A Few Non-football Related Football Notes

It's a couple weeks into the college football season and I feel like I need to say something. Unfortunately, it's not as much football-related as it is fan-related.  If you happened to watch West Virginia's season-opening win over Marshall three weeks ago, you may have witnessed the following crowd shot:

However, because we're dealing with live television, the shirt in the above picture was uncensored (I did that after the fact).  As we all know, these things can often lead to FCC complaints and fines, two things that paint my school in a negative light.  If there’s one thing that West Virginia University doesn’t need, it’s another reason to be painted in a negative light.  Everyone is quick to point out that West Virginia is 49th out of the 50 states in just about every category, just ahead of Mississippi.  Fan behavior is often abysmal although, with very little to celebrate in recent years, it has somewhat improved.  But now we have to deal with morons in mullets wearing vulgar shirts:

About the only thing worse than the people wearing these t-shirts are the arguments that those who wear the shirts use to defend themselves.  Here are some examples from the Facebook page of a local radio station, along with how I respond to these arguments:

its a t shirt, like the other lady said if you don't like it dont look. Before you attack the out of state students, they pay way too much money to this school to be told they can't wear a shirt like they are 5 again, no ones trying to attack WV or hurt anybodies feelings. There are way worst things to deal with in the world than a t shirt with a SINGLE vulgar word. Honestly all this is doing is making people go buy it.

This same argument could also apply to public nudity and people performing lewd acts in public.  “If you don’t like it, don’t look.”  It’s kinda hard not to look when you’re exiting a grocery store and the person entering the store, walking towards you, is wearing this shirt.  Then your child turns to you and says, “Daddy, what does f***ing mean?”  It just makes for a bad situation all around.

i have been a wvu student for the past five years. that means that i have PAYED to attend school here. i have one of these "inappropriate" shirts. i have four scholarships, work 20 hours a week, and am not a menace to society. don't bring your kids to a "party school" college football game .. thousands of dollars are paid in tuition that give me a right to attend.

You spelled “paid” wrong.

It's college football!! It's a funny shirt and I'm sure that there are more pressing issues that need dealt with! Maybe the WVU student section should sport these shirts for a game! I'm sure that other schools have shirts that have similar language.

I guess you would prefer College GameDay never come to Morgantown because, after the “Lee Corso is a penis” incident, they bring a large number of bouncers to remove anyone with profane signs or clothing.

Much ado about nothing. Kevin wants to suspend the Constitution of the United States because it is not convenient to his point of view, it seems. How convenient. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be in New York next week for the annual UN General Assembly meeting. Maybe he can be a guest on the morning show and he and Kevin can trade notes on this whole sordid affair? No? Just a thought.

FYI, “Kevin” is the radio host who agrees with me that the people caught wearing this shirt should be ashamed.  And people are quick to point out the Constitution (Happy Constitution Day, by the way), but fail to recognize that having the right to freedom of speech and expression doesn’t necessarily mean you should always utilize that right.  Actions do have consequences.  For instance, the Westboro Baptist “church”, known for protesting at funerals of soldiers, use their right of free speech to blame all of the woes of the world on U.S. acceptance of homosexuality.  These people are hated pretty much wherever they go, to the point that people often slash their tires and garages refuse to service their vehicle because of how vile they are.

Action.  Consequence.