MORGANTOWN -- Now let's just take a deep breath for a minute and relax.
Turns out this flap that is swirling around a social media posting by everybody's favorite Mountaineer, Zach Frazier, about how the Mountaineer Athletic Club auctioned off his No. 54 "Country Roads" jersey that was worn in the Pitt game (and once again later in the season) is, as they said in the movie "Cool Hand Luke," a failure to communicate.
Perhaps you hadn't heard about what's going on, so first we'll retrack. West Virginia had those Pitt uniforms specially made and, when they announced their creation and that they were going to be worn in the Pitt game, they also included in a press release the announcement that they planned to auction them off after the season.
That part of the message apparently didn't get around.
And so it was the MAC auctioned off the game jerseys. No real surprise there, except they kind of forgot to put it out publicly or pass the word on to their public relations people or to the players, and if anyone knows players, there is nothing that defines them more than their uniform number.
To the All-American center Zach Frazier, No. 54 becomes his identity. Players use the number in jewelry that dangles around their neck, often in autograph signings, such as "Zach Frazier No. 54". It is often just a number assigned to them, yes, but it can also carry deep meaning.
One of the Kelce brothers, Jason, who plays against his brother this year in the Super Bowl, wrote this a couple of years ago:
"The significance of No. 62 is that when I made it to the NFL this is the number that was given to me and I am honored to wear it. Growing up, I kind of liked the No. 13 for the sports that I played. But I had a football coach in middle school that once said to me, 'The player makes the number, not the other way around.' Since then, I've taken the number that was handed to me. I have an identity with 62 and I'm going to have that forever."
And, brother Travis, who wears No. 87 for the Kansas City Chiefs, revealed this week that he wears that number to honor his brother. Since, as a tight end, he couldn't wear No. 62, he picked No. 87 … because that's the year his brother was born.
So it goes with athletes. It's part of the family and part of their own persona, so auctioning off the jersey without coming to Frazier was like selling off an arm or a leg.
He was hurt and in today's world, when your feelings are hurt, rather than going to the source of your pain and straightening matters out or getting an explanation, you bounce right on to social media.
This is what Frazier posted:
"I play my heart out for this state. I'm sick right now. I would've paid way more than $600 for my own uniform! I wish I would've known! I'll pay double to whoever bought it! Please reach out."
Now here's the deal. Everybody was wrong. Personally, I am sick of the way the MAC and the university go around begging for finances, taking advantage of the emotional attachment their fans have to their state university, when they are running an athletic department with a $90 million budget and paying coaches $4 million a year in a state where the average income was $26,187 in 2020.
Like you really have to auction off the jerseys without even giving the players first dibs on them?
Frazier's jersey, BTW, brought in $600, while the top one at the auction, former cornerback Charles Woods' jersey, was purchased for $1,660. He, by the way, has transferred.
So, what happened? I tried to find out from Athletic Director Wren Baker, but he was enroute back to Texas to be inducted into some Hall of Fame or another. Wonder if the university would consider auctioning off whatever kind of ring he gets for that?
I tried to reach Patrick Gray, head of the MAC, but he passed me on to Mike Fragale, an associate athletic director and a straight shooter. Fragale, by that time had prepared a statement:
"In accordance with NCAA regulations, WVU Athletics does give football players who have finished their eligibility the choice of what jersey they want to receive. Also, it is not uncommon for institutions to sell or auction uniforms or gear to fans. We have reached out to the student-athlete, and his concerns have been resolved. We consider the matter closed."
Perhaps, when Frazier's time at WVU is up, he'll opt for that jersey. There is a second one available. Or maybe he'll want a gold one or a blue one or gray one … he has the choice.
Or maybe, the fan would just like to do his thing for the player that he obviously must like a whole lot, and give it to Frazier.
Of course, you must understand, the uniform carries only the number, not the name across the back that has been removed … apparently so the MAC can keep all the revenue rather than have some kind of NIL violation.
It's a strange, strange world in which we exist today.