The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

A little help has arrived

May 16, 2016 by Mike Casazza

You never know with junior colleges transfers, but three players West Virginia could use in the fall — and two the Mountaineers absolutely will — are already on campus.

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Tate and see

by Mike Casazza

Now, this is interesting. Tate Martell is, in pretty much everyone’s view, a top 50 player in the 2017 class, and if he’s not their No. 1 dual threat quarterback — or No. 1 quarterback — he’s not far from the top. He has offers from everyone, and he was committed to Texas A&M until recently.

Certainly, WVU will kick the tires, and it’s not exactly news to see the Mountaineers offer a top-shelf QB or for a kid, who may have some help with his Twitter, take to social media to brag about it. But there’s some beneath-the-surface stuff and a reason to at least see where this goes for Martell, the Mountaineers and Dana Holgorsen, who’d really like to sign a QB like this.

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Friday Feedback

May 13, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is surging toward the postseason, which is wedding season. It’ll keep me away the next three Fridays, so let’s enjoy it while we can. Sort of like round robin schedules.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, it’s good to make changes.

Karl said:

“Imagine the first time the Texas and Oklahoma blue bloods get a look at Nippert.” I’ve read that a few times here. Might their reaction be, “this place reminds me of Folsom Field at Colorado?” At least on TV, they seem a lot alike.

Been to both — humblebrag! — and I never made that connection, but I just googled some photos and, yeah, it looks similar enough. They’re both plunked in the middle of campus, and I’ve always liked  that. But Folsom is something else, just tucked between the mountains for fantastic scenery. I’m not sure that matters to the aforementioned, but I’m seeing People talk a lot about stadium sizes, and Folsom is significantly bigger. 

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Living the Dream

May 12, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Probably not a surprise, since she was the 11th overall pick in the draft, but kudos all the same to one of the greatest West Virginia has seen, someone who had a great season as well as a great career.

Knight right?

by Mike Casazza

 

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics is a, let’s say, divisive entity.

You’ll find people who roll their eyes and dismiss what the group does, because it’s essentially an able-minded think tank that doesn’t have a lot of power but insists on a great many things. It can’t make changes, but it can encourage them, and there is a history of tangible results.

Some think the KC is to critical of too many things and operates with a spirit that disapproves of what’s bad but also good about college sports. Others think the names and brains that assemble are known and bright and should, at the minimum, receive due attention.

You can search Twitter or Google and see what I mean.

But on Monday, the folks gathered in Washington to do their thing, and the headline might not have been the biggest or best news to come out of the meeting.

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From the stretch

by Mike Casazza

Contrary to what you might soon think, I was not struck in the head by a foul ball at a recent West Virginia baseball game.

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Gordon Gee: Busy

May 11, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Fun stuff yesterday as ESPN.com reported the West Virginia University president is globetrotting on behalf of the Big 12 to visit and essentially vet the possible candidates for expansion.

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Ping!

by Mike Casazza

Said it before, but that baseball team gives you something to watch every time they play. Jackson Cramer, the two-time defending Big 12 player of the week, added to the list last night, while freshman righty Michael Grove struck out 13 as West Virginia won again.

Skill position players in AFC West just took a knee

May 10, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Just want to point out again that the three NFL evaluations that were returned to Karl Joseph last season said he was everything but a first-round pick … which was true, I guess, until he became a first-round pick this year. Now he’s sitting on a four-year contract worth $11.88 million and an average of $2.9 million per season. The Raiders have a team option for the fifth year, as is standard with rookie deals like this one or Tavon Austin’s, and in that fifth season a player can more or less double the total value of the first four years.

Meanwhile, that glare joins a Raiders defense that includes Bruce Irvin, Aldon Smith, Malcolm Smith, Khalil Mack, Reggie Nelson, Sean Smith, D.J. Hayden, fellow rookies Shilique Calhoun and Jihad Ward and a few other folks to avoid between the lines.

At long last!

by Mike Casazza

We hadn’t been able to find anything very comprehensive or telling, until now. Introducing your definitive Maciej Bender highlight reel. Big fella likes to go left. He’s also grown an inch since he signed with WVU in November.