as HC and, in short order, pulls the trigger and cuts his losses. This case seems very weird from beginning to end; that said, he has set the tone on offenses and forgiveness. Serious screw up — which this one on the surface surely was — you are gone, no questions asked.

I actually like the speed and finality he put on this.

I wasn’t impressed with the decision, but I was impressed with the speed with which he made it.

Dave said:

What “test” is this for Holgorsen? This isn’t a guy being publicly drunk or missing class … the report is that the guy went at 5pm to “rob” with a weapon and physically beat up someone. I’m sure DH has the details, but it’s not much of a test.

… and that’s why I wasn’t impressed with the decision. I don’t think he had any other choice. And imagine if Busick was suspended Tuesday .. and then arrested again Wednesday … and then dismissed Thursday. The coach did it right. We can agree on that.

Drew said:

The big question is: does the second arrest counts towards our Fulmer Cup standings?

Very big question. We’ll have to wait to see. This could set a precedent. I vote for “yes” since  it occurred before the dismissal. I believe you allow for a retroactive inclusion here.

Karl said:

OK, it’s time for the media to stop reporting this kid as “the son of WWF wrestler Big Bully Busick.” With no offense to him, that name is meangingless. He was a jabroni who worked for the WWF for about six months in 1991. His only storyline was a feud with the Brooklyn Brawler — which he lost! — and that should tell you all you need to know. I’ve been following wrestling closely since the mid 80s and have no recollection of him. If I don’t, very few other readers will, I assure you.

Indeed, and I just want to say that graph was added to my stories as part of the whole “staff and wire reports” byline arrangement.

Bill said:

Good thing we have a “throw it fast” offense because Geno could be running for his life again this year with all of these depth problems on the offensive line. Good thing that those two/three coaching idiots are gone though.  I hope Billy B is good at what he does.

Good points, but let’s circle the one about Bedenbaugh. People are going to judge him right away — it’s become the thing to do since Trickett left — and forget the injuries and lack of depth/experience/talent he has right now. Just watch.

The 25314 said:

Based on previous performance, I think it’s fair to assume our O-line will struggle again. However, I expect they will not be asked to do things at which they are poor, and the quick throws should help minimize their shortcomings, hopefully allowing the O-line to avoid significant exposure and the ensuing criticisms.

Don Barclay wants you to read this.

Josh24601 said:

Big HERTZ, FTW! He’ll get that urinal in the Puskar Center lobby all right.

He’s, uh, aiming for that.

hershy112 said:

Not to go too far off topic, but….

Not sure if there are any fans of NCAA Football 12 on here or not, but apparently Bruce Irvin isn’t on the game. EA Sports thought it would be unfair to the rest of the players if he was on the game.

Enjoy the weekend!