Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Support the teams!

I AM A WEST VIRGINIA FAN! My home state, and its namesake institution of higher learning, means a lot to me. I attended the WVU men’s basketball game on Saturday, December 8, and was treated to a thrilling victory over undefeated Virginia Tech. Then I watched the WVU women’s basketball team trounce St. Bonaventure. After the women’s game, WVU Coach Mike Carey (a West Virginia native) had a message for WVU fans.

"I want to thank the people that stayed after the men’s game, and shame on the people that didn’t. It’s a funny thing; you say you’re a West Virginia fan – man, I kind of question some of that. If you’re a West Virginia fan, you like all sports. If you’re a West Virginia fan, you cheer for everybody. If you’re a West Virginia fan and you’re here, you don’t freaking leave. Shame on the people who left, ran out of here. Shame on them,” he said.

I just want to point out that in the eyes of Mike Carey, I’m proud to say I AM A WEST VIRGINIA FAN. I have attended not just football and basketball games, but also men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, hockey, rifle, track, swimming, wrestling, gymnastics, and baseball games. The only sports I’ve never watched are cross country, tennis, and women’s crew—which I hope to rectify someday.

Football and men’s basketball get most of the attention, but the other sports are entertaining as well. Whenever a student athlete puts on a gold and blue uniform with that flying WV, they are representing our state and its people, and we should be behind them. Athletes in these minor sports put in lots of hard work to represent us, so I try to back them when I can.

Many of our new Big 12 schools support their minor teams more than we have in the past. West Virginians like to think that we have a strong fanbase, but we need to step it up in this new league. I would encourage others to check out some of these minor sports—you might be surprised at how much fun a night at the Dlesk Soccer Stadium can be, or how exciting a volleyball game at the Coliseum can be, or how crazy things can get at the Morgantown Ice Rink for a Mountaineers hockey game. Get out there and cheer them on! Go Mountaineers!!!

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