Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which hears it calling far away, tearing through my soul. It just can’t take another day. Who’s to blame?

If you can soldier through these next three days, you’ve made it through the offseason, which I sense has never been equal parts fast and agonizingly slow for fans of WVU like this.

But you know what? Pretty good offseason.

Recruiting went mostly well, and though not everyone made it, a lot of the newcomers will play, or project to help as soon as next year. The coaching staff transition wasn’t ideal, but you netted two defensive coordinators — and people from around the game tell me Keith Patterson is a sleeper/keeper. The roster is in tact. The players are healthy, save one exception. The arrests were of the college variety and not the violent and troubling variety. The coach has a contract. The AD should have one soon. The star quarterback missed practice for wholly understandable reasons.

It wasn’t perfect, but I don’t think you can get perfect these days. You had all the potential for pratfalls you see here and anywhere in the offseason, but this was the difference between me running the hurdles and K.J. Dillon running the hurdles.

Now I say that and … never mind.

Housekeeping: Texts From Game Day, Lord willing, will return. New phone in the offseason — see, there I go — but it looks like last year’s fix will apply again. That’s neat to see. I’m going to roll out another recap feature on a trial basis and see if it’s not too much work. But realistically, it shouldn’t be because I’m not writing a book during the season this season.

Now, the chat. I can’t promise anything. Cover It Live was purchased in March and then decided to go to a subscription service  — get used to that idea. Frankly, there are free ways that are available. I just can’t find one that will work and that I like. Some of the video stuff can’t be replayed if you missed the live edition. All of the video chats require me to be dressed presentable at noon on a Thursday.

Some chat engines are free, but allow for limited click-ins. Others don’t let me moderate comments, which is not only a fiasco waiting to happen, but also my pink slip waiting to happen. A few require Facebook or google+ access and I don’t want to require that of readers, some who can’t access those sites while at work.

I’ve solicited ideas and workshopped all them and I’m not optimistic. We threw a Hail Mary last night and I’m crossing my fingers, but realistically, Cover It Live was tremendous and I can’t guarantee anything unless sponsors materialize and “Welcome to the WVU Sports Chat sponsored by Renovators WV.”

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, welcome to the Big 12.

(P.S. Dear Liverpool,

Marlon LeBlanc kicked me out of practice yesterday because I didn’t have an Arseanal T-shirt on.)

Speaking of LeBlanc …

Sadly, I can’t make that. I’ll be in Northern Virginia for a good old time. Happy to accept that invitation after many years where I couldn’t make it. Catch me at Rag Times beginning at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow for Nesteas and books signings and discussions. Then I’m making a mess at an all-you-can-eat crab feast. Had to happen.

Mack said:

Level has gone from a position that the casual fan will probably never criticize you (special teams . . . and walk-on for that matter) to a position (cornerback) where the casual fan is likely to get so angry that they type horrible, hateful things about you and your mother (in all caps no less).

WITH GREAT PRIVILEGE COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

I love you, Doug! said:

Worryingly possible mitigating factor in our ceaseless hatred of Iowa State and all things Ames: Evidently they have a quarterback named Steele Jantz.

That’s a pretty good name.

Have to figure out a way to hate it…

How about because he looks exactly like Randall Floyd? And in a sign he’s all in for 2012, Paul Rhoads named Jantz the starter, and not Jared Barnett, who is a sophomore and, going on everything I’ve read, has better skills to suit the offense. 

Karl said:

Mike, I realize you have to work with these guys, so you’re being diplomatic, so let me say what you can’t: Boneheaded move by Holgorsen, et al by stretching out the mystery on Geno’s absence. The first time a reporter asked about it, someone should have responded: “Off the record, he had a family loss and had to return home. You can ask the coach for something on the record later.” Problem solved. Everyone would have left that alone until 730. By playing the radio silence game, he/they unecessarily caused a mini-hysteria, even if only for an hour or so. I was riding home on the train and saw a cluster of tweets about it by you, Hertzel, Hickman, fans. At that moment you start thinking of all the ways the SI jinx may have come to fruition. Hurt in a drunken car crash? Assaulted a student? Drugs? I’m sure I wasn’t alone. I hope he learned something from this.

I don’t disagree with anything you say. I think I’d me more indignant if it were worse than it really was. And I knew the answer 20 minutes after practice. But I accept the intentions, in that I think I understand them. And to be fair and honest and transparent, I’m not often left hanging when I need something. I lost my way somewhere… 

Josh24601 said:

This is not an original sentiment on the college football internet, but I desperately want ESPN to send Ian Darke to work a college football game.

I’d no-show a game I was covering if it meant I’d catch Darke’s debut live. Not even concerned if it was a WVU game he was calling. Until then, I’m committed to incorporating Darke language into my commentary this season.

Spatial Angel said:

Is there anything in sports as riveting as the agony of an injured footballer?

Nothing. Italians are the best, or worst. Liverpool has a guy named Borini who a sniper takes out every game. His fans will not go for that.

Josh24601 said:

Of course Garrison’s impact prognosis for this season is uncertain — maybe even tenuous. Regardless of trainers’ recovery schedules, ACL tears seem to generally be two-year injuries. Even if he plays in 2012, if Garrison ever gets “it” back, it’ll be in 2013 when he does.

Begs the question: Are you inclined, bordering on obligated, to seriously consider a redshirt?

Bobby Heenan said:

I commented about this last week with a possible Garrison redshirt.

From the first interview early in fall camp, Gillespie did not sound optimistic about Dustin at that point. Then, a week later at his next interview he flipped 180 degrees and acted like all was good. Now, it appears that he’s not as optimistic again.

My vote from afar would be to sit Garrison for as long as possible, and possibly pull the red shirt mid-year as a last resort if he’s continuing to recover and Buie or Alston catch the injury bug.

Honestly? If he’s not ready — I mean, no limits — by the Baylor game, I’m buying him red shoes to match his shirt. He had a fractured season last season and he hasn’t had spring football or a full summer yet. His development as a player is, in some ways, off course. Do you risk more deviation from the course with another fractured season if he’s not ready? These are things WVU will consider.

Gordo said:

What happened to Bell at FS? Not even on the 2 deep.

He was in red quite often in camp, though I was told he wasn’t hurt

Jeff in Akron said:

Is Jewone Snow still on the list Holgorsen doesn’t talk about(injury)?

It is interesting to note that the WVU offensive line is comparable in size to the Packers offensive line, and probably just a little bigger. Many consider the best offensive line in the NFL to be in Green Bay.

In the Big-12 Oklahoma and then Texas are both considered the best o-lines, with WVU somewhere close behind; at least in pre-season rankings. To me, it is the play of the o-line that holds the key to the season for WVU. The Big East takes it on the chin alot, and for good reason. The one area that the Big East probably doesn’t get enough credit is the strength of its defensive line play from top to bottom. The Big-12 certainly has good d-line play, but the WVU o-line will not face as many good d-lineman as they faced last year week in and week out.

The key to the 2012 football team is the o-line, not the defense. WVU ranked 65th in sacks allowed and averaged just under 123 rushing yards per game to rank 92. WVU has to improve the sacks to top-25(1.3 spg) and the rushing yards to top-35(180 ypg). This may be a passing offense, but WVU has to run the football better for the passing numbers to improve. The other teams defense needs to face our offense more than our defense faces their offense. Time of possession, points per game, double digit wins, and a Big-12 title is on the o-line, football is football.

Remember, too, that some of those rankings considered Oklahoma had its starting center and its top backup guard. One is hurt and one transferred. Spot on about the defensive line, too. Bedenbaugh AND Slaughter echoed that. Slaughter said the Big East was better and Bedenbaugh said his guys won’t see better defensive lines this season — good or great ones, sure, but not markedly better. All of that said, the QB makes the offensive line good quite often and, from what I hear, Geno never smacks the ball. That is, his first read is quick and correct and he throws on the original motion. No double takes or hesitation. Hard to sack that guy. And Snow is better and should be fine before long. He was in green last I saw him and no one was worried. He adds to what they already have at LB and can probably separate himself a little, too.

Rugger said:

If we can establish a running game that we can depend on when needed, it can protect our defense as they gain experience and it will open up the passing game more than it did last year.

Shawne Alston is 236 pounds………..have you ever tried to tackle something that big 20 times?

Watching tape, it doesn’t appear the competition likes tackling him either.

I’ve never met Shawne but I am always impressed with the way he handles himself in interviews. He reminds me of Najee to a degree and that is a compliment. I believe he is the key to a successful inaugural Big XII season along w the OLine.

There’s another side of the fence here: Can Alston handle 20 carries. He’s done it once and only had 10-plus carries four other times. Durability has been a concern in the past, but he’s never been fully healthy the previous two seasons. He is now. For how long, who knows? Funny, but to keep Alston healthy, WVU must also keep Buie healthy, and we know that guy has a habit of running into tackles.

JC said:

If I had to pick a year to be starting a couple of average (thus far) corners, with a ton of young guys as backups in the secondary, this would be the season. There don’t seem to be many elite QBs, and even less elite Rbs in the Bid 12 this season. Maybe I’m mistaken, but I think the talent at those positions is either down or just young this season in the league.

Interesting point to consider, but WVU is going to get tested by Marshall and, I kid you not, James Madison early in this season. You’d rather not have gaffes on film so soon because then an average to unknown player, like Baylor’s Nick Florence, has a good head start. As for the talent in the league … I don’t know. Could be prickly. Landry Jones can play. Collin Klein will be a handful. Charlie Weis might find a way to maximize Dayne Crist. Oklahoma State has an offense the helps the quarterback. Seth Doege is nice. Casey Pachall cruised late last season. Texas is a mess. Iowa State has never lost to WVU. I guess the more interesting point to consider is what  if the defensive backfield trends upward from start to finish?

Lee in Dayton said:

Congratulations to Coach Slaughter and the staff for getting young Mr Richardson to say he’s “committed” to WVU (whatever that word means these days), but if he’s still planning to take all five official visits I’d say calling yourself foolish is premature, especially since he’s already committed and de-committed once.

Oh, yeah. I take it back!

IrishBillATL said:

I think its a very fair assessment, though I contend the biggest threat to our success is depth, which we don’t have. I think on defense, our speed and what seems to be very attacking style should create turnovers and help neutralize yardage and points we surrender. I’m also a little concerned with RB depth.

One of the most overlooked aspects for 2012 and 2013 will be our ability to perform on the big stage – bigger, louder stadiums with considerably less WVU fans (because of ticket allotments and travel). Fortunately, for 2012 we really only have 4 true road games, but I think our FIRST real road game at UT is an enormous, tremendous test. Both teams likely showing up undefeated, both ranked, with WVU likely showing up ranked ahead!?!?! You think UT fans and players are going to like being a home dog to the new kid on the block?

Not sure, in that scenario, Texas is the home dog. That said, WVU could be a top 5 team by them. Seriously, check the schedule for top 10 teams early. They all have one losable game. Some have two. WVU has Baylor, which is tricky, but teams would definitely make the trade. And there’s the game a week later that ought to have your attention. Lubbock after Austin isn’t easy or fun or guaranteed. That one has has staff worried today.

The 25314 said:

Did Pat and Mike ever double with you and Colin?

There’s no right way to answer this.

Simple Jack said:

‘pat and mike’ were ‘colin and mike’ before ‘colin and mike’ were ‘colin and mike’

I object to this on several levels.

SheikYbuti said:

Which one is Peaches, and which one is Herb?

Yeah, so this is a reference to a second bromance. Wonderful.

Jeff in Akron said:

JackBo has to be “Peaches” with those sweaters, Mike eats too many ramps to be anything but a “Herb”.

Wasn’t sure where you were going with that second part, so thanks for taking the high, er, civil road.

glibglub said:

Speaking of musical references, can we get “Oppa Gangnam Style” to replace CEJ at future athletic events? Seems like that would please our intrepid blogger no end.

Spatial Angel said:

I have a feeling that in January 2014, newborns all over West Virginia will be named Volodymyr.

Can’t wait.

SheikYbuti said:

My nose tells me ninety percent of what Hargett and Dakich allege to be true probably is (though I would be disappointed if Dakich weren’t embellishing just a bit re: his meeting with Hardesty). Apparently, those orchestrating the recruitment of that particular class were so inept that the scheme unraveled quickly, which was a very good thing for WVU. Can’t wait to read the Catlett tell-all autobiography (that will never happen).

As long as WVU didn’t conceal anything during the initial investigation, I would think and hope the NCAA would consider this ancient history. It doesn’t look good, however, no matter how one spins it.

There’s a tug of war between perception and reality, for sure, but the NCAA doesn’t mind popping in to say hello. And, again, no matter the spin, it has incentive.

AnxiousEER97 said:

So, I’m listening to the former prez on Hoppy’s show. Hoppy’s hard hitting question: “Did you say that to Dakich?” Prez’s response wasn’t particularly helpful. Not yes; not no.

Useless to interview Hardesty or Dakich or really anyone in this kerfuffle, unless it’s just procedural. Does anyone anywhere think Hardesty is going to say, “Know what? I did. Muhbad.” That said, if Hardesty did say it, I’d have mad respect if he admitted it AND said, “Damn right. Do you realize how bad that made us look? Of course I wanted to destroy him. And I did. remember that Bowling Green Elite Eight run? Me neither.”

Mack said:

Cue the argument, “No one at WVU now (President, Athletic Director, Head Basketball Coach) was here then.” in 3 … 2 … 1 …

It’s not without merit, though.  At least within the athletic department.

rekterx said:

I think Hargett’s head is still a bit cloudy and that if Dan Dakich was even remotely threatened it had to do with him withdrawing from WVU and nothing to do with revealing anything damning. WVU, after all, did contact and fully cooperate with the NCAA in their investigation. WVU tried to hide nothing.

I think that Dan Dakich is being selective in what he says, or the writer is being selective, and that the full story is contained in what he is not saying or in what is not being reported. If he were completely forthright I think he would be telling how Hardesty tried to stop him from “going forward” with leaving WVU.

To assert that Jon Hargett was promised $20,000 from West Virginia without producing actual evidence is libelous. I suspect an ulterior motive in the appearance of these articles at this time.

The question: Why did these articles appear at this time rather than another?

Agreed on the source of Hardesty’s anger. As for the question: Seems to me Pete found a story worth telling — those side stories from the Olympics mean something — and told it. Through interviewing, he discovered certain things and had an obligation to share them. There was no motive, which, I think, makes the timing irrelevant. Nobody is concocting these conspiracies for WVU. Human interest and morality don’t have expiration dates.

I MIGHT BE DAN DAKICH said:

YOU DO NOT TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, PRESIDENT HARDESTY!! I WORK TOO HARD TO DEAL WITH THIS STUFF! I WORK TOO HARD! I COACH BASKETBALL AT BOWLING GREEN! I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!!

This was funny before I listened to Dakich on his radio show. And lest you doubt him, forever remember when he says he could totally take Hardesty, guys, ok?

Parks said:

I’ll take the position of “don’t give a _____.” It’s ancient history and not really history that I care to remember in the long list of questionable decisions by the university in that particular period of time. As a whole, the university was dealing with a TON of things that it should have never gotten itself into to begin with. I’m going to say this is done and over and we should all move on accordingly.

Well, I get the point and while no one probably wants to be at this juncture right now, there is nevertheless a concern. Hardesty is a professor in the law school. WVU has had a hard enough time with presidential problems in the past that this, if even in perception, does not help. The law school has fought and lost battles for credibility. Now a radio host is lobbing accusations that need to be addressed. If it’s false, fight it. If you don’t, I believe it might be true. And that doesn’t account for the possibility the NCAA sends a letter soon. 

ccteam said:

How could there have been an investigation concerning Hargett getting money without the NCAA wanting to know where it came from? They had to have asked him the question in the original investigation. So, is he lying now, or did he lie then? Or perhaps he just didn’t then or now know where the money originated. In any case this is all ground the NCAA had to have covered before. Why go back and do it again?

Hargett and his mom were interviewed. But suppose they lied. That’s why you go back now. That’s why the NCAA allows for the exception to the statute of limitations. Consider this: Back in 2002, Hargett still had some financial constraints and still had a plausible future, if not in college, than in the NBA or somewhere he could draw a paycheck and people could use him and his income. He was beholden to dirtbags. I could absolutely believe a story in which he refused to roll on some people because he might need or be scared of those people. But now, where are those people? And where is Hargett? Whatever fears or reservations or loyalties he had back then could be gone now and he might have no hesitation telling the NCAA where to find the bodies. That’s the first thing I thought after reading the story. And that scenario, however realistic or remote, would frighten me if I was WVU.

Netbros said:

Was Catlett so desperate to be competitive in the Big East that he was willing to sell his alma mater down the river by violating NCAA rules, especially the big no-no, paying players? Sure, he dominated the Eastern Eight and sometimes the Atlantic 10, but the Big East was cut from a different cloth. Did he started taking shortcuts to success?

At the time, it seemed to me that Catlett was getting kinda goofy in his later years in Morgantown. Simply listening to his weekly radio show with Caridi demonstrated that. I always wondered why he seemed to change so dramatically from the 1980s to 2000.

I’ve covered enough AAU stuff that I have to showed regularly I know high schools and colleges kind of revere Chris Cheeks. He’s plugged into some of the most fertile recruiting areas on the East coast, and maybe in the country. How has he never been a head coach or better than a mid-major assistant, not counting his very brief time at WVU, which wasn’t exactly high major at that time? Just curious.

SheikYbuti said:

Let’s face the facts: it’s hard to find a sympathetic character in this story.

I’m inclined to agree, but let’s be fair to Dakich. He took the job under false pretenses. He found out things WVU never did, or never bothered to find, or found and ignored or found and disguised. I just refuse to believe everyone at WVU was wholly in the dark on this. In that scenario, who’s the bad guy? And to add to that, because I can understand Hardesty’s anger in the moment, how small and how significant is the difference between “I’ll destroy you” and “It’ll destroy you”?

rekterx said:

If we are going to talk about this, even minimally, we need to talk about Dakich’s very recent claim that his departure from WVU cost WVU two national championships in basketball. Then we can decide that he is nuts

I’m not dignifying that.

The 25314 said:

So in the Hardesty scenario, was he wearing his bathrobe and was Dakich’s wife playing the role of Dusty Rutledge?

Also yes!

The 25314 said:

Also, I assume by “destroy” Hardesty meant pepper spray Dakich to the face and unleash attack dogs on him.

Enjoy the weekend!