Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which sighs wonders what’s the big deal. Here’s what we know, and what we’ve known: Dana Holgorsen doesn’t have a West Virginia drivers’ license. The West Virginia football coach has a Texas license because he never got an Oklahoma license, either. And he lives in a hotel. And though he’s bought land and has plans to build a house, his mailing address is the Puskar Center. Not sure any of that was news, but whatever.
Here’s what I did not know: There’s a law stating a state resident needs to apply for a license within 30 days. … And that’s about it.
I’ve vacillated on this and I still think, in principle, the story idea is fine. Sorry, it is. The head football coach at WVU, a guy making a lot of money and a guy who has wheels and insurance gifted to him as a privilege, doesn’t have a license now nine months into his stay. DMV lines aren’t that long! So I can see the significance, especially in West Virginia, where fans are a little anxious about the allegiances of their coaches. And, finally, there seems to be neither care nor consequences for this apparent violation.
At least, I don’t think there are. Never read what the A.D. or the president had to say. Never saw word from the DMV or a state government official who might be concerned with such a thing. What about the Wheels Club? I don’t even know what the penalty is, if there is one. All I saw was Holgorsen explain and then defend his position — and capably and so. Just totally disassembled the case against him. I mean, how do you argue that a coach is busy?
It all makes me wonder if this didn’t start somewhere else. No way the story started as “Holgorsen doesn’t have a West Virginia license.” At least, I’d hope not. If he didn’t have a license, that would be different.
There’s been a little rumor he didn’t have, or couldn’t get a license. And I can attest to the fact that isn’t true. For one, he doesn’t get the job without one. I’m one of a few people who was assured he had a license — a Texas license. And Holgorsen nearly sideswiped me, my wife and my boss as he wheeled into Waterfront Place in August. It was dark, we were walking off the sidewalk as we headed to the parking garage and he never saw us. It wasn’t really close, but it was kind of funny because, you know, the guy who isn’t allowed to drive was driving an SUV. He and I had a laugh about it the next day.
Does he drive everywhere? No and that’s become an issue, even in the presence of explanations. One I don’t want to even get into because it’s 2011 and I don’t want to deal with the people who would have a problem with it. Another, he sometimes doesn’t know where he’s going when he goes somewhere — Elkins, Parkersburg, Charleston, on and on. Thirdly, car rides are like office hours for coaches. They check and send email. They visit their voicemail and make calls. They read stuff. They do things they can’t do when practicing or meeting or watching film. A lot can get done in the 80 minutes it takes someone to take him to Tennerton.
But Holgorsen could drive there if he wanted. He could pull out of the garage at his hotel or, if we wait a while longer, his new house on that large plot of land. He could motor down I-79 and make the trip himself because he has a Texas license. Not a West Virginia license, and that probably has to change. I request to ride shotgun for that trip because I’d like to write the story about how Holgorsen spends the 55-minute wait until C-37 is called at the DMV. Imagine the non-verbals there …
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t press your luck.
ffejboc said:
Bruce Feldman got access because Bruce Feldman isn’t going to write some TMZ garbage piece about casinos or driver’s liceneses. It’s not paranoia if they really ARE trying to get you.
The thought occurred to me yesterday. And I wasn’t very happy to think it.
overtheSEC said:
#freemike
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