West Virginia In The Final Four: What It Means To Me (And The Entire State)

and its about time for us to win a Championship in the big two sports of College athletics. To put this into prespective Wyoming Univeristy has won a NCAA Basketball Championship back in the Forties, if they can win one we sure as hell can

I listen to Rivals Radio on XM radio on my way to work in the mornings and this morning the host of the show ( dont know his name) asked a caller what he thought of the final four..the caller ( from North Carolina ) said this and I quote: " West Virginia fans pride themselves on the fact that Jerry West is from WV, did you know that Barney Fife is from WV? Did you also know that the guy that played Gilligan in Gilligans Island is also from WV?" Now the host of the show took it from there and rather than keeping to the topic of the finla four, then show went in another dirction for the next 5-10 minutes implying that if your from WV you must be as nerdy and backwards as those two. It pissed me off to the point of turning it off.

And so you have it…the disrespect continues. We got there not because we deserved it, but because we got our opponents on off nights or we got an easy bracket or the Big East was a fraud conference or whatever, anything but our raw talent. Did anyone hear Dicky V say the other night, " I like Duke in this game, too much talent, I like Huggs but come on Huggs this aint Kentucky" All of a sudden Kentucky was a slouch.

When we win Monday night, this wont go away..this team has proven themselves time and time again and I am very proud of Huggs, this team and of course my home state.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a long time Duke fan…though much reformed since Coach C left WVU. I have strong family ties to that school and almost went there. I still root for them, but only occasionally (vs. UNC and Maryland mostly, although when UMD beat them early this year, I had to giggle) and I’ve always thought Coach K is an excellent coach. That said, I’ve never rooted for them against my alma mater, even when Coach C was still around. My heart only pumps Old Gold and Blue when it matters.

My love affair with WVU began gradually as I grew up. I never understood Dad’s fascination when, in the early 80’s they would make the rare TV appearance. That all changed when I was a freshman in HS and the ‘88 FB team happened and I got to attend 2 games. I don’t have many early BB memories of WVU because I never paid much attention to them until I got to WVU in the fall of ‘92. I think it’s sad that my most lasting memory is beating St. Joseph’s in OT. I graduated thinking that WVU basketball would never be that relevant, nationally at least.

Then came Beilein and I thought after a couple years, “maybe, just maybe…if this guy sticks around, we’ve got a shot.” Then came Huggs. I was cautious in my embracing him, but after hearing him speak to a group of donors after practice…I was hooked and this BB cynic believed.

Even IF “it” doesn’t happen in the next few days, I wholeheartedly believe “it” will happen under Huggs watch.

Let’s GOOOOOOO!!!!

It’s hard to really capture all the feelings I’m having right now. Pride, excitement, nervousness, all rolled into one. It’s a different feeling knowing that we are entirely capable of winning the whole thing, yet aren’t even favored in tonight’s game. It’s not the Fiesta Bowl or Sugar Bowl when nobody thought we had a chance, or 13-9, when nobody thought we could possibly lose. Or 2005 when we shocked the heck out of everybody, including ourselves. Hopefully this is a feeling we will have to get used to.

when WVU last played in a Final Four. I remember my father being so excited, and then so crushed when they lost the Championship game. I attended WVU for two years of Sonny Moran’s term and we sucked. After a tour in the Navy, I again attended WVU for the first two years of Gale Catlett’s tenure and we didn’t suck as bad.

I have waited a long time for this and no blithering idiot sports writer or TV talking head is going to rob me of the joy and pride I feel on account Bob Huggins and our team.

LET’S GOOOO!…………… MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!

hell my parents moved to WV in 1997 while I was in college. I didn’t even come to the state until the summer of 1999. That’s when a couple of guys (who loved WVU and were about to start as freshmen) befriended me. I attended graduate school 1999-2001. The 1999-2000 season was the season the Coliseum was closed to remove asbestos. The 2000-2001 was fun but only for getting to the Coliseum early and making a mad dash with the other 100 or so fans for the first two rows in the student section. I even remember clearing (jumping over) the two rows in front of the student section when we beat Seton Hall.

I rarely missed a home game in football from 1999-2006. I went to jail the night we lost to Texas, I took my fiance home the night of 13-9, and thought about calling the whole thing off.

It’s strange, the emotion and connection I feel regarding the state of WV and the athletics at WVU. I can only reason that it was those few people who accepted me as an outsider and let me in. They treated me like family and now that’s what they are. I live in Oregon now and noticed that one of the youth I work with put a small WV on his facebook picture. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, when I go to church on Sunday the people here will come up to me and ask me how I’m doing. They will rejoice with me or mourn with me. They understand the tie that I have with WVU sports. So along with Lander, WY, Deschutes County Oregon will bleed Old Gold and Blue if for just one night.

My love for WV exudes into every aspect of my life, from my WVU travel mug to the remarkable amount of blue and gold in my wardrobe to the joy in my eyes that others see when I talk about “my home”.

A few years back my sister graduated from WVU and at the commencement I heard this quote. It sums up my feelings.
"Thus, it is with those nurtured in Appalachia—they leave, but they look back, remembering pleasant things. The land has claimed them, and its ties will not be severed." —Maurice Brooks

Let’s Go

and I can’t wait the 25 hours remaining until tip.

I want time to fly by so I can watch this game.

I have a feeling it will be WVU 71 – Duke 65. Let’s pound those Dukies. I’m tired of their hype. I’m tired of the “oh WV should be happy to be there, but they are outclassed by Duke.”

I know Hugs says there is 80 minutes left, but I want these guys to focus on the first 40 of that and get through it. Sunday they can think about the next 40.

Let’s Go Mountaineers!!!

Great post. No matter how long you have been a Mountaineer this weekend means so much to so many. I can picture Da’Sean, Devin, Mazzula, Huggs, and the rest of the team hoisting up the NCAA Trophy and cutting down the nets. If they don’t, it will still remain a magical season. But like everyone else who is a Mountaineer fan, we are ready for this moment. Here’s to hoping we all get that special feeling Monday night.

Frankly I’m tired of people bashing my state, saying were just a bunch of toothless hillbillies, who have sex with our sister and/or cousins and all of us work in the coal mines and have one leg shorter than the other because of walking along the mountains. These people have never been to WV and if they did they would stay long because we are not California, we’re not New York City, we’re West Virginia’s and by golly we are proud of it. We don’t have alot but we don’t care we are happy regardless. I come from a town of 4,000 in jackson county called Ravenswood right now we have about 10% unemployment but we are making it without alot of outside help, our sports teams are the things that give us pride right now. I think that people don’t Choose West By God Virginia, the state chooses the people who live here. So maybe if the basetball team win the NC maybe we will start to get some respect.

Wow, you’re inspirational Charley!!!!