Sports talk in West Virginia has focused on how much a rivalry the WVU vs. Marshall University match-up can really be, given that WVU has won each of the nine games played.
From the Charleston (WV) Gazette:
"West Virginia has never lost in the series, which was played only once between 1923 and 2006. The aggregate score is 369-88 and the combined score in the three years of the current seven-year contract is 117-36.
Thus the inevitable questions about how such a lopsided series could be called a rivalry."
Perhaps Mountaineer fans should read up on the history of the Backyard Brawl. Despite the Panthers 61-37-3 historical advantage and a 15 game win streak from 1929 through 1946, many WVU fans still consider Pitt its greatest rival.
Maybe it's only a rivalry when one has something to prove.
2 comments:
Hi,
Thanks for sharing the information.
West virgnia's team is a very formidable team. Weekend in Charleston WV are perhaps the best weekends because there will be events like mountain hiking ,musical concerts.
A rivalry is in the eye of the beholder.
I remember when WVU's biggest rival was Penn State. That is, if you asked a WVU fan. WE hadn't beat them since 1949 when we finally pulled it out in 84. That's right...almost 40 years. Ask a Nittany faithful, and it's not a rivalry. Pitt doesn't consider WVU a rival...again, it's lopsided. (Recently, though, it's approaching it and gotten a lot more interesting.)
The problem that I have with the series is that it's one-sided in a different way. The game shouldn't even be played, really. It's the governor messing around the sports arena, and nothing good ever comes of that. Look at NC and VA. Also, for Marshall it's a no-lose situation. Win? It's awesome. And given the record you indicated, even if Marshall doesn't lose by much (like happened on Saturday), they still look good.
For WVU it's a no-win situation. Win, and the reaction is "big deal." That explains the lopsided scores. Lose? Dear God I don't even want to consider it. Ugggg...ly would be that reaction, even though it will happen eventually I'm sure.
I'm just glad it didn't happen this year. The game felt like vindication to me. :-)
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