The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board

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

Let’s point fingers

July 28, 2009 by Mike Casazza

When I arrived at West Virginia University so many years ago, I spent quiet and peaceful nights at Boreman South, which made my parents happy since it’d been blurbed in a magazine of note for its penchant for parties. WVU was also at that time the No. 1 party school and try as I might, I just couldn’t tell my folks I’d seen or experienced anything of the sort.

“It’s the media, ma!” I’d say as I began to corner the market on irony.

Long gone

by Mike Casazza

Well, for this season, at least. Deon Long is off to Chatham, Va., and time well spent at Hargrave Military Academy.

Long’s latest test score came in and wasn’t high enough to combine with his GPA and satisfy the NCAA’s freshman eligibity requirements. He will instead enroll at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. Long will enroll at WVU when he completes the necessary work.

Long, a 6-foot, 180-pounder from Washington, D.C., caught 95 passes for 2,072 and 22 touchdowns in three seasons at Dunbar High. He’ll have more chances to take the SAT — and make the NCAA Eligibility Center subsequently suspicious — and could possibly enroll at WVU in January as a grayshirt and get a useful jump on the 2010 season.

People were paying attention

July 27, 2009 by Mike Casazza

It’s unlikely you’ve noticed, but there’s a pretty contentious coach-vs.-former school conflict going on. To me, it’s mostly interesting because it involves not WVU and Michigan or two schools you might see on a Saturday night in October or a Thursday night in March.

It’s Marist and James Madison and the Red Foxes are not happy they lost their men’s basketball coach to the Dukes. Law san rely heavily on legal precedence, so perhaps it’s no surprise Marist is relying heavily on WVU v. P-Rod.

“To me, that was sort of the first shift in the power struggle from the power being concentrated in the hands of the coaches,” Fitzgerald said. “That was a significant case.”

Well, I feel vindicated.

The best steak you’ll ever have

by Mike Casazza

The Legacy teased us a little bit last month when he talked about making something happen at WVU — “We’ll have to wait and see.” — as he tried to keep himself busy in retirement.

Proof of his restlessness came earlier that day at the Bob Huggins Fantasy Camp. West had flown to the Greenbrier and back in the morning before teaching and speaking at the camp in the afternoon.

There was obviously something going on and now we know what it was — though, with West, there could be much, much more because you never know when he thinks enough is enough.

Oll updates

by Mike Casazza

Finau’s coming. Deon Long probably isn’t. Now you know.

On the new personnel side, Stewart said WVU continues to wait for transcripts toward the admission of junior college defensive lineman Tevita Finau. Stewart predicted Finau “will get here by the time we report (Aug. 7).” He said wide receiver Deon Long “is very close to getting his needed test score and if he doesn’t make it, he’ll go to prep school or sit out and take (the test) again.”

Just to keep up on this, I’m told Finau will be here — one reason he isn’t is because he can’t get into summer school, so no need to hurry — and Long is headed to a prep school.

Grab your shovel!

by Mike Casazza

And by shovel, I mean checkbook. One way or another, even if it involves small changes or great ones, Huggins and the MAC are going to get this practice facility going.

Proof? The MAC’s Legacy Fund, which used to be a rather elite club of major donors, is about to get a little more people-friendly.

What’s in his name?

July 24, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Check out this interview with Noel Devine (Edit: It’s working.) and/or read any of the stories it inspired. Form your opinions. Now match them with those you had and projected of the kid when he was being recruited, when he arrived and when he started so promisingly. Now please share how one set of opinions meshes with the other.

I’ll go first.

When it was a game …

by Mike Casazza

No, it’s not WVU-related, but it is a sad and sadly irresistible tale about Little League baseball.

Bridgeport, the District 5 champion, thought it had taken a 7-5 lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out, two-run home run over the left-center field fence by Elijah Drummond.

It was the boy’s first homer ever, Marra said.

Instead, Drummond was called out after the ball went over the fence. A base umpire declared there had been a case of “assisting the runner” and the homer was nullified.

Friday Feedback

by Mike Casazza

Not this night! Let’s go for a full blog day, yes?

By now you’ve seen, or at least surely heard about, LeBron James getting dunked on at his own camp by a college kid, Xavier’s Jordan Crawford. We had a Witness on hand, though Devin Ebanks was playing in a separate game at the time.

Mike Hamrick comes on down

July 23, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Marshall has a new A.D. — that was fast! — and ~~three-fifths~~ three-fourths of the decision-makers are ready to take a seat around the bartering table as it pertains to that WVU-Marshall football series. Anyhow, get to know Mike Hamrick. We’ll learn much more about him soon.