A Little Friendly Interrogation with the Enemy, Part I

I'll be trading questions with the guys over at WVMountaineerSports.com leading up to the Fiesta Bowl game against West Virginia. We'll post a few questions a day, just getting familiar with the opponent at first and then delving into the issues of the X's and O's as the game looms. Here is the first question:

SS: What is a Mountaineer?

WVMS: From the Wikipedia:

Mountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains. It is also sometimes known as alpinism, particularly in Europe. While it began as an all-out attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specializations addressing different aspects of mountains and may now be said to consist of three aspects: rock-craft, snow-craft and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require great athletic and technical ability, and experience is also a very important part of the matter.

The above definition sums up what it means to be a Mountaineer. The “all-out attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains” embodies the spirit of anyone who calls themselves a Mountaineer. Whether it be fighting through the adversity of losing several strong teams from the Big East, replacing a coaching legend (Don Nehlen), coming back from a near loss to Louisville in 2005, or fighting their way through a tough schedule after a heartbreaker to USF this year, the WVU Mountaineers and their fans understand adversity. Just like a Mountaineer visits the peaks and valleys of exploring the unknown, a true Mountaineer fan has lived the emotional rollercoaster of their love for WVU, be it football, basketball or even the difficult issues that the rifle and track teams had to deal with.

Beyond sports, West Virginia, and the Mountaineers within, take time to enjoy our state. From the ski slopes in the east, to the riverboats on the west, hunting, fishing, white water rafting… the list goes on. We have a nearly self-contained Division II athletic conference (WVIAC) and several branches of WVU and Marshall across the land. We have two (usually) outstanding college football teams that have both competed on the national stage.

My high school history professor said, “WV is the most northern of southern states, the most southern of the northern states, the most eastern of the western states, and the most western of the eastern states.” Regardless where you go in the United States, you’ll never find people friendlier than those Mountaineers from WV. It’s called, “Almost Heaven” for a reason.

As you can see, being a Mountaineer is more about allegiance to one school, it’s about enjoying life, living in the surrounds, and always looking up to the next peak.

As our Motto states: Mountaineers are always free.

Well, there you have it. Check out their site here for my responses, as well as coverage from the Rich Rodriguez fiasco.