Money, The Draft, and a thought on the National Championship

A few weeks ago the the Charleston "Daily Mail" put out an article about coaches salaries and more importantly about WVU coaches salaries. The story focused on WVU's running back's coach, Chris Beatty, and how much or how little he makes relatively. Now before I start, lets just get it out of the way, Chris Beatty makes 175K/year and its more than I make and just about anyone else I know. His job security is better than any bank and his future is very bright due to his performance. So many might question this article that tries to argue that Coach Beatty is under- compensated. I argue that if you are reading this blog and have ever gotten misty eyed when you hear Appalachian Spring in an elevator, you should be a fan of coach Beatty and should support him getting a raise. Its probably the right time for me to say that coach Beatty has never asked for a raise publicly. What Coach Beatty has done is bring some great athletes to come play football at WVU. Now I know that WVU is a University and coach Beatty makes more than most professors. Also, I'm academic as they come, but there is not a person that can argue the revenue and exposure that WVU has over the last few years from their winning ways in the cage and on the field. I won't argue that the folks that are most responsible for that are the guys like Pat White, Kevin Pittsnoggle, Steve Slaton, etc. But shouldn't the guy who convinces these guys to come to the little town in the hills of northern WV, which is so far from home, get more credit and compensation. IMO....if you are good at what you do and make someone else lots of money you should be compensated for it.

I'm going to watch the draft like I always do. Its really NFL party that they invite us college football guys to. Its very nice to see who goes where, but after awhile Mel Kiper's hair starts to get on my nerves. I'll be Mowing my grass by noon. (But it only takes 20 minutes).

Quick....someone asked me the other day who won the National Championship in1997. I thought for a second and answered it was split between Michigan and Nebraska...which was correct. (However, I'm a college football dork and remember these things). I got to thinking about it though, and I thought that many National Championships are like many women I have dated. You remember some because every minute was hell but you stay with it because you want to see what happens next. This would be the great teams you love to hate like Miami in 03, Nebraska in 95, and USC in 2004. The other category would be the teams that capture your heart and you follow them like a young private does a general in the heat of battle. These are fewer far between in football but some that come to mind are OSU in 03, BYU in 84, Texas 05' and Alabama in 1992. I've left a whole lot of years out because, in my mind, they fall into the day to day relationship category. We had a two loss team win it a few years ago and a team that lost to a team that was unranked last season. I guess its the day to day stuff that keeps you going.

The 8 row hiatus

I have not written in a long while, and it may seem like I'm one of those guys who only likes football except when their team is doing well in the tournament. Nothing can be further from the truth. I loved watching the progress of the team this year, and there were many times I wanted to share my thoughts but I just did not do it. Oh well.....

As it turns out about the time football season and Pat was capping off his career with a memorable performance in the tire bowl, I started hearing rumors of another kind. In late February, I got the bad news that I will no longer be employed in WV and I would have to once again move to Oklahoma City. We could see the writing on the wall, but the news has made my life a little hectic. Yesterday i signed a lease for a place in OKC, and I will probably be there by May. I will not be able to see things at Mountaineer field from 8 rows away. As much as it pains me, I have to consider myself lucky that I was able to watch guys like Pat White, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, and Noel Devine in such close proximity. I'm still a fan though........and I will continue 8 rows of eers from 1200 miles away from the mother ship.

The end of the basketball season ended in such a bummer, and I can't really explain how bad it hurt to go out like that. One thing for sure, you can't expect to go to the sweet sixteen every year and upsets happen to every team. The theory about the team being tired is total BS in my opinion, but I have a slight connection with the whole thing and I do want to share.

I stated above that I will be going to OKC and on the days before the tournament, I was there in the land of red dirt and high winds looking for a house. Getting there was a task since Charleston was covered in fog and we had to wait in a small terminal for 8 hours. Turns out the chartered plane from Miami Air needed sercurity and we had to go through the commercial security and such. Coming back we were delayed once again while a military plane slowly boarded. This airline is the same service that was late getting to Morgantown and barely got Huggs and the crew to Minneapolis on time. Needless to say, I could feel their pain when I heard of the whole fiasco and had to wonder if our delays kept them from getting there on time. I would have gladly taken a commercial flight in order to avoid an upset like that one. As the stranger says in the Big Lebowski, "Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you."