so much losing

Did a short bit on Barwis that made me laugh.

We desperately need to get things rolling again because I feel 100% he will be talking us up if we ever give him a reason to.

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2-1 at UNCG in mens soccer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will retire football's No. 66, in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Howley, during the Brigham Young game on Nov. 4.

Competing in track, swimming, men's gymnastics, wrestling and football, Howley was the first, and likely the last, Mountaineer student-athlete to win letters in five different sports. He was a sprinter and weight man on the track team, a trampolinist in gymnastics, won the Southern Conference 1-meter diving championship in swimming and competed on Steve Harrick's Mountaineer wrestling team as a heavyweight.

His greatest accomplishments, however, were on the gridiron where he excelled as a guard and center on offense and linebacker and middle guard on defense for coach Art "Pappy" Lewis. During Howley's three years playing with the varsity, WVU compiled a 21-8-1 mark including a 21-7 victory over Penn State in 1955 - the last time West Virginia defeated the Nittany Lions until 1984.

As a sophomore in 1955, Howley was the team's starting left guard on offense and middle guard on defense. He switched to center and linebacker in 1956 before moving back to guard for his senior season in 1957. He also kicked off and was occasionally used as a punter as well.

Howley received All-America recognition as a senior, captained the All-Southern Conference team and was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, presented to the top blocker in each college football conference.

He out-polled West Virginia All-American basketball player Hot Rod Hundley and nationally known amateur golf champion Bill Campbell to be named the state's Amateur Athlete of the Year for 1957.

Howley played in three college all-star games -- the East-West Shrine Game, the College Football All-Star Game and the Senior Bowl, where he caught the eye of the Chicago Bears. The Bears selected Howley in the first round of the 1958 draft (No. 7 overall), making him just the third Mountaineer football player at the time to be selected in the first round by an NFL organization.

He played one season for the Bears before a serious knee injury during training camp in 1959 caused him to miss most of the next two years. He spent that time on the NFL's inactive list while recuperating from the injury.

In 1961, however, the newly formed Dallas Cowboys and their young coach, Tom Landry, decided to take a chance on Howley and it paid off in a big way. Howley became the Cowboys' regular outside linebacker for the next 12 years as an important piece to the team's famous "Doomsday Defense."

He was named All-Pro six times while teaming with Lee Roy Jordan and Bob Lilly to give the Cowboys one of the most feared defenses in the NFL. Howley played in the 1967 NFL championship game against the Green Bay Packers, known as the "Ice Bowl" and considered one of the most memorable games in NFL history.

A tackling machine who also excelled in pass coverage, Howley has 25 inceptions. He also recovered 18 fumbles in his pro career for 191 yards, which ranked seventh on the NFL's all-time list, and made 26 quarterback sacks.

His greatest professional moment, however, came in Super Bowl V in 1971 playing against the Baltimore Colts. Although Dallas lost the game 16-13, Howley still won game MVP honors. It was the first time and only time in Super Bowl history a player on a losing team won MVP honors.

In 1972, the Cowboys again reached the Super Bowl, this time defeating the Miami Dolphins. Howley had another outstanding game with a 41-yard interception return, but quarterback Roger Staubach won the MVP award that year.

After retiring in 1973, Howley, for years, owned and operated a lucrative uniform rental business in Dallas and was involved in a foundation dedicated to breeding quarter horses at his Happy Hollow ranch in Wills Point, Texas.

He is a member of WVU's inaugural 1991 WVU Sports Hall of Fame class, joining the likes of Sam Huff, Ira Rodgers and Jerry West in that famous first class. He is also an inaugural member of the Mountaineer Legends Society, which began in 2016, and was also enshrined in the famous Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1977.

On August 5, 2023, Howley reached the pinnacle of his illustrious career when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

When describing Howley, Landry once remarked, "I don't know that I've seen anybody better at linebacker than Chuck. He could handle any assignment."

And when teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bob Lilly gave the induction speech for Howley at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in August, he remarked, "There wouldn't have been a Doomsday Defense without Chuck."

"It's an honor that's well-deserved. He was a fantastic linebacker," added Staubach on Howley's Hall of Fame selection. "He did everything. He could run, hit, drop into coverage, rush the passer. It's such a thrill because it brings back so many memories."

Howley now becomes the sixth WVU football player in history to have his number retired. His No. 66 joins Major Harris (9), Ira "Rat" Rodgers (21), Sam Huff (75), Bruce Bosley (77) and Darryl Talley (90) as retired football numbers. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Ja'Quay Hubbard currently wears No. 66 for the Mountaineers, and he will finish his career in that number before it goes into permanent retirement.

The WVU Athletics Council approved the retirement of Howley's' number in August as he now meets the full qualifications that include an undergraduate degree from WVU (attained in 1970 while still playing for the Cowboys), induction into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame, induction into the Mountaineer Legends Society and induction into a national collegiate or professional hall of fame.

An on-field presentation with Howley's son, Scott, and his family is planned during the BYU game, and his No. 66 will permanently be displayed on the façade of Milan Puskar Stadium's Diversified Energy Terrace with the other five retired numbers.

Nicco has not lost a game he has finished… I know they means nothing but 😎

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Looks like my newest ailment is I will need a quadruple bypass. I had jaw pain which triggered my looking into my shortness of breath. My heart cath today showed 100% blockage in right anterior artery, 80% in left anterior descending and couple of others. I went in thinking that maybe one artery might be blocked, boy am I surprised. My stress test didn’t indicate this big of a problem. I’m at a loss for words. Most important is there’s no apparent heart muscle damage. I will have surgery at Carillion here in Roanoke

--West Virginia head coach Josh Eilert said re-recruiting his roster was a balancing act. You didn't want to bring somebody into your roster when you're trying to build a foundation that could rock the boat. It was a delicate situation and he wanted to figure out who was all in and support them. Eilert said they were backed up against the wall in a lot of ways and they had 5-6-7 spots to fill and had to get creative in which direction they went recruiting wise to put the roster together to compete in the Big 12.

--When school started Eilert said they didn't even have 13 guys on the roster. As soon as they got 10 on campus they did five on five and they wanted to do team from the jump. They started official practice yesterday but it felt like they just turned things up a notch.

--West Virginia has a young, vibrant coaching staff that is eager to get on the floor. The coaches and players they have on the roster really feed off that. Eilert tries to limit himself on what he does on the floor but it helps the coaches are young and can do it. Three of the four guys on the floor have worn the jersey and know what it means to the state and the people. They want to represent West Virginia the right way. Eilert believes they have a good group and people on the roster and recruiting it helps.

--There wasn't a lot out there to backup Jesse Edwards so he was a critical piece to maintain. They looked at options late in the summer but there wasn't a lot out there. One of his main concerns was keeping Edwards and keeping Kerr Kriisa.

--The timing in a lot of ways, several went in before Eilert got the job but some would have left anyways. You have to look at the guys that were graduating and had immediate eligibility when it comes to exploring their options.

--Eilert said that each school has different philosophies on how they enter people into the portal so he didn't want to hold those things up with players like Kriisa and Jose Perez. But he was confident that he could recruit them and they would want to be part of what they are building.

--Eilert doesn't look at this as an interim he stares at a picture every day from the press conference that has that word in it. He is the head coach for ten months and that's the way he looks at it. He has the opportunity to prove himself and there is a lot of pressure but he is excited to take on that challenge.

--Eilert was thinking more about taking care of the guys on the roster than himself during the week before he was named head coach. There is no case study for this and he can't look at people to see who to call to get some guidance. Some people have had to take over but it's been different situations.

--First day when the turmoil was going on and Wren Baker met with the team and staff he was coming off the road recruiting and trying to get back as soon as he could. He got home after those meetings and he was shell shocked initially on how it would go. Got a phone call from Baker and he said if you don't mind stop by my office. They sat down and he looked to Eilert for leadership and keep things in working order. He did everything he could to keep things together and keep that transition smooth. He asked if he could get his opportunity to sell himself and have a chance and he did. Baker made sure he was the man for the job.

--There's a lot of wall space in the office and he stared up at that blank white wall and asked what should he put up there. He reached out to Dale Sparks and he said can you make me a collage. It's a side photo, profile photo and on the TV it just had a big interim graphic. He looked up there and thought it should be great motivation.

--Anybody would be doing a disservice if they didn't look at the macro side of things for recruiting. He is going to do what is best for West Virginia basketball. He is going to recruit for the future and there are a couple pieces on the roster that can't play this year like Noah Farrakhan that will help.

--Eilert said the offensively they are really coming along but defensively they drill defense and they need to carry some of that over. The rosters are such a revolving door. They have four fifth year guys but all have come from different backgrounds. They don't have a whole lot of depth so they have to keep Edwards out of foul trouble. Offensively they are really getting there and making progress while trying to play as fast as they can and push the ball. They want to get the playmakers involved and keep Kriisa in decision-making mode.

--Eilert's philosophy on offense is he sat down with Da'Sean Butler to do a lot of things with spacing to keep corners filled and keep the ball in the right hands. They've put in a lot of sets.

--Jesse Edwards is going to have his challenges transitioning from 2-3 zone to man-to-man. He is as long a rim runner out of a pick and roll that they've ever had. It will be easy to rack up some assists with him and you put guys around him that can make shots. Akok Akok has shot the ball well so far and he's going to make shots consistently. His best attribute is on defense where he is so active and can give depth on the front court. Pat Suemnick is going to play some four/five. They have good depth at the four with Quinn Slazinski and Akok. Josiah Harris has been good and he's been the most effective offensive rebounder so far. In the past the spacing wasn't the best but the best shot was a missed one, so rebounding is a concern.

--Kerr Kriisa is going to have to beg him to be more aggressive because he is a pass first guy. From a coaching perspective you love it, but he needs to take open shots. Still ongoing with RaeQuan Battle on the waiver situation and he looks forward to getting an answer in the coming weeks. Battle is special and he is the most natural athlete and can really score the ball well and get his own shot. He would fit right in during the press Virginia days. The waiver is a concern and it hangs over their head because he is a special player.

--Eilert has been pleasantly surprised with the times on the schedule. Best time slots are the ESPN+ games and worst are the TV games when it comes to preparing for the next game. There are four more schools and less time slots so naturally they will be on ESPN+ more than in the past.

--Joe Mazzulla told him it was the greatest opportunity of his life and he was playing with house money. There are going to be a lot of challenges but he has to control what he can control. If you bring a great attitude to work and carry on as a leader and put people in the right position to succeed.

--Eilert loves long, athletic guys in the backcourt. Jeremiah Bembry is a long, athletic guard. He is somebody that can be a counterpunch to Kerr Kriisa.

--Chemistry is one of the biggest concerns that he had coming into this season so they're trying to do everything they can to build that.

--Offensively they scrapped everything and started over. Everybody is starting over. Defensively they are trying to keep as much as possible.

--West Virginia hasn't got to a point in practice where they have separated the starting five to the scout team. They are mixing and matching as much as possible.

--Eilert puts more into analytics than Bob Huggins did but he thinks there is a limit to where it is effective and how to use it.

--Eilert is more mindful of rest and looking to maximize that. They are working to be as conditioned as possible right now but once they get closer to the season they want to maximize their legs and be in the best condition possible.

--Eilert said he will have all of his coaches involved with scouts and all other aspects. They've already broken down the schedule and their responsibilities for each of those. Eilert is going to have input as well and they broke all of that down in the first couple weeks as a staff.

--Eilert would say to the fans give us your full support and you'll be pleasantly surprised. They're going to play with a chip on their shoulder and they'll feed off that and fans will likely see some stuff they didn't expect to see.

--Trust had to be rebuilt with the players. Their foundation was crippled and everything they thought they came here for. Trust and culture and respect has to be built and it doesn't happen overnight. They are getting to the point where everybody believes they can rely and trust each other.

--Eilert isn't too concerned about where his team sits in the Big 12 talentwise right now because they need to worry about today.

Just more Democrat policy in the news, @Soaring Eagle 74, @moe and @bamaEER

Thoughts?

LINK: Philadelphia police responded to reports of widespread looting on Tuesday night

EXCERPT: "Videos posted to X, formerly Twitter, showed retail stores like Lululemon, the Apple Store and Footlocker ravaged by crowds of looters."

Democrats, their policies and their bleaters are destroying our country

This is a couple of guys watching and commenting on the Tavon Austin college highlight video. What's that been worth over the past 10 years?


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--West Virginia head coach Josh Eilert said re-recruiting his roster was a balancing act. You didn't want to bring somebody into your roster when you're trying to build a foundation that could rock the boat. It was a delicate situation and he wanted to figure out who was all in and support them. Eilert said they were backed up against the wall in a lot of ways and they had 5-6-7 spots to fill and had to get creative in which direction they went recruiting wise to put the roster together to compete in the Big 12.

--When school started Eilert said they didn't even have 13 guys on the roster. As soon as they got 10 on campus they did five on five and they wanted to do team from the jump. They started official practice yesterday but it felt like they just turned things up a notch.

--West Virginia has a young, vibrant coaching staff that is eager to get on the floor. The coaches and players they have on the roster really feed off that. Eilert tries to limit himself on what he does on the floor but it helps the coaches are young and can do it. Three of the four guys on the floor have worn the jersey and know what it means to the state and the people. They want to represent West Virginia the right way. Eilert believes they have a good group and people on the roster and recruiting it helps.

--There wasn't a lot out there to backup Jesse Edwards so he was a critical piece to maintain. They looked at options late in the summer but there wasn't a lot out there. One of his main concerns was keeping Edwards and keeping Kerr Kriisa.

--The timing in a lot of ways, several went in before Eilert got the job but some would have left anyways. You have to look at the guys that were graduating and had immediate eligibility when it comes to exploring their options.

--Eilert said that each school has different philosophies on how they enter people into the portal so he didn't want to hold those things up with players like Kriisa and Jose Perez. But he was confident that he could recruit them and they would want to be part of what they are building.

--Eilert doesn't look at this as an interim he stares at a picture every day from the press conference that has that word in it. He is the head coach for ten months and that's the way he looks at it. He has the opportunity to prove himself and there is a lot of pressure but he is excited to take on that challenge.

--Eilert was thinking more about taking care of the guys on the roster than himself during the week before he was named head coach. There is no case study for this and he can't look at people to see who to call to get some guidance. Some people have had to take over but it's been different situations.

--First day when the turmoil was going on and Wren Baker met with the team and staff he was coming off the road recruiting and trying to get back as soon as he could. He got home after those meetings and he was shell shocked initially on how it would go. Got a phone call from Baker and he said if you don't mind stop by my office. They sat down and he looked to Eilert for leadership and keep things in working order. He did everything he could to keep things together and keep that transition smooth. He asked if he could get his opportunity to sell himself and have a chance and he did. Baker made sure he was the man for the job.

--There's a lot of wall space in the office and he stared up at that blank white wall and asked what should he put up there. He reached out to Dale Sparks and he said can you make me a collage. It's a side photo, profile photo and on the TV it just had a big interim graphic. He looked up there and thought it should be great motivation.

--Anybody would be doing a disservice if they didn't look at the macro side of things for recruiting. He is going to do what is best for West Virginia basketball. He is going to recruit for the future and there are a couple pieces on the roster that can't play this year like Noah Farrakhan that will help.

--Eilert said the offensively they are really coming along but defensively they drill defense and they need to carry some of that over. The rosters are such a revolving door. They have four fifth year guys but all have come from different backgrounds. They don't have a whole lot of depth so they have to keep Edwards out of foul trouble. Offensively they are really getting there and making progress while trying to play as fast as they can and push the ball. They want to get the playmakers involved and keep Kriisa in decision-making mode.

--Eilert's philosophy on offense is he sat down with Da'Sean Butler to do a lot of things with spacing to keep corners filled and keep the ball in the right hands. They've put in a lot of sets.

--Jesse Edwards is going to have his challenges transitioning from 2-3 zone to man-to-man. He is as long a rim runner out of a pick and roll that they've ever had. It will be easy to rack up some assists with him and you put guys around him that can make shots. Akok Akok has shot the ball well so far and he's going to make shots consistently. His best attribute is on defense where he is so active and can give depth on the front court. Pat Suemnick is going to play some four/five. They have good depth at the four with Quinn Slazinski and Akok. Josiah Harris has been good and he's been the most effective offensive rebounder so far. In the past the spacing wasn't the best but the best shot was a missed one, so rebounding is a concern.

--Kerr Kriisa is going to have to beg him to be more aggressive because he is a pass first guy. From a coaching perspective you love it, but he needs to take open shots. Still ongoing with RaeQuan Battle on the waiver situation and he looks forward to getting an answer in the coming weeks. Battle is special and he is the most natural athlete and can really score the ball well and get his own shot. He would fit right in during the press Virginia days. The waiver is a concern and it hangs over their head because he is a special player.

--Eilert has been pleasantly surprised with the times on the schedule. Best time slots are the ESPN+ games and worst are the TV games when it comes to preparing for the next game. There are four more schools and less time slots so naturally they will be on ESPN+ more than in the past.

--Joe Mazzulla told him it was the greatest opportunity of his life and he was playing with house money. There are going to be a lot of challenges but he has to control what he can control. If you bring a great attitude to work and carry on as a leader and put people in the right position to succeed.

--Eilert loves long, athletic guys in the backcourt. Jeremiah Bembry is a long, athletic guard. He is somebody that can be a counterpunch to Kerr Kriisa.

--Chemistry is one of the biggest concerns that he had coming into this season so they're trying to do everything they can to build that.

--Offensively they scrapped everything and started over. Everybody is starting over. Defensively they are trying to keep as much as possible.

--West Virginia hasn't got to a point in practice where they have separated the starting five to the scout team. They are mixing and matching as much as possible.

--Eilert puts more into analytics than Bob Huggins did but he thinks there is a limit to where it is effective and how to use it.

--Eilert is more mindful of rest and looking to maximize that. They are working to be as conditioned as possible right now but once they get closer to the season they want to maximize their legs and be in the best condition possible.

--Eilert said he will have all of his coaches involved with scouts and all other aspects. They've already broken down the schedule and their responsibilities for each of those. Eilert is going to have input as well and they broke all of that down in the first couple weeks as a staff.

--Eilert would say to the fans give us your full support and you'll be pleasantly surprised. They're going to play with a chip on their shoulder and they'll feed off that and fans will likely see some stuff they didn't expect to see.

--Trust had to be rebuilt with the players. Their foundation was crippled and everything they thought they came here for. Trust and culture and respect has to be built and it doesn't happen overnight. They are getting to the point where everybody believes they can rely and trust each other.

--Eilert isn't too concerned about where his team sits in the Big 12 talentwise right now because they need to worry about today.