It’s become a staple of college sports, a phrase that rolls off the tongue as easily as “Roll Tide” or “I hate Duke.” But the iconic t-shirt slogan “West F*****g Virginia” (censored) is now in the crosshairs of school administration. University of West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck (who happens to be the father of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck) would like students to refrain from wearing their “West F*****g Virginia” shirts to the LSU game on Saturday.
The tipping point here? One of the shirts was seen on ESPN this past Saturday (warning: profanity) during the Mountaineers’ game.
So Luck has written this open letter to the WVU student body:
Open Letter to WVU Fans From Oliver Luck
By Oliver Luck for MSNsportsNET.com
September 12, 2011 05:25 PM
Mountaineer fans:
During the opening game of the 2011 WVU football season, one of the ESPN cameras showed a young man wearing a blue t-shirt with “West F##### Virginia” on the chest. Based on the TV rating of the game, this picture was seen by at least a few million people around the country. I think you would agree with me that this is not the image of our University and our state that we want to promote.
I would like to ask you to help me convince people who are wearing these t-shirts to reconsider their choice of attire. I recognize that the First Amendment protects free speech, and as a lawyer, I am more than familiar with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the landmark 1971 case, Cohen vs. California, which is the law of the land regarding public institutions (like WVU) and protected speech. But as my dad used to tell me, ‘just because it is legal does not mean it is right.’ And I certainly believe that people wearing these offending t-shirts at Mountaineer games, or anywhere else, for that matter, are damaging the reputation of our state and its flagship institution of higher learning.
I would like to request that if you see someone wearing one of these t-shirts that you politely ask him or her to change or to cover it up. Even wearing it inside-out would be an improvement. As you know, we have a big home football game against LSU coming up next Saturday and we would like to present a more favorable image to the millions of football fans from around the country who will be watching the game. Be polite, be courteous, be friendly-but do speak up.
Thank you for your support of the Mountaineers!
My favorite part:
I would like to request that if you see someone wearing one of these t-shirts that you politely ask him or her to change or to cover it up. … Be polite, be courteous, be friendly — but do speak up.
I see no way this could end badly.
Alternate University of West Virginia t-shirt design ideas:
Our Team Is Marginally Superior To Your Team.
Do You Have Any Grey Poupon?
Hang In There (Photo of cat hanging by its claws).
Math Camp Olympiad 2004.
Good Day To You, Sir. I Said GOOD DAY!
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WVU asks fans to wear tasteful t-shirts to games [NBCSports]
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- florida727 - Sep 13, 2011 at 4:48 PM
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Rick, best tee-shirt in the history of tee-shirtdom, from the University of South Carolina: “Go Carolina, You Can’t Lick Our ‘Cocks” True. The shirts do exist. My best friend has one. Actually, come to think of it, if he was REALLY my best friend, he’d have gotten me one. The jerk…
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- BratLee - Sep 13, 2011 at 6:09 PM
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Another great tee-shirt was the Millersville State College (now Millersville University) “Fighting Amish”, with a cartoon Amish man holding a pitchfork. Being in good olde Lancaster County, it was quite a hoot for us Pennsylvania Dutchmen.
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- michaelfkarr - Sep 15, 2011 at 8:09 AM
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It’s West Virginia University.
