Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Football player files missing Fingers point to Rodriguez By Dave Hickman Staff writer MORGANTOWN — West Virginia officials are wondering if assistant coaches aren’t all that Rich Rodriguez took with him to Michigan. They believe he may also have destroyed all or most of the paperwork files relating to every player on the current Mountaineer roster and virtually all of the activities conducted by the program over the past seven years. Soon after returning to work after the Fiesta Bowl a little more than a week ago, the staff at the Puskar Center found that most of the files — including all of the player files — that had been stored in Rodriguez’s private office were missing. In addition, all of the players’ strength and conditioning files in the weight room were gone. “It’s unbelievable. Everything is gone, like it never existed,’’ said a source within the athletic department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Good, bad or indifferent, we don’t have a record of anything that has happened.’’ According to the source, the files in Rodriguez’s office that are now missing included everything from records regarding summer camps — financial and otherwise — to data on boosters, recruiting and most everything related to activities within the program during Rodriguez’s seven years at WVU. Most disturbing, though, is the absence of all of the players’ personal files, which included, among other things, contact information, scholarship money awarded, class attendance records and records on personal conduct and community service, be it positive or negative. “If a player spoke to a school or did public service, we don’t have a record of it,’’ said the source. “If he broke a rule or missed class, we don’t have a record of that, either. We don’t have anything. All the good things these kids have done over the years, there’s nothing — not a picture of somebody speaking to a class, nothing. Why would somebody do that?’’ West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong did not return a message seeking comment Monday night. Neither could Rodriguez be reached for comment. The files went missing sometime between when Rodriguez resigned on Dec. 16 and the time the team and staff returned from the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3. It could have happened as early as the first days following Rodriguez’s resignation because his old office was largely ignored by the support staff and the coaching staff between the time he left and Dec. 26, when the team and support staff all went to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. According to multiple sources, several people in the Puskar Center reported seeing Rodriguez and at least one member of his inner circle, video coordinator Dusty Rutledge, in Rodriguez’s private office shredding paperwork on Dec. 18. That’s the day he returned to clean out his office after being introduced as the Michigan coach at a press conference in Ann Arbor the day before. At the time, those who say they witnessed it either did not know what was being destroyed or paid it little attention to it until the files were discovered missing more than two weeks later. While the files in Rodriguez’s office held a wide range of information, those that were discovered missing from the weight room office were more specific. Those included every aspect of strength and conditioning progress made by players under former strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Barwis, who along with most of his immediate staff followed Rodriguez to Michigan after the Fiesta Bowl. Those files included the progression made by each player in every specific area, from bench-press totals to 40-yard dash times. The files even included pictures of the players at different points in their careers. While a source within the athletic department said the department itself wasn’t launching any type of investigation into the missing files — “Our plate is pretty full right now with trying to put together a staff and everything else,’’ the source said, “and we don’t have time to deal with [stuff] like this right now.’’ — it has apparently drawn the interest of the university’s legal counsel. WVU lawyers are in the process of trying to recover $4 million from Rodriguez as a condition of breaking his contract with six years remaining to become the coach at Michigan. While Rodriguez has maintained that West Virginia breached the contract by not fulfilling all of its terms — an argument the university denies — the school filed suit in Monongalia County Circuit Court last month detailing what it claims are breaches by Rodriguez above and beyond simply breaking the contract. Those include calling recruits to tell them of his decision to switch schools before he told his own team. It certainly would not help Rodriguez’s case if the school can prove that he also destroyed what WVU officials consider state files on his way out. To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734. He is one shady SOB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 it might have been some ridiculous WVU fan who got drunk and pissed off and decided to go get rid of paperwork figuring it would hurt rod. who knows if it was rod. personally, id first suspect some drunk student before a respected coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] it might have been some ridiculous WVU fan who got drunk and pissed off and decided to go get rid of paperwork figuring it would hurt rod. who knows if it was rod. personally, id first suspect some drunk student before a respected coach. [/ QUOTE ] So some random drunk student is able to strut into Rich Rods office and destroy records. Nice theory Matlock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 maybe burn the door down, along with some couches. maybe they sent a death threat to it, like they did Mcafee and rod's family, and the door moved away. idk. all im saying is i would suspect some idiot from WVU's campus before I look into rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] it might have been some ridiculous WVU fan who got drunk and pissed off and decided to go get rid of paperwork figuring it would hurt rod. who knows if it was rod. personally, id first suspect some drunk student before a respected coach. [/ QUOTE ] Are you serious right now? You think its just that easy to walk into "he who must not be named" office? Security is pretty tight in that building year around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] maybe burn the door down, along with some couches. maybe they sent a death threat to it, like they did Mcafee and rod's family, and the door moved away. idk. all im saying is i would suspect some idiot from WVU's campus before I look into rod. [/ QUOTE ] Ever thought about going into Criminal Investigations? Please say no.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabidbeaver 90 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] it might have been some ridiculous WVU fan who got drunk and pissed off and decided to go get rid of paperwork figuring it would hurt rod. who knows if it was rod. personally, id first suspect some drunk student before a respected coach. [/ QUOTE ] So some random drunk student is able to strut into Rich Rods office and destroy records. Nice theory Matlock. [/ QUOTE ] If I was a drunk student wondering around the athletic facilities I wouild be more concerned about getting me some jerseys and other athletic equipment.LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 with all the stupidity that was coming from that area, morgantown, i wouldnt be surprised if the security let someone through to do the work...or if the security people did it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] maybe burn the door down, along with some couches. maybe they sent a death threat to it, like they did Mcafee and rod's family, and the door moved away. idk. all im saying is i would suspect some idiot from WVU's campus before I look into rod. [/ QUOTE ] You have a stupid answer so you follow with stupid reasoning. I'm not even putting all of the blame on Rod yet as you can see I posed a question as the thread topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabidbeaver 90 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] maybe burn the door down, along with some couches. maybe they sent a death threat to it, like they did Mcafee and rod's family, and the door moved away. idk. all im saying is i would suspect some idiot from WVU's campus before I look into rod. [/ QUOTE ] Death threats to Rods family? Please provide link to police reports,phone records and such,and ESPN does not count as an offical police report.I guess RR mother must have accidentally hit ESPN on her speed dial instead of 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 at the end of your post you wrote about him being "one shady sob" it is easily as possible for some fans to break in there as it is Rodriguez to shread some papers. With all of the incredibly stupid acts coming from the people of Morgantown during Rich's departure and the Pitt game, a random student should be a suspect too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 I'm im sure a "drunk" WVU fan would know exactly what papers to shred and where to locate them. You're worse than a Marshall fan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 explain how Rich's nephew I believe has to be escorted by two police officers everywhere he goes. Clearly there has to have been something going on for that to happen. heres on of my own experiences. My friend had come home from being featured on a game on ESPN when he was 12 years. He was getting a lot of female attention, teacher attention, media attention, etc. Some people decided to be pricks and threaten his life, the life of his family and such. The police werent going to do anything about it until they had gotten physical proof that something was happening. Some older kids from his school rounded him up at his locker one morning and about jumped him and he finally showed some written threats from people. From then on, he was followed closely and surrounded by police at all times. Police arent gonna do anything unless there is something to go on. They arent gonna escort Rod's nephew everywhere just because they feel sorry for him. Something happened threatening he and his family's life and they are taking action. I believe that is report enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] at the end of your post you wrote about him being "one shady sob" it is easily as possible for some fans to break in there as it is Rodriguez to shread some papers. With all of the incredibly stupid acts coming from the people of Morgantown during Rich's departure and the Pitt game, a random student should be a suspect too. [/ QUOTE ] I've been inside the Puskar Center many times. In order for a drunk student to get in there they would have to walk around the front desk where there are usually two secreteries and then proceed to the back where the offices are located. We all know Rod would leave his door unlocked so they drunk student would have easy access to walk in there. While inside the drunk student gets the idea of how cool it would be to "shred paper files." The Puskar Center closes at 4 pm everyday that drunk student must be a crazy alcoholic to be wasted by 4 pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 well alright maybe they werent drunk. I guess most WVU students werent drunk when they vandalized Mcafee's house and sent him threatening letters, so its alright. It hard to picture a respectful WVU student when they are so proud of their #2 party rankning in the nation. So they dont have to be drunk to do it. Maybe I shouldnt have said "drunk student." Stupid student, idiot student, student who doesnt consider others lives, those should have worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] It hard to picture a respectful WVU student when they are so proud of their #2 party rankning in the nation. [/ QUOTE ] Get it right! #1 Party School in the Country... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 false. last time i checked the 2007 rankings were.. Ohio - #1 WVU - #2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] well alright maybe they werent drunk. I guess most WVU students werent drunk when they vandalized Mcafee's house and sent him threatening letters, so its alright. It hard to picture a respectful WVU student when they are so proud of their #2 party rankning in the nation. So they dont have to be drunk to do it. Maybe I shouldnt have said "drunk student." Stupid student, idiot student, student who doesnt consider others lives, those should have worked. [/ QUOTE ] Seriously, You're acting like an IDIOT right now trying to put the blame on a student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Apparently records were deleted from the computers inside there as well. The thing is all of the computers will have backup files. Im sure WVU will use that in court against Rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 thank you. i was waiting for someone to say that. now why isnt it an idiot act when people are placing blame on Rich Rod? Im glad people are getting tired of me trying to blame students because I am tired of people trying to blame Rich for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] false. last time i checked the 2007 rankings were.. Ohio - #1 WVU - #2 [/ QUOTE ] It all depends on who ranks them... Princeton Review put WVU at #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 I believe USA today had Ohio #1. but who cares..WVU can have their #2 party ranking and bask in that. They still have one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. Id feel proud to go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] thank you. i was waiting for someone to say that. now why isnt it an idiot act when people are placing blame on Rich Rod? Im glad people are getting tired of me trying to blame students because I am tired of people trying to blame Rich for everything. [/ QUOTE ] Because he may have something to hide? Ever heard of Richard Nixon or Bill Clinton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JJBrickface Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 [ QUOTE ] I believe USA today had Ohio #1. but who cares..WVU can have their #2 party ranking and bask in that. They still have one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. Id feel proud to go there. [/ QUOTE ] I'm very proud to be a WVU alum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 dont act like I am stupid. It is just as ridiculous to suspect rich rod of disposing of any records just as it is to suspect a student of breaking into the highly secured area of his office and others. they may have been misplaced, who knows, but i very much doubt that anyone from the Morgantown area would consider that and straight put the blame on Rich Rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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