Isn’t it time to “settle” their differences?

By now, the general public has to be a bit weary of those ubiquitous shots of Rich Rodriguez on the news.  Surely, the countless newspaper columns and articles, while interesting reading, have taken their toll.  Secretly, whether they detest Rich Rodriguez or not, a lot of folks have to be wishing this whole thing would just go away.   Truth be told, I bet WVU Head Coach Bill Stewart, and thousands of Mountaineer fans across the state, would concur.

Unless you’re a lawyer for Rich Rodriguez or West Virginia University , it really isn’t about winning and losing anymore.  Now there’s no question that Rich Rodriguez’ departure to Michigan had to be the most awkward exit from a state since Robert Irsay backed up a van in 1984 and moved the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis overnight.  How could a coach go from revered to reviled in one day?  Coach Rodriguez managed to do it.  Did the school renege on promises to him, or did he leave his team and his program high and dry because of the lure of more money from mighty Michigan ?  That will be debated for many years to come.  But dragging this thing out in the courts isn’t going to help either side.  Rodriguez has told national networks that his children and his nieces and nephews have been threatened in schools.  The Charleston Gazette is now reporting that law enforcement officials are actually looking into death threats against Rodriguez!  All because a football coach decided to take a new job!  

He signed a contract and he’ll be held accountable.  I say the two sides should lock themselves in a room and work out an amenable settlement for everybody.  Just like John Beilein, he’ll have to pay West Virginia a sizable amount of money for signing a buyout clause---a long protracted court battle will only cost WVU money in legal fees.  And what comes from all this back and forth bitterness?  Regular doses of negative publicity for WVU and it certainly keeps the Mountaineers’ ardent football fans from focusing entirely on recruiting and spring practice.  

It’s gone way past the point of healthy debate, and maybe for everyone, it’s time to move on.