The popularity of college football, a treasured American pastime, has drastically changed recently. The landscape of collegiate athletics has changed as a result of the introduction of new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations. Student athletes can now profit from their personal brands rather than just competing for awards and scholarships.
In today’s gaming industry, It seems that profits are all that matter. Less time is spent on gameplay, graphics, and overall playability. Instead, more time is spent on how they can get you to open your wallet. Putting the smallest amount of money possible into the game, and getting a vast amount of return on the minute investment.
First the first time in Morgantown since 2011, and the 106th total meeting all time, the Pitt Panthers would make their way into hostile territory. For WVU, the navigating around Pennsylvania based teams continued having lost to Penn St. in Happy Valley, and getting the win against Duquesne in Morgantown last week.
In a game of shoulda, woulda, coulda, Neal Brown would state after the game “Did we play good enough to win? No. Did we play hard enough to win? Absolutely” The thing is, yes, football is a game of inches. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The problem is, the NCAA has now become a “What have you done for me lately society.” Neal Browns record is starting to speak for itself and head south in the decline region.
A question was brought up to me during the game on Thursday. It was “Do you think that it is cheaper to buy out Neal Brown? Or continue the season with the declining attendance?” I didn’t think to much into it at the time, but on the way home it dawned on me of how great of a question that would have been if WVU would have lost to Baylor Thursday night. The attendance was announced at 45K+.
Let me start this article off by saying that “I am a HUGE fan of AEW Wrestling!” But, I feel like after the 3 year mark some things could use a good critiquing, be completely scrapped, etc… Down below I will list 10 things, and give a brief explanation of why these things bother me. Do I feel that they could be detrimental to AEW’s viewership? Absolutely! Do I think that they could become a complete death penalty for the spiraling downfall that some have projected?
After 20+ years I have found myself a fan of wrestling once again. AEW, in my opinion is the closest thing you can get to the old WCW. Of course I was a fan of WWF in the 80’s and early 90’s. But, the most recent memories are those of Monday Nitro, and Thursday Night Thunder. For the first time in many years, I find myself looking forward to AEW’s Wednesday Night Dynamite, and Friday Night Rampage.
Unlike the traffic on I-79 headed to the game, WVU would stay in their lane for 3/4 of the battle, getting a huge win against Virginia Tech. In what was seemingly looking to be a convincing win in the first half, turned quickly into a nail biter in the second. I’m sure WVU is ecstatic to bring the Black Diamond Trophy back to Morgantown for the time being, but if mistakes and bad decisions weren’t quickly put behind them, the social media buzz, locker room atmosphere, Morgantown in general’s mood would be somber to say the least.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and think too much about this blowout win. Will this win give the team much needed confidence going into a game with rival Virginia Tech? Of course. After Maryland, the team needed a warm up, if you may; a game to get some walk-ons, underclassmen, backup QB Garrett Greene minutes that matter.
Before the start of the Inaugural Atlantic League West Virginia Power season took place on Tuesday night a few changes were to be made to start the second half of the season. Orders came down from the league office prior to the season stating that the Independent League would “experiment” with an extended pitching mound. The mound was to be moved back to 61 feet 6 inches. Exactly 12 inches from a regulation mound in professional baseball.
This year a section of the bracket made it’s way to the Charleston Civic Center. This particular section included a Marshall Alumni team (Herd That) and a WVU Alumni team (Best Virginia). One would like to think that it’s just a bunch of washed up “old guys” gathering for one last run at glory by splitting the winning share of one million dollars. This is more than that, far, far more!
It seems that the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic has more than put a strain on the casual collector. A once children’s hobby has turned into a high stakes investment! Hobby boxes in the hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for all sports! Will the interest peak? Or will casual collectors get priced out of the hobby?
