And this is the new text that goes with it:
For generations coal mining has been a way of life in West Virginia. As has Mountaineer football. West Virginians know about hard work. They know about pride. They know that to respect the past you’ve got to fuel the future both on and off the field. In 2010, the Mountaineers are ready to go to work and put it all on the line for West Virginia University.
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montani semper liberi….go mountaineers!
I think it is a sad state of affairs that the Mountaineer Football team was selected as one of ten schools to receive the new uniform from Nike but certain groups are too concerned with political correctness and had to oppose the graphic behind it. Get a life! Enjoy the honor of the best football program in the state being selected out of all the programs in the country. The picture was not intended to advocate mountain top removal…it was a graphic that looked amazing with the uniform…now we a a plain boring graphic to go with the new uniform…such a shame.
Folks,
Matthew’s comment is the last I will allow in which a commenter tells someone else to “get a life” … that sort of comment simply doesn’t advance any sort of constructive discussion of the issues … if you want to rant like that at folks you disagree with, please start your own blog and do it there.
Ken.
How about the idea of putting anything advertising a business or industry on our “amateur” college sports teams? West Virginia has a long history of logging and railroading, why aren’t we putting that stuff on their uniforms? West Virginia may actually be better known for its folklife, its nature, its adventure, why aren’t we putting that stuff on their uniforms?
It’s not all about coal. Coal doesn’t represent 90% of the population of the state. News item this week about Walmart continuing to be the largest private employer in WV, maybe you should plaster the Walmart greeter on the uniforms.
Or maybe it should be just about WVU and the players.
I am a true green Marshall fan, but I love the new WVU uniform, except for the gold shoes. Black would have created a cleaner line and been much more flattering.
I also liked the original graphic, and while I’m certainly no fan of mountaintop removal, I didn’t think the first graphic advocated it. Some people just have to complain about anything.
When I saw the first add it gave me chills….I thought it was great and an honor to be one of the ten teams selected by nike for special uniforms. It saddens me greatly that a very very small group of enviro guys/gals can grab the attention of a corp like Nike and presuade them to change their add. I think the conservative/tea party groups across the country should learn a little something from this and take it to issues like abortion, same sex marriage, etc. If we continue to set on our hands and let the squeaky wheels control greater ascpets of our lives we will have no one to blame but ourselves…..GO EERS
Personally, I thought that the first version of the ad was well done, and should have been left alone. Nike & WVU aren’t endorsing strip mining – they are paying tribute to the lives that were lost. The people who were basing their claims on the fact that it showed a strip mine, which is not accurate since UBB was an underground mine, confuse me. Umm, ok. Would you like it better if the player was photographed kneeling down in low coal? Do you really want to remind the families of the fallen miners what the area they died in looks like?
Please let me be clear in stating that I am not supporting mountain top removal mining and I agree that the damage that is being done to our beautiful state is unforgivable. However, I also believe that showing support to the miners and their families is just as important.
The first ad was a fitting tribute, and it was very clear that the uniforms were intended to pay homage to some of the hardest working men (and women) in the state. The new ad just looks like a guy in a dirty jersey standing on the field. It seems that they could make an effort to meet in the middle. Ok, so you don’t like the visual of the strip job ~ and the new picture of the field is boring and generic. Couldn’t you find a picture that involves coal in some way?
Since the uniforms are intended to honor the fallen miners of the UBB Disaster, who lost their lives while working in the coal fields, it stands to reason that the uniforms aren’t an endorsement of mining. That would be like saying that paying homage to fallen soldiers is an endorsement of war. It’s important to recognize the sacrifice made by these individuals, regardless of your opinion on the industry that caused their death.
Ken, just re – read all the comments on this subject and could’nt find a single example of someone ranting at someone to “get a life” other than Matt’s. I did however several examples of you speaking in caps. Angry? I thought this was forbidden.
It really is a sad sad day when something is being done to honor people who gave their lives to “keep the lights on” are now being disrespected by a “select few”. I’m sure that NIKE could have made it look they were standing outside an “underground” mine.. but these uni’s were done to honor COAL miners who lost their lives.. it should matter NOT in what way the coal was depicted. There were no blasts in the picture… for all we know that could have been a picture of a coal yard from an underground storage site, or at a coal burning power plant. I’m sick and tired of the “few” dictating to the “majority” in these situations.
Regardless, these uniforms are SHARP and the school should wear them PROUDLY and those who are offended by the fact that our state DEPENDS on coal for survival should leave it alone.
Almost makes me cry that the graphic was changed. What was intended to highlight something that is a strength of the state has been totally politicized. The new graphic is boring and does say one thing about West Virginia. I believe that more people liked that former graphic and opposed it. Maybe we should let Nike know how we feel. CHANGE IT BACK!!!
Watcher,
There were of short, ranting comments — from both sides — that urged those they disagree with to “get a life.” Most were not published because they were part of a longer rant that went beyond what I’ll allow on this blog.
Part of trying to have a discussion about these issues is trying to accept and respect — if not agree with — those who have different views. To me, telling someone you disagree with to “get a life” is a childish way of dismissing them and their views, and it doesn’t get anyone anywhere.
As for the ALL CAPS … I’ve been trying to ease up on the ban on that, and allow it when people appear to be using it for emphasis as opposed to using it to signify that they are yelling.
I’d add, though, that on the posts about this topic, I’ve seen some very thoughtful comments from folks who like the ads and from folks who didn’t like the ads.
A couple of examples:
Frequent commenter Casey, who wrote, “To me the message is that coal miners gets very little national respect for the important energy that they provide through their hard work in hazardous environments.”
And commenter Penny B, who wrote: “I wonder if we’re all not missing a bigger point in this debate – West Virginia’s image. I’m very proud of our miners and much of our coal heritiage. For better or worse, it helped shape our people. But, as someone who worked years in economic development, I know all too well that corporate folks outside of WV know very little about us – what they do know is largely a stereotype rooted in mining that often bears little resemblance to the truth.”
We’ve also had a share of ranting from both sides, and I’ve tried to give both sides some leeway, as it was clear everybody was ticked off one way or the other on this …
My guess is that I’ll give this discussion a few more hours today to play out and then hopefully we can move on.
One issue that hasn’t been raised is about the uniform having a fine layer of coal dust on it … and nobody has pointed out really that most mine safety experts at this point believe that a buildup of coal dust at Upper Big Branch made this explosion far worse than it otherwise might have been … properly rock-dusted mines without layers of coal dust might have methane ignitions, but those ignitions would not turn into disasters that kill 29 people.
Ken.
Ken,
Nice response “…start your own blog.”
There is no “constructive discussion” with you people, and you know it. That ad in no-way endorsed MTR and you know it. This whole discussion is about making one side happy, your side.
Here’s a thought try looking at the ad for what it is, an advertisement for a tribute uniform for the West Virginia Football Team, nothing more.
Ken,
I need to apologize to you. I’m not very political but this stuff drives me crazy.
I still say people should use common sense, but i’m not holding my breath.
eershere,
Common sense … One question that comes to my mind is that why didn’t someone from WVU figure out that the artwork would cause a response like what Jeff Biggers, Bo Webb and others raised, and tell Nike to come up with something different to avoid turning a good thing (trying to honor the UBB victims) into a big controversy?
Folks on both sides of the mountaintop removal issue have expressed similar thoughts here — I’ve asked WVU for some explanation of all of this, but so far the administration there is not being especially transparent.
Ken.
Ken,
Thanks for bringing this situation to our attention over the last few days. I appreciate what Nike is trying to do in paying homage to the miners that lost their lives at the UBB mine in April. No matter which side of the debate you are on it was a tragedy.
I don’t however believe the pro-coal crowd believes the anti-coal crowd feels that way. Opposing the coal industry is not at the the same as opposing miners. One can disagree with or protest MTR mining and champion environmental causes and at the same time support the miners themselves who go into harms way to provide for their families and communities, just as one can oppose a war and still support our troops. It seems to me that most of the rhetoric disallows this stance.
One other thing that I notice is that a lot of folks like to throw around “majority” and “minority” when talking about their point of view. Almost always it’s the other side who is the “vocal minority”. None of us know how “most” people feel because we mostly talk to people who are like us and in our same situation or listen to people/corporations who have a stake in making us believe one side or the other is the majority.
Anyway, I for one would have rather seem one of WV’s signiture mountainous skylines rather than a stripjob, MTR, or a bland stadium. WV is about more than coal, no matter what “Big Coal” says.
1) I will point out again that in a credible poll of WV voters (http://www.appalachian-center.org/poll_results/wv_mtr_poll_files/frame.htm), mtr was opposed by almost 2:1; therefore you can’t truthfully say that this is an instance of Nike bending to “a very very small group of enviro guys/gals.” The original background was in very poor taste, in view of the level of controversy that surrounds mtr.
2) In response to Mike’s questions, “West Virginia has a long history of logging and railroading, why aren’t we putting that stuff on their uniforms? West Virginia may actually be better known for its folklife, its nature, its adventure, why aren’t we putting that stuff on their uniforms?”
It’s because coal has more money.
3) Nike is a corporation. The sole reason for corporations’ existence is to make money for their stockholders. Have you read the text of the ad that was linked to Ken’s original post? Here it is, in part:
“. . . the West Virginia Nike Pro Combat System of Dress also delivers significant performance benefits. The uniforms are 37 percent lighter than current designs, relieving players of extra weight in a game that demands top speed. The four-way stretch twill fabric rapidly sheds sweat and water, ensuring that even when wet, these uniforms are lighter than their standard-issue counterparts when completely dry. Dual-density form padding provides critical protection and greater mobility than traditional pads for unencumbered speed. The Nike Pro Combat base layer allows for specific pad placement to suit every position, providing a highly customized solution . . .the Nike Pro Combat’s System of Dress delivers unmatched lightweight protection in a formidable head-to-toe package.”
While it is nice that Nike is paying tribute to the fallen miners, it is naive to think that WVU is being “honored” by the gift of these uniforms. Nike is in business to sell its products, and this gesture is a promotion of those products. End of story.
Kudos to Taylor.
OK, folks … thanks for all the comments on this topic … We’re going to shut down the discussion on this now for the weekend. Go Mountaineers!