“I hear her voice in the morning as she calls me”

September 14, 2009

Hello Everybody!

It has been a week since my last post and I regret that. I’ve taken weeks off for vaction on the blog but there has been something missing and different this week. Maybe its because the Pirates have been tanking, but mostly it has been because I’ve been busy at school.

Because of this current fall semester Pirates baseball has taken a backseat to something more important, West Virginia football.

For you college football fans out there I’m sure you have been aware of the recent success of the Mountaineer football program. West Virginia has been such a big part of my life, even more so than the Pittsburgh Pirates. My family roots run through the Mountaine State with much of my extended family living here. My father, Rick, went to WVU in the 1970’s and with myself as a current junior, I feel so proud to carry on this blue and gold Peaslee family tradition.

For a better part of my 20 years weekend trips to WV were the norm. Whether it was for family reunions or special occasions I enjoyed treking through the wining country roads to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. There was always something else though that made the trips worth the time…West Virginia football.

For nearly 3 decades my family has had football season tickets. I have had great times at Mountaineer Field enjoying exhillarating wins and hard to swallow losses. The pride and passion I have for the Mountaineers is second to none. Being a student makes these feelings escalate even more.

As I drive myself through the winding roads now I always have John Denver’s legendary “Country Roads” song playing on my car CD player. There is another tradition with this song that always gives me goosebumps.

The young 2009 campaign for the Mounatineers has been very rewarding. We are now 2-0 and have wins over Liberty and East Carolina. Not necessarily two marquee schools but after falling to ECU last year it was great to avenge the defeat.

I get chills everytime I am in the stadium surrounded by a sea of blue and gold. IN the opening game against Liberty I sat in the upper deck as you can see. It was a hot day and the heat and sun was irritating. WVU wasn’t winning in a convincing matter as I had hoped but the Mountaineers still pulled out a 33-20 win over the Liberty Flames.

Just this past Saturday I had much better seats for the game.

Front row baby! Being on top of the field right there was awesome. I heckled East Carolina players and high fived my Mountaineers after the 35-20 win. The ticketing sytem at WVU allows students to choose a lower level or upper level seat. My friends and I usually like the upper section for a better view of the whole field. However, being there in the lower level, front row specifically was great. Creating a superb atmosphere for college football.

 

 

One of the best parts of Mountaineer football Saturdays is the Pride of West Virginia:The Mountaineer Marching Band.

The band plays a great rendition of Country Roads and forms the state of West Virginia in their pregame routine. With everybody signing along to teh tune it is the greatest feeling in the world. A college tradition for many many years.

There is another WVU team that deserves some respect right now, the women’s soccer team.

I cover the Mountaineer women’s soccer team for the school newspaper. They have great potential to be a strong national competitor. Pre-season, the squad was ranked 7th in the nation but have since fallen to 12th after a 2-2-3 start to the season. They are very young and will surely be on the natioanl stage for more years to come.

One of the biggest changes this year for Mountaineer sports is the transition of the rifle. If you’ve ever watched a Mountaineer sporting event on TV you may have seen one of the most distinct mascots in all of sports.

 

 

 

The Mountaineer is an intimidating fellow who carries a musket on the field. If you are an opposing fan, player and mascot-watch out! He fires after every touchdown and when the Mountaineers are on a roll, be prepared for a loud kaboom all day long.

This year the Mountaineer takes on a different role.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed that is a woman. She is a junior at WVU and the second female to don the Mountaineer buck skins. Its been very controversial. Because come on look at the guy on the left. He is the spitting image of a Mountaineer. His name is Brady Campbell and the stereotypical West Virginia mascot. Most people feel it should be strictly a man in the uniform. But she has done a fantastic job displaying excellent school spirit.

My classes are going well. I have a fairly loaded schedule with 18 credit hours. I enjoy my journalism, Public Relations and English classes. I take a better interest in these because they are for my major. However, there are some road blocks that come in the form of Accounting and Statistics. Numbers are not my thing. Math is not my thing. These two classes have been interesting thus far. I’m staying on top and not getting behind because I know if I dig a hole for myself theres no way I’ll be able to get back out. Anybody out there with an expertise in these fields? Hit me up!

If you expected a Pirates update here I’m sorry but I really can’t pony up anything positive to say. They were on a 7 game losing skid for the ump teenth time this season. They actually pulled out a 2-1 win on Sunday over the Astros to avoid the sweep. Andrew McCutchen has been on a month long slump. He’s gone o-fer many times this month and seen his batting average drop to .270. The offense as a whole has been sluggish. Only mustering up 17 hits over the 7 day week. It’s ugly and doesn’t seem to get any better. They players don’t seem to give any heart or effort out there. They know the season is over and I can’t blame them for not giving a die hard effort.

In closing-here is something that I get to look at everyday. It is hanging in my room behind my TV. It shows the pride and passion that I will always have for the Pirates-its everlasting no matter how bad it has been or how good it will be in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Matthew Peaslee Posted in Dailies Tagged with West Virginia