I have one question for everyone in regards to the "Friends of Coal Bowl": Who Cares?
I'm so sick of all of the hype this game is getting. OK, so both teams are from the state of West Virginia. So what? That alone does not a good rivalry make.
The media and the politicians have been telling us what a big game this is since last spring when they forced the schools to play each other. But its really not such a big game. At least not for WestVirginia. Why would we want to play Marshall? We have nothing to gain. If we win, who cares? We're supposed to win. If we lose, then Marshall gets to experience the glory. This is fundamentally inconsistent with how a true rivalry works. If it were a true rivalry, then there is no such thing as a meaningless win. For example, if Pitt were 0-10 and we beat the living crap out of them the last game of the year, I would still enjoy the victory because it is Pitt. With Marshall I just don't care.
Another common trait of a true rivalry is a lengthy tradition of competition between the two teams. In my lifetime, and I think in the history of our football programs, this will be the second time we've played Marshall. Boy, talk about the memories! Is it possible that this game could turn into a rivalry? Maybe. But it takes years to build that tension; that love/hate/love-to-hate relationship that is necessary for a healthy rivalry.
And back to the schedule filler theory: this is not the season to lighten the load. In fact, from this point forward, we should try to improve the level of competition in our non-conference scheduling. I cringe at the prospect of going undefeated this season and finishing like 6th in the BCS rankings. If we're going to get respect as a powerhouse football team, then we have to play the big boys. Obviously our conference schedule isn't enough to warrant that kind of respect. At least not as it stands right now. After leaving West Virginia forFlorida State, Bobby Bowden took over a weak program and turned them into a powerhouse. How did he do it? He said his team would play anyone, anytime. And they did. And now, they're a pretty OK football program. No offense to Marshall, who has a very respectable tradition, but we need to fill that week with some better opponents. Same goes for teams like East Carolina and Eastern (for the love ofGod) Washington.
The fact is, this game serves no good purpose for either school. Unless of course Marshall wins. If WVU wins…so what? The only people whose interest it does serve are the politicians who made this game happen. And oh by the way, its wonderful to know that I live in a state that has no other problems that my governor and part-time legislation have nothing better to do than intercede in intercollegiate athletics. God Bless 'em.
I can't be the only one who feels this way about this. But, there's nothing I nor anyone else can do about it. So for the next seven years (thanks again to our wonderful governor) I will be forced to watch my Mountaineers play in an artificial rivalry with all the same nauseating fare that I've had to endure for the last month. What a joke. Still I say, Let's Go Mountaineers!! Let's get this one over with and move on. Is that good enough for ya, Joe?
I'm so sick of all of the hype this game is getting. OK, so both teams are from the state of West Virginia. So what? That alone does not a good rivalry make.
The media and the politicians have been telling us what a big game this is since last spring when they forced the schools to play each other. But its really not such a big game. At least not for WestVirginia. Why would we want to play Marshall? We have nothing to gain. If we win, who cares? We're supposed to win. If we lose, then Marshall gets to experience the glory. This is fundamentally inconsistent with how a true rivalry works. If it were a true rivalry, then there is no such thing as a meaningless win. For example, if Pitt were 0-10 and we beat the living crap out of them the last game of the year, I would still enjoy the victory because it is Pitt. With Marshall I just don't care.
Another common trait of a true rivalry is a lengthy tradition of competition between the two teams. In my lifetime, and I think in the history of our football programs, this will be the second time we've played Marshall. Boy, talk about the memories! Is it possible that this game could turn into a rivalry? Maybe. But it takes years to build that tension; that love/hate/love-to-hate relationship that is necessary for a healthy rivalry.
And back to the schedule filler theory: this is not the season to lighten the load. In fact, from this point forward, we should try to improve the level of competition in our non-conference scheduling. I cringe at the prospect of going undefeated this season and finishing like 6th in the BCS rankings. If we're going to get respect as a powerhouse football team, then we have to play the big boys. Obviously our conference schedule isn't enough to warrant that kind of respect. At least not as it stands right now. After leaving West Virginia forFlorida State, Bobby Bowden took over a weak program and turned them into a powerhouse. How did he do it? He said his team would play anyone, anytime. And they did. And now, they're a pretty OK football program. No offense to Marshall, who has a very respectable tradition, but we need to fill that week with some better opponents. Same goes for teams like East Carolina and Eastern (for the love ofGod) Washington.
The fact is, this game serves no good purpose for either school. Unless of course Marshall wins. If WVU wins…so what? The only people whose interest it does serve are the politicians who made this game happen. And oh by the way, its wonderful to know that I live in a state that has no other problems that my governor and part-time legislation have nothing better to do than intercede in intercollegiate athletics. God Bless 'em.
I can't be the only one who feels this way about this. But, there's nothing I nor anyone else can do about it. So for the next seven years (thanks again to our wonderful governor) I will be forced to watch my Mountaineers play in an artificial rivalry with all the same nauseating fare that I've had to endure for the last month. What a joke. Still I say, Let's Go Mountaineers!! Let's get this one over with and move on. Is that good enough for ya, Joe?
2 comments:
Being a PSU grad, I can relate to how you must feel about facing Marshall. Against your beloved Mountaineers, Penn State has compiled a record of 48-9-2. We moved on to better football, you could too... if your athletic department leaders get serious about upgrading to a competitive conference like Miami, VT, and BC chose to do. Good luck.
I am split on this issue. First, I agree WVU gains nothing by playing Marshall. Even if we win, we could lose. But on the other hand, I would much rather play Marshall than East Carolina every year. I mean, if we're going to play a team from the CUSA or the MAC, it might as well be Marshall.
Except for Pitt and Penn State, I can think of no other D1 schools that don't play intrastate rivalry. Look at the schedule this weekend alone:
N. Arizona at #24 Arizona State
North Texas at #3 Texas
Indiana State at Purdue
Kentucky at #13 Louisville
#11 Florida State at #12 Miami (FL)
According to your logic, should no ranked team play a lesser team?
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