The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

October 7, 2006

Hey Suddenlink, thanks for the free-for-view

By Dave Morrison

Sometimes stuff just happens. Ask New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who once again has the best baseball team money can buy and yet he’s still having to buy a ticket to the World Series.

And if Yankee fans don’t want Alex Rodriguez, I’ve got an idea. I think Ogden Nutting should force Kevin McClatchey to resign his post as president and CEO of the Pirates, give that title to A-Rod and bring him to Pittsburgh. That way he’d get his money. And 43 homers and 100 RBI in Pittsburgh would make him as near a baseball god as you can be on the diamond.

Speaking of buy, did you purchase the West Virginia-Mississippi State pay-per-view Saturday on Suddenlink Communications?

I hope not. Because when I turned on the channel it was on, 810, it was there. Free of charge.

Thanks, Suddenlink. Or whoever was responsible. All that advertising for a $29.95 fee and it ended up being free. What a bargain!

Now, for your next good deed Suddenlink, how about the NFL Network?

As far as WVU is concerned, I thought they looked good in spots.

Certainly it was important for Steve Slaton to get back on track and he did, with 185 yards and a score.

And with six sacks and a couple interceptions, the Mountaineer defense seems to be finding itself, once again bending, but not breaking.

But those personal foul penalties are causing Rich Rodriguez to lose what hair he has left on his head. They had a handful Saturday and totaled 132 yards on 11 penalties in a game called by Big East officials.

Meanwhile, when Owen Schmitt scored 6:49 into the game Saturday, it marked the seventh straight game that WVU has scored on its first drive of a game. And it’s the first time WVU has started 5-0 under Rodriguez. WVU won its first four games the last two seasons but lost the fifth game each time. WVU has won 30 of its last 34 regular-season games.

What happened to the big, bad ACC?

The days of raiding the Big East of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College in an effort to shut down a rival conference while making itself a football megaconference power seem light years ago.

The ACC doesn’t have an undefeated team. The Big East has three.

The ACC does have five teams in the AP top 25, but all of them are 15 or lower. The Big East has just three teams in the top 25, but WVU and Louisville are in the top 10.

The ACC is 1-2 against the MAC this season, for God’s sake. It’s also 3-4 against the Big East. Louisville, which joined the Big East, beat down Miami, which left, 31-7. And Virginia Tech, an ACC power, darn near lost to Cincinnati, one of the Big East’s worst teams, at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field.

You know what I think? The ACC should lose its automatic BCS bid. Isn’t that what they were saying about the Big East just two years ago?

How do you like that, Johnny Swofford?

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