WVU Outrage: National Media Siding with Rich Rodriguez

UPDATE: For a sensible take on the situation from a national sports writer, read Mitch Albom. 

A skewed rewrite of history is under way—even as the history is being made.

Somehow, the national college football media is slowly but surely siding with Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez in his ongoing battle with West Virginia University.

The latest culprit is Sports Illustrated writer Stewie Mandel, usually a reliable voice in college football. Today, he pipes up on the saga and squarely blames West Virginia University administrators for dragging out the imbroglio, going so far as to say the university is acting like a “psychotic ex-girlfriend.”

The characteristic is offensive and Mandel should be ashamed.

He has swallowed Rodriguez’s line that WVU is engaged in a “smear campaign” against him, as he stated on Friday. Mandel and others are carrying the water for disgruntled WVU boosters, such as Ken Kendrick Jr., who with Rodriguez gone are suddenly stripped of their clout and access.

Yes, there has been an understandable, if fevered, coverage of the issue from the West Virginia press. And, the papers that Rodriguez admitted to shredding in his WVU office after he resigned and before he left may turn out to be inconsequential.

I will allow all that.

However, at the heart of this entire matter is one simple fact—a fact that, in urging WVU to “get over it,” as Mandel and others have stated, has been ignored.

West Virginia University, contractually, is owed $4 million.

Whether that comes from Rodriguez or the University of Michigan or wherever is inconsequential. The bottom line is, WVU is owed that, or a good-faith settlement for a portion of it.

(See: John Beilein, 2007.)

Rodriguez signed a contract with WVU stipulating that if he left for another job without being fired before the end of the contract, he was responsible for a $4 million buyout.

To argue that WVU should “get over that” is simple-minded and indeed malicious.

The national college media party line is shaping up like this: You are poor, little, occasionally overachieving WVU. You are not Michigan and you will never be Michigan. You must understand that you are only a stepping stone to a school like Michigan. You should be glad you were so lucky to have a great coach like Rodriguez for as long as you did. So be happy with your Fiesta Bowl victory and “get over it.”

If you doubt my characterization, just read Mandel's column.

The problem is that the media fall on their own argument here: In one breath, they point out how WVU’s football revenue is smaller than that of a school like Michigan’s, and that is why they will always lose top talent to Michigan. Then, in the next breath, they argue that WVU should “get over it” and just...

What?

Forfeit the $4 million? Say, Hey, Rich—thanks for the good years! Consider this $4 million a lovely parting gift!

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

As a West Virginian, a WVU alum and a fan of the football team, I cannot stand by and let this Orwellian rewrite of history take place on my watch.