Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia were both key players at the College World Series.
The Mountaineer baseball squad, led by Steve Sabins, made its first-ever CWS appearance earlier this month, and apparently Rodriguez had himself a time soliciting a donation or two from Pat McAfee at a local sports bar, Rocco’s, while the ESPN superhost conducted the restaurant’s trademark Jell-O Shot Challenge.
The challenge, which largely contributes to local food pantries and serves as a challenges amongst the tournament’s dedicated fans, was the source of controversy addressed by McAfee earlier this month after the general manager allegedly drew issue with his unannounced attendance.
Rodriguez was seemingly on the scene, and shared his visit with McAfee at the popular bar in Omaha in a new story by Pete Nakos of On3.
“I stood by Pat’s side the whole time so he wouldn’t write a check for them,” Rodriguez told On3. “I was trying to get him to write a check for us. I hung out at the bar with him for two hours just to convince him. I said, ‘Hey, listen, I know the Jell-O shot thing might be fun, but I need a three-technique.'”
McAfee, a West Virginia alum, is a wealthy man, and if Rocco’s seemingly didn’t care for the extra attention, then hey why not see whether one of college football’s key hypemen is willing to make a donation. McAfee, being an employee of ESPN, finds himself in a unique deal where he maintains personal brand and business ventures, which is unique for sports media.
Rodriguez and the Mountaineers are expected to improve, with the latest sportsbook projections set at 5.5 wins this season as the program looks to return to the success of years past.
