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

May the Forcier be with you

June 11, 2009 by Mike Casazza

As a general practice, many universities don’t publicize or comment on players who leave the program. WVU does not and is typically hesitant to even confirm departures … and I think I’m OK with that. 

I don’t think it’s a with-us-or-against-us thing as much as I think it’s just out of respect to the departing party, who the university would like to see leave without generating great and often unnecessary attention or suspicion.

There are exceptions — Huggins admitting Proby was gone, P-Rod once opening a press conference by saying Jeremy Bruce had left — but it’s pretty rare to hear that sort of news from WVU.

Typically, the stories of departures develop on their. Either someone pins down a rumor or a hunch and reports and presents it as fact or a player pops up at a new school and it’s kind of hard to ignore the move.

And then there’s the tale of now-former UCLA quarterback Chris Forcier

“My heart is at the quarterback position,” Forcier said via press release e-mailed to the Daily News by his family. “I (had) several solid options around the country to play. My quandary is and always has been that I also love UCLA.

“I’ve always been a ‘team player’ and have done what has been asked of me. Including but not limited to practicing WR in this years (sic) spring ball.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa … “via press release e-mailed to the Daily News by his family.”

You better believe it. If not, check the facts.

Fact: I was a scout.com (4) Star QB labeled as a dual-threat. I learned a complicated offense that calls for a pocket passing QB.

Fact: I was practice player of the week as a freshman multiple times.

Fact: In late February New QB Coach Norm Chow told me that the younger guys would get most of the QB reps in Spring Ball.

Fact: In 2007, I was (1) of the top (7) Quarterbacks in the country. However, none of that matters unless there is true opportunity to compete afforded.

Fact: I would like to wear #7 as I did in High School at Saint Augustine in San Diego, California.

P-Rod always was a man of his word

by Mike Casazza

I was telling a story the other day about how Jim Lewis called me out of the blue to tell me about a tryout for the UFL. People were oddly impressed. I sure hope they don’t catch word of this.

“Someone was asking me about regrets and if I had any,” Rodriguez said. “And I got to thinking that one of the things I still feel bad about is that the day [he announced he was going to Michigan], I remember seeing you in the hallway and telling you I’d call you later and I never did. So I thought I would.”

And so, out of the blue, my phone rang just before noon Wednesday, just as I was signing over a good part of my shrinking net worth to get the wife and kids into Idlewild Park up near Latrobe, Pa.

I remember that promise. Vividly. And I remember Mr. Hickman smirking as Rodriguez left and saying something to the effect of, “I doubt that.” Joke’s on you, sir!

Gosh, all the memories of that surreal day. 

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Corey McIntyre cleared

June 10, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Turns out the alleged victim wasn’t so sure whose genitals she’d seen, if she’d seen any at all. 

“I just want to say I’m happy my name has been cleared today,” McIntyre said after the Bills’ practice today in Orchard Park. “I have maintained my innocence all through this process and I’m just glad it’s out of the way. I’m sorry for the embarrassment to my family and to the Bills, and now my focus is on training camp.”

Headline-writers ready to, uh, strike

by Mike Casazza

WVU catcher Tobias Streich was drafted in the fifth round Wednesday by the Minnesota Twins. A defensive whiz who can hit it, too, Streich told me he’s 99.9-percent sure he’s going pro.

Uh, really? He’s known the regional scout for a while and a friend/mentor was drafted byu the Twins in 2001. Say goodbye to a really good player.

I’m 100-percent sure he’s going to rue the “How do you say your name?” routine again (it’s strike) and equally certain we’ll see a few “Opportunity streichs” or “Twins throw strike, pick catcher Streich” headlines. Others? I’m giddy.

Foundation crumbling

by Mike Casazza

(Web issues solved. Sorry for the delay.) 

Yikes. The WVU Foundation, which is the private fundraiser for the university, is cutting 65 salaries by 4.6 percent, slicing some health benefits and leaving six vacant jobs open. Feel free to connect the dots.

The foundation has seen a 22.3 percent decline in the value of its investments, which were worth about $417 million this time last year. That decline, though, is not as steep as investment declines at universities that WVU considers its peers. 

Funds from the endowment represent about 5.5 percent of WVU’s operating budget.

Joe Alexander is fine, thanks

June 9, 2009 by Mike Casazza

I must admit, this was a pretty good answer to a pretty old question.

It would be the $64,000 question if not for the fact he banked $2.4 million in the NBA: Would he have learned more at WVU this past year than he did with the Milwaukee Bucks?

The answer, in a manner of Alexander speaking, was a clever and defiant “no.”

“I learned a lot more about the NBA game,” Alexander said.

The puppy takes another tumble

by Mike Casazza

Lane Kiffin strikes again, this time with some help from ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” he clearly did not need.

During the segment first televised Sunday, Kiffin is shown meeting and talking with a recruit. At the end of the segment, ESPN’s Bob Ley, host of the show, brought the possible violation to light.

“Now, Kiffin’s arrival has brought several secondary NCAA violations,” Ley said. “It is entirely possible that you just saw another one. Remember the scene where Lane Kiffin is speaking with a recruit?

“Well, in the infamously thick NCAA rulebook, Rule 13.0.1, (it states) media members cannot observe recruiting contact by coaches. Tennessee tells Outside the Lines it is reviewing this matter. The NCAA is reserving comment until the story airs, so we look forward to hearing from them today (Sunday).”

Not sure what ESPN was thinking here, but that’s no less than six recruiting violations since Kiffin was hired Dec. 1. Six! Fear not, though, for Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said recently the number isn’t any more than the school usually reports.

Phew!

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The birth of a clown prince

June 8, 2009 by Mike Casazza

People sometimes forget just how great a player Hot Rod Hundley was as a collegian and as a pro. (By the way, $15 to sponsor Hot Rod’s page!) When he left WVU, he was the all-time leading scorer and he’d still be No. 1 if Fred Schaus hadn’t recruited that kid from Chelyan. Hundley was even the first pick in the 1957 NBA draft, which is perhaps as surprising now as it was then.

“Do you know how I found I was the first pick in the NBA draft?” he said. “I was driving down a highway in West Virginia and I heard it on the radio.”

His legacy, though, is as something of a joker and he remains a character today. Hundley gave the game years of his voice with the Utah Jazz and years of thrills with his skills, which included maybe the first crossover dribble.

“The first time I remember clowning around was in our first freshman game at the old Field House against Washington and Lee,” Hundley explained. “We were coming down the court and I was in the middle on a fast break. I came up face to face with a defender, did a little shake and he fell down.”

Hundley had a clear path to the basket, but rather than take it, he stopped, reached down, helped the defender up, then went by him to finish the play.

“The crowd loved it,” Hundley said, then recalled thinking, “What have I got here? I think I’ll try something else.”

Anybody seen thacker?

by Mike Casazza

For some time now he’s forward the idea through the comments The Logo should one day be the athletic director at his alma mater. Well, of the many, many, many things Jerry West was asked about and discussed Saturday was a possible leadership role — wink, wink — at the university.

“Oh, no. No, no. I’m much too committed to things and I’d probably drive everyone crazy. In the professional world, you can kind of hide. But here in this state, you’re out there everywhere and everyone is throwing barbs at you. I’m a pretty intense person and when I get involved I get involved.”

He’ll remain involved with the school and West offered a nondescript tip he might have something planned for WVU in the future.

“Obviously, my affection for this state is never going to go away,” he said. “Even though I’m occupied doing things in other places, hopefully something will happen here in West Virginia pretty soon. We’ll have to wait and see.”

By the way, who’s cooler than Jerry West? I’m waiting…

Talking points

by Mike Casazza

Not this night! Uh, morning. And not for the foreseeable future. What used to be a way to review what happened over the weekends I’d spent covering basketball and football games is kind of pointless now. There’s really nothing going on that transpires over the weekend and we were one more Chelsea Carrier link away from people wondering if I’m perhaps a little crazy or a little too enthusiastic about Buckhannon. (The answers are yes and yes).

And yet this was one of those neat weekends to be in or of Morgantown, capped off by the oddly endearing old school hip hop concert at Pro Performance last night. And kudos to Pro Performance, which staged Young MC, The Sugarhill Gang, Rob Base and Naughty by Nature at the indoor facility, which I didn’t think was possible.

The highlight was finale, which began with an awkward mic handoff among various WVAQ personalities and someone who shrieked “And now, Naughty by Natuuuuuuuuure.” Nine minutes later, the group took the stage. And then lit it up. Pretty neat show in that “Holy crap, I forgot how good these guys were” kind of way. Almost made you forget about the Bob Huggins fantasy camp.

Almost.

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