And as time keeps slipping away, it seems WVU officials should take a moment, allow their program's fans to step back in time, and honor the late TV-radio legend that was Jack Fleming. Perhaps they should even include the late Frank "Doc'' Stevens, who introduced the Mountaineers for years.
The views from here:
Leaves falling and tumbling away, blown by the wind, gently reminds one of the seasons, how they come and go, too fast at times, and how time marches on. (OK, never before have I written such a lengthy and thoroughly corny sentence, but hang with me.)
And as time keeps slipping away, it seems WVU officials should take a moment, allow their program's fans to step back in time, and honor the late TV-radio legend that was Jack Fleming. Perhaps they should even include the late Frank "Doc'' Stevens, who introduced the Mountaineers for years.
Fleming's voice, though, echoed through our hills for years before he passed away in 2001. Isn't it time to take a few moments during a football halftime, replay some of Fleming's best calls and bestow a lasting honor?
According to Shelly Poe, the former WVU sports information director now at Ohio State, Fleming was given an award by the school's alumni association. A dinner/roast was held in his honor at Lakeview. And, of course, a bridge in the Sabraton area of Morgantown now bears his name.
But it's time to include Fleming's many fans that grew up listening to his calls. And there would be no better time to do so than halftime of the Nov. 25 game.
That is when the Mountaineers host the team Fleming most despised - the Pitt Panthers.
As many of you know, WVU freshman Deniz Kilicli was suspended by the NCAA for the first 20 basketball games of this coming season because of an amateurism violation.
Some have suggested Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins go ahead and redshirt the Turkish player. When contacted on Thursday, though, Huggins said he wouldn't do that because, if he did, Kilicli would have to sit out 20 games of the following season.
Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick has been on the job for a couple months now. Obviously, the former UNLV AD is still getting the lay of the land. But on Thursday he outlined a few projects he's been working on.
First, he's tackled a television issue. In a few days, an announcement is forthcoming that will spell out basketball games to be televised locally by WSAZ. ("It's a TV package that will give our basketball team a little exposure," Hamrick said.)
He's also working on football scheduling. Thundering Herd fans know their football team will be reviving the rivalry with Miami of Ohio.
"We're trying to look at the [football] scheduling, five, six, seven, eight years out," Hamrick said.
The views from here:
Leaves falling and tumbling away, blown by the wind, gently reminds one of the seasons, how they come and go, too fast at times, and how time marches on. (OK, never before have I written such a lengthy and thoroughly corny sentence, but hang with me.)
And as time keeps slipping away, it seems WVU officials should take a moment, allow their program's fans to step back in time, and honor the late TV-radio legend that was Jack Fleming. Perhaps they should even include the late Frank "Doc'' Stevens, who introduced the Mountaineers for years.
Fleming's voice, though, echoed through our hills for years before he passed away in 2001. Isn't it time to take a few moments during a football halftime, replay some of Fleming's best calls and bestow a lasting honor?
According to Shelly Poe, the former WVU sports information director now at Ohio State, Fleming was given an award by the school's alumni association. A dinner/roast was held in his honor at Lakeview. And, of course, a bridge in the Sabraton area of Morgantown now bears his name.
But it's time to include Fleming's many fans that grew up listening to his calls. And there would be no better time to do so than halftime of the Nov. 25 game.
That is when the Mountaineers host the team Fleming most despised - the Pitt Panthers.
As many of you know, WVU freshman Deniz Kilicli was suspended by the NCAA for the first 20 basketball games of this coming season because of an amateurism violation.
Some have suggested Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins go ahead and redshirt the Turkish player. When contacted on Thursday, though, Huggins said he wouldn't do that because, if he did, Kilicli would have to sit out 20 games of the following season.
Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick has been on the job for a couple months now. Obviously, the former UNLV AD is still getting the lay of the land. But on Thursday he outlined a few projects he's been working on.
First, he's tackled a television issue. In a few days, an announcement is forthcoming that will spell out basketball games to be televised locally by WSAZ. ("It's a TV package that will give our basketball team a little exposure," Hamrick said.)
He's also working on football scheduling. Thundering Herd fans know their football team will be reviving the rivalry with Miami of Ohio.
"We're trying to look at the [football] scheduling, five, six, seven, eight years out," Hamrick said.
Part of the reason for the Miami series is because of Hamrick's talks with fans. You know how Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner spent a couple hours last Sunday talking to fans that sit in the Dawg Pound? Well, Hamrick has been doing that on a larger scale.
"I've been going out a lot and doing a lot of listening," Hamrick said. "And every time I brought up Miami, people went nuts. That's still a heated rivalry. One fan said he'd drive from Alaska if needed to see that game.''
Hamrick calls the get-togethers with fans in places like Cincinnati, Ashland, Ky., and Lexington, Ky., "town hall meetings."
"I'm just trying to get a feel for what they're saying and gauging support,'' he said.
Hamrick said there's a high priority on building a baseball stadium as well as a football indoor practice facility. He'd also like to build a facility for the women's track team, which now practices at Huntington High.
Yes, by the way, I asked Hamrick. I asked him the status of football coach Mark Snyder, who has been feeling heat since, well, forever it seems.
"As with every sport, at the end of the season, my job is to evaluate," Hamrick said. "It's not just football, but every sport, volleyball, baseball ... We've still got a lot of this [football] season left. I'm still optimistic we can win out.
"At the end of the season we'll evaluate."
And finally ...
An unsolicited plug for a group our sports staff holds dear.
The West Virginia Challenged Athlete of the Year Banquet and Awards Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, this coming Thursday, at the Charleston Moose Lodge.
Tickets for the event are $20 (tax deductable). Checks are to be made to the CAMC Foundation and may be purchased by calling 304-388-7608 or by emailing jeremiah.gag...@camc.org.
Gagnon and company do a terrific job providing a showcase for our challenged athletes. Here's hoping the ceremony is a great success.
Reach Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827, mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or follow him at http://twitter.com/MitchVingle.
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2)Will Kopp keep his moral victory analysis and seemingly cheap nature out of the athletic department decisions and let Hamrick do his job.