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

That’s deep!

August 19, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Take a look at the first depth chart of the fall:

Continue reading…

Oh, Canada!

by Mike Casazza

Former WVU distance star Megan Metcalfe will be inthe Olympic final in the 5,000 meter run. She qualified eight and will run for the gold Friday morning. The Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, native ran a personal best time of 15:11.23. The nine-time All-American in cross country and track runs at 8:40 p.m. in Beijing Friday, which is 8:40 a.m. local time Friday. NBC will recap the race in its primetime coverage Friday night. The race should be available on www.nbcolympics.com 24 hours after the race ends.

Zarzour speaks!

by Mike Casazza

I have to admit I’m really starting to like the pollspeak.com site. I’d seen it before and given it a glance, but now that I’ve dug in the last few days I just really like the intent behind it all and hope it works by letting voters know they ought to take this seriously. Perhaps the poll organizers take inventory of the voters, as well.

Another feather in the cap came with today’s explanation from Taylor Zarzour, who seems to have a method to his madness.

Surprises always happen. Regardless, I assure you that I will vote for the 25 most deserving teams during the season. My first rankings are predictions for how the entire season will turn out. I certainly could be way off, but they are my picks going into the year. [Last Year] Kansas, Missouri, and Boston College all finished in the Top 10 and weren’t even in the poll at the beginning of the year. Obviously all the voters were wrong and made adjustments during the season.

If Auburn, WVU, Ohio St., or anybody else proves me wrong I will gladly put them in their rightful place.

I give you Taylor Zarzour…

by Mike Casazza

… the only one of the AP’s esteemed voters who kept N0. 8 WVU out of the top 25. What’s that you say? Oh, he left five of the AP’s top 25 off his ballot!

Just a weird poll and a fantastic illustration of how arbitrary voting really is. If that wasn’t enough, Taylor, the sports director at WPTF in Raleigh, N.C., has a blog in which he explains his voting. He explains his top 25 and while I’d be worried about the admission “I was not born with a fully functional brain,” I feel significantly better when I read “I usually do pretty well with final records, but I am awful at picking individual games.” Well, what’s all the fuss about?

Crazy things happen every year, so what fun would it be to pick favorites?

That’ll be all, Roscoe Davis

August 18, 2008 by Mike Casazza

From WVU’s sports information department:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ( August 18, 2008 ) – West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins announced today that Roscoe Davis is planning to attend prep school for the 2008-09 year.

My opinion: You won’t see Roscoe play for WVU. Not with Aaric Murray out there next year.

The Cleveland Browns are not ECU…

by Mike Casazza
Kay-Jay

… but Kay-Jay Harris is about to get loose!

“I’m just hoping the opportunity comes up somewhere because I’m telling you right now when I do get that chance I’m going to be like an angry man in hell,” Harris said. “If I get the opportunity to be able to get in there and perform on the roster as a running back I’m not going to give it back.”

Vote on the voting

by Mike Casazza

Polls are subjective, but this seemed ridiculous to me.

So far, the only poll that hasn’t chosen Georgia at No. 1 has been the SEC’s media poll. Instead, Florida was chosen to win the SEC East.

So, yes, different people will vote in different ways and now we’re able to document and critique it. The Mountaineers, by the way, were as high as No. 3 and as low as unranked — which is also ridiculous.  

Talking points

by Mike Casazza

…from the weekend that was. For your use in elevator rides, trips to the water cooler and other awkward moments on a Monday.

– Say cheese!

Photobucket

– One coach got WVU to this point and another must keep it here.

– Imagine Will Johnson’s playing card — tight end/fullback/H-Back.

– Steve Slaton, circa 2006.

– Lawyers had the time of their lives suing P-Rod … and the media was awesome!

Friday Feedback

August 15, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback. I could think of no better way to start this week than to share a little bit of Pat McAfee’s brilliance.  

“This summer, I went to Canada and gave a man on the street — a bum — peddling for change a toonie, a $2 dollar thing in Canada. A $2 coin. Later that night — this is not a lie — I was at the roulette table and that same bum was playing with a $5 chip on the number 14. He lost, but where did he get that $5 chip? You tell me. You tell me where that happened. That’s the problem with the world today.”

Laughter subsided and McAfee was asked if perhaps said bum had turned McAfee’s toonie into $5.

“I could only imagine, but where did he take my toonie and where did he get that nickle? He suckers money out of all of us then he’s on the roulette table. He has a gambling problem. It’s ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”

Would justice have been served if McAfee asked the bum for money?

“I should have. I lost all of my money that night. I was riding big when I gave him the $2 dollar coin.”

Things would get worse.

“I go into Canada and Canada is beating us with money, so I get less money. And then I came back on a Sunday, the first day in three months we beat them. So I lost money both ways. I lost money going in and I lost money coming back. It was amazing. I got screwed both ways. I’ll never go back. (Dramatic pause) I’ll go back. I’ll definitely go back.”

It was then agreed we’d meet weekly for a random tale from the kicker’s life.

“I’ve got some good stories. I don’t know if they’re for the paper.”

They’ve got a home here.

Onto the feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, sometimes you need to shy from the limelight.

glibglub said: 

Do not pose with the Mountaineers?

Top Five unreported ground rules for Fan Day:

5. Do not attempt to collect a piece of practice field turf as a souvenir. It is not real and will not grow back.

4. Do not taunt Noel Devine. Little dude can bench press over 400 pounds.

3. We know all about your feelings toward the all-yellow uniforms. No need to go on about it.

2. Please resist the temptation to tell Doc Holliday that you’re “his huckleberry.”

1. Do not ask “So where the @#$!& is Coach Rod?”

I will test all five next Sunday.

Continue reading…

Breaking: Reed Williams may sit

August 14, 2008 by Mike Casazza

The senior middle linebacker said Thursday he’s probably not going to play in the season opener … and has to consider a medical redshirt.

“When it’s your senior year, you don’t want to miss any games,” Williams said. “You want to be out there for every opportunity to be with the guys, but you don’t want to risk injury or re-injury and you’re a little afraid you haven’t knocked the rust off in the first couple of games.

“The good things is it’s a chance to play for a national championship, it’s my last year to play with (quarterback) Patrick White, who in my eyes is the best college football player in the nation, and (running back) Noel Devine and all the guys I played with the past three years. There are so many things I’d hate to miss.”