With Apologies To My Friends Who Are WVU Fans

My favorite college football team is Marshall University. My second favorite team is whoever happens to be playing West Virginia University.

Why is it you just don't like some teams?

On occasion your distaste for certain players or coaches might taint your opinion of their ball club. Off field and off court antics by some guys like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Latrell Sprewell, Barry Bonds (and others) can often turn you against the teams they represent. Some teams become detested because of heated rivalries with your favorite team, or because of years of being unbeatable. Sometimes coaches rub you the wrong way (Bobby Knight and Gale Catlett for example), and you just enjoy seeing them lose. Other times and for other reasons that you can't quite identify, you just don't like certain teams. The Mountaineers of West Virginia University fit that category for me.

Let me first say that I do not personally know a single person associated with West Virginia University's football program. In fact, I kind of like head coach Rich Rodriquez (even though he formerly played for WVU!). West Virginia is the state of my birth. I spent the first 19 years of my life there. My parents still reside in Huntington and the church I serve as pastor is there as well. I should be rooting for the Mountaineers, but I just cant. Some of my dearest friends bleed blue and gold. I love them, but for the life of me I don't understand their love for the Mountaineers.

Maybe it has something to do with the Mountaineers' long and storied history. They are the winningest team in college football that has never won a national championship. It may have something to do with the University being known as the top "Party School" in the nation. Maybe it's the obnoxious fans in Morgantown and the ritual couch burnings all over the campus and surrounding areas when the Mounties win a big game. Perhaps it is the preferential treatment by former state officials toward the university, and the "step child" attitude toward Marshall. Any fan of the Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, or NC State Wolfpack should be familiar with what I am talking about - with their school always playing second fiddle to the state darlings.

WVU's administration refused for years to allow their teams to play Marshall University in football or basketball. In all fairness, I know that Marshall hasn't played on the same level of competition as has WVU. Generally Marshall would not have been competitive for most of those years. However WVU/Marshall IS a great in state rivalry. Back in the 80's they renewed the basketball rivalry. WVU dominated for several years - that was expected - but the atmosphere was electric! Finally, Governor Joe Manchin applied pressure which brought the football teams together (at least for a few seasons) in the "Friends of Coal Bowl". One had to only be present at Joan C. Edwards Stadium to see the impact of the two teams meeting each other on the gridiron. Marshall led at half time, but lost the game. No real surprise - WVU was ranked 3rd in the nation at the time.

I have to congratulate them on a great season. WVU has a great team. They are a genuine national powerhouse, with a number of potential All Americans and a couple of Heisman Trophy candidates. They're going to a BCS Bowl and Marshall is going no where. They deserve a number of "attaboys" for their great successes this year. And yet every WVU fan is wallowing in the mullygrubs after the final regular season game.

After a loss earlier in the season, the Mountaineers had clawed their way back into the second spot in the BCS rankings. All that stood between them and the national championship game in New Orleans on January 7 was one final regular season win. The opponent was Pitt in the annual "Back Yard Brawl". That's 4-7 Pitt. No problem, right? Make your hotel reservations in the Big Easy. Right?

Wrong.

WVU players, coaches, and fans were seeing national championship visions. Pitt had something else in mind. They came to play and apparently nobody told them this was supposed to be an automatic win for West Virginia. The final result was the biggest upset in the storied history of WVU football. I thought about dragging my couch out on the street and setting it afire - but that would have shown a lack of class - right?

That Mountaineer loss, along with an amazing upset of #1 Missouri by Oklahoma, means that Ohio State and LSU will meet in the national championship game in the Crescent City come January 7. I don't personally know anyone associated with the Buckeyes or the Bayou Bengals organizations, but both of them are teams that I like.

Why?

I really don't know. I just have always been kindly disposed toward both of those programs.

Why is it you like some teams and you just can't stand some others? The whole thing defies logic, but it's just part of sports.

Watching Mountaineers Coach Rich Rodriquez in his post game press conference was tough. He seems like a really great guy and you could just feel the disappointment that he felt. After such a great season, his players had just choked on the one game that stood between them and the "big show". In fact, for just a moment there I almost felt sorry for WVU.

Almost...