Appalachian State is HOT, HOT, HOT!

We're about to go through football withdrawal. Let me rephrase -- I am going through football withdrawal now that the NFL draft is over and spring practice has concluded. So it's on to golf, and if our posting isn't up to snuff, it's because we're hitting the links until we can get back to some college football. To keep our eye on the ball though, we'll be posting about our upcoming opponents.

In this first installment, we visit the mountains of Appalachia, not far from the home of the Restless Morgantowners or from Va Tech (this post was ready some time ago, but I didn't have the heart to post it after the Va Tech tragedy). We're not trying to pick on that DI-AA school from Appalachia which will visit A2 this fall, really, we're not. Well, maybe we are, but it's awfully easy, especially with all this help from the Mountaineer administration and student body (yes, our hoop coach comes from the same ilk as the opener this fall).

The HOT, HOT, HOT Mountaineers are "solid as a rock and proud as a peacock", and by the looks of their recruitment tools they sure are proud of it. This is painful to watch after the first 30 seconds, but stay tuned for the duration so as not to miss the ASU student burning down the only chem lab on campus.



Not to be outdone by the marketing majors and PR folks at ASU, the student body kicks in a roaring chorus of what must be the ASU Moutaineer Cooking School fight song. At first, I thought this was a video of Multi Directional Tennessee State students making fun of ASU.



Surprisingly, it's not. It is, however, a fine example of Appalachia school pride. Perhaps the dance routine of the cheerleaders at halftime? Well, either that or some of those magic mountain mushrooms.

What would a degree do for Trannon anyway?

Very interesting post on Mgoblog. It looks like the Sparties are in for penalties next year unless there is a significant change in East Lansing. The idea is that a school is supposed to suck it up and spend the time, resources and cash to graduate its student athletes. Sounds good in principal. The question is how this idea is implemented and applied on a case by case basis. But the most interesting: MSU may suffer football penalties unless it sucks up the academics and criminal records of guys that look like this.

Restless Morgantowners Disenfranchised with Local Barristers

At least one writer is wondering why John Beilein didn't have to pay 2.5 million on his buyout. While not the brightest bulb nor the sharpest knife he points out what many in Appalachia must be wondering: Where's all of our skilled lawyers we graduate from this fine institution? (Well, that might be generous -- more likely "Gosh Golly Jimmy Ray Billy Bob, how done Coach Beeeline only pay the 'teers one and a half of Darrell Waltrip's Nas Cars?) The answer according the Charleston Daily:

Those who negotiated and put the pact together neglected to include specific instructions as to how and when the buyout should be paid.

That's where the blame shifts to David Hardesty Jr., the university's lame-duck president, and WVU general counsel Tom Dorer.

Aren't both of them lawyers with supposedly good legal minds?

Don't blame Athletic Director Ed Pastilong, though. The last time I looked, he didn't have a degree from WVU's College of Law.

Maybe that WVU law degree don't mean so much after all, Jimmy Ray Billy Bob.