The Facts Don’t Lie, White Is the Best Ever
By DOUG HUFFPAT WHITE.
Is the senior West Virginia University quarterback the finest football player in Mountaineers history?
Our vote is yes.
And, also, we feel he deserves to have his jersey No. 5 retired by the school.
Let us explain our reasoning.
When we compare athletes in a team sport concept, we look at much more than statistics, honors and recognition, etc. We look at how the team fared with the athlete in uniform and how he contributed to a level of success.
In every area of comparison, White has the most impressive resume. Not only has he posted school-best, but national-best numbers in his four-year career, he has led WVU to unmatched team successes and national acclaim.
For example:
(1) No other college quarterback, anywhere, has rushed for as many yards. And, there are strong arguments that White could be the best RUNNING BACK in Mountaineers history.
(2) No other college quarterback, anywhere, has started and won four straight bowl games. And, we might add, three of the games were on New Year's Day and two of them were BCS Bowl games. WVU had never won four straight bowl games before White took charge.
(3) No other WVU athlete has won three straight bowl game Most Valuable Player awards.
(4) No other WVU athlete has placed in the Top 7 balloting twice for the Heisman Trophy.
(5) And no Mountaineers football team was ever ranked No. 1 in the nation, even though it was only for one week in 2007, before Pat White enrolled at WVU.
We could go on and on about the achievements, numbers, honors, etc., the last four years for White and the Mountaineers football team.
But you get the point.
His resume is unmatched by any other football player in school history.
That's why we consider him the finest to wear the Gold-and-Blue uniform.
And that's why jersey No. 5 should be retired by the Mountaineers athletic department.
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CANCER RESEARCH
CLASSIC.
The second annual event today at Wheeling Jesuit University will feature an unprecedented national elite of high school basketball teams.
No less than four nationally ranked teams in the ESPN Rise FAB 50 are matched in the five-game showcase at the McDonough Gymnasium. The FAB 50 is a continuation of the original national rankings started in 1944 and is the only one determined by a poll of national analysts.
In the first game at 1 p.m., No. 18 ranked Bishop McNamara of Forestville, Md., takes on Philadelphia's Northeast Catholic.
The second game pits No. 25 Neumann-Goretti of Philadelphia vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
In the third game, Wheeling Central and Philly's St. Joseph's Prep meet for the second straight season.
The fourth contest pits No. 50 Gonzaga of Washington, D.C., vs. St. Frances Academy of Baltimore.
The finale matches No. 13 Rice of New York City vs. Roman Catholic of Philadelphia.
High school hoopaholics will have a field day.
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SMORGASPORTS:
(1) Ohio State has a lot riding on Monday night's Fiesta Bowl showdown vs. Texas. The Buckeyes need a victory not only for themselves since they have been dominated in the last two BCS bowl games but one for the Big Ten Conference, which has the worst bowl record the last five seasons of any of the six BCS conferences. Big Ten teams are 1-5 this bowl season with only Iowa claiming a postseason victory. And, Penn State's loss to USC on Thursday extended the Big Ten's losing streak to six games in the Rose Bowl.
(2) In case you missed it, the WVU men's basketball team is ranked No. 7 nationally in the Sagarin Power Rankings.
(3) MICK PRICE, who started his boys' basketball coaching career with one season at Sistersville High, recorded his 500th career victory in his 31st season at Ravenswood High.
(4) Enjoy the first New Year weekend.
