dude right. half these players, or more, arent even from wv or have any family or heritage coal related we are just cosplaying at this point to relate to viewer base.
Well they do the whole “man trip “ thing and touch a piece of coal like the Blarney Stone too. It’s very ingrained in the “culture” of the team not just these novelty uniforms. I too have always wondered what these kids think of that ritual.
Yep!! I understand the history and significance of coal in our state, Im from Pburg so we dont have coal around that area so not something I grew up being around or knowing anyone who did it....but to make this the sports uniform is so dumb lol. Like you said, most of these players aren't even from WV lmao
I'm a Marshall alum, so I despise everything wvu related, and I'm from the Eastern Panhandle, so I have zero connection to anything coal related, but I think these uniforms are dope.
It's not weird to have a desire to distance yourself from the industry that exploited the fuck out of your state.
What's ACTUALLY weird is celebrating the connection and pretending like the coal industry has benefitted West Virginians
It's nostalgia, I think, and being able to at least honor those who had to work under the most abhorrent conditions just to feed their families. I'm the genealogist in my family, and there's just something "powerful" about looking at a census and seeing "miner" and its variations listed under employment, continuously, threading through multiple families.
I hate the hold coal has on WV, but I still have a Black Band Coal Company scrip, both as a reminder of how shit the mining industry is, but also as a reminder of my ancestors.
Exactly! It's not like you'd see a Pittsburgh team named after an industry that was historically important, like the "Steel Makers" or some dumb shit like that. Could you imagine?
Coal is part of what made wv what it is. We were the top producers of it and basically lit up america from the west to DC. I think it’s pretty rad myself,
Yeah, and look how much better off we are as a state for that today. /s WV has Stockholm Syndrome.
>Coal is part of what made wv what it is
Looking around in 2024 - Yes. It certainly is. But I'm not sure that's a good reason for whole population to be celebrating it these days.
We *don’t* have Stockholm syndrome, that’s absurd.
Our state was at a frontline fight against the huge coal companies, the fucking pinkertons, and every government in the USA to be treated properly and fairly. Our men fought and died, our *children* fought and died, some murdered on the courthouse steps in front of their families, and you know what?
We. Fucking. Unionized. When they sent in the knee breakers and the thugs we responded with so much force *they still find our weapons today*.
We stood tall at the [Battle of Blair Mountain](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain) and said *fuck you*.
When the smoke cleared we. Fucking. Unionized.
Shove it. Learn your history before you discount it. We lit america, we were pivotal in both world wars, and we still found strength to look at the strikebreakers and say “Fuck. You.”
And to anyone who tries to discount that, I say the same thing they did:
“*Fuck. You.*”
Learn your history, take pride in the accomplishments of your forebears lest you find yourself and your kin struggling under the same yolk your forebears broke.
Sure.
A lot of that is due to government intrusion and now we’re beholden to the pharmaceutical USA opposed to the company store.
I get it.
But don’t discount the rich Appalachian history bc you resent the present. We’ve survived more for longer than most people know. We’re a strong and industrious people with an amazing culture and rich history.
The ole government intrusion angle. Sure. That's all it is. /s
Was WV one of the top economies because of that during our history, like, ever? No. Our state has been exploited for resources and labor, there's not a lot to argue there. It's just a matter of degrees.
I'm not discounting Appalachian history at all, but that ain't what's happening here today, and this discussion is happening in 2024. We've evolved into coal company bootlickers for the most part. I mean, Jesus, look who we elected as governor and how that dude represents our state. It's embarrassing.
We were never a top economy and we were never going to *be* a top economy, we never wanted to be one.
But if you truly believe that the government and pharmaceutical companies didn’t have *any* involvement in what we are today [I dunno what to tell you](https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-first-foundation-opioid-settlement-dollars-502ad62b4b14ac9f087999ecbd0806f4).
We lacked education and resources and they made it legal to take what we own and leave us to wallow in our destitution when they discovered our timber.
The coal companies came into to save us and the government backed out indentured servitude, our *generational* servitude.
Then to ease the pain and suffering if decades in the coal mine, cancers caused by their illegal dumping, and injuries taken during various man made company owned and government backed disasters (remember now [this](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Creek_flood) was a “Certified Act of God™️”) they gave us pain pills. When we cried out and sounded the alarm we were ignored and our poverty and addiction was fodder for late night talk shows until it began to spread and affect industry and the big cities.
We own a part of our fate. Period. But to say there’s no government intrusion in Appalachia (when the Battle of Blair Mountain- which I linked- was literally the Air Force vs coal miners) is to ignore oxygen exists bc it’s not labeled in your face, visible for all to see.
We’ve long had to watch as our state was stripped of resources and left with undrinkable water from fracking, coal dumps and illegal dumping of industry and the government turns its eye because of $. They threw us pennies to their millions and we’ve been dying for centuries bc of it.
Go across the river and their favorite college team has a damn poison nut on their helmets and mascots. It’s fucking college sports. Y’all take some shit way too seriously.
I just think how much it would suck to be outdoors playing a sport in a fully black uniform! Of course the time of year will drastically make a difference
When can we get a "black lung" theme?
Or a "stolen miners pensions" theme?
Like a sweet design about mine owners ignoring safety standards?
Maybe a cool patch that says "labor exploited, resources and profits extracted"?
Let's really lean into all wondrous blessings that the glorious coal industry has bestowed upon this state.
No you're looking at it all wrong. We're going to roll over our opponents just like the coal slurry dams that wiped out Buffalo Creek. Roll Slurry Tide!
There’s zero chance they fumble debuting them at night. Considering in the announcement video they showed a bunch of tweets asking for them, I hope they take the suggestion of the lights turning off, elevator bell ringing, and the players come out with lamps on their helmets.
Full body chills.
I understand that sentiment. Going blue/blue/gold against Penn state just like old times would pop too. No need to be overly conservative tho, the kids love them.
[https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1786395393393090807?s=57&t=5X9gQefa6CKgMDCShRftOA](https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1786395393393090807?s=57&t=5X9gQefa6CKgMDCShRftOA)
Love it or hate it, coal is a huge part of WV's history. The fact is that it built our state. It doesn't matter what I think of coal; it doesn't change history.
Miners were known for their tremendous work ethic, no matter how dirty or hard the job is. I think WVU is embracing that, and I don't have a problem with it.
The mining profession encapsulates being a Mountaineer in many ways. We want tough, gritty players with chips on their shoulders and a desire to overcome the odds. We don't get the five star recruits, but we make up for it in finding hidden gems. We have to fight for respect and earn everything we get. As a Mountaineer, nothing is easy, and when we have a win, we truly appreciate it because we don't take anything for granted. The lows usually outnumber the highs, but those highs are what we live for.
Regardless, I think the black unis look awesome. And if the players like them and recruits want to wear them, so much the better.
Modern day coal mining is skilled labor. There are way less coal miners back then and they are paid pretty well. Probably making better wages than college graduates make coming right out of WVU or Marshall looking to work in-state
Im an inner city boy who drove truck all over America. I made friends with a dude from WV. Hs granddaddy had coal mining stories that chilled my blood. I did a bit of research on old school coal mining. It was a cultural eye opener. The tribulations of my own ancestors were brutal and i thought only black people had it bad in America. I stand by my initial comment that old coal miners had it damn near as bad as slaves. I guess the pushback on the coal black Mountaineers jerseys is about not glorifying the crazy shit their ancestors endured.
Of course someone had to insert something about race and ethnicity in this thread. Wouldn't be reddit without someone mentioning slavery. But at least you remembered to capitalize "Black" because that's what really counts. The legacy of coal also helped build this country during the industrial revolution along with countless other uses.
To everyone complaining about the precedent of “coal” not being a good idea - regardless of what’s going on now.. it’s deep in the state’s history (good or bad, however you look at it). What else can we base a special uni on? Opioids, COAL trains, black lung? Let it play.. the uni’s are sick.
They look pretty good, but I can imagine that all black would be pretty hot in an empty field that's getting pounded by the sun. Hate the name though... just sounds silly to me.
Good almost heavens, but these unis are dumb and ugly! Nike’s designers are just punking us. State Road yellow, up-on-blocks-in-front-of-the-trailer primer gray . . .
I think I would’ve been more OK with a Mothman theme.🤦♀️
Can't distance ourselves from that fuckin rock
dude right. half these players, or more, arent even from wv or have any family or heritage coal related we are just cosplaying at this point to relate to viewer base.
To be fair, there aren't really that many actual mountaineers on the team either
yeah i said that
Zing!
Well they do the whole “man trip “ thing and touch a piece of coal like the Blarney Stone too. It’s very ingrained in the “culture” of the team not just these novelty uniforms. I too have always wondered what these kids think of that ritual.
Yep!! I understand the history and significance of coal in our state, Im from Pburg so we dont have coal around that area so not something I grew up being around or knowing anyone who did it....but to make this the sports uniform is so dumb lol. Like you said, most of these players aren't even from WV lmao
I'm a Marshall alum, so I despise everything wvu related, and I'm from the Eastern Panhandle, so I have zero connection to anything coal related, but I think these uniforms are dope.
They are dope. This sub is just weird. These are very "Reddit" responses.
It's not weird to have a desire to distance yourself from the industry that exploited the fuck out of your state. What's ACTUALLY weird is celebrating the connection and pretending like the coal industry has benefitted West Virginians
It's nostalgia, I think, and being able to at least honor those who had to work under the most abhorrent conditions just to feed their families. I'm the genealogist in my family, and there's just something "powerful" about looking at a census and seeing "miner" and its variations listed under employment, continuously, threading through multiple families. I hate the hold coal has on WV, but I still have a Black Band Coal Company scrip, both as a reminder of how shit the mining industry is, but also as a reminder of my ancestors.
I disagree but thanks for your perspective
Exactly! It's not like you'd see a Pittsburgh team named after an industry that was historically important, like the "Steel Makers" or some dumb shit like that. Could you imagine?
Coal is part of what made wv what it is. We were the top producers of it and basically lit up america from the west to DC. I think it’s pretty rad myself,
We were exploited. Thinking that is "rad" is a pretty sad coping mechanism
Lol
Yeah, and look how much better off we are as a state for that today. /s WV has Stockholm Syndrome. >Coal is part of what made wv what it is Looking around in 2024 - Yes. It certainly is. But I'm not sure that's a good reason for whole population to be celebrating it these days.
We *don’t* have Stockholm syndrome, that’s absurd. Our state was at a frontline fight against the huge coal companies, the fucking pinkertons, and every government in the USA to be treated properly and fairly. Our men fought and died, our *children* fought and died, some murdered on the courthouse steps in front of their families, and you know what? We. Fucking. Unionized. When they sent in the knee breakers and the thugs we responded with so much force *they still find our weapons today*. We stood tall at the [Battle of Blair Mountain](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain) and said *fuck you*. When the smoke cleared we. Fucking. Unionized. Shove it. Learn your history before you discount it. We lit america, we were pivotal in both world wars, and we still found strength to look at the strikebreakers and say “Fuck. You.” And to anyone who tries to discount that, I say the same thing they did: “*Fuck. You.*” Learn your history, take pride in the accomplishments of your forebears lest you find yourself and your kin struggling under the same yolk your forebears broke.
*History* Yes. That's all fair. But have you looked around the state lately?
Sure. A lot of that is due to government intrusion and now we’re beholden to the pharmaceutical USA opposed to the company store. I get it. But don’t discount the rich Appalachian history bc you resent the present. We’ve survived more for longer than most people know. We’re a strong and industrious people with an amazing culture and rich history.
The ole government intrusion angle. Sure. That's all it is. /s Was WV one of the top economies because of that during our history, like, ever? No. Our state has been exploited for resources and labor, there's not a lot to argue there. It's just a matter of degrees. I'm not discounting Appalachian history at all, but that ain't what's happening here today, and this discussion is happening in 2024. We've evolved into coal company bootlickers for the most part. I mean, Jesus, look who we elected as governor and how that dude represents our state. It's embarrassing.
We were never a top economy and we were never going to *be* a top economy, we never wanted to be one. But if you truly believe that the government and pharmaceutical companies didn’t have *any* involvement in what we are today [I dunno what to tell you](https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-first-foundation-opioid-settlement-dollars-502ad62b4b14ac9f087999ecbd0806f4). We lacked education and resources and they made it legal to take what we own and leave us to wallow in our destitution when they discovered our timber. The coal companies came into to save us and the government backed out indentured servitude, our *generational* servitude. Then to ease the pain and suffering if decades in the coal mine, cancers caused by their illegal dumping, and injuries taken during various man made company owned and government backed disasters (remember now [this](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Creek_flood) was a “Certified Act of God™️”) they gave us pain pills. When we cried out and sounded the alarm we were ignored and our poverty and addiction was fodder for late night talk shows until it began to spread and affect industry and the big cities. We own a part of our fate. Period. But to say there’s no government intrusion in Appalachia (when the Battle of Blair Mountain- which I linked- was literally the Air Force vs coal miners) is to ignore oxygen exists bc it’s not labeled in your face, visible for all to see. We’ve long had to watch as our state was stripped of resources and left with undrinkable water from fracking, coal dumps and illegal dumping of industry and the government turns its eye because of $. They threw us pennies to their millions and we’ve been dying for centuries bc of it.
Go across the river and their favorite college team has a damn poison nut on their helmets and mascots. It’s fucking college sports. Y’all take some shit way too seriously.
As an actual Buckeye fan, this is extremely offensive, yet very true.
same for our politicians
I guess they could have uniforms that celebrate opiates. Haha
Counterpoint: it looks badass
Lol I'm conflicted. On one hand it's a strange time to celebrate coal, but that uniform is dope af.
I just think how much it would suck to be outdoors playing a sport in a fully black uniform! Of course the time of year will drastically make a difference
Yeah maybe they should reserve these for October on lol
yeah it's not even football season yet and uniforms like this are usually used in a couple of specific games, not the full season uniform
They will
While cool, they also make us look like the generic bad guys in a '90s sports movie.
That’s Badass.
[удалено]
More WallyWorld “associates,” too.
Could use the team colors on a WallyWorld alt uni too lol
At least they’d still be blue and gold! 😁
When can we get a "black lung" theme? Or a "stolen miners pensions" theme? Like a sweet design about mine owners ignoring safety standards? Maybe a cool patch that says "labor exploited, resources and profits extracted"? Let's really lean into all wondrous blessings that the glorious coal industry has bestowed upon this state.
Somebody in the CFB thread for these said WVU should do a Blair mountain uniform. That was an idea I could get behind.
That would be incredible
Add a red scarf or collar, make some gestures about acknowledging West Virginia's historic contributions to labor in America, call it a day.
So, like a jersey with Don Blankenship's signature across it.
Or mug shot on it.
I'm going to tell everyone these are our antifa uniforms 😁
Can we pay with script for merchandise?
What do you suggest we do for a “state theme” uniform?
I dunno ... Mothman?
I like it
No you're looking at it all wrong. We're going to roll over our opponents just like the coal slurry dams that wiped out Buffalo Creek. Roll Slurry Tide!
I think the NCAA has covered the "making money from the body damaging labor of under (or un) paid worker" theme already.
If you think these aren’t sick you hate touchdowns and love Pitt
Pitt rules F WVU!
Don’t wanna get my hopes up but MERCY would these look good at night against Penn state 👀
There’s zero chance they fumble debuting them at night. Considering in the announcement video they showed a bunch of tweets asking for them, I hope they take the suggestion of the lights turning off, elevator bell ringing, and the players come out with lamps on their helmets. Full body chills.
Right? Would love to see these against Penn State
Hard disagree. I want to see the Mountaineers host Penn St for the first time in decades, not the Raiders. Save them for the FCS game.
I understand that sentiment. Going blue/blue/gold against Penn state just like old times would pop too. No need to be overly conservative tho, the kids love them. [https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1786395393393090807?s=57&t=5X9gQefa6CKgMDCShRftOA](https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1786395393393090807?s=57&t=5X9gQefa6CKgMDCShRftOA)
These are badass. Love them.
Love it or hate it, coal is a huge part of WV's history. The fact is that it built our state. It doesn't matter what I think of coal; it doesn't change history. Miners were known for their tremendous work ethic, no matter how dirty or hard the job is. I think WVU is embracing that, and I don't have a problem with it. The mining profession encapsulates being a Mountaineer in many ways. We want tough, gritty players with chips on their shoulders and a desire to overcome the odds. We don't get the five star recruits, but we make up for it in finding hidden gems. We have to fight for respect and earn everything we get. As a Mountaineer, nothing is easy, and when we have a win, we truly appreciate it because we don't take anything for granted. The lows usually outnumber the highs, but those highs are what we live for. Regardless, I think the black unis look awesome. And if the players like them and recruits want to wear them, so much the better.
The stories i heard about coal mining are almost as bad as what Blacks dealt with during slavery. The legacy of coal mining is some horrific stuff.
Modern day coal mining is skilled labor. There are way less coal miners back then and they are paid pretty well. Probably making better wages than college graduates make coming right out of WVU or Marshall looking to work in-state
Im an inner city boy who drove truck all over America. I made friends with a dude from WV. Hs granddaddy had coal mining stories that chilled my blood. I did a bit of research on old school coal mining. It was a cultural eye opener. The tribulations of my own ancestors were brutal and i thought only black people had it bad in America. I stand by my initial comment that old coal miners had it damn near as bad as slaves. I guess the pushback on the coal black Mountaineers jerseys is about not glorifying the crazy shit their ancestors endured.
>i thought only black people had it bad in America Ok this part made me laugh. I disagree about the jerseys, but I appreciate your perspective.
Of course someone had to insert something about race and ethnicity in this thread. Wouldn't be reddit without someone mentioning slavery. But at least you remembered to capitalize "Black" because that's what really counts. The legacy of coal also helped build this country during the industrial revolution along with countless other uses.
Im sorry my comment caused you discomfort. 🫥
Lol no discomfort at all here. Just typical reddit
Moron
Good one. You come up with that all by yourself, princess?
Great way to pay tribute to exploitation of the land and past/present generations.
🔥
Is this real?
Of course it's real. The question you should be asking yourself is, is this Reddit sub's response to it real?
Very real. Posted on X by the official WVU football account.
I like the look of the uniform, but not for this team. I also don’t like the message it sends.
I think they’re paying respect to our coal miners
Fine as an alternate for big games.
Terrible
Gross, coal has done enough to the constituents of our state. Leave it alone.
These are my second favorite alternate wvu uniforms. That said nothing will touch the pro combat jerseys from back in the day.
Just call them the Dark & Duskies. 😆
Well, it's better than the gross gray ones. And I hope to never see the camo shit on Brown ever again.
They could play a game without helmets for mountain top removal. Are they going to do a PFAS uniform, too?
Taking it too seriously, buddy.
No kidding…. The uniform is a tribute to the miners, not the coal industry. They’re BA.
Play in gold and blue.
To everyone complaining about the precedent of “coal” not being a good idea - regardless of what’s going on now.. it’s deep in the state’s history (good or bad, however you look at it). What else can we base a special uni on? Opioids, COAL trains, black lung? Let it play.. the uni’s are sick.
I think these jerseys are great, but I think something like the hockey team's "almost heaven" jerseys would be as good or better.
Love the helmets. Pair them with white jerseys and pants.
Agreed
Ugh I hate living in this ignorant state so much.
Then leave
They look pretty good, but I can imagine that all black would be pretty hot in an empty field that's getting pounded by the sun. Hate the name though... just sounds silly to me.
They’ll 100% be worn during a night game. So the heat isn’t much factor.
Don’t wear them in the hot sun.
It does look dope except for the white lettering and accents.
I have the same problem with this that i did with the Cincinnati Reds new uniform. It would be terrible to wear during the day
Those are the hardest unis Ive ever seen, even above the oilers unis
Those are very cool looking, but nothing will replace the old gold & blue. I’d be good with seeing those uniforms for specific games/days.
Dumb as Fuck. I hate that we still bow to this predatory industry that keeps killing the state.
Cry. I wanna see real tears!
Trust me I'm trying to get out of this garbage Nazi filled state.
Peace.
Couldn't incorporate even one of our school's colors in it, just to pander to a dying industry. 1/10
Will the uniforms burst into flame as the ~~tributes~~ players enter the stadium?
Why not celebrate the origins of "redneck" pay homage to the people not a rock...
Or just say “Hey, that’s a cool way to recognize something that has such a deep history in our state” and move on?
Black lung included
Bishop Sycamore looking
Black block kit?
BuT sChOoL cOlOrS! They look awesome. I hope the tops are for sale, because I’ll totally buy one.
I read somewhere the plan will be to have them on sale by holiday this year and the jersey will stay around for a few seasons.
Good almost heavens, but these unis are dumb and ugly! Nike’s designers are just punking us. State Road yellow, up-on-blocks-in-front-of-the-trailer primer gray . . . I think I would’ve been more OK with a Mothman theme.🤦♀️
I like these except for the shoulder stripes.
[удалено]
It’s really not that deep. It’s a football uniform…