There are a ton of great jokes and one-liners out there that ridicule and put down the hillbilly, but I wonder if these same people that put us down have any working knowledge of who we are, or where we come from. I'll take a brief moment to debunk some of the myth that surrounds our culture, and another moment to enlighten readers to who the hillbillies really are:
1. Hillbillies do, in fact, have real teeth - that are their own. Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of mountain folk have teeth. This holds true across the entire spectrum of the hillbilly populace - from West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama to the far reaches of other hillbillies around the globe. Now, it is true that there is a small sliver of our conglomerate that may have never been introduced to a toothbrush, however, the overwhelming amount of hillbillies do take care of themselves every day.
2. Hillbillies and Rednecks aren't synonymous. There's a huge misconception that has been perpetuated for decades that these two terms are one and the same. The truth is, the term redneck holds a very negative connotation. It has its origins in the Maetwan Incident in the 1920s. A group of miners in southern West Virginia wanted a fair wage that they could use in public stores, better health care and safer working conditions. A huge number of these miners descended on the state capitol of Charleston - rifles in hand - demanding a fare handshake. Of course, the mining company owners weren't happy. They gave the striking miners 24 hours to return to their jobs. When the miners didn't, a posse of pro-company miners and workers marched to Charleston, WV to bring them all back by force. They wore a red bandanna around their necks to distinguish themselves. A massive battled ensued, and hundreds lost their lives.
Hillbillies, on the other hand, are just a simple rugged mountain folk that tend to keep themselves removed from the public. So, the next time you go callin' someone a redneck -- be very careful.
3. Not all hillbillies live in a single wide. Ok, so there is a slice of our members that do live in trailer parks. I can't argue that point. However, if you traveled the highways and byways of not only this great nation, but others around the world, you would come to find that a larger portion of hillbillies live in really nice homes on rather large tracts of land.
4. Not all hillbillies are uneducated buffoons. Again, for some reason, the t.v. crews love to interview the strangest examples of our population when it comes to massive weather-related destruction, or the huge accident on the interstate. By and large, though, most hillbillies are highly educated. Most of us have a college degree, and more still have at least an Associate's degree in one field or another.
5. Hillbillies aren't lazy. In fact, the exact opposite is true. We are a hard-working folk - raised in an unforgiving environment that instills work ethic in us, or we would struggle to survive. Hillbillies work for a living. We take pride in who we are, and where we are from. Most hillbillies can trace their roots back to Scotch-Irish, German, Swiss, or Slavic heritages here in America. We love our families, our land, our music and our food. We welcome friends, and forgive our enemies.
So, the next time that you go into mountain country, take the time to stop into a restaurant or store off the beaten path, and interact with the local culture. You just might be surprised at who and what you discover.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Who Else Wants To See The Mountains On Fire?
Autumn is by far and away the best season of the year. This is because you get to experience all of the truly wonderful things about the outdoors. These are just some of the great things that you can find in West Virginia in the fall.
The biggest tourist draw that you will notice here in the fall is the foliage. Our mountains and hillsides come alive with a vibrant rainbow of colors beginning this weekend. You can take a drive down any highway, byway, or country road and you're sure to find a scene that would have made even Norman Rockwell envious. From the firey red leaves of the maples to the brilliant yellows of the poplars, you will want to bring your camera when you visit the Mountain State.
Another great reason to swing on in for a spell is our state's homegrown harvest. West Virginia has a plethora of fresh fruits and veggies planted and raised right here. You will find succulent apples -- figi, granny smith and the honey crisp. You can get your hands on fresh greens, turnips, melons, squash, peaches and plums. There are several farmers’ markets that bring their harvests right to you at very affordable prices.
Our best asset of all -- and your best reason to get out here -- is our hospitality. We have a huge number of wonderful B&Bs, plush hotels and scenic campgrounds for all of you outdoor enthusiasts. The folks here are warm and welcoming. We'll help you find your way around. We can point you in the direction of a great home-cooked meal. You may arrive here a stranger, but by the time you leave West Virginia you will be more than a welcome friend. You'll be family!
The biggest tourist draw that you will notice here in the fall is the foliage. Our mountains and hillsides come alive with a vibrant rainbow of colors beginning this weekend. You can take a drive down any highway, byway, or country road and you're sure to find a scene that would have made even Norman Rockwell envious. From the firey red leaves of the maples to the brilliant yellows of the poplars, you will want to bring your camera when you visit the Mountain State.
Another great reason to swing on in for a spell is our state's homegrown harvest. West Virginia has a plethora of fresh fruits and veggies planted and raised right here. You will find succulent apples -- figi, granny smith and the honey crisp. You can get your hands on fresh greens, turnips, melons, squash, peaches and plums. There are several farmers’ markets that bring their harvests right to you at very affordable prices.
Our best asset of all -- and your best reason to get out here -- is our hospitality. We have a huge number of wonderful B&Bs, plush hotels and scenic campgrounds for all of you outdoor enthusiasts. The folks here are warm and welcoming. We'll help you find your way around. We can point you in the direction of a great home-cooked meal. You may arrive here a stranger, but by the time you leave West Virginia you will be more than a welcome friend. You'll be family!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Leave No Doubt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW63PcDPPZk
Ok... Coach Stew changed my mind. I knew there was a reason that I kept this speech around. This one's for you, Coach... Go skin some Wildcat hide!!
Ok... Coach Stew changed my mind. I knew there was a reason that I kept this speech around. This one's for you, Coach... Go skin some Wildcat hide!!
Monday, October 15, 2012
5 Truths To Being A Mountaineer Football Fan
I've been following WVU football since I was five. I was there when John Denver commemorated the then new Mountaineer Field. I went to every home game with my family from then until I moved away in 1999. I watched the team triumph over Doug Flutie when the Eagles were flying high. I saw Dan Marino and the Panthers demolish my beloved Mountaineers at home when they rolled into town. I grew up during the era of the greatest tandem in sports radio... Jack Flemming and Woody O'Hara. Over the years there are several things that have held true through to this very day.
1. WVU Football will never win a National Championship. My dad has been following the team since the mid-60s, and my grandpa since the late 1930s. They both only saw the very same two undefeated seasons that I did -- 1988 and 1993. Both times we had a great offense and defense, and both times we failed to achieve immortality. For the past 19 years since, we have done the same thing year in and year out. WVU football builds up the hopes a dreams of millions of insane (I'll explain this later) fans only to dash them to bits by embarrassing themselves before a nationally televised audience. This year is no different. Especially with no defense... How could we really fool ourselves that this year was 'the year'? You can change coaches, change staff, change conferences and hell even change uniforms... but it won't change the fact that the same thing will happen over and over and over again.
2. WVU Football fans are clinically insane. The same can be said about several teams and their fans. We go in every season doing the same things and expecting a different result. As humans, we are doomed to repeat history. WVU's football history lessons tell us that we have never won a national title... ever. The likelihood that this will happen is somewhere between a skinny cowboy and a woman of the convent.
3. Great offense alone won't win championships. This one should be crystal clear after the recent loss to Texas Tech. Great football teams are powerhouses on all three sides of the ball. Our offense can't prop up the 2012 squad any longer. There's no 'offense' in the word 'team'.
4. Pat Miller is the worst defensive back in the history of the program. This holds to be true. I've seen some bad ones in my day, but this kid takes the prize. I'm only going to go back through the 2011 season to somewhat spare his feelings, but I'm sure the trend is there if you want to look. The reason WVU lost its games in 2011 and thus far in 2012 are all because the opposing defenses discovered the same thing... get anyone on your team with opposable thumbs one-on-one with Miller, and there's an 88 percent chance you'll get a touchdown. The same will hold true through the rest of this season. WVU will likely seek vengeance out on K-State, and win. They will then climb back from 14th to 11th in the polls only to fall to 18th when OU trounces them in November, and down to 23rd when Iowa State hands them their bonnets in Ames.
5. The road ahead isn't any brighter. Having said all of this, one can expect a cyclic pattern to ensue for the next 15 years. This was our shot at glory year. Next year we will go 4-8 because we'll be weak on all three sides of the game. In 2014 we'll improve with experience to 7-5, and get back into a 'who cares' bowl. By 2015 and 2016 WVU will again compete for Big XII prominence with 10-2 or 11-1 records. The only way WVU will ever stand a chance at competing for a national title will be if they either go undefeated which is highly unlikely, or if the playoff system expands to an 8-team quarterfinal series. Even by then (circa 2016) we would get into the playoffs only to get pummeled by the number one team in the country.
So, there's the cold hard truth. If you're young and growing up a Mountaineer like most of us, then toughen your skin and harden your heart. This is the way it'll be. If you're thinking about jumping on any kind of bandwagon -- I'd stay off. The wagon's only running on one good wheel these days, and that one's about to snap clean off.
1. WVU Football will never win a National Championship. My dad has been following the team since the mid-60s, and my grandpa since the late 1930s. They both only saw the very same two undefeated seasons that I did -- 1988 and 1993. Both times we had a great offense and defense, and both times we failed to achieve immortality. For the past 19 years since, we have done the same thing year in and year out. WVU football builds up the hopes a dreams of millions of insane (I'll explain this later) fans only to dash them to bits by embarrassing themselves before a nationally televised audience. This year is no different. Especially with no defense... How could we really fool ourselves that this year was 'the year'? You can change coaches, change staff, change conferences and hell even change uniforms... but it won't change the fact that the same thing will happen over and over and over again.
2. WVU Football fans are clinically insane. The same can be said about several teams and their fans. We go in every season doing the same things and expecting a different result. As humans, we are doomed to repeat history. WVU's football history lessons tell us that we have never won a national title... ever. The likelihood that this will happen is somewhere between a skinny cowboy and a woman of the convent.
3. Great offense alone won't win championships. This one should be crystal clear after the recent loss to Texas Tech. Great football teams are powerhouses on all three sides of the ball. Our offense can't prop up the 2012 squad any longer. There's no 'offense' in the word 'team'.
4. Pat Miller is the worst defensive back in the history of the program. This holds to be true. I've seen some bad ones in my day, but this kid takes the prize. I'm only going to go back through the 2011 season to somewhat spare his feelings, but I'm sure the trend is there if you want to look. The reason WVU lost its games in 2011 and thus far in 2012 are all because the opposing defenses discovered the same thing... get anyone on your team with opposable thumbs one-on-one with Miller, and there's an 88 percent chance you'll get a touchdown. The same will hold true through the rest of this season. WVU will likely seek vengeance out on K-State, and win. They will then climb back from 14th to 11th in the polls only to fall to 18th when OU trounces them in November, and down to 23rd when Iowa State hands them their bonnets in Ames.
5. The road ahead isn't any brighter. Having said all of this, one can expect a cyclic pattern to ensue for the next 15 years. This was our shot at glory year. Next year we will go 4-8 because we'll be weak on all three sides of the game. In 2014 we'll improve with experience to 7-5, and get back into a 'who cares' bowl. By 2015 and 2016 WVU will again compete for Big XII prominence with 10-2 or 11-1 records. The only way WVU will ever stand a chance at competing for a national title will be if they either go undefeated which is highly unlikely, or if the playoff system expands to an 8-team quarterfinal series. Even by then (circa 2016) we would get into the playoffs only to get pummeled by the number one team in the country.
So, there's the cold hard truth. If you're young and growing up a Mountaineer like most of us, then toughen your skin and harden your heart. This is the way it'll be. If you're thinking about jumping on any kind of bandwagon -- I'd stay off. The wagon's only running on one good wheel these days, and that one's about to snap clean off.
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