WVU president calls for change following riots

[GoldRusher]

Wow...

Condoning destruction of property and assaulting public servants...

Wow...

I wish it were the actual law MAKERS and not the enforcers. Maybe a few public servant beatings would knock some common sense into them .

 

[WVUDAD]

I have no use for the destruction of others property, or violence toward people, BUT, people WILL celebrate after a big win. The thing that makes WVU different than many other places is the tight quarters, many other schools have open land near the stadium where people can spread out a bit, Morgantown has no such place, the kids head to Sunnyside, drink, stand shoulder to shoulder, the riot mentality seems to take hold of people when they are too close with an emotionally charged situation leads to bad things. With each hospital expansion, with each new building people are closer together in these already tight quarters. The reputation ensures that any nonsense is recorded and reported, but it is not isolated to WVU.

 

[DCWV4life]

LETTER FROM BAYLOR FAN:


I just want to first say, on behalf of all of the Big XII, welcome. I certainly had heard all of the reports, and came ready for a verbal assault. I honestly did not bring my wife and kids specifically because of the history and first hand reports, and in hindsight, I really wish I had brought them. In all sincerity, the only thing I could possibly complain about was the result on the scoreboard, because everything else was excellent.
The blue and gold carpet rolled out by the true fans was just unbelievable. You should definitely thank your administration for whatever they did in a PR campaign, public awareness moves, etc, because I have never seen a more solidified fan base dedicated to an excellent game day experience for BOTH fans. I have been around the world, watched soccer matches, rugby matches, college football in every state, including heated and non heated rivalries, and I have never experience the welcome I experienced in Morgantown. It started with the waiters, waitresses, bartenders, hotel personnel, and all the fans staying in the hotels. It continued throughout the evening as we walked around and got our bearings. The next morning, on our way to the game, the hotel shuttle was full of good banter, and then when we arrived…
I have never shook that many hands in my life. I have never received that many offers for a beer and a pepperoni roll in my life. I have never been stood up for by other opposing fans when the random drunk fan at 9am screams an obscenity. I have never been offered a personal view into an opposing team's game plan, and a thorough interest in what Baylor is going to do, and a healthy debate on what we think the result is going to be…. all with more pepperoni rolls, bratwursts, salads, dips, beer, and did I mention beer?
I could rave about the experience for hours on end… but I am just going to tell you… if you continue to treat opposing fans this way for the rest of your time in the Big XII, you will absolutely be crowned the king of the road trip cities, and you can expect 3-4 times as many fans each time, as I fully expect to tell my friends to go enjoy Morgantown, stay a while.
If any of you are working for the Morgantown economic development committee though… please take one note… start building more hotel rooms. I booked in February the day after the schedule was announced… I had a ton of friends who chose to stay in Pittsburgh because the lack of hotel rooms allowed for a normally $150 a night hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) to be $279. That was a shade under ridiculous.
I would also like to tell you in no uncertain terms… you are welcome to Waco anytime. If you are coming, and bringing the same fans that were tailgating out there this weekend… keep my name, send me a private message and we will make sure to roll out the green and gold carpet to you.
Thanks!
atxtraveler

At least not all our fans are aholes

 

[DCWV4life]

Me and 4 college friends made the trip to Morgantown this weekend and we were absolutely blown away by the kindness and hospitality we recieved. By far the best game day experience on the road (or at home) I have ever had. Can not tell you how many hand shakes and welcome to Morgantowns I recieved. Everyone seemed genuinely excited and curious to meet us.

We walked around the blue lot before and after the game and we were well fed and offered all the beer we could drink from many WVU tailgates. We had the occasional drunken student heckler but that is expected. The selling of beer in the stadium is fantastic. Keeps fans engaged in the game, produces revenue for the school, and from early studies has greatly reduced gameday alcohol related incidents. Very smart and progressive of Oliver Luck. Looking foward to that man becoming a leader with in the conference.

Big fan of the ambassadors in Baylor colors walking around greeting Baylorfans and answering any questions.

WVU has now become my new number 2 team behind Baylor in the conference as a result of the treatment and hospitality I recieved in Morgantown.

Sic Em Mountaineers!

 

[DCWV4life]

At least there was some good stuff that came out of the big match up. I say persecute all those responsible and start setting examples, I do not care what they call the actions of the student we do not need that crap going on. Waste of resources on "kids having fun?" no way man.

 

[Anotherwvufan]

We need to get some constructive solutions to this ongoing problem. Students will party and get rowdy after big wins. When we play 4-6 ranked teams every year, we can expect to have more big wins in the future.

With students on the street and 50,000 fans in Morgantown, there is just not enough room in bars and restaurants to handle the people. House keg parties get overwhelmed and the people end up in the streets, find a couch to burn and things escalate from there. If we find a good place for the students and fans to go, they will not end up at the street parties where the chaos begins.

A public bonfire after big games is one answer. Having a concert or other crowd drawing event after the game could also partially alleviate the problem. Set up a big stage in the blue lot and have free concerts after games. Set off some fireworks. Stop the problem before it becomes a problem rather than throwing police later when things get out of control.

When TCU comes to town, likely ranked in the top 10 and a night game, a win will be bigger than Baylor and so will the party. Statements by Gee will not slow it down. We will have a Gustapo presence by the police to try to stop it, but something is bound to happen and the tear gas and batons will once again rule the streets of Morgantown.

 

[Mac_Bridger]

Another, I agree with you that preventative measures could be taken. The Grant Street Block Party is a thing of the past due to just that sort of thinking, but only after the block party devolved into a shooting spree. That's what we need to avoid here. Fires, hurling rocks, bottles, dumpsters, tearing down street light, road signs is bad, but it can and will get worse. What happens when someone decides the party needs firearms? WVU and the city of Morgantown need to get ahead of the problem NOW and offer something for people to do after games.

 

[mad2mc]

At least there was some good stuff that came out of the big match up. I say persecute all those responsible and start setting examples, I do not care what they call the actions of the student we do not need that crap going on. Waste of resources on "kids having fun?" no way man.

Agreed (why wouldn't I agree with myself). Unfortunately, these articles do not get as much attention in the media than the actions of the real assholes. Do you REALLY have to get rowdy after a victory and tear stuff up? If you want to be destructive, then maybe you need a baton to the side of your head.