The Campaign Trail: Morgantown to Ann Arbor...From a Mountaineer to a Weasel...

If you have been paying attention to www.thankscoachrod.com or other news, you may realize that it seems the Rich Rodriguez storyline has come to a halt.  I would call it more of an intermisson. 

So, where do you stand on the issue?  Who is at fault, WVU President Mike Garrison, Athletic Director Ed Pastilong, Coach Rod, his agent Mike Brown (my vote) or all of them?  Or just maybe it was the Grinch taking his part out of Christmas for WVU. 

Let me give you some options:

If you are a die-hard Mountaineer, you will side with Pastilong, Garrison and the WVU cronies.  If you are a true West Virginian, you will side with Coach Rod.  However, if you are both, you will have trouble figuring out whose side you're on.  (Just blame it on a hanging chad.) 

I consider myself a true West Virginian who is a die-hard Mountaineer fan.  I refuse to believe (all of) the things that the WVU administration is alleging.  However, I DO NOT believe everything that comes out of the mouth of Mike Brown.  Though, Coach Rod seems to be a hot-head, I tend to believe him a little more.  I never have hated the guy.  I know where Coach Rod spent Christmas and I have spoken with a fellow who is from that same area, who actually spoke with Coach Rod during the Holidays and relayed to me some things that he said that made me think. 

I get the impression that the "smear campaign" that has risen from the smoldering ashes of a Mountaineer campfire that was stomped out by the paw of a Panther, goes deeper than what we as the public see.  I have made an attempt to speak with Coach Rod about all of these issues.  I can only wait and see if the call is answered. 

I for one would love to see all of this just go away.  But, as we all know, that whistle wont blow nor will the fat lady begin to warm up her vocal cords until, at the soonest, the end of the 2008 football season.  Right now I'm on the fence.  Either side can be blamed for bad decisions.  The Governor of WV can be blamed for publicly slamming Coach Rod (a close and longtime friend).  But, if you think about it, Gov. Joe Manchin has much more in his "order" that could be aired in a similar way.  Ya, didn't hear Coach Rod talking about him. 

If I had my choice, I would trade Joe Manchin to Michigan for Coach Rod any day.   All of that aside, WVU still has a football team.  WVU has an awesome new coaching staff.  WVU has a great returning team and West Virginia has the will to survive.  So, as WVU sportscaster Tony Caridi would put it, it's still "a great day to be a Mountaineer" especially if you are a West Virginian...

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