W. Va. Gov. Seeks Apology From U. of Va.

AP via Lycos.com ^ | 12/30/2002a

[GeneD]

Gov. Bob Wise on Monday demanded an apology from the University of Virginia because a pep band lampooned his state's rural image during the halftime show of a college football bowl game.

Saturday's Continental Tire Bowl pitted the University of Virginia against West Virginia University. At halftime, Virginia's student-run pep band staged a parody of The Bachelor," with a male Virginia student choosing between two female contestants.

The contestant said to be from West Virginia wore blue overalls and pigtails, had a talent for square dancing and declared a dream to move to Beverly Hills, Calif. -- a reference to "The Beverly Hillbillies."

"This type of performance merely perpetuates the unfounded stereotypes that we in West Virginia are fighting so hard to overcome," Wise said in a letter to University of Virginia President John T. Casteen.

University officials said Casteen would issue a statement Tuesday. Adam Lorentson, the band's director, did not return telephone messages Monday evening.

Leonard Sandridge, the university's executive vice president and chief operating officer, called the performance "inappropriate" and said it offended fans of both teams.

Sandridge declined to say what, if any, sanctions would be imposed on the pep band. In previous years, officials have barred the band from marching at halftime of home games.

Ken Haines, the bowl game's executive director, said the pep band is not welcome at future Tire Bowls.

He said he approved a five-paragraph script band officials presented before the game, but "their performance was more embellished. The execution by the pep band was not in the same tone that we were led to believe."

Virginia won Saturday's game, 48-22.

The pep band poked fun at West Virginia at halftime of the last Virginia-West Virginia football game, in 1985. That performance, a parody of "Family Feud," included derogatory references to indoor plumbing and birth control.

[GeneD]

A few random comments:

Hey Bob, when will you apologize for Bob Byrd?

What did you expect with your team playing in the Continental Tire Bowl?!?!?

You're mad because your team lost, and to add to the indignity, your team lost in the Continental Tire Bowl.

Bob, now that you're out of the House, get a sense of humor.

[TN4Liberty]

When friends kid each other about their teams and schools, it is appropriate to say "get a sense of humor." When a state university seeks to degrade another state and the opponent for the game, that is just trashy.

One would think that UVa would be interested in having at least the illusion of good sportsmanship. I would be very disappointed if my community high school pulled a stunt like this. I expect more from a university. In their attempt to put down WVa, they instead made themselves look small and petty.

[Varda]

Good reply and I agree. It was poor sportsmanship and ill manners on display for U Va. I thought this school would have more class than that but apparently not.

[Tennessee_Bob]

The contestant said to be from West Virginia wore blue overalls and pigtails, had a talent for square dancing and declared a dream to move to Beverly Hills, Calif. -- a reference to "The Beverly Hillbillies."

And all this time, I thought Jed and all his kin were from Tennessee, not West Virginia...

[Savage Beast]

It could have been worse. They could have done a Big Byrd number with a cross burning.

[ikka]

Unfounded stereotype? You ever driven through W. Va?

Then again, the W. Va girl could just as well have been from the southwest corner of Va too.

[Guillermo]

As long as they keep on electing wackos, they deserve the abuse.

[VadeRetro]

Typical Democrat. No sense of humor and bludgeons with his victimhood.

[Billthedrill]

I've seen worse. I was there the time the Stanford Marching Band came out at halftime during the USC game dressed in garbage bags. "Trojans," get it?

[GeneD]

As they say on C-SPAN, your point is well taken, and I have nothing against either state, although both may be laughed at in different ways; but I live in the City of Brotherly Love, the butt of every conceivable joke since W. C. Fields said he'd put the words "I'd rather be in Philadelphia" on his tombstone. (He didn't.) As you say, perhaps the jest was uncalled for, and in poor taste; but the offense is rather tempered by the fact that West Virginia is, after all, the home of "Mr. White N----r," and the teams did play in a bowl game with a stupid name (almost as bad as the upcoming Diamond Walnut Bowl), and the whole corrupt, sleazy, money-besotted college sports system is ripe for ridicule. I think without an occasional questionable dose of mirth people keep their frustrations inside, and that's why the whole corrupt higher-education system is full of PC. Better this than a professor saying, "Anybody who can bomb the Pentagon gets my vote."

[Hacksaw]

Typical Democrat. No sense of humor and bludgeons with his victimhood.

Yes, making fun of white rural people is still politically correct.

[eddie willers]

"Yee Haw!....A feud!"
"Get me my shooting iron."

[gov_bean_ counter]

My dad was at Clemson when it was all military. Told me that prior to a game with Univ of South Carolina, a cadet walked from one goal line with rooster in hand, plucking with every step. The start of the game was delayed due to a riot.

[eddie willers]

And all this time, I thought Jed and all his kin were from Tennessee, not West Virginia...

Arkansas, if I'm not mistaken. (The Ozarks)

[TXBubba]

Can't verify Arkansas. But the car from the Beverly Hillbillies is on display at the "College of the Ozarks" museum outside Branson, MO.

[Ben Bolt]

Mr. Wise ,

I've duly noted that some people refer to my state in spelling as Floriduh . I feel your pain .

Respectfully ,

Grow a pair

CC :

Donald Rumsfeld

[GeneD]

A further note: Nitpickers will say, "It's the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl," but this notion of giving bowl games two names is an affront to the intelligence. Most of the teams play in these games not for the glory of competition but for the sound of cash. Just call them by the sponsor names, folks: the Toyota Bowl, the Axa Bowl, the Nokia Bowl, the Sony PlayStation 2 Bowl, and the greatest of them all, the TOSTITOS SEARS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL.

[Redmen4ever]

What are we, in Virginia, to do?

TOP TEN APOLOGIES:

10. We're sorry, but we thought you could take a joke.

9. We're sorry, but we didn't think you'd consider it to be an insult.

8. We're sorry, but we didn't think you'd understand.

7. We're sorry, but some of our best friends are Appalachians.

6. We're sorry, and we will now hire more Appalachians.

5. We're sorry, but we only now realize how insensitive we've been to Appalachians all of our lives.

4. We're sorry, and we will go on the Appalachian Entertainment Network to apologize some more.

3. We're sorry, and we will resign, and allow somebody else who thinks just like we do to take our place.

2. We're sorry, but you're the guys with "Mountaineers" as your mascot.

1. We're not sorry, and next year we're going to kick your football team's collective Appalachian butt even harder!

[eddie willers]

I forgot that the Ozarks spilled into Missouri.
But when I think hillbilly, I think Bill Clinton and Jeb Clampett.

[Checkmate]

Agree! The Princeton band is obscene, the Stanford band is edgy, the Virginia band is slightly off point. There were (from written accounts) no references to incest, small genepools, or superb swimming skills. Overall the performance may have shown poor sportsmanship but I find the PC whining at least as objectionable.