Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which for a while felt like it had been lied to all these years. Mean Gene Okerlund is a West Virginia University graduate?

Mean Gene Okerlund is not a West Virginia University graduate.

The alumni association has no record, and though the friendly folks there say their record-keeping is not perfect, the university’s registrar has no record either.

And on top of that, an industry insider says Gene attended Nebraska and finished at Panepistimion Makedonias.

It’s too bad because we need Eugene in some capacity.

It’s West Virginia versus Texas Tech on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG. Who will survive?

Oh, man. What if he was the sideline reporter?

Q: Dana, what in the world happened on the final drive of this half? You have two timeouts remaining and you end up attempting a 57-yard field goal to end the half.

A: Well you know something, Mean Gene …

I might sue now, just to buy IMG and Mean more time. WVU’s new baseball and women’s basketball play-by-play man, Jeff Culhane, comes to Morgantown from the University of Nebraska. Maybe they can be a package deal.

True story: M.G.’s burger place opened on campus when I was in school and he was out celebrating the opening whilst I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday. We ended up talking for a while. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I know John Oliver was involved. He was like Gene’s muscle that night. Anyhow, a bunch of things randomly happen and I’m in a corner at a bar with Gene and my man’s wearing a tuxedo.

This is my Wrestlemania moment.

We get to talking and he’s very cool. Not a big-timer. Not scanning the room trying to get away. He’s with WCW at the time and WCW was hot back then. He nevertheless compliments the WWF and says I should remain a fan of its product. I concur, because, come on, Mean Gene, but “… there’s something missing, if you know what I … mean … Gene.”

Mic. Drop.

The music did not stop and the crowd did not gasp. He laughed and we carried on our conversation. It wasn’t much longer. It was definitely long enough that I’m sure I didn’t roll his eyes and scare him off, nor was it so long that I felt he was compelled to stick around a deranged fan lest he find his limo tires slashed outside the bar. Pretty sure I was signing T-shirts and taking pictures as I left the place that night, but that might be some other occasion, I’m not sure. It’s nevertheless one of my very best moments.

Love that guy.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t get carried away.

(Late breaking: Just looked at my phone — Holton AND Macon are both eligible. That’s mildly surprising and extraordinarily encouraging news for Bob Huggins. Good job, good effort.)

 

(Update: There was some misinformation out there. Macon is enrolled, but he’s not yet ruled eligible. There’s a difference. Haven’t heard anything to derail the Holton news, though.)

Jeff in Akron said:

Gotta say, I’m not sure what a WVU football season, or basketball for that matter, would be like without this blog. I hope I never have to find out!

Good Luck Mike! I’ve thought for some time that the radio coverage of WVU sports was lacking, that just changed and I’m not referring to IMG.

You won’t find out this season, I promise. The radio show, which debuts Thursday in its 8-10 p.m. slot on SMCRadio.com, is something separate, but not necessarily additional. It’s not taking away from the blog, which I was planning on thinning out for 2013 anyhow. Fear not. 

Dann White said:

I have been trying to knudge you in this direction since I saw the first video blog. I am proud of you for seeing opportunity in the demise or divestiture of wvrc’s domains.
Now that you’re making a move, I am left worried that this vehicle that brought you to this point ( not withstanding your skill as a print reporter)will be left unused by the side of the road. I caution you to keep the blog alive, as it is an important part of many sports commentator’s tools, if for no other reason, because it keeps them within arm’s length of their constituency’s appetite.
Whatever you do, you will be doing it with my best wishes and support. As I said before; I’ll be saying “I knew him when”….

Dann

OK, I first planned to get into this next week, but let’s fix it now: TFGD, The Good and the Bad, You’ll Never Talk Alone and F Double have all agreed to lucrative contract extensions. They’ll be back. We still have some cap room for that tricky Wednesday feature. More importantly, commenters will have their stage, per usual. Also, I appreciate your concern about what might happen here, but we’ve worked too hard and had too much fun here for me to abandon this. I can handle it. Remember, I researched, wrote and edited a book during the Orange Bowl season. A lot of things contributed to this radio show. No way I neglect those things.

kennewickblksox said:

Congrats. It is well deserved. Favorite Casazza article is still Country roads wreck my home.

Old school. Officially a classic now. So old I can’t find a link.

hoot said:

Congrats Mr. C..hope you have as much fun with radio as I did. A word of
advice, though…don’t quit your day job. Radio just doesn’t pay that much
anymore. (insert your own John Raese joke here…)
Good luck.

You’re obviously not familiar with my day job.

Shoot4Show said:

Journalist. Blogger. Author. Radio personality. Our little Mike is all grown up! On a serious note, you don’t get these opportunities if you aren’t good at what you do. Congrats and we look forward to supporting you in your new venture.

Hard to get this opportunity in this town. Can’t say no to it.

SheikYbuti said:

Sounds like the show is going to take phone-ins. Maybe that segment can be titled “Waiting for the Call?”

See, I can’t leave this.

Mack said:

Can we call in and ask you about stuff (anything)?

Of course.

Rob W. said:

What is interesting is that I had some time tonight and pulled up the podcast from the show you did last week and then I log on and find this…. Your insight was terrific. I’ll refrain comment on the host….

Mike, I hate to see anything happen that pulls you away from what you do for the DM or this blog. And that is for my own selfish reasons. But I wish you the very best in this in this and I will do whatever I can to support it. Your work is first rate and truly appreciated.

Are we gonna have a lottery to see who gets to be caller #1?

Lottery. Done. Sound suggestion.

JC said:

Congrats Mike. If (more like when) the day comes you grow out of our WVU world and we see/hear/read you covering national sports for a major network, I’ll sit back and fondly say I was on the ground floor of Tier 4 when it all went down {pours Nestea out for the homies}

…efforting a tea sponsorship, by the way.

netbros said:

First, congrats on your moonlighting gig. See if you can get John Raese on. 

Also, noticed your tweet about Holton and Macon still not being enrolled. By my best count, that leaves Huggins with nine scholarship players for the fall semester.

Don’t know if NCAA rules have changed, but it used to be that student/athletes could become eligible in the 2nd semester. Is is possible, if Holton and/or Macon meet whatever criteria is holding them back, that they could enroll and become eligible in the 2nd semester when the conference games begin?

I think that’s for players who have been in the school previously. Junior college players have to be eligible in the first semester to play their first year. Freshmen have to qualify for admission, period. If you can’t get in, you can’t be eligible/ineligible for the first semester. A partial qualifier has to sit out a whole year.

Down South said:

The minute I heard Rex Ryan’s comments, I assumed he was taking a shot at Dana because of his ties to the Patriots. Been on their sideline for games, buddies with Welker, reportedly talked to Belichik about things like his passing offense and tempo. Everything Ryan does is an angry lament about the fact that he can’t beat the Patriots. I honestly believe that was the impetus for Ryan to take a shot at WVU.

Having said that, I watched the entire press conference. And the minute Dana said what he said, it was obvious to me that everyone would assume it was about Geno. He was the quarterback, which is usually the position that takes the leadership criticism, and he had been criticized leading up to draft day on that very issue. I always have th impression that nothing Dana says is by accident. He said what he said knowing what the reaction would be. For reasons known only to Dana.

Someone reminded me of this last week, too: Mike Smith. Remember that ordeal?

Clarence Oveur said:

The scenario I’m going to draw up doesn’t exactly fit the reality of the WVRC lawsuit, but in terms of the tier 3 proposals I think it might…

You’re in a college graduate class. You’re familiar with the professor, you’ve had classes with him in undergrad before. You’ve fared well in his courses, always come out of it with solid grades and developed a good rapport with the prof. You’re chummy, comfortable. You do enough to get by.

The difference? It’s a graduate class, and those surrounding you are just as able (if not more so) than you are. You believe that you’ll be just fine if you maintain the status quo. Many of those newcomers around you are oblivious to your prior connection to the professor, and you figure that you’re in good hands regardless of what effort they put forth.

Your final exam rolls around. You do what you always do, study just enough and provide more or less the same level of effort and intelligence that you always have. You receive your final grade from the professor, and it’s a C. You’ve never scored lower than a B in his classes. Turns out those other students you took for granted were every bit as capable as you, and then some.

Your professor expected a certain level of effort and presentation on your part since you’re now in graduate school. You’re a big fish in a much larger pond, and there’s competition. So what did you do? You gave him the same old-same old, and that just won’t cut it anymore. The guy who got the A? His exam and the effort he put into it lapped yours several times over.

Again, this scenario doesn’t exactly mirror WVRC v. WVU (I’d give WVRC a much lower grade on the presentation of their proposal in reality). But I’d like to think it speaks to what can happen when relationships are formed and fostered for significant periods of time: complacency can set in.

That’s how WVRC comes off in comparing the proposals. Lazy, and consequently a loser.

Sustained!

pknocker40 said:

I like to think WVRC sees itself as Richard Belding to IMG’s Rod Belding – unspectacular but dependable, and unlikely to run off with any stewardesses named Inga…. But unlike SBTB, I doubt Oliver Luck will come back to WVRC and claim it was the “better Belding.”

Starting to feel like a special day here.

smeer said:

casualties of the IMG-WVRC wars

Kyle Wiggs and Travis Jones

http://wvmetronews.com/2013/08/19/img-taps-new-voice-for-baseball-womens-hoops/

Well, let’s be careful. I know what you mean, but it’s not a spiteful move. It’s more consequence than casualty. IMG wants their own people and neither Mr. Wiggs nor Mr. Jones was their pick. It’s business, not personal.

Mack said:

I’m not sure if a state institution is hamstrung any more than a private business would be . . . but I struggle with how WVRC has a claim against WVU. WVU (or any business) is free to go with any choice that it wants, whether they choose to go with the company that gives WVU the most money, has the most expertise in the area of the job, or a million other reasons that could be out there.

Here, IMG seems to provide more services to WVU than WVRC is capable of doing, guarantees WVU more money, and I would imagine has more experience in the field.

I just haven’t seen anything that WVU did that was “wrong” by any definition of the word. The attorney general asked that WVU re-do the RFP, but (unless I’m mistaken) the AG said there was nothing inherently wrong with the original RFP and WVU wasn’t even required to go through an RFP process.

To allow this lawsuit to go forward would open up any company/institution that accepts a bidding process for a job to open themselves up to civil liability when they accept a bid.

I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective. I can accept WVRC believes it and other bidders were wronged. This has been corroborated somewhat already because of the “significant errors and sloppiness.” This is not to say I agree with everything. I can just see what they’re saying … and I could just as easily accept an argument that deconstructs WVRC’s. Ultimately, WVU has a choice to make and IMG has the better package and potential and is regarded as being one of the best at what it does. In the end, WVU sought advice from the state’s attorney general, was admonished and then started anew. That would seem like enough, but the last paragraph is heaviest and what I think would get this tossed. 

mtneerndixie said:

The fact that this has gone this far is pathetic and if it’s not killed at this hearing this state has serious issues with legislation/tort or whatever you call it.

WVU wanted the best in the business to do their work, which also gave them more guaranteed money. Raese had many years, unopposed, to feed from his golden goose. I wonder if his years of dealins were all done to the letter of law and ethics?

If this is grounds for a lawsuit you may as well burn the Constitution too.

I keep hearing it won’t get tossed, mostly because of the political climate in this state. Someone told me a judge could agree with WVU’s position that it was deprived of the mandated notification from WVRC that it intended to sue. A judge would dismiss it for that, but also allow for WVRC to give warning and re-file. One way or another, the finsh line could be a long way away. 

smeer said:

we’d get rid of a lot of this BS lawsuits. if losing lawyers had to pay court costs and lawyer fees for winning side . .

Agreed, but is this a BS lawsuit? Team Raese has already had some if its claims authenticated by the the top law enforcement official in the state. That doesn’t smell like BS. Now, is it pure? Hardly. But it’s shouldn’t be case aside just because of the character of the characters.

Daniel said:

Does WVU have to wait until this suit is over to be able to counter-sue for the revenue they lost this year from WVRC’s frivolousness?

Nope — remember WVU suing the Big East and then the Big East suing WVU? — but that’s what makes Monday important. If the suit is dismissed and we arrive at the end, I have to think WVU takes the high road and is happy to move forward. If for some reasons the end does not arrive, I suspect litigious options will be considered.

Drew said:

Mean Gene’s burgers….ughhh that place was pretty terrible.

Erroneous! Good fries. Good chicken sandwich. I liked the, I don’t know, salted flavor of the burgers. It was a lot like Checker’s. Ever been to one of those? Am I off?

The 25314 said:

I refuse to sit idly by as Mene Gene’s Burgers is defamed. I once survived a whole year on nothing but Mene Gene’s #6′s and Boreman Bistro Brunch.

How was that bypass?

hoot said:

The way I see it, Mike Logan may have his shortcomings, but he has one major
factor in his favor….he is NOT Dwight Wallace. That alone gets him my vote.

Different roles. Logan will be pregame and postgame. I understand Wallace is still in the mix for in-game commentary, which, I gather, will disappoint many.

pknocker40 said:

If I had my way, Jed Drenning would do color commentary and Red Panda would be the sideline reporter.

I fail to see how that would work, yet I see no problem, either.

SheikYbuti said:

Red Panda? I like it. That would almost certainly guarantee that we’d get to a bowl game.

Enjoy the rest of the F Double!

JPWVURFL said:

I am very encouraged about the depth on both sides of the ball. There have been seasons where we were lucky to have a starting corps of players and it seems we are getting a comfortable two-deep now. I know it changes with each year, but it looks promising for the next couple seasons as they grow and develop. You can never predict when the injury bug will bite, though.

I’m interested in your thoughts going forward with the QB position. Will it help having Trickett start and play majority of snaps this year while delaying the growth of the other two? If he’s obviously the best, then play him. I’m sure it helps putting Ford in the system for another year, possibly even as THE backup, but thinking of playing experience – we’ll be dealing with the same issue next season.

While I think Trickett is the pick because he’s been in there more than the others and Holgorsen obviously values leadership and presence, I heard what you’d consider encouraging things about Millard at the end of camp. Was it enough? We’ll see. As for depth, I need to see the coaches pull the trigger before I buy into it. 

Sammy said:

The versatile Cody Clay notwithstanding, imagine the starting backfield/WRs looks like this on opening day, with a three receiver/two runningback set, which is very close to who was with the “ones” in the last scrimmage open to the media:

QB: Clint Trickett
RB A: Charles Sims
RB B: Dreamius Smith
Outside WR: Ronald Carswell
Outside WR: Kevin White
Inside WR: Mario Alford

Notice anything? All six of those guys weren’t on WVU’s roster in 2012.

Good or bad? I think Myers is above Carswell, but he wasn’t really a factor last season. I think they have talent there. I think the challenge is arranging the pieces and, most notably, picking the right QB1.

EM2 said:

Sammy

I think that, the 2 back 3 WR set, is what we will be seeing a lot of this year. With the back sliding into the second IR postion

Likely, but I think you’ll see more of Clay and Smith to either side of the QB and Sims behind the QB. Clay will motion out to IR. In variations, Sims and Smith would switch backfield spots and Sims would slide to IR. Whatever the case, Sims is valuable as a runner, receiver or a threat that pulls a defender out of the box.

Mack said:

Not to be too simplistic, but I think we will see exactly what we have seen the past two years . . . and the variations will come once a player starts making plays. Whoever “MAKES PLAYS!” will start having the offense tailored more toward their direction. Until then, it will be very similar to what we’ve already seen.

Until we actually see the players once, it’s impossible to know who will be good. Sims (and even Dreamius Smith) are getting the most pre-real-game publicity since Jason Gwaltney and Kay Jay Harris. Think about that.

I disagree somewhat because the starting points aren’t the same. Dana’s first two teams never had the depth of quality at running back and those teams had a greater number of trusted receivers. That’s going to yield different formations, or at least more of some and fewer of others. But, yeah, once things take shape on the field, the players shape the offense.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

I certainly hope the LBs and the rest of the defense brings their lunch pails and goes back to work this year!!!!

Last year was so hard to watch — if they can be respectable, they WILL beat OU in Norman on Sept 7th. Sooners have a question at QB and lost a lot of starters off what was a bad defense last year.

Second game of the season — our defense plays respectably and we may steal the win I see as necessary to get to 8 this year…….which is what I see them getting.

I think Oklahoma picked the right quarterback — and not Blake Bell. They went with Trevor Knight. Who? Well, when the Sooners prepared for the Cotton Bowl last season — honestly, they did — they had Knight play Manziel on the scout team. That gives you an idea of his agility. And Bell can still come in and do his Belldozing. I like it.

rekterx said:

If last year’s defense was the 75th best defense in the country that team would have probably won two more games. You think about that.

Hell, one spot higher might have been worth two wins: Knock survive the 2-point pass against TCU, knock down the fourth-down pass against Oklahoma. That’s a total of five yards. That’s something many have overlooked. The Mountaineers weren’t that far from nine wins, but that offense that rescued that defense so many times is gone. The defense might be better in 2013, but will it be so much better to make up for the anticipated dip on offense?

Bill G. said:

Any word on whatever happened to DeShawn Coleman and Marquion Lane?

Any chance we see them in the future?

I doubt it. Remember when they didn’t sign and I said they’d simply inked “commitment letters” and people wigged out because there was no such thing? I’m telling you, they never signed NLIs because WVU didn’t want to be on the hook for someone who didn’t have a relatively high chance of qualifying. The commitment letter said, “We’ll be here if you can get here.” They never got there. That’s one way you go 26-for-26.

Mack said:

ESPN’s THE DECISION… THE SEQUEL!

I like the idea of doing it the way they do the recruiting announcements. Put the three jerseys on the table in front of HCDH. He reaches for Trickett’s jersey only to turn at the last second and grab Millard’s.

It would be ideal if Holgorsen changed his mind after the ceremony, too. 

I love you, Doug! said:

Am thinking the starting QB annoucement will be “broken” by a media partner of WVU’s, right?

Also, so to compensate for its inferior WVU coverage, the Gazette is…doubling down on high school coverage?

People will flip out if the announcement is facilitated for IMG. As for the latter, check the bylines. It’s a joint venture and our guys have done a lot of the work. And I’ve never once seen their paper referred to as America’s Paper. I just don’t understand that.

rekterx said:

“Yeah … (snort) … yeah. We’re going with Clint. He brings a presence to the field and he has the most game experience.”

You know, Dana didn’t have that, uh, cadence before he got here. Seriously, go back and watch clips at Oklahoma State. Seems his allergies have gone haywire here.

Big Al said:

Dana said he would decide who the starter is by the end of fall camp. Since fall camp has ended, I think he now knows who is going to start (barring injury between now and 8/31).
However, he seems to enjoy keeping the press (and by extension everyone else) guessing. I don’t think he will make an announcement.
Even if the name escapes by other means, Dana will not acknowledge nor confirm. So even if we all “know”, he will keep that little seed of doubt in our minds. Just because he can.

That’s the Mike Leach in him, Coaches cling to their confidentiality because it’s one of the few things they can control in a game with kids and young adults. 

Drew said:

Forget the reveal. Dana is going to decide via roulette wheel. Red it’s Clint. Black it’s Ford. 0/00 it’s Paul and Dana is basejumping the new river bridge without a chute.

Dangerous.

smeer said:

so I’m starting a little office pool on the guessing the date of the reveal.

tie breakers are guessing the correct starter and the means by which the reveal is made – including all those mentioned by Mike and adding

Clint, will you accept this rose? . . . .

$20 a pop – winner takes half with the balance of the proceeds going to my favorite charity – WVRC relief fund for displaced employees

my paypal account number is . . .

Enjoy the weekend!