WVU FANS.

Serious observers of the Mountaineers athletic program have another journalistic effort to enjoy.

It's a 136-page, 43-chapter book authored by Morgantown resident MICKEY FURFARI, who has chronicled West Virginia University sports during seven decades.

The 85-year-old Furfari has authored "Mickey's Mountaineer Memories," a personal collection of WVU highlights among eight sports the veteran newspaperman has followed since the 1940s.

Mickey served as a Morgantown newspaper sports editor for 40 years before retiring. Since then, he has authored WVU coverage for a state syndicate of six newspapers in Fairmont, Beckley, Charleston, Logan, Elkins and Martinsburg.

For years, some of Mickey's longtime friends and professional associates, including yours truly, have suggested he take time to author a book on WVU sports. After all, no media person has been any closer to the program than Mickey during the last 60 years. But he would always say he was satisfied with his day-to-day newspaper work and not interested in any book project.

But, in the last couple of years, Mickey gave in to a request from Beckley newspapers' publisher FRANK WOOD, and the long-awaited effort recently came off the press.

The book, which includes several photos of WVU athletes and coaches, documents Mickey's first-hand coverage of football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, wrestling, soccer, rifle and gymnastics.

He leaves no stone unturned and offers several opinions including his own All-Time Football Team and Top 25 men's basketball victories.

Mickey features numerous notable Mountaineers athletes and coaches like JERRY WEST, SAM HUFF, CHUCK HOWLEY, ROD HUNDLEY, JEFF HOSTETLER, ROD THORN, DALE BLANEY, DARRYL TALLEY, IRA (RAT) RODGERS, GALE CATLETT, DON NEHLEN, BILL STEWART, etc.

He makes personal references to many of the games he has covered during the years including several memorable victories, and defeats, for the Gold & Blue.

The memory bank has to kick in for any longtime follower of the WVU athletic scene. The book is a time capsule of information and memories from a journalist who has witnessed, first-hand, Mountaineers sports during seven decades.

The book is a good reference tool and a "keeper" for any WVU buff. Interested patrons can order it at www.register-herald.com.

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THE EXPRESS.

We viewed the movie about the life of ERNIE DAVIS, the Syracuse football player who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player in 1961.

It is well-done despite a few theatrical liberties it takes with an Orange visit to Morgantown to tackle the Mountaineers. The movie depicted a 1959 night game in a near-capacity stadium without lights. The year, time of day, and crowd are fictitious.

In the movie, Syracuse coach BEN SCHWARTZWALDER warned Davis that he wouldn't be received well in West Virginia. Ironically, the coach was a native of Huntington, who played football at WVU before coaching high school in Parkersburg.

Davis played only one game in Morgantown, a 45-0 blanking of a winless WVU team in the 1960 Homecoming contest.

We were in the old Mountaineer Field bleachers for that game but don't recall any of the unsportsmanlike scenes depicted on the movie screen.

But, then again, that was 48 years ago and while we've probably witnessed more WVU events than all Ohio Valley media, past and present, combined, that game doesn't stand out for hostile actions toward visitors like some others.

But the movie, overall, is worth watching.

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ENJOY the weekend.