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President Barack Obama just might have to limit the carbon emissions coming from West Virginia University's athletic department.That's how significantly WVU is undermining the appropriately named Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic.Talk about strip mining.The Mountaineers are trying every devious trick imaginable in an attempt to bring an end to the annual games between the Marshall and WVU men's and women's basketball programs.First, WVU forced the series to move from its traditional spot in January to a much less attractive date in December for the 2012 Capital Classic.Marshall's options?There were none.MU officials could take it or leave it. But if the Herd chose "leave it," it would mean the end of the series. That, of course, is precisely what WVU wanted.Never mind that 18 of the previous 21 Marshall-WVU matchups had been played in the month of January with two in February and only one in December since the annual series moved to Charleston permanently in 1992.That didn't matter to the Mountaineers.What did matter?WVU's agenda to stop playing Marshall.That's why Marshall's officials swallowed hard and agreed to the move. It left a bitter taste in their collective palate, but it was for the greater good.So, the 2012 Capital Classic was played on Dec. 5 and, then, in 2013 on Dec. 14.Since the premise of forcing the annual game to be scheduled in December rather than January didn't bring about the demise of the series, it meant WVU's officials had to go back to the drawing board.This is their new idea.The 2014 Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic will be played on a Sunday.Yes, a Sunday.And a Sunday afternoon, at that, according to sources with knowledge of the scheduling.The annual Marshall-WVU men's basketball game is expected to tip off somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. on December 14 in the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum, according to sources.Why Sunday?Why else?It is a means for WVU to make this game even more unattractive.As it is, there has been a noticeable drop in attendance. When the Capital Classic was being played from 1999-2000 through the 2011-12 seasons where it belongs -- in the month of January and with the legislature usually in session -- the average attendance was 12,405. That's fairly impressive considering the seating capacity of the arena is 12,380.So, it was a sellout plus standing room only every year.But as soon as WVU mandated that the game had to be play in December -- or not at all -- the attendance dropped. In 2012, a crowd of 11,512 fans showed up to watch WVU defeat Marshall, 69-59, on Dec. 5. Then in 2013, Marshall lost to WVU, 74-64, before 11,410 fans on Dec. 14 -- a Saturday.That's when the slide began.Now, imagine how much more the attendance might fall with a Sunday afternoon tip-off. That date isn't good for the fans. It certainly isn't good for the game, either.That's a shame.And goodness only knows when the Marshall-WVU women's game will be held. It certainly won't be played as a Sunday doubleheader. It should rotate between Morgantown and Huntington as an on-campus game, anyway.The point, however, is why does WVU want to systematically diminish a game that is attractive and meaningful to the population of the entire state of West Virginia?That's like being against coal.
Really that article was pretty much a complete waste of ink. Chuck May be correct that WVU would like to get out of the game, but this move doesn't prove his point.
They are still playing us on a home & home status in women's tennis and women's volleyball.And we are thumpin' their gourd. They are catching up in volleyball but intennis.....the Herd rules. In volleyball it's getting closer and more competitive. With a 5 STAR recruit coming in along with a very good eastern European intennis, the Herd keeps reloading. (Hopefully the tennis team will have outsidecourts to practice on this fall.)
I don't think Chuck has any argument on the January to December move. January is during conference play. It doesn't do anything to attendance and the schools can sell the tickets that would normally be given to the legislature. (politicians suck)The Sunday move MAY hurt attendance. The attendance the last two years is a poor guage because both teams were bad. I personally would rather go on a Sunday afternoon than a weeknight. I realize I may be in the minority but works for me.But the biggest thing...... there is no more family friendly time for a game than the middle of the day on Sunday. One less reason for some fans to use as an excuse not to go....
Actually a Sunday may not be bad. Most have the day off to drive up. Make a day of it. Chuck is becoming unreadable on most columns. Who cares when the women play, they slaughter us anyway.Truth be known, we should drop women's B'ball. It's our third highest budgeted sport with the least ROI. I know, it's a CUSA mandated sport.
After the coaching debacle and Chuck's attempt to give Marshall a black eye, I don't even read his articles, including this one. IMO, he should have been fired, or at the very least told to no longer write about MU.
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