Pirates Acquire Eliecer Cardenas In Matt Diaz Trade, Get Something For Nothing

Or a pity player to be named later? Because I don’t understand how they could give up this guy for Diaz and pay his salary next year to boot.

this stuff is stupid. More annoying than being a small-market baseball team.

You know, for a fan base that has gotten used to going to a bowl every year (albeit crappy ones)

WVU has went to 2 BCS bowl games in the last decade and has won both of them. Going to two BCS games in the last ten years puts them in fairly elite company. There are 22 teams that have done that in the past decade. That includes 5 SEC teams, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Florida. Auburn and WVU are tied. That’s not even half of the current SEC that’s done better than WVU. Tennessee is not on that list, neither is Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, etc.

As far as teams that have won 2 BCS games in the past decade, the list gets much shorter. That list, including the Mountaineers, is only 12 teams long. Four of those teams are in the SEC, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Florida. Not on that list is Alabama, or not in the SEC, Oregon or Michigan.

WVU fans seem mighty eager to join a league where they’ll go 5-7, 4-8 a lot and get creamed by the likes of Florida and Alabama.

In the past decade we’ve played 4 SEC teams, a fairly small sample size, but we’ve held our own, going 2-2. That includes wins over SEC champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and a win over Auburn. We’ve also lost to Auburn and LSU, with the biggest margin of defeat being 11 to Auburn. Notice we haven’t played any of the cellar dwellers, such as Vandy or UK.

And for all the bullshit I have to listen to about great fans and a great atmosphere, I’ve noticed WVU fans only fill their stadium and arena for the biggest big games.

Not true. WVU sold out against Marshall, an in-state “rival” we’ve never lost to and don’t care about, because they are in C-USA. They also sold 51,911 tickets for Norfolk State, over 80% capacity. Contrast that with Tennessee who hasn’t sold out either of their home games yet. Montana State I understand, but a passionate fanbase couldn’t even sell out a game against another BCS school, and a decent one, Cincinnati? How shameful. Plus, without any expansions, WVU could still maintain attendance figures near or better than Miss St., Vandy, and UK, for example.

If WVU ends up in the SEC, it’ll be because there was no one else any good worth picking off.

While that’s technically probably true- I’d be the first to admit Florida State is more attractive than WVU to the SEC – the consensus across the blogosphere (so take that for what you will) is it’s either us or Mizzou for the 14th spot along with A&M. The edge goes to Mizzout, but it’s close, and now with the Big 12 allegedly staying together and the Pac 12 NOT taking Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas etc. it seems like WVU is in the drive’s seat.

Either way, we will have to wait and see. WVU certainly isn’t a powerhouse, but they have the tradition and commitment football to compete in the SEC. They will never become Bama or Florida, at least for 50 years, but they won’t go 5-7, 4-8 every year and be “creamed” by the big dogs in the SEC either.